In The Garden

Still Blooming

2011-09-30T17:38:00.000-07:00

It feels like the garden is done for the year, but there are still a few blooms hanging on! Heliopsis has started to wane, but still has plenty of yellow blooms on large plants.

Perennial Sage has recovered from some flattening deluges, the shed has gone from blue to yellow, providing a different backdrop.

The little self sowing Cosmos blooms are still providing interest in the tulip bed.

Hydrangea Kyushu is still looking fresh in the shade.

This tall Aster is interwined in the dogwood, I like the combination, from far, it looks like the dogwood is flowering.

Phlox David is glowing in a shady corner.

First blooms on the Variegated Obedient Plants, they plants are much lankier than their regular counterparts, but are an interesting addition.

Little Lamb Hydrangea has faded to a nice green colour.

Stella D'Oro is blooming as usual, first to start, last to stop.

Despite some cold nights, Petunia Sophistica is still producing some interesting blooms.

The Blue Stars are shining as well.

A few Campanula pictures, little Fairy Thimble has a few blooms..

..and the taller peachleaf does as well.

I am crazy about Fall Asters, I wish they were easier to find. They are often sold in amongst the fall mums, so searching the racks is sometimes beneficial.

Snowdrop Anemone puts up a bloom now and again, pretty as ever.

The cooler nights have made Unique Hydrangea blush.

The roses had gone through a rest period but are now blooming madly, here is Sunrise Sunset.

And Morden Sunrise.

A few weeks ago I planted the little annual Dianthus, they return well and make a great border.

I hope everyone is enjoying their fall, the days feel much shorter already.

Wordless: 'Sunflowers' & others...

2011-08-31T15:51:00.000-07:00

Hydrangeas in White

2011-08-18T10:23:00.000-07:00

I really have an obsession with white hydrangeas, if I lived in a zone where blue hydrangeas grew freely, they would hold the #1 spot, but I am happy with these cool beauties. I think of them as 'late summer lilacs'. Below are my three.

Here is the delicate beauty Kyushu.

The heavily blooming Little Lamb.

Last but not least, the reliable Unique, which turns pink quickly after a few cool nights.

And a gratuitous lily pic for good measure!

New additions, aka The list is getting shorter.

2011-08-13T14:13:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to add a water feature for quite a long time, I finally found not 1, but 2 that fit with my scheme. One for the sunroom...

and one for the garden.

This free astilbe is growing beautifully in the shade. It was an unlabelled garden centre reject whose next stop was likely the dumpster.

Have a look at these...last years cosmos have reseeded, but the babies are teeny tiny. About 4-6" tall and the blooms no more than 1"across. I wonder if they will reseed again?

Another off the want list - a gazing ball. I feel like there should be a fortune told anytime now.

This is the Casablanca Lily tuber I planed in the spring, such a gorgeous bloom.

And here is a problematic area, the left boards are actually a gate, so it limits what can be planted to fill the space. Here are some houseplants added today.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer! :)

Midsummer Wordless Wednesday.

2011-07-27T16:30:00.000-07:00

Of Bells & Bedfellows.

2011-07-12T13:04:00.000-07:00

The bellflowers opened this week! Here is a white Carpatica,

And a Blue persicifolia, bowing down to greet the fleabane daisy.

Shasta 'snowcap' has also bloomed.

Peachleaf bellflowers add such great height to a bed.

This deep shade peony gets no direct light whatsoever, but occasionally sends up a bloom or 2.

And for the bedfellows part of this post, here is a new Hosta Patriot in a sunny bed with hydrangea, daylilies and other bright bloomers. I think it will make a great feature plant on the corner of the bed, provided it can tolerate the sun.

Some more new additions, asiatic lily Tiny Ghost, the colour isn't quite as pictured, it reminds me of the colour of red wine.

Daylily Janice Brown, a pretty in pink lily with a fancy edge.

And probably my favorite of the newbies, Blue Sky Delphinium. I have staked it just in case, another great height plant and I'm trying to satisfy my blue craving - in order to get over my disappointing meconopsis.

The new lower bed (May 2010) has turned into a pretty wild mix of colours, I am now dubbing it 'The Rainbow Bed', since there are really no other words for it. Probably breaking many gardening rules, or at least guidelines, but is it a lot of fun and seems to attract quite a bit of attention.

A Peony by any other name...

2011-07-04T10:38:00.000-07:00

..is still a Peony? Even with a plant tag, the first bloom is always a surprise. I have a few of questionable identity, This was labelled as 'Bowl of Beauty', but most of the blooms look more like 'Sorbet'...

I also have my first blooms on 'Festive Maxima', but there is no hint of red whatsoever. I am prepared to wait it out a few years and see what happens? They take so long to establish it is always a shame to move them or replace them...

And I suspect that this ~4 year old is Bowl of Beauty, though it was not labelled as such.

Our friendly garden gargoyle is moved every so often by the little gardeners. They decided that he should watch over these pinks for a while.

Mockorange Blizzard is covered in blooms, it looks fabulous in sun or shade.

The little hostas are taking their time growing up, but seem less affected by slugs this year. Medio Variegata is probably my favorite with the white centres.

Albo Marginata seems somewhat more vigorous.

Stella d'Oro daylily never disappoints.

I *may* have gotten a little carried away with small pots of annuals, I had planned to move them around, but I have gotten use to them gathered together on the steps.

The bellflowers are starting, Fairy Thimble is the first.

The roses have burst into bloom over the past 24 hours, here is Sunrise Sunset.

I am crazy about Morden Sunrise, so many different shades, and the foliage seems more resistant to insects. I might replace/relocate the pink one with another tried and true Morden classic.

Fleabane daisies are so charming.

And I'll close with a show stopper - Iris Edith Wolford. Although I was looking for blue & white last fall I am very happy with this beauty.

June Garden Blogger's Bloom Day

2011-06-15T15:40:00.000-07:00

Just a few blooms for you today, here's the new (to me?) petunia 'Sophistica'

Big Daddy Blue Petunias.

Some reseeded violas under Purple Palace.

Gentian Speedwell 'Barbara Sherwood' in the shade.

My favorite hidden lilac looks and smells wonderful, the pink buds and white blooms are a lovely combo. I assume it's 'Beauty of Moscow', or something similar.

Polemonium is blooming well, love the blue flowers.

In the miniatures garden, Linum perenne has opened the first bloom.

Mouse Ears Baby's Breath, so cute.

And the new English Daisy is still blooming well.

And I will close today with a few more tulips.

The garden is in a bit of a lull at the moment, hope to have a wave of new blooms soon. I am worried about my Supersition Iris, although the foliage looks great there is absolutely no sign of a flower stalk...

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-08T12:47:00.001-07:00

June 1st Blooms

2011-06-01T15:28:00.000-07:00

June 1st, and there is plenty of colour around the yard. I bought a few dwarf arctic irises yesterday, here's one with a globeflower.

The tulip bed is filling in nicely...

The Gnome Door is installed for the season.

The blooms of Brunnera Jack Frost & Dicentra spectabilis are lovely together.

Remember the yard bunny who moved in last summer? He's still living here, we've come to a comfortable agreement.

The Red Tulips are a nice contrast with the white frog.

Here's a suprise tulip, coming up through a globe cedar.

Flaming Spring Green Tulips are a little late, but so pretty.

I'm really enjoying the Emerald Blue Moss Phlox - so many blooms!

Here are the 5 new Heuchera, all tucked into their new bed.

And the Snowdrop Anemones are in full bloom.

Hope you enjoyed the tour! :)

Gardening (/May) Long Weekend.

2011-05-22T18:04:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-13T15:34:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-07T10:08:00.000-07:00

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.

April Showers & May Flowers?

2011-04-29T13:43:00.001-07:00

April showers today (mixed with a bit of snow). I'm glad I have some more crocus pictures from yesterday to share with you, since they are absolutely not going to open today. This is the 2nd year of blooms for these bulbs, they must have had quite a few divisions since there are more blooms per cluster than last year.

Purple...

Yellow...

& White...

Nothing like a trip to the garden centre on a dreary day. I had planned to hide out in the greenhouse for some warmth, but when I saw the outdoor perennial area was full of plants, I just couldn't resist. A purple drumstick primula, pink english daisy, oriental poppy 'Princess Victoria Louise' and Helleborus 'Christmas Rose' came home with me, as well as 2 Casablanca Lilly tubers and a red potted dahlia in a daisy/ladybug pot (for indoors). I'll hold off on planting until the weather smartens up.

Happy Gardening!

First Blooms of 2011

2011-04-10T13:49:00.000-07:00

My little 'Crocuses in the lawn' are the first to emerge. I'm so happy to have a touch of colour around. :)

Colour, Anyone?

2011-02-10T12:49:00.000-08:00

Good time of year for a splash of colour. I picked up this little trio at the grocery store for under $10. :O)

I always have high hopes of keeping the primulas & mini roses going til they can be planted, but it doesn't usually work out. We'll see if this trio can move outside in May.

Wordless Wednesday - Wheelbarrow

2011-02-02T21:03:00.001-08:00

A New Door.

2011-01-28T13:45:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, you just need a little inspiration.

I was lucky to find some over at Catherines beautiful blog at A Gardener in Progress. I have always been enthralled with little doors on trees, such as hers. So, I went on a gardening adventure to find one. I am not sure if it is designed for outdoor use, so I will apply some sort of protective coating. Also, if anyone has any suggestions as to how to affix it in place, it would be very much appreciated.

