Lots of Lovely Colour and a New Little Dog

Three guesses what I'll be doing this afternoon. First two don't count. The trucks of leaf suckers have started to circle. The leaves are composted by the Town of Oakville and offered back as compost twice a year. I used to do a lot of my own leaf composting, but found that it just took too much space. Let's hope we can at least get this section done before the vacuum men come back 'round the block.

It's been a while since I've been able to get to my computer to share what's going on in the garden and read about what's happening in your neck of the world. So here is a quick and dirty run around the garden. This is the first year for Solanum laciniatum - a native from Australia. It grows 3 meters there. In my garden about 1.5M. Obviously it needs more warmth to really produce good fruit, but the leaves and flowers certainly have earned it a place in both my garden and planters next year.

Considering what a mess other plants look like from the Solanum family
- this plant looks really good.

So nice when a plant is tough as nails; takes dry shade and looks fab in three seasons. Here is
Poygonatum odoratum 'Variegatum' in its final fall days.

And Hydrangea 'Limelight'.

The view from under the dining room Japanese Maple.

The trick will be to get out there to cut back these Hosta before they turn into putrefied slime. Right now I just don't have the heart to touch them as I adore this golden colour.

And a few days later - more of the P. ordoratum.

Lovely golden/brownie Hosta.

It is an excellent fall season for colour. We had an abundance of rain this summer and not much cold so far. It seems that each plant is taking its own turn at providing colour, making it lots of fun to be out with your camera.

The is what the Japanese Maple looks like from the dining room. I've never seen so many colours in the leaves.

And the ridiculous Allium thunbergii 'Ozawa'. What kind of a hardy plant starts to bloom in late October?

An astounding red from the Viburnum plicatum - most years it just looks like a bruise.

And here's what the neighbourhood looked like this w/e. Postcard perfect.

Just eye-bleedingly beautiful.

So, from here on it's about our new dog Bart. Can't help myself. Go no further if you don't wish to read about our new beast.

Last Sunday, after my dearest friend Carrie died of multiple myeloma at age 56, I didn't know how I was going to get out of the house. Every morning for the last six years, Carrie would call at 8:30 sharp to say it was time for our morning walk. We met at a half-way point when we both had dogs and then closer to her home after Agatha died and Simba became lame. Simba became the only Golden on the planet who was unhappy to see me, as he knew as soon as we met, it was back home to bed for him - Carrie coaxing him, me lifting his derriere up the stairs.

I just knew I had to do something. So I said to Kevin, "Let's go to the Hamilton/Burlington SPCA to get a dog. Look at all the nice dogs they've got online." Before I could rethink my thoughts, he had me in the car headed for the pound. The dog we thought was going to be ours was completely uninterested in us - no connection whatsoever. So, Kevin walked past the columns of dogs, went to Pam and said, "We're looking for a nice dog. Show us your nice dogs." Pam put Ferguson into my arms and said, "Here's a really nice dog." He just melted my heart - warm, cuddly, sweet, full of licks - however, and as you can see from the photographs, he's a Jack Russell - more commonly known for murdering vermin and creating havoc. Pam insisted, "What you see is what you get. He's lovely." So, Kevin decided we hadn't exhausted all the "nice" dogs and wanted to see more - so we did, however, I would have had to put the newly named Bart down on the ground to hold them.

I confirmed that it was Bart I wanted - we form filled, were interviewed, saw Bart's assessment, paid our $300+ and he was ours. As with any (or many pound animals) there are a few other problems, and 3 visits to the vet so far as he'd been obsessed with his spay stitches - what man wouldn't be? And now that the first end is fixed, he needs drops at the other end in his ears. Hercules, the cat, is taking advantage of the cone-headed Bart. Life no doubt will change next week when he is de-coned.

Here's 6'5" Kevin with Bart on the front lawn pre-raking. You can see why we had always had Saints before....

Here he is with a tennis ball that has since been murdered.

On my office chair helping me with my book-keeping.

And what was left of the pillow after the Ativan wore off.

We learned why we got the cage and that he isn't fond of soft furnishings. Will save money on doggie cushions.

Bart in the last week has shown himself to be brave (couldn't be bothered with small snarling dogs), smart (brought my shoes to the front door when he wanted a walk), and exceptionally lovable. He is very quiet and great company. We've made a wonderful match.

A little bit more from NC

Was able to get out into the garden to plant some of my little treasures from the trade show.

Here are just some of them:

From Bailey Nursery: two Vanilla Strawberry Hydrangeas (H. paniculata with very nice clear strong pink in the blossoms) and two 'Grand Mum' Monarda (nice soft pink, shortish 20-24" in height - developed in the Morden facility in Manitoba - so my garden should be absolutely tropical for them).

From Plants Nouveau: Helianthus x multiflorus 'Sunshine Daydream' PPAF which will grow 5-6ft tall - 2-4ft wide - from the photo looks to be a nice bright yellow orange double blossom - and according to the literature is free of mildew - stay tuned; Stokesia laevis 'Elf' 8" - 10-12" wide. Very squatty looking - interested to see how the blossoms are held. From the photos they appear to be sitting on the leaves; Campanula 'Viking' PPAF, PBRAF 15-18" tall by 18-24" wide. Looks very cute in the photo - lots of purple blossoms. Promises to "bulk up quickly", does not spread by rhizomes and the seeds are sterile. It spreads, "by spreading underground in the most petite way". I think that's how my hips got to be this size. Hmmmm.

