Spring in the Giants' playground

I went for a walk last evening in Pine Grove again. This time, the sun was out, it was mild, and everything was touched with a brush of golden light.

This place reminds me of a giant's playground, the way the massive, elegant pines tower skyward, amongst massive boulders that resemble a child's dropped blocks, scattered every which way. 

Imagine my delight when I found bluets awake and blooming in a sheltered bank beside the big pond. Sadly, I had only my iPhone with me AGAIN, (I don't like taking my SLR on long walks) so getting them in focus meant stepping back from them somewhat. 


Bluets have long been a favourite flower, though they're not showy. Many people might not even notice them, tiny and casual as they are. But when I'm not gawking skyward beaming at trees, I'm watching the ground for the wee treasures.

Now, I know a lot of people aren't awfully fond of alders. I rather like them, because they're great for securing the banks of streams, for filtering impurities from water, and their catkins have delighted me since I was a wee child. 

I ask you: who needs a human-built church, temple, or other place of worship and contemplation when there are such marvelous natural places to unwind, think and be glad? 

The Mersey river is quiescent after the rains and melt have subsided. This river does sometimes jump its banks, but isn't as troublesome as some in other parts of the country--and our neighbouring country. That's Liverpool across the river; (Liverpool Nova Scotia, that is!)

Lots more rocks along this shore, and I thought about sitting on one and just 'being' for a little while. But work was calling to me, so I made a promise to return in a few days, and carried on down the trail. 


My friend Captain Dick Steele of Bayport Plant Farm brings many plants to Pine Grove to test them out. The woods are full of his rhododendrons, some azaleas, and other plants. 

Even though the deciduous trees and shrubs aren't yet leafed out, we can really feel, see and smell spring in the air. 

Today, as I write this, there's a shadow of worry over Liverpool and surrounding area. This wonderful place of Pine Grove is owned and maintained by Bowater--yes, of AbitibiBowater, the giant pulp and paper/lumber company that sought bankruptcy protection today. How these things will affect the people who work for Bowater, and the communities around the mill--and these pocket wilderness spaces--we don't know yet. Because I'm an optimist, I'm hoping spring will bring better things to that company as it does to the natural world. 

A Flotilla of Snowdrops and other pleasures

Last Sunday, Longsuffering spouse gleefully announced we had 99 snowdrops in the garden. Yes, he counted them. He was very glad to see them, popping up in clusters as the snow receded. Last night on the phone, he upped the count to 135.


When I got home this evening, I walked around the yard. Remember all that snow? It's GONE. All of it. The grass and ground are very, very VERY wet, sodden, branches are broken and bent from all the winter's accumulation, but it's left the yard. 

The horse chestnut's buds are sticky with promise of new growth soon to erupt. The black smudge in the tree behind is a redwinged blackbird male, singing his 'Pooo Too Weet?" song to me and to the ladies down by the pond. He's more interested in them than in me, but I'm probably even more glad to see him than the avian ladies are. 

I've missed seeing the colour of the heaths and heathers all winter because they were so buried in snow. They've emerged, with much of their colour still intact. 

This particular heath is flowering like gangbusters, and while I'm very thrilled with that, I love the subtle shading in the foliage too. 

Still, it's awesome to find this nice sized clump so festooned with blossoms. It was too wet to crouch down and check for fragrance, though. 

Some of the snowdrops are not yet opened; these singles are taller than the first ones that so bravely popped up a couple of weeks ago, and they're really lovely once they open. Right now, they look like lovely pearls hanging from green pendants. 

It was late in the day so the crocuses had all furled their floral banners for the evening, but they were still brilliant with colour. 

I didn't get 'Ivory Prince' covered before I left on Monday afternoon, so I'm glad the weather has been moderate. Some snow is forecast for this weekend, however, so I will likely drag the evergreen boughs over to this garden in case of major climate change. Just in case. Not that I don't trust Mother Nature or anything. Not at all. Nope. 

If this isn't a good reason to plant a hamamelis, I don't know what is. Isn't this fabulous? The light on the petals makes me absurdly happy. Maybe I'm easily amused.

Oh, we're back in the lower front, with my double snowdrops that are opening more and more each day. Evening sunlight on them fills me with delight, too. But after all, spring has been a long time coming. And she may not yet hang up her bonnet and stay a while.  

However, a few flowers does make the heart of this eternal optimist bloom with joy. Tomorrow, I get to play in the garden for much of the day. So I'd best get some sleep if I am going to be of any use. Perhaps I'll dream of more snowdrops. May you all have a restful and peaceful gardening holiday weekend, whatever you're celebrating. Pax vobiscum!

