Lovely Rain & A Wonderfully Fat Garden

The days have just scooted ahead of me - can't believe it's been over a week since I've posted.  I've just about finished cleaning up my office.  File drawers now open and close smoothly.  I've put like items together for the different jobs I do - book-keeping, design, garden writing/real estate writing, house accounts.  I hung pictures and photographs that had been sitting on the floor, fixed the curtain that always had drooped on the right hand side.  I moved my printer off my desk.  And, miracle upon miracles, I got the wireless feature to work - from my desk through space across the room, it comes to life and spits out printed documents upon my bidding.  Technology is grand when it works.

With this new found organization, I managed to get out to do a video for one of Kevin's properties.  Being able to do videos was one of the reasons I got the Mac.  In the past, we've had a company come in plop their camera in the middle of the room, spin it slowly and voila - video done.  dulllllldullllldulll.  Figured I could do just as badly, but honestly hoping for much better.  So Sunday, ran out to one of his open houses, scooted around took a bunch of video, then on Monday learned how to use the editing feature in iMovie.   It was a combination of fun, frustrating and amusing - the bits I'd done in the trail-system next to the property looked like something lifted from the Blair Witch Project.  Needless to say after a giggle, I deep-sixed that segment.  But in the end, had something much better than the company we'd hired, told a bit of a story, and I think represents the house nicely.  And, over the next few months am hoping to improve - more swish and flow in my panning, better use of the tripod (if you undo the correct handle, you can dip the camera without it sounding like you're breaking someones knees).  Anyway, in my love/hate relationship with my Mac (yes, still) it was a love moment.

Which was a good thing, because the newsletter component was a week of serious dislike.  In the Numbers program, still can't find how to copy formula down like I did in Excel (ctrl D), can't print just small segments of spreadsheets, moving between spreadsheets, the Mac puts you back up to the top of your 3,818 lined column rather than on the line where you you'd left it.  The Pages program has no mail/label/merge feature.  I was like a ping/pong going between Kevin's Dell and my own.  I can't tell you how many times I said, when my Mac dies, I'm going back to a PC.

But like all dysfunctional relationships, last week was good, so, it's all sunshine and lollipops.  And in the garden - we've had rain, buckets of it.

These wonderful felty salvia leaves have such a good form.

Who has more fun than a squirrel?

Can practically hear them mocking Bart.

Hydrangea quercifolia 'Alice' is doing magnificently this year.  It really is more a Zone 6B, than 5B (US). It just shows what a difference a mild winter makes - it is covered in blossoms.  Most years, I just have one or two.  In this area, if you're interested in flowers, the species is a much better performer.

It just makes me so happy when all the green stuff is just so perfectly green.  Anthyrium 'Ghost' was looking oh so sad due to the hot/dry May, but has rebounded to about 2/3s of its regular size.

This is a very whip-lashy sort of photo display from my garden to the Royal Botanical Garden - isn't this Phlomis tuberose 'Amazone' something you'd like to play with in your garden?  Great form and repetition.

Same hosta upright and sideways - tag buried.  This section of hosta were moved 5 times.  I think the last time I just took the tags and threw them into the bottom of the hole.

I had just a bit of milkweed for the Monarchs.  Note to everyone, there's no such thing.  Normally I get out there early and yank bits to keep it under control.  Anyway this year, while I was working in another section, I was gobsmacked to see the monarchs were back early and delighted to see them laying eggs, so guess who's leaving the milkweed alone.  But, the monarchs aren't the only bugs who enjoy them, look at this cool little spider the colour of the inside of aluminium foil - he jumped out when I pulled the top leaves apart.

The allium are going mad all over the garden.  I'm just at the point where I'm going to start to remove the seed heads early.  There are sections that are definitely a bit too oniony.  This is Allium nectaroscordum.

And under her skirts.

I'd found a small little bit of Lysimachia punctata 'Alexander' languishing under a hosta in the bed by the house.  Moved it to where it can be seen and appreciated.  Hopefully this move will give it a bit of life - it really does seem that it's one of those perennials that sort of melts out after a couple of years.

Very weird year for the poppies, they bloomed in two distinct periods.  The first a couple of weeks ago, and these round, much smaller just this past week.

I was pretty cruel to my Brugmansia over the winter.  But still, have been rewarded with a surprise comeback.  Look at those wee bits of green.

Alas, I see composting in this Brug's future...

For the past few days we've had bright days with huge downpours at about 4:00 p.m.  The temperature of Lake Ontario (13C) and the N.W. winds are providing this perfect gardening recipe.  Here's the weather coming in from the North, right on schedule:

Some lovely digitalis from seed from a couple of years ago.

Allium christophii - this is a phenomenal reseeder.

Am going to finish here with one last photo of the Echicium rubra that's just starting to bloom.  It's time to  get out into the garden and do some weeding and give myself a manicure, because  tomorrow is the Rosedale Garden Tour, which should be mahhhvelous, but dirt under the nails just won't do for such a tony event.  Can hardly wait......