Since I neglect my few houseplants terribly during the summer months, it was time for some new ones...

This is my favorite pot, so I like to put something special in it. I don't know what kind of plant this is, but I like it very much.

I also like the colouring on these leaves...

I left my hydrangeas intact for winter interest, which I very much appreciate. I had no idea how IMPORTANT hydrangeas were until a few years ago. This is Unique, a little battered from so much snow shovelling along the front walkway.

And Little Lamb, in a sheltered spot up by the house.

A little belated, but I want to wish you all the best for a happy & healthy year in 2011.

~Rebecca

I spoke too soon.

2010-11-27T08:01:00.001-08:00

It turns out the title of my last blog entry was erroneous. The very next day I was heading up the front walkway, and this brand new snowdrop anemone was beginning to open. So delicate and beautiful, and a happy late fall surprise.

As for the story of my Aster, the blooms did get a chance to open. I wish I had a better picture, but this gives you an idea. Blue/Purple blooms with yellow centres, and a completely covered ball about 2 1/2 feet high & wide. I'm really happy with both asters, and would very highly recommend them for fall blooms.

A few clouds of yellow snapdragons were still brightening up some dark spaces.

And I found another Peachleaf Bellflower hugging the clematis trellis.

The Cotoneaster Hedge put on a vibrant display this year. I have mixed feelings about the hedge, and find it rather boring most of the time, but it does have the first buds opening in the spring, and the last fall colour, both of which I appreciate very much.

Autumn Joy Sedum bloomed prolifically this year (was badly trampled last summer). Someone mentioned thinking of pink broccoli when they see it, and now, I do too.

The little Burning Bush that I was concerned about has also had a chance to change, not quite the vibrant red I had hoped for (and that it was a few years ago), but still very attractive.

And a gratuitous gargoyle picture for Joy. Alastair is feeling rather exposed now that the Flowering Plum has lost most of her leaves.

Since these pictures were taken we have had a record setting amount of snow and cold temperatures. Everything is well buried under a deep blanket of snow and it really does signal The End of this year's growing season.

I am sorry I haven't been keeping up with your blogs, having come down with a case of the gardening blahs. Fortunately, I have figured out what has caused it. For the first time since moving to this house (2002) I have no new garden plans for next year. No beds that I can dig out and no MUST HAVES to put on a wishlist. I am very happy with all of our efforts digging, moving, shaping, planting...I'm sure there will be gaps to fill here and there, but I want to let things mature over the next few years. It's a very strange feeling.

~Rebecca

Last Blooms of the Season

2010-10-21T08:07:00.000-07:00

Not a whole lot going on In The Garden anymore, and since these pictures were taken earlier in the week we've had a hard frost and many plants have turned brown and are completely done. Annuals have been removed, bulbs are in, and leaves have been raked.

Here we have the non blooming Aster, I'm so glad it's buds had a chance to open. It is quite sheltered and receives good morning sun so I think it will continue to bloom for a little while longer. I really like the shade of blue/purple. I saw it in a greenhouse last fall and planted it outside, I wasn't sure if it would be ok, but it seems happy.

This Colchium 'Waterlily' was a very nice suprise. I was given the bulb in late spring 2009, it had started to flower in the box. I planted it, and a large brown (soft) bulb emerged after spring thaw. I figured it had been heaved out of the ground, and threw it out. This fall, this lovely bloom emerged. Maybe there had been bulblets buried?

Cosmos was very long lasting, and provided happy bright flowers for a very long time, here are a few white...

..and a few pink.

The Purpleleaf Sandcherry has good colour this year, unfortunately it doesn't receive much sun, but seems to do reasonably well.

Coreopsis verticella 'Zagreb' had a late flush of blooms.

David's Lavender was planted this year, and finally opened it's lovely flowers.

The white David didn't fare as well, only one bloom ever opened. I had relocated this plant numerous times last year, hopefully next year will be better...

The last of the poppies, this one, a deep red.

Stella D'Oro has decided to bloom again. I was so surprised to see this lovely yellow flower just a few days ago. Sir Mulch A Lot said it reminds him of a daffodil. This strikes me as interesting since daffs will be one of the next things to bloom (albeit 7 months from now!).

The hydrangeas have gone brown with the cold nights, they are still very decorative though, I hope they stay intact for a long time to come.

And here's my plant mystery of the week. The Dwarf Burning Bush has not changed AT ALL. Most other shrubs have turned colour, and lost most of their leaves, but this little guy is as green as ever. I wonder what will happen next...

Dis-Aster

2010-10-05T12:35:00.000-07:00

Ok, bad pun. But it was that or 'Tale of Two Asters', which was considerably worse. Here's the situation, one Aster is blooming, the other, just 2 feet away but receiving a little less sun is not...

A few buds that look like they're thinking about opening are not the beautiful pale blue/lilac colour they were last year, but are quite similar to the Aster above. Seems very odd to me.

I like the way this false sunflower is peeking through the lattice fence.

The variegated obedient plant is finally blooming, the colour is beautiful. I was expecting hot pink, but this is much nicer.

Autumn Joy & My Monet are lovely fall companions.

The mountain garlic is a little past it's prime, but still a great looking little plant. I tried to get some more this year but was unsuccessful.

I bought this mini rose at a grocery store last spring, and planted it after the ground thawed. This is the first bloom, I think it's beautiful. No idea if it will overwinter, but I hope it does!

Kyushu Hydrangea is looking quite well into fall. I suspect the flowers may have been a little more white, and perhaps a few more sterile florets would have opened if there had been a little more warmth this summer.

H.F.Young Clematis is opening the last flower of the season. Unfortunately, it was only the 2nd of 2 blooms. I've heard they can take 3 years to get going, I hope for a more impressive display at some point...

Perennial Sage is still adding colour, I don't normally like flower spikes all that much, but the long lasting colour is very much appreciated.

Sunrise Sunset Rose is still blooming madly, I hope the plant has the sense to shut down before winter. I have stopped deadheading to allow the formation of rosehips and dormancy.

The last blooms of Morden Sunrise, maybe this rose is a little more clever when it comes to seasons?

Shasta Becky is still looking great, snowcap has been done for some time, so it's nice to still have Daisies around.

And the final bloom of the beautiul Rozanne

Sorry I haven't posted for a month, it just feels like nothing is going on with the garden. I took the camera outside today to see what I could find and was pleasantly surprised.

I have planted some white crocuses and some Ice Follies daffs, I plan to get the tulips in the ground this weekend.

I hope you are all having an enjoyable fall season.

~Rebecca

Uniquely Pink!

2010-09-04T20:50:00.000-07:00

Phew. Last years early frost/snow prevented my Unique Hydrangea from blushing pink, but not this time. The change is almost imperceptible, but every day the hue darkens slightly.

The Peachleaf Bellflower is outperforming itself. I deadheaded some, but not others, and look...it has rebloomed up the whole length of the stalk. Amazing. It is said to be invasive, I don't think I would mind much, but I suppose time will tell.

Midnight Wine Weigela is finally producing rich, dark purple foliage. Sadly, it is the end of the growing season. I hope the winter setback isn't as severe this year.

Little Lamb Hydrangea is also turning pink, but with a green background rather than white. I'm so glad I finally found a spot for one of these lovelies.

The first Fall Aster bloom opened today. Some have not yet set buds, I really hope to have lots of new blooms soon. There hasn't been anything new for weeks, so it is nice to have something to look forward to.

Have a look at my Zinnia pot. Cherry Profusion has a gone as white as a ghost suddenly, but a new seedling (started as a class project last year, I put it in the same pot) is in bloom. Interesting contrast in colour.

Happy September Everyone, hard to believe it's already here.

Rejuvenating an Old Garden

2010-08-27T13:23:00.000-07:00

I have an exciting new project on the go, I have been asked to help rejuvenate an old garden. At one time, the garden must have been glorious, but has been somewhat left to it's own devices and could use some care & attention.

There are loads of bellflowers, globe thistles, phlox, goldenrod, snowdrop anemones, lamb's ears, irises, clematis, rose bushes and many other shrubs & trees (including spirea, potentilla, ninebark, cranberries and cherry tree & 2 large spruces).

View of the backyard. The area to the right, at the back seems to have been 'rounded up'. It will be seeded to grass with an area left for vegetables and some flowerbeds will be added for interest. The area with the 2 trees on the left will likely be mulched with a rock edge to the lawn. I think a few shade containers against the shed and possible a hammock under the trees would make for a nice shady place to relax.

Yellow species clematis growing rampantly on an arbour.

A flowerbed in the backyard, full of bells, globe thistles & phlox.

A cherry tree that is so overgrown and heavy with fruit it has taken a weeping form. Some pruning is needed, although I'm not sure what to recommend. The fruit is quite tasty! :)

A vigorous vine is taking over an old deciduous tree. I'm not sure what kind of vine it is, although Honeysuckle keeps springing to mind. Hopefully it isn't on the noxious weeds list, since it is very interesting and attractive.

This lovely shrub is in the front yard, it looks like a diable ninebark to me, but I'm not 100% sure. Unfortunately I forgot to bring my Lois Hole books with me (note to self, don't do this again!)

The front corner of the house. To me, it just needs some thinning but I like the way it looks.

There is an old rose garden along one side of the house. The wonderful Morden Sunrise still looks beautiful.