Letters Across the Pond: Sylvia's Pocket Handkerchief garden

Dear Jodi,

As you say the response to our letters has been lovely, I really should start this Dear Jodi and friends. I intend to incorporate some of the questions and comments into my letters to you. This letter will be more about my garden which is so different from your, first and foremost in size. Think pocket handkerchief!


When we were looking to buy a property the demands of the family took precedence over a garden, so I spent the first few years thinking the garden was awful and not bothering too much. But a garden of any kind and size will "get me" eventually and I would have to start digging and planting. I will try to describe the garden as it was nearly 11 years ago and as it is now. I don't have any early pictures and even now, due to the size, the pictures don't show the whole garden.

Small gardens can be just as difficult to describe as large garden, especially when they go around the property, so have at least 4 separate areas. Add in paths, borders,shrubs and trees and there are a lot more.


The thing I hated most was the open plan, no walls, fence or hedges are allowed and because we were a corner plot we had front and one side open to all the dog walker. The dogs thought our grass was an extension of the field and who can blame them? The front garden had no path to the front door, though only a few feet between pavement and steps to the front door. It was nearly all grass on a steep slope, though not large walking from top to bottom (actually side to side) I could get out of breath! Mowing was difficult, not that I mow, add in the side and back garden and taking all the clippings to the tip it was a chore. The top side wasn't much better, though it had a nice rowan tree and a boxed forsythia. The previous owner had cut all the shrubs into boxes, it took years to grow the ones I kept into a more natural shape. This side slopes steeply to the bungalow which made mowing difficult, at the end is the drive and garage.


Turning down hill was a gate to the back garden, the gate was between the garage and an wall covered in ivy. The back garden had been terraced and had a couple of small borders around the grass. One side is the bungalow with two garage walls opposite, ours and next doors. The bottom side was a hedge of Laural above a steep wall and 7ft drop to the bungalow below. This left one narrow triangle on the bottom side of the garden with access from the front only, about 3ft to 7 feet wide, just gravel and empty, with nothing between us and the drop to next door, though this is less here.

Now let me take you around the garden nearly 11 years on, show you the changes and how I have come to see all the opportunities this garden offers. During the last year we have made some major changes so there is a lot of tidying and planting to do. Starting in the triangle area at the bottom of the garden, this is now open to the back garden and has three small compost bins, a fence and gate to the front garden. Through the gate and you will see we put in a path to the front door, not that you as a friend will ever use the front door! Below the path is the part of the garden that has changed the least, though we have added a wisteria on the house wall, see all those flower buds? Between us and the road is a Robinia tree and some shrubs giving some privacy. Over the path a river of grass invites us up the hill and around the corner, but first note the two borders on either side. The big border by the road is looking ragged now and needs to be re developed, it is manly perennials and sunny. The bed along the bungalow wall has awful very stony soil, I dug a lot of builders rubbish out of here. Despite the awful ground this bed seems to grow anything, it is warm and sheltered. I do hope that agapanthus will recover, it has been in a few years and this is the first year that it has lost its leaves.

Around the corner following the grass. Oh! I am not sure I want to show this to you, the ground is very steep so last year we put in a woodchip path and it looks very stark. I wanted a curved path but due to the length and width of the garden it really needed to be straight. Still it does terrace the slope a bit. Yes, that is a big compost bin but one day it will blend in more and I needed it. This area is mainly shaded by the bungalow, so I can grow woodland plants here, the rowan and conifer trees give it that feel. The primroses do look lonely on the bank by the path but they will have company soon, they remind me of all the hedgerows around here that are full of primroses now. The borders we have put in right around pavement edge do discourage the dogs, they rarely come in now. I think the owners have got better at keeping them off my plants. We do have a neighbour whose house looks out this way and he has been known to shout at anyone letting their dogs foul the garden!



Wheres the ivy wall? Well it nearly fell down. So my son helped me take it down, leaving 2 feet and he put in this lovely fence. Yes, it is in a different position, further into the side, giving me more back garden. Come through the gate, see the bit between the fence and the wall, this is going to be a vegetable bed. Do you like my new raised bed, its 9 feet by 3 feet and I must get some seed in very soon. Do you like my new path to the back door, all this area used to be grass but we put the gravel down last year. I mainly use this area for pots, though I do have 3 fruit bushes in front the low wall. I over winter and grow on plants in those two small plant houses, the ground is lower there so they are protected all around by walls.


