Springtime in the City : Tulip Watch - week 4

Oh boy oh boy oh boy!
Our patience will soon be paid off and by the looks of it we won't be disappointed.
Just in case you randomly tuned, this is the forth consecutive week that I take pictures of a specific patch of tulips growing in the front gardens of Montreal's Botanical Gardens. I'm basically monitoring their growth. I've also added some manifestations of Spring's arrival in Montreal and you are in for a treat this week! You can see the previous posts by clicking on the following links:

week 1

week 2

week 3

Although it was nice and sunny today, it was terribly windy which made taking pictures just that much harder. I'm no photographer so it took longer than usual, but then again, I also got to take pictures of some new spring players. Before we get there, let's look at our tulips.

They are growing nicely and showing signs of fabulous flowers to come. Besides the obvious upcoming flowers, a pattern of maturation caught my eye. I noticed, that the tulips with the most advance flowers grew near the edge of the patch. This correlates with these areas being the first to be freed of snow, so they got a head start. What was even more interesting is that the number of plants showing signs of imminent flowering varied significantly from patch to patch. To better understand, you need visual support. Here is what the front gardens look like.

For Spring, each garden from the front gate all the way up to the main building are filled to the brim with tulips - many different varieties. Our tulips are located in the garden surrounding the black lamp post you see in the distance on the right. 

So, as I was saying, the gardens have different growth speeds, there is a measurable (or at the very least visible) gradation between the furthest from the main building and the nearest.
The gardens furthest away from the main building are about the size of our tulips last week, the gardens just before ours has considerably less visible flower buds, and the tulips nearest to the building are flowering.

I love how amongst all the pink tulips, there is this random pink edges peach one. I thought it really stood out against the others, that is, until I turned the corner and saw this :

A bright red, floppy petaled tulip. Now that is something different. I was quite entertaining to watch the bright coloured petals flop around in the wind.

With our tulips popping out, I think it's time I tell you more about tulips. I'll save it for next week though as I have still more pictures to share with you today. I'll try and get a hold of the person responsible for the tulips at the gardens and ask loads of questions.

Up next are two trees that produce very different spring flowers.

The Red Maple and the Magnolia.

Seeing as it is getting late, I'll save a more elaborate description of these fabulous trees for tomorrow. I've also saved some pretty pictures for you as well so tune in tomorrow. 

Take care!

Spring Time in the City : Tulip Watch - week 3

A lot can change in a week and a day.
Last week (click here) our little tulips were about 2 inches high, this week, after a glorious Easter weekend, they have doubled in size. Some tulips planted near the building are even flowering, our tulips are next, you can see the flower bud in the middle. It's coming! Maybe next week we'll discover was colour they'll be. How exciting!

In my last post I mentioned that I would post some pictures of spring flowers I took in Quebec City over the Easter Holidays, so here they are.

I love seeing all these colours after the gray wetness of the end of winter. I haven't identified these species yet, so if you know them, pass on the knowledge.

In other news, next Tuesday will be the beginning of Trivial Tuesdays, a series of posts based on the science questions found within the board game Trivial Pursuit. Should be lots of fun, I'm learning so many random facts of life, I felt compelled to pass them on to you.

Take care!

Spring Time in the City : Tulip Watch - week 2

Hello boys and girls,

Today was a dreary day in Montreal but nevertheless, I took my hands out of my warm pockets and froze my little fingers to bring you news from the tulip patch. You can click here to check out last week pictures.

Our little beauties are growing peacefully through the bout of cold weather we are receiving this week, nothing is going to stop them from blooming this year, except maybe those pesky squirrels. I'll be showing you proof that squirrels are absolutely nuts, or at least this one squirrel is. I just have to figure out how to post a video onto You Tube and then place a link onto my blog.

Well, onto the pictures.

There is not much difference to be seen by the untrained eye but if you look closer, you'll notice that most tulips now have three visible leaves and are a little taller. I'll try and put a height reference in future pictures and I've found a physical reference point to take a picture of the same individuals next time. You see, I'm improving all the time.

I just love how the leaves are holding on to the water in the last picture. This is also a great shot to realize that new leaves come from the inside and they wrap around each other, this are referred to as sheathing leaves.

I found this amazing picture of pink/purple tulip leaves, check it out by clicking here.

How are the tulips near your place? Send me some pictures and I'll post them along side mine next week. You can send your .jpeg files to emiliedwolf{at}gmail{dot}com. I can't wait to see them!

Take care!
 

Spring Time in the City : Montreal 2010

WITCH-HAZEL FLOWERS & TULIPS SPRINGING FORTH

I love seeing signs of spring: birds flocking in overhead, soft green buds on tree branches, little green leaves popping out of the ground, and flowers, oh how I love seeing spring flowers.

Spring came earlier this year in Montreal, especially in the Botanical Garden's little sheltered courtyard. Employees from all over have been passing by the office to get a glimps and a snif of the vibrant and wonderfully odorant Witch-Hazel flowers.

Wikipedia just informed me that Witch-Hazel branches were once used as divining rods to find ground water. The name just reminds me of the bottle of astringent liquid used to tighten up your pores, reducing the appearance of blackheads - not quite as exciting. However, it is still a valid associationg since Witch Hazel liquid is produced from the leaves and the bark of the North-American variety (Hamamelis virginiana).

First used by Native Americans to treat cuts, insect bites, and other inflammations; it's now widely used all over the world. Apparently, you can also use it instead of hair-spray when curling your hair - amazing what you can learn on the internet is it not?

What I really like about this plant, apart from the wonderful smell, is the look of its flowers. They appear before the new leaves, each part comes in groups of four; 4 red cup-shaped sepals, 4 half an inch long, very slim or strap-shaped, yellow petals, 4 red stamens, and a double stigma.

How wonderful. Anyway, this plant is also called Winterbloom because of its early blooms. They make me terribly happy. Another thing that brings joy to my heart are little tulips sprouting out from the still snow covered ground. The Botanical Garden has an intensive tulip display as you walk in the main gate. I noticed the first leaves this week so I took a picture to share with you guys - for once I had my camera and found a subject that doesn't run off before I can snap a picture.
I tell you more about tulips once we can see more of their characteristics. I'll try and post pictures of their development every week, we can watch them grow together.

You can see the main building of the Botanical Garden looming in the background, that's where I work...I think I might have never mentionned that... I must tell you all about my exciting job, but that will be for another time darlings for I am simply exhausted. Until then, keep your eyes open for signs of the coming spring - they are all around you just waiting to be noticed.

Take care!