2 other roses are in a worse state, but still have lots of new growth and must have bloomed well since they are covered in rosehips. I suspect a hard rejuvenation pruning is needed, although I'm not sure what the best timing is.

There are many Lambs Ears in the beds, and babies on the lawn. I hadn't seen seedlings like this before. Probably not the best place for them, but still kind of cute.

Here is a wildflower mix in a pot.

I brought over a bunch of heliopsis seedlings, as well as some shasta daisies, platycodon, stella d'oro daylilies, Campanula carpatica, ornamental garlic, dwarf irises, silver brocade artemesia and an Asessippi lilac. Some bulbs will be added this fall, although I suspect there may be some already there.

Since this house is being rented, the budget is limited, but I think (hope!) that with a little work it will be beautiful and regain some of it's former glory. Any advice or comments would be very much appreciated.

August Parade of Pictures

2010-08-22T13:29:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much for all of the friendly blogoversary wishes, all of your visits & comments are very much appreciated!

The summer has absolutely flown by, and September is just around the corner. Once again I've gotten behind with posting, so here is a parade of pictures with just names for identification purposes. Enjoy!

A surprise daylily.

Sunrise Sunset Rose

Morden Sunrise Rose

Cranesbill Rozanne

Progression of the new beds. :)

Miss Lucy Oriental Lily

'Kyushu' Hydrangea

Dianthus King of Blacks (or should it be Reds? ;) )

New Guinea Impatiens

Heliopsis helianthoides 'Summer Sun'

Bright Eyes Phlox (with variegated obedient plant & frog for company)

Diervilla sessilifolia Cool Splash

Palace Purple Heuchera

H.F.Young Clematis (only bloom :( )

Dwarf Balloon Flower & C. Carpatica, blues at the base of the clematis.

Silver Brocade Artemesia

Blue Fox Willow

I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer, and enjoying some time In The Garden.

I've got the Meconopsis Blues.

2010-08-13T14:45:00.000-07:00

Sigh. I have tried and not succeeded (sounds better than failed, right?). I was so hoping to have the coveted Himalayan Blue Poppy in my garden! Hundreds of seeds with various types of stratification, 0% germination. So, I ordered 2 Meconopsis x sheldonii plants. They arrived in May and I planted them right away. The spot is sheltered, protected from hot afternoon sun and the soil was carefully prepared and they are checked daily. From the looks of things, there won't be any stalks of enchanting blue flowers this year. Occasionally the plant sends up a new leaf, but that's about it.

Since I keep looking out and wishing there was something blue & tall to look at I recently planted some Magic Fountain Delphinium nearby. I've had to stake them since the heavy rain just knocked them over. I also planted some of my reliable peachleaf bellflowers for more blue next year.

Here is the Dianthus 'King of Blacks'. I first saw these last year in the perennial bed at the garden centre. The just barely opened buds were jet black, as the flowers opened and matured they turned a dark red colour. My plant seems to have skipped the black stage. Maybe it's just the first bloom and the others will be darker. I really hope so!

At least Unique is cooperating, since her bed mates aren't! Looking lovelier every day. No hues of pink yet, but I keep checking...

Our single Dwarf Sunflower has opened. So happy & charming! I will collect the seeds and plant again next summer.

Here is the latest bed, with Little Lamb Hydrangeas, phlox, poppies, purple coneflowers, dwarf irises and a spot for the pink peony I'm going to move this fall.

Have a look at this Obedient Plant. I generally have trouble growing them, but this monster is well over 4 ft tall (they are usually 18-24 inches). Notice the little pink arrow towards the bottom left? It is pointing at another obedient plant of the same variety, purchased at the same time 3 or 4 years ago. Both were relocated to this spot last summer to get a little more sun. Pretty odd, isn't it?

Oh, and I completely forgot about my 1 year blogaversary on August 5th, time really does fly! A big thank you to those who stop by to visit, I truly appreciate it and have had so much fun seeing your beautiful gardens.

Yes, it's a Poppy!

2010-08-03T07:58:00.000-07:00

The verdict is in! My mystery plant is definitely a poppy, and a pretty one at that!

Unique Hydrangea is looking lovely..

I'm really happy with the Daylily 'Canadian Border Patrol', I was hoping the Tango Weigela would look good with the maroon throat, and by golly, it does!

Thunbergia vine is not growing as vigorously as last year, but is still very pleasant.

Blue Carpatica is finally blooming, I find they are slower to get going than the white.

And my latest Rudbeckia addition: Autumn Colours. I had no idea there were so many colour options!

We planted a single dwarf sunflower seed into a peat pot some time ago, and then planted it outside. It looks like it's getting ready to bloom. :)

Nearby, Daylily Bonanza is showing off.

I planted these 2 weigelas last year, they were big and vigourous and colourful. The first, Midnight Wine, was a dark purple ball, it suffered complete dieback last winter (despite mulching), it is regrowing, but the colour is more green than purple so far.

My Monet suffered similar problems, but has recovered a little better.

Once again I will plant a Purple Coneflower and *hope* that it returns this year, so far, I haven't had any luck with them coming back.

And here we have a Little Lamb Hydrangea waiting for planting....

A Bunny, 2 Cherries, a recipe, & a question...

2010-07-28T09:12:00.000-07:00

A little visitor hopped into the yard the other morning, isn't he adorable?

I picked up a few more annuals for pots, this beauty is the Rudbeckia 'Cherry Brandy'.

And this is the Zinnia 'Profusion Cherry', it doesn't really show here, but there is quite a range of shades in just one plant.

We did the first little harvest for a salad, I decided to use a very simple dressing of apple cider vinegar, olive oil, honey, salt & pepper. It was delicious.

And now I have a question for my gardening friends. I spread a few Shirley Poppy seeds along here, and mostly weeds have come up. There are quite a few that look like this, the flower head is remarkably poppy like. I haven't pulled them (yet) since I'm waiting to see what they do. What do you think it is?

This is another deep shade peony, that has never bloomed before (planted by previous homeowner). It produced one bloom this year, and it's a stunning pink with a lighter, frilly centre. Clearly, it must be relocated so I will expand the above patch to a large semi circle and add a Little Lamb Hydrangea, some red tulips and a few others. Any idea what kind this is?

Heliopsis is getting going, I really enjoy these bright, reliable blooms.

I know I've posted about these Peachleaf Bellflowers a time or 2 (or 10!) before, but I'm smitten. These are in the Blue Garden. Unfortunately, the occupants of the garden can't get their bloom times coordinated for a big show, they are going through once at a time. The clematis adjacent is growing well, but not showing any signs of bloom, which concerns me more than a little.

Coreopsis 'zagreb' has just opened, they are bright and lovely and look good with the Rudbeckia. The Crimson King Norway Maple insists on sending up a basal shoot. I keep cutting it off, but it keeps coming back, and looks kind of nice with the yellow.

Hosta Francee is looking shy in the shade...

Hosta 'Whirlwind' was completely obscured so was recently relocated, hopefully to a less 'sluggy' area. Notice the reverse variegation?

Here Hemorocalis 'Mary Reed' is trying to beautify the gas meter,

Alongside the very (too?) similar Raspberry Pixie.

Moving to the front, these two bright lights really lighten up the shady bed.

I didn't think I'd like the flower spikes of Lamb's Ear, but now I do.

I'm relieved that Hydrangea 'Unique' is setting flowers! :) Kyushu doesn't get as much sun, so is a little behind...

I added a few Sea Thrift plants along the border of the new driveway bed.

And my rescued Shastas (small division from last fall) are blooming.

My last shrub purchase was this Cool Splash Honeysuckle (Diervilla sessilifolia), I really like variegation, and the smaller size (3ft) makes it easy to place. I have moved the Blue Muffin Arrowwood to a shady spot, it's description has been revised since being released, and it is not the dwarf it was said to be. Also, it doesn't self pollinate well (ie AT ALL) and so if you want the lovely blue berries another Viburnum is required, and many are over 7 ft.

3 Pots of Vegetables

2010-07-21T08:11:00.000-07:00

Here is my teeny tiny vegetable (& fruit) garden. The set of three pots became home to a few heads of Romaine Lettuce, some Cherry Tomatoes and 3 Strawberry plants. I have been taking off lettuce leaves for sandwiches and it is delicious. I will make a salad one day, but need to find the recipe for the perfect dressing first - nothing else will do!

July Blooms In The Garden

2010-07-15T12:37:00.000-07:00

July 16th already, where does the time go? New blooms are opening around the garden, I thought I'd take you on a walking tour today. I usually post pics in geographic location, it seems to make the most sense to me.

Along the side bed Campanula glomerata is blooming, it is a different sort of bellflower, but I like the way it looks. I will try and tuck some blue ones in as well.

A little further down the Fleabane Daisy has opened. I have tried to find more of these but haven't been able to yet this year.

And here's a gratuitous dog picture for Deborah. I call it 'Daisy and the Daisies'.

And along the back of the garden, here is a single bloom from a young white peony. I had planted this one and the pink one (previously posted) last summer. Unfortunately I lost the tags so I can't identify them. I'm so thrilled about getting the planting depth right, I'm sure in a few years these will go from single blooms to a more impressive display.

Here are some Cosmos in the tulip bed (flanked by the 2 peonies), the purpleleaf sandcherry is recovering in the background.

