1 of 2 different bee/insect hotels in Cuddy Gardens. These will never stop being fascinating. Also the “roof” having a green roof of sedums is a nice touch.
(Note to self; the roofing soil mix was gravely/gritty, probably for sharp drainage)
Tag: my post
While I am now sure what I saw, I am still flabbergasted af by it; an old beaver dam is part of this creek??!? Mud and sticks, its gotta be.
I would’ve gotten closer to take some shots but I was not in the mood to SOMEHOW encounter some peeved beavers.It’s holding back a lot of water too; if I were to stand on the drier side of the dam which is nothing but puddles for water depth, I’m sure the water being held by the damside would reach above my head!!! With the overgrowth of grasses, it has to have been there for a good few years.
When I told dad of the dam he was determined to let everybody know so it’d get torn down (farmers, drainage ditches, and beaver dams don’t blend together well) but the fact the dam shows signs of being so old gave him surprised pause fortunately…
SO FOLLOW UP TO THIS POST;
- The owners of the property were surprised af that such a beaver dam had gone unnoticed in plain sight for so long. I am the first to have noticed that it was present.
- A trapper has since gone to inspect the area and found 2 beaver lodges in the vicinity; confirming that this beaver dam is still maintained/active, though they have not cut down any trees in the locality as of recent, further implying that its a decent age
- This creek is in fact connected to a tributary/ditch where another neighbor has fought against beavers on, implying that they may have all come from a similar location of origin, and may have all moved into this area around the same time (said other neighbor had dealt with his beaver problem several years ago, seems not coincidental that this beaver dam may also be a few years old)
- The land owner has contacted the municipality(? or whomever you contact for this idr) which will be bringing professionals in to dig out the dam to let the water be freed to the rest of the creek/ditch as it was originally intended/designed to be.
So a sad end to a beaver dynasty, but as I said before; farmers, beavers, and dams just don’t mix together well. Farmers need the ability to drain water out of their fields and into the ditches, whereas beaver need water to NOT drain away so that they can have their wetland habitats. It’s a catch 22 of human vs nature.
Some lovely foliar autumn colours in the greenhouse as of recent.
YAAASSSSSS THE VESEYS BULBS BE HERE!!!! And a week early at that too! Done a tally and I even ended up getting more Tulipa tarda than ordered (18 bulbs instead of just 8!!!)
Now with them here the new thing to figure out:
how/where to distribute all of them in the new gardenbeds (if even the new beds)!
All this talk of orchids tonight kind of gave my mind a boost to look at orchids (as well as my rough-around-the-edges surviving Phalenopsis) with a fresh set of eyes.
Considering this girl survived the Great Houseplant Neglect/Dying of 2014-2016, has tried flowering 3 different times, as well as the fact that she’s been tolerating/enduring against the Hard-Mineral Well water of the farmhouse, I’d say it’s about time I consider on giving her at least a little bit more care/consideration; I can’t do much about the water but I’ll see about setting up a humidity dish for her, as well as look into getting some orchid-based potting equipment (ie- orchid bark, and a slightly bigger planter) so that I can maybe repot her this winter.
Since I have no access to Ontario Growers Supply anymore (it’s in London ON and I’m like… 1-2 hours away which is too far just to go to one store) I do not have the convenience for niche items like specialized Orchid flowerpots… I’ll perhaps see about moving her to a Clay pot possibly on her next repot.
The stone wall built by each generation of second-year Horticulture Technician students of Fanshawe College.
Brings a tear to my eye; its grown so much longer since the days I was a student doing the same in Cuddy Gardens.
Tiny but bold, I absolutely ADORE Mexican Morning Glory (Ipomea coccinea)!!!
In previous years I’ve seen hummingbirds take a couple sips on their way through Cuddy Gardens in autumn as they migrate south.
A bold boi Opuntia in fruit in the rock garden of Cuddy Gardens.
The other Opuntia species/cultivars in this garden pale in comparison to this variety. The native O. humifusa does not have THIS kind of size or boldness. Amazing such a bold variety/species is winter hardy in Canada.
“But Gato, did you grab any of the Opuntia fruit?”
Sad to say my self preservation from their glochids strongly overrides my seed harvesting/germinating obsessions. Prickly oriental poppies will be enough pain in my future in my greenhouse.
Candy/Blackberry Lily (Iris domestica, syn. x Pardacanda norrisii) seedheads.
The part of its common name is definitely showing loud and clear. I’ve never had luck growing this species. Perhaps starting from the seedling onwards can fix that.
Winterberry (Ilex verticillata)
Like their evergreen cousins the hollies, winterberries are generally a dioecious species. Never seen one in the wild as of yet but one day. At least seeing one irl regardless will help me recognize them in the future.
Grabbed a few berries so we’ll see if we get seedlings come spring. (which btw… don’t be fooled by the size of the berries; one berry can hold almost 6 seeds! If viability is high you do not need to collect that many berries for propagation)
Kihaku-Gato's Garden Blog (tumblr import) 