Wordless Wednesday: Tucked-in Tomatoes

True Love

I have fallen in love. Dirty fingernails. Damp soil. A bucket of weeds. Bliss.


I think I always kind of knew, but I only truly realized this week. I love gardening. 


I like cooking. I enjoy making a wonderful meal and eating it. I like blogging. I like crafting. I like renovating and decorating. But I LOVE gardening. I could spend a whole day pulling weeds, separating, transplanting, trimming and pruning. It never gets old. I never have to make myself do it. I never regret if I spend a little extra time. 


Perhaps, it's because it's so relaxing. After a long week, it's calming to sit next to a flower bed and carefully tend to its habitants. Weeds only give me further reason to spend time in my garden. I actually find weeding therapeutic. If only it were as easy as a quick jerk of the hand to rid our lives of every small annoyance. I suppose that's a little deep though, huh?


There is a real sense of accomplishment though, as you watch a garden take shape. Not only that, but the satisfaction of seeing your work grow and come to life is unmatched for me. Maybe this is why I am continually adding to my garden. The first summer in my house, I watched my neighbours build flower bed after flower bed. I joked she could stop, her house looked great, but she went into further detail about her next plans. 


Now, I understand her passion. For her, it was also therapeutic. For me, an escape from the deadlines, budgets, politics and obligations. 


If you need me, I'll be in my garden.

Roofing, Sunflowers and the Racing Summer Clock

I can't believe it's Wednesday night already! I posted last Thursday. Now it's August. This summer is flying by incredibly fast, and I'm starting to feel a little bummed I have barely made a dent in my bucket list. 

• Go tubing down the Grand River and the Elora Gorge
• Get a hammock and put it in my backyard
• Go antiquing with my girlfriends
• Lay on the beach for a day
• Go camping (in a tent)  Brownie Camp counts right?!
• Enter crafts, baking and/or flowers in a local fall fair
• Jet boat in the Niagara River - Planning to do this next week!
• Stop at Grasshopper Imports on Hwy #6.
• Go to the zoo
• Go to Duff's for wings
• Run a 10km race

3 for 11... not so good. Hopefully the balance of the summer is more about me and less about work.

My life has been engrossed in planning a major meeting for the past week. When I wasn't cropping photos on presentation slides last weekend, I was roofing. Yes, that is correct. My Grandma, brother and uncle's houses all need a new roof this year. In appreciation for my dad, brother and uncle helping replacing my roof last year, I felt personally obligated to pitch in. We had lots of bodies, but I helped where I could, scraping old shingles off the roof and picking up the stragglers that didn't make it into the dumpster. 

It was brutally hot on the roof, and I was a little sore the next day, but all-in-all, it wasn't THAT bad. I enjoyed spending the time with my family, and when I couldn't be helpful on the roof, I weeded my Grandma's flower bed.

With my meeting wrapped up and now behind me, it felt strange to come home tonight and be able to spend my evening as I pleased. I picked three more giant zucchini out of my garden and plucked the ripe cherry tomatoes off my plant. I marveled at my tomato plants. I've never seen tomatoes so large, and they're loaded with fruit. In hindsight, I really only needed 2 of these plants. Looks like I'm going to be canning tomato sauce and salsa this year!

What I was also paranoid was Giant hogweed in my garden is actually a sunflower. Of course! The seeds from last year's plants easily could've ended up in the garden. Speaking of sunflowers though... this field has caused many drivers to pull over. 2 weeks ago, I caught it in full bloom. I love how I can't help but smile when I see sunflowers.

I have this plant/weed growing in my flower bed. It has clusters of waxy-looking white flowers that turn into a black berry. I have no idea what it is. Any ideas?

The Cut Flower Garden

I try to keep work out of my blog. For the most part, it's easy. By nature of what I do, however, there are times when there is a crossover. Like when I appear on the country's biggest morning show. Or when I can share travelling tips, because who doesn't want tips from a seasoned veteren? This is another one of those crossovers.
Our March Homestead magazine inspired my plant selection this year. The bright-coloured cover caught my attention in the office, and I brought a copy home to browse. I made my flower list based off the article's recommendations and my own personal quest to grow perennial Sweet Williams. As I added flowers to my flowerbeds, I looked for those which would not only add beauty to my yard, but also my home in a bouquet. I was lucky to already have wonderful cone flowers and lilies, so it's been easy to build on the existing perennials.

