Monarch Butterfly!

 We hadn't seen any Monarchs for a week or two, though we did see some caterpillars.  We never did see a chrysalis, but the adult butterflies seemed to have disappeared.  Then out of the blue we've been seeing a couple of Monarchs fluttering around the garden the past two days.  I'm making the assumption that these are newly hatched butterflies.

Then one landed on a Verbena flower, though it was 50 feet away, so the photo is blurred around the edges.  I thought it must have a preference for the Verbena.

I waited patiently until it opened its wings and got a good shot.  It was brilliant orange, like a newly hatched butterfly!

But then it flittered around until it landed on a Mexican Sunflower.  If I hadn't seen it land I wouldn't have spotted it.

Again I waited a few minutes until it spread its wings.  Beautiful!

Actually the second shot I got for the entire morning was this one, a perfect capture of early fall.  Sorry, Blogger just won't allow me to space this correctly.

Unique Flowers Down the Street

 We've got some pretty interesting flowers down our street at this time of year, none of which grow a5t our place.  I have to give the neighbours credit for the plants they grow, and they all seem to be in bloom at once, in August.

First are the Hibiscus, the enormous, some say 'dinner plate' size flowers that don't look as if they can be rea;!  These ones in light pink. 

These are a darker violet colour, but just as huge!

Another really unusual flower is this Cup Plant, about 7 feet tall.  

This is a plant of the tall grass prairie that once extended into southern Ontario.  The large opposite leaves meet each other wrapping around the stem and catching a tiny bit of water.

Much more commonly it's the season for Hydrangeas, in all their varieties.

Finally this is a beautiful Rose tree in a gorgeous red colour.

Flowers in the Front Garden

 At some point ( want to share our front garden, which probably needs rethinking.  Just this morning Mrs. F.G. said she'd like tp rip out the strip leading to our front door and do it all over again!  Though Mrs. F.G.'s Geraniums are a highlight this year.  /And we think we've found a wild orchid growing among the shrubs!

Last fall Mrs. F.G. planted some tiny Balsam plants, and they've flourished beyond measure, disguising the left hand side of the front porch entirely.

At the other end of the little strip of garden leading to the front door are three Milkweed planta, allowed to grow for the sake of the Monarchs.  And we have seen Monarch caterpillars here, though no new butterflies yet.

And just behind the Milkweeds is a pot of Geraniums.

The Geraniums really have done very well this year!  Growing them from seed was Mrs. F.G.'s experiment this year.

One pot of Geraniums is now backed by the very large leaves of a Calla Lily.

The 'island' in the front yard features a dwarf Blue Spruce, a bluish coloured grass, and some purple flowers.

Right beside that blue grass is the plant we think is a wild orchid.

I did my best, if it wasn't very good, to get a close-up.  The overall appearance is very similar to the Alaska Rein Orchid, though that seems far-fetched.  Any experts out there?

The other challenge we will face in a few years is our three trees, from the left a Redbud, a clump of three White Birch, and a Tulip tree.  As these grow I expect we will eventually have to sacrifice one of these.  Now, I'm going to try and turn to other topics, leave our garden behind for awhile and see what I can do for you.

*************   Update - Thanks to my two expert readers, the 'orchid' has been identified as a Helleborine species, an orchid that is widely considered 'weedy or invasive'.  It's an introduced species native to Europe and Asia.  Apparently it's hard to get rid of, so it may be with us for awhile!

More Flowers Left in Our Garden

 Here are a few more of our remaining flowers, including the Echinaceas or Coneflowers.

The pink Echiacea are the native ones, and they self seed easily, spreading widely through the garden.  At this time of year they seem to be everywhere!

But we also have a struggling small patch of red ones, here hidden behind more of the pink ones.

Out small patch of white is quite healthy, but neither of these different varieties spreads in our garden at all.

Cosmos is not only a pretty flower, but a great source of colour at this time of year.

Another great source of fall colour is Helenium, a bright orange flower.

Fall Anemones add a beautiful pink colour.

And our two roses are still doing fine.  Meanwhile we're enjoying what feels like November weather here!  Where did the warm summer weather go to so fast?~!

Flowers Left in Our Garden

We have a number of interesting flowers still in bloom, so I thought I'd share these before chasing other topics.  I have to admit I'm tired of just sharing posts about flowers in our garden, but given my mobility limitations it's the best I can do.  All too soon we'll all be wishing for more garden pictures!

The first is a very unusual plant you won't see in many gardens, one that looks like a giant thistle until the flowers emerge.  This is Bear's Breeches, a Mediterranean plant.

Another pair of unusual plants are these Globe Thistles.  They are not thistles, but the leaves sure look like they should be.  As you can see they come in blue and white varieties, an interesting addition to our garden.

And of course we've had dozens of Hostas blooming over the last six weeks.  this is one of the last.

Finally these are the last few Day Lilies to flower.  Without them the garden looks strangely bare.

Achy Back Acres, A Local Farm

 Halfway between Owen Sound and Meaford on the south side of the highway, sits an farm outlet for organic veggies.  It's run by a couple we have got to know quite well; we stop there regularly at this time of year to buy garlic, beans, peas and other veggies.  Not tomatoes so much as Mrs. F.G. grows her own.  We highly recommend it if you're into local food.  I don't usually repeat posts, but at this time of year this one is worth it!

There's a sign on the highway just east of Keefer Creek valley to entice you in their laneway, and another directing you to the table of veggies.

Here everything gets planted, watered and picked by hand.  Weekends you have to be there early to get your choice.

On this visit they had plenty of small tomatoes, though we weren't buying.

They also had potatoes, but that year we were growing our own.

But they also had lots of green beans, which we love.  If you stop in say hello to Brian and Freda from us!

It's Beginning to Feel Like Fall Around Here!

 I'll set aside the issue of climate change and whether fall is actually arriving earlier than it used to, but there are definitely a lot of signs in the air that Fall will soon be here.  And since the title of this blog refers to changing seasons, I think it's useful to make note of these changes.

Among wildflowers I always associate Golden\mrod with the coming of fall.  It's not a popular 'weed', but it's bright yellow plumes brighten up every piece of 'waste' ground around town, and many ditches or fields outside of town.  I found this plant in a narrow strip of ignored soil between two parking lots downtown, blooming freshly among the fading Queen Anne's Lace and the Chicory.

But that's just the most obvious sign of fall in my books.  

The Blue Jays are screaming in the morning and the other day we saw some Canada Geese flying over in their typical 'V' formation.  Some birds have already left for warmer climes, and of course some will be with us all winter.  Birds like Chickadees and Juncos are moving south out of the boreal forest to join us during the winter months.

The mornings are noticeably cooler, with dew of the grass.  The harvest is well underway, as here we're picking tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers.  On the farms the wheat harvest is already finished, and sweet corn is for sale at the farm gate.  We are past Lammas Day, the ancient celebration of the coming harvest.  

Just last night we were remarking on how the darkness was arriving earlier.  My own care-giving schedule means I get up and go to bed in the light all summer, but I get up and go to bed in the dark all winter.  It's quite the obivous change!  Here's to a nice sunny warm fall!