Wednesday, September 3, 2008

September days are here..Sunflowers ...

(click to enlarge)
This picture is for my grandchildren Ella, Yoel and Daniel in Sweden.




"By all these lovely tokens September days are here
With summer's best of weather
And autumn's best of cheer."-

(Author Unknown)
Posted by Picasa

Monday, September 1, 2008

Rosetta McClain Gardens - a visit...

The City of Toronto is a city within a park.
Last week I visited the Rosetta McClain gardens.
The garden is located on Kingston Road in Scarborough.
A short distance from Bluffer's Park and Guildwood Gardens.

Toronto has 1,460 parks, including parkettes, which cover 8,000 hectares of green space.
Some of best gardens in Toronto include James Gardens in Etobicoke, the Music Garden at the waterfront at Queen’s Quay, Rosetta McClain Gardens in Scarborough and the Toronto Botanical Garden. Wonderful floral displays in these gardens greet the visitors.
Valley trails that follow rivers and creeks, as well as other wilderness trails, allow residents and visitors to enjoy nature in peaceful surroundings.
Toronto has over 200 kilometres of off-road trails.
Our Rouge Park in Scarborough has one of the best nature trails in Toronto.


entrance to Rosetta McClain gardens

this plaque shows the layout of this magnificent garden

view from the garden over Lake Ontario

the garden features this huge water fountain

many trees, plants and flowers are on display


remnants of an old cottage

interesting tree

another wonderful flower display

Hibiscus moscheutos

water fountain surrounded by flowers

stunning roses from the rose garden

flowers galore..



Posted by Picasa

Sunday, August 31, 2008

yellow mums and a tiny visitor


The little things? The little moments? They aren't little.
- John Zabat-Zinn

Posted by Picasa

Thursday, August 28, 2008

cake anyone?? plum cake...Pflaumenkuchen mit Streusel

It is plum season again.. and here is my favourite cake

Plum cake with Streusel (recipe below the pictures)





Rezept von essen-und-trinken.de

Zwetschgen-Streuselkuchen (VIVA 9/2006)

****************************************************

It is easy to make and the taste is wonderful .. just try my recipe.

Ingredients for Streusel
300 g flower
100 g sugar
150 g no salt butter or margarine
1 egg
1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Topping:
500 g prunes (Italian)
2 tbsp powered sugar

Combine all ingredients for streusel in food processor. Pulse just until chunky, keep chilled .
Turn 1/2 of the streusel into a greased 26 cm round cake pan .
Arrange pitted, halved plums over top and sprinkle the rest of the streusel over the fruit.

Bake 375 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.
Decorate with powered sugar.. Enjoy..

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

slimes, molds, polypores - in the garden..

Growing on old dead wood under the old apple tree..
How exciting to watch the growth of various fungi in the garden.



Posted by Picasa

Monday, August 25, 2008

TODAY'S FLOWER



Cannas are easily grown tender perennials with architectural foliage and brash flowers.Hummingbirds love canna flowers.


Posted by Picasa

Sunday, August 24, 2008

more pictures from the garden..


Sedum
Rudbeckia
Hydrangea Winky Pinky
Posted by Picasa

Rose of Sharon - "Lavender Chiffon", Garteneibisch ´Blue Chiffon´(R)



Hibiscus syriacus 'Lavender Chiffon' - Rose of Sharon
Now blooming in the garden..

Posted by Picasa

Monday, August 18, 2008

just found..Echeverias ..Pachyveria scheideki??



Echeverias are rosette forming succulents and flower like heads can be only a centimetre or two across or giants with heads up to 60cm.

