In reconstruction

WTH,

I messed it all up.  I tried to preview changes I wanted to make on the blog and now, I can't get it back to the way it was before. I apologize if everything is disorganized. As of now, this site is considered a renovation zone and the length of its restoration is unknown. I have to figure out how the new templates can be customized before I can make it look decent again.

So be warn, construction work may slow down traffic but unlike Montreal's highways and bridges things will eventually get back to normal.

Note the date on the picture: 2008.  We are in 2012 and it's still the same.  What was I just saying? Oh yes: "eventually getting back to normal."  When hell freezes over.

Lawn flowers

Let's have a look so I can show you that there is more than weeds growing in my yard. Let's start with the violet.  There are a few of these in the grass,  little purple spot here and there.  I decided to put them all together so they would make more of a statement, so I gathered and planted them in my garden.  We will see next year what it looks like. They are often seen next to wild strawberry plants which we also have on our lawn.

Common Dog Violet, Boisbriand, May 2012

The problem with wild flowers in the grass is that they get mowed every week. So unless I tell my boyfriend not to mow an area they all get chopped off.  Therefore, I never get to have wild strawberries.  That's OK because I'd rather buy them then have a hay field as a lawn.  

Wild strawberry flower, Boisbriand, May 2012

Last but not least, the Veronica. It's a tiny flower, it appears on the lawn as little white specs. If you want to see how lovely they are you practically have to lay down on the ground. Since they're that small it's hard to get a clear focused picture close-up, but with some trying I finally got some decent shots.  
As you can see on this picture, they are quite small; the size of a piece of grass.

Veronica, Boisbriand, May 2012

Here is what it looks like when you zoom in, a delicate white and purple flower hiding in the grass.

Veronica, Boisbriand, May 2012

Most people would consider all of these flowers as weeds on their perfect green grass lawn, but I like them. As for dandelions, that's another story.

Out of hibernation

Flowers are blooming and I'm coming out of hibernation. OK, I'm late, I know, but better late than never.

So let's talk about flowers, shall we? 

When does the first flower bloom in the Spring? Any ideas? March, April?

If you guessed March you're right. You can see Tussilago farfara, also called Coltsfoot, as early as the end of March if it gets warm enough. They are bright, little yellow flowers that grow pretty much everywhere.  I've seen them in people's yards, along paths, and in woody areas. An interesting fact about them is that the flowers bloom before the leaves come out. Be careful not to confuse them with dandelions, because they do look alike from afar, and especially when they wither. Here is an example.  

Tussilago farfara, Centre d'interprétation de la nature, Boisbriand, QC, March 30th, 2012

Here is the same flower, but one month later. See how it can easily be confused with a dandelion. 

Tussilago farfara, April 28, 2012

Here are some pictures of dandelions, taken a few minutes ago in my backyard (not that I'm proud of it). Can you see the difference?

Dandelion, May 17, 2012

Dandelion, May 17, 2012

Next time, I'll talk to you about what else you can fine in my backyard, and it's not all weeds, even if it looks like it.

Too busy to talk

Image source

I'm sure you all thought that I'd forgotten about you. All the contrary, I was feeling guilty for not posting. Two reasons 1) Lack of inspiration (le syndrome de la page blanche, si vous voulez) 2) I have been really, really busy making all the things that I said that would happen in 2012 happen.

Classes have been a lot of work this semester. The teacher was not kidding when he said we'll have to work at least 10-15 hours/week on our project. And that's just one course. The second one is a little less time consuming.

I've also been involved in two projects, writing for websites (AVEQ, Parc du domaine vert). And I'm working on getting a third one started. There's still some tweaking needing to be done and a lot of more stuff to add but, it's a start.

My photo exposition is starting at the end of the month, Oh my God, it's in three weeks. So I've been working on getting that done. I hope that the ones that live nearby are going to come have a look. There is a "pseudo vernissage" on Saturday April 14; 2h to 4h at la Maison du citoyen et Place de la culture de Boisbriand. This is my formal invitation, everybody is welcome. Bring your crackers and wine because it's not included. Just kidding. The pictures are for sale too, cash and check only, kidding again. Actually they are really for sale, but that's not why I'm exposing, it's for the fame and to pay for your cheese and crackers.

