An evening walk around a developing landscape

We inherited all sorts of wonderful plants and plantings when we bought this historic cottage in Quebec, but we also acquired too much mowed lawn, not flourishing under trees, and why you'd want to keep mowing the "arboretum" so much;  well, we didn't know.

So my gardening companion is mowing distinct paths and we're letting much of the lawn convert to meadow.

So far, we like it!  There's a nice diversity of introduced (and naturalized) species (like ox-eye daisy and vetch) along with native forbs and grasses and pasture ones, too.

our "arboretum" area

vetch and grasses

pasture grasses toward Parc National du Bic

bumblebees like foraging on this vetch

We're surrounded by pastures, hay fields, and successional meadows in our rural area, protected by the agricultural land designations here in Quebec. 

We're grateful for that, as we enjoy the landscape, although mindful that it's not easy for long-term landowners. The original farm family that owns most of the property along our road - well they keep horses and grow hay, but don't have dairy cows anymore, and both of the sons have worked outside jobs.  One of our other neighbors who manages pastures and bought additional family land; he's a truck driver, too.

But we're glad to be stewards of our historic schoolhouse turned home and grateful for the lovely landscape that we have.