Heat wave at the end of May

This past week has been a heat wave of record breaking temperatures for Ottawa. Lawns are already turning brown and the garden plants are suffering. Out on the berm the wildflowers don't seem to mind the heat too much although the newly planted trees and bushes are struggling. Today the second mowing of the season went around with a large mower leaving a double wide path around the trees on the south side. They seem to have done a pretty good job of avoiding hitting the trees.

The other day I took a closer look at the differences in the plants around the 2009 and 2010 plantings. Some plants found in the newly planted area are not present i nthe area left uncut for over a year and vice versa. In the 2010 planting area there is little grassleaved stitchwort and no vetch while in the 2009 area (the square) there is little white clover or chickweed but a lot of vetch and stitchwort. The area along the forest edge is even more diverse with buttercup daisies, wild carrot, goldenrod, canada thistle, philadelphia fleabane and yellow mustard all common while practically absent from the square or the bush area.

In the regularly cut over lawn area the common plants are: grass, dandelion, white clover, round leaved plantain, chickweed, black medick, yarrow, crab grass, silvery cinquefoil with patches of devils paint brush, hawkweed, birdfoot trefoil

In the newly planted bush area that has not been cut this year the common plants are: grass,dandelion, white clover red clover, chickweed, stitchwort, yarrow, black medick

In the square that was planted last year the common plants are: grass, crabgrass, birdfoot treefoil, red clover, vetch, grass leaved stitchwort, yarrow, dandelion, bull thistle. There are also isolated patches of other plants (wild carrot, chickory)

In the area that gets irregularly cut along the forest edge the common plants are: grass, goldenrod, wild carrot, yarrow, dandelion, stitchwort, blackmedick, birdfoot trefoil, honeysuckle, cinquefoil, philadelphia fleabane, canada thistle, purple vetch, buttercup, goldenrod, mustard, daisy.

In Bloom:
dandelion mostly finished,
chickweed
stitchwort
buttercup,
philadelphia fleabane
daisy just starting
creeping charlie
white clover
lilac mostly finished
honeysuckly mostly finished
red osier dogwood
ajuga 2 patches along fence
common speedwell
thyme leaved speedwell one patch
devils paint brush 2 patches
yellow hawkweed 1 patch
purple vetch
blue eyed grass under forest edge
columbine (pink escapee one patch)
yellow mustard (wormseed?)
garlic mustard (mostly finished)
Unidentified Escapee along fence yellow flower single pistle multiple yellow petals over laping about 2-3 cm wide in a small head of 3-4 flowers. leaves pinnately compound alternate on stem grows to 2 feet high, seems to like moist shady area and can compete with the grass on the north side