Flower stems appear generally in the summer months with tall upright spikes each
carrying a number of upside down flowers ranging from 3mm to 20mm long.
Flowers stems can be attractive when first open but in some species becomes messy
after a month or two and can be removed for cosmetic reasons.
Over the years intensive hybridising has developed many new echeveria forms,
some from improving original species and others from the crossings of different species.
In some cases these hybrids have involved intergeneric crossings.
Some examples are.
Echeveria x Pachyphytum = Pachyveria
Sedum x Echeveria = Sedeveria
Graptopetalum x Echeveria = Graptoveria


My Echeverias measures 26cm high and 23 cm wide.
Perhaps a Pachyveria scheideki??


I found this plant in a small variety store nearby with no tags attached.


Echeverien sind meist immergrüne, mehrjährige, sukkulente Pflanzen, die mehr oder weniger dichte stammlose oder am Ende von Trieben befindliche Blattrosetten bilden. Viele Arten bilden auch kleine Sträucher. Die Blätter sind dickfleischig. Die Stängel der Blütenstände werden seitlich in Blattachseln gebildet. Die Blütenstände haben fleischige Hochblätter und variieren von verzweigten Thyrsen bis einfachen Trauben mit allen Übergängen. Die radiärsymmetrischen, fünfzähligen Blüten sind rot, orange, rosa, seltener gelblich. Die Sepalen und Petalen sind kantig bis gekielt und basal röhrig verwachsen; die Blütenhülle ist dadurch glocken- bis krugförmig.



Echeveria is a large genus of succulents in the Crassulaceae family, native from Mexico to northwestern South America.
The genus is named after the 18th century Mexican botanical artist, Atanasio Echeverría y Godoy.
Many of the species produce numerous offsets, and are commonly known as 'Hen and chicks', which can also refer to other genera such as Sempervivum that are significantly different from Echeveria.
Many Echeveria species are popular as garden plants. They are drought resistant, although they do better with regular deep watering and fertilizing. Most will tolerate shade and some frost, although hybrid species tend to be less tolerant. They can be propagated easily by separating offsets, but may also be propagated by leaf cuttings, and by seed if they are not hybrids. Echeverias are polycarpic, meaning that they may flower and set seed many times over the course of their lifetimes.
Most lose their lower leaves in winter; as a result, after a few years, the plants lose their attractive, compact appearance and need to be rerooted or propagated. In addition, if not removed, these shed leaves may decay, harboring fungus which can then infect the plant.

(Wikipedia)


Posted by Picasa

Zamioculcas zamiifolia and Ginseng Ficus ...

New plants for our livingroom.
Neue Pflanzen für unser Wohnzimmer.
Zamioculcas zamiifolia
Discovered recently in Germany and Sweden. First I searched the Internet in Canada for a supplier. No good information was available.
Later the same day I was able to purchase the plant at Sheridan Nursery in Toronto-East.

Zamioculcas is a genus of flowering plant in the family Araceae, containing the single species Zamioculcas zamiifolia.

It is a tropical perennial plant native to eastern Africa, from Kenya south to northeastern South Africa. Zamioculcas is grown as an ornamental plant, mainly for its attractive glossy foliage.

It can be kept outdoors as long as the temperature does not fall below around 15 °C (59°F); best growth is between 18 °C to 26 °C (64.4° - 78.8 °F).

Hot temperatures give an increase of leaf production. In temperate regions, it is grown as a houseplant. Over watering may destroy this plant; erring on the side of dryness is preferable to risking tuber rot. Do not use leaf shiners. A quarter or eighth strength liquid fertilizer such as fish emulsion or worm-cast liquid may be used once a month at the warmest period for potted specimens. Bright, indirect light is best for Zamioculcas, although it will tolerate very low light. Some sun will be tolerated, very early in the morning for hot districts – morning or afternoon for cooler districts.

  • Die Pflanze stammt ursprünglich aus Ostafrika.
    Als
    Zimmerpflanze ist die Zamioculcas inzwischen recht beliebt, obwohl sie erst seit etwa 1996 kultiviert wird. Die Pflanze ist sehr pflegeleicht, da sie sowohl mit wenig Licht auskommt aber auch gerne in hellen Räumen steht. Entsprechend ihrem Naturstandort ist sie auch längere Trockenzeiten gewohnt und muss daher nur mäßig gegossen werden.

