THE FLOWERS OF SPRING!

 THE SECOND YEAR FOR MY 'RED IMPRESSION' TULIPS. 

THEY OVER WINTERED WELL. AND THE FENCE KEPT 

THE RABBITS AWAY.

TULIPIA KEEPS SPREADING.

I HAVE TRIED PLANTING FRITILLARIA FOR MANY YEARS

FINALLY I HAVE SUCCESS. THE BULB I PUT IN LAST

YEAR CAME UP AND BLOOMED BEAUTIFULLY! I HOPE IT

CONTINUES FOR A FEW MORE YEARS.

MY PURPLE PRINCE TULIPS.

I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE I GOT THIS TULIP BULB FROM.

IT IS EXTREMELY FRAGRANT AND OPENS WIDE.

 TULIP FROM MAUREEN.

 NARCISSUS

A NEW PLANTING LAST FALL. 

LILY LEAF MIXED.

THEY LOOK GREAT. WILL THEY SPREAD AND KEEP

COMING BACK EVERY SPRING?

MORE BUNNY PROTECTION NEEDED! I PUT IN SOME

SKEWERS AS WELL. STICK THEM INTO THE GROUND AT AN

ANGLE WITH THE POINTY END FACING AWAY FROM THE PLANT.

ANOTHER SUCCESS STORY.

I BOUGHT SOME PERUVIAN DAFFODIL BULBS THIS SPRING.

THEY WERE PLANTED UP BY MID APRIL. I MOVED THE POT

OUTSIDE AS SOON AS THE WEATHER ALLOWED. 

THEY ARE DOING EXTREMELY WELL, ENJOYING WIND,

RAIN AND SUN.

 

A NEW CLEMATIS 

VANCOUVER 'DANIELLE'

IT IS ONLY A 1 YEAR PLANT SO WE'LL SEE HOW IT DOES.

OUR SPRING PROJECT

TIME TO TAKE DOWN THE FENCE. WE'LL START WITH THE SHORTEST 

SECTION. I HAD SOME CHANGES IN MIND AND MENTIONED THEM

TO RON. HE RAN WITH IT AND THE FINISHED PROJECT WAS A BIT

BIGGER THAN WE ANTICIPATED. 

WE WERE SO THANKFUL THAT BOTH CHRIS & MICHAEL WERE

HERE TO HELP. I DON'T THINK IT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF THE

2 OF US WERE SUPPOSED TO GET THAT STRUCTURE IN PLACE!

TIME TO PUT IN MORE POSTS.

THE LILACS WILL NEED TO BE TRIMMED BACK ONCE THE PERGOLA IS

IN PLACE AND THEY HAVE BLOOMED. WE'LL SEE HOW WE LIKE THE

EFFECT OF THEM BEING ABOVE THE PERGOLA AND HOW MUCH TO

CUT THEM BACK.

 THE POSTS ARE IN PLACE.

DISCUSSIONS REGARDING THE BEST WAY TO GET STARTED. 

IT WAS A GOOD THING THAT LORI & I STUCK AROUND TILL THEY GOT

STARTED AS THEY GOT THE HEIGHT REVERSED. 

 OOPS! HIGHER IN THE BACK!

A FEW YELLOWED HEADED GRANDS!

TEACH THEM YOUNG.

TIME FOR A BREAK TO PLANT UP A FEW SPIDER PLANTS TO TAKE HOME.

 AND PLAY IN THE SAND FOR A BIT.

 AAHH! THAT IS THE RIGHT HEIGHT!

 MAKING PROGRESS. THE RAIN HAS BEEN MOSTLY MISTING. MAYBE IT 

WILL HOLD OFF TILL THIS IS DONE.

NOW THAT THE PERGOLA IS UP, TIME FOR THE CANOPY AND

BARBEQUE TIME.

 STEAK & SAUSAGE! GOOD JOB COOKING CHRIS.

IT WAS GOOD TO HAVE ALMOST EVERYONE HERE FOR THE LONG WEEKEND.

