Fauquier BC

Natural Splendour of the Arrow Lakes

/ Peter Klopp / 28 Comments

Wednesdays Photos in a Video

Father’s Day Delight

On Father’s Day my wife and I initiated the beginning of summer with a canoe ride across the Arrow Lake. The weather was perfect and the wind was calm, ideal to cross the lake for the first time in 2020. To make sure we would use the least amount of time, we followed the path of the cable ferry, which was busy with Father’s Day traffic on its half-hour journey back and forth from Fauquier to Needles. To our surprise, the water was warm enough to get in a quick swim. Alas, we had left our swim wear at home. Enjoy the scenery.

Natural Splendour of the Arrow Lakes

/ Peter Klopp / 22 Comments

Wednesday’s Video

After the Rain

Today I am going to walk you through our yard and garden. You can describe the property as still being in the semi-wild state not typically found on the manicured lawns of city dwellers. After a brief look at our backyard, we enter the garden, which I have downsized by using only raised garden beds, a more age-appropriate gardening method for one approaching the octogenarian stage in life. Then we follow the rapid climb of our youngest son’s hops plants. It reached the present height in less three weeks holding the absolute growth record of all our plants. After looking at the blooming blackberry bushes, we are making a tour around my wife’s art studio with an apple, plum and pear orchard and fire pit area surrounding it. I also would like you to see the rose that finally made its appearance, coming in last after the magnolia, azalea and lilac flowers. Enjoy.

Natural Splendour of the Arrow Lakes

/ Peter Klopp / 24 Comments

Wednesday’s Photos

Three Different Kinds of Apple Blossoms

All of a sudden, it’s apple blossom time in the Arrow Lakes region. In our mini-orchard, we have three varieties of apple trees: the Grafenstein, the Red Delicious and the Crab Apple. The Grafenstein apple tree blossoming first is also earliest to produce very delicious and juicy fruit. Unfortunately, they need to be consumed rather quickly, because they quickly become mealy and lose their crispiness. On the other hand, the Red Delicious produces somewhat harder apples but has the definite advantage of being excellent keepers. Just today my wife made the last apple cake with the very last batch of the crop. The crab apple produces very small fruit not suitable for eating, but its red flowers are truly magnificent.

Apple Blossom
Gravenstein Blossoms
Red Delicious
Red Delicious Blossoms
Crab Apple Blossom
Crab Apple Blossoms

By the way, on last week’s post, I must have insulted the poor little azalea bush by claiming that it is going to be last to bloom. Guess what, right behind the magnolia tree, it has taken second place in the rank order of my budding studies.

Azalea
Azalea,  last week a mere bud, now a magnificent flower

Natural Splendour of the Arrow Lakes

/ Peter Klopp / 28 Comments

Wednesday’s Photos

Bud Development Study Ends With Today’s Post

After weeks of slow budding of the four bushes under investigation, I can report a veritable explosion in the growth development. Nature has finally woken up and although a whole month late Spring has sprung. The photos of the final week showed more growth than the combined development of the previous five. The magnolia bush is clearly the winner showing off its magnificent splendour. The lilac came in second. I expect the rose bush to burst into full bloom in another two weeks, and poor little azalea sitting in a shaded and cool area of our yard will be last. I found this study quite interesting and so did you following me. My plan is to repeat the study with four other flowering shrubs in 2021.

 

Rose                                          Lilac                                Magnolia                                    Azalia

Bonus Photo

“Should we risk going into Peter’s garden?

IMG_0977Edited

 

 

Natural Splendour of the Arrow Lakes

/ Peter Klopp / 35 Comments

Wednesday’s Photos

The Slow but Steady Budding Process – Week 4

With daytime temperatures rarely going above 10 degrees C and continuing chilly nights, it is not surprising that my studies show an unusually slow progress in the development of the four plants: rose, lilac, magnolia and azalea . I am waiting for the magnolia flower to show its beauty before ending my studies. So we will go for another week or two. Our cherry tree is still holding back and is reluctant to display her bridal dress, which normally would be on display in the middle of April.  As a bonus photo, I will publish a photo of our lake and the local mountain with tons of snow on it still visible. Enjoy.

Bonus Photo

Ingarsol Mountain

Natural Splendour of the Arrow Lakes

/ Peter Klopp / 23 Comments

Wednesday’s Photos

Week 3 of Bud Development Study

It is with great regret that spring in our area has so far been coolish during the days and downright chilly during the nights. Consequently, our flowers have been especially slow in showing off their colours. Normally, our cherry trees would be showing off their splendidly shining spring dresses. Yet, their buds are not even swelling yet. My apologies to all my faithful followers that there was not much change in the bud development! Today was the first warm day, and I was able to transplant my lettuce seedlings in our raised garden beds. This was the first day that I was working  outdoors with my coat off. If the weather continues like this. the buds will finally burst open in week 4. Enjoy.

April Week 1 TextApril week 2 Text

Week 3

Rose                                             Lilac                                       Magnolia                                    Azalia

Bonus Video

One of our sons living in Victoria, BC sent me a video that he recorded in his backyard with a crow producing some strange noises I had never heard before. Perhaps some of you specialists of the animal kingdom can tell me, what this mysterious call is all about.