Summer in Nova Scotia

Summer has arrived once more in Nova Scotia and everything that has been asleep during the minus zero temperatures has come alive again. The first flowers to appear are the very lovely yellow dandelions, but for us they are  more of an infestation or epidemic, as they try to cover every square inch of grass. The month of May was spent, plucking them, digging them out by the roots, trying to kill them with  salt, vinegar and any other sure fired remedies found on the internet. But the dandelions live on. We do get  a respite until the next cycle in September.  Apart from just enjoying their colour, if anyone has any good recipes, then perhaps we should use them as a crop.

The apple blossom has already gone and we can look forward to an abundance of apples in the fall.

It is lupin season right now and each year we are amazed by the banks of lupins that bloom along the highways, walking trails and coves. I am always reminded of Monty Python’s sketch about roast lupins, braised lupins, lupin meringue pie, lupin sorbet……. I wish we could use them too.

The hawthorn blossom is brightening up the old railway trail at Lunenburg,

and the roses are just in bloom.

These dandelion like flowers look much finer that the ones that grow in our garden.

These very white flowers are bunch berry and later have bunches of red berries on them, which are seemingly edible, but perhaps not too fruity.

In the garden, the Gold Finches have their bright yellow summer plumage back.

The Blue Jay looks his usual handsome self.

And the Flicker is useful at eating up the ants.

The heron has always been a favourite of mine and we see  at least 4 a day around Back Harbour at Lunenburg.

This one looks a bit ungainly on top of this pine tree.

The ospreys have returned to the many, many platforms in the area. I will write a special blog just for them.

Lupins, Lupins Everywhere

Lupins are not an unusual flower; we had our share of them on the banking at Glenshee and there was a big corner of yellow lupins on the way to Lunan Bay. But it was just the sheer number of lupins here in Nova Scotia, that amazed us last summer and now again this summer. Ground that lay under snow all winter and then looked pretty dead in spring has burst into colour. Both sides of the highways are lined in lupins and it just seems that there are lupins everywhere.

The old railway track that runs almost around Nova Scotia and which, in fact goes almost across Canada has been made into a walking/biking track and this too is lined in lupins.

My out of focus photo shows the extent of the lupins in places.

Not only are we enjoying the lupins, but the rowan and hawthorn blossom is fantastic. I don’t think we have ever seen so much hawthorn blossom on one tree.

Broad Cove

After a hard winter it is fantastic to see everything turning green again, and we are enjoying the colours of the cherry and apple blossom, rowan and may flower, as well as the first of the wild flowers.

At the moment the roadside is lined with wild stock, soon it will be the lupins and white roses. There are no big plantings along the Highways by the local authority, just natural wild flowers.

People are working in their gardens and garden centres are great businesses to have for the next few months.

There are so many ponds and lakes around that water lilies are a common sight. We saw yellow water lilies at Broad Cove on one of the little ponds at the beach.

These ponds are also protected places for turtles and the turtles have been given their own spots to sun bathe.

I don’t know what type of turtle these are. I don’t think they are Blanding turtle as they are extremely rare.

They might be the Eastern Painted turtle as that is the most common  turtle in Nova Scotia. I have just read that they are found in plant-filled ponds, lakes and streams and are often seen in groups basking on logs and rocks. They seem to be most common where lily pads and pickerel weed grow, eating insects, snails and bits of lily pad. So it sounds like them.

A little update on my pesky squirrel

Got up this morning to find my potted begonias, under where the bird feeder usually hangs (we bring it in at night), had all been pulled or dug out and were lying in a heap of soil on the deck. We think the squirrel came to eat and was angry at the lack of seed and took it out on the plants. Although, I have just been reading that squirrels do eat young garden plants and vegetables. So I now have to think up a solution to save all my other planters on the deck!