The Scarecrows Invade!

Every year during the months of September and October the scarecrows invade Meaford!  Oh, it's a spooky, scary time with those scarecrows; they seem to emerge out of nowhere.  But you can be sure that behind the scenes there's a group of dedicated volunteers!

This community festival attracts lots of people downtown; the main displays are in the areas around Meaford Hall.  It lasts an entire two months and there's a scarecrow parade in late September.

A couple of eager parents dragging their kid around.

One of the more colourful characters.

This poor thin fellow was hanging in a tree.

This was quite appealing, why I don't know!

This of course was my favourite!  A scarecrow in a wheelchair!

Colourful characters all!  I'm sure it's great fun for the volunteers planning out what face and clothes they'd give their scarecrow!

A fierce viking!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I was rolling down the ramp off our deck a week or two ago and I almost ran right into a Monarch butterfly, sitting on the Verbena which normally brushes my shoulder at this point.  This late in the season I both hoped it would make it before winter, and felt thankful that the powers that be brought me such beauty!

the butterfly only fluttered a few blooms away and landed again, spreading its wings.  It looked newly emerged, clean and untattered.

So I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving weekend.  

And for all my American readers, your turn will come!

New England Aster

I've thought that September was the month when thousands of goldenrod flowered, but I've changed my mind this year.  Goldenrod (we actually have about a dozen species) start blooming at the beginning of August and i'm waiting into September to see the beautiful purple blooms of New England Aster.  In fact I found myself wondering if all the purple aster had been wiped out, but once early September arrived, there they were.

Once I found them, the closest blossoms for me to photograph were right behind our mailbox!

Altogether these shots come from about four different locations.

Sometimes there are still goldenrod blooming with the asters, a bit of yellow lasting into October.

This is a really unusual goldenrod, looking like little puffballs, but I have been unable to find a name that corresponds.

So now in my books, August is the yellow month and September in the purple month!

Happy Thanksgiving weekend!

Finishing the Garden Story

The garden photos I started sharing  three posts ago all arose because I spent half a day watching our gardener work.  The purpose was to remove three circular raised beds (purchased as firepit rings), and while out there supervising him, I had lots of time to roam around, camera in hand.  Sorry, there are lots of pictures!

The starting point was these three circular beds.  The problem was that the rear of these in particular was suffering from too much shade, and fine roots from the nearby maple tree climbing up in the beds, interfering with the veggies.

This is the new linear bed that will replace them, and sit further out into the sun.

First the old raised beds had to come out.

This took a fair amount of digging and prying with the shovel, but out they came after an hour's work!

The new one was anything but level when it was first placed in.

Then the digging began, and this was the hardest part, 

for under our thin layer of topsoil is very hard clay.

Eventually our very hard-working gardener got it done and the new raised bed was reasonably level.

Then He and Mrs. F.G. packed the bottom with layers of cardboard.  This is a trick the head gardener had researched, hoping it will keep tree roots out!  This was also the rare moment I could actually help, cutting up cardboard boxes for them to use.

After that the available soil from the previous raised beds was shovelled into the new raised bed.  Not enough, but it's a start.

Then Mrs. F.G. and our gardener stood and admired their (his) work. 

This is the raised bed today.  The good soil from several pots and grow-bags, and two of the 'towers' has been added to make the new raised bed ready for planting!  A job well done!

I should also introduce our gardener.  When I came home paralyzed we realized we would need help.  I was the under-gardener at out previous home, taking direction from Mrs. F.G.  It turned out that neighbours had a nephew who was interested.  He's married, with a full-time job in Owen Sound, but he's over here in Meaford nearly every weekend, helping either his mother or his aunt and uncle with things.

He wanted to earn extra money though, so we hired him.  He and Mrs. F.G. talk horticulture for 45 minutes most times he visits, they exchange seeds and she gives him plants for his own garden.  Also we pay him well.  I think this is his fifth year working for us, and let me tell you, we wouldn't be doing this without him!

A Few More Shots from the Garden

The garden is almost finished being taken apart, shipped off to our local compost site, so there are few things left except leaves and some veggies themselves.  And among those, all the peppers and tomatoes are picked.  There are some interesting patterns to be found among the leaves though.

The big leaves of a tropical sort of plant that survives outside all summer, even though it didn't bloom this year.

 A few pole beans being left to dry.  Mrs, F.G. will dry these and use the beans themselves in soups.

The very thin leaves of Cosmos.

The patterned leaves of Zebra Grass.

The seed swirls of a Clematis.

Potatoes encountered while digging for the new raised bed.

The fuzzy leaves of Lamb's Ears.

The one flower in this post, Verbena leaning heavily toward the sun.

Sorry, the spacing is still hopeless!  I'll try to get it fixed.

More Things from the Garden

It's a time of year for cleaning out the garden, and there are only a few blooms left to be found.  We leave some plants standing for the birds over winter, but there's still lots to clean up.  Here are a few shots I noticed while our garden helper was digging!

There are still blooms on the Nasturtium; they seem to survive well into fall.

I was struck by the pattern of a reddish grass we have in the garden.

And then there are more Nasturtium, these ones bright orange.

The yellow rose sports at least one beautiful bloom.

This giant Jack-in-the-Beanstalk plant shot up at least 8 feet high, but it never did bloom.  It's a Mexican Sunflower, like the orange ones we had out front, which were only 3-4 feet high.

Petunias seem to be quite reliable right into fall.

Sorry about the delay in posting this week.  It's been busy every single day this week, so we finally postponed the drive we thought of doing today.  And by the way, Blogger won't co-operate with spacing quite often, as you can see!

Orange Shirt Day

Today we remember the thousands of Indigenous children who were often forcibly removed from their homes to attend residential schools.  Many died, many of those lying in unmarked graves.

In 1960 6-year old Phyllis Webstad, who lived with her grandmother on a reserve in the middle of B.C., was looking forward to going off to school.. Her grandmother had found enough pennies to buy her a bright orange shirt for her first day.  She went off to school happily - until she arrived.  All her clothes were stripped off and taken away to be burned; all the students were scrubbed  and de-liced.  She never saw her orange shirt again.

It's hard to believe this happened in 1960.  I was already 12 years old and in grade 7!  What a long time it has taken us to abandon colonialism; many remnants hang on today.  For Phyllis there was a complete disconnect from her culture, from the love of her family, and a feeling of worthlessness.  This was indoctrination, not education!

The official design for 2024.

With credit to the Orange Shirt Society.

Phyllis finally found the strength to tell her story in 1981, and the image caught on.  Officially this is National Day for Truth and reconciliation, recognized federally in Canada.  There are only three Canadian holidays that have more meaning to me - Christmas, East and Thanksgiving.