Friday, June 28, 2013

June is coming to a close, and July is just around the corner. The summer is in full swing, lush with insects, birds, and beautiful plants. A.M. Cuddy gardens in Strathroy is a sight for sore eyes.
The week of June 24th started bright and early. The hanging baskets and succulents need water, multiple punctured irrigation lines need to be dug up(without causing more damage!) and fixed, as well as a lot of heavy lifting.

Tuesday began with a round-mouthed shovel and a fence post. After some digging and a slight balancing act the new DRIVE SLOW sign is just right! At which point Lucas and Dave could use a hand with a some bigger holes and many more fence posts.
Finally a new containment area has arrived! Consisting of twenty-six 3' deep holes tediously dug out by an auger and an unfortunately large amount of blood, sweat and tears. This large project is a working progress taking much of this week and will hopefully be finished by next week. This is primarily going to be used to store mulch, stone, sand and anything else that can fit.
By the end of the week the weather is warm and humid with lots of rain. Perfect for planting! Taking full advantage we planted many of the annuals that had not been sold in our open garden at the beginning of June.
Just as we needed it most, the rain comes in all its glory. The plants are flourishing with new growth and color, the bugs are scurrying to some place safe and the birds are singing their light hearted songs as they make their way to the bath for a mid day soak.

Friday, June 14, 2013

The sun is shining and the weather is sweet! Another beautiful week at The A.M. Cuddy Gardens in Strathroy. At the beginning of the week we were lucky enough to have excellent transplant weather. Humidity, warmth, and rain makes for happy plants. As the eventful days came to an end, the grey clouds cleared up and the sun put on a happy face.

A view in the direction of the Alpine Garden complemented by a Dogwood,
 lush with blooms!


The Alpine Garden welcomes its newest member (Boxwood)!
This specimen has minute, densely clustered green foliage. No bigger than a bowling ball, this plant certanily is an eye-catcher. 


Allow Perennial Garden to take your breath away!
This week offers sights and smells that are second to none. The Peonies and Clematis are showing off their rich, bright colours to lucky unlookers.


Rosa Glauca is one thorny devil! Its glaucous foliage and pink blooms are sure to attact the birds and the bees but keep your distance or it will bite.

The week ended with a garden tour for the Stratford Horticulture Society. The oohs and ahhs from the group were seemingly endless. These avid gardeners and plant lovers kindly and gently reminded me of my good fortune of working in such a beautiful setting. I most certainly agree!