And here is another gift plant, the Rudbeckia 'Indian Summer'. It was nodding a little in the heat, and from being newly planted. I think it looks very sunflower-ish in this pose.

At the other end of the yard in the shady bed, a spirea has stopped in to visit with Sedum autumn joy.

Some of the spirea flowers have started to open. I'm a little concerned about how far along these fall bloomers are this year, since my summer ones are just coming into full swing.

And a gratuitious Gargoyle shot for Joy. Alastair has found a secluded spot under the Flowering Plum, he can watch over the yard in privacy, without frightening young & old alike! He has an excellent view of my Kyushu Hydrangea and appreciates the occasional visit.

Moving to the front, here are some petunias in the shade. I was just reading in Jim Hole's Notebook that they can't be grown in shady containers....

And a little Tiger Eye Gold Rudbeckia in the shady bed below.

Heading down the front walkway, there are fairy thimble bellflowers in blue...

..and white.

Then down along the driveway Morden Sunrise Rose is blooming nicely. Now that I have 2 rose bushes I can totally understand what all the fuss is about.

I hope you enjoyed the tour, I seem to follow the same order every day for the morning walkabout and bloom count. ~Rebecca

No Rhyme or Reason.

2010-07-10T15:58:00.000-07:00

There is no rhyme or reason to my garden. I am always impressed by beds that appear carefully structured and planned, and while I understand many of the concepts I am still very much a buy a plant, bring it home & dig a hole kind of gardener.

I like my combinations, even if the pairings occur by sheer luck!

The Painted Daisy 'Juwa' looks great with the white Campanula Carpatica and the Blue Campanula persicifolia, a little red white & blue for my American friends.

This is somewhat of a goof. I had wanted 3ft shastas to go with the 3ft heliopsis, but I got the much shorter Snowcap. I don't remember if this was a tag error or a 'me' error, but this is what we have now. I am really enjoying the Stachys byzantina, and need to remember to add a few more this year.
Here is the beautiful blue peachleaf bellflower again, this time with perennial sage,
...and again with Carpatica. This from the 'set the camera on the ground and hope for the best' method that I use periodically.

The Frog King has found a spot where he can survey the Kingdom.

Have a look at this odd little hosta. It is a dwarf blue, but has virtually nothing for a base, but is sending up a flower stalk. There is no sign of slug activity in the immediate area, I'm not sure what it's doing, but flowers are always nice!

Here in the shade is a trio, old fashioned bleeding heart is done blooming, the Ivory Halo Dogwood just grows and looks great with flashy foliage and the New York fall aster is growing well in the foreground, hopefully it will bloom in August.

And todays parting shot, I'm not sure if the pot is too big, or the plant is too small, but since it is on a windy ledge I needed something heavy enough to not blow away (which has happened before - poor patio tomatoes). Maybe it will expand and appear better proportioned soon?

So fess up...do you ever garden without a plan?

Gardeners are lovely people!

2010-07-03T13:21:00.000-07:00

This will be a long and rambling post, since I need to catch up with a weeks worth of pictures, I should really split them, but since they are all loaded and ready I will leave them together. So much for my rule of 10 pics (max) per post.

The Iris Caesar's Brother is planted not too far from the black Superstition. I think he was a little jealous of all the attention and sent up a flower stalk late in the week. I'm pretty sure I could hear the song 'Anything you can do, I can do better' in the backgroung. But he may be fighting a losing battle...

Gratuitous Superstition picture...

I am enjoying my Cosmos mix immensely. BUT, even though I randomly scattered the 12 plants, they are completely segregated by colour. How does that happen???

Further along, a mystery peony (can't believe I didn't keep the tag or remember the name!) is bowing down to say hello.

Jack Frost has forgiven me for buying him, bringing him home, letting him get snowed on, then baking him & burning his leaves by placing him in a 'protected' area on the other side of the sunroom glass. He has even grown a few blue flowers for me, the hearts are quite taken with him. He also has some silver artemesia for company nearby.

My hostas are growing remarkably well this year, usually they are eaten by slugs. I think my signs may be working.

Pink Beauty Potentilla is covered in blooms! I hope this one overwinters better than the last.

The perennial sage has started to bloom this week, it has grown like crazy since I planted it last year.

I added quite a few blue peachleaf bellflowers last year, and they are starting to bloom. Another wonderful addition from the Campanula family.

And another blue bellflower, the little Campanula 'Get Mee', I like the way it looks with this little sign.

I'm so pleased with my 'Blizzard' Mockorange. I bought it last year, and it bloomed well, but I have found that flowering shrubs can take a few years before they bloom again. The initial flush is from being hopped up on fertilizer at the garden centre. It has produced a beautiful display and the sweet scent is intoxicating.

My 50 cent painted daisy has started to bloom. The fern like foliage is a nice change and the colour is striking.

Daylily Canadian Border Patrol is sending up it's first blooms, they are beautiful with their dark centres, and frilly edges. I planted 3 around my Tango Weigela, you can see a lambs ear and fall aster in the background. Do you see the little leaves on the bottom left of the picture? It is one of 2 Meconopsis plants I ordered earlier in the year. I am keeping my fingers crossed for some blue poppies one day....

More first of the year, Thubergia is really starting to grow and has opened a few pumpkin flowers. Can't wait til the poles are covered!

Remember my full shade peony? It's handful of blooms has just started to open. This little plant truly amazes me!

I have not had a Viburnum before, and added this Blue Muffin Arrowwood. It has a bad reputation for being a poor producer of the blue berries that it is grown for. We'll see how it does after the blooms are done. So far, I think it is a lovely little shrub.

My odds container continues to grow well. The Tiger Eye Gold Rudbeckia has now joined the others in bloom.

Sunrise Sunset rose is growing on me, as the flowers mature they fade a little and sunglasses are no longer needed for viewing.

You're may be wondering where my 'Gardeners are Lovely People' title came from? It came to mind the other night when I was out for a walk and stopped to admire a gorgeous stand of peonies. The homeowner was outside and I commented on how impressive they are. She asked if I wanted some and immediately snipped some off and handed them to me. It's amazing how a relatively simple gesture from a stranger can really make your day.

Then this morning, I stepped outside and saw this large pot on my step. A friend had offered me some yellow irises recently and they magically appeared! I will have to expand beds to fill them in, but am very excited about them.

There are few other new plants in holding, I found the Shasta 'Becky' (of course I couldn't resist) and was given Rudbeckia 'Indian Summer' and Veronica 'Royal Candles' by a friend (helps to have connections lol).

That's it for now! I'll try to post more often so things don't get so far out of hand. If you've made it this far CONGRATULATIONS! You deserve a prize - how about a yellow iris?

Are you Superstitious?

2010-06-26T08:23:00.000-07:00

Are you Superstitious? My first reaction is 'no, absolutely not'. But then, I do knock on wood regularly and have been known to toss a little salt over my shoulder now and again. I am fond of black cats, neutral towards the number 13, and I absolutely would not walk under a ladder, but that's just for safety reasons.

But I digress. The reason I am thinking of Superstitions is that my first Iris Germanica is in bloom. It is the near black 'Superstition' and is said to be the darkest of the irises. I am completely captivated by this bloom, which stands well over 3 feet tall.

In contrast to the dark flower on light background, here we have a light flower on dark background. A white cosmos. The simple and delightful shape of the bloom makes me smile.

Do you see what I see? One of the blue flax isn't happy with it's expected colour, and has chosen white instead. I think it is trying to gain the attention of the birch it is planted under. The other flowers don't seem to mind. In fact, it makes them appear all the more blue!

My little geranium is blooming well now, this picture reminds me of how badly I need to weed the bed, and that I should't hang a birdfeeder over a flowerbed (this area use to be grass). I had gotten behind on maintaining this bed due to the aggressive Robin. I have a very sad update about him, there were torrential rains & storms here for about 36 hours last week, during which he vanished. I am sad to think of what happened to the eggs (or chicks?) in the nest. Especially given how very hard he tried to protect them.

Stella has just started to bloom! The other daylilies are still setting buds (except Bonanza, which has yet to send up a flower stalk...). The garden hose makes for a nice sculptoral element ;).

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm thrilled with 'Stairway to Heaven'. Could the little blue flowers be any lovelier?

It is doing a good job tying together my problem child bed. The mix with anemones, violas and sweet woodruff is quite pleasing.

The tango wiegela is growing well, although I had to hard prune quite a few branches that didn't make it. The little trumpet flowers are a nice addition to the dark foliage.

Time for Roses! Not sure why I didn't have any before this year. 'Sunrise Sunset' is covered in blooms, they are not quite the colour I had hoped for and are a little shocking, but it seems happy and healthy so it is a welcome addition.

I much prefer the delicate beauty of Morden Sunrise. Although she only has one bloom, it is so very elegant she has already become a favorite. You may notice the few black spots at the bottom of the picture, any advice on how to treat them would be appreciated, since I am a rose newbie.

Here is another favorite, a well established good old fashioned bleeding heart. It is missing some of it's gems due to little hands, but still looks great. It takes up a lot of space, and it somewhat unruly, but I think it adds to it's character.

Enjoy your time In Your Garden! :)

Summer Solstice Bouquet

2010-06-21T10:41:00.000-07:00

Happy Summer Solstice! Here is my bouquet for you, it's the first time I've been able to participate in Noelle's challenge.