This is one of the first bouquets I picked. Lots of purples. Guess what the white flowers at the top left of the photo are? Not your typical perrenial...

They're ONIONS! I never pulled them out last year and they came back this year with vengeance. I can't eat that many green onions, so I left most of them to flower. They make great filler in a bouquet!

My sunflowers were also a surprise return to my flowerbed. In fact, I wasn't totally happy when they came up, because the dahlia I planted is now severely stunted in growth in the middle of a sunflower forest. They do make amazing bouquets when mixed with a few coneflowers and sedum!

I haven't yet been able to find the tall Sweet William variety that makes a great bouquet. When I worked in St. Jacob's, I used to drive by Mennonite farms, where you could buy cut bouquets of Sweet William for a couple dollars. Does anyone know what this variety is called? Maybe the Mennonites have cornered this market.

Christmas in July

Well, maybe not quite but arn't these two cute? Bf suggested a trip to Value Village on the weekend, and I developed an immediately grew fond of these little salt & pepper shakers. For $3, they were mine! They're tacky, paint is chipped, and it's not the right season at all, but I couldn't leave them on the shelf. Besides, maybe they'll bring more Christmas-like weather to the area.

35 degree scorcher without humidex today. YIKES! My air conditioner is working overtime, and I fear it's only burning electricity. My house was 84 when I arrived home from work today and the thermastat is set to 80. I think I hear the money being withdrawn from my bank account now!

My poor plants are hurting too. I missed watering them last night, and my garden has wilted terribly. My once-vibrant cherry tomato is a hurting unit, and my flowers look so sad. [This is where I wish I had the talent to draw a cartoon flower with the most sorrowful sad-face you have ever seen.] I put a succulent outside on the weekend and also forgot sunscreen. It's burnt to a crisp. What's the verdict? Do you think it's dead?

Weekend Wrap Up

First, a much delayed Happy Canada Day!! For those of you south of the border, Happy Fourth of July!

True, north, strong and free spirit means donning your red on Canada Day. My cherry tomato didn't miss a beat!

I hope you were able to spend as much time outside this past weekend as I did. Partly because you would not have missed my posts, but largely because the weather was pretty much perfect! With Canada Day on Thursday, I took vacation Friday for an extra-long, long weekend. With no special plans, I managed to get in all the little, summer luxaries I love; golf, a campfire, fireworks, relaxing with a cold drink and hanging by a pool made for a fulfilling, yet relaxing weekend.

I even squeezed some small (oh, so small!) chores in there! I tidied my basement, moved the boxes from my (hopefully, soon-to-be-reno'd) office, thoroughly vacuumed and weeded my garden. After two hot days, I broke down and turned on the A/C again today. I could tolerate the heat and sweat when I was cleaning and suncreen-sticky from being outside. Now, working on dinner for bf, it's not so cool (no pun intended), and I'm taking comfort over saving money. Of course, turning the A/C on means all my windows and screen doors are sealed up tight, which means Ferg & Penny no longer have free rein between the house and backyard. I caught someone longing to be back outside earlier today! Hope your holiday weekend was (is) super!

First Garden Harvest of 2010 - Spinach!

Weeks of hot weather and ample rain has resulted in, albeit a weedy, but still very healthy-looking garden over at my house!

My tomatoes are huge and have resisted the bugs pretty well so far. A former boss was a tomoto farmer, and he once told me to clip off the bottom branches and the plant will focus on making more tomatos. I've been following his advice, and I'm looking forward to lots of flower buds soon! My cherry tomato is already full of flowers, so yummy tomatos are right around the corner!

I picked spinach for a chicken & spinach salad tonight. In fact, were it not for the avocado I threw in, my entire salad would have been Ontario-grown. Even the apricot-lemon dressing was made with local, apricot jam (an entertaining staple in my opinion). I seasoned the chicken with lemon-pepper before grilling, then tossed with spinach, tomato, mushrooms, green onion and avocado.

Normally, I would throw in seeds or cheese, but tonight I opted just for dressing and it was perfect! Give it a try if you're looking for a semi-sweet dressing for fresh greens.

Savvy's Lemon-Apricot Dressing
Serves 1. All measurements are approximate, so adjust to taste.
1 tbsp spoonful apricot jam (or jelly)
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp cider vinegar
Salt & pepper
Lemon-pepper

Back to my garden. My potatos are a disappointment. Not one sprouted. I didn't expect all six to sprout, especially since a couple were "old". They had gone soft, but they still had eyes (those are the sprouts potatos grow when they're in your cupboard too long), so I thought it was worth a shot. All six rotted in the ground. Perhaps, it was too wet?

