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Monday 21 May 2012

When you find a treasure you didn't know you wanted!

These pictures are not the best .. that is my first denial right there ... we had been out doing a bit of shopping and we found a new phone for me (simple for just emergencies .. yes, I refuse to be one of those MORONS oops, many people that have a phone glued to their head or fingers texting .. it boggles the mind  or it boggles their minds?)
So .. after saying for the hundredth time I don't need a phone .. I guess I need it for emergencies after all.
Now my brain is frying attempting to program it .. don't ask ... it is too embarrassing.
So ! getting on to the treasures ? .. I had thought about it for a few days .. husband was not wild about yet another Japanese Maple .. I have 4 that are surviving me ! ..
 How do I bring just one more interesting small dark tree into the back garden .. hum ...
OK .. I have been eyeing this for a few days and decided if it was still there .. it was meant for ME !!
Enter "Red Majestic Corkscrew Hazel" !! .. I have always wanted a witch hazel but never thought of this one or had ever seen this one around here .. BONUS!


As I said pictures were taken in a hurry ..
I needed to get this baby in the ground and happy, to be in my garden ..
Meanwhile a small, but precious miracle happened ..
Remember when I refrigerated Curly Joe the 3rd last September/October ? ... all winter he/she was in our fridge putting up with slam, bang and what ever?
I took the jar out a few weeks ago and waited .. waited .. and waited ..
Nothing was happening and I was so sad to think I did this to a poor little caterpillar ..
BUT! ? the miracle DID happen !
 Finally after a while .. not wanting to leave Number One Son's arm .. Curly Joe the Third  dried his/her wings and flew straight over to my bicoloured lilac tree and I hope he/she got their fill of nectar and will live a wonderful, albeit short life .. we were all so AMAZED with this drama I can't tell you ..
We all had thought he/she was dead .. trapped in it's little cocoon ...
But  life will always find a way  won't it ?
Today was like Christmas for me !

15 comments:

GRACE PETERSON said...

That is amazing!!! I am so thrilled for you. What a pretty little thing. It must feel really gratifying that it survived the winter in your fridge. How freaking cool is that?

And as for that Corkscrew Willow. Holy Shit, she'a beauty!
It's going to look so awesome in your garden! I was eyeing them at Dancing Oaks yesterday but they're pricey. I'm thrilled that you got one. Take lots of photos. I'm not jealous...well maybe a little. :)

Karen said...

Oooooooooooo, congratulations on the "birth" FABULOUS shots of the swallowtail!!! I got some too, but I didn't have anything to do with birthing.

Marguerite said...

Love the curly witch hazel but that butterfly stole the show. Your son looks so pleased to be playing host that beautiful butterfly.

CiNdEe's GaRdEn said...

Wow!! Congrats! I have never tried that before! I bet you are on the moon with happiness!
I love the "witch" too!!!!(-: That is right up your alley! I guess it is like Christmas there! What a wonderful day for you!

Plowing Through Life (Martha) said...

Oh my goodness, Joy! That is soooo exciting. When I read your email, I raced right over to see this post because I just knew it would be something this special. What a beautiful butterfly. So gorgeous! I can't believe the way it just sat on your son's arm. Almost like it knew that you had taken care of it, and wanted to still stay close. I guess that makes you a foster family :) This is so precious. You helped this little life come to be. You must have been bouncing off the walls with excitement. I'm happy this turned out so wonderfully as I know how much you hoped for a happy ending. May this precious little butterfly have a great life, no matter how long that may be. Perhaps it'll stay close to your home and make a life in your garden with future generations to come. Woudln't that be special?

Søren said...

You've got to love butterflies! And that is a particularly beautiful one with the black background to the splashes of colour; do you know what kind it is?

Anonymous said...

omg ~ Joy ~ that is a miracle! I'm so glad he/she (??) survived & made the transformation. I wouldn't have known if I was doing the right thing (freezing it) or not? SO happy it worked!!!! :-)
ps beautiful new treasure you found. Oh, I'm definitely not attached to my phone either!

