Monday, August 14, 2017

Summer Progress

Kevin finished his large project of resetting the stones and adding 3 yards of pea gravel to the back garden.  Everything is looking great.  Kudos to him for all his hard work!


 The birds are beyond delighted to have their bath back.



A dog-day cicada (Neotibicen canicularis) getting ready for flight on one of the dining chairs.  Such a prehistoric looking creature.


I thought it might hide when the skies let loose -- but no.  Just sat there and got soaked.


I was fortunate enough to get some samples from Proven Winners(R).  This is one of my favourites.  It is Rockin' (TM) Deep Purple Salvia and will be available next year in nurseries.  It is an absolute hummingbird magnet!  Hopefully, I'll get a shot of one feasting to show you.  Just as a note, I've got two of these plants.  The one in the pot is doing better than the one planted in the ground - faster to bloom and more vigorous.  It's a big plant for a pot, about 80cm wide and over a meter high, so it's living up to its tag height of 30-40".  Very airy in growth with the flowers held above the foliage.  I would definitely grow it again.


A quick zip to the front yard.  Usually have Eupatorium 'Gateway' in the mix with its pretty pink/maroony flowers.  This year it's much smaller.  One of the few perennials to have not done so well coming out of the winter and wet spring.


Every past year this species Hosta, H. montana macrophylla, looks worse for wear with heat and sun damage.  This year, there's a bit of brown, a few bunny nibbles, but otherwise, it looks great.


Another Proven Winners 'Blue Chiffon' (R) Rose of Sharon.  More purple than blue, don't you think? People walking down the street have exclaimed, "What a beautiful purple Rose of Sharon!"  Who am I to set them straight?



Ipomopsis rubra such a lovely wildflower.


Now, speaking of blue, this little plant is called Blue Ginger - it looks a little like ginger, but I'm thinking more like the Tradescantia family it belongs to.  Finally started to grow well.  I got it as a tiny little slip from Hawaii. Its proper name is Dichorisandra thysiflora.  I am so hopeful that the weather remains summer-like for a long enough period so I can see its blue flowers.


Platycodon in the back garden:


A very happy Brunnera.


 Clean-up day upon return from Garden Writers Conference in Buffalo:


My Canada 150 back porch display:


A few of more of the Proven Winners samples.  To the right the lovely Rockin' Salvia.  To the left Golden Butterfly (TM) Argyanthemum frutescens and Campfire (R) Fireburst Improved Bidens.  Both excellent, but if I were to grow them together again, I would use a filler plant between the mum and the bidens - perhaps a begonia of some sort, or even an interesting coleus. Toucan (TM) Coral Canna in the centre is a very vigorous plant.  I need to do some thinking about what colour blossoms I would combine it with to make a better display.


Fuchsia 'Gartenmeister' is just wonderful, although a bit of a water hog.


I'd left a couple old begonias and an elephant ear in the pot.  What a delightful surprise to see them spring to life.


The Aralia cordata (on the left) with its golf ball-style blooms on the verge of opening.  And some fill-in colour from another Fuchsia planted pot.


I'll finish with the cicada-view.  Still more to come:  On the left, solidago (with the ferny tops) and at the lower right in the corner, my bright yellow Hibiscus.  Fingers crossed it will decide: Enough with the leaves.  Let's put on a show!

4 comments:

Jennifer said...

Gosh your garden is looking great. All the rain we have had this year really helps, doesn't it? I like your Canada 150 pot. I have come to like those Elephant's Ears and must try to find some next year. What did you put under the gravel? I have to redo some of my gravel areas.

Barbarapc said...

Thanks Jennifer. The rain has been a tonic and just when you think you have to drag out a hose, the showers start. The garden was done about a dozen years ago or so. We're on sand and the fellow who did the construction used a landscape fabric followed by about 3" or so of pea gravel. We've added more - partially because of our old Saint sending it everywhere when she ran - and just because it smartened it up somewhat. For the past five years or so, because soil now has settled on top and through the little stones, there's a bit of weeding to do, but honestly not all that bad providing I stay on top of it. Just came back from Sheridan Nurseries -- all sorts of lovely new-to-me tropicals in. Bought 3 that I'm going to assemble in a pot. Thank goodness for birthday funds! B.

Kathy said...

I love it when things come back when you're not expecting them to, whether in pots or in the ground. We had a bunch of gladiolas come back this year, which has never happened before. As for that Rose of Sharon, blue and purple seem to be perpetually confused in the horticultural trade. At least to my eye, a lot of flowers called blue look like some form of purple to my eye.

Scott Anderson said...

Wonderful garden & post! Great content. Your article is very interesting to read & is informative too. I'm planning to have some roses in my garden & indoor side, can you suggest me some good names of lovely flowers!
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