Taking a Bit of Time to Straighten My Back

I'm still at the mad clean-up stage in the garden.  I can't remember another spring like this one where things weren't settled down in the garden by now.  In other years, I've usually got my edges the way I like them, the soil more or less free of weeds and I can glide around in my big hat pulling out the odd offending bit that I've missed.  My dear friend Susan who was doing voice examinations in the Atlantic provinces last week called when she came back to say how nice the garden looked.  Rather than natter on about the weeds and what I hadn't done, I went out and had a look.  It seems when I lifted my head from the soil level and stopped looking at all the faults, the garden did indeed look lovely.  Nothing like looking up and out to improve both mood and back pain.

Now that my back was unkinked, it was the perfect day to work along side the robins and tackle the veggie garden.  For weeks now, I'd disturb the soil; find a grub; and Mr. Robin would swoop in and grab it or whatever other delicious morsel he could find.  Well, just last week I discovered where he and his family were living - right next door on the neighbour's veranda. 

So nice when you can see immediately how having a pesticide free garden helps nature.

It is my season of geranium bloom at the moment.  Here are just a few that are blooming - G. magnificum with G. phaeum.

More G. phaeum - slightly different variety.  Think you'd almost need to be the mother to know how they were different.

Great little ground cover that handles dry shade.  Sadly not too many flowers this year for G. macrorrhizum - maybe too cold and rainy a spring?

G. taggone

G. taggonepink looking very pretty with H. Georgia Peach.

G phaeum album is one of the best little flowers to light up a shaded area.

A shot to remind myself, that quite a few of the edges look just fine.

I always like it when I find a good plant - especially when it replaces something that was a complete and utter disappointment.  These new marvellous dahlias - Dahlinova Hypnotica series from Loblaw were planted in the cold and wet and awful about a month ago. As the grower said, "Keep them deadheaded and you'll have flowers all season long".  They are the best little dahlias I've ever had.  Now if I could only get the newly divided perennials up to their standard....



My doorstep pot this year are Loblaw Coleus (I refuse to call them solenostenom).  They are more sun tolerant than some older varieties.  Who says you need flowers for colour?!



This patch of came-with-the-house phlox were a disaster a week ago - just covered in rust.  Today, all is well.  It looks as if this is going to be a good swoosh of magenta come late summer.

Here's a little sweetie from Barbara G. from up the street who moved away.  Fillipendula vulgaris.

The march of the Allium christophii.  Perhaps I'll cut down those seed heads a little earlier next year.

Although they're such cool plants, no doubt you can understand why I've let them go a bit crazy.

Kolkwitzia 'Dream Catcher' - another from Loblaw from several years ago.   It's taken a while to bloom - this is the first year it has any sort of worthwhile flower show.  I planted it in a dark shaded spot where I'd wanted colour.  I like its form, texture and the fact it is pest free.

The Gillenia trifoliata has never looked lovelier.  I know in warmer climates it can be a bit invasive.  However, I've never found more than one or two plants more than the original three that I grew from seed 10 years ago. 

I think this is a good spot to end and say thank you to Susan for making me stand up, look and enjoy the blossoms of the garden rather than see it as endlist list of items on my list of TODOs.