Floral frenzy

It's a lovely, cool sunny morning at the farmette. Just 15C just now, rising to 26C later.

Big news in the family. My niece Erin, Sandy's daughter, is engaged! Tyler popped the question when they were vacationing through the Maritimes. Yay!

They're already plotting and planning for the big day next summer. I've been enlisted to help with flowers for the tables. Yippee! Something to celebrate during these trying times.

Speaking of flowers, last week Sandy and I went to one of our PROBUS events. A garden tour at the home of one of our friends from curling, Ann Hahn. She and her husband Pete have the most gorgeous beds around. They live on 12 acres at the end of a dead end street just outside Eugenia. Ann inherited the property from her family and they've built on and expanded the place beautifully.

It was a rainy, misty, moisty day, but that didn't dampen our enthusiasm. At least 25 women gathered to ooh and ahh and get ideas for their own beds. Ann is meticulous. She even has a box with bags containing the labels of the plants she's put into each bed. When she moves a plant from one bed to another, she moves the label to the appropriate bag. Smart.

They've got their gardening down to a science, with little weeding and no watering. The secret is the free mulch Pete gets from the Hydro folks when they clear trees to free up overhead wires. Great tip.

Ann has even graciously volunteered to contribute whatever blooms she has on the go to the wedding preparations. Nice. I was thinking her beautiful anemones might be a great additon to the table settings. Ann explained that this bush started as a twig five or six years ago. She obviously has a glowing green thumb.

Now I need to get out into my own beds and enjoy this sunny day. Until next week.

Gratuitous cat photo courtesy of Hobbes, who's angling for his morning snuggle.