This odd little arrangement started with the recue of my lone blue diamond tulip, which had fallen over due to it's immense size. Then I pruned a stem of my purpleleaf sandcherry that was growing along the ground, and the same for a sprig of variegated dogwood & spirea. A lilac stem & a string of hearts and presto, something to put in a vase.

Wishing you a very happy solstice, odd that the days will be getting shorter, as summer is just beginning. It always perplexes me a little.

Flowers & Rainbows

2010-06-16T10:09:00.000-07:00

I didn't quite get organized enough to post on the 15th, so I feel like I'm a day late and a dollar short :O). I also want to apologize for not keeping up with my regular visits to your blogs, things have been a little hectic lately, so I will try to catch up and then keep up. There is a fair bit of garden activity at the moment and I'm happy to share some pics with you.

The polemonium Stairway to Heaven really brightens up a shady bed. The foliage is lovely and the little blue blooms are a nice bonus.

The stars are back! I think my petunias are recovering from their rocky start, at least the star pattern has returned, I thought they might stay solid all summer. Now they just need some sun and 20-20-20 and should get back to normal.

This is a picture of my absolute favorite tree. I know it is a little 'Charlie Brown', but that's what I love about it. It didn't bloom for a few years and I thought it was a crazy volunteer something that would have to go. Then it produced clouds of white blooms and I relized it was a lilac lol! It may have been to short to get some sun over the fence until 3 years ago, it has bloomed ever since. It is tucked (squished!) between the houses, a fence and a gigantic spruce. I really can't imagine that it was planted here on purpose, it can't be viewed from the road or the house, and it's shape is twisted and slanted, trying to get away from the monster spruce just left of the photo. But here it is, and I'm very attached. I'm quite sure it is a Beauty of Moscow, the buds are pink and open to white with some faint pink hues.

And then there is the peony in the shade. I'm sure this one was planted on purpose, it is right between the lilac and spruce (lilac leaves at the bottom of pic), it gets NO direct sun whatsover, but produces about 5 or 6 large dark pink blooms every year. I finally put a ring on it this year so it wouldn't flop. Odd place for a peony, but kind of a nice suprise. It is too large and well established to move, so here it will stay. There is on in even deeper shade nearby which doesn't bloom at all, but surprisingly makes for a lovely foliage plant, who would have thought?

No open blooms yet, but I've pretty excited about my first Iris Germanica, this one is the almost black Superstition. Provided nothing catastrophic happens to it, I should have some blooms to share with you soon.

I finally got my Cosmos planted a few days ago, there are seedlings in the tulip bed as well, but I planted a dozen plants, just in case. Most of the tulips are gone, only a few remain. They look lovely together, it's too bad there isn't more of an overlap.

My planters of odds & ends are blooming quite well. I hadn't really noticed the little yellow centres of the blue lobelia, but it really stands out with thse snapdragons.

My potted strawberries seem happy enough, can you see the little blooms? It has been quite cool here so far, hopefully the dog days of summer will bring them along nicely.

I purchased a Pink Beauty Potentilla last fall, but it didn't survive the winter. Fortunately it was still under warranty so I brought it back for a replacement. Here it is, hopefully this one fares better. These blooms appear rather shy, but aren't they pretty?

The story of my Robin continues. He has mellowed considerably, I suspect the chicks may have hatched. Now when I'm out In The Garden he stays in the nest and doesn't move. It's better than getting dive bombed.

As a result, I was able to take a moment and get some pics of my little plants under the birch. This is the little Dianthus 'Firewitch'.

And my icelandic poppies. Of all the colours in the mix, this is probably the last I would have chosen, but now that it's here I rather like it.

The blue flax just started to bloom, as you can see, I like the background of the white birch behind the blooms.

The weather has been very predictable lately. An evening thunderstorm followed by a sun shower and rainbow. I took a few pictures the other day and they turned out quite well.

And I don't want to forget the dog's container, the petunias are blooming well even with only a little late evening sun.

I can hardly wait for the blues, white and yellows to return. The shastas, false sunflowers and various bellflowers are are growing well and should bloom quite soon. Stella d'oro is setting buds as are some of the other daylilies. I'm pleased that my H.F. Young Clematis made it through the winter, it is growing well and rapidly, but no signs of flowers yet. It feels like a slow start, but I'll take it!

24 hours of new blooms.

2010-06-07T16:36:00.000-07:00

I was away for a mere 24 hours recently, and when I came back there were so many surprises in the garden. I felt like I had been gone for much longer!

I'm very excited about these blooms, most of these are new plants, and have been in my garden for less than a year.

These are the last tulips to bloom, and are called Virichic, I find the colours very pleasing.

My first ever rose!! This little one is on a 'Sunrise Sunset' shrub, it is suppose to have an apricot centre, and be quite a bit bigger, but the plant is young and I'm tickled pink that it's happy enough to produce a bloom. Lots of buds are setting, so there may be a size/colour variation.

I am very happy with this plant, Gentian Speedwell 'Barbara Sherwood', the flower spikes are striking, and are blooming very well, even in the shade.

Here is a closer look at the blooms, each is very pretty, white/pale blue with slightly darker blue lines etched across the petals. An added bonus to this lovely plant is the evergreen foliage year round.

I planted a few little blue violas in the border of the bed last year, along with my standby Sweet Woodruff, they make a nice pair and both are very well behaved.

Another beauty in the front bed is the Snowdrop Anemone, also performing well in the shade. I just planted one in a sunny spot, it'll be interesting to compare growth & blooms.

I moved some lamium into the bed last year too, it seems to have taken root well. I don't ever recall blooms before, it looks like there will be some pink ones very soon. I like the way the leaves look in the shade.

I haven't planted these Cosmos yet, but they are blooming in their little trays. I plan to put them in the tulip bed & I am hoping they will self seed, just wondering what your experiences have been?

Here are my new icelandic poppies 'Champagne Bubbles' they are in the miniatures bed under the birch tree. There is a robin's nest in the tree, and the dad is VERY aggresive towards intruders. I've been screamed at, dive bombed and pooped on, so the next few pics were taken rather hastily.

This adorable groundcover is a type of baby's breath. I'm sure the planting tag said 'Mouse Ears', but I can't find any reference to it anywhere. The little leaves do look like mouse ears, and the flowers are adorable.

Sea Thrift has just started to bloom. It has a reputation of being extremely low maintenance and thriving on neglect. Great qualities in a plant, in my opinion.

My globeflower is an early bloomer. The little yellow balls are so bright and adorable, I'm very happy with this late 2009 addition.

Jacob's Ladder is blooming beautifully. I'd love to tuck them into more beds but won't crowd them since they are prone to mildew. You can see how much earlier they are compared to others in the beds (shastas, heliopsis, asters, bellflowers...).

Here are some more of the gift irises, they came in a variety of colours and are so charming. I may have to move them since they are at the back of a bed (they were at the front, til it expanded), and being dwarfs are hard to see. On the other hand, they are kind of a nice surprise when having a close look around...

My white bleeding heart has not produced very many blooms this year, but they are so very pretty. I suspect more time for growth/maturation is needed (and I have promised not to relocate again).

Many of my shrubs seem a little sparse, and with quite a few dead branches. I suspect it has to do with the terrible fall (heavy snow in Oct), and then the recent cold snap. I had to replace my pink potentilla, and some heavy pruning will be needed elsewhere. 2 of my weigelas are only growing from the bottom, same goes for the hydrangeas. I'll wait before pruning back.

The perennials seem to have fared better. All 3 (free!) Ostrich Ferns are back, as are all of the hostas although they are quite slow. The clematis is growing well and my little dwarf balloon flower at the base has just emerged. I hope to find some more this year to add, in order to keep the clematis roots nice & cool.

Oh, and a question for all of you. Remember my 'Blue Star' petunias? They were quite stressed/leggy after being in the trays in my house for a month, which reminds me I really need to fertilize them. Anyhow, they are starting to bloom, but the blooms are all solid blue/purple. This happens occasionally to a flower here or there, but it seems wisepread. I don't know if this is a stress response? I really hope to have the star pattern this summer.

Tulips & Lilacs

2010-06-02T17:57:00.000-07:00

(In keeping with the Wordless Wednesday meme, I have decided not to add any descriptions of the tulips & lilacs, but if anyone is interested in finding out what varieties they are I'd be happy to provide the info. :) )

The Containers are Planted!

2010-05-31T10:01:00.000-07:00

I got the containers planted over the May long weekend, but am a little behind with posts (I've been photographing containers, lilacs & tulips and couldn't figure out which to put together!).

Here are my containers of Blue Star Petunias and trailing lobelia (white & blue), I lined them up side by side for quick planting...

And then set them into the wall. They grow well here with just morning sun, the petunias get nice & tall and the lobelia trails over the wall. In the daff bed below I planted some Tiger Eye Gold Rudbeckia and Yellow Snapdragons, I bought too many so...

I planted a few extra containers for the sunroom wall, there are some blue lobelia tucked in as well.

I always do a barrel planter with the same plants as the wall containers (blue star etc), and a Dracaena for height.

Remember my 3 matching pots? I've planted romaine lettuce into the big one, patio tomatoes in middle one, and soem strawberries into the little one. I don't think they get enough sun tucked into the corner here, but I haven't found a great spot for them yet.

I thought I was done, but then found a Tomatoberry plant at a hardware store, I remember seeing an article in a magazine about this new plant, and it looks very pretty. I suspect this pot will be too small, I'll find a better home for it later on.

