We are out in the garden every day, maintaining the flower beds, borders, vegetable beds, shrubs, fruit trees, containers (weeding, harvesting, deadheading, cutting back, watering, fertilizing, recycling, and cleaning up). When it is hot, we look for shaded areas and we reduce the total time, especially since we are out hiking, paddling, or playing tennis every day too. … Continue reading →
On a hot summer day we drove south to hike Zoa Peak in the Coquihalla Summit. We got on the trail early and hiked steadily. There were lots of wildflowers in bloom, but many were photographed on other hikes and for this day, the pace for the group was steady with only a few brief stops. We wanted … Continue reading →
Culinary herbs are planted in various locations in the home garden, many near vegetable beds, but some are also in borders and rock gardens. Most are grown for use in the kitchen, but some are supported for their decorative value. The word “herb” is used by botanists to refer to any plant with soft, succulent tissues, but gardeners … Continue reading →
Every summer I hike up and over McConnell Hill, combining different trails each time. This year the hike was done on a hot end-of-July day. The route followed cross-country ski trails, then snowshoe trails and back onto Sidewinder Trail around the hill, taking about 3.5 hours. there were still lots of wildflowers in bloom and berries were also appearing. … Continue reading →
When we hike by lakes, marshes, creeks, and wet meadows, we often spot black twinberry (Lonerica involucrata) leafing in spring, flowering in late spring, and displaying black berries in summer. It is deciduous shrub in the honeysuckle family, growing from 0.5 to 2.0 m in height. The central stems are fairly erect, but the branches loosely extend outward. … Continue reading →
On a sunny July day I drove to Greenstone Mountain Provincial Park and hiked a series of double track and single track trails and tracks through a variety of habitats. There were fine views from the top of the mountain at the Fire Lookout. Some of the trails were rugged and challenging and some were moderate. Along … Continue reading →
We spend time every day in our garden beds and borders. The vegetable garden is full of produce for frequent harvest, but it also needs weeding and cleaning up. Rockeries and rock gardens tend to take care of themselves, but a little extra water in hot spells is needed. Perennial beds are full of blooming flowers and there … Continue reading →
On a July morning I took the Sun Peaks Chairlift to mid-station and hiked trails on Tod Mountain. I followed the Gil’s trail through the forest on the east side of the mountain, then went out to Tod Lake, and then returned on the Saddleback Trail to Crystal Bowl. Much of the route was through damp forested slopes and … Continue reading →
On a sunny morning the outing was up at Lodgepole Lake – twice around the lake in a kayak, then a hike around the lake trail. At 1409 m, this is a mixed forest with lots of marshy areas and damp soils. The Lodgepole Lake Trail is a single track around the lakeshore. One side of the … Continue reading →
On a hike from the Trophy Mountain trailhead to the alpine ridges below the summit, there were many wildflowers in bloom. Keeping a steady pace on the longer hike, I paused to take a few photographs of species in bloom, picking ones that were found in seep zones, stream gullies, wet meadows, and by tarns in subalpine forests and … Continue reading →
