My garden so far

Posted on 7/18/2023 by boj Posted in Gardening, General

Existing in the garden:

Black Cohosh (Actaea racemosa) OG
Smooth Oxeye (Heliopsis helianthoides) OG
Canada Anemone (Anemone canadensis) OG
Ostrich Fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) OG

Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia) OG

June 2020 Ontario Plants
Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) OP20
Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica) OP20
Smooth Rose (Rosa blanda) OP20
Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) OP20
Spotted Beebalm (Monarda punctata) OP20

September 2021 Ontario Plants
Smooth Blue Aster (Symphyotrichum laeve) OP21
Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) OP21
Meadowsweet (Spiraea alba) OP21
Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica) OP21 +
Smooth Rose (Rosa blanda) OP21 +

June 2022 Agnieszka’s garden

Lanceleaf Coreopsis(Coreopsis lanceolata) AG22

August 2022 A Cultivated Art
Nodding Onion (Allium cernuum) CA22

American alumroot (Heuchera americana) CA22
Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) CA22 +
Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica) CA22 +
Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) CA22 +
Spotted Beebalm (Monarda punctata) CA22 +
Heart Leaved Aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium) CA22

May 2023 Fletcher

Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) FL23
Blue flag iris (Iris versicolor) FL23
Downy Wood Mint (Blephilia ciliata) FL23
Field Pussytoes (Antennaria neglecta) FL23
Fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium) FL23

Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium fistulosum) FL23
Lance-leaved coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata) FL23+
Lance-leaved Figwort (Scrophularia lanceolata) FL23
Virgin’s bower (Clematis virginiana) FL23

May 2023 A Cultivated Art
Button Blazing Star (Liatris aspera) CA23
Dense Blazing Star (Liatris spicata) CA23
Wild Blue Flax (Linum lewisii) CA23
White Rattlesnakeroot (Nabalus albus) CA23
Rocky Mountain Bee Plant (Peritoma serrulata) CA23
Hairy Mountain-Mint (Pycnanthemum verticillatum) CA23
Grey-headed Prairie Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata) CA23
Steeplebush (Spiraea tomentosa) CA23

May 2023 Beaux Arbres

American Spikenard (Aralia racemosa) BA23
Wild Ginger (Asarum canadensis) BA23
Canada Mayflower (Maianthemum canadensis) BA23
Foamflower (Tiarella stolonifera) BA23

June 2023 Ontario Plants

Narrow-leaved Vervain (Verbena simplex) OP23
Nodding Onion (Allium cernuum) OP23 +

Pearly Everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea) OP23

June 2023 Beaux Arbres

Allegheny Monkey Flower (Mimulus ringens) BA23

Dwarf Arctic Iris (Iris setosa var. arctica) BA23
Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris) BA23
Water Avens (Geum rivale) BA23
Bog Aster (Oclemena nemoralis) BA23
Wild Mint (Mentha arvensis) BA23
Ohio Spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis) BA23A
Prairie Sagewort (artemisia frigida) BA23

June 2023 Plant exchange
Black Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) EX23
Purple Giant Hyssop (Agastache scrophulariifolia) EX23
Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) EX23
Pearly Everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea) EX23 +
Tall Ironweed (Vernonia gigantea) EX23
Silver Wormwood (Artemisia ludoviciana) EX23
Daisy Fleabane (Erigeron annuus) EX23
Bowman’s Root ? () EX23
Selfheal (Prunella vulgaris) EX23
Hairy Beardtongue (Penstemon hirsutus) EX23
Tall Meadow Rue (Thalictrum pubescens) EX23
Water Avens (Geum rivale) EX23 +
Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) EX23 +
White Vervain (Verbena urticifolia) EX23
Figwort (Scrophularia marilandica ?) EX23
Blue stem gr ??? EX23
Tall wood beauty (Drymocallis arguta) EX23
Downy Wood Mint (Blephilia ciliata) EX23
Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) EX23
Fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium) EX23
Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale) EX23

Film: Hit the Road

Posted on 5/31/2022 by boj Posted in Bike, Film

We have been doing the CHEO ride for over twenty years now!!! First it was just Chris and I and then followed years of trailers, bike seats, cargo bikes and tiny bikes in tow. Every year was exciting and different and new.

This time I realized that we can do the longest offered distance – something none of us have ever done before. The 70 km route included the parts we have done many times, the Parkway and Canal with the iconic ride down Laurier street (with no car traffic, woohoo!!!). New to us were Sussex Street, Rockliffe and Aviation Parkway. The embassies, official residences and headquarters by the dozen! We have driven down those but never rode through on a bike. Because we rode in from Kanata, we skipped the Dows Lake part and rejoined the lycra crowd by crossing the first pedestrian bridge over the canal. The experience was amazing. No pictures because we were having so much fun.

Film: The Lost City

Posted on 5/31/20225/31/2022 by boj Posted in Bike, Film

So kids, you know Pink Lake? Yes. You can ski up to it, yes? You can bike up to it too then!

I could not believe it but my little ducklings were up for a hilly challenge very early in the biking season.

They also found the last bit of snow and got into a scrape.

Everyone was fine in the end and they were still willing to bike with me the next weekend.

Film: Hope

Posted on 5/31/2022 by boj Posted in Film, Ski

Ok, the blog is back up! Let’s try and get through all the movie titles we’ve seen in the last bit. I wasn’t going to write about skiing this winter because I did it last year but I looked at the photos and just could not help myself.

Unlike last year the Quebec border was open the whole winter so we were able to go to Gatineau as soon as there was enough snow. Alas, the shelters remained closed until mid February so until then our outings were really freezing.

On this particular outing (Taylor lake), the wind was really strong too so we had a few snow drifts to get thought. The kids were having fun though, especially when the wind was at our back and we were skiing fast.

While Gatineau is the best for skiing, trails in and around Kanata got a lot of attention this year. I was on my skis several times a week and was able to get some good family time.

Though each outing was amazing, the highlight for me was the visit to Lusk cave and backcountry ski to Lusk cabin from there. This was a challenging feat for the kids and its will be a few more years until we venture off the groomed trails but it was absolutely beautiful.

Film: Drive my Car

Posted on 4/14/2022 by boj Posted in Baby, Film, Music, Travel

I got to do something special during the March break, I took my teen to Montreal. While that was not so much the intention, we ended up visiting the Montreal of my teenage days.

We did a beautiful hike up the mountain. They actually have a groomed ski track there now.

Plexus is long gone but Eva B is still holding the frippery line strong .

We got two skirts for $5 and $15 respectively when I remembered that I used to haggle there. In my defence, the first time I went there they told me they will give me a better deal if I asked. I did not have the heart to haggle this time.

Trev has been taking about getting a pair Docs so off to Rio/X20 we went. Rio was a bit of a heart break as it reminded me of the protagonist’s parent’s store from Kästner’ “Going to the Dogs”. Despite the walls still being decorated with punk posters and hard core jackets, the whole store was filled with only one type of shoe for sale. Sadly we shuffled across the street to X20 where we fortunately were not disappointed.

PXL_20220315_195714471 — School bus yellow Docks

We got some records at L’Oblique, my favourite bus stop (its is not actually a bus stop, it is very close to the Mont Royal Metro where I would happily skip to while waiting for the bus…). The guy at the cash was still the same after all these years.

We ended our visit with the Fine Arts Museum and a quick walk past Concordia University and Guy Metro station.

Film: Compartment No. 6

Posted on 2/28/2022 by boj Posted in Film

Can you tell we are excited about the Bytowne Cinema reopening?