One more piece to show you, mind the steps. This area is going to be nearly all garden beds, when I finish digging and planting, with gravel paths to move around and give the area some structure. That ? willow in its circle does dominate but it is lovely to look down on from the living room window and the birds like it. Do you see that my snowdrops under the willow are finished? I did enjoy the picture of your first snowdrop - the first one is so special. This garden is a mixture of sun and shady areas, with everything at the bottom being more moist so I can grow a variety of plants here. Did you notice my new fence, taking the hedge out (which was difficult to cut the other side due to the drop) has given me more garden as well as access to the compost bins on the side.


I hope you have enjoyed your tour, I hope you come to know this garden better especially the plants that I grow. I do like this garden now, it offers so many different planting environments, so many opportunities and challenges. I dream of a larger garden, but I don't manage to keep this one weeded and cared for all year, so for now I am happy here and it does have lovely views over the hills and cliffs.
All the pictures I took this weekend (5 April) but it was sunny and I had problems due to the shadows. We have had a long spell of sunny, dry weather but it is due to break today with some heavy rain. The garden is very dry so I will be glad of the rain but hope that at least some of the Easter weekend I will be able to get into the garden.

Best wishes Sylvia

Mother Nature Throws a Wet Tantrum

Never underestimate the determination of a spring-flowering bulb to get itself back on schedule. Yesterday afternoon, I walked around the yard (where I could get through and not end up with too-wet feet) and discovered the lower garden was relinquishing its snowdrifts quite nicely. In the morning when Longsuffering Spouse went out to do chores, there was snow all over this bed. By 2 pm, the snow-waves had receded and these little fellows were making their presence known. 

Snowdrops are nothing if not determined. I can almost hear them talking. "Okay, the snow is leaving. All together now, push..."

"...and...OPEN!"

These little fellows had to come through ice, but they were coming and that was that. 

Now, it was lovely mild yesterday and then it started to rain last night. And it rained. And rained and rained and threw it down. Today, we went up to Cumberland county to the annual bull sale at the Maritime Beef Testing Station. No, I wasn't buying a bull or shooting the bull...I have enough of that to deal with, what with the current government of doughheads in this province. I was on assignment. It was interesting, but only to those of us who happen to be interested in agriculture and where our food comes from. I'll save that for another day. 

I slept most of the way up, and we went the highway anyway. We decided to come back via the back road in Hants county, one we know very well. We'd heard about some flooded conditions. Well, how bad could it be? 

Um...quite bad, actually. This particular washout was going to be fixed before nightfall, but it had a mate on the opposite side of the road. Can you say, "crumbling infrastructure", you idiotic Fiddling Fool premier? (I don't like OR respect 'Rodney, can you tell?)

Lovely drive by the seashore. Only thing was, this was down in Hants county, probably about 15 minutes from where Nancy Bond lives; and this is supposed to be a meadow with a small pond and brook. Today, well...more like a lake! I don't know that the Peepers will be out here today, not just yet. 

On the opposite side of the road, more flooding. No barn is an island, except when the waters come along. Some of these areas are off tidal rivers that spill into the Minas Basin of the upper Bay of Fundy, so when the tide is high, the water is...way up! 

Another spot that is regularly a field with a brook...not a lake with trees sticking out of it. Hubby was driving, I was shooting through the windows of the car because really...we didn't dare pull to the side of the road, after having seen the earlier crater. 


Coming down the main highway near Hantsport, we saw the RCMP (our provincial highway constabulary, as well as that serving many communities) had blocked off the first exit into that town, which lays alongside the very tidal Avon River AND the Halfway river. This is all new highway infrastructure...and the whole area around the exit/access roads is underwater. Probably part of the road too, down in the flood plain area. We couldn't tell, but we doubled back at Bishopville and looped around for another look. 

This is the road leading into town, the other end of that highway pic above. All that water isn't supposed to be there--on either side of the road. But it looks like the Halfway has a jam somewhere, and the water couldn't get back out to the Avon and the Basin. The tide was going out, so I hope this all lets go before the tide comes back in again...


We carried on homeward, and arrived before dark. Yesterday despite the snow in that lower garden where the snowdrops were poking through, Hamamelis 'Diane' had decided she was clear enough of snow to explode into bloom. Today, she looked even happier.  

And the tenacity of the snowdrops paid off, as the last of the snow had melted off and they all started popping up with great enthusiasm. Yea for snowdrops, always. The late, great garden and cat lover Beverley Nichols wrote in one of his books that snowdrops were best observed laying flat on the ground looking up at them. Mine are a little too tiny yet for anyone but an elf to be able to look up into, and it's far too boggy. But...spring is waking in earnest. 

