Love those Roses and other Autumn Thoughts

The joy of roses. The Morden Snowberry is covered in floppy white blooms, the inestimable Winnipeg Parks is still producing one hot magenta rose after another and the Explorers bring out a few pink blossoms every week. The rose hips will attract birds later in the winter but for now the bright red hips of the Red Leafed Rose are as brilliant as flowers. Around town, many Hansa Roses are still blooming albeit weakly. Their leaves will be the last things to drop with the frost, expected any day now.

This is also PG Hydrangea time. These shrubs are aThunder Bay fav. and every garden should have one just to pick up the spirits this time of year. Many people buy Annabelle hydrangeas with their enormous flower heads but they need winter protection and even so....

My garden is full of birds plus the odd squirrel. I heard that a Thunder Bay guy has been trapping the big black squirrels and releasing them out of town. Is this legal? I hope so. I prefer the tiny native red guys over the muscle bound Toronto newcomers.

There are so many birds around I've set up a fourth bird bath. By far, the birds prefer baths on the ground and they like the blue ceramic saucer the best. Perhaps the colour attracts them. My new bath is a child's snow saucer, purple in colour. I have also bought a device that keeps the water moving in a bird bath. This repels mosquitoes who lay eggs in stagnant water and attracts birds who are attracted to moving water.

I have started to move the bird feeders closer to the house so that they can be seen from the porch window in the winter.

I will also put out the bird bath heater and leave it for a few months. But once it gets really cold (below minus fifteen or so) the heater will not work and the bath freezes solid. Even a kettle of boiling water doesn't do much good.

I have made some high energy seed cakes to put out in the special holders once the frosts sets in. Recipe next post.

Tip: If you believe in prayer, say one to the goddess of gardens for early and deep snow for all northern gardens. Perform a hex to keep away the devil's work - no snow and the mercury deep down in the thermometer's socks.