Since I have space, I may try to plant a fast-growing vegetable still, however it's getting pretty late in the season (and hot) to be planting. Anyone have any suggestions?

Summer Officially Has Arrived!

Happy first Day of S U M M E R !!!!!

In honour of the first day of summer, I'm sharing a few shots of my mother's flowers. I love my mom's knack to bunch of trays and fill her pots at random. They always turn out bright and cheery and full of variety! Here's a few on her front deck. On the right, one of her beautiful, red lilies.

It seems as if summer has been here for months already, so it's a little hard to believe today is only June 21. I've seen icky fog, had 2 sun burns and Toronto had the 2nd highest UV rating in history last week. Yes, seems like summer has been here for a while.

I have this theory; our Canadian seasons are shifting. We had really warm weather in May last year, then it was cold by July and August. I'm hoping my theory is incorrect, because I'm looking forward to at least 2 more months of this weather. I have a whole bucket list left! 

I also didn't plant my garden soon enough! I'll have to snap some updates for you this week. I caged all my tomotos tonight, and my zuchinni and squash are huge. On the advice of my mother and recollection of the 'everlasting- zuchinni' of my childhood, I ripped out several plants this evening. One plant will bear several zuchinni, so I don't need 15. I also don't need it to take over my garden. My potatos still haven't sprouted. If I don't see anything this week, I may dig them up and plant more spinach or beans.

All my dahlia bulbs have sprouted. I have sunflowers galore from 2009, not to mention leftover onions which have now gone to flower!

I bought and planted my annuals just this weekend. I've been searching for Snapdragons and Sweet Willam (dianthus), and they must be early annuals, because all the garden centres here are sold out. I found them up north at Granny's, in Neustadt. If anyone knows the area, you know Granny's. It's been a fixture in the hamlet for as long as I remember. Every spring and summer, their back lot is full of flowers, and they had beautiful annuals. I grabbed a flat for $10!

A Garden We Will Grow...

High-ho the derry-oh, a garden we will grow!

Finally, here are some garden pics for you! I spent the long weekend in May planting my garden and flower beds. Here it is freshly planted.

I'm growing spinach, lettuce, squash, zuchinni, a few peas and beans (leftover from last year), tomatoes and peppers. See the left side of the photo? Those are marigolds coming up from last year.

Here is the garden 3 weeks later.

It's hard to see, but the marigolds are blooming. The zuchinni and squash are thriving and the lettuce is also up. My grandma starts tomatoes and peppers in a greenhouse every year, so I scored a few plants from her, then picked up a few mature plants at Canadian Tire. I should have tomatos in only a few weeks! So far, I haven't had much trouble with pests, only weeds. The creeping vine weed we have in my area takes over if you let it, and I pulled another pail-full from the garden on Sunday night.

Finally, I want to share a little dose of colour on another dreary day. My clamatis has been overflowing with blooms for over a month. I am pretty proud of this little guy. I planted it the first summer I was at my house, and today it brings a gorgeous splash of deep-purple to my deck. Enjoy!

Do Bees Burrow Nests? These ones do...

Two years ago, I first noticed these perfectly round holes under the eaves of my garage. 'Strange place to drill a hole', was my first thought. Of course, there were ample discoveries that summer, which seemed strange. Then last spring, I discovered a pile of fine sawdust and realized the holes were multiplying. Soon after, I noticed the bees. Not only were there more in my backyard, but they seemed to hover close to the holes. Could it be? Were these seemingly harmless bumblebees creating this swiss cheese effect? It seemed to silly for me to believe, and I reminded myself repeatedly to do some reseach. Repeatedly, I forgot.

This morning, I discovered new sawdust. This time, it is on my front porch and sure enough, there are two new holes. Google was not to wait any longer and behold the answer: Carpenter bees. Bumble bees that burrow or tunnel nests into wood. Specifically, wood which has been unpainted, weathered or soft. All of which, apply to the 2x4's around my garage and front porch.

As I read this University of Kentucky article, you can image how visions of rotting lumber, followed by my house collapsing into itself fast appeared. Accepting what I had previously wanted to ignore, I have decided I need to make these guests know they are no longer welcome. They make a mess also. Pollen, sawdust, call it what you want.. this is still bee poop.