Does this count as container planting? I like having a cedar in a pot on the porch. I tried to dig last years in at the end of the season, but it didn't make it through the winter.

Here is an orange Thunbergia, all ready to get climbing. I can't wait to see the happy & plentiful flowers.

And lastly, I really liked these Pink Dreams Petunias, and have this extra pot which floats around my yard, I put perennials needing TLC in it occasionally, but it's generally underused. Now it's planted and beautifying the side door into the dog yard.

'Wait! What are we doing here??'

2010-05-28T14:08:00.000-07:00

Backstory; Sir Mulch a lot and I don't get out much. We have a small herd of youngsters, and the planets only occasionally align for an outing without them. Today was such a day. It was somewhat last minute and we picked a spot for brunch (which happens to be near my favorite garden centre..do you see where this is going??).

I had already mentioned that I wanted to swing by there, but I'm not sure that it registered - blocked out perhaps? So after bruch I drove over to the garden centre. Hubby couldn't find his wallet before we left so I was the only one carrying a license. Coincidence?...

As we pulled into the parking lot he exclaimed 'Wait! What are we doing here??'. My reply 'I just want to have a quick look around'. Well, truth be told it wasn't terribly quick. I grabbed a few perennials and asked about 'King of Blacks' Dianthus, but couldn't find any with the other hardy carnations. I then headed over to the trees to look for a replacement for my ailing Blue Arrow Juniper. As I was tree shopping, a woman came running over with a few King of Blacks, they had found some tucked away (I love it when that happens).

I also picked up another white Carpathian bellflower (can't have too many) a snowdrop anemone for the new bed and an Edith Wolford bearded Iris (sorry Shady, I know I said I didn't have room but after a dahlia disaster I needed a filler - quick). Here's my haul for the day:

Do you have the same vice as I do? I figure as far as vices go, this isn't a bad one to have.

All roads lead to the garden centre.

Nikka Yuko Japanese Gardens.

2010-05-25T07:48:00.000-07:00

We have a lovely, tranquil Japanese Garden in our City, Nikka Yuko. It is so very restful, the babbling brook water sounds are a pleasure to listen to. Here are some pictures from this weekend, it was drizzling lightly so I didn't have the camera out much, but wanted to share these with you...

The winding pathways are very inviting.

A closeup of the blooms, I don't know what kind of tree this is.

A series of footbridges over the meandering brook takes you from the top of the garden to the bottom.

Sculptoral elements add beauty and interest.

This stone pathway set in the grass is fun to walk on,

and look! I found a heart that isn't broken. ;)

Restful scenes all around. It is wonderful that the gardens are surrounded by mature trees, enclosing the space so effectively.

I really like this sculpture.

Waterfalls always draw in the eye. This one looks fairly unassuming now but in the fall is surrounded by vibrant colours.

Many of the trees were pruned in the Japanese style I like the way this one is layered along the hillside.

I hope you enjoyed the visit!

Wordless Wednesday: Broken Hearts

2010-05-19T14:03:00.000-07:00

With the sun, comes so much new growth.

2010-05-18T10:12:00.000-07:00

I'm noticing changes almost by the hour now, so there's lots to blog about.

I can't believe how pretty the Crimson King Norway Maple is at the moment, the leaves are such a vibrant red colour, and since they're still so small it reminds me a little of a Japanese Maple.

I finally got my little signs distributed in appropriate spots In The Garden.

Here is a surprise tulip, the only one in the bed. I didn't think there were any tulips left here, but you never know what will come up.

I'm always happy to see the Ivory Halo Dogwood in the spring, I really love this shrub, it is gorgeous in the shade and is very reliable. It is just starting to leaf out, but should be full & lush soon.

The lilac shrub is getting ready to open, it was 1/2 in the sun 1/2 in the shade this morning, so I took this picture. I like the way it turned out.

Here are a few tulips which just opened, they are from my 'blue' mix, although the darker ones have yet to open. I like the pretty edges on this one, and the interesting shape of the one below...

The Polemonium is setting nice flower buds. After reading Northern Shade's warning about powdery mildew, I gave it a strict talking to and told it that if it misbehaved, it would have to go. Pretty blue flowers or not. We'll see what happens...

And here are some little dwarf arctic (?) irises I was given by a friend last year. It's nice to see them come up & bloom.

I'll buy the rest of my bedding plants today and get the containers planted this weekend. So glad the warm weather is finally here!

(Can anyone tell me if my pictures are decent? I have to lower the image size to about 500kb due to my slow connection and since I only work on a netbook now the images I see are quite small. I use a very basic camera and am not looking for professional type pics, but want them to at least be reasonably clear. Tx)

A Glorious GBBD in May.

2010-05-15T13:44:00.001-07:00

I'm very pleased to finally be able to participate in GBBD on this 15th of May, it was an absoltuely glorious day here with temps well into the 20s, it felt much warmer though - even the thermometer thought so!

I planted some species tulips last fall for the first time and am amazed by how very lovely they are. This one is 'Eastern Star', I will buy more next fall and add 'Little Beauty' as well. They close at night, or in the rain and have the most vibrant colours and a lovely shape.

My poor little PJM Compact Rhodo is hanging in there, but I think this is the only bloom for this year. I have tried ammending the soil, providing more sun and giving it lots of TLC, but I can't seem to get it to grow.

The Double Flowering Plum (Prunus triloba 'multiplex') has popped. The blooms remind me of pink popcorn and it is a favorite of bees at the moment.

Not in bloom yet, but getting there. This is my new tulip bed of whites, pinks, 'blues' & purples, I hope it doesn't disappoint. I was hoping it would flower at the same time as the Purpleleaf Sandcherry at the back of the bed, but I think the tulips will be first. We'll see what happens...

I just planted the peony 'Festiva Maxima' in the spot of the unfortunate (ie badly damaged) hydrangea. It will get a ton of sun, but some dappled shade as well. All of the soil fell away during planting, so I lost track of what the depth should be. I find peonies stressful in that regard, I hope I got it right. I so look forward to the white buds/blooms with the little splash of red.

Dicentra spectabilis has hearts! Many around town in full sun appear fully grown, but in my shady beds things take longer to get going.

I like the was these 2 hearts look together. This picture was taken at a different time of day, which may explain why the leaf colour looks so different.

I'm pretty excited to see what 'Barbara Sherwood' (Gentian Speedwell) does next. There appear to be flower heads forming. It has lovely evergreen foliage and seems to like (or at least tolerate) the shade.

Here are some 'Pink Parasol' Narcissus. They are rather short, and not terribly pink, but I am pleased with them regardless. In the foreground is my rescued peony from last year, I think it likes it's new, sunnier location.

I also planted the moss phlox a few days ago. Here it is with the new blue dwarf lilac in the new bed. If by some miracle the bloom times align next year, it will make a nice pairing.

A few May Flowers.

2010-05-12T10:26:00.000-07:00

Not too much happening here yet, but I wanted to share these few blooms with you. Cool Flame narcissus is somewhat paler than I expected, but they may darken somewhat now that they are open. It could be the cold weather affected their colour development, but hopefully they will naturalize and return next year.

The Double Flowering Plum is just getting ready to burst, a few flowers have 'popped' already, I hope to have lots more over the next week.

Little Vinca minor is a lovely groundcover here, and has a few charming blue flowers. This one was taken in the 'set the camera on the ground & hope for the best' style of photography.

Do you think it's time for the canoe?

2010-05-05T09:43:00.000-07:00

(for canoe reference, see my previous post...)

Birthday Bed Complete!

2010-05-03T08:29:00.000-07:00

The week started with a big sigh of relief, when I was able to find some Blue Star Petunias, I went to a (gasp) different garden centre, and they had a few. I couldn't leave them and risk not being able to find them again, so I brought home 24 plants. I'm not exactly sure what to do with them, other than hope they don't grow too much or get too stressed over the next few weeks.

Later in the week we were under a blizzard warning, I have lost tulips to this before, so this time I took protective measures. Canoes come in handy for things other than boating. We only got a light dusting of snow, so it wasn't actually needed, but you just never know what you're going to wake up to!

What do you answer when someone asks 'what do you want for your birthday?', standard reply: 'more plants' (which were purchased last weekend). Then the work began....

And was more or less completed the next day. The shape didn't turn out exactly as I had envisioned, and will need a little reshaping, but overall I am pleased with it. So far, there are the shrubs Coralberry 'Amethyst', Blue Muffin Arrowwood, a dwarf lilac, 2 rose bushes, the peony 'bowl of beauty', Miss Lucy Asiatic Lily, & a rescued Shasta from the (now dog area of the) backyard. I think the moss phlox and a dahlia will be planted here too, as well as some white daffs with yellow trumpets next fall (put here as note to self).

As you can see, a strip of grass was left between the bed and the driveway/sidewalk. Two of the shrubs were dug in last fall (just into little circles), and I discovered that the grass made a very effective berm of sorts, to keep mulch/moisture in. I know it looks a little goofy, but until I come up with a good border system I will leave it in place. The problem is I don't like most borders, or at least not once they start to shift or wear. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, I like bangchik's coconut husk border, but I don't think it would work in my zone ;). Now we just need to find a way to get rid of the sod squares, and things will be looking good.

This is the bed that I made last fall, you can see it in bloom here. Although not large, I am getting a lot of enjoyment from it, and I hope it does well this summer.

