Hi there and welcome to the colours of summer 2020. I spent lots of time in my garden and out camping and canoeing. The more time I spend outdoors the better I feel. Summer is great for that. The last two photos are from a canoe trip we took- the…
Hi there! I hope you are hanging in there and that you and your loved ones are safe and healthy. I have been spending a lot of time in the woods, listening and watching. It’s good for the soul. It is spring, and despite the human news, the natural…
This summer I received an education. A random purchase of a praying mantis egg case at our local garden centre led to a fascinating summer sharing my garden with a family of praying mantids. When these little predators emerged by the dozens from their egg case in early summer, they…
What’s a Bioblitz? Imagine a bunch of people all heading out into the same area for a day, trying to find and identify as many living things as possible. That is my kind of day! Different groups and individuals go out looking for different flora, fauna and fungi, such as…
August is my favourite month. Harvesting veggies and fruit, watching butterflies and countless other pollinators in my gardens, and coming upon different baby birds and migrants just passing through keeps my life interesting. I never know who I might find around the yard. These photos were all taken…
They’re here! A few weeks back I was at the garden centre and saw that they were selling praying mantis egg cases! Praying mantises eat a lot of insects that can harm our flower and vegetable gardens, so the cases of eggs holding these little killers were for sale…
My garden has gone wild. That’s on purpose. Gardening for wildlife is so much fun. Pick some native flowers, shrubs, and trees. Add in some your favourite flowers that have lots of pollen and nectar, and enjoy the show. Even though we had the worst drought in years this summer,…
I admit it. The first time a hummingbird moth buzzed past me in my garden, I thought it was a baby hummingbird. I watched closely, trying to follow this speedy little creature as it hovered and zoomed between flowers. I noticed its long curved proboscis curling in and out as…
Mmmmmmmm! Coffee! Here in North America, we are addicted to it- consuming over 300 million cups of its deliciousness every day. That is big business. It also means that our coffee drinking choices can have a big impact. Let me introduce you to shade grown coffee.…
Want wildlife to come to your garden? Plant purple coneflowers! Purple Coneflowers, also known as Echinacea purpurea are absolutely loaded with pollen. So besides being gorgeous, they are like a giant dinner table for all kinds of critters. Look how this butterfly is eating with its curvy proboscis. This…
