July 25 2023 - Slippery Slope of Gardens

 

I am coming to the end of the main part of Trillium judging.  This is where front gardens in a town or city are nominated as the best gardens.  Then judges come around and score them based on a set of garden design criteria.  The result is that a number of gardens receive awards for the best gardens that year.   This has been a program in Grimsby for many years.  The idea started in St. Catharines in the 1980s.  Hamilton is renowned for its Trillium Program - three levels of judging with three levels of winners, and a final grand winner each year.  It includes the surrounding areas and garden clubs.  Hamilton is a garden city - it has the big Hamilton Garden Walk each - a free event with home owners putting their gardens into the schedule listing so people can come and visit.  I like taking pictures of the gardens.  I've been out at 6:00am each morning when the light is idea, and taking pictures of the top 40 or so gardens.  That's a lot of pictures. It is coming to the close, though, and then the final results will be published online and in the newspapers.   This year, the public can become directly involved. There will be 5 top gardens for people to choose their favourite.  It is an online poll, run by the town of Grimsby.  We are looking forward to finding out how much engagement there is for garden voting. So perhaps a little more photography today as the light is perfect.  Sun is the enemy of the garden photographer.

Here’s a Grimsby garden - on Livingston near Casablanca - so the main street of Grimsby.  Look at the topiary designs throughout. And then another completely different garden on the escarpment of Park Road - a naturalistic setting in the woods.   Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblogspot.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwell.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

Mar 25 2023 - Superbloom

  

Bing has a photogenic place on the planet each day as its search page image.  Today it is Anza-Borrego desert park near San Diego with the superbloom question.  Will it have a superbloom like the one in the picture? It looks like it might be the case given this article HERE and the array of plants - "COYOTE CANYON was the prettiest with the largest Sand Verbena plants that I have seen as well as 20+ species of wildflowers including Dune Sunflower, Spectacle Plant, Desert Gold, California Primrose, Desert Dandelion, Lupine and the hard to find Desert Calico. " Most of the pictures showcase purple Sand Verbenas. This brilliant purple display started at the beginning of March so is likely over shortly. As far as you can see floral displays!   Soon our Spring bloom will come - masses of Trilliums.   Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblogspot.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwell.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

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May 16 2020 - Self-Rising Bread

I must be very old-fashioned.  I don't consider that the ingredients flour, salt, and baking powder make bread.  It is commonly called quick bread - also biscuits.  We call cornbread a bread, but it is more of a cake.  I consider yeast or sourdough starter essential for bread. The interest in quick breads has come about because yeast has been unavailable.  With the stay at home order, people have joined the sourdough starter movement and are baking bread.  Pictures of bread are everywhere these days. The CBC interviewed Ione Christensen whose sourdough starter has been alive since at least 1898.  She was visited by the sourdough librarian for the Puratos Sourdough Library in Belgium.  Ione's yeast was sent there to be tested to find out where it originated.  She calls it the 120-year-old Yukon Gold Rush sourdough starter, originating with her great-grandfather who trekked over the Chilkoot Pass on his way to Dawson City during the Klondike Gold Rush.  Ione is a former Canadian senator and was Commissioner of the Yukon in 1979. There is another sourdough starter within the same age range owned by Lucille Dumbrill in Newcastle, Wyoming.  Her family says it dates back to 1889 to a sheepherder's wagon near Kaycee.  Lucille loves to make pancakes with her sourdough starter. Lucille’s advice: “You just have to not be afraid if it doesn’t look good.” Once, Carol Rolfe, who assists Lucille at home, was cleaning the fridge and opened the starter jar. The contents had turned black around the edges, clear and oily on the top. Whatever this was, Carol thought, it needed to be thrown out.  Lucille instructed her to stir it all back together.  It was fine. Today's picture is a Trillium in my garden.  Commonly known as Toad Trillium, it has a yellow flower.  It is Trillium Luteum.  It is not considered a native of Ontario - a garden escape here.  This Trillium would be about 35 years old, purchased at a garden centre in Toronto.

Read past POTD's at my Blog: http://www.blog.marilyncornwell.com Purchase at: FAA - marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca