A mystery no longer....

July 19, 2026

 The mystery plant from two posts ago.... 

has been identified as Dactylorhiza viridis, Long Bracted Green Orchid, or The Frog Orchid!!!

How appropriate, that a frog lover now has Frog Orchids growing in the front yard! 

Being a bit of a plant nerd, and being familiar with the seasonal stages of most of the plants around here, I knew this was one I'd not seen before.

Apparently it is not uncommon at all, and is found in Europe, and across North America. Here is the best close-up I was able to get of one of the blooms. 

When one hears the word 'orchid', one thinks of something absolutely beautiful and exotic, but there are many that are much less showy than the ones that get all the attention. Ontario is home to about 60 species of orchids, this being one of them.

The wildfire smoke plumes that have been making life horrible for lots of people, have waxed and waned over us, some days were really bad, and others have been clear, like today. Yesterday was a somewhat smokey one, and the afternoon brought thunderstorms and rain amounting to 22mm. Overnight the wind changed direction, so the smokey air has vanished. All the growing things are thriving and beautiful.  

This weekend is the annual Summer Madawaska Valley Studio Tour, so yesterday I picked up a friend and we went visiting local artisans in their home studios. The most interesting and enjoyable visit we made, was to Northern Viking Farm, where we spent some time watching demonstrations of carding and spinning, and visiting with the family and the Icelandic sheep.

In Wilno, we had our picnic lunch at the Polish Kashub Heritage Museum, https://www.wilno.org/museum.html timing it just right before the skies opened with the second deluge of the day.  

There is an absolutely astounding amount of information to digest here, and it would take hours and possibly days to absorb all of it. 

 

 

 

Enduring the heat, and preparing for winter...

July 14,  2026

This morning...  

The weird ball in the sky, a smoke obscured sun in a smoke hazed sky. The camera didn't capture how red the sun was.

We are under a heat and smoke warning. 

Every one of these hot mornings, we are up just as the grey dawn breaks, and off to check out the garden, me; and Hubby is off to the bush with chainsaw and trailer in tow. After splitting and piling all the wood we harvested in the winter, there was still a gap in the woodshed. After nine heating seasons of having sufficient stores of wood; last winter, with it's long cool spring, used up more wood than any other year since we've been here. There are some dying beech trees Hubby has scouted out, and this is the latest instalment to the wood yard, the gap they are to fill, once split, is on the right end of the woodshed. 

Giving all my garden plants a good deep soak once a week and a good layer of leaf, grass or straw mulch, has been the recipe for keeping things hydrated and growing in my gardens, even through these hot and humid days. 

Here is the last full head of broccoli from my eleven plants, and the first harvested Caraflex cabbage. The broccoli will continue to supply us with lots of side shoots.

The first cluster of cherry tomatoes are showing some colour!

Zucchinis are producing lovely little fruit. One of my favourite ways to cook them is sauteed just to 'tender-crisp', with garlic butter and a little salt.

The celery bed is doing well, sandwiched between carrots, beets and the pepper patch at the far end. Determinate tomatoes are in the next bed over. 

In the field garden, everyone is happy, squash and pumpkin are starting to crawl and climb, Glads are growing, indeterminate tomatoes are blooming, and so far....no potato bugs!

An early morning look over the 7 raised beds closest to the house. The dill in the foreground are volunteers in the onion bed, I thinned them drastically when they were small, but apparently not enough! They are co-existing with a full 4' X 8' bed of onions, my winter supply of cooking onions, plus some big sweet guys and some green onions.

I am hoping the dill will help to confuse the leek moths, which seem to be a new pest up here on the hill. Some of my garlic got hit, so plans are in the works for how to deal with that new threat next season. 

Presently the Grey catbird is serenading us with his eclectic repertoire from the lilac bush. The heat is increasing, although it has been quite delightful to spend some time out here on the verandah, with a nice morning breeze from the west keeping things bearable. 

 

Gardening, fishing and observing....

July 7, 2026

The last day of June gave us a good 5cm of rain, then the heat and humidity moved in for the first few days of July. Everything in the gardens grew like crazy. Just when the heat and humidity got almost unbearable, there was a bit of a cool down to comfortable temperatures and no humidity. We had a few days when the windows and doors could stay open, but today, things are heating up again. 

Everything garden-wise is doing well. Yesterday I harvested and processed over 4 pounds of broccoli, and in a couple of days, a few more heads will be ready to be cut. 

Peas are starting to fill out. We had a first taste last night, and soon we'll be inundated. 

Wild strawberries are fat and juicy this year. These were picked in just a few minutes. Absolutely delicious.

There is not much happening on the trail cameras. The usual deer, this doe and fawn at a salt block...

and Turkey vultures squabbling over the fish entrails put out after our fishing expedition. The Raven in the background is patiently waiting.