Anyway, more on the new stuff later. It's absolutely glorious outside & am dying to get out there, so here's a bit more about the trip to NC. The weather was a bit iffy on many of the days - making me want to go back to so many of these gardens to see them when it wasn't raining and the light was a little better.

Here is a section of the JC Raulston scree garden. When I thought about visiting NC I thought in terms of magnolias and rhodos and Allan Armitage fancy plants, I never considered that I'd see so many wonderful pointy plants.

Not only are the plants wonderful - but look at how beautifully groomed everything was for our visit.

Here's a new Iresine in the trial garden - it really does glow like the photo. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to do a bit of garden tag CSI work to find out what this new selection is. My camera read the leaves, but overexposed the plant tag.

Look at this marvelous orange cosmos. Chances are it needs the heat of a NC summer to get this far along in the fall. I've been seduced by some varieties that are late bloomers - only to have my heart broken when frost nails the flower buds before they open.

Jumping ahead a day or two, we visited some excellent private gardens. Here is Sylvia Redwine's garden. She is no bigger than a minute, and from what I saw in her exquisite garden, she never sits down. Her business is interior plant design, which you can certainly see reflected in her home garden.

Sylvia reclaimed these old windows - painted them with marine paint and glued the mirrors on the back. Just lovely.

Look closely - you can see the raindrops. What a welcoming pathway.

The spent blossoms of a Yucca.

Does she know her plants and how to combine them or what?

I was shooting at 1/8 of a second and no tripod....still you can see how pretty it all was.

A lovely hand-made trellis.

Look at this. I've never seen a neighbourhood fire hydrant used as a feature. Have you?

And now for something completely different. We took a quick bus-stop-coffee-bathroom break ......Canadians (ok mainly people from Ontario) get very excited to find liquor in a grocery store - ours is locked up in places called the LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario) - pronounced Elsie Beeyo - this is a swish grocery store called Harris Teeter - look at all the fancy hooch - there were 3 aisles of the stuff. However, get this, you weren't allowed to buy any of it, because it was Sunday and it was before noon. So, I bought a bag of King Arthur Organic Flour (unavailable here) and am going to have a biscuit bake-off between Loblaws President's Choice Unbleached to see if I can taste the difference.

Look at the Roman ruins next store to the Harris Teeters - they refurbished them and built a bank.

Back to the gardens. Isn't this cool. Haven't got a clue what it is.

Here are two of the very nice gardens Sylvia has designed in her front yard.

The next shots are from other gardens we visited.

Nice to see the old friend Eupatorium coelestinum growing in this lovely southern garden - ahead of mine by about 3 weeks - looks good paired with the yellow.

I'm not a huge Tradescantia fan. Maybe it's because there's a weedy variety that grows all over here and when I established my garden I had to spend so much time yanking it out. Maybe if it all was as pretty and blue as this one, I might change my mind.

Finally the sun came out....and so did all the little creatures. Was so excited to find this little one, until I saw what he was doing....

Say goodbye to the bumblebee.....He started with the legs that were loaded with pollen.

Aster 'Jim Dai'

More pretty flowers. Sweet little butterfly on the Talinum.

Isn't this a fine green bug?

I was pleased that I was able to grow this variety of Thunbergia

Until I learned that there was this variety....head tilt courtesy of blogger. Blossom was a wonderful periwinkle.

Another little nursery - this spider plant really reminded me of a hosta.

So that's about it for now - the sun is blazing here and they're promising 17C - a ridiculous 63F. Zowee, I can hardly wait to get out there.

More Garden Trails

I had the distinct pleasure of visiting one of the crown jewels of the North American nursery business - Plant Delights. In addition to the obscene number and variety of plants for sale, they have display gardens where you can see how the plants will perform. In Canada there are very few specialty nurseries, and certainly none of those I've visited have come close to what I saw on display there. It is absolutely worth it to rob a bank, boost a big truck and have wonderful day of shopping.

Just to give you an idea - I adore Epimedium. I have 5 or so different varieties. This is their Epimedium hoop house.

Here they are growing plant tags:

My first Muhly grass in the flesh in one of the many demonstration gardens.

More of these mind bending Zone combining combinations that you can do in Raleigh.

I wanted to take some of these Agave home as pets:

Agave 'Kissho Kan'

Agave parryi var. huachucensis 'JC Raulston'

Specialty Agave bovicornuta

A small section of the retail benches:

Part of the fun of this nursery is reading about the plant you might like to buy:

I think he's right, they did need a higher number.

Here's something I'd never seen before:

The description sounds so cool. However, it's hardy in the Mexican mountains - a Zone 7B. I don't even think my living room is 7B.

This big long row is just Salvia....beautiful, gorgeous, too-hot-for-here-Salvia. (and my husband Kevin in the purple)

After looking at all the marvelous temptations (looking for me - purchasing for many) we headed off to the Raleigh Farmers Market. And, for those who still had money in their wallet, there were many smaller growers with all kinds of interesting oddities on offer.

Great to see such a vibrant market & to see so many farmers growing unusual fruit and vegetable varieties. I had a delicious Black Arkansas apple, small with dark red skin and a sweet crisp flavour. I only wish I'd had more time to sample even more of what the market had to offer.