2 out of 3 of my Hydrangeas are ok, and as I have been told by my blogging friends, they are late to start, and the buds will emerge from the bottom (pictured below). One of them is in very poor shape, the crown in split down the middle. I don't know if it will recover, I'll leave it for a few months an then may replace it with another.

The daffodils are starting, I believe this one is the impressive Dutch Master.

The smallest garden helper went shopping with me yesterday, and chose these violas. I'm not sure where they will go, so they will stay in the pot for a little while.

Happy Gardening!

Wishlist 2010 Update, Many Found!

2010-04-26T07:50:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I went to the Garden Centre in search of fertilizer for some young shrubs. It has been very quiet there all winter, but this time parking lot was FULL and as I approached I realized there were PLANTS in the outdoor section. Loads of them!! Rows of trees & shrubs, and tables covered in perennials! I thought 'it's too early, I'm going to wait to buy anything. But I'll just check if my wishlist plants are here.' Many of them were, and I was afraid of missing out on them, so I grabbed a cart and started loading up. I did remember to buy fertilizer, it is sitting on the bottom level.

From my Wishlist, I found the Peonies 'Bowl of Beauty' and 'Festiva Maxima', Little Boy Blue Lilac, the shrub Roses 'Morden Sunrise' and 'Sunrise Sunset'. I also bought some Moss Phlox in 'Emerald Cushion Blue', a white Daylily 'Gentle Shepherd' (I knew they would become addictive)an Icelandic Poppy 'Champagne Bubbles' and another Fairy Thimble Bellflower, they are one of my favorite plants.

Here is a closeup of Sunrise Sunset...

..and a few of the others.

I realized I spent more time in the shrub section than the perennials, and forgot to look for a Jack Frost Brunnera, so I went back, and luckily there were 3 of them. Then I went to do some returns at a hardware store, and of course, browsed the garden section. I have been on the lookout for the perfect gnome/gargoyle for 2 years, but they are either to scary, to silly, too big or too small (sounds like a Dr Seuss book!). As I was exiting past the fountains, I stopped, backed up and looked in behind a large birdbath, and there he was. There were 2 but the other was darker in colour and more sinister looking, and I decided he would frighten me on a regular basis. So off we went to the self checkout and I put him in the back of the car with Jack Frost. Now I need to find a sheltered spot for him, tucked away in the garden somewhere.

I have very few openings left for new plants, which means more grass will have to go. As much as I'd like to start planting right away, I think I will wait for a few weeks, so I can keep the plants sheltered if needed. This way too, grass can be removed slowly, and will hopefully be less backbreaking.

I have a new plant finding mission now. My cherished 'Blue Star Petunias' are not going to be available this year ( :( ), so I will call garden centres near & far to try and find some. I have tried other annuals in boxes, but am never happy with the way they look.

Here's a question for all of you avid gardeners. I would like to have a low hedge (3ft?) between our front yard and the neighbours, but rather than a formal shrub hedge, I am thinking of planting a row of Heliopsis helianthoides. I think it would be bright and interesting, and not a terrible amount of work. Is such a thing ever done or am I breaking yet another gardening rule?

One last picture, here is the Dicentra from my last post, with an additional 7 days of growth. If you scroll down they can easily be compared.

Spring Growth.

2010-04-23T10:16:00.000-07:00

Things are picking up here, and the rate of growth is increasing exponentially. Some moisture and sun, and the plants are as happy as can be. Here is one of my Dicentra spectabilis, this picture was from a few days ago, and it looks much bigger already.

This lovely foliage is Gentian Speedwell 'Barbara Sherwood', I bought it late last season, and have not seen the white/blue flower spikes yet, but the evergreen foliage is a nice addition to the shady bed.

I am tickled pink (pun intended) about the flower buds all over these Double Flowering Plums (Prunus triolba 'multiplex'), we have lived here for 7 years, and they have only bloomed well once. In fact, I had booked them for removal last summer, but changed my mind at the last minute. I'm so looking forward to them being in full bloom.

I hope the tiny PJM Compact Rhododendron follows suit, it hasn't bloomed for a few years, since it is *very* borderline hardy. It seems to have nice flower buds, I hope they are viable.

My 5 year old Blue Fox Willow (Salix brachycarpa 'Blue Fox' ), is looking very nice, it had a hard summer last year, being ravaged by black aphids and then my brutal pruning attempt, I hope it has a good year and recovers/fills in well. It was planted to commemorate a special feline, so I am extra fond of it.

And here is a gratuitous picture of the yellow Daisy, she enjoys doing daily garden rounds with me.

The most advanced growth is still the little hedge, (how I wish it was curved like the one Deborah has recently shown us). Sir Mulch A Lot and I just need to agree on how tall it should be.

The new 'Blizzard' Mockorange seems to have survived it's first winter here, I hope it produces many deliciously scented blooms this summer.

Drumroll please.....I finally figured out how to use the Macro setting on my little point & shoot. I'm VERY pleased at how this picture of an emerging lilac flower bud turned out. Pocohontas has lovely deep purple blooms, with the usual intoxicating scent. The 2 white lilacs are a little further behind, just starting to open to green buds, which didn't photograph well.

Why didn't I know about daylilies sooner? The name deceived me, I thought their beauty would be fleeting and I remember Martha Stewart saying something about how they 'should be planted in drifts of at least 200 for full effect, since their bloomtime is rather brief'. So, I would skip the daylily section all together. Anyhow, I find they bloom very well, each flower lasting for more than a day and another one ready and waiting to take it's place, and the foliage is beautiful. I planted 8 last year, and can see becoming a collector of these beauties.

Here is the little Globeflower Trollius x cultorum 'Lemon Queen', I'm so pleased it survived it's first winter as well.

The Peachleaf Bellflower has the loveliest clusters of foliage, I've only seen blooms in pictures, but I'm really looking forward to them. Look at the little baby clusters in the parent plant, how cute is that??

Belladonna has also returned. It was a sad sprig last year (end of season clearance) that died shortly after planting. I didn't think she'd be back, but suprise! These leaves recently emerged.

I planted so many new perennials last year, and although I catalogued them carefully, I am seeing all kinds of little new leaves popping up here and there, from plants I had forgotten about. It will be an exciting season, provided I can keep them from getting trampled by little feet or paws.

Everyone is looking pretty good, although the 3 hydrangeas, 2 of the 3 Weigelas, the Dwarf Burning Bush, the Pink Potentilla and the Group B Clematis are still rather crispy, but perhaps less so than last week. My 2 year old Blue Arrow Juniper looks terrible, it did last year too and then recovered somewhat, if it doesn't pick up I might replace it with the interesting DeGroots Spire Cedar.

Some of the daffs are sending up their flower stalks, so I hope to have more spring bulbs pictures for you soon.

After the snow.

2010-04-18T15:28:00.000-07:00

The garden has recovered quickly, fortunately it didn't take temperatures long to climb to the mid teens so the vast majority of the snow is gone. The crocuses survived being buried, it was nice to see them again. The whites came on quickly after the snow.

The garden is waking up, albeit rather slowly. Many perennials are now producing many new shoots, but the trees and shrubs are still at the bud stage. I am a little worried about my 3 hydrangeas, they seem very brittle still and I wonder if they made it through the winter?

WEEPING Birch, et al.

2010-04-14T08:06:00.000-07:00

Weeping Birch

Weeping Spruce

Weeping Flowering Plum

Weeping Cedar

Over a foot of snow fell overnight. The heavy, wet, hard to drive in & hard to shovel type.

The tulip bed is quite sheltered, so not a terrible amount of accumulation, but where are the crocuses?

The power is out throughout most of the city,

cars are stuck everywhere,
and all schools have declared a snow day.

Spring! Please come back!

Wordless Wednesday: Glow

2010-04-07T22:16:00.000-07:00

First Blooms of 2010!

2010-03-31T16:12:00.000-07:00

Houston, we have flowers! The crocuses are in bloom, and it is so lovely to see them. The dark purple are the first up, they seem to be a little more vigorous than the other colours, and are my personal favorite.

These pictures are for Northern Shade. Here is a crocus in the lawn, I lifted a few patches of sod last fall and tossed in a few handfuls of mixed small bulbs to see what would happen. I love the look of flowers in the grass, and if it goes well I will plant more later this year. So far, so good.

These are some new shoots of Jacob's Ladder (Polemonium caeruleum), I think their shape is absolutely adorable.

Also new this week are the first shrub leaves In The Garden, on the little cotoneaster hedge. I really like the way this photograph turned out. The lilacs & willow look like they aren't too far behind.

Here, Old Fashioned Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spectabilis) is emerging...

...as is D.spectabilis 'alba'. I was quite relieved to see it growing since I had moved no less than 3 or 4 times since planting it last summer. I think I finally found the perfect spot for it.

And here is a mini rose that I recently brought home, I really like the blended pink/apricot colour, they remind me of the lovely 'Morden Sunrise' that I hope to add this year. If I can keep these growing, I will plant them in my Miniature Garden, which you can see here, it is the one around the Weeping Birch.

(Why won't blogger let me add spaces between words & pictures? It looks ok in the preview but then when I 'Publish Post' it squishes them together :/)

A visit to a Glasshouse: The Enmax Conservatory

2010-03-29T08:07:00.001-07:00

I much prefer the term glasshouse and despite being from Canada, I have decided to adopt it. (I may also switch to 'Ladybird' at some point, since it is so lovely.)

