Maybe if we ask nicely, we could get a bit of rain?

The yards and yards of organic matter I've added to the beds over the years appear to have evaporated along with any moisture. When I was out weeding yesterday, the soil fell away from the roots like a little cloud of dust. While the sandy soil makes for easy digging and great drainage, during patches of dry weather, I really have to make sure that any new additions get the water they need.

This new Cornus alternifolia 'Golden Shadows' (last year) appears to be a water pig. Yesterday afternoon the pretty little gold and green leaves were hanging straight down.

Look at this lovely wisteria - I know in southern climates they can be a real nuisance, but for us, the blossoms are a celebration. Even though we had a really tough winter the flower buds came through big time. It's just such a romantic looking vine.

Here are the most immense tulips by the hospital down the street. These gorgeous pink/white blossoms are bigger than my hand.

I love Allium -especially the nice big purple ones. However, have yet to find a good partner to hide the scruffy leaves. Saw a mass planting in Toronto where the city had combined a short spirea with them - looked very handsome, but not the look I'm after at home.

A seeding success - a very sweet little Thermopsis fabacea. Not quite as chartreusey as Thermopsis villosa that is about 2.5 weeks away from blooming.

I went back to my Gardens North seed description for T. fabacea:

"A handsome and long-lived plant native to Kamchatka and the Kurile Islands. Yellow flowers in an erect, axilliary raceme emerging from the leaf axils. The leaves are broadly elliptic to obovate. The axils of the plant often have short spines. This species is a brighter yellow and taller than many of the other species. Highlighted in a past Horticulture Magazine in a list of "Heroic Performers". Very drought tolerant once established"

And, as you might have guessed, my Google for the day was "Kamchatka" which is located in Russia's far east. I suspect this plant may be as close as I'll ever get to being there.


Can you guess what this is? If you can, you're better than I am. The only reason I know is that I took the photo....

Here it is, my favourite Hosta - H. montana macrophylla - I've got it here to hide the uglies of the tulips - unfortunately it grows so tall, it looks as if the last blossoms of the tulips are about to drown.

And, with all this glorious weather, some of our not so welcome guests have re-appeared too. Here's a crane fly having a little rest. In many areas they can completely wreck a lawn - they lay their eggs and the offspring have a complete root buffet - leaving behind a big patch of brown ugly lawn.

I've been spared much damage in the past - hoping this little creature decided to go across the street where they've applied more fertilizer and the lawn is oh-so-much more green and yummy.