Green, green, beautiful green – I love the many colours of green in the spring.
It seems that there are more than a million different colours of green. The different shades of this one colour can be explained in no other way than eye candy for me.
Just this past week I took a quick forth and back trip down through my old stomping grounds. It was interesting to see the further advancement of spring as we drove the hour’s drive south. Spring planting is just starting here, while spring growth had greened the fields as the miles slipped past.
Not having wheels of my own and not having driven for years has its advantages at times. Family work issues leaving no vehicles available when needed on the farm, I asked a friendly neighbour if he could drive me down. His immediate reply “Yes,” was not surprising as it seems to be the nature of most folks up here. They are always eager to help each and every which way that they can. That leaves me able to just sit on my butt and gawk at anything that strikes my eye.
The reason for the urgency of the trip was to deliver a bunch of bluebird house kits to Greenway Blooming Centre on Shantz Station Road, near Breslau. Springtime is bluebird time, and they are great to put up in your garden, as they will catch all the hazardous creepy-crawlies that want to devour it. So if you are in need of one, go to Greenway, ask for Sabina, and she will dig you out one from somewhere.
By the way, never before have I seen such an array of colour. Never before have I seen such a selection of healthy, healthy plants.
Never before have I seen so many plants in one area that are selected to attract butterflies to the garden, porch, or patio. If you have not been there, you will never know what you are missing.
Folks, this is the place, where for ten years hand-running, Greenspaces for Wellington held its birdhouse-building workshop during the March break. It was held in the especially built little educational pavilion not far from the main entrance, behind which is a beautiful butterfly garden matched by no other. Seeing is believing, so go see for yourself.
While there, drop in to the little Butterfly Greenhouse and see the many tropical butterflies flying freely. That is where, too, they catch, breed, and release hundreds of monarch butterflies that are part and parcel of their butterfly days in September. Like birds that are banded to follow their migration, the butterflies that are released are marked with a unique little sticker with a number on it.
There is no greater thrill for children interested in nature to know that the butterfly they released here in Ontario has arrived safely in Mexico.
Don’t believe me, folks – go see for yourselves.
Take care, ‘cause we care.
barrie@barriehopkins.ca
519-986-4105