Discoveries on the Garden Floor

It's been a weekend full of friends, family and food - an all-round excellent time. Have managed to get into the garden for several hours each day - still a little daunted by all the work that remains - but I am making progress.


Very weird discovery yesterday. On the pea-gravel pathway I found five gigantic bumblebees dead within a 1 foot square area. I've never found anything like that before. Almost looked like a bar-room brawl gone bad. Went back this a.m. to take a shot, and just two carcasses remained. Obviously the other three were carted off.


Have stuffed this post with a bunch of shots just so you can see the floral action in the garden. Not all photo fabulous - but all are a page in what's happening just now. For instance, here's one from the woodland section of the garden - our official Ontario Provincial flower Trillium grandiflorum. Will have to figure out when the sun comes around to that side of the house to see if I can get a little more light on it. There's nothing prettier than seeing an old forest floor dotted with these lovely white blossoms.

And Dicentra 'Gold Heart' - I think that this plant is just a party in a pot.

Two of the pretty blue-blossomed plants - wind blowing - focus not perfect, but what the heck - Here is Brunnera macrophylla and I fear the only Brunnera that may have made it through the winter - several of the newer variegated varieties including 'Jack Frost' and company appear to be M.I.A.

This is Omphalodes verna it is a runner and spreads a fair bit. However, with pretty blue flowers like this, it is an easy and well appreciated pass-along plant.

Well, here are the tulips again. Still don't look like the catalogue photos, so I'm not sure about the i.d., but they're so pretty, it just doesn't matter.

The shocking red orange are T. praestans 'Fusilier'. I'm a real sucker for a multi-stemmed tulip.

And, of course that pretty yellow import from Europe, Taraxacum officionale. Such a bright yellow colour, and found in so many unexpected places!

Here's my little white azalea - not lots of bloom, but what there is - is very pretty.

Fortunately the squirrels left a few quince blossoms behind for me to enjoy.

Because of all the shade in my garden, I'm a big fan of Carex - this is 'Ice Dancer' popping up through last year's spent blades.

C. 'Bowles Golden' coming along in my front bed.Nothing like spending the weekend on my knees to appreciate the little early blossoms of the C. velebit humilis. I've misplaced the tag for this wonderful Epimedium - a great buy from the Royal Botanical Gardens many years ago - and for the folks who are able - this year's sale is this week!

This is Ipomopsis rubra - my unofficial Dr. Seuss plant, cool leaves, shocking red orange flowers. After a quick internet check (so you know the next bit of information must be rock solid) it seems that this biennial is native to Texas. I purchased mine from Belinda at Triffids, had one season of continuous blossom - and then was over the moon to find it had seeded. Figuring it might be a bit iffy coming from such a warm climate I left all of the little volunteers. And much to my surprise, they all made it. May have to be a bit careful about letting them go to seed this summer...if this is what I get from just one plant.....scroll down to the next photo: each little bit of green poof is an Ipomopsis.

and that's just one garden - the first shot was taken in another.

Below, more plants to pass along - Polygonatum odoratum 'Variegatum'.

Never knew that the petals of Lamium flowers looked liked old fashioned parchment note paper.

The grass is in relatively good shape - unfortunately we spread compost/manure that must have been full of chick weed. With the ban on chemicals, I'm really thinking there's a lot of lawn that's going to have to be something else entirely over the next few years....but in the interim, if anyone has an idea other than raking and pulling to get the chick weed out, I'd really appreciate it!

All sorts of ferns are popping up - I believe this is Athyrium 'Lady in Red'.

A fern that came with the garden....

Here's my Adiantum pedatum - sort of feel I've photographed my dear Maidenhair in her lingerie

I'd been quite proud of the fact that I'd successfully wintered over Heuchera villosa that I'd grown from seed. It was completely evergreen until it wasn't. However, fear not, I see a wee speck of green toward the bottom of the frame!

And on that scruffy note - I promise to post tomorrow.