Archives for April 2021

The White Star Magnolia must have had a good season last year, because it was full of buds, and really looked fantastic this spring.

It was a mass of blooms, and began the show about three to four weeks earlier than usual.

And a few days later..

The view from the upstairs bedroom. You can also see the Pink Star Magnolia, and the Saucer Magnolia if you look closely at the bottom of the white star tree.

I grew this tree from seed, about 22 years ago. I remember the year it first bloomed, it had 9 flowers on it.

The pink Star Magnolia also looked quite beautiful.

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We were able to enjoy the show for several days, but then some cold weather hit, and most of the blooms turned brown.

I was also excited to see the Saucer Magnolia this year. It was full of beautiful potential.

Unfortunately, shortly after this photo was taken, we had a few days and nights of cold, below freezing temperatures, and that spelled the end of these blooms. They have mostly turned brown and mushy and are not going to mature to blooms. When one waits for a year to see these flowers, it’s a little sad. But there’s always next year!

The fish have all died so it was actually a good time to clean out the pond. It had not been done for a long time, maybe 12 years or more. So there was a LOT of gross sludge to clean out.

Only so much could be pumped out, and then Doug scooped it out with a pail or by hand. At least 2 wheelbarrows full. Good stuff for a new garden bed though.

All the lilies were thrown on the tarp. I had divided them a few years back, but they were really overgrown and big again.

I cut off big chunks, and saved only five good pots. I had some fertilizer tabs so I pushed them into the soil too. The rest of the lilies went into the compost.

Doug washed and scrubbed the liner.

And then he proceeded to wash every stone, every single stone, scrubbing each one by hand. And placing them back on the ledge, one by one.

Then cleaning the tarp.

Placing the lilies back, and refilling the pond.

Now I just need to find some hyacinth and water lettuce, and some new fish!

We have had an usually warm and mild streak here in early April. Colour has exploded in the garden, and looking at pictures from previous years, blooms are two to four weeks early.

The forsythias are just coming into their peak.

The bloodroot is out. Several new patches that I transplanted last year have made it through, and are coming up.

This dainty pink corydalis is such a treat. Last year, it was quickly munched by critters so I didn’t even get to see it.

Hopefully if it gets a chance to go to seed, it will spread.

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White and blue, great drifts of colour.

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Such a perfect, beautiful blue.

And of course daffodils. There are hundreds of blooms every spring, and every single one is a welcome, wonderful sight after a long, cold, grey winter.