The Joy of Flowers

In this time of mainly staying home,  I take pleasure in flowers. I have about a dozen orchids, some over ten years old. I am no expert on their care - I have previously written that they flourish under my benign neglect, but flourish they have throughout the pandemic. I currently have seven blooming. I can get lost in their beauty, drawn in to their centres, fascinated by the complexity.

Each orchid has its unique charm and many bring back memories of where I got them or who gave them to me. A few came my way when my then 95 year old cousin died. Each time they re-flower it feels like a gift from her. All three of those orchids sent up new shoots and bloomed over the past few months; it was as if they knew I needed their beauty. Part of the joy is the surprise of shoots appearing, sometimes after a couple of years of being dormant and once the flowers open, they stay for a few months.

Outside I can't help but stop to admire various gardens. Lilies in many vibrant colours make their presence known.  These lovely orange blossoms will stick around, but like most perennials they have their season.

On my walk I was treated to this patch of pink - varying shades competing for attention. It has been a hot start to summer. After my walk I was happy to retreat inside with air conditioning surrounded by my orchids.

The Many Colours of Flowers

Photos: September 11, 2016

Thanks to a photo friend on Flickr, I now know that these are lantana. Interestingly they are growing here as well as in his garden in Adelaide. I see them as a beautiful representation of diversity - how so many colours can co-exist and make one beautiful whole.

Back to Walking

Photos: September 2, 2016

Today the temperature was closer to 20C, starting the day lower and edging up just past it by mid afternoon. That is perfect weather for me and it meant I was happy to be out walking. September feels to me like the beginning of a year. Students are back at school This looked like a class with everyone following a leader to do exercises.



The flowers seem to be enjoying the cooler temperature. There was an abundance of colour as I passed gardens in full bloom.

Gardens were not the only place where colour called for attention. This stairway was certainly making a statement. Walking lets me notice all the quirks of our city. While I like to keep moving, I do allow myself to stop and enjoy, and then back on my way.

Late Spring Flowers

As the floral parade of blooms continues I stop and gawk at the fleeting beauty. Hotter days speed up growth.



Feathery astilbe catch the sun. My balcony pots don't hold perennials. My walks let me enjoy the many gardens nearby.



This time of abundance with every bush and tree flowering in turn before settling into their summer green. Time then to put energy into setting fruit.



Evenings are heavily scented; the flowery perfume seems to linger in the cooler air.

On my Walk

I managed to post quite a few days without flowers, but today's walk in my neighbourhood brought new delights. These allium just glowed in the sunlight.

One has to stop and stare

to take in all the details

to appreciate the intricacy

secrets revealed

if you only stop

and stay a while

On My Balcony

I managed four posts in a row without flower photos. So here we go again - back to the flowers. I went to Atwater Market and bought a couple of pre-planted pots for my balcony. Now when we eat outside, I can admire flowers no matter which side of the table I sit at.



With very different colour schemes I can enjoy quite different moods - the quieter more meditative pink and purple vs the fiery colours above.

Seeing Flowers Everywhere

I'm trying not to write about flowers but they are popping up everywhere. Our sudden summery weather has meant the landscape changes daily. Where there were barely leaves starting, the trees are full; where there were flowers, now there are just leaves and where there was nothing there is now a profusion of blossoms. Nothing lasts in spring time. It is a time of mad growth and change.

Lilacs perfume the air. You can smell them before you see them. Temperature went up to 29°C (just over 84°F). My body takes time to adapt to heat (usually by trying to escape it).

I search out shade, sometimes crossing back and forth across a street as I walk searching out any shade. Walking through the park, I know the shady routes.



Some flowers also seem to relish the shady spots. Forget-me-nots found a perfect spot to flourish.


Tra la! It's May!
The lusty month of May!
That lovely month when ev'ryone goes
Blissfully astray.
Tra la! It's here!
That shocking time of year
When tons of wicked little thoughts
Merrily appear!
(from Camelot - lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner)

Flowers at the Market

A profusion of flowers waiting for buyers sit in the chilly air. The stalls are all set up and full of many colours.



I don't envy the sales people who stand outside all day. Temperatures only reached around 10°C (around 50°F) and there was a stiff, cold breeze.



If you have a smaller space, you can purchase a ready planted basket. These animal planters were new to me this year. I don't think one will be making its way to my balcony.



I love to see the sea of flowers. And then there are the decisions of what to plant this year.

Tulips

Yesterday was my turn to be spoiled. My spouse brought home a lovely bouquet of tulips. They brighten up the room - bringing thoughts of spring indoors.



