Neighbourhood asparagus stand opens Friday

 

The little asparagus farm has been in operation for decades. So long in fact, that the asparagus sold there is somewhat unique. Most of the asparagus plants grown in Ontario are hybrids developed at Guelph University an hour east of London. The Greenland asparagus predates most of the hybrid plants grown on Ontario farms.

A few years ago a type of rust destroyed the Ontario asparagus crop. The Greenland farm was one of the few stands selling locally grown spears. The rust rippled through the mono culture found almost everywhere in the province but it didn't affect the older asparagus variety grown in the London suburb.

Today, Guelph University is bragging about a new hybrid it has developed. Apparently this was a tough spring. It was both very warm early on and then there was a late freeze accompanied by a blanket of snow. The Guelph hybrids stood up well to the extreme weather. 

It is interesting to note that the old, heritage variety grown on the Greenland farm had done just fine this spring. I had an early sample and the crop came through the extreme weather just fine.

Last year's plants are today's plants too

My wife and I wanted to visit a local garden centre. It was closed thanks to the covid-19 shutdown. And so last year's plants, the hardy perennial ones like these primulas, are becoming this year's plants as well.

I've been asked a few questions about these flowers. I discovered the following: The primula, also known as the common primrose, is native to western and southern Europe, northwest Africa and parts of southwest Asia. It is not native to North America.

The 2021 Census forms arrived yesterday

 

Running a city is tough. Running a country is even tougher. Yesterday, we got our 2021 Census forms. The numbers the form supplies makes the government's task a little easier. The info is kept private and not open to public view for something in the order of 92 years. 

And how does the government get the info? Do participants use the mail? Not necessarily.  If one likes, the forms can be submitted using a unique identification number and sent directly to the government from one's home computer.

Daffodils are not just bright yellow flowers

It's a daffodil and it isn't yellow.This may not surprise you but it took me by surprise. Hey, I'm not a horticulturist. My only contact with daffodils is the annual Canadian Cancer Society Daffodil Campaign. There are daffodil window stickers, daffodil lapel pins and daffodil pens. And all are, to the best of my knowledge, yellow.

So where were these rare(?) daffodils growing. Uh, I'm embarrassed to admit it but these beautiful, non-yellow daffodils were in my wife's garden a few feet from our large kitchen window. O.K. I'm not all that observant either.

Warm spring sunshine begs to be enjoyed

It was cold yesterday. It rained last night and it continued into the morning. But the warm, spring sun broke through the clouds come afternoon. This lady found the perfect spot to enjoy the warm rays of spring sunshine: a chair outside Starbucks.

Camera batteries died. Oops!

Warbler Woods is a well known forest  on the far southwest edge of London. The woods have been reduced in size over the passing of years. Two suburban developments encroach on the woods, one from the east and the other from the west.

Still the woods attract a lot of folk this time of year. It is known for the thousands of trilliums that blanket the forest floor, especially just in from its southern entrance. The tillium is the provincial flower it blooms annually in early May.

The parking lot was filled with cars but we soon found that we, like the other folk, had jumped the gun. We were too early. We may have seen a couple of dozen white blooms but that was it. I'd run a picture of one of those flowers but I can't. My camera batteries died.

The kids saw a woolly bear (a type of caterpillar), a large toad and a number of different wild flowers including the few trilliums we spotted. And we saw lots of hikers on the hilly trails. But no pictures could be taken. So, today's picture is an old image of the mushrooms that are so often sighted along the paths in Warbler Woods.

I'll charge my camera and head back, maybe tomorrow. It really is worth some photos.

Wet and cold for next few days

Inspired by images posted here, tonight I headed out the door and into the rain. I wondered if my rather mundane neighbourhood lit by the setting sun augmented by the golden glow of street lights reflecting from the wet pavement would take on a whole new feeling. If I could have captured the couple walking their dog, I'd have had the picture. Oh well . . . time to dry the lens.