For You Sonny Sikora...Happy Spring!

your daffodil poem to music!....love terry

A Poem about Daffodils by William Wordsworth

"Daffodils" (1804)

I WANDER'D lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the Milky Way,

They stretch'd in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:

A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company:

I gazed -- and gazed -- but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

By William Wordsworth (1770-1850).

Around the Front Yard

These are just a few pictures taken yesterday around the front yard. Very much a rain day. It called for SNOW last night but thankfully we did not get it. Still a cold day to-day and down to 0 o C to-night. that should be the last of the cold, I hope. A far cry from the +29 o C the other day.

More spring Flowers

The first picture to-day is a Forsythia disambiguation (Forsythia). It is just beautiful at the moment. I wish the flowering would last longer but what a nice way to bring in the Spring

Second is the Narcissus King Alfred  (Daffodil King Alfred) These are always the first Narcissus to bloom every year in the garden. and they are huge. All that greenery below the King Alfred are Myosotis sylvatica (Forget Me Not). I have the blue and white varieties here. Also a large Taraxacum (Dandelion), He will be gone soon.

Thirdly this is Hyacinthaceae (Hyacinth). These are very old now at least 12 years. I plan on digging them up every year but I never have the heart to do it. They sure do not have that perfect flower heads they once did.

Lastly is the Viola septentrionalis Greene ( Northern Woodland Violets. These ones are blooming in my front yard. Not exactly where I would like them. They will loose their flowers next time I cut the grass. I see I also have Glechoma hederacea (Creeping Charley) mixed in. Those will be gone very soon!!!!!

A Mixed Bag of things To-day

 

The top photo is of the Viola septentrionalis Greene, in another words the Northern Woodland Violet.

The second is of the Chamaeocyparis pisifera Sungold, or Goldthread False Cyprus. 

Thirdly this is a Cyprinus carpio, better known as a Japaneses Koi. 

Lastly the ever popular and most of time pest is the Sciuridae, or the Eastern Grey Squirrle. 

This was a crazy day for the Latin spellings. My favourite Latin word of all time is "Chameocyparis" It really makes you look like you know what your talking about!!!!!

Not exactly Easter Eggs

Here it is just days after the first Toad invasion of the year.
I have Thousands of eggs on hundreds of strands in the fish pond. I suspect if the last couple of years are any indication I will have about a 70 % survival rate. Great for the Toads as well as us really.

The Bafo b americanus ( Eastern American Toad) is a great hunter of insects and un-wanted creatures of the garden.. These guys when they leave the pond will be the size of a pinky finger nail. They are truly small when they leave and when they do, it is a black carpet of moving souls. We have no shortage of these creatures in my neighbour-hood. I wonder why!!!

Spring Flowers

 The first pic is of the Crocus, as is the second of course. These are the Crocus "E.A. Bowles"(purple), and the Crocus "Jeanne d'Arc" (yellow). The next is the Narcissus "Salome". this pale yellow will turn a more apricot colour as it ages.The last picture is of the Forsythia x intermedia.

Because of the fantastic weather the last few days, we are now starting to get a nice look at the spring flowers. It is so nice to see all this. My Garden will now be in continuous bloom through December. Changes will be weekly and it is wonderful to watch it all march threw the weeks and months to come.

a Few More Close Ups

Euonymus variegate (Euonymus x intermedia)

This is a climbing variety

Bartlett (European) Pear (Pyrus communis)

A bud from the tree, will open in a few weeks

Rose of Sharron (Hibiscus syriacus) 

Dried out seed pods from last year. I find these to be ugly, but they do make great looking close ups

Forsythia x intermedia

Just about to bloom any hour actually

close ups of a few plants

a yew showing the male cone flowers (Taxus caspidata) "Japaneses"

a lilac flower bud  (Syringa vulgaris var. alba  "White"

a striped squill  (Paschkinia scilloides var libanotica)

a variegated tulip leaf  (Tulipa New Design)

a golden cedar leaf  (sorry I forget what this is called)  

These are a few close ups of some of the plants in the garden.
A fun little story about the cedar, My Grandmother seen this when I planted it and it was yellow. She was so concerned it was going to die that she really put the acid to it so it might live. She had never seen anything like this before. yellow to her meant it was dying. Now it is primarily green with yellow edges. I lost the name for it. Do you think I can find it in the computer, not a chance. But I will keep looking

By the way Happy Easter and I hope every one spends it with family. I have to work to-day but I have family visiting from Alberta, so I am looking forward to that as well.

Spring is in the Air

 

The House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

The Eastern American toad (Bufo b americanus)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_toad
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_Sparrow

Spring is really here for sure now. Nature is getting ready for the next generation, every where. We have been so fortunate as of the last few days. Our temperatures have been in the mid to high 20's o C. I even cut my front yard on Thursday. Now for the by-weekly chore for the next 6 months!!!!.

So now I have toads in the pond making courtship noise all night long. The Birds are busy with their mating, and fighting over territory. That said I love it all.
I hope every one enjoys the Easter week-end,