Repairs Underway - Garden at Last Starting to Look Like a Garden

Spring put us about two weeks behind in the garden. Not only are the chores condensed, it's fascinating to see the spring crush of blossoms, mixing with others you wouldn't normally see together.  

This post is a bit of a mash-up - some walks - and a lot of my garden that up until a few weeks ago really was looking a bit dogpatchy.  Contributors to its undoing were the various bits of construction, ice storm, tree removal by heavy equipment, two hard winters and finally Bell Canada's DitchWitching through a border.  To that I add my own mea maxima culpa for not being able to get out there to perform remedial action after each garden apocalypse.

Here is one of the most lovely sights in Oakville - the beautiful patch of Mertensia virginica  that is an easy find off Dorval Road.

I think it looks like pieces of sky suspended above the old leaves in the forest.

The lilacs have been fabulous this year - these from the Royal Botanical Gardens:

And the other bits of spring - old poppies along a fence down by the Lake.

It has been the most marvellous year for all the trees in the cherry family:

Tree peonies looking marvellous - both in a neighbours front garden:

and, in my own:

my only quibble is that the beauty doesn't last long enough:

My old Hydrangea finally bit the dust.  I dug it out and planted this little volunteer Japanese Maple:

Here is my freshly painted door - the dead of the bamboo cut back and the round-up of Heuchera.  I figure it will be much easier to compare and contrast if they're all together - rather than poked here and there through the garden - note bed-edging still on the to-be-done list:

A sweet little Deutsia 'Chardonnay Pearls' that refuses to display itself in portrait rather than landscape:

And the big bed represents five hours of edging, weeding, planting yesterday.  It had been anchored by a lovely Tsuga that had been destroyed in the ice storm.  Not sure what I'll do here yet.

Look!  The salad is coming!!!

Almost pet-able:  Oh and note - the twiggy bit to the left is a fig from Steven Biggs - Canada's fig guru.  Talk about pressure.  I had it growing nicely on the counter in the kitchen when it decided to ditch all its leaves.  How would I ever face Steven again?  The terminal bud looked ok which I thought was hopeful.  I planted it up and look - leaves - there's life!  And rest assured those little weeds are also on the still-to-be-done list.

I have various patches of horror in the lawn from the gigantic equipment used to remove the ash post-emerald-ash borer.  I'm going to have a nice man with a truck and a crew and some soil and some rolls of grass fix it all up.  I simply don't have the gumption to do this kind of work at this point in the season.

A favourite hosta - H. montana macrophylla

I am not impressed with all these macrophylla-type hydrangeas and their attraction for Leaf tiers - can you believe the chaos they've caused.  Last year there were far fewer - I'd just open the leaves and pull out the bugs....

This year I yanked off the leaves and stamped on them:

It was cute and now not so much - a lot of winter damage to evergreens this year:

The Kolkwitzia are just starting to bloom - this one is called 'Dream Catcher':

It was a rough year for many of the woodies that are borderline hardy - 80% of the Calycanthus is toast:

 This little fellow made it - it's twin is gone:

Oh my, Empress Wu certainly gained a bit of weight over the winter.....looks like it's time to make her a new bed:

I've had lots of Japanese Maple offspring - they all look a little different from each other - it will be fun to see how they develop over the coming seasons:

This is the root stock of a failed waterfall maple - I'm thinking it's pretty and so, it stays:

If only all the insects were this tidy when they had their dinner:

Note the cute little woody volunteer growing in the lava rock:

The maple keys are everywhere - the harder the winters, the more seeds there seem to be:

Aruncus dioicus pretty even before you see the white flowers:

There's nothing like knowing there's always a bit of garden that needs some attention.  The exciting news is the Acanthus - thought it was dead,

Not dead, and even better ready to perform:

Poor A. 'Butterfly' lost 50% of its branches - shape not too bad though:

 Chairs downstairs to the patio, table to follow:

 Not so pleased H. 'Wheee!' looks like it's slug-bait....or maybe it's a tough year?

H. 'Pineapple Upside-Down-Cake' looks perfect:

And, that's it for now.  Am looking forward to sharing my adventures with fellow Bloggers at this year's Fling in Toronto - first event tonight - followed by 4 jam-packed days of gardens and gabbing - what could be any better?!  Those weeds will just have to wait.  Stay tuned....