Erin Horticultural Society held its garden tour on Saturday, and my sister Barbara, who’s a member of the Society, treated me to a ticket. It took most of the day to visit six gardens located in the village of Erin and the surrounding countryside. There was a good variety of gardens, from formally groomed small spaces to rambling properties with a pond or a river running through. Each owner was attentive and generously guided us around, patiently answering our questions, which must have been asked repeatedly by many.

     Our favourite garden was one that looked like an English cottage garden. With hardly any lawn, it was crammed full of colourful blooming plants and had stone and brick walkways winding invitingly through it. It was a garden to explore and was utterly charming, but we both recognized how much work it would take.

     Because I’m an animal lover, I was delighted to see a pet crow in one of the gardens. Erin Montgomery is a bird expert and is involved in rehabilitating wild birds, but Russel (Crowe – get it?) cannot fly and so cannot live in the wild. I was able to have him perch on my bare arm and stroke his back.

     The real revelation was seeing Erin handle him. She brought him close to her chest and he laid his head against her, positively snuggling up for her petting. Who knew a bird could adore a human so?

     I discovered that Erin broadcasts a daily program on Erin Radio, appropriately enough, and now I have an appointment to give her an interview about Escarpment Views! You never know where you’ll meet fascinating people who can contribute to your life.

     Which garden tours do you follow, or what’s your favourite garden style?

Tags: gardening, nature | 3 Comments »

     This looks like such an interesting event that we’re happy to help spread the word about it. Kids and nature lovers are sure to have a good time. You might even see us there. Here’s the news from Conservation Halton:

     Have you ever seen a flying jewel? Skimming across the surface of a pond, drifting through the long grass…everyone has seen them! 
     Come out to Mountsberg Conservation Area on Saturday July 18, 2009 from 1 to 3 pm, for an introduction to the exciting world of Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies), guided by Brenda Van Ryswyk, Conservation Halton’s Natural Heritage Technician and Odonata expert. 
     These beautiful insects are common all across Ontario, and just like birds, they can easily be identified with merely a pair of binoculars. The event will begin with an introduction to “odonate” ecology and terminology, and then participants will practice their new-found identification skills to try and spot as many different species of these “flying jewels” as they can. 
     The number of species that we spot will depend on the weather, but if Mother Nature blesses us we could see up to 20 different species of Odonata. Don’t miss your chance to learn more about the Damsels and Dragons of our wetlands! 
     Pre-registration including payment is required for this event. Please call Mountsberg at (905) 854-2276 to register. 

Mountsberg Conservation Area is located at 2259 Millburough Line, just north of Campbellville Road.

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