Jack’s Walk

Jack and I walked along our favourite trail in the woods today and found lots of pinkish trilliums. They’re very pretty and look as if they’re a distinct variety of trillium just like the red ones, but they’re not. Pink is simply the colour a white trillium turns as it prepares to finish blooming for the year.

Hibiscuses

Multiple of our many Hibiscus plants have decided to blossom this spring. Three different colors so far, I hope the red ones join the party too.

Z Is For Zinnia.

Zinnia.

Zinnias make for wonderful summertime garden flowers, attracting all kinds of pollinators and many birds which feed on their seeds. Snails (and slugs) also seem to like them, not only the flowers but especially the seedlings. It’s kind of a spring tradition for me, sow zinnias and hand-pick snails and slugs around them every night until they grow to a certain stage or until snails estivate. This photo was taken in November, when snails are active again, and some zinnias are still standing.

Oh, what a poignant and beautiful photo! Click for full size.

Apple Blossom.

Click for full size.

Jack’s Walk

It’s raining today and rather than get muddy on one of our trails Jack and I decided to stay close to home and walk on the nice, clean concrete sidewalks in our own neighbourhood. We haven’t done that in a while and it was fun to check out everyone’s gardens and see what’s come up and what’s been newly planted. Yesterday we celebrated Victoria Day, and traditionally this holiday weekend is considered the safe date to plant outdoors with no risk of frost. That means that gardeners all around get busy and get their hands dirty. It also means the end of spring bulbs and I do hate to lose the tulips. They’re one of my favourite flowers and they come in so many colours, all of them bright and cheerful. To mark their ending I’m posting these beautiful tulips belonging to one of my neighbours. I think they’re a double tulip, but I don’t know the variety.

Tulips.

Click for full size, most below the fold.

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Jack’s Walk

Jack and I found a few rare white and green trilliums today. The green tint on the blooms is caused by a mycoplasma infection that will eventually stop the plant from reproducing. They occur in a few areas around Ontario, including our favourite forest trail where they’re a common sight.