In the full blast of the sun on truly warm days it's exhausting to expend energy on anything in the out-of-doors. Yesterday was one such day, today another. And while my husband busied himself completing the erection of the new gazebo on our deck, by tackling the roof, I focused on finishing up planting annuals in all our garden pots.

This was an exercise that began yesterday on a similar weather day. I'd managed then after working outside for several hours to plant many of the annuals we had bought and assembled in our usual springtime routine, in the days before. Today's planting exercise represented the finish-up of that process. I also planted a large calla lily that I'd cut back and taken down to the basement to overwinter last fall, as well as several giant-sized dahlias and a number of potato vines.

And, of course, the dozens of begonia bulbs that I usually harvest in late fall and then set out in the garden pots in the backyard, every spring.

Finished just after noon, we went out for our usual ravine ramble with Jackie and Jillie and found ourselves in an emerald world, the midday sun blasting its light through the new, green canopy, illuminating the forest brilliantly. A light breeze brought a bluejay's call to our ears, and the sweet springtime song of robins. We all enjoy these wonderful days of leisure at nature's pleasure.

A bonus is that we can now look out our windows at the colourful display of flowers in bloom. The plants are all in juvenile mode at the present time but before long they will become mature, their form, texture and colour blazing in the sun.