Spring Creeps in Slowly

The ground is continuing to thaw. Not quite as cementy underfoot when I take my morning peak and poke to see what might be coming up. And this morning, the air smelled like things were starting to grow.

My repairman George returned to do more tests on the dead ovens. This time he brought tools that were more closely associated with the task he had come to perform. No hangers with bendy bits, but another electronic control panel. He is now more certain than he was before as to what part he needs to order. As a side note, he isn't really my personal repairman, but, I've just started to feel a sort of kinship knowing that he'll probably be back several times before I can make those brownies I crave so badly.

Less moss on the newer seedlings - seems as if it was a temperature problem - too cold in the basement. However, the germination still isn't quite where I want it, so I'll move stuff about today. Thinking I'll take some of the tropical bulbs off the heating cable and replace them with seeding pots.

Continuing on with my Favourite Plants for 2008 based on my photo record here is the best of the lovely month of June:

Favourite Plants for June 2008

Hydrangea heteromalla

This is the first hydrangea I ever grew from seed and in June of 2008 (believe I started it in 2002/3) it bloomed. I do have prettier hydrangeas, but this is a case of mother's pride. It has been a brave little plant having had to be moved 3 times from it's final pot. Recovered well each time and seems to be a hydrangea that doesn't need much water. Growing in fertile soil - sandy base. Looking forward to seeing what it does for me this year.

Calamintha grandiflora 'Variegata'

Have had this plant for 3 years. Originally from a Quebec nursery - carried it home on the train and stuck it in the shade, in the ground, in this pot. From time to time it sends out a dark green shoot that I'll yank off. It blooms beautifully for about a month, and then the rest of the time, it just has these nice spotty leaves. Not as vigorous as other mints that climb out of prison and do their worst all over the garden - a really good little 30cm (1') plant.

Pinellia tripartita

This is a plain vanilla pinellia (again from seed). Growing in dry shade, this little aroid originates from Asia. It took about 4 years for it to achieve this size. It is very slow to emerge in the spring. This is the first year it was photo-worthy.

Athyrium 'Ghost'

Dependable, blendable, memorable. A lovely shade-loving fern that handles dry sandy soil and looks lovely all summer long.

Thermopsis caroliniana

A biggish perennial (175cm 5+ feet), it dependably blooms and has no insect damage whatsoever. This year with the backdrop of the Persicaria polymorpha - I thought it looked quite handsome.

Clematis x durandii

Here is Clematis x durandii doing what it does best - mingling with a bushy plant - my Persicaria polymorpha. The internodes are very long on this clematis - so it looks very sparse between the party of its leaves and flowers and it's skinny stems. I had planned for it to be a vision of purple/blue with my lovely yellow Elizabeth magnolia - however, Liz fizzed in a matter of 3 years and so Durandii just scrambled along the ground and made friends with one of my all time favourite plants - Persicaria polymorpha (seeing how many times I can mention this plant in one post....think that's 3). C. durandii blooms for at least 6-8 weeks and requires nothing more than a friend to lean on.

Deutsia 'Chardonnay Pearls'

I am not a fan of Deutsia generally - there's that 48 hour period when I do love them when they are big and blousy and blooming. However, this all comes to an abrupt end and they become big and green and a giant waste of space. However, this Deutsia is chartreuse, and its little blossoms look like wee pearls before they open. It keeps its good leaf colour all summer long and has the manners to stay nice and small.

Japanese Tree Peonies

I know, the blossoms don't last long, but I don't care - they are beautiful. Heard Stephanie Cohen offer this advice, "Buy the most expensive one you can afford - because it will last longer than you do!" This $10.00 White Rose unnamed treasure enchants me every year. Chances are I would have had more blossoms sooner if I'd spent more money, but at the time $10.00 was all I had.

Hosta 'Pineapple Upside Down Cake'

A great piece of punctuation in the garden - love those pointy leaves. Slugs were bad last year, but this fine little specimen did just fine. It is a lovely front-of-bed hosta.

Anemone virginiana

Also called Thimbleweed because of its seedheads. A dainty - slightly overfertile - woodlander. Excels at dry shade.

