Friday, July 12, 2013

Loss of Limb

On Monday, Toronto was hit with heavy rains and serious flooding.  I live half an hour from Toronto and we got only a bit of rain.  But on Tuesday morning I awoke to find my lovely pine tree had suddenly dropped a huge limb!


There were no high winds, and this limb was growing right at the bottom of the tree, so winds wouldn't have caught it anyway.  You can see how long it is, and it crashed into my lilac bush.  I think it may be diseased, and I worry that other limbs may come away now.  The worst part is that it tore a huge hole deep into the middle of the tree when the limb did a bit of a twist when it fell.


Just look at that huge gaping hole!  We're going to have to get the professionals in to have a look at it.  I'm afraid of what they will tell us.  This tree provides the only shade and a huge piece of privacy in my backyard, and even right into my house!  I would hate to see it come down :(
 

We lost another mature tree in our backyard about 7 years ago.  A lovely locust that was ill from the day we moved here, but we let it be until some larger limbs were dying, and since it was quite close to our house, we were forced to have it chopped right down.  We felt so exposed when we lost that tree ... so I can't imagine how awful it will be to lose this one too.

I took a wander around the yard yesterday and snapped a few photos of the flowers now blooming.


The red and white lilies (above) are new this year ... "Strawberries & Cream".


The clematis growing along the shed is doing great this year!  If you can believe it, there are even more blooms on it today, and you can barely see any green leaves.


Up close the "Jack Miner" clematis.


The morning glory vines are twining up the chicken wire.  I tied some string onto the fence posts yesterday, and the vines have latched onto them and grown again overnight!

 
Shasta Daisies are blooming en masse.
 
 
My tiny lavender plants have doubled in size, which doesn't look so impressive, but I love these little guys and the fact that they have some blooms too :)
 
 
Miniature rose almost there!  Tonight I noticed bits of yellow finally peeking through the buds.
 
 
This tiny airy blue flower is Scotch Harebell.  I was surprised to see this pretty little flower blooming at Charleston Lake last week, clinging quite happily to cliff edges right near the water.  I guess it's a lot tougher than it looks.  This flower was looking rather messy throughout the garden last year (or maybe it was two years ago), and I ripped it all out.  Or so I thought!  Now that it's back again, I've decided to leave it and it can grow where it wants ... and it will remind me of my camping trip!
 
 
My butterfly bush yesterday was just about fully in bloom ...
 

Today it has burst out all over and looks and smells wonderful.

Another lily I picked up last summer on a whim.


I like the peachy colour beside the purple hostas flowers.


With our very wet summer so far, the plants haven't needed watering ... not once!!   and I'm surprised at the number of blooms emerging after two straight days of bright sunshine.  All the flowers shown here were taken yesterday, but today there are so many more bursting out ... it's really incredible.


Thanks for stopping by!
 
Wendy
 
Linking up with Fishtail Cottage's
 
newparty
 
 

37 comments:

  1. Oh that is a pretty gnarly looking hole in your tree! I hope it isn't diseased, for the sake of your privacy. Of all your flowers, I love the clematis. That is quite an exceptional plant you have there! It is paired well with the hosta too. The peach lily is lovely as well.

    We are about to go for a bike ride after I get some air in my tires. I hope you have a good weekend!

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    1. Yes, I'm surprised at how deep that hole is in the tree! Awful. The clematis does better every year, and I guess with all the rain this year, it's outstanding. I hope you had a good bike ride :)

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  2. So sorry to hear/see about the limb breaking on your tree. I hope it will be ok! You sure have a lot of beautiful flowers! Have a wonderful weekend!

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    1. Thanks Cheryl, I hope the tree survives this too.

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  3. Sorry about the tree. I hate when you have to lose a tree, hopefully it can be saved. I'm glad it didn't damage your house or land on anyone. Your flowers are looking lovely and your shed is so cute!