We recently spent some time at the Calgary Zoo, and visited the newly rebuilt Enmax Conservatory in the Dorothy Harvie Gardens. Here are a few pictures for you. The Butterfly Garden was still under development (ie being planted) and no butterflies yet. I hope to see them next time. They were filling in areas with colourful hydrangeas and lilies for Easter.

The tropical plants in the main part of the Conservatory were lush and healthy, and I really enjoy the combination of temperature, humidity and great earthy scents.

This palm was tall and beautiful, but upon closer examination looks very unfriendly with it's large and numerous spikes.

A nice grouping.

Beautiful colours on a large Copper Leaf

These fan shaped leaves were HUGE, and very impressive.

A nice Bromeliad, they always look somewhat prehistoric to me.

(Wordless) Wednesday: New...

2010-03-24T13:25:00.000-07:00

New Growth:

Sweet William

Iris germanica 'Superstition'

Sedum 'Autumn Joy'

Linum perenne 'blue sapphire' (flax)

Dwarf Iris

Dahila 'Edinburgh'

New Lattice Panels

for supervised containment of..

New Dog Daisy (she came with the name - honest).

Oops! Forgot to upload Daylily 'Raspberry Pixie'.

Pretty Dancing Butterfly Plant

2010-03-21T10:32:00.000-07:00

I took a trip to my favorite Garden Centre yesterday with Little Helper #1. As we were walking through the greenhouse a woman passed us carrying a plant. Little Helper exclaimed 'it lookes like a pretty dancing butterfly plant', so we went off in search of one. Here is Oxalis - Purple Shamrock, and it really does look like butterflies, the thin stalks sway at the slightest bit of air movement.

The pale lilac coloured flowers are a very dainty addition.

Oriental lily Miss Lucy also came home with us, and will be planted at the end of April (I'm putting that here as a reminder to self!)

Yesterdays first day of spring walkabout was rewarding, I didn't think the daffs would be emerging yet, but they are. Some are old, and some are new - it's especially nice to see new bulbs as I always worry about location/depth/inadequate soil drainage, so it's nice to know the bulbs survived the winter.

I have an old bed with a mix of green & burgundy shoots. I'm not sure what is causing this, it's possible that the dark ones are old tulips.

Hopefully from the little shoots, will come something like this...

I purchased this Calla recently, I just adore the shape of the blooms and although white is my favorite, the pink blush is very appealing.

This handcrafted daisy found it's way home with me a few days ago. It was made at a facility where physically and mentally handicapped adults operate a garden centre and gift shop, tending to the plants and making beautiful garden art (trellises from old windows, colourful birdhouses, welcome signs etc..) Now I need to find the right spot for it In The Garden.

Freaky Monday - Buchart Gardens & Area

2010-03-15T10:06:00.000-07:00

I just can't wait until Friday to share these pictures with you! They were taken by Mr. In The Garden, he recently spent a day Victoria and I sent him armed with my back up camera and the instructions 'take some pictures for my blog'. I think they turned out beautifully.

There's nothing quite like a naturalized field of daffodils, I wish we had the climate to grow this here.

Tress are in bloom everywhere.

This is a camelia that I purchased some years ago as a gift, it seems to be growing well.

And here are some pictures from Butchart Gardens, this is the famous 'Sunken Garden',

And some pictures of indoor displays,

I really like the round water feature shown below.

Dance of Joy! Signs of Spring.

2010-03-07T20:38:00.000-08:00

There were definite signs of spring today! The first were some ladybugs in a sunny part of the yard, it was wonderful to see them again.

Next, I was walking up my front walkway, and you could have knocked me over with a feather when I noticed this next sign of spring. A crocus (a few actually) are starting to peek through. I'm so excited about this new bed, and look forward to seeing how it develops over it's first year.

I investigated the area a little further, and saw that my 'problem child' bed is slowly melting. I had completely forgotten that I moved some lamium into it last year, so it made for a pleasant surprise.

A little ways away, Sweet Woodruff is also emerging.

I had been worried about this little globe cedar, it had become frozen into ice in a terribly contorted and flattened state, and I didn't know if it would recover. It looked as if the branches might be damaged. Now it is free of winters clutches and is looking remarkably well.

I searched the area for more crocuses, and found a few. Then I came across these lovely shoots. I suspect it is a snowdrop. I have never planted them before, so it is especially nice to see them.

Let's hope it isn't too early for this new growth, I hope to have pictures of blooms to share with you fairly soon. I realize that the pictures here are primarily brown, and may not be much to get excited about, but perhaps you can see what I see?

Meconopsis seeds & Dahlia bulbs.

2010-03-06T07:51:00.000-08:00

Those of you who follow my blog may know that I have the rule of thumb to not start seedlings indoors, for various reasons.

But sometimes things change. For example, this arrived in the mail the other day:

Leaving me with a mixed feeling of excitement and anxiety, in approximately equal parts. I am trying to decide the best method for stratification, so I will be searching your blogs for tips.

Leading to the purchase of a few items...

And then 3 Edinburgh Dahlias, just beacause. I rememeber seeing them in some of your blogs last fall (Lona? Catherine?) and falling for them. I have NO IDEA how to grow them, so any advice would be appreciated.

I hit the jackpot finding these great pots when out shopping at a discount houseware shop the other day. I think they will be lovely for a childs potted vegetable garden (patio tomatoes, strawberries and maybe green onions, chives or parsley).

Another great gardening find today was the 2010 plant list catalogue from my local centre, which I am mulling over with a fine toothed comb. My want list for this year has already grown considerably. Cool Splash Dwarf Honeysuckle (Diervilla sessilifolia 'LPDC Podaras') is a gorgeous white/green variegated shrub, and I have been impressed with pictures of Incrediball Hydrangea, but the description of 'Big blooms emerge lime green, change to pure white and mature to green' has my heart racing, since I love both green and white blooms. Now where am I going to put them all?

It feels like gardening season is starting, albeit slowly. Probably 10 weeks or so til it's time to plant annuals, but I have a bag of Sunshine Mix ready & waiting ( I swear these have become much heavier over the years!)

Happy Gardening, or at least Garden planning!

March is finally here!

2010-03-01T21:44:00.000-08:00

We had glorious weather today to welcome the new month. I always enjoy March, it is a month of many changes and seems shorter than 28 (/29) day February. We were in the double digits today, and it was so enjoyable to spend time at a local park. I *think* the buds on my lilacs are starting to green. I look forward to the upcoming growth.

I tend to stay off of paths, and find tree lined walks through the park.

The sky was an amazing colour, this picture doesn't do it justice.

Seed Giveaway!

2010-02-28T14:22:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post today to let you know that I received some seeds by mistake, and can't find a place to grow them so I thought I'd offer them to my blogging friends. They are of Lychnis chalcedonica in Dusky Salmon (aka Maltese Cross), hardy from Zone 4-10 and grow to a height of 3-4 feet. They are perennial, and can sometimes reseed a little too freely. Leave a message here if you'd like them, and I'll try to contact you & send them your way. ~Rebecca

A Mixed Post.

2010-02-21T20:12:00.000-08:00

Are you like me? Can you not go shopping without browsing the garden section of a store? I was recently at a department store, looking for bedding and other items. I soon found myself in the garden section, which is quite bare given the time of year. I was chatting with a friend on the phone (I don't usually talk & shop since it is somewhat tacky, but anyhow...) and I had to end the call by saying 'I've got to let you go, I don't have a cart and I have to carry 2 Innuksuks and a house plant to the checkout'. Pause. Reply 'Ummmm, Rebecca, you do realize you're shopping for your garden in FEBRUARY?'. 'Yes, I know, you see since I can't buy plants for outside at least I can buy lawn ornaments'.

Aren't they nice? I've been on the lookout for them for 5 years, long before they were 'cool' to have (thank you 2010 Olympics), but couldn't find ones that were just right. I will leave the big one in the back, and probably move the small one to the front.

Then I visited my usual garden centre. Probably prompted by guilt form shopping at a box store. I came home with this Norfolk Pine:

I think spring may be on it's way. The sun felt warmer, and the angle has shifted such that some parts of the garden that have been in the dark all winter are finally seeing the light of day. Here is a little video clip from today with some sounds of spring.

And on a sad note, although I have made it a rule to never post pictures I haven't taken, I will make this one exception. You see, someone who I met online was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer, and has ceased treatment. I did not know she was an avid gardener until recently, lilacs are her favorite. I will be planting a Wonderblue lilac this summer, and will now dedicate it to her. Since it is far too early for blooms in my garden, here is a picture for you to see. I had saved it some time ago for my records, so I can't even give a proper photocredit.

Snow White are the 7 Blooms

2010-02-16T09:29:00.000-08:00

To round out my colour spectrum I will add this post in white, I promise that this will be the last 'recycled' post, I hope to have some new material soon.

The blanket of white snow everywhere has me thinking of white blooms. Here are seven from my garden.

Hydrangea paniculata 'Unique'

Hosta 'Royal Standard'

Dianthus 'Arctic Fire' (Pinks)

Campanula carpatica 'alba'

Physostegia virginiana (Obedient plant, doesn't grow well for me, so not living up to it's name.)

Anemone sylvestris 'Snowdrop'

Shasta Daisy, unsure of the variety, any guesses? My others are the rounded 'snowcap' and I prefer this one.