Wordless Wednesday

Gone Walkabout

In one of my favourite films, Sue comes looking for Mick "Crocodile" Dundee. The doorman says he's "gone walkabout". For Australian aborigines, this usually means a period of time spent walking in the bush. For me today it meant "a walking trip" around my garden.

I decided to walk in the front, side and back, take photos of my late summer garden and make notes as to what worked, what didn't and how to improve plantings for next year.

Note: Allyssum like cool, moist conditions - not high heat and humidity. Do NOT grow from seed anymore.

Note: the true workhorse of the summer was red tuberous begonias. Buy flats and flats of these as annuals next summer. Make it the only annual front and back.

Note: Balloon flowers will re-bloom if deadheaded.

Note: After cutting down Elaine bed, check if the wasps were ground digger wasps and if yes, destroy nests.

Note: this fall or next spring, chain-saw the pussywillows.

Note: Skip the tomatoes and plant herbs in raised beds instead.

Note: Prune bottom branches of walnut tree so that they don't hang into and obscure the Feather Reed Grass

Note: prune Fairy Rose and remove purple Harebell to give the emerging Quince bush more room to grow

Note: move new Carpet Rose and 2 Lavender plants into sunnier spots

Note: Stake Miscanthus grass early in summer using strong metal stakes and wire, not string.

OK - notes have been taken and recorded! Now to enjoy these last summer blooms before I start the huge job of cutting down the garden in mid-October.

Please check my food blog - the latest recipe is Asparagus, Goat Cheese and Bacon Tart.

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day August 2013

Summer 2013 has certainly had every type of weather! Environment Canada promised that there would be no drought like last summer but we have gone a number of times without rain for 2 1/2 weeks. Every day a promise of thundershowers but very rarely did they happen. There was severe flooding in one thunderstorm (especially in Toronto) but not here in Burlington. Now we have had a really chilly snap (overnight temps of 13C) but a promise of high heat and humidity for the weekend. Maybe this is the "new normal".

Regardless, some flowers are still blooming in my garden. Many are at their peak and quite beautiful. Please take a look.

The Oakleaf hydrangea bush at the front door is full of pink blooms

The Lisianthus are blooming strong

The white phlox are open and very fragrant

The blackcurrant bushes are full of berries

The Sweet Williams are re-blooming 

Agastache foeniculum, commonly called anise hyssop, is a species of perennial plant in the mint family. Very Bee-friendly.

My balloon flower has had more blossoms than ever this year. 3 weeks and still blooming. 

Achillea 'Coronation Gold' is always bent over, reaching for the sun

Most of the hosta flowers are gone but the smaller blue hostas are still in flower

I'm not sure if this is Coreopsis 'Moonbeam' or 'Zagreb' but it's a dainty little pop of yellow

A few blossoms are left on the Rose of Sharon

The Explorer Rose 'John Cabot' rarely re-blooms but it's doing it now :)

Here's the star of the show: Black Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia 'Goldsturm')

And at the side of the house, the self-seeding Sweet Peas are all over the fence

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day is a Meme created by May Dreams Garden

Gardeners post images of what's blooming in their garden on the 15th day of every month. All are welcome to participate.

Also, please check out my recipe blog Astrid's Home - the latest post is Zucchini and Summer Squash Gratin with Parmesan and fresh Thyme

Elaine and the Gnome

"Elaine and the Gnome" is not the name of a summer blockbuster movie. They are both stone statues in my backyard.
Elaine is my beautiful statue on the west side of the yard. I purchased her years ago at a lovely nursery near Kitchener. Her tag said ELAINE so I have always referred to her as that. Her head is bowed, as she feeds the birds seeds from her apron.
I leave Elaine out over the winter even though she is made of cement. She is on a slab of flagstone so has never suffered frost damage or cracks.

Over the years, the Elaine bed has filled in and is now lush and full. It contains some of my favourite combinations as well as 11 hostas.

When we moved here, my friend gave me a white gnome as a "joke" housewarming gift. She knew I didn't care for gnomes but I have kept him over the years (well hidden away!). Still, the garden bed he's  in bears his name: the Gnome Bed. It also contains a few lovely combinations.

