Lawns and Edges and Some Flowers for the Soul

Today I dragged out the pusher mower and re-did a section that Kevin had worked on this w/e. It's the appalling bit that's under the Eastern White that is shedding pine cones by the bucket. Rather than remove the pine cones before he sets off on his attempt at the Canadian Pusher-Mower record, he moves at the speed of light, mowing on one wheel, and then on the other turning the mower from side to side, so he is not impeded by the dastardly blade crushing pine cones. While he gets full marks for his stealth and speed, he has had to compromise precision and clean cutting. Also, having the pine cones sitting in the middle of a lumps of grass that are above my ankle does not add to the overall charm and beauty of the front garden. So I raked the cones; clipped the edges of the garden and re-did the mow. And on such a nice day - no big deal, got to spend the garden portion in the shade playing in the dirt.

So, no photos of that garden, but a few shots of what caught my eye: Here is Heuchera 'Pink Lipstick'. I have quite a few Heuchera - this is one that is worth committing its name to memory.
The Clematis are just starting to bloom. Here's one that I got off the sale table from Loblaws several years ago.

Another back garden shot. It was a brutal year in this garden - lost quite a few favourites. This is a very dry front-of-border section - and this little Heucherella 'Stoplight' is such a dependable plant.

The Cotinus in a Pot was moved here to replace a wonderful Japanese Maple that didn't make it through the winter.

A close-up of Thalictrum aquilegifolium.

The Aruncus dioicus is just about to bloom. Just to give you an idea of how dry it is back here - normally the Thalictrum should be the same size - you can see (to the left) how it has been dwarfed.

Not quite in sharp focus - but pretty all the same - and I did it from seed, so you'll probably have to see more photos of this lovely bulb later on in the week.

Bit of a yo-yo - into the front garden - taken during the same morning walk - just to show you the light differences between the front and back garden in the morning.

The poppy leaves and mess will be covered for the most part by Eupatorium coelestinum that bloom in the fall. They have just started to emerge, so they'll have some growing to do if they're going to do what they're supposed to.