Seeds of Diversity

Timmins Horticultural Society

This year I was asked if I could again talk about trees.
Well I guess so - that is all I really talk about anyway.
Trees and turtles and birds and orchid and trees.

Read about the event here

Kees and I discuss the importance of leaves on trees. It is the leaves that produce oxygen.

The bonsai white birch that travels with me every where is a great example of the importance of trees.

Oxygen Grows On Trees

Cecropia Moth in Town

On the back of the Timmins Checklist of the Birds is a form that can be used to report observation you make in and around Timmins.

I was sent one of these forms with photographs. Real photographs came in the mail.

Thanks to another keen observer here in Timmins we add yet another species that has been seen in the area.

The moth is out of it's typical range which makes me wonder if the moth was blown here, or did the larval stage hitch hike into the area.

What more information? You can follow the links below.

U of Guelph

eNature

BugGuide

Timmins Naturalists Observation Page

Garden Growth and Spotted Tussock Moth

Oxygen is growing in my garden big time this year. Last year I did not have any peas, but this year the garden is able to keep up to the grabbing hands of my guys and the little ones next door. The carrots are great and the goldfinches are already plucking at the sunflowers. The kids are learning what the finches sound like when they are flying overhead. They now know 2 birds by their sound, robin and goldfinch.

Last year, no corn. This year I am sure we will get 10 cobs of corns!

Morning Glory's are taking over everything. They are up the corn and sunflowers, tangled in the peas and wrapped around the carrots. The pretty flowers they produce will attract the humming birds soon. The garden is a little too crowded this year, but I just can not bring myself to remove anything, after last years poor showing.

Timmins is starting a community garden program, I think it will be up and running next spring. Stay tuned in - when I know, you will know

I guess the Earth Machine composter in the middle of all this growing is using some of the O2, but is also producing some great soil for next year.

You can not see the pair of goldfinches on the sunflowers, I did not know they were there until after I took the picture.

While walking back into the house a little Spotted Tussock Moth (Lophocampa maculata) was walking across the grass. I brought it into the house and put it on my young lads bare back. He is very use to his Dad doing things like this. He did not jump, he barely looked up from his computer. "Ya dad what is it"?

He played with it as I looked it up online. Ya just got to love how easy it is to identify anything with a few key strokes. To see what the adult will look like or for more information check out the links below.

Ontario Natural Heritage Information

Royal Alberta Museum

Bug Guy

Great Horny Toads

Not a great horny toad, but it is the first toad of spring. this little guy was just sitting in the grass beside a small pond beside Gillies lake.

I think the little creature must have just crawled out of it's winter hiding place. It just sat there. the dog gave it a little push with his nose , but no response. I gave it a little push just to see if it would move forward, but it was only interested in absorbing the little bit of  warmth from the sun that was beaming between the clouds. I think it will have to sit for a couple more days until some warmer weather. enature a great site for making identifications of creatures tells me there are 2 types of american toad, but does not discuss the difference. I wonder what it is?

While I took pictures of the toad Roll'n had his head stuck in a hole on the side of the pond. I am sure a muskrat must live there. He likes to play with muskrats. When I was ready to leave he had worked his way into the burrow so that his entire head was not to be seen.

His white face was blackened with poop and mud, he smelled so bad!

We got home and into the bath he went. He hates baths, he hates water for that matter. He will not swim and walks around puddles on the road.

Oxygen grows in the garden too

So far I have nothing growing, but the snow is gone.

I finished turning the small garden in the back yard. I am behind on starting seeds and did not get it done this weekend again. next weekend is the long weekend so I will have time to play - I hope.

Since oxygen also grows in the garden, soon it will be producing.  I can plant carrots and peas next weekend in the garden the flowers and other vegetables will have to wait until June.