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!