The Phoebes in the nest on the verandah have just fledged, so we no longer get scolded for using the verandah. The Catbirds are still ferrying food to their nest in the lilac bushes, and there is a Song Sparrow nesting in the east side cedar tree out front.

We are only now, beginning to see the odd Monarch butterfly around. Over the last few years, they have been arriving later and later.  

There are five mystery plants growing in the front yard, over along the bush edge. Their alternate leaves are longitudinally veined, and sure look 'orchid-like' to me. The bud spike on the most advanced one, has gone from drooped over, to vertical, and there are little buds all along it. 

Meanwhile, another outing on the beautiful Bonnechere, the clouds drifting along with us, and a couple of nice Pike, a Bass and a big Crappie in the cooler.... 

  

Garden stuff...mostly....

 June 30, 2026

Just back from a quick perusal of the gardens, as thunder is rumbling and rain is starting to fall...yeah. Mother Nature has been good with the moisture, but more is now due, and she seems to have gotten the message. 

Just some random pics of garden stuff...

This is the rhubarb...one could use the leaves as an umbrella. That is a meter stick in the middle, and some of the stalks are almost as big as my wrist. Thankfully I harvested and froze enough for winter treats while the stems were young and tender.

Lemon lilies have been delightful, but there are only a few still blooming now, time to dead head.

On the subject of flowers, we went searching for Wood lilies, and found them...

 

Close by, I found these guys... 

What a thrill!  Showy Lady Slipper orchids! Getting to them would require hip waders and walking sticks, so this was taken from a distance with a shaky zoom. That stem is close to a meter high! Bonus, I could see several clumps beyond these! (click on the picture to see how beautiful they are.) 

My 24 celery plants are doing well. One is supposed to hill each plant up with soil once they get around 8 inches high. I pushed bottomless pots into the soil around each plant, and filled them with vermiculite. When the girth of the plants gets bigger, the pots will come off. 

There are 4 beautiful Caraflex cabbages in the end of the brassica bed. I bought one at the Farmer's market last year, and made a trip back to ask the vendor the name of the cabbage. It was amazing.

The broccoli are forming heads,

and all are living happily, well mulched, under the row cover.

Peas are blooming and making pods along the pea fence which will transition to the cucumber fence, as the vines along the front grow. This arrangement worked well last summer, so I'm doing a repeat.

Determinate tomatoes are looking good, stakes at the ready for support as they grow. 

The beefsteaks are in the field garden, mulched with straw and with much sturdier stakes. I've tried cages, but prefer stakes, as the plants are more accessible.

Down the side of the field garden, are the glads, another bed of spuds beyond the tomatoes, one of more beans, a random bed on which I threw all my old seeds, (they are surprising me), pumpkins and squash on the far side and end along with some climbing beans on another piece of fencing there. 

A bigger bed of potatoes is planted down near the barn. Deer are not supposed to like nibbling on plants in the Solanaceae family, but apparently I neglected to inform them, and they all have to try a leaf or two to figure it out for themselves. The plants on each corner have been sampled, particularly the right foreground.  

Our peace was a little shattered for a couple of weeks, but seems to have returned now. A nearby property had it's large Red pine plantation thinned, and the sound of saws and skidders was cringe-worthy to this tree and bird lover. Here is maybe the last load, awaiting the truck.

On a happier note, we did get out for the opening of Bass fishing season. It was a cool day, but the clouds were beautiful, and we caught our limit plus a few nice Perch. 

 

Critters big and little, furred and feathered....

June 20, 2026

 Happy Solstice tomorrow!

So, to recap a bit, here is Hubby up the tree mounting the owl nest box. 

It was a bit of a struggle getting the long ladder in to the chosen tree, and then extending it up. I was under the ladder holding it against the tree for dear life as firmly as I could, so he could go up the first time and ratchet strap the top of the ladder to the tree for the stability needed to affix the box. Meanwhile, it was a hot, humid day, and we were both being eaten by swarms of biting insects. With a pulley ratchet strapped to the tree, and a long rope, we got the hefty box up, positioned and affixed. It is mounted on a large branchy hemlock beyond this ridge from which we have a vantage point to see it. 

Meanwhile, in the bush, the lady slipper orchids are fading, but they were beautiful, and I am always amazed at how well those bright pink ladies hide amongst the greenery.

The glossy leaves of Goldthread is carpeting the ground in more moist areas of the bush.

I pulled up a bit to show the reason for it's name. The roots have medicinal properties, and from childhood, I remember folks who harvested and used it. 

Robins are the first birds to herald the dawn, and here is a picture off of Bird Cam, capturing the moment!

We know the catbird has been hanging out around here, proven by many pictures of it on Bird Cam.

Furred, as well as feathered critters are using the net-ball of roving in front of the camera. Regular visitors are chipmunks, (perhaps it is lining it's burrow?), flying squirrels, and mice.

