guest shots: October blossoms by Lydia

Ipomea is a large family of plants that includes sweet potatoes, moonflower, many ornamental varieties as well as the noxious weed 'bindweed'. These annual blue morning glories make a stunning addition to the garden and can be used to cover compost piles and other unsightly objects.

come n get it - Christmas Bazaar on Nov. 28

feeder moments

random flower post

 ^^clematis 'Nelly Moser' 

^^Blueberry lane

 ^^pancakes, anyone?

 ^^yellow four o'clocks

 ^^corn, sunflowers and raspberries

 ^^morning glories, pink

 ^^morning glory arbour and pink four o'clocks

Stage 3 watering restrictions now in effect

(from the City of Port Coquitlam website posted |July 21, 2015)
Due to unreasonably hot and dry weather, we are under Stage 3 Water Restrictions under Metro Vancouver's Water Shortage Response Plan. The following restrictions are in place:
Not Allowed

• Lawn sprinkling;
• Municipal exemption permits for new‐lawns or nematode application are prohibited;
• Watering of trees, shrubs, flowers, decorative planters and vegetable gardens by sprinklers or soaker hoses is prohibited;
• Private pressure washing is prohibited;
• Washing of driveways, sidewalks and parkades for aesthetic purposes is prohibited;
• Washing of all cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats and other recreational and vehicles is prohibited;
• Golf course fairway watering is prohibited;
• Cemetery lawns – all forms of watering are prohibited;
• Municipal parks ‐ all forms of watering are prohibited;
• Operation of ornamental fountains is prohibited;
• Filling or refilling of private swimming pools, hot tubs and garden ponds is prohibited.

Allowed

• Hand watering of trees, shrubs, flowers, decorative planters and vegetable gardens using a spring-loaded shutoff nozzle, containers or a drip irrigation system is permitted;
• Watering of turf at turf farms or flowers and vegetables at commercial gardens is permitted.
• Hosing of outdoor surfaces (e.g. driveways, sidewalks, roofs) if required to avoid public health and safety concerns or to prepare a surface for painting/sealing or similar treatment is permitted;
• Commercial pressure washing for health and safety purposes or to prepare as surface for painting or similar purposes is permitted;
• Commercial car wash operations are permitted;
• Golf course watering of greens and tee areas at minimum levels required to maintain areas in useable condition is permitted;
• Sports playing field (including sand-based) and school yard watering at minimum levels as required to maintain areas in useable condition is permitted;
• Artificial turf requiring wetting and outdoor tracks if required for dust control or safety reasons is permitted.
• Note: The City will NOT be issuing permits new lawns and nematodes application as they are prohibited during Stage 3 restrictions. Permits previously issued are no longer valid.
    What else can you do?
  
  • Work with nature and let your lawn go dormant (brown) over the summer. It’ll ‘green up’ again when it starts raining in the fall.
  • Leave grass clippings on your lawn. They’ll help trap moisture to reduce evaporation and break down to feed your lawn naturally.
  Residents and businesses found to be violating Stage 3 water restrictions will be issued one verbal warning prior to receiving a $200 fine from the City's Bylaw Services Division .

City of Port Coquitlam here

Stage 2 watering restrictions in effect in Port Coquitlam

We are currently in Stage 2 of the Metro Vancouver Water Shortage Response Plan, which has 4 stages.


The following restrictions are in place:
Lawn sprinkling will be restricted to one morning a week only.
Outdoor sprinkling of lawns using hose-connected or automatic in-ground sprinklers will be permitted only as follows:
From June 1 to September 30, sprinkling is permitted as follows:
Even-numbered addresses - Monday mornings only (4:00 - 9:00 am)
Odd-numbered addresses - Thursday mornings only (4:00 - 9:00 am)

Operating ornamental fountains, including residential, commercial, institutional and government fountains. Municipal parks, cemetery lawns, ornamental lawns belonging to municipal facilities, and grassed boulevards are not exempt and may be watered only within the once-weekly times noted above.

The following sprinkling is not permitted:

Hosing outdoor surfaces (e.g. driveways, sidewalks, roofs) for aesthetic reasons unless required for public health and safety concerns or to prepare a surface for painting/sealing or similar treatment. A hose with an automatic shut-off device must be used.

• Pressure washing for aesthetic reasons except to prepare a surface for painting, sealing or similar treatment. This applies to both private and commercial pressure washing.

 ^^the signs of drought are everywhere

 

death traps

Small birds, mammals and other creatures often fall into watering cans and buckets trying to access water. Always leave a twig or stick in the container so critters can climb back out.

(photo credit: CJW Vos)
 ^^this little deer mouse, a semi-arboreal rodent that also forages in shallow water, drowned in an ice cream pail containing only a few centimetres of water.

Aside from seeds, deer mice eat beetles and other small invertebrates, especially in summer.

(photo credit: CJW Vos)

^^even good swimmers like this guy eventually tire and drown trying to escape containers.

(photo credit: Storm)
^^always give small animals an escape route by placing a twig or stick in the container,
or store empty upside down or on the side.

watering at Cheeryville

Sprinkler use is restricted from June 1 to September 30:
*Even-numbered addresses may sprinkle lawns 4:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays
*Odd-numbered addresses may sprinkle lawns 4:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays (Cheeryville is on this schedule)
*Hand watering with a flow controller is permitted any time

the raccoon at mom's house

Akebia

 ^^Akebia quinata vine, spring flowers

^^akebia vine, 'silver bells'  or 'Alba' variety 

Akebia fruit is edible, if somewhat tart. The fruits are used in some varieties of

Miso soup in it's native Japan. Akebia is also deer resistant.

growing cuttings

Late winter/ early spring is a good time to start cuttings 

(clones, in WestCoast speak) of many woody plants.

This is Sarcococca, a wonderful, hardy small shrub that 

sprouts fragrant flowers December thru February.

 

 ^^select shoots 15 to 20 cm or 6 to 8 inches

 ^^strip the lower leaves and trim to 15 cm or 6 inches

 ^^dust with rooting hormone

 ^^insert the bare stems in fresh potting soil, pat soil gently to fill holes

 

^^labels help, even if you spell the name wrong. Add the date.

 ^^water and leave outside for a few months

pot bound

^^after five years in this pot it was time to divide the bamboo

 

^^the roots and shoots are tough; you will need a sharp spade to split the root ball

^^now good for another few years

waiting

for her pond to return...