Jam packed week from the farmette

Ladies Who Lunch (left to right): Helene Gadoury, Susan Murray, moi and Ornella Osborne. Nice looking bunch, eh?

It's a warm day already at the farmette. We haven't had rain for while, and with all my new plantings, we could sure use some. Anyhow.

The picture above was taken at the Atmosphere Cafe in Guelph (highly recommend). I'm trying to get the ladies I used to work with together once a month. At this time of year, sometimes our schedules don't mesh. On Friday, Vivian Webb was in New York City visiting her daughter Nora, and Carmelle Noel-McCloskey was helping her 93 (!) year old mother move to her trailer in Sudbury for the summer. That's okay.

Whoever is around comes and we always have a great chinwag. Helene recently went on a road trip through Quebec with her 93 year old father. Susan's getting ready for her son's upcoming wedding by renting a dress from Fitzroy's in Toronto. Ornella's planning an epic family trip to Italy in September. She has three grown up children living in Vancouver, Chicago and Toronto. So it's a bit of work. I LOVE catching up with the ladies.

As for me, I'm trundling along at the farmette. I went to the famous Durham Herb Fair yesterday (more than 40 vendors) and swore I wouldn't buy anything because my beds are FULL. Of course, I bought a climbing rose. But it is soooooo beautiful. Right? It smells as good as it looks. I found a spot in the corner of the back yard bed on the west side. In full view of the sunroom. Now I have to get a trellis. That's today's mission.

Speaking of beauties, here's one of my beauty bushes. That's actually what they're called. Brought to the west from central China by a missionary in the late 19th century. I inherited three of them around the property and they're gorgeous right now. I do have to be a ruthless pruner after they bloom in order to get the best show.

I also love serendipitous finds on the property. Like this gigantic poppy, which was nestled in the sumacs.

I'm positive I didn't put it there. But I'll take it. This bloom is on a stem that's about four and half feet high. Nearly as tall as me!!!!

We had to replace nearly all the Japanese dappled willow bushes we installed to make a hedge in the yard last year. The heavy snow basically pancaked them. Boo.

But look what we did. Alternating smoke bushes (lime green) with false spirea (pinky tips). These guys are a bit sturdier, so hope they will withstand winter in Grey County.

So that's it for this week. So grateful for friends, flowers and fun on and off the farmette.

Gratuitous cat photo courtesy of Calvin, who likes to get wrapped up in things.