This picture was captured on a trail camera last week. 

Last evening, a doe and fawn wandered in the driveway and the doe browsed her way along the south edge of the clearing, the little one keeping close to her. 

This morning's trail camera surprise was this...

Darn, just missed you!



 

 

Blogger is thwarting me....

 June 14, 2026

Blogger has been giving me issues, particularly refusing to let me post photos. I wanted to show you the owl box being put up. That involved a lot of bug bites, bushwhacking and sweat, but we are happy with its place over on the back side of the property, in a place far away from trails and roads. A few years ago, on a walk through the area, I encountered two fluffy owlets watching me curiously from above, so I know the owls like the territory. 

I'm pretty sure the Gray catbird is nesting in the lilac bushes. It is quite a dense tangle, and the birds frequent it all the time. We've seen her popping in and out, foraging for bugs on the ground throughout the flower bed. Eastern phoebes have a nest up under the eaves of the verandah, and Hubby was sure he heard little peeping sounds yesterday. An American robin has chosen to nest in the top of one of the pyramidal cedars out front, just under the eaves, behind the drip line of the verandah. Robins have tried that spot before, unsuccessfully, as Blue jays raided the nest that time. We also found the robin's nest in the woodshed on the ground...raided we think by raccoons. The same critters, and perhaps maybe a skunk has been doing some unauthorized cultivating here and there in the food and flower beds, so everything is strategically covered in screens and hardware cloth. Once the plants get big enough, I'll feel okay with removing the deterrents. The deer have been doing a little nibbling on my fruit trees, so a batch of homemade anti-deer spray is being concocted to go into service before the store-bought stuff runs out. Gardening is an on-going battle. Yesterday the trail cameras showed a new member of the herd, a tiny, spotted fawn following her mom by one of the cameras. A new inductee into the art of garden raiding.....

Mother Nature has been good and consistent about giving us sufficient rain and warm temperatures, so watering has not been needed, although we are ready, with the big tanks pumped full. 

The gardens are starting to show their mettle. Now is my favourite time, waiting, watching and doing regular maintenance on the plants. Every early morning garden reconnoitre is a new adventure.

 

 

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It's Apple Blossom Time...

 May 31, 2026

The crab-apple tree just west of the house has pretty much lost all of it's petals in the ferocious winds we endured Friday afternoon and evening. She was a thing of beauty, her aroma permeating the air all around, full of buzzing life, and an amazing bird magnet...

A flock of at least of 10 Cedar Waxwings made daily visits to the tree, to eat the blossom petals, and I got occasional glimpses of a warbler busily flitting about, harvesting bugs. I think it was a Nashville warbler, but it never held still long enough to give me a good view. We will be inundated with fruit late this summer, if things go well.

The wind on Friday afternoon was scary, 55 to 70 Km/hour wind gusts, lasting into late evening. Doubly concerning, was the appearance and smell of fresh smoke. What a burst of adrenaline that causes, living as we do, surrounded by bush that could use a good rainfall. How does one report a fire when one doesn't know where it is?? On contacting the fire chief, we found out there were 3 fires to the north of us, caused by arcing where the wind had downed trees onto power lines. The bush is tinder-dry, as we haven't had rain for a while. We are so thankful for the folk who dealt with the fires.

Saturday morning Hubby scouted the road with a chainsaw before we headed out, and did have to remove some obstructions. Our destination was a tour of St. Francis Herb farm in Barry's Bay. 

It is early in the season, so the fields were being prepped and the greenhouse was full. 

https://stfrancisherbfarm.com/

 Off to the side of the fields, their pollinating partners...

On Thursday, we built something I've wanted for a while....

An owl nesting box. We made it out of spruce boards from trees harvested and milled on the property, but had to do a little 'board and battening', as the boards were not quite wide enough. We may need a chain hoist to mount it when we find the perfect place! It is too late for occupation this year, but putting it out now will allow the critters and birds to become accustomed to it, and hopefully it's garish new wood look will weather a bit.

On the subject of owls....These pictures came off of Bird Cam today.

Our resident Barred owl really likes to sit up on the branch in front of the camera. A good solid place to preen his/her toes...(click on the pics to get a better look at those amazing talons.)

The Gray catbird who has been hanging out and serenading us from the crab-apple tree and the lilac bush for quite a while, took a break in front of Bird Cam, and in one shot appeared to be pulling wool roving out of the ball of nesting material.

In the woods, things are blooming. 

Fringed Polygala,
 

Star flowers....

and Lady Slipper orchids. 

In the garden....hopefully tomorrow, the tomato and pepper plants will get planted out, and seeds for warm weather crops put into the ground. The forecast for the next two weeks shows gradually warming temperatures, particularly the overnights, which have been very inconsistent about reaching the 10C (50F) mark so far.