In March I always start to need more colour indoors. I have flowers all year round (my orchids and cyclamen) but none with the vibrant colours of spring flowers. My primula has picked up with its bright yellow flowers. Now I have bright orange to add to the sunny feeling.



I am always fascinated by the interior of flowers - the many ways they have adapted to attract pollinators.

Outdoors there have been spring-like temperatures. I love the times when seasons change - the first snow of winter, the first days of shedding heavy coats and venturing out in shoes in spring, the days the leaves begin to appear later in spring and  then begin to change colour in autumn. My indoor tulips are giving me a glimpse of what is to come.

Shopping at Atwater Market

I'm definitely a city person, taking advantage of the culture a city has to offer. But when it comes to shopping, I'm more of a smaller town person. I hate the big box stores and impersonal supermarkets. While I do shop there I never feel the same as when I go to Atwater Market. This is not a farmer's market - the individual store owners get meat, fish and produce from a variety of sources. What I like are the personal interactions. At each stall or shop I can talk to the people serving, get recommendations and get questions answered.



This organic stall is staffed by lovely people. As I make my selections we chat - about food, about the weather and even about politics.



This cheese store is a frequent stop for me. A number of the clerks recognize me when I enter and are ready with suggestions for the cheeses they know I like to buy. My spouse prefers to eat goat and sheep cheeses. Quebec has many fine cheese producers. Yesterday, included in my basket, was a new raw milk goat cheese by a Quebec artisanal cheese maker.



While flowers are not usually on my shopping list, yesterday I stopped and bought a small pot of primroses. In addition to learning about how to care for them (this just doesn't happen at a supermarket), I learned about how the owner keeps track of the weather and knows when people are more likely to come and buy flowers.

The people in the organic butcher shop recognize me. I get a smile and "À la prochaine" (see you next time)  as I leave. The fish store makes sure the fish I buy is really fresh and lets me know where it comes from. I leave the market laden with bags of good food and a feeling that I have not just ticked items off my list but I have visited the village stores and built relationships.

Stratford Ontario

Photos: August 18-20, 2015

My daughter and I went to Stratford, a charming city in Southern Ontario, where the Stratford Festival has been offering amazing theatre since 1953. While the theatre was the main reason for our visit (we saw 6 plays in 3 days), a visit to Stratford is no complete without a stroll along the water. Water fowl abound. Swans, many of which are quite tame and will actually eat from your hand are the iconic bird.



They are still somewhat territorial among each other, but more so when they are nesting.



There are also a number of public pianos - this one sported a swan motif.



Ducks are everywhere along the banks - eating, sleeping, preening, bathing and quacking.



It is always fun to see them shaking off the water as they dunk and preen.



On the approach to the Festival Theatre there is a beautiful garden, complete with some water flowers. I can never resist photographing them.

I highly recommend the theatre at Stratford. This season there are 13 productions - actors take on roles in more than one. There are 4 theatres and in addition, there are lectures, concerts, tours of the costume warehouse, backstage tours... and, of course, walking along the water.

A Day in Val David

I love pottery, so a visit to 1001 Pots is always a treat. I managed to resist most of the creations, though I did leave with one new mug.

Then off for a walk. There is a long park  (le parc linéaire: le petit train du nord)- it was once a railway line, connecting the villages of the Laurentians. Now walkers and cyclists use it in the mild months. In the winter is is used by cross-country skiers. I was finally out with my DSLR camera and stopped frequently to admire the flora.




Raspberries hung from the low bushes. I left them for someone else to pick. I have been enjoying my fill from the market. Such a great time of year for local produce!




I'm not sure what kind of flower this is, but it grew in abundance. Nearby were many milkweed - good to know the monarchs will have places to lay their eggs.



Another unidentified flower grew low to the ground near the edge of the gravel road. Its delicacy spoke to me.



I changed my gaze from looking close to looking wide. We have had enough rain this summer to keep everything lush and green.



Green on green. The sunlight danced on the leaves, calling attention to the beauty around me.

Spring in a Rush

No time here for spring - it happens in a rush. Our temperatures jump around in so-called spring with days of summer-like weather interspersed with cooler spring temperatures. A week of "summer" has jolted all the flowers and leaves to grow at once.



Tulips share the stage with daffodils, primroses and all sorts of spring blooms. Magnolias bloomed and dropped within a week.




What a pleasure to see the plethora of colours after the white of winter.



Each day brings new changes from blossoms to leaves. The world around is bursting into colour.