*Spring 2020*

I absolutely agree about the weird weather. We are missing our swallows overhead and have very few swifts and house martins. Such a loss, and the few came back so late.
Thanks for the interesting blog. Your butterfly is a beauty and the iris attractive.
You've obviously had to do a lot of hard graft.

Lori you leave me breathless...Love your Trilliums and the lilac...its like a rerun of the Spring we have just left behind.Its hard to believe that snow picture was taken in May - and then poof! Everything gets going at once!

beautiful everything esp the trillium - I'll have to get some.

Thank you for your update Lori. the weather is certainly off kilter. Very hot here this last week and lots of plants have done their thing in less than a week when normally they would last a fortnight. I love the trilliums and the lily of the valley is one of my favourites.

Lori it seems you are missing a season as well, with you it was springtime, for us it was winter, we seemed to go from autumn , very wet for months then spring burst forth, dry also for weeks on end, having a heatwave now which I don't like, can't take it anymore, no happy medium Lori but that's probably my age lol..
Our world has gone topsy turvy Lori, nothing seems normal this year for more than one reason, we have to hope its a glitch, stay safe and healthy, pray for a turnaround, thank goodness for our gardens, mine has kept me sane over the last months as it always has..
.Its good to see colour in your garden instead of a white blanket, must be so restful on your eyes but I guess you're used to it, lol, I like to see it waking up again, you have some lovely plants, shame you have had to start digging again in the pond, it looks like hard work to me, I remember a stream that you used to clear out years back, does it not run into this pond Lori ?
Lovely blog and photographs, those butterflies are gorgeous.... Take care Lori...x

thanks for commenting, all. Anget: It's taken me almost a decade to establish my little "biome"... the rocks have always presented a challenge.. digging is not easy! ...and it's June (almost July) and I still haven't got up the hill to see the damage that winter and insects have had on the trees. the scope is a bit huge for an old lady.. my family was concerned about taking on an ageing house and a forest when we decided to buy. ,...little bites, little bites: that's my mantra! lol..
Meadow: They are so beautiful, aren't they? in years past there have been more of them... Isn't that the story of everything these days? ... the list has grown... and happily I'm almost finished two items on the list... have assembled some materials for the cedar wythe fence. I hope to start on that soon.
Stera2: the pace of change makes a person dizzy, and yes from May 8 to May 24 was colder than the previous month... sometimes expected monthly weather gets reversed... we had March in Feb...then Feb. in April/May.. It even sounds as peculiar as it actually was! 2020!
Bathgate: Trillium (white) is our provincial flower emblem... they are protected and it is an offense to remove them from the wild... but..if you mark a wild clump in spring..and revisit it in summer you may get some seed... then be prepared to wait 6-8 yrs for the rhizomes to mature and send up fruiting bodies! (flowers and brachts) that's probably why they are so expensive to buy. There's also the red trillium (wakerobin) pictured too.
Seaburngirl: lol.. such perfect wild beauty has to be fleeting... even the trilliums and LOTV went over quickly this spring.
Hi Lincs! 2020 is developing into an "annuus horribilis." Staying home has had a positive effect on the gardens of a lot of folk.. so thankful to have one to work on, and keep my sanity. Did you see my little bluebell clump? Even a miserable spring still produces some precious blooms. The "pond" I've been slogging around in is on the stream...but the pond in the picture is one dug to replace a temporary shelter for my nymphaea and goldfishes. long story short..the goldies died off within a few seasons... it's too cold for too long here, but the nymphaea are still going and last summer I split a huge rootball in two... they didn't have much water over the cold months as the old liner had sprung a leak..so I had to drain it and redig and repair... probably will be the subject of my next blog. Hoping to see froggies and nymphaea snugged up..very soon!

Thanks for sharing, Lori. Your pics are really lovely! You’ve a whole host of gorgeous, colourful flowers and plants. The yellow swallowtail is exquisite to see, especially on the lilac. The contrast is really effective.
I appreciate all the hard work that you have to do, and will continue to do. It has certainly been well worth it..

thanks Kate... the summer 2020 blog will catch me up on blogging.. time seems to be moving faster and faster the older I get..( like water going down a drain?! lol...) and speaking of water... I have the pond blog yet to do. I'm thankful that the garden is doing better this season when the virus situation has kept me focussed on it. take care and be well.

I'm glad the snow has disappeared even though it has become very hot for you. Your plants seem to be doing well :)

thanks Hywel.. you'd think I'd be used to it by now.. been on this plot 9 yrs and a bit! the last 5 springs have been so strange and cold and the plant inventory has been 'pruned' by the seasons. I'm learning what is 'native' and grows well here and encouraging them to grow as they will, while controlling the imported "thugs" and hoping for a balance between the two. It's been a steep learning curve!

We had simular weatger last year no spring from winter to summer Lori .
I love your first photo a beautiful winter scene of your land it woukd make a lovely Christmas card. So pleased you are now getting the warmer weatger your plants seem to be flourishing I too like your Trilliums also those swollow tails lovely to see.