Ginseng Ficus Bonsai Tree (Ficus Retusa)
The Ficus Ginseng bonsai, is also known as Banyan Fig bonsai and Taiwan Ficus bonsai.
The Retusa has small dark green leaves which alternate up the stem and which are more oval than the Benjamina.
Ficus Ginseng have grey to reddish bark dotted with small horizontal flecks, similar to tiger-like markings. All have heavy trunks with exposed aerial roots. Among the most tolerant, versatile and trouble-free bonsai trees for indoor use.Suitable 6" x 8" humidity tray is recommended.
Posted by Picasa

Sunday, August 17, 2008

now in bloom...winter hardy hibiscus..rose mallow, swamp mallow







The Mallow family (Malvaceae) has over 100 relatives. Okra is a native of Ethiopia which is also home to beans, peas, and coffee. Cotton is another genra. The Blue Mahoe of Jamaica is a large tree with 6 inch orange/yellow flowers that turn crimson during the day. It is used for cabinet making and is also native to Cuba where the inner bark is used for cigar wrap. Other genera include Rose of Sharon. Hollyhock and of course, Hibiscus.

The Hibiscus genus has 200+ species including Tropical Hibiscus with thousands of varieties; and, the North American Moscheutos also called Swamp Mallow.
Popular Hardy Hibiscus offerings are almost all based on Moscheutos.

Here's how they differ from Tropical Hibiscus:
It is a woody perenniel, dies back in winter. Last for at least 10 seasons.
Actually requires cold weather. Plant wintering evidentally involves production of hormones required for spring growth and flowering.
Propagate by cuttings, some by seeds. Water heavily until established.
Does very well in wet soil, full sun. Tolerates drought.
Buds are 2-4 inches long.
Has large flowers up to 12 inches: white, pink, red, plum, no yellows and last 1 day.
Relatively few varieties, no doubles.
When they die back in winter, prune dead foliage, and when the ground is frozen, mulch heavily to keep it cold.
They will probably be the last thing to sprout in the next Spring, fertilize early and lightly tip-prune after initial growth. But they grow rapidly up to 8 ft in height.
Disease resistant, but look out for spider mites and Japanese beetles. On the internet you can use a special Google search to locate books containing information about hardy hibiscus.
Much of the above information is based upon the book, “Hibiscus”, by Barbara Lawton Perry.

Der Roseneibisch (Hibiscus moscheutos), auch Sumpfeibisch genannt, ist eine Pflanzenart aus der Gattung Hibiskus (Hibiscus) in der Familie der Malvengewächse (Malvaceae).

Es ist eine winterharte, mehrjährige krautige Pflanze. Sie erreicht Wuchshöhen bis über 2 Meter. Die oberirdischen Pflanzenteile sterben im Winter ab; die Pflanze treibt im Frühling neu aus dem Wurzelstock aus. Die Blätter sind ungeteilt; sie sind 15 bis 20 cm lang und 5 bis 7 cm breit. Die Blätter sind auf der Unterseite samtig behaart, auf der Oberseite unbehaart.
Die Blüten sind etwa handtellergroß; sie erreichen Durchmesser von etwa 15 Zentimetern, bei vielen Zuchtformen jedoch auch bis zu 30 cm. Sie sind weiß oder rosa, teilweise zart dunkelrosa überhaucht, in der Mitte um den Stempel hellrosa bis dunkelkarmin schattiert. Die einzelne Blüte blüht nur einen Tag lang. Es gibt keine Befruchtungsinsekten hierzulande; H. moscheutos stammt aus Nordamerika.
Sources from wikipedia and Barbara Perry Lawton Book "Hibiscus" pyblished by Timber press.

