SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW, SOMETHING BLUE....All in the garden

      In August and September, we always scramble a bit to find flowers still in bloom for Duck Inn bouquets. This year, we added a couple of new plants to fill the gap. If you've stayed here in the summer, you know that we have an abundance of lilies growing everywhere. This year, our favourite nursery brought out a set of late   blooming Oriental lilies that we have dubbed "Stargazers(etc) on Steroids"   

 We have 4 other colours of these Super Lilies, but this is the only one still in bloom.

 Another feature of these beautiful flowers is their lack of stamens....no more brown residue on your nose if you lean in for a smell! And the scent wafts far and wide!

This blue vase often holds a lily....its shape is perfect for them.

Right beside the tub of lilies is this new hydrangea, rapidly becoming a favourite for its lovely scent and ever changing flower heads.

They are white and pink right now, but if you look closely, you can still see hints of lime green from earlier in the season. And, apparently, by the end of the season,   they will turn a deep burgundy!

The hydrangeas love these stone bowls.

Not to be outdone, our faithful Blue Lace Cap Hydrangea has been flowering all summer and still has beautiful blooms for bouquets.

             It also has a favourite bowl

            And this heather on the back of our house has also had a                         growth spurt and makes great background foliage for bouquets!

 

Here it is in another blue glass vase

 

And in a Red Bowl

 

 

SIGNS OF SPRING

Another snowy winter has passed 

at the Duck Inn!

 Icicles are rare on the river, but Cora
captured these on the office window and
turned them into a Greeting Card.

Once the snow has melted,
the garden comes to life again.
Hammocks go up and guests begin to barbecue.

 

 Bulbs start to pop up.

Blossoms open.

 

There are flowers for bouquets.

 

And the frog is happy!

 

 

 

SUMMER IS OVER!

The seasons generally treat us kindly here on the river. Summer often lingers through most of fall and.... assuming that this year would be no different, Cora began snapping 

close-ups of some of our favourite flowers for a 

smug “Autumn” post. She got this far….

….when we noticed several changes. First, the powers that be decided that the “ivy covered staircase” had run its course and that it was time for the intrusive vine to come down.

Much cutting, complaining, and hauling away
 resulted in stairs that had to be rebuilt 
in some spots and painted to match the rest

Now the only ivy allowed is this pot that Kelly
 unearthed in a hidden corner of the garden 
where it was trying to smother this rose. 

Once the stairs were bare, the crew turned their attention to  the pergola along the driveway where another ivy epidemic was trying to bring down the corner post. 
Another day's clipping and it was gone too.

Now Rodrigo rules over the corner.

And all that remains of that ivy is this trunk which Cora rescued and put back for the bunnies to play on.

Next we noticed that the Virginia Creeper 
which was making itself at home in the parking area....

....had lost its leaves!

 And since our Japanese Lanterns were in full fall bloom....

....we decided to put up our token decorations....

....and wish everyone
HAPPY HALLOWE'EN !

HAPPY CANADA DAY

What?? No Room For More Plants!

This day has been coming for years. Allen started to threaten a moratorium on new colourful plants in the garden a long time ago, but this summer, Kelly, our gardening guru, put her foot down too. Jill, of course, pointed out an open spot 
beside the driveway hoping for a satisfying trip to the
 half price sales at the local nurseries.
Kelly scratched the surface with her hoe 
to prove that there was no root room left!
Jill went to the nurseries anyway, but came back 
with this colourful Mexican Rooster instead.

See how well it sets off Allen's eagle. The rabbits love it too!
More colour was needed though, so she went back and picked up these newly caught fish for the other side!

This frog on the dock now has some competition.

HAPPY CANADA DAY FROM ALL OF US AT THE DUCK INN

 

DÉJA VU ALL OVER THE LAWN

If you follow this blog, you’ll know that last year, about this time, we gave up on our old lawn and had sod installed. 
The new lawn had a glorious spring and summer, a so-so fall and a dreadful rainy winter. What we thought would last a lifetime fell victim to the same rain and tide saturation and began to slip into the river….just like the Old Lawn!
Another flurry of phone calls from Mexico, 
another round of landscapers coming to assess the scene….
and here is the tale of what we settled on.
The first difference is that this Lawn is rooted 
in a thick layer of gravel for better drainage.

Before anything new could be put in place, the Old Lawn 

(or what was left of it) came up and was carted away.

And then the gravel went down over the mud.

More gravel is wheelbarrowed to the yard...

....and then gets levelled, creating a new base.

All is now ready....

 for this!

 It must be the new grass!

It gets carefully measured....

rolled out....

trimmed some more....

 and fitted into place.

Wondering what these nails are for....

we see them hammered into the grass.... 

and realize that this Lawn is not going anywhere!

After some tidying up....

the new Lawn is ready for its Photo!

What do you think? Cora reports that so far, guests like it

....and no one is put off by the fact that it's not really REAL!