Echium russicum

A relative of our very common blue viper's bugloss. Bought one plant, and then ordered a seed package. I enjoy their twisting spirals and how they changed colour throughout the month. My soil is probably too fertile in this part of the garden - but here they'll stay as they are front and centre in my early a.m. coffee drinking window. Don't know how perennial they'll be for me, but now that I know how easy they are from seed, I know I'll be planting more to replace any that don't make it.

Canada Blooms

I got what I was looking for when I visited Canada Blooms yesterday - colour, and more colour. Living in the land of the great beige, it was a complete delight to smell and see such wonderful blossoms.

I was a little concerned as I descended one of many elevators to get the main hall to see how much empty space there was. Everything had been brought down to one floor - and even the main floor was not as full as any other year. The huge to die for fantasy gardens are gone and in their place are smaller replicas of tiny backyards and balconies. For anyone new to Canada Blooms, I'd say they'd just be delighted. Unfortunately for CB regulars, many feel that they're not getting as much for their money - and in all fairness they aren't. It's not an inexpensive thing to do: $18.00 admission, $16.00 parking, lunch and coffee break = $50.00. However, changes are on the horizon for next year. This will probably be the last year at the Toronto Convention Centre - too big, too expensive (rent $600,000) and too many floors. However, Tony DiGiovanni, Executive Director of Landscape Ontario and Co-Founder of the show assures us that the show will continue and talks are underway to find a more suitable venue.

While there weren't as many gardens, there is one area of fantastic improvement: The organizers almost wizard-like ability to force and have ready the most lovely flowers in our difficult, cloudy northern climate under glass.

So, enough words, the proof is in the pudding, here are lots of photos of the day:

Kathy Wood, The Muskoka Gardener, capturing some soft pink roses:

They were fantastic - about the size of my hand.

The front stoop competition - Paul Zammit's entry:

There weren't as many minimalist entries this year, but just thought I'd include one to share to make all the others look more colourful.....

A very sweet little courtyard - Grandma might kill herself when she got her cane stuck in the nice central floral feature, but I thought as long as you went easy on the drinks, this was a very sweet display.

Same garden, different angle.

One of the larger gardens - all this brick would be a killer in the summer, but here in the middle of an exhibition floor - quite pleasant. (again...not so many flowers)

Same garden, another section.

This looks a little cluttered in the photo - didn't feel that way at all when you I visited. Think the flash really picked up all the bright elements and didn't do it any favours.

Here is one of the winning amateur entries:

More amateurs:

A well cared for, prickly little creature:

This is not as photogenic as it looked - lovely colour - of those plants that were there, even I, with no clue as to how things were judged thought that this was the best of a good lot.Don't you just adore how that Home Depot bag in the corner of the shot blends with the blossoms of this crown of thorns?

Very neat looking colours even up close:

I can't even begin to think what goes through some person's mind at home when they think, ok, I'll need a few logs, a whack of orange flowers, some drippy stuff and presto voila:

Wish I had one of these to put up for those special children I used to babysit a million years ago before they went to bed.

Bark and berries:

Just to show that even the Frisbees are more fabulous in Italy - here is the winning entry in the professional international competition:

Four more weeks and my outside will look like this:


I'd never seen a variegated Acanthus:

Aside from doing a great job getting this to bloom on schedule had some more interesting plant material:

Almost 8 weeks until we'll see this in the garden:

And as always the bulbs were great:

All in all, I had a terrific time, saw lots of beautiful plants and can hardly wait until the weather matches the calendar season. Another great day at Canada Blooms.

Mr. Repairman, Where Are You?

This is a gratuitous photograph having nothing to do with my post. Took a close-up photo of the most delicious pale apricot/green/pink parot tulips I spoiled myself with today and after a quick review decided that they were just too 'Judy Chicago' to include - hence these very PG 'Baby Bear' Sunflowers. Although the more I look at it them, the more mob-like they appear.

Still no repairman - but he did say he'd be here between 3:00 and 6:00 p.m. and it's just 3:58. Hope he doesn't expect to share my friday night martini.

I've been having some problems with some of my new seedlings -specifically the soilless mix - Berger. A top-notch brand, but find this package is mossing over within 10 days or so. Very weird. If the seedlings are able to get themselves up and sprouted and well above the pot level - all is well. (I am going to be using Coriander Delfino as a filler in all my pots.) If they're long to germinate, the germination is not great, the seedlings are deformed, don't seem to be able to break their little seed coat to escape, and when I tried to transplant some of these pathetic little specimens I find that the roots seem stunted. I've used Berger in the past to great success - the only thing I can think of is that the basement where the light table is - is now cooler by several degrees. When the kitchen was done - holes were left..... I've got some warmer germinators now started over a heating cable - will have to see if there is a difference. Anyone had a similar experience?

