More Trucks and Dust and Diesel Engines and Few Happy Surprises

My favourite words:  New Trial Plants from Proven Winners.  Received in the mail just the other day, two of each - 

• Scent and Sensibility(TM) Pink

"A sweet delight for spring gardens! This dwarf lilac is wider than it is tall, and produces copious dark pink buds which open to soft, lilac-pink flowers. It is very fragrant. Scent and Sensibility came out of the same breeding program as Bloomerang(r) but although it does have repeat flowers through the summer, it does not rebloom strongly enough to be part of the Bloomerang family."

• Glow Girl(TM) Birchleaf Spirea

"An awesome plant for northern landscapes: a gold-leaf version of 'Tor'! Buds with hints of red in them open to white spring flowers. Sunny yellow foliage holds its color well, and the full, compact habit is very attractive. Also, it doesn't burn in the summer and has great fall color. If you're looking for a colorful, hardy plant that will look great all season, this is the variety for you!"

• Sweet Summer Love Clematis

"Wouldn't it be great if Sweet Autumn clematis flowered sooner and longer and came in other colors? Now it does! 'Sweet Summer Love' gives you everything you want: the flowers, the fragrance, the ease of growth and cranberry-violet blooms that start over a month earlier than others. This breakthrough vine is from award-winning clematis breeder Szczepan Marczyski of Poland."

• Fire Light (TM) Hydrangea

"Fire Light(tm) is the new standard to measure all hardy hydrangeas. Upright panicles are packed with florets which transform from pure white to rich pomegranate-pink. Its thick, sturdy stems hold up the beautiful flowers so they are prominently displayed in the garden."

I'm most excited about the Sweet Summer Love Clematis - imagine - scent, purple colour, loads of flowers and in the hulking style of an autumn clematis - I can hardly wait.  

Over the past 8 years a Red Tailed Hawk pair have been nesting three properties down.  This year, the male appeared, but the female was m.i.a.  He's since moved on, which means without these deadly raptors around, our little bird population has soared.  I was concerned about this wee fellow.  Hopped about for a day or two and then was gone - hopefully up to the trees.

The Aruncus diocus is having a great year.

And, if I liked trucks, I'd be having a red banner year too.

This is what we were left with one evening.  Really takes the wind out of my sails when I have a window to get out and do a bit of weeding.

The Clematis wilts have been fierce.  Often in varieties listed as resistant.

Taking the place of the dreaded Japanese Beetles are Earwigs.  Found this pretty rose on my morning walk.

Who knew one rose could house so many of them?

A bit of a jump ahead here - the Aruncus finishing off this a.m.  But look at how lovely the Schizophragma hyrandeoides is.   And it should be, with a name like that.

Always looking for something less utilitarian to tie up my tomatoes with.  Found these at Ikea.  Quite like their wobbles.  And, if the tomatoes live up to their Mighty status, I'll just affix them to the veranda and railing.

And a little more Schizophragma hydrangeoides.

A pretty white clematis.  I'm thinking C. terniflora?

Leucanthemum 'Daisy May' from Proven Winners.  A trial plant in its second year.  This garden was exclusively shady until the neighbour removed their tree.  It obviously is getting sufficient sunshine to do its best.

Hydrangea quercifolia 'Alice'.  I don't know about you, but I'm enjoying looking at these blossoms without the Japanese Beetles all over them.

A table to back door garden shot.  Interesting to see how well so many of the so-called shade plants are doing given the abundance of sunshine now.  I think a lot of the success is due to the steady and heavy rains this year, and the cooler weather compared with last year.  Definitely fewer empty spaces to concern myself with.  And fewer landing spots for those ever present weed seeds.