So that's that, what else? My website on wild flowers. It's up and running but barely. I mean, there's just a few flower descriptions on it, so far. I'm trying to get more before the picture show so I can tell people about it. As my readers, I will give you a "primeur" and let you have a peek. In return, I would appreciate some comments, especially if you come across a bug or a link that's not there when it should or anything that bugs you when you're looking for things in it. You can leave a comment on the Homepage, or on my email posted on the site, or on Facebook, or on this blog, as long as you comment I'll be happy. And don't be shy, I can handle it. Here is the link: Flore des basses Lautrentides. Oh just one last thing, it's in French.

That's about it, and that my boyfriend will kill me if I don't get off this computer.

More news latter



  

Rosemary and Winter

I was watching TV Sunday night and thinking that I needed to vacuum because the rosemary had lost a lot of leaves and it was all over the carpet.  So yesterday, I decided to prune the shrub since it didn’t look very healthy.  There were a lot of dead leaves but to my surprise there were also some small purple flowers.  I guess it’s not doing that bad after all.  I could not resist taking a couple of pictures and that made me think I could write about keeping an herb garden inside over the winter season. 

So here is the story of our little rosemary tree.

Close up of Rosemary flowers

As you know we have a small garden and in the summer we grow our own vegetables and fine herbs.  One of them is rosemary.  Chris bought it two years ago; it was a small seedling that we planted sometime in June 2010.  In October it had grown quite a bit and we wanted to keep it but were unsure if it would survive winter outside.  So we transplanted it in a large pot and brought it in.  It spent the winter in front of the patio door facing south and did not suffer too much except for some branches that were facing away from the window.  Came summer, we put it back in its spot in the garden and it grew some more.  Now it’s in front of the same door waiting for summer to come.  Seems like it’s doing OK since it's blooming.  We also brought some parsley and chive inside but those guys are not doing so great.  The parsley might survive but I’m not convinced that the chive will.  We certainly won’t be eating fresh parsley and chive this winter unless we buy them at the grocery store.



Close up of Rosemary flowers

Did you know that rosemary is an evergreen shrub and that it can become as tall at 6 ½ feet.  Ours is about 3 ½. It is drought resistant and its name derives from the Latin words ros marinus, which translate into dew of the sea because in many locations it needs no water other than the humidity carried by the sea breeze to live.



Rosemary shrub

I have to admit that this last picture is not the best but I wanted to give you an idea of what the whole thing looked like. 

So next fall if you feel like it, just take a pot, a shovel and some earth and have your own inside winter garden.  Freshness is always good in the middle of winter.

PS: I haven't vacuumed yet.  I'll get to it soon, I promise.

What will happen in 2012 ?

 Is it going to be the end of the world as some illuminates say or is it going to be the same ol same ol routine stuff day after day?  As we say in Québec “Métro, boulo, dodo”.  Well actually, lately it’s been more: stuck in traffic, work, stuck in traffic and sleep.  But let’s not start the New Year on a negative note.  Let’s get positive.  Let’s say that the Champlain Bridge won’t fall, that the economy is gonna get better and I’ll stop getting older.  Wishful thinking? Maybe for the last one anyway.  

However, there are some things that I’m sure of:

1- I will get a new computer.  I have been thinking about it for awhile but now I have the perfect excuse to go get it: I need a portable one for class.  It’s required, so now I don’t have a choice. I need one since I have been working from my boyfriend desktop for the last year.  Hurray, I finally can get a MacBook Pro.

2- I will start my website on Laurentians wild flowers.  Those of you who’ve been following me know that I love flowers, so I decided to put my love and knowledge to use.  I’m building a site that will help people easily identify the flowers that they find when they go for a walk in the woods, a park or in their neighbourhood.  I’m hoping that it will raise awareness in the importance of preserving environment.

3- I will expose my photographic work at the local Community Art Center. This is all part of the plan to get people interested in their immediate natural environment so they will be more incline to preserve it.  Some of my wild flower pictures will be shown for one month starting April 1, 2012 at la Maison du citoyen et Place de la Culture de Boisbriand.

4- I will continue taking courses at the HEC Montréal to improve my management and e-marketing skills.  I have already taken two courses and I am working toward a DESS (Specialized graduate diploma) in E-business.

5- I will work as a consultant for l’AVEQ (Association des Vétérinaires Équins du Québec).  I’m in charge of getting their Website functional and writing its content.  That’s a project I have been thinking about for a long time.  Now it’s going to happen.

As for the rest: eating better, getting more exercise, being more patient, and winning the lottery…..I’ll try to make it happen, but that, I’m not sure about.

To all, I wish a Happy New Year and a lot of sure and less sure things.