Apple Blossom Time

Spring is working its way into summer, slowly, with new sounds and scents every day. Foamy white apple blossoms have gently scented the air and the buzz of bees is audible when you walk close by the trees. Now the lilacs are opening, and how I wish our yard had one. On a walk down the road, I pass by the neighbour's wonderful cluster of purple lilac, pouring its fragrance on the breeze. By the roadside, low growing white flowers of the bunchberry show in abundance. Lupins - pink, purple, white - stand tall in the yard of what used to be our one-room schoolhouse, now a medical clinic. A brilliant cerise flowering crab tree in the house next door is a sight to lift the spirit.

My garden is still in its early stages, with the last containers planted up today. In the raised beds, scarlet runners are up, four Early Girl tomato transplants have been set out, one of the two summer squash has come up from seed, and the Sugar Ann peas are about three inches tall now. A few Swiss chard have come up, very small as yet, and borage from last year has reseeded itself in one bed with prolific (or wanton) success.

In containers, I have one healthy looking Patio tomato, a Tumbler Tom and a basil (the basil not so healthy looking, fussy herb). I never have managed great success with basil but still dream of growing enough for pesto. The herb bed is coming along, with chive blossoms just starting to open. I made three small jars of chive/tarragon vinegar a few days ago and it' s aging near a sunny window. A new lemon thyme plant is starting to show tiny pink blossoms and a lemon verbena is the most heavenly scented herb I've grown in a while. Butterflies love the chive blooms, and so far I've seen a Tiger Swallowtail, a Mourning Cloak, cabbage butterflies and a small blue of some kind.

The birds are well into their spring routines, with the songs and calls starting with daylight every morning. A female rubythroated hummingbird visits the feeder from early morning until dusk, scolding if I happen to be working around the front step when she wants to roost there. In a tall poplar out past the field, the hairy woodpecker pair are raising an extremely noisy brood. You can hear the young calling for food all day long, and the parents Pip!Pip! as they fly back and forth with caterpillars, grasshoppers, whatever. With binoculars the babies are easy to spot now, as they poke their heads out the nesting hole and call for more. They are surprisingly big already.

After a heavy shower a few days ago, my son called me to the window in time to see a glorious rainbow, arching over the sky as far as we could see and beyond, a rare beauty. Tonight the yard is wrapped in a light fog, blurring and softening the outlines of trees as the night falls. A peaceful time in a not so peaceful world.