Pictures are from my garden.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Common Nighthawk, Falkennachtschwalbe, Chordeiles minor

It's a lifer for me...
the Common Nighthawk, Chordeiles minor, is a nightjar.
The adults have dark with brown, grey and white patterning on the upper parts and breast; the long wings are black and reveal a white bar when in flight. The tail is dark with white barring; the underparts are white with black bars. The adult male has a white throat; the female has a light brown throat.
Their breeding habitat is open country across North America. They usually nest on bare ground, sometimes in raised locations including stumps or gravel roofs. They especially favor burned areas in forests. The two eggs are laid directly on bare ground—there is no nest. Incubation is performed largely by the female and lasts for about 20 days. Young fledge at about 20 days of age. There may be a second brood in the southern part of the United States.
These birds winter in South America. They migrate in flocks. The Common Nighthawk is a very rare vagrant to western Europe.
They catch flying insects on the wing, mainly foraging near dawn and dusk (crepuscular), sometimes at night with a full moon or near street lighting.
The call is a short peet usually heard overhead. The male performs an aerial display during courtship, creating a booming sound near the end of a steep dive. The sound is produced by air rushing through the wingtips.
Falkennachtschwalbe (Chordeiles minor), auch Nachtfalke genannt, ist einer der bekanntesten amerikanischen Sommervögel. Sie ist berühmt durch ihre Sturz- und Zickzackflüge.
Falkennachtschwalben sind etwa 23 Zentimeter lang und haben eine Flügelspannweite von 59 bis 68 cm, während ihr Gewicht ungefähr 65 Gramm beträgt. Charakteristisch sind für sie, neben dem unregelmäßigem Zickzackflug, die schmalen und spitzen Flügel, welche eine weiße Binde tragen. Das Gefieder ist dunkelbraun oder grau mit brauner Musterung.
text and picture wikipedia

Posted by Picasa

Thursday, August 14, 2008

busy bee and skunks..(Stinktier)

Rose of Sharon and one busy bee..

No flowers, no bees; No bees, no flowers.



and skunk picture for Brigitte http://cosmea49.blogspot.com/




Posted by Picasa

Monday, August 11, 2008

We are back home again...

After returning from our trip to Germany and Sweden we are happy to be home again. We arrived late in the evening in Toronto. The next morning I couldn't wait to walk around in the garden followed by Max, our cat. Together we inspected the overgrown flowerbeds, looked at the pond and fetched the newspaper in front of the house. Here, we where confronted by our resident skunks. I don't know who was more surprised the skunks or us. Very quickly we escaped to the inside of our house.

During our absence we received a lot of rain in Toronto. A new July rainfall record of 193.2 millimetres was published in the news media.

Besides flowers and grass, weeds grew as well in abundance.

Here are the first pictures from our August garden..

Nach unserer Deutschland und Schweden Reise sind wir froh, wieder zu Hause zu sein. Erst spät am Abend landeten wir mit LTU/ Air Berlin in Toronto. Am nächsten Morgen konnte ich es kaum erwarten, in den Garten zugehen und alles zu inspektieren. Zusammen mit Max, unserem Kater, wanderte ich im Garten herum und betrachte die verwilderten Beete, den kleinen Teich und wollte die Zeitung vor dem Haus holen. Dort fanden wir die Stinktiere (Mephitidae), die in unserem Garten leben, vor. Ich weiss nicht, wer mehr überrascht war, die Tiere oder wir. Schnell flüchteten wir ins Haus.
Während unserer Abwesenheit hat es sehr viel in Toronto geregnet.
Ein neuer Niederschlagsrekord von 193.2 mm wurde in den Zeitungen für den Monat Juli berichtet.

Bei dem vielen Regen, Blumen und Grass wuchsen sehr stark, aber auch das Unkraut.

Hier sind die ersten Fotos vom Monat August ...