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    1. We've lost four trees since moving here 18 years ago ... through winds and disease, so I'd really hate to lose this one! Luckily the branch was so low (it only fell about a foot!), so there was no damage. I've told my husband how everyone loves his shed, and then he tells me he's been thinking of tearing it down and building a better one (but I like this one!).

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  4. I hope the tree can be saved.....but look at all of your gorgeous flowers! I love Lilies, my sisters carried Casablanca Lilies in their Bridesmaid bouquet at my Wedding and every time I smell them it takes me right back to that day. Your Strawberries and Creams are just beautiful :-)

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    1. Thanks Mel, I've not sniffed my lilies, but I haven't noticed any scent wafting off of them. It's the smells that take us straight back into a memory! My butterfly bush smells amazing, but you have to be up close to smell it ... it takes me right back to Pompeii when I visited last year :)

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  5. Sorry about the tree, I hope it can be saved!
    Your garden is so lush and colourful, the clematis and lilies are stunning.
    Enjoy your weekend, Wendy :)

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    1. Thanks Hilde, I hope we get good news about the tree. Our garden is quite lush this summer with all the rain we've had. It was a great relief to have sunshine ALL weekend, and the flowers seemed to think so too! Have a great week!

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  6. Oh dear - your poor old tree - I'm sure the tree specialists will be able to do something though (fingers crossed). Your flowers are gorgeous - isn't it brilliant what a bit of warm sunshine can do after a prolonged spell of rain - everything seems to grow twice as fast. Have a lovely weekend x Jane

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    1. Thanks Jane, I hope the tree can survive this too. I think we've turned a corner with the weather (finally!), no one likes a wet summer here, and this weekend was full of sunshine! Have a great week!

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  7. I'm sorry about your tree...as you know,we live in a forest, each time a tree falls I feel sad.
    Jane x

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    1. It's such a lovely big fat pine tree too, so I hope it hangs on! I grew up with forests surrounding me too, so I treasure each one of my town-grown trees :)

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  8. Oh dear! it is terrible about your tree! What would we do without our trees? Eeek! Your garden is looking so darn lovely, I am terribly jealous :D I just really started my garden last fall and so far with all this crazy weather everything seems to be in shock and not doing much of anything. I guess they are spending their energy getting a solid root going so perhaps next year some nice filling in and blooming will happen! I do hope so! I really love your clematis, I just discovered that plant this spring. I hope to put one in next spring but my there are so many choices I get overwhelmed... :D
    Hugs and enjoy your weekend,
    Beth P

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    1. The first year the plants go in does leave you a bit anxious for them doesn't it. I planted a garden of ferns from my mom's garden last year, and it seemed every one of them was getting snapped off from the dog. But this year they all came back bigger and better and they're even sprouting in unexpected places all over the yard! I think you're right about the roots, and next year it'll all be a wonderful gift to have them come up stronger and bigger :) Re: clematis, make sure you keep the roots well shaded ... I have hostas growing at the base of all of mine. Have a great week Beth!

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  9. Hope your tree doesn't get the chop Wendy, am sure specialists will be able to do something. So sorry about your weather, we are having a wonderful heat wave for the first time in about 7 years so think we are due this!

    Hope you get some sunny days

    Love Claire xxx

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    1. I don't like that word "CHOP"! Yikes! I think the weather has taken a turn now as we've had sunshine for about 4 days straight! SO much better than depressing rain (especially after our long winters). I can't imagine being in the wet and cold for 7 years ... so YES! you are definitely deserving of some sunshine. Have a great week Claire, and don't forget your sunscreen ... I'm off to jump back in the pool ;)

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  10. I do hope the tree can be saved, it's great to have some shade.....and privacy too! Beautiful flowers :) x

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    1. Both shade & privacy are so precious to me! All weekend my husband kept suggesting other trees that could replace the pine ... I don't want to REPLACE it, I want to SAVE it!! Have a great week Ada :)