Nadezda said...

Joy, this is a magic! I love your new Japanese Maple, the color of its leaves.

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Gracie girl I can't even describe what that felt like to see this butterfly alive and coming out into the world .. the guys were fascinated .. Ian the stand in mom was totally amazed .. he has a thing for insects, he should have been an entomologist!
And how about "BroomHilda" my special hazel .. well, my only hazel ? LOL
It was pricey but life is short .. especially on the pleasure scale ? So I just had to enjoy it so much!
I know you aren't jealous girl .. wink wink .. just happy for me .. right ? LOL

Karen girl you could have knocked me over with a feather (and that is saying something ! haha) I was so HAPPY .. I am still doing the happy dance inside me : )I have never gotten to see this happen and it was wonderful .. I'm glad you have the company of these beauties too!!

Marguerite girl : ) Yes, Ian was the one who alerted me to the birth .. he was the birth coach for this beauty and we were all absolutely enthralled !! My "witch" made the day wonderful too : )

Cindee girl .. I was thinking of you when this was going on. Mista G was watching intently .. I was sure he was sending you telepathic updates ? LOL ... It was fantastic and I will never forget it !

Martha girl I find it so hard to describe how watching this felt .. it was so amazing .. and it didn't want to leave Ian .. we tried putting it in a plant .. but it wanted to stay on the deck handrail.. so until the wings dried we watched it there .. wouldn't it be wonderful if it laid eggs on a plant in my garden is too right !
I am such a HAPPY gardener : )

Hello Soren and butterflies are the jewels in the insect world to me .. It is a Black Swallowtail butterfly .. a friend did an ID by way of the caterpillar .. but it blew me away with those splashes of colour .. amazing!!

Kathleen girl : ) YES ! this was spectacular .. I kept it in the fridge (not freezer .. then it would have been a butterfly popsicle !! hahahaha
I just knew this witch hazel was meant for me .. it was the only purple one there : ) and the phone? I still have to program it..BIG sigh !

Hello there Nadezda .. this is actually a corkscrew hazel .. hubby said we had 4 Japanese maples as it is .. so something different would be better ? LOL

meggie said...

How amazing!
Nice Curly Joe and nice son No.1!!!
Putting in a fridge ... wow

Congratz to the corkscrew hazel!
It looks great!

Are you ok? I hope so.
Take care
Hughs
Meggie

RURAL said...

Oh my gosh on so many levels....oh my gosh for the wonderful amazingly colorful shrub, oh I want one.

And oh my gosh for the butterfly. Oh what a miracle.

Wonderful wonderful news..on all fronts. I love that shrub...

Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams

Lona said...

What a fantastic looking Maple tree Joy! I love those twisted branches. How wonderful about the butterfly. Such a pretty one. It knew to fly to the sweetest smelling bush.

Anonymous said...

The garden is looking wonderful. Loved the Curly Joe story. I am a sucker for a story with a happy ending.

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Meggie girl I am sorry about not getting to e-mail .. I am fine : ) .. but I am working so hard in the garden I am exhausted when I come in and can hardly sit at the computer .. but I will catch up !!

Jen girl I had such a wonderful day when these two things happened .. finding a beautiful gift of life emerging from that cocoon was AMAZING ! Number One son found it first and yelled to get me out there to see it .. husband was very impressed too : ) and the purple corkscrew hazel !!!!!! Yipeeee!!!

Lona girl I am so glad it made it to the lilac .. if only it would leave me another generation of itself ? and the shrub is a hazel .. corkscrew "Red Majestic" and the only one I have seen here so I am a happy gardener : )

Sandy girl we just about gave up on this cocoon .. I thought maybe the fridge time didn't work or something .. I am so damn happy it came to life !!! : )

Jennifer said...

Merry Christmas Joy! I am so glad that the butterfly emerged okay. And what a beauty! Well worth the wait. The new corkscrew witch hazel will be a nice addition to your garden and will look great in the winter, which lets face it, is a long season here in Canada.