Many of us thought the summer would never come. Were we ever wrong! And in both the garden and in wild areas plants seem to have caught up after the very slow spring. Now we are definitely in high summer. However, already the days are getting noticeably shorter in the evenings. No, I’m not saying the summer is over, but nothing lasts for ever. And maybe the shortening days are finally helping me come to terms with why “mid-summer” is technically in June at the solstice and not in high summer. But that surely is splitting hairs especially in our climate.
You know that gardeners (and farmers!) are for ever complaining–let’s put it more kindly and have it that they’re for ever worrying. Well, this year we’re worrying about the quantity of weeds. The vast amount of rain we got in May and June must have primed the weed seeds that were lying dormant in the soil. Now having germinated they are growing with abandon. And who wants to pull weeds in this heat and humidity?! See? What did I tell you! Gardeners are always complaining; no, I mean worrying!
But it’s not complaining at all when I travel past fields left fallow and look in amazement and appreciation at the colour and beauty. There is a steep field on the west side of #10 just north of Mount Pleasant that was awash in colour in July! Blue, purple and white predominated; and I think the white was ox-eyed daisy, the blue chicory and the purple-blue was vipers bugloss (I just recently learned that rather than “bug-loss” it is more accurately bu-gloss derived from oxen and tongues). It was truly arresting, reminding me of the highlands of Scotland or parts of Yorkshire.
Likewise, but this time south of Millbrook, along #10 the roadsides are bright with orange daylilies. These are charmingly termed “garden escapes” to differentiate them from true wildflowers. Less charmingly these flowers are often referred to as “ditch lilies”. But the term ‘garden escape’ always makes me grin, thinking the plants have leapt the garden gate and run off to greener pastures. Interestingly on the same trip we were heading east from Garden Hill on #9 and here the roadsides were bright orange too; but looking more closely these orange flowers were not daylilies, rather our native Butterfly Weed. This is a member of the milkweed brotherhood and an important plant for the Monarch butterflies. Let’s hope the number of Monarchs is as good this year as last.
Despite the dryness lately the dew in the morning has been heavy around the millpond. I must confess I don’t understand the science behind the dew point. One early morning Environment Canada told me the temperature was 17 degrees with a dew point just above 9 degrees at the weather station in Peterborough; but walking around the millpond and through Medd’s Mountain Park there was dew on my shoes. What gives? I was going to write a short explanation of the dew point but when I researched it I found it so complicated that I will leave that to some science person.
On the millpond the first batch of ducklings made their appearance just last week. This is very late. Did I miss an earlier brood? The goslings are rapidly turning into carbon copies of the adults. And foraging over the water you will often see Cedar Waxwings making sorties out from the branches catching insects on the wing. This “fly-catching” is something that swallows, swifts and the real avian flycatchers do; but at this time of year the waxwings join in.
Our late summer colours, the pink of Joe-Pye-Weed, the yellow of various goldenrod, and the whites and purples of asters, are beginning to be seen. You don’t have to go far to experience it. Summer’s not over yet but enjoy it while you can. Get out! And enjoy!
Get Out! by Glen Spurrell
