Sunday 16 May 2021

Lovely Spring!

 Spring has finally sprung here in my part of Ontario. The birds are singing, the trees are blossoming, the blackflies are biting. We had a very busy day yesterday. Husband rented the "Beast 2000" and we spent the better part of yesterday chipping the previously cut down Manitoba maple regrowth saplings and some small walnuts and a dying tree from the neighbour's yard. The neighbour lives in a city a few hours away, but agreed to chip in (ha ha, "get it" as my daughter used to say when she was little and tried telling jokes) on the price of the machine if we could take care of those trees for him (we keep the firewood). 

This chipper is not a large as the one we rented a couple of years ago, but it did the job. I used the wood chips in a couple of beds, as the original chips were pretty much gone (where do they go?) It's not the best looking mulch, as there are also twigs mixed in, but it does the job. 



Underneath that pile of wood chips is a tarp. This is at the edge of the "field" that is right next to our property. Nothing is planted in it, it's just "scrub" land. It might not look like a big pile, but it really is. I have lots to use.


Here are the results of mulching one flower bed so far. From a distance it looks pretty good. My next bed is a BIG project. It is the shrub border that runs along the pool fence. It needs lots of weeding and there are hydrangeas popping up where they shouldn't be. I had originally used landscape fabric around the shrubs, but plenty of weeds have poked right through, and again, the original woodchips are pretty much gone. It's so hard weeding up against the concrete edge, under the fence. I'm hoping I can just choke everything to death with a thick enough covering of mulch. 


Last fall, I did some serious cutting back of the dappled willow behind Gerald. I should have listened when someone said it would get big. 


There is plenty of new growth, so I'm not worried about it. You can see the winter pool cover and tarp still on the pool. It will be a long while before the pool is opened up and ready to swim in!


This is a picture of Gerald from a couple of years back, so you can see the willow in its normal state. That is a wigilia beside it. The willow got to be about twice that size and was crowding out other shrubs, as well as poor Gerald!

Our old apple tree is blooming right now, and right on cue, I spotted an oriole in it this morning. There is no oriole in this picture. Try as I might, I've never been able to get a good picture (I don't have a fancy camera with special lenses - just my phone!) 


Here is a closer look. It literally makes a humming sound, with all the bees enjoying the blossoms.


On the kitten home front, things are going well. She has two states of being: perpetual motion, or sleep.




We have taken our time introducing Molly to our other cat, Scooter. There has been the odd hiss, and I'm not letting her get too close to him (she's the one who would likely exhibit poor behaviour), and I'm feeling a bit bad for Scooter in that he just comes in to eat and then leaves again, but I think in time, they'll come to an understanding. He is pretty passive and I don't think he'd hurt her, but I don't want him to think he has to keep running away. 

Tomorrow morning, son is moving back to the city where he attends college for his summer term. I imagine most of his classes will still be online, but he does have a lab for which he will have to be onsite. It's been so nice having both of our "kids" living with us, but time moves on. Hopefully our lockdown (which has been extended) will end in early June and he'll have a bit more freedom, as will we. 

The chickens, and I, are very happy for the nice weather. I have much weeding to do. Have a great rest of your weekend, everyone.



33 comments:

  1. How did you come to name your Easter Island head "Gerald"? Does it look like someone you know with that name? And please -- keep the kitten photos coming -- so cute!

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    1. Well when my son was younger, he used the name Gerald for everything. I have no idea where he got it from, likely some YouTube personality (?) The Easter Island guy was a gift to me from the family and he needed a name-hence Gerald. I think he looks like a Gerald.

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  2. What a coincidence! I just came in from weeding along our back hedge. So many weeds and odd clumps of grass growing where I don't want it! My son will help me cover it all with dirt and then we will top with mulch. Hope that stops the weeds! Good work on your yard!

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    1. I just came in from squishing between shrubs to get at grass growing through the landscape fabric. I’m wearing long sleeves and I still look like I was attacked by a bobcat. I’ve also been trying to pull hydrangea runners from underneath it, too. Boy that plant has a great survival instinct!! I’ve said some choice words.

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  3. Wishing you a happy spring. We had snow last weekend but overall, it's been stunning spring here. Even if we still have the heater on, some days. Not today. Today it's all windows open and sunshine city! Love seeing the pictures. Much luck to your son going back. Cheers, Ivy.

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  4. Seriously envious of Gerald. My turtle and rabbits just don't cut it. If I was closer I'd put on a hoodie and pay you a night time visit.
    Colour and pleasing garden views!!