Let me show you how the Elaine bed looks right now

We have had enough rain that everything is plump and lush and full. Most hostas are mature enough that they have reached their maximum height and spread. Some are 3-4 feet in diameter! And many have just started to bloom.

I am really enjoying a new type of plant I bought in the spring: Chinese Astilbe (Astilbe chinensis var. Pumila). The leaves are similar to regular Astilbe but the flower heads look puffy and soft. They are a gorgeous shade of fuschia.

The Brunnera 'Jack Frost' continues to look lovely and the annuals fill in the faded bulb areas.

The Bergenia cordifolia has put out fresh, glistening leaves.

And a wonderful dainty deep pink clematis (maybe "Princess Diana"? I have lost the tag) winds its way through the pussywillow branches.

The Gnome bed is just inside the gate as you enter the backyard. You'll notice the Gnome himself is tucked waaaay back into the foliage :) This bed consists of Japanese Painted Fern, a perennial geranium, phlox, a small leaf blue Hosta and some annuals. The bed is surrounded by junipers, climbing roses and euonymus.

I leave you with a few more parting shots of Elaine……..

Please check out my food blog - the latest recipe is for Peach Pie.

Bed 4

When we moved in to this house 25 years ago, I made a lot of perennial beds but had no hardscape structures or mature trees. Over the years we have renovated sections of the garden and of course the plants have matured and grown. I am pleased that each bed seems to have taken on its own personality lately. I have "names" for each bed so I know where I am planting what but even those have changed. Originally they were Beds 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 whereas now they are nicknamed the Front, the Elaine bed, the Gnome bed, Bed 4, The Oak tree bed and the Vortex bed. (!!)
Bed 4 is halfway down the southwest side of the yard beside the pool pump. It's the only one that has retained its original name. Certain plants such as the spruce tree and the shrub rose have exploded in size. Many of the perennials are the originals, others are new. But there is great camaraderie among them so I thought I would show these successful combinations to you.

I have attempted to keep the gentle curved shape by edging sharply in the spring. I actually need to carve it out wider under the spruce because it's so hard to mow the grass under there. The main large plants are (from right to left) a spruce tree that was brought as a sapling from Northern Ontario, a shrub rose that's gone berserk this year in size, a graceful weeping Norway Spruce that still retains its elegant shape, a very ordinary do-nothing Rose of Sharon ( but it was a gift so I keep it) and a common lilac shrub, that bloomed its head off this spring!

The lilac in bloom

A close-up of the Weeping Norway Spruce

In the spring came a lovely group of bright red Darwin tulips. The stone fish wasn't yet being smothered by the Coreopsis 'Moonbeam' so it's still deeper in. I had already planted 3 of the succulents: Sedum and Sempervivum.

When the tulips and muscari faded, in came the Siberian Iris and small yellow Allium moly.

As the Hosta emerged ( 3 clumps of Blue Wedgewood and a transplanted chunk of 'Great Expectations') and the Coreopsis 'Moonbeam' filled out, I moved the Fish to a more prominent position. I also bought several more drought tolerant plants. They are now starting to bloom.

This is a new one that caught my eye: Sempervivum x hybrid 'Commander Hay'. It was big, interesting and cheap. I bought 3 in total. Extremely drought tolerant once established. They are easy to propagate - just remove the small baby rosettes and replant in a new location.

I thought this neon yellow sedum would fit nicely with a bed that is mostly green, stone blue and fall hues. This is Sedum rupestre (reflexum) 'Angelina'. It has a long, lanky habit.

Once I became totally enamoured with these succulents, I just ran right out and bought another one! Above is Sempervivum arachnoideum - Spider Web Hens and Chicks. Before it started to bloom, the rosettes seemed to be covered in spiderwebs.

Here are a few more shots of how well they blend together.

The daylilies are ready to bloom and the huge shrub rose will start to develop hips.

Helianthus are starting to bloom and in August the Red and Gold Fall Helenium will emerge (new this year).

Bed 4 has turned into a great 4 seasons show that has unusual plants that somehow co-exist well and even show each other off really brilliantly.

Please check my food blog - the latest recipe posted is Spinach Cavatappi Gratin.