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  11. That's a big branch of the trunk that broke away. Luckily it didn't take out the fence behind or do other damage. My butterfly bushes are not flowering yet but I look forward to their sweet honey scent.
    Judith

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    1. I should be thankful that it came straight down, but it only had a foot to fall. Even my lilac bush seems ok as I cut the pine branch away slowly and carefully. The butterfly bush is coming out so quickly now, but I've yet to see the butterflies at it! Once they find it, they're here constantly. Have a great week Judith :)

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  12. You are so lucky living down south. When I lived outside Toronto my lavender was beautiful. Unfortunately we are half a zone colder up here and lavender is a very tender perennial/annual.

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    1. Now I think you're so lucky to live farther north! We camp up in Algonquin each summer for a week and again in the fall ... I can't wait to get there each year. I would take the forest and rocks and lakes over a couple of tiny lavender bushes in a heartbeat ;)

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    2. The east gate is about 1 1/2 hours away. We don't camp, but we've been there to the education centre (or whatever it's called) and the logging museum. Lots of fun. We also drive through the park when we visit Colin's friends in London. It's always so cool seeing the moose wandering along beside the highway.

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  13. You know we just lost a 30 foot limb from our ash tree!! I can so relate to this friend...we had an arborist come out and he told us it was from all of the rain and the weight of the limb. I hope that your tree recovers for you! Your lilies are just beyond words and what an absolutely brilliant idea with the chicken wire and the morning glories on the fence! I need to do that! Oh and I just love love love the lavender!! Was it hard to grow for you??? Your garden is rocking!!! Wish I lived closer so that I could pop on over!

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    1. Thanks Nicole, this news about the ash tree has given me some hope! I do hope the pine tree recovers too. I'm glad you like the chicken wire ... it looks a bit ugly at the moment, but by September the flowers will (hopefully!) be a wall of blue! I'm still not sure if the lavender is in a good spot, but we'll see next year if it has survived the winter. Check out Judith's post on growing lavender at Lavender Cottage for some great tips. I wish you lived closer too and we could meander through each other's gardens ;) Have a great week!

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  14. oh I hope you don't lose the entire tree-that is always sad to lose a tree. always enjoy all of your flowers-love the clematis

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    1. Fingers crossed for the tree!! Thanks for stopping in Kathy, I'm glad you enjoyed the flowers ;)

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  15. Hey Wendy, lovely to see all the flowers blooming in your garden. Love Clematis and Buddleia. The lillies are beautiful and Strawberries and cream is the perfect name.
    Hope your pine tree will be ok.......so mice you have been having some rain and don't need to water.


    CLaire :)

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    1. Hi Claire, thanks for popping over. I've not been a fan of lilies in the past, but now that mine are getting established and bursting with colour, I'm really enjoying them and I keep ending up in the lily aisle at the nursery! The clouds have moved over and the sun has appeared ... AND I watered some plants this weekend! I think our proper summer has arrived at last :D

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  16. Oh your lilies are beautiful and the clematis wow.. Sorry about your pine hope you can save it. We have lost a magnolia and a willow within the last 2 years it felt like losing a best friend.. hugs, Cherry

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    1. I know how you feel about losing the trees. We've lost a large evergreen to a high wind, and a mature locust, crabapple and mountain ash to disease. I've got a ginkgo tree started in the back and a harlequin maple started in the front. But I really REALLY would hate to lose that pine! Have a great week Cherry!

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  17. Gosh I hope you can keep your tree. There's nothing so lovely in a yard as a nice big tree!

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    1. I agree Jo, I hope the pine stays and keeps us cool and hidden from the backyard neighbour! Enjoy the sunshine ... a good week to find an outdoor pool (or lake!).

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  18. Oh wow Wendy! I love seeing your garden... I hope you are having a great week and the news on your tree will be good news. Hazel x

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    1. Thanks Hazel, our HOT summer weather this week is making things better (still haven't dealt with poor tree)

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