Enter: A new "to do" list
- Paint all exposed wood around the garage
- While I'm at it, I might as well paint the window frames
- Kill the bees
- Plug the holes

It really shouldn't be too bad getting rid of these bees. Of course, I have all the time in the world to commit to it! (sarcasm to the MAX here)!

How I'm Celebrating Victoria Day.... Planting Flowers!

I can not recall the last Victoria Day weekend we had weather this beautiful! All my Ontario readers out there will undoubtedly agree. Snow two weeks ago seemed all too normal, and I half expected a similar forecast for the long weekend. Finally, a May 2-4 weekend with the sun and heat it deserves!

This weekend was a garage sale shopper's dream. As I drove up to Bruce County Saturday morning, I could've allowed myself an extra 2 hours just to stop along the way. I hit the beach yesterday and marveled a little at the bikinis out in full [skin?] force. It is only May afterall, and it was foggy when we got there. I don't mean a little haze, but cold, damp fog rolling in off the lake. I felt like I was in Halifax. By 5, the sun had pushed through again and the lake was sparkling beneath it!

Back in the city, I awoke this morning to a clear, blue sky and a full agenda ahead. I'm planting my garden, finishing my flower beds and doing my planters (hopefully) today. Wish me luck and I can't wait to share my finished results!

For now, I saw this pic on theweathernetwork.com this morning, and it could have been the view from my bedroom window this morning.

Turns out, Lou Renzo from High View, West Virginia sees the same thing in the morning! If I had the talent, I would paint this for my bedroom wall, and every day would be bright blue and sunny skies! OK, enough cheese! My coffee is done and it's time to head to work! Have a great day.. if anyone is still inside reading this!

A Home Fit for a Gnome

I am guilty. I have a secret love. Some might find it slightly embarrassing. Others might raise their eyebrow and think "how tacky".

Nevertheless, I can hide it no more.

I like garden gnomes. I have refrained from giving in and buying one for my own yard, because I am holding out for a ceramic gnome. You never see them anymore, but you know the ones I mean. When you were growing up, there was always one lawn that was covered with them.

Meet "Slim".

Slim is the first gnome to make his home in my yard. I'll also admit, he's not ceramic. I am not holding it against him though, because my mom gave him to me last weekend. How sweet is that? She was at a garden centre and knew I had a little thing for gnomes. My mom isn't the kind of mom that is constantly buying stuff either, so I was even more delighted when she told me this little guy was for me.

He's no plastic flamingo, but I think he looks right at home with his solar lantern among the limestone rocks in front of my kitchen window. Wouldn't you agree? Do you have any tacky, outdoor decor fetishes?

May Day Update

Here is what I learned yesterday:

1) Corn gluten will not kill thistles. It will not kill anything, for that matter. It works by preventing seeds from germinating or germinated seeds from growing or something like that. Thus, I am about 6 weeks too late to try this natural, weed control method. In a normal year, it would probably still be effective. Since spring came 3 weeks early this year, I'm out of luck.

2) RoundUp is banned!!!!

Cartoon credit: Graeme MacKay, MacKay Editorial Cartoons

"You didn't know this???!!" You are probably thinking. No. For some reason, I thought it was still allowed. It is just soap after all. Thank you, McGuinty government for totally screwing up my lawn (that will be another rant, I promise). So, what does this mean? It means I need to dig my thistles out. Unless, of course, I sneak it back across the border or find another way to get my hands on RoundUp. I would also have to apply it in the dark when I get it. I would never do that....

3) My neighbourhood is THE garage sale neighbourhood. I hit up six garage sales in an hour, just touring the streets near my house and I reached 2 conclusions. The first; living in a good neighbourhood results in sweet garage sale finds. Evidence- see below. Secondly, if I ever decide to have a garage sale, I anticipate success. I overheard one seller's disbelief at how many people had shown up, including one shopper that came at 7:30 when she was setting up and bought her 'big ticket items' as she brought them outside.

All that said, I did get my lawn cut, raked, over-seeded, then raked again. I also bought some netting and laid it down over the newly seeded areas. Hopefully it will deter the birds from eating all my grass seed before it sprouts.

Now, to share my garage sale find!

What's garage saling without some knick-knacks? The shells are for my renovated office, the porcelin figures for my farmhouse bedroom, the blue bottle to add to my collection, and the brass elephants... well, I just loved them!

Don't they look right at home, on the mantle with this succulent?

