I split my time this month between being at the lake for the first half of May, and then home in Toronto for the end of the month. And when I look at these photos and what I chose to take pictures of, it’s clear that what commanded my attention was the re-awakening of things again this spring. I’m sure if I looked back on my blog posts from May 2021 and May 2020 it would probably be the same, but because these are all together in a month-long post it seems even more obvious this year.
And again, because it is a month-long post the number of photos is large - feel free to scroll and/or stop and look at (and maybe appreciate) some of the beauty I found this month.
This is going to be a trillium - our provincial flower. I’ll keep an eye on it and hopefully catch it once it blooms.
After a relatively cold, and very wet April, things were finally starting to bud and bloom. After the snow at the end of April I wasn’t sure how the magnolias would do, but I’m hopeful!
Fritillaries
The Ferguson house (in Bayfield) - built in 1856 of local brick.
The yellow forsythia has really popped this week!
Getting the harbour ready for another season. Docks in, getting some painting done, and dredging the harbour.
I would like to do this sometime - drive to the end of the pier!
Happy Mother’s Day at the beginning of the month - to all mothers and anyone who has ever taken on the mothering role.
The first fishing boat back in the harbour - The Noskca -J
It was our first really warm day of the season so I had to test out the water … painfully cold!! The lake was 2 degrees C, so at least there wasn’t any ice!!
Two fishing boats in the harbour now, and a few personal boats have also been put in.
I love this street with pear trees planted in front of every house.
It was an awfully short magnolia season this year - snow at the end of April and then a week of temperatures in the mid to high twenties two weeks later. Beautiful while they lasted, but they didn’t last long.
Can you believe this??? A planted chestnut from last fall actually sprouted!
My last sunset for a little while - leaving tomorrow to go back to the city.
It won’t be long now until the scent of lilacs is in the air!
Here was my view as I was leaving - just so peaceful!
The air is definitely full of the smell of lilacs now!
Built in 1864, The Toronto Jail, which become known as the Don Jail, was built as a more humane and orderly alternative to Toronto’s previous three jails. The Don Jail closed in 1977 and today the building is part of a hospital complex.
Following the opening of the Don Jail this building, the Gatekeeper’s House, was built in 1865 to accommodate the jail’s gatekeeper and later, its deputy governor.
In 1888 the jail was renovated to create more cells, infirmary space and laundry facilities, and at the same time this house was built for the governor. It remained as a residence until 1973.
Imagine this as your view if you were in the Don Jail … okay, maybe the skyline looked a little different back then, but this is the view from the hospital grounds today.
Not long now until the irises will be in bloom!
And really, it was only a matter of a couple of days! This field of purple irises was specially made for me.
This has been a fabulous spring for our flowering trees! Whether it be apple, pear, cherry blossoms, chestnut trees, it doesn’t matter. They’ve all been covered in flowers!
How is this for an amazing hedge! Cascading over the wall…and rendering the sidewalk useless!
I just now noticed that a neighbour near me has a yellow magnolia tree. They are so beautiful!
Although I love regular chestnut tree flowers too, there’s something about a red chestnut tree that’s special.
These are regular chestnut tree flowers - also very pretty.
This flowering tree was new to me - it’s a Yellow Buckeye.
Look what I found peeking out in the garden.
This was another flower I’d never seen before - and the person whose garden it was in told me it’s called an ‘Aphrodite’
No upcoming holiday for my neighbourhood tree, so now it’s decorated with lights. They couldn’t have chosen a better colour if you ask me!
If last month was a focus on daffodils and all the different colours and varieties - I decided that this month (May) could be a focus on tulips! I’m sure it’s because I’ve never really taken the time to stop, look and appreciate before but boy oh boy, was I ever amazed and astonished! What follows here is really only a small potion of the different tulips I found when really looking - I tried to pick ones that I thought were ‘more interesting’.
This is a variety of tulip I had never seen before - apparently they are peony-tulips. They grow like a tulip on a single stem but the flower is multi-layered like a peony.
Figured I’d better show off the tulips that are growing in my garden - these two pictures (above and below) and the next one down. Funny thing is I’ve never planted a tulip, ever! Thanks squirrels.
If I had to pick I’d say these ones are probably my most favourite - I love the frilly edges!