Flowering Canna plants. Hummingbirds love the red flowers.
Cannas are easily grown tender perennials with architectural foliage and brash flowers that inject a dash of exotica. Cannas can be grown in large containers or as focal points in sub-tropical schemes. They add shape and colour to the end of the summer season.
Blumenrohr (Canna) ist die einzige Gattung der Familie der Blumenrohrgewächse (Cannaceae), die zu den Einkeimblättrigen Pflanzen (Liliopsida) gehört. Es wurde viel gekreuzt und so sind viele Sorten beliebte Zierpflanzen für Parks und Gärten. Das lateinische Wort canna bedeutet Rohr. Zur Gattung Canna gehören etwa bis zu 50 Arten. Einige Arten sind weltweit in den Tropen verwildert.




Rudbeckia fulgida...A bold, dependable perennial with golden-yellow flowers.
Blooms July-October on sturdy stems. Easy to grow and
perfect for a long lasting cut flower.

Die Rudbeckien (Rudbeckia) sind eine Gattung der Tribus Heliantheae in der Unterfamilie Asteroideae innerhalb der Familie der Korbblütler (Asteraceae). Es gibt einige Sorten, die als Zierpflanzen in Parks und Gärten verwendet werden.
Die Gattung erhielt den Namen zu Ehren des schwedischen Wissenschaftlers Olof Rudbeck dem Älteren.


"Endless Summer" hydrangea - Hortensie.



and "Winky Pinky" hydrangea features first white flowers, changing later to pink and dark red.



Rose of Sharon - Straucheibisch





Hibiscus syriacus (syn. Althaea frutex Hort. ex Mill.), the common garden Hibiscus, is called Rose of Sharon in North America, a name also applied to other plants. It is a flowering shrub in the plant family Malvaceae native to much of Asia. It is vase-shaped, reaching 2-4 m in height. It is also known as "Rose of Althea" and is widely planted in areas with hot summers for its very attractive white, pink, red, lavender, or purple edible flowers. It is very strong. If cut and put in a vase, it will survive for much longer than other plants.
Posted by Picasa

Monday, July 21, 2008

taking a break..Sommer Pause..



"Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability."
- Sam Keen

Posted by Picasa

Sunday, July 20, 2008

After the rain - bold colours in the garden..

Rain is grace;
rain is the sky condescending to the earth;
without rain, there would be no life.- John Updike

Hollyhocks, Lillies and Sunflowers..



Posted by Picasa

searched and found ..gesucht und gefunden



Recently I found this great book how to create wreaths and garlands.
Shown are very beautiful projects with detailed instructions as shown below.
What else can I asked for...

One project got my attention:
Horseshoe of succulents.

Succulents, a.k.a. Hens and Chicken are used in many gardens throughout the world.
Lately I have noticed more and more Blogger displaying succulents collections.
Below is one creative use of succulents..
**************
to enlarge pictures...just point & click..
















Posted by Picasa

Friday, July 18, 2008

Happy Birthday Max, now you are seven years old..

Happy Birthday Max!!

Max was born seven years ago in the small Village of Salem, Ontario.

When we brought Max home he was six weeks old..

a cute little kitten, who quickly found his place in our hearts.

Seven years of fun, laughter, love and excitement.

Thank you..but don't bite my toes so early in the morning:)


Thursday, July 17, 2008

recycling....Wiederverwertung...


One morning I found this very large and beautiful glass container
in front of neighbour's house ready for garbage collection.
Very quickly I picked up the container from the curb.
Now between ferns and columbines the glass bottle looks just great.

What do you think? Do you like it as well?
Diese grosse Weinflasche stand vor dem Haus unseres Nachbarn am Mülltag.
Schnell holte ich mir die Flasche und nun steht sie zwischen
Farnen und Akeleien im Seitengarten unseres Hauses.
Was denkst Du? Gefällt es Dir auch??


Posted by Picasa

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

surprise ..what is that? Was ist das denn ?



Posted by Picasa