It's hard to see, but this gold, gilded mirror is beautiful. If I don't like the gold finish, I can always paint it silver and grey for my office. The treasure chest I scored for $2, and the glass terrarium was $5. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it yet either, but my friend has one and I love how it looks in her living room, housing all her wine bottle corks!

May Day To Do

Happy May Day! and Happy Saturday!

I awoke this morning to a warm breeze, slightly overcast sky, and the sun coming up on my neighbour's brilliant red maple. I wanted to snap a photo, but worried they didn't want their house on display for the world (or my small portion of it), so I opted not too. This photo P. Breen from Tilbury, Ontario shared on The Weather Network is just as beautiful.

My weekend plans fell through, so I have the whole day to myself. YEEEEYYYY! I like weekend plans with friends and I like friends. Sometimes, it's nice to have a day to do what you want also. I'm finishing up my coffee, then I'm hitting the streets to treasure hunt garage sales!

I am also completing my spring "to do's" today. It'll be a long day, but here's what I have on the agenda:

• Water new seed
• Buy corn gluten, netting
• Cut grass
• Overseed, reseed new area, spread corn gluten
• Plant seeds in the garden
• Vacuum & wash windows

What are you up to on this beautiful Saturday?? 

My Earth Day Additions

Earth Day was a week ago, but I have been so busy, I haven't had a chance to share the little treasures I picked up in honour of this year's occasion. Check out these cute, native plants I picked up at last weekend's native plant sale at the local eco-park.

Every year, there is a cleanup and tree-planting at the park in conjunction with Earth Day. Volunteers tend to a small greenhouse and raise the plants which are sold to fund the park upkeep. The cleanup is also volunteer run, with many girl guides and scouts pitching into the effort. Including, yours truly.

It felt so good. I helped plant wildflower for the better part of the morning. Overturning earth and scattering seeds on the ground, it was so fulfilling to spend a beautiful morning outside, helping to better the area in which I live.

Before leaving, I picked up this purple violet, coneflower and other wildflower. All native to the area, I hope they require minimal care and thrive. Some might call them weeds, but despite that, if they survive in the sandy, sunny bed on the west side of my house, I'll be happy! The violet is meant for wet, shady soil- perfect for the bed next to my back fence!

My perennials came up really well, and with these in the ground, I only need a few more annuals for my flower-beds. I may wait to see what they have at next native plant sale. I'd rather have easy-care perennials and save the annuals for the planters in front of my house. Are you excited to get to the gardens? What about planting a garden. Anyone done?

Knocking Off the Spring "To-Do"s

My 'to do' list got a big dent today. With some good timing (and availability of bf & his truck) and nice weather, I took a day off to get caught up on my yard work.

Remember the list? This may be the best shape I've ever been in by the second week of April! In addition, I took down my Christmas lights today, edged my flower-beds and extended one by a couple feet. The lawn hadn't taken hold and it was coming up with weeds, so I thought converting it made just as much sense. With a load of triple mix, courtesy of bf's cousin (THANKS!), we got the garden ready to go. We doubled its size from 2 meters to 4. This should give me plenty of space to grow several tomato, pepper, and potato plants, as well as some squash, lettuce and spinach. I also topped up some of the flower beds I added to my yard last year. The triple mix will be a welcome addition to the dry, sandy soil found around most of my yard, but I'd still like to work more compost into my beds to help retain moisture.

Now, to just get my lawn sorted out...

• Clean out the garage. 
• Finish raking & tidying the lawn
• Put the branches out for pick up
• Dump run - old paint cans and drywall have been piling up
• Extend the garden
• Do something about my lawn - how can I get rid of grubs and thistles?
• Reseed where needed

April Showers...

It was inevitable after being treated to such beautiful weather, the sun would vanish and the sky would open up with its spring showers this week.

And while the warm weather was a real treat, the farmers need the rain and I need to plan for spring! It's so tempting to rush out and go spend-drunk on my yard.

"I need top soil for this." "I want to buy more hostas for here." "Maybe I should reseed this part of my lawn".

WHOA homegirl! Slow down a little!! Luckily, the rain has helped me slow down and get my bearings for spring. Here is my "To Do" List, followed by my garden plan.

• Clean out the garage. *Almost done
• Finish raking & tidying the lawn
• Put the branches out for pick up
• Dump run - old paint cans and drywall have been piling up
• Extend the garden
• Do something about my lawn - how can I get rid of grubs and thistles?
• Reseed where needed

I also decided to plan my flower purchases this year. This is my third summer at this house. I have some experience now to decide what grows well and where.

