Dahlias In The Garden

Dahlias are a great addition to any beautiful garden as they provide vibrant colors and attraction to the garden. Dahlias normally have a long bloom period, which is from summer through fall. They come in assortment of colors, shapes and sizes. You can find diverse varieties of dahlias – the sizes of the flower ranging from 2 to 12 inches. The plants of dahlia can be 1 foot to 7 feet tall! . Dahlias like full sun, however if you are planting them in an extremely hot climate then you can grow them in little shade. These plants have to be watered regularly like all other flower plants.

Gardeners from various countries chose Pacific Rim Dahlia to grace their landscapes, homes and garden plots as it is one of the highest blooming flowers in cultivation. Many gardeners grow dahlias solely as a decorative plant while some others grow them as cut flowers for artistic arrangement.

Dahlias come in over 36 varieties and are native to Mexico, Central America and Columbia. Since 1813, commercial plant breeders have been breeding dahlias to produce thousands of cultivars, usually chosen for their stunning and brightly coloured waxy flowers. Dahlia was named the national flower of Mexico in 1963.

                         

                   You Tube: Cutting Dahlia tubers   http://youtu.be/BAPNPxnXXT4

                    You tube: All about Dahlias http://youtu.be/KaDLLnjU0Fc

                      You Tube: Lift & Store Dahlias  http://youtu.be/7Jp89VrP78E

Here's what to do:

1. Dig bulbs or tubers up after frost has blackened foliage. Carefully remove as much soil as you can.
2. Cut the leaves off, leaving a stem about an inch or two long. Leaves and stems are not needed, as the plants are going to be dormant and not making any growth through the winter.
3. You can either carefully wash the soil off the tubers or bulbs, or just let it dry and work it off by hand later.
4. Leave bulbs or tubers exposed to air in a frost-free place for a couple of weeks. Any remaining stem should be dry before going into storage, otherwise rot could develop.
5. Store in vermiculite or dry peat (available at garden centers) in paper bags or cardboard boxes in a cool, frost free place at 40 to 50°F (5-10°C).
6. Dahlia tubers are prone to drying up somewhat, and these should be stored in slightly moistened peat moss. Check them through the winter, and if they've shriveled, moisten the peat moss. Some authorities suggest plumping shriveled dahlia bulbs up in a bucket of water overnight. If you do this, let them dry thoroughly before you put them back into storage.

DAHLIAS BRIGHTEN UP ANY

AND ALL GARDENS

Surfing Western Head

In Peru, physical evidence of surfing has been found which pre-dates human colonisation of the Hawaiian Islands (300–750 AD) by at least 1500 years, and possibly by 2000 years. Modern scientific archaeology indicates, as many Peruvians have long claimed, that surfing may have been invented on their north Pacific coast by pre-Columbian cultures using reed boats to surf the waves. These boats are similar in shape to surfboards, but are made from the hollow, buoyant reeds of a plant. Peru has the oldest archaeological and cultural evidence of surfing in existence. Pottery from as early as 1000 BC unearthed in Peru shows people wave riding.

Western Head is minutes from the heart of Liverpool. The Atlantic Ocean offers surf that is challenging at any time of the year but most so after a hurricane has swept our shores. Surfers come from far and wide to meet the challenge of the sea at Western Head. 

The best season is August to late November when numerous hurricanes and tropical storms pound the southern coast. Water temperatures can reach 20 degrees Celsius (low 70's Fahrenheit) and the air remain warm until early October. Wetsuits, 4/3 full suit is best, are suggested as water and air temperatures can fluctuate. Surfers are hard pressed to find any crowds, thus adding to the beauty of it all.

Nor'easters in winter and spring also bring excellent surf, however, the cold water and air temperatures threaten all but the few hardy, local, 'winter' surfers with their 6/5 suits, hoods, gloves and booties. Summer has occasional surf, but the prevailing southwest onshore winds create less than ideal conditions.

But remember that it is not all fun and games as there are many dangers associated with surfing:

• sea life (ie: sharks, sting rays)
• drowning (self explanatory)
• collisions (rocks, reefs, sandbars, even other surfers)
• rip currents (lurk in seemingly calm waters)
• sea bed (while riding the wave one can be tossed against the sea bed)

Western Head Surf Report and Forecast:http://magicseaweed.com/Western-Head-Surf-Report/343/

You Tube video on a calm summer day, Western Head:

http://youtu.be/aRqMMiYQUbY

When are you coming?

SAFE SURFING

What's Happening in Queens County, you ask?

My name is Heather Kelly and some know me as the What's Up Lady on Liverpool's local radio station, QCCR 99.3. It all started with a community calendar and posting events for the Queens County area. I started a blog called Queens County Community with the focal point being the community calendar. There were lots of places in Queens County to find

out about events in this area, including on line calendars, but I felt it would be more useful if everything was in one place. This then spread to Facebook and Twitter and QCCR radio.

Queens County and especially Liverpool, have loads to offer in the way of extra curricular activities,  hobbies, fitness and cultural events. Just one look at the Queens Community Calendar will tell you that. There you can find weekly events, a bulletin board with local event posters, lists of annual events and links to connect you to life in Queens County.

