My First Orchid |
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| Tuesday July 18, 2000. |
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This weekend I went for a visit to St. Catharines, Ontario, my place of birth and "The Garden City". Please don't ask me why it is has this nickname because even as a St. Catharines native I have no idea. You'd think the place was littered with beautiful gardens. Not so. The most famous garden I can think of is the pile of rocks they stuck downtown and called a "monument". Don't get me wrong, there are plants and gardens. They're just not spectacular enough to justify "The Garden City". If you know the meaning of the name, I'd like to know. One thing I did notice about public gardens in St. Catharines was that they were trying some new plants. I noticed a few patches here and there on the side of the road that had ornamental grasses in the center instead of the tropical plants (dracenea I believe) that have long been a staple. As far as private gardens go even in the suburbs, a few people were branching out and converting their front lawns into gardens.
At this time of year I have to wonder what we'd do without weeds. Wildflowers are out in abudance right now, and I have noticed how good all the empty lots and sides of highways look with the blue chickory and the white Queen Anne's Lace, and especially the purple loosestrife (even if it is invasive). I also saw masses of fushia and purple sweet peas growing wild on the side of one particular road in the city. I've never seen that before.
I visited lots of friend's houses in St. Catharines, and subsequently saw lots of really amazing gardens. I so rarely have the opportunity to see backyard gardens. In Toronto no one I know can afford to have a house with a big garden. No one I know anyways and that includes me. I've provided some photos of the various gardens here.
This evening when I went out to work on the garden, a guy asked me if I knew anyone who wanted an iguana. He was hanging out of the car window while his buddy waited to turn the corner. I asked him how big out of curiosity and he told me the size of a two seater couch. Definitely one of the strangest interactions with strangers that I've had while tending the garden.
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| Monday July 10, 2000. |
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Man I've got to stop doing this. I'm not updating enough and when I finally get around to it so much has happened that I don't know where to start. In most recent news my garden is in full bloom right now. The daylilies bloomed for the first time yesterday after weeks of anticipation waiting for the buds to open. You can actually eat daylilies. Years ago I was really big on learning about edible weeds of this region and I fried up some daylily buds with mushrooms. Very tasty, but don't eat too many because they are cathartic (aka they have a prune-like effect).
As I was saying, the garden is in full bloom but it's more like one half is in full bloom. It's a little uneven because I planted a bunch of new stuff on one side this year and so those plant haven't flowered. But the other side consists of plants that are at least 3 years old, so they are prolific.
I don't know what it is but people are WAY more respectful of my garden this year. It got off to a bad start this spring, but since things have grown in, there have been minimal problems. I actually fixed up the side that is usually "assaulted" by putting in lots of showy plants. That way there can be no denying even to the most plant illiterate, "garden is here". In postmodern rhetoric that is called "framing". So essentially I have "framed" my plot of earth with the ultimate garden signifier, bright flowers.
As I mentioned in an earlier journal, I received some lily bulbs from my friend as host gifts from her wedding reception. Well they are already up and quite large. I was shocked since they were kind of late going in. They even look they like might bloom. Finally, I want to mention the Blanket Flowers (Gaillardia grandiflora) which are really givin'er this year. The plant is a flower machine. I've provided a portrait of one for identification purposes.
I would also like to publicly thank Cate for giving me Book 10 of "John Bradshaw's Complete Guide To Better Gardening". I enjoy the supersaturated colours and the photographs of women in what I can only describe as formal wear, pruning bushes and spraying lawns. I am still lacking a few books form this series. If anyone out there has issues, 2, 3, 5, 6, 12, or 14, I would be happy to trade, barter or accept them as gifts.
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