The heat wave continues and nature is delivering.








The heat wave continues and nature is delivering.








Yup another heat warning day. Weather Network has a “feels like” of 41c. More tiding up on the front porch from the flooring and the plumbing for the kitchen remodel. Getting the back pretty much organized. Daily cleanup under the sycamore takes a lot of hose time.

Trying a second crop of greens with sticks for protection.


Watered the vegetables this morning. The surface of the soil is really dry. Have to water everything tomorrow for sure. Not bothering with the front yard much. The grass is going brown.
Heat waves in June and July are the new normal. The week in June when were in Nova Scotia, Toronto broke a record and had humidex values in the 40s. July is turning out to be the same. Always amazed how cool it is under the sycamore.
One pot of the three sisters is coming along. Well the corn is. The beans and squash not so much, but they were intentionally planted later.



Got one salad from the spinach I started in the early spring. Just started a second planting with hopefully a larger harvest.

The kitchen remodel has started. Spending the days in the garden while the new hardwood is laid.
Clipped the boxwoods last week. Kinda odd on one level, but aesthetically so pleasing.
Everything is so dry I’ve been watering something everyday.
Got an early start before yoga with Carole and headed to Fiesta Farms Garden Centre on Tuesday. Had a few things in mind. What i got was two Mayapples (Podophyllum peltatum), a Trillium grandiflorum, Wild Ginger (Asrum canadense), Hidcote English Lavender (Lavandula augustifolia ‘Hidcote Blue’ and dianthus.
My mum was a dianthus fan and shes been on my mind this week. She’s been gone five years now. I love the cinnamon fragrance.

Before the rains, seeded the first major flower bed. 10’ x 4’ patch of wild bergamot, calendula, corn poppy and French marigolds. And did it rain. At least 3 inches and cold. Miserable maritime climate feeling. Night time temperatures below 10 for a week.




Delighted! My trifecta of orange (Calamondin), Gardenia and Amaryllis all survived the winter and are starting to bloom.
Crushed the amaryllis rebloom challenge. Awfully proud of myself! Now to try it again this year.
Hardly noticeable is the new addition to the garden, dwarf pomegranate (Punica granatum).


Some of the garden’s beauty




Last frost is a week away, but with the success of the cold stratification seeds, I decided to risk it and plant the salad box. Put in mesculan lettuce mix, zinnias and calendula yesterday.

The cold boxes are doing great. 36 days from start.


She actually opened two days ago. A few others are catching up.

Good progress on the winter sowing, spinach, calendula are up and a few others have their first sprouts. So fun and easy!
These folks have been growing here longer than I’ve been here for sure.

Solidago, commonly called goldenrods, is a genus of about 100[1] to 120[2] species of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. Most are herbaceous perennial species found in open areas such as meadows, prairies, and savannas. They are mostly native to North America, including Mexico; a few species are native to South America and Eurasia.[1] Some American species have also been introduced into Europe and other parts of the world. Wikipedia


Hesperis matronalis is an herbaceous flowering plant species in the family Brassicaceae. It has numerous common names, dame’s rocket, dames-wort, dame’s gilliflower, night-scented gilliflower, sweet rocket, and mother-of-the-evening
These plants are biennials or short-lived perennials, native to Eurasia and cultivated in many other areas of the world for their attractive, spring-blooming flowers. In some of those areas, it has escaped from cultivation and become a weed species. The genus name Hesperis was probably given because the scent of the flowers becomes more conspicuous towards evening (Hespera is the Greek word for evening).[3] Wikipedia

Viola, commonly known as the violets, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Violaceae. It is the largest genus in the family, containing over 680 species. Most species are found in the temperateNorthern Hemisphere; however, some are also found in widely divergent areas such as Hawaii, Australasia, and the Andes.
Some Viola species are perennial plants, some are annual plants, and a few are small shrubs. Many species, varieties and cultivars are grown in gardens for their ornamental flowers. In horticulture, the term pansy is normally used for those multi-colored large-flowered cultivars which are raised annually or biennially from seed and used extensively in bedding. Wikipedia