An annual treat

 

In this southwestern London neighbourhood the early bird gets the asparagus, at least in late spring. The small, totally open at the front, shed-like structure sits empty most of the year. But annually, in late May and and stretching into early June, a large "open" sign announces to the world that locally grown asparagus is again available.

The fields are small and located immediately behind the little wooden structure. The asparagus is good but there isn't a lot. It goes on sale daily at nine and it is gone by noon. The asparagus grown at Greenland is special. 95% of the asparagus sold in Ontario is one hybrid, a variety developed at the University of Guelph called Guelph Millennium.

Greenland asparagus is a heritage variety. Many believe it is sweeter than the asparagus sold at the local grocery stores. What no one can dispute is that it is fresher. Greenland asparagus is picked every morning  and with luck it is sitting in a little water in one's fridge just an hour or two later. One never peels Greenland asparagus. It is tender. Guaranteed.

I have wondered how long until the asparagus fields are a feature from the past and suburban housing fills the former fields. According to the family that owns the little farm, it isn't going to happen any time soon. Wonderful!

Mural Monday

 

It is Mural Monday for members of City Daily Photo and I am not one to buck the rules, at least not if I remember. No promises here. Today's image was taken back in April in East London. East London has more murals in a very small area than any other area I know in London but I will keep and eye.

Lilac bushes are trees

For years the lilac in our backyard was known as a bush. But, it grew and grew and now that it towers more than 14 metres in the air it is a tree, a lilac tree.

There's a reason gardeners trim back plants regularly. Stop and many plants will grow until they no longer fit in their allotted spot in the garden or yard.

Dwarf Blue Spruce trees may be kept trimmed and small for years but halt the trimming and the little tree will no longer be little. 

One learns very quickly that many a dwarf tree is not a dwarf at all. Stop the trimming and you learn very quickly that it was merely stunted.

Succulents can prosper in Ontario: surprise!

It's spring and time to fill those open patches of ground in the gardens around the home with new plants. One set of choices that might surprise you, they surprised me, are the succulents. This is Canada. The far North. The land of ice and snow. Why would one plant succulents? These plants belong in Texas, not in Ontario.

And yet, some succulents like the echeveria plants, also known as hen and chicks, actually do well when planted outdoors in southern Ontario. I planted one a few years ago and was very surprised when come spring both the original plant and the small, surrounding offshoots not only survived the winter but were strong and healthy and ready to grow and flourish through the warm days of spring.

Some plants are amazing.

Not such fun photos at the Rec Room

The restaurant was called the Rec Room. Along with food it offered games, lots and lots of electronic games. It also had photo booths supposedly designed with children in mind. The photos were taken in front of a blue screen and a cool background was added later. The place is a preferred spot for birthday parties.

Unfortunately, the photo booths are not designed for small kids. My youngest granddaughter had her birthday party at the Rec Room and all her little guests had photos showing mostly the tops of heads. The little girls were too short. 

Disappointment reigned. Thanks to Photoshop, the memory of the day was saved. Photos of the little girls were merged with photos of African animals and the little girls were delighted -- even if the delight didn't occur until some hours after the party.

Police patrolling Springbank

 

I have lived in London for almost half a century. The other day was the first time I have spotted police patrolling the park. As the pair walked by visitors to the park, they drew very little attention. Clearly, uniformed police are not feared in London, at least not when patrolling a quiet park.

Trees down, hundreds of thousands without power

The storm was powerful and fast moving. Rain shouldn't fall horizontally but this past Saturday it did. 

Doors and windows protected by large, overhangs were pounded by the rain falling in wind driven waves. Trees were toppled and large tree limbs downed across the province from Windsor on the southeast to Ottawa in the far west.

In the Ottawa region tall, steel hydro towers buckled under the force of the gusting winds. Hundreds of thousands were left without power. Many were still without power Sunday.

This image showing downed power lines in the Ottawa area was posted by Ontario Hydro.

Springbank Park popular with walkers

 

Springbank Park in London, Ontario, attracts a great mix of folk to enjoy the walks, the playgrounds, the snowboard park and the many large expanses of green grass. Wherever one looks, one sees another group enjoying London's largest park.

Tulips make it a garden

 My wife calls it a garden but until the tulips start blooming I find the designation very generous. But the tulips are blooming and the small plot hemmed in by interlocking blocks is clearly a garden. My wife and her flower-loving friends always knew it was a garden but today I am onside as well.

Muslim girl with scooter

When the young girl grabbed the scooter, I grabbed my camera. I had noticed the Muslim girl sitting at the picnic table with a scooter nearby but I did not think the two went together. Seeking her permission before taking her picture, I gestured to catch her attention. She understood immediately and instantly took a pose. I'd have preferred an unposed moment but I think the peace sign adds to the image.

Is Made in China really cheaper?

Are consumers really saving money by buying so many items labelled "Made in China." I am not convinced.

I've been seeing these stamped out metal items in garden centres all around the London area. They are simply large sheets of very thin steel with a stamped out pattern. The piece has been painted to resist the elements.

How much would this cost to make in Canada? The ones made in China are selling for about $170 at some centres.

Have you questioned the savings you enjoy by buying stuff made in China? I'm old enough to recall when shirts, toys, appliances and more were all made in Canada and the States. When the plants started closing I did not notice a big drop in the prices of these goods. Did you? Think about it.