WE DID MISS JULI. SHE WAS IN VANCOUVER WITH HER SISTERS, ENJOYING

SOME DOWN TIME.

 NOW FOR THE FINISH. RON MANAGED TO GET THE BALANCE

DONE WITH LITTLE HELP.

THE FENCE BOARDS WERE SUPPOSED TO FRAME THE LILACS

BUT WE DECIDED AGAINST A CURVE, STAGGERING THE

HEIGHT INSTEAD.

THE VIEW FROM OUR DINING ROOM WINDOW.

TIME TO ADD SOME HANGING BASKETS AND

PLANT UP THE FLOWER BED.

IT IS RAINING TOO HARD TO GET A GOOD 

PICTURE OF GATE.

PICTURES OF THE GATE AND FLOWERS TO FOLLOW.

BIRDS ARE BACK!

 THE CHICKADEE IS NESTING SOMEWHERE BUT HAVE NOT

FOUND THE NEST OR THE BIRDHOUSE THEY ARE USING.

IT WAS TIME TO LINE THE NEST WITH SOME SOFT WOOL.

THE YELLOW RUMPED WARBLER STOPPED BY BRIEFLY.

 

THERE ARE SO MANY VARIETIES OF SPARROWS IN OUR 

NEIGHBOURHOOD AND SOME ARE PRETTY DIFFICULT TO 

IDENTIFY. THE ABOVE SPARROW LOOKS VERY MUCH LIKE 

A LINCOLN'S SPARROW.

 THE SPARROWS ARE ENJOYING THE GROUND LEVEL FEEDER.

 THE WHITE CROWNED SPARROW

 AN ACROBATIC SPARROW AT THE FEEDER.

I HAVE A GOLD FINCH FEEDER THAT REQUIRES THE BIRDS TO 

HANG UPSIDE DOWN. THE PINE SISKINS AND RED POLLS DON'T

SEEM TO MIND!

BOTH THE ROBIN AND WOODPECKER HAVE FOUND THE POND.

EITHER FOR A REFRESHING DRINK OR A BATH.

ON THE LONG WEEKEND THE GOLD FINCHES FOUND OUR YARD.

WE WERE VISITED BY 4 MALES IN A FEW DAYS.

 IT HAS BEEN A LONG WHILE SINCE THE ROSE BREASTED GROSBEAK

HAS STOPPED BY. NOT ABLE TO GET TO THE SEEDS IN THE WINDOW FEEDER

IT WENT TO THE ARCHWAY FEEDER. IT WAS ABLE TO SIT ON THE TRAY

AND ENJOY THE BLACK OIL SUNFLOWER SEEDS.

 AND WITH THE RAIN AND COOLER WEATHER, THE ORIOLE SHOWED UP

TO ENJOY THE ORANGES AND JELLY.

I DID CATCH BOTH THE ORIOLE AND GROSBEAK AT THE FEEDERS AT

THE SAME TIME. SHORTLY AFTER THE GOLD FINCH SHOWED UP BUT SLIGHTLY

OUT OF CAMERA RANGE.

THE CAPE MAY WARBLER AT THE POND. IT USUALLY ATTACKS THE MARSH

MARIGOLD. HOWEVER WITH THE LATE SPRING, THE MARIGOLD WAS NOT YET

IN BLOOM.

A CAT BIRD, I RARELY MANAGE TO SEE IT, JUST HEAR IT.

THE ORIOLE WITH HIS MATE!

AND THE WRENS ARE BACK. I HAVE YET TO GET A PICTURE OF THEM. THEY ARE BUSY CHECKING OUT ALL THE BIRDHOUSES THAT ARE OUT. IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT THEY SETTLE ON.

WE ARE HAVING A GENTLE RAIN TODAY. IT IS WELCOME IN THE CITY, NOT SURE IF THE FARMERS' NEED IT. I TRIED TO GET A FEW MORE PICTURES BUT GOT CHASED IN. GAVE ME A CHANCE TO UPDATE MY BLOG. IT HAS BEEN A WHILE