My proof? Oh, looky here, Frances! 'Ivory Prince' Hellebore has made it through winter and all that snow again. Yippee! Now, I'll drag the Christmas tree off the back deck (where it has been stuck since New Year's Day due to a winter's worth of snow.I'll chop it into pieces and put it around the hellebore to protect him from whatever April is planning next. 

Because yes, although it's spring, it's spring in Nova Scotia. And the only thing predictable is that this is an unpredictable season. 

Whispers of Spring in Pine Grove

A few housekeeping observations, if I may; I've been unable to do much blogreading or commenting this week because the place I've been staying at night has not-very-speedy internet. Better than dialup, but not much. So I'll play catchup this weekend. Also, these photos are from my iPhone, since I didn't have my real camera with me yesterday. Hence they couldn't be focused or corrected for exposure, for obvious reasons. My iPhone is awesome as phone, iPod, mail client, webbrowser, etc. As camera...not so much. 

I smelled it yesterday when I came out of the place where I stay while on my project in Liverpool. A warmer hint on the air, a sweetness in the salt tang of the Atlantic at my feet. Come lunch time, even though wearing the wrong shoes for the trip, I jumped in the car and went to Pine Grove.

Pine Grove is this exquisite jewel of a pocket wilderness in Milton, just outside of Liverpool. It's owned and maintained by BowaterMersey, a timber and paper company located in Brooklyn and a large employer in Queens and Lunenburg counties. They have four pocket wildernesses, some quite large, in southwestern Nova Scotia. Pine Grove is one of my favourite places to go, with its mature pine forest, quiet trails, and waterways. 

There's still a bit of snow in the more shaded parts of the forest grove, but most of it is long gone, as it is from most of the south shore. 

There's still ice in the pond, but it's disappearing quickly; another few days of mild, SPRINGLIKE weather should take it away completely. The ducks swimming in the water, and walking on the ice, didn't seem too concerned by any of it, or by my presence. 

Can you see the ducks, at the open end of the ice? (IPhone camera also has no zoom capabilities. It is what it is. )

In less than a month, that ridge at the far end of the waterway will be ablaze with colour, as the PJM and Ramapo rhododendrons and azaleas burst into bloom. Liverpool and Queens county are about a zone warmer than the Fundy hill where I live, so they're a few weeks ahead of me. Which is rather wonderful, because I'll get a dose of spring on days that I'm here, and it'll help me cope with the toying-with-our-affections that is April in Scotts Bay. 

There's this wonderful grove of ornamentals planted by Captain Dick Steele of Bayport Plant Farm, including a host of magnolias and some rather choice evergreens. The magnolias will begin blooming in about six weeks, I'm guessing. We'll see how far off I am. 

Before I even got up the little knoll into this grove, I could smell this hamamelis on the air. And I have to tell you, the joy that suffused my heart was amazing. You'd have sworn I won the lottery, I was so happy. 

I could have happily stayed here for the afternoon, roaming around the paths, sitting in contemplation of buds and catkins and birdsong. But duty called and I tore myself away and headed back to my wordsmithing. 

But I'll be back to Pine Grove on many days over the coming weeks, because this is a piece of pastoral tranquility that everyone should share. Next time, I'll bring my real camera, I promise. Likewise, I promise to catch up with some of you over the next few days. 

Scientists Announce Breakthrough with Blue Poppies

I was intially greatly disheartened to read in the latest issue of Green Thumbs and Green Hearts: The Magazine of Gardener Envy that botanists and geneticists have finally made a breakthrough in developing an easy-grow Blue Poppy. Seems these wise guys have managed to clone a Meconopsis that doesn't rot, throw hissy fits if the weather and soil and humidity and moisture levels aren't exactly to its liking, and that spreads quickly and blooms like gangbusters.


I say initially disheartened because after all, I'm stumped by tomatoes and hollyhocks, but blue poppies? These, I can grow, thanks to my cranky Fundy climate. What can be my claim to gardening competency if these lovely but moody plants become as easy to grow as, say, goutweed? 

Well, it seems that there's one small flaw they haven't worked out yet. The newfangled ones grow well, and get lots of flowerbuds. But they only bloom at the dark of night, and as soon as sunlight hits them, they begin to change colour. First they turn purple...

And then all too quickly, they change completely to look like another genus and species, the lovely but common as dandelions corn poppy. 

Whew. Guess I don't have to give up my bragging rights just yet. At least, not til you check out the date of this post, of course....