A little bit of China in our backyard

 

When we bought our magnolia tree, it was small, possibly two feet tall, and covered with green leaves and completely devoid of flowers. The first spring was a surprise. The blossoms were more purple than pink and the petals were long and thin. This was not the usual magnolia tree so common on London lawns.

A little digging and we discovered that we had planted a Magnolia liliiflora or lily magnolia as it is commonly known. Originally it was native to eastern China but today is rarely, if ever, found growing wild. The tree has been domesticated and is now found growing around the globe.

The pink tulip magnolia that we thought we had bought is also originally from China but the flowers are larger with a rounder appearance. The colour is usually more towards the pink end of the spectrum.

Nearby apartment towers have not brought shoppers

 

East London has been in trouble for decades. At one point, Dundas Street running through business section was ripped up and replaced with a curved section of road surfaced with paving stones. This unique roadway was supposed to ignite renewed interest in the area. It didn't.

Family businesses that had operated successfully for years were closing regularly and the empty stores remained empty. Blaming the curved street for the collapse, the failure to attract new businesses became the go-to-reason for the derelict district.

The curved road was straightened. The paving stones were lifted and removed. The straight road was made cyclist friendly and to encourage parking cutouts were created. No shoppers appeared. The neighbourhood residential density was said to be too low to support a business district. High-rise apartment building were encouraged and today the old East London shopping area is in the shadow of a number of high-rises.

The street is quieter today than it has ever been. More stores are empty and boarded up than at anytime in the past. The parking cutouts sit empty most of the day and the only thing one can say with assurance about the residents in the high-rise apartments is that they do not frequent the old East London core.

COVID took down the St. Regis

 

The exact date when the building housing the St. Regis Hotel and Tavern was built is unknown. What is known is the building has been a combination hotel and tavern since 1883. The present name, St. Regis, goes back 91 years to 1931.

Sadly, a business that survived the Great Depression could not beat COVID. The St. Regis closed two years ago in mid March 2020. From the looks of it today, it seems rather doubtful that it will ever reopen.

Whimsical planters for the home

 

When I was a boy, planters for the home were often quite plain, simple fired red clay, or outrageously fancy—decorated with scenes of Jason seeking the golden fleece. Today, many planters are a source of whimsey. The planters at our local garden centre encourage smiles and not discussions of the Greek classics.

Unicorn topiary

 

Garden centres need more than just a good selection of plants to attract customers. Featuring something to delight the children is always a good way to get the kids in the family on side. The unicorn tapiary at the entrance to the garden centre in the northwest part of London does an admirable job of pleasing the children and most everyone else for that matter.

It's not art.

It's called metal garden art but it isn't art. It is craft. And this is the time these durable garden ornaments begin appearing on neighbourhood lawns and gardens. Some are new but many are simply reappearing after winter storage.

These metal pieces are often made offshore in place like China, India or Bangladesh but sometimes they are locally made. Wherever these are made they are cranked out in vast numbers. It is not unusual to come across the same piece in three, four or more garden centres.

Still, people love 'em. I'm embarrassed to admit it but the cat pictured above almost found a home on my lawn.

Grand Theatre proscenium arch

The proscenium arch in front of the stage at the Grand Theatre is one of the highlights of the heritage theatre.

Good bones

 

East London is in a word—sad. Yet, as an architect recently remarked on viewing the once vibrant core street, some of the buildings clearly have good bones. With work, and a bit of money, these buildings could be revived. These could be handsome structures once again.

A giant daisy "growing" in East London

It probably goes unnoticed for the most part. But wandering about East London documenting the area with my camera, I stumbled upon this giant daisy hidden in the shadows between two building. I'm sure there is a story here. This large piece of art was no easily fastened to the brick wall. It took some doing.

O-Pee-Chee factory now an apartment building

This apartment building in East London was built almost a century ago in 1928 to house the O-Pee-Chee factory. O-Pee-Chee was a candy maker famous for its bubble gum packaged with sports trading cards. Those cards, traded by children right across Canada, made O-Pee-Chee one of the most successful confectioners in the country.

The plant was in use until 1989. At that time it was closed and the new owner of the company, Nestle, moved the operation to a new plant deeper in East London.

The structure was considered well designed with hints of Art Deco, rare to find in London. It was ideal for conversion into apartments which, depending upon the size, rent for approximately $1250 a month.

Popular comic book storeb in East London

 

There are a lot of things one cannot find in old East London but old comic books are not among them. If you are looking for a vintage Superman comic, East London is your destination.

Street art lends life to boarded up windows

 

So many storefronts feature boarded up windows and doors in East London that if it were not for the street art the street would be very dull.

476 Richmond is a heritage building

 

Immediately across from the Grand Theatre there is a wonderful, heritage building. Like many of the structures in downtown London, both new and old, it is owned by Farhi Holdings Corporation. The last report I read, said that Farhi Holdings at that time owned hundreds and hundreds of buildings throughout Ontario extending from Windsor on the west to almost the Quebec border on the east.

Street sweeper leaves dust cloud in wake

 

"We should have left on our masks," said the fellow walking beside me. We had both just left the Grand Theatre where wearing masks was demanded. Now, outside, maskless, we found ourselves choking from the dust stirred up by a nearby sidewalk sweeper. As it passed by, everyone in the area was left coughing and wiping eyes gritty with nasty sidewalk dust.