Yesterday was able to do a bit of catching up on some of my reading. Stumbled upon an article on weed competition in Horticulture Review and a review of a study by Emily Green-Tracewicz. There is a theory that plants can detect their competitors not only by reductions in light intensity (plants that shade them), but by perceiving differences in light quality. Plant tissue reflects a different quality of light than soil and this reflectance can change the quality of light that influences plant growth. The reflectance of weedy competitors reduces the amount of red light which is necessary for photosynthesis of crop plants.

Apparently crop plants perceive these light quality differences and shift into a shade avoidance mode making them leggy plants. The competing plant does not have to be shading the crop plant in order to be detected. The crop plant can detect weeds even when weeds are well below the crop canopy and the root systems of the weeds are in separate compartments (I thought this was very cool). In her study, the crop plants were developmentally delayed, which would have detrimental consequences for crop production.

Jen Llewellyn who wrote about this study then wondered if this could have a significance for ornamental plant propagation and production. She asks, "Are we underestimating weed control in our propagation and production systems? Could our juvenile ornamental crops be detecting (what we think are insignificant), low growing weed populations, and could they be negatively influencing the morphology, development and biomass allocation more than we know?"

Weeds, moss, it's all not good. Finished post in kitchen with nice repairman who moved to Canada in '74 from San Andreas in the Caribbean - almost everyone is from somewhere else. It's 5:11 and it's been confirmed that my oven did not complete its self clean cycle, it simply committed suicide. A new board will ordered on Monday from California and with any luck it will arrive in 5 to 8 days. In the mean time a supervisor may come and pull the oven apart again because the nice repair man didn't have a little piece of sturdy wire long enough to do a grabby thing with one of the floppy wires to see what's what. So, the ovens are back together and not working. So no fears, no temptation of brownies for a week. And, look at the clock, it's time for my friday night martini. May this be the start of an excellent weekend.

A Slow Day

I swear if we didn't have such ridiculous weather, we'd have nothing to talk about. Case in point, in March in this part of the world we are supposed to have 20% of our snowfall. If you remember my gorgeous snowy shots from February, you would be quite right in assuming that the only thing we'd be able to see would be the neighbour's roof to the right. Instead, we've had weather as warm as 16C (60ish F) for several days, combined with rain. And this is what my little back garden looks like. Not pretty. I've been so tempted to get out with a rake and move the leaves off, but when I poke about a bit, or try to move a plant tag - still find the ground is frozen about 3 inches down.
Anyway, just had to get out yesterday and do something - it is an official Canadian sin to waste any shirtsleeve day in March. I know that 60F isn't exactly balmy for many folks, but for us and for this time of the year - it's about 4 degrees away from jumping in the car to go find a beach.

As a bit of background, my back garden is long and skinny - about 75 feet x 18 feet. Most of the garden beds are on the side yard of the house. I designed this garden to accommodate my Saint puppy Agatha, who in my old garden took a shine to my Japanese maple and every dogwood I had. It took her about 6 weeks to completely and gingerly munch her way around the bark of the show-stopping maple under the cover of the canopy of dark red leaves. Thank goodness that St. Bernard puppies are exceptionally cute.

This design solution gave her an area of pea gravel (Kevin also set up a lounge chair next to the bird bath so she could rest and have a nice cool drink) and I had my collection of plants. Dear girl is gone now, but it's great to have an area to accommodate visiting friends and their animals.While nothing with roots can really be fiddled with or raked over at this time of year for fear of murdering them - the pea gravel and stone are fair game. Yes, I know I'll have to repeat all of this when I rake the stuff from the beds out, but it was so nice to be out in the garden and it does give me a lift to see it looking a little tidier.And just as well that I had a fit of energy yesterday as today is a day of slow - picked up Kevin's cold - looking a little Rudolphesque - not my best look, but will just stay away from the mirror and duct tape a box of Kleenex to my hip. Tomorrow the repair man comes for the ovens; Saturday is Canada Blooms; and the sun is shining, all in all, except for the sniffles, it's a pretty good day.