My plant spending this year should be kept to a minimum:

- 2-3 Hostas (Flower-bed 2)

- Petunias - 4 wave, a couple 4 cells (Bed 3 & 5)

- 4 x 4 cell Sweet William and Alyssum (Bed 1,4, 8)

- Shade plants for hanging baskets (giant impatiens, begonias and potato vine)
- Wildflower seed (Bed 6,7,8)

The First Bounty From my Garden!

They're here - fresh veggies from my garden! After a week of rain, and somewhat warm temperatures (I'm in Ontario's 'banana belt' remember), my garden is overflowing with spinach and radishes ready to eat!

I've had fresh spinach salad everyday this week, and I brought it along to a pot luck last night also. There is something incredibly.. wholesome about going out to the garden to pick your dinner. I especially like that after quickly brushing and rinsing the remaining soil off, they're ready to eat!

My salads are usually the result of randomly selecting from the veggies, fruits, cheeses in my fridge and seeds and nuts in my pantry. For spinach in particular, try some of the following combinations.

• Strawberries, toasted almonds, mushrooms, and goat cheese with Kraft Olive Oil Fig Balsamic dressing
• Dried cranberries, blue cheese, sunflower seeds and grilled, strips of steak with Renee's Asian Sesame or Japanese Ginger dressing
• Carrots, tomatoes, ham and sliced, hard-boiled eggs with Thousand Island Dressing

I grew up eating radishes in summer. I planted them this year, because my mom always planted them in her garden. They are easy to grow, and you get a huge crop from only a small package of seed. They are a summer staple on my parents' lunch table, even if they are only ate raw with a light sprinkle of salt.

Now, as I pull basket after basket from the ground, I'm challenged to find uses for radishes in my cooking. I was surprised to find they hold up well in stir-fry. I tossed a few slices in a thai-style stir fry near the end to add a bit of kick, and they still maintained their crunchiness. Most recipes I've found, are for salads, however.

Do you have any recipes or uses for radishes? What about other summer veggies?

Good Bye Bees and Other Randomness

Bees are gone! Strangely, we do not know where they went! My neighbours had not heard back from the beekeeper they contacted, but when we got home from work this evening, the nest was gone. Looks like it was cut from the hedge, and very carefully at that. There is barely a sign it was there!

As it turns out, Niagara Region is experiencing a severe shortage of bees! An article posted to the local news lately, tells of the bees disappearing from the wild, possibly due to the fruit crop sprays. I can't help but feel it somewhat disheartening and a little ironic even... the fruit and grape growers depend on the bees to pollinate their crops but the sprays they use are killing the bees. While I am certainly a proponent of conventional agriculture (vs organic), I must admit fruit requires A LOT of spray to prevent the diseases and pests the sacrifice that 'perfect' looking peach. I have seen so many 'misty' fields driving to work in the summers, I will not eat any fruit now before it is washed. But I digress...

Back to the bees. I can only assume they have gone to one of these bio secure hives to hopefully thrive as well or better than they were in my hedge.

On another note, I became one step closer to being a crazy cat lady today. I bought collars for my cats. GASP.. yes, I hate admitting it actually. However, since I have started letting them outside regularly, I think it's a necessity. I worried all weekend, after not being able to find Fergie Satuday morning, I left him outside and drove up north. What is someone stole my precious cat ??! Seriously - he's the well behaved one! Now, when they go for a stroll through the neighbourhood, everyone will know where they belong!

I Have Bees! Yikes!

Check out this little treasure I discovered in my backyard this weekend! If you have never seen one before, this is none other than a HUGE wasp nest. All those little brown things, those are wasps. Yes, that is correct. Those long, skinny bees, with even longer and nastier stingers!

I had a small nest under the garage roof overhang I knocked down earlier this spring, and it appears that the creatures decided to take up residence elsewhere. This is in the hedge directly beside my vegetable garden. YIKES!

I was ready to arm myself with aerosol wasp-killing foam today to take care of them tonight when I get home. The key is to wait until its cooler in the evenings, because the wasps go inside the nest and are less active. My neighbours may already have taken care of the problem however. They left me a note about calling a beekeeper to come for the nest. Do beekeepers look after wasps? I guess I'll find out when I get home tonight!