Gardening (/May) Long Weekend.

I had a very busy and fun May/Gardening long weekend. I had bought annuals earlier in the week so they could be hardened off for planting, got all the pots filled with soil on Friday and planted on Saturday. So rewarding!!

Here is a garden tour, in order of appearance.

Cool Flame Narcissus, my absolute favorite, gorgeous salmon coloured trumpets and a LARGE bloom.

I received 3 free Astillbes last year, they are coming up beautifully. I'm excited to see what colour they are.

Pink Landscape Tulips are coming up nicely, I interspersed them into a long perennial bed.

The Double Flowering Plum is quite sparse, but sill has some pretty pink blooms.

By contrast PJM Compact Rhodo has fully bloomed for the first time ever (and this is our 9th summer here).

The little blue blooms of Jack Frost Brunnera are a welcome addition.

'Bastogne' Red Tulips have not disappointed.

My raised veggie pots are planted exactly as they were last year, romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes and strawberries. I somehow ended up with extra tomato plants, and had to head back to the store for more pots..

Not quite the same, but similar..

The first Bleeding Hearts have appeared, I love the way the branches arch.

Dutch Master Narcissus in the shade, and they still bloom quite well.



Another Narcissus, this time Pink Parasol. The ruffled trumpets are quite fancy.

Grape Muscari are a terrific colour.

This creeping Moss Phlox has taken quite well. Notice the healthy dandelion foliage in the mix...

I generally keep a large cedar in this Blue Pot, but they are always difficult to dispose of. This time I decided to use the pot for some Gladiolus bulbs that were gifted to me, and I over planted them with yellow snap dragons and a few Toto Gold Rudbeckia.

The shade bed where the yellow daffs reside has always been a bit of a problem, I've decided to plant some Heucheras this year. I picked up Sweet Tea, Caramel, Purple Palace and Dale's Strain today. I hope they thrive and brighten up the area.

I hope everyone had a great long weekend so far! There's still 1 day left. :)

Leafing Out

Spring has finally Sprung, and the yard is turning green.

First, as always is the Cotoneaster Hedge.

This young Crimson King Maple has had some difficulties, but has survived another winter.



The Swedish Aspen is filling out nicely.



And my favorite tulips are getting ready to bloom.



The Plum 'Prunus Multiplex' takes it's time to wake up, but is peppered with pink flower buds.



My Redtwig Dogwood is also back.

Speaking of dogwoods, here's a gratuitous dog pic. She is also enjoying the sunshine.

Despite the long cold winter, the little Azalea is looking better than usual for this time of year.




The lilacs are also doing well.




Blue Fox Willow might fill in this year, after my terribly 'pruning' job to try and get rid of black aphids in 2009



The old fashioned bleeding hearts are adding inches by the day.



Brunnera Jack Frost has survived his first winter in my garden.


Sedum Autumn Joy is a nice collection of rosettes, I wish it would stay at this stage for a longer period, I think it's adorable!



The Mockorange looks great, no winter dieback at all.

The daylilies are almost troplical in appearance (almost).

I found my cherished Blue Star Petunias, it seems as though the new Pinstripe (similar, but not as nice imho) is taking over it's bench space in many garden centres.

Surprise!!! My pitiful Meconopsis plants are back. We'll see if any of the prized blue flowers show up later in the summer.

In other good news, my Ice Follies Daffodils are showing all of their sides now, and are a lovely view when pulling up the driveway.

What's growing In Your Garden?

~Rebecca

Narcissistic Narcissus

Foiled again. I had grand plans of a driveway lined with the beautiful Ice Follies Narcissus. I envisioned looking at their cheery faces when pulling up to the house. They, however, have other plans. All of their backs are turned to me, which leads me to believe that they are aptly named (or it could be due to the fact that the bed is south of the driveway, and they are oriented towards the sun).





A walk around to the other side of the bed, and all is forgiven. I really love this variety, none of the garden centres around town carry them, so I bought the bulbs at a hardware store. I will add more this fall, and plant more strategically.