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    1. You'd need a wheelbarrow, or a strong Greek man to help you lift it.

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  5. I see you have found plenty to do in your retirement -- and hard body work it is! Well done! And Gerald is a handsome devil!

    I love your sweet new kitten. We haven't had a kitten since Gypsy, who chose us. My sweetest boy. Molly has a darling face and I'm sure she and Scooter will get on, and probably in fairly short order. Makes me smile.

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    1. I do hope they get used to each other. We haven't always had cats that particularly liked each other, more a level of polite intolerance.

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  6. All of a sudden, Spring!!!!

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  7. Hubby and I were talking just this morning about taking out some scrub brush (and a birch tree that is in the way) and running the debris through the chipper we share with our good neighbors. Then using the chippings for mulch under our apple trees. It's been our experience that chipped bark, twigs, small trunks make the best mulch as far as keeping the weeds from growing. Your kitty is just as cute as can be. What a cuddle-bug.

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    1. I'm going to lay it on very thick - take THAT weeds!

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  8. Your weigela shrub is very pretty, I might have to add that to my shopping list next time we go to the garden centre.

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    1. There are a few different kinds - this one is called Red Prince. It gets quite big, but it's gorgeous.

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  9. Oh I would love to have all those wood chips.. Lucky you!.... Poor Gerald.. Good thing he doesn't have allergies...LOL...What a sweet little baby you have there..I love your chickens! My husband is in the process of finishing up a chicken coop and when he's done we are getting about 3 chickens. It's just us and last time we had like 17 of them and they were just too much for us to handle. Im excited!

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    1. Oh, that's fun, getting chickens again. I went for a few years without them, but I really wanted to have them again and my wonderful husband rebuilt the chicken coop (which is more like a tiny barn). I currently only have 7 hens (had more, but stuff happens).

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  10. More like summer today - I had to sit in the shade after working in the garden. I lost one of my wigelias last year but still have two. One is the same shade of red as yours.

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    1. Wasn't it nice today? Such as lovely change from when I went for a walk with daughter in a winter hat, gloves, coat...

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  11. Your apple tree is just lovely! The neighbour's crabapples have yet to bloom here.

    Weeds certainly have a way of making their presence known in places we'd rather they were not. A gardener friend said once, that weeds find the water. Your mulch is nice - the stuff I get at the store isn't any better with chunks and does it ever break down.

    Enjoy your beautiful weather!

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    1. Apart from renting the chipper, this stuff is free - that's the best kind.

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  12. Gorgeous pictures...aw Spring..with all its colour! I am envious of your chip pile!

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  13. Your plants are lovely! I know, where do the mulch chips go? I guess they break down. We need more but I just get some bags of it at Home Depot each year. I think if it's deep enough, the weeds will get very easy to pull, at least.

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  14. Spring indeed has finally arrived. And Ms. Kitty is too charming.

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  15. Your property is beautiful with long sweeping views. I also mulch everything and like the way it frames the garden areas. Your flowering trees and shrubs are glorious. Molly exudes cuteness. Hopefully Scooter will feel better in time.

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  16. You've got a nice garden. I too am in the process and weeding, mulching, weeding, mulching. It's never ending.

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  17. LOVE your Easter Island head! What a nice addition. I'm really appreciating this wonderful weather. This morning I'll be heading outside for garden cleanup, mostly weeding. On Wednesday, hubby and I will be working out there together. We plan on weeding, adding fresh soil and topping it off with mulch on the hedges surrounding our property. It's going to be a big job! But we'll get plenty of fresh air.

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  18. Your garden is looking good. I've heard the tree blossom buzz! Oh the weeding & like you I'm hopeful that a thick layer of mulch will give me a reprieve from the rampant growth of goutweed! We did not keep the mulch from our trees that were cut down, Mr Man felt that there was too much tree blossom in the mulch, our neighbour took, but we have requested that the tree cutting guys delivery the next batch of wood chips. I've saved all the cardboard from shipping boxes to laydown first, then mulch on top. Molly is absolutely a darling, makes me want to foster kittens, although my two girls (cats) would not want to share my lavishing attention with anyone else. ...Mary-Lou =^[..]^=

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  19. Those apple blossoms are so beautiful. And your kitten is so precious! Such a cutie pie! Hopefully the two cats will be able to get along well with each other soon. Your yard is looking really nice. Enjoy your Springtime! Hugs, Edna B.

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  20. Now, that is spring! How beautiful.

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  21. Hydro dumped a load of mulch for us a few years ago. Not a sign of it now.

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