More Garden Favourites for 2008

Merry Monday a.m.! Saturday night while we were out having a wonderful dinner at Carrie's house, my fancy Preference Dacor ovens were taken over by banshees - turned themselves on, appeared to have run a self clean cycle - with all the metal stuff in the oven. We got home the bottom door was locked - the fan running on high. The lights in the oven don't work and the control panel is completely dead. You know there are two things that really annoy me about this situation, first how can something that you buy to last you a lifetime poop out after only 14 months, and second of all, if the stupid banshees were in the mood to clean, why didn't they just take out the vacuum and knock themselves out. Am waiting to place my 8:30 a.m. phone call to the service folks. Mercy.

Got some more stuff seeded on the light table. Had to laugh - was working on an Angelica ursina - package instructions said "SEED ABSOLUTELY REQUIRES LIGHT FOR GERMINATION, SO DO NOT COVER WITH SOIL". OK, I can follow instructions as well as the next blogger, so pressed the little flakes gently against the soilless mix - added a little water - which was just enough to turn them into little fighter pilots - watched in horror as they dipped their wings and plowed sideways into the crevices of the mix. NoNoNo. Well, so sad - who knows if any of them will ever see the light of day - hope none of you were counting on me having extras.

Of course because I returned my caladium package to Costco I had a credit in my flower budget account that had to be used. Went to Sheridan Nurseries. I discovered and brought home (new to me) a Alternanthera 'Party Time' that I'm going to take some cuttings from for my summer pots and some sprouted begonia blobs - Bouton de Rose and Schweizerland. Returned caladium money now all spent. Here's Party Time - the bright pink is even more vivid than it appears. These digitals and reds....

Main focus of my post today is to continue along to list my favourite plants for 2008. Here are my favs for May based on my photo record:

May 2008 - My Favourite Plant(s) - Geranium phaeum 'Samobor'

A really reliable perennial geranium for dry shade. I like it best before it blooms - find that the leaf patterning is at its best before it does bloom. Flowers are maroony-purple - not bad - but there's so much else going on in the garden at that point, that it's certainly not a focal point. Not bothered by insects, and comes back a little stronger every year.

Heucherella 'Stoplight'

A new genus - Heuchera and Tiarella combined for this little winner. Again, good in the dry shade, keeps its bright leaf coloration throughout the summer and really does perk up a dark shady corner. A good little plant.

Hosta montana macrophylla

This is the tallest and biggest hosta (bigger than Sum and Substance), in my garden. It isn't the easiest to find in the trade, and for some strange reason if you do find it, it might not make it into its second year. Not bothered by slugs - is a real show stopper of a hosta. I've had perfect strangers motor across the lawn with their children in strollers to stand and stare at it. It is so big, the pale lavender flowers just barely appear above the leaves. And as you can see, at this time year, when the leaves are so brand new, it really is a lovely plant.

Mahonia repens

Mahonias are not especially easy plants for us to grow. I've seen presentations from people on the west coast that show that my meager offering isn't really that special. The reason why this is one of my favs is that it is another smallish plant (shrub) 30cm x 30cm (ftxft) and that given proper snow cover and even when we don't have proper snow cover, it is not decimated by the winter wind. And the fact that it puts out nice yellow flowers so early in the year is a reason it made it on to my fav list.

Mount Tacoma Tulips

From the top to the bottom - these tulips were absolutely dreamy. They lasted about 2-1/2 weeks, which was excellent.

The Old Coral Quince Bush

Sadly the buds have been eaten by squirrels this year. I guess they were hungry with all the snow we had. Long bloomer - almost 3-1/2 weeks - lovely coral colour. It came with our house - so it is probably about 50+ years old. It is tucked behind a old ash tree and I enjoy the ash tree bark as a background to these pretty blossoms.

Euphorbia 'Fens Ruby'

A saucy little plant with fine foliage and eye blinding chartreuse blossoms. Yes, it does spread. Yes it does self seed, but who cares. Takes dry shade and is a Euphorbia that comes back year after year - something that can't be counted on for many of the other varieties I've tried.

Dicentra 'King of Hearts'

Beautiful glaucus leaves and good true pink flowers that last almost all summer long. It could be a favourite for almost every month of the summer. Likes shade - handles it dry very well and with those leaves, a really easy one to combine with other little shade lovers. All in all, a great little plant.