Greens and Blooms

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Speaking of critters. I am partially under a tree right now and there are lots of teeny green inchworms around, falling from trees. One fell on my cup lid, and I brushed it off. I hope none fell into the hole, into my coffee, while I wasn't looking! They are cute when it's just one at a time. When one notices several have landed on them, less cute! I think I'm going to move now.
 
This is a rose bush, mingling with a tree. I'm pointing the camera up slightly.image.jpeg

I don't know what this is- don't think it's a type of cherry blossom?? It's more of a shrub or bush with tiny pink and white flowers and the branches kind of look like pink ostrich feathers from a few metres away - but it smells nice:
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And these are white and purple lilacs I believe, with some nice contracting colours...grass, fence, fire hydrant.
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The pink one is called pink tamarisk, or salt cedar. It's an invasive species and this page recommends against planting it as an ornamental tree ( I think the one I saw was planted there on purpose) . It's sure a beautiful invasive species, though. Some sprigs of that, and a few of the taller wild flower varieties - tuck in a few stray peacock feathers. There is a park here that looks almost like paradise in the spring and summer except it isn't, because...well, because it's here...so, more like the Bad Place/ "Good Place" imo. And it's on a native grave site that city forefathers cultivated into an English garden style park surrounded by woods, and near the ocean...peacocks were brought there about century ago, and roam about freely. They're stunning. And there are flowers everywhere - maybe I will make a journey there one day soon and pick up some feathers and weeds (not the cultivated flowers) -it would make a beautiful wild bouquet!

 
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That's it...tamarisk looks like a pink coloured juniper almost. Except there are tiny flowers on the "needles" so it's even more fluffy and feathery. Too bad it's considered invasive. It's gorgeous. I am surprised I never took note of it before.
 
I've seen those Tamarisk trees and have wondered what they were. Thanks Kimmio.

We went on a hike yesterday. It was a steep, long climb to a lookout that was worth the trouble. One of the people in our small group pointed out this lovely tiny orchid. I was delighted that the photo turned out so well. 20200509114654_IMG_7585.jpg
 
Ah those little hanging green inch worms are not a good thing. Forgetting what they are called now but they drop to the ground, bury themselves, hatch into a fly type bug that crawls up the tree and lays eggs......... they can devastate your tree in hours. Voracious little guys. One particularly bad year in Toronto we wrapped all our trees with a tar paste and covered with insulation and plastic. When the bugs tried to crawl back up the trees you could tell because there would be dozens of birds eating them at the tree bae

but they are bad bugs for trees. Toronto will periodically spray high park for them. If there is a couple of bad years a full grown oak tree can be killed by them
 
It's 26C! If not for my scooter making it a bit more breezy for me, I'd be roasting! I get to ride under some shady trees. It's just right. I'm now on a walking path under some oaks. No worms today, on these ones.

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We have some lovely flowering bushes and spring bulbs putting on a show. The catalpa trees are almost ready to burst into blossom.

Everything seems to be surviving the snow and ice pellets of the last few days. (y)
 
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