The calendar for the Astor Theatre is full from weekend movies to the Wednesday Cinema Series to full blown theatrical productions and concerts featuring east coast talent as well as international presentations.

Local festivals are abundant with the Liverpool International Theatre Festival in May to Privateer Days in July and Music Nova Scotia in November and tonnes in between. Always something to look forward to.

There is no shortage of fitness classes, which will be required as you may find it hard to resist the home cooked community suppers and local service group breakfasts. However, there are plenty of other ways to get your exercise. How about Monday Night Bowling, Tuesday Night Basketball, Wednesday Night Curling, Thursday Night Hockey and Friday Night Dancing. If that doesn't make you want to sleep in on Saturday, you can come out and join in the local Social Walk through the beautiful Trestle Trail.

If you are already a highly tuned athlete and are more interested in keeping your mind sharp, you could always join in the local bridge club every Friday, darts every Thursday, play some cribbage on Saturday's, card parties and bingo practically everyday or take a class in cooking, computer basics, digital cameras or quilting.  

It's nice to know that there is so much on offer, but you may just want to sit in the park and watch the sun set.

Heather Kelly
There's lots happening in Queens County
Queens County Community Calendar
Liverpool, Queens County, Nova Scotia, B0T1K0
Have A Great Day!

Contact Me

Walk Through History Of Our Founding Forefathers

"Let us make future generations remember us as proud ancestors just as,

today,

 we remember our forefathers".  (quote)

Liverpool's harbour was long a seasonal camp of Nova Scotia's native Mi'kmaq and was known as Ogomkigeak meaning "dry sandy place" and Ogukegeok, meaning "place of departure". Later in the 17th century Samuel de Champlain renamed it Port Rossignol and used it as a harbour for fur trading.  The New England Planters arrived in 1759, renaming the town after Liverpool in England with its Mersey River.

Liverpool struggled for identity during the revolutionary war and the raid on Liverpool in 1778 brought the people of Liverpool, on June 2, 1779, to built a battery for the artillery and on October 31 launched their own privateer vessel named Lucy to bring battle to their adversaries.

During the nineteenth century, the town became a major seaport as the fishing and ship building industries grew. The town also became a leading exporter of timber which was floated down the Mersey River. For a time after the War of 1812, Liverpool was second only to Halifax as the major port in the province.  Steam-powered vessels which were built with steel, ruined the area's vibrant wooden-ship building industry, and the further financial dislocation caused by the collapse of the local Bank of Liverpool in 1871 combined to severely hurt the town's economy and it went into a slow decline.

Liverpool's fortunes were temporarily revived in the 1920s when it became a centre for rum-runners shipping alcohol to the United States during its period of prohibition.  More significant growth took place in 1929 with the Mersey Pulp and Paper Mill which bolstered the economy.

Although Liverpool has gone through waves of feast and famine, in the economic sense, Liverpool still offers a wide range of services that  serves the population in the surrounding region and continues to attract people from all over the world.

"When our forefathers put down roots in desolate places,

the thing that allowed them to survive was that they had a faith

to see them through the tough times".

You tube video link:

http://youtu.be/p6s8_cz-5gQ

Salamander Migration

Adult spotted salamanders are mostly nocturnal, residing mostly underground, and can live over 20 years. They grow up to nine inches long and are blackish with yellow spots in patterns unique to each individual. They eat earthworms, slugs, and small insects. After spending the cold months underground, they emerge in late winter to migrate to their aquatic breeding sites, most likely the very site where they were born.

During the majority of the year, Spotted Salamanders live in the shelter of leaves or burrows in deciduous forests. However, when the temperature rises and there is a higher moisture level, the salamanders make their abrupt migration towards their annual breeding pond. In just one night, hundreds to thousands of salamanders may make the trip to their ponds for mating. Mates usually breed in ponds when it's raining in the spring. Females usually lay about 100 eggs that cling to the underwater plants. The eggs are round, clear, jelly-like clumps that are usually 2.5–4 inches (6.3–10 cm) long. Adults only stay in the water for a few days, then the eggs hatch in 1 to 2 months.

The spotted salamander usually makes its home around hardwood forest areas. They must have a pond as that is the only place they can lay eggs. A spotted salamander spends most of its time beneath ground level. It hides in moist areas under moss-covered logs or stones. These salamanders are secretive and will only exit their underground home on warm rainy nights in Spring, to breed and hunt. However, during the winter, they hibernate underneath ground level. Their defenses from predators include hiding in leaf litter or logs and a poison, which is not harmful to humans. In ponds or wetlands they hide near the muddy bottoms or hide underneath leaves at the bottom. They have the ability to drop their tails, to distract predators.. The spotted salamander, like other salamanders show great regenerative abilities, even being able to regenerate limbs and parts of organs. They have large poison glands around the back and neck, which release a toxic white liquid.

IT IS INEVITABLE THAT THEIR NATURAL FOREST HABITAT AND THE BREEDING PONDS ARE ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE ROAD .... SO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THE SPOTTED SALAMANDER ON THE FIRST WARM RAINY DAY IN THE SPRING

IN QUEENS COUNTY.

You Tube salamander migration
http://youtu.be/UkGEXrL8udU

LIVE LIVERPOOL