Purple in the Garden

Columbine (Aquilegia)

Purple in the garden! So formal and dignified, so royal and honourable. 

So many shades to choose from: mauve, lavender, violet, plum and aubergine.

Purple adds depth to light colours and stands out brilliantly if massed. Playful when it's a light tint, powerful when it's deep.

Big pom-pom heads of early spring Allium are a pinky-purple.

Aren't these pinky-mauve rhodos exquisite? Wish they were mine… (taken while on garden tour in Niagara-on-the-Lake)

Incredible picotee Iris - so many shades and colours within a single petal.

Siberian Iris can only be described as blue-ish purple. So dainty on tall skinny stems.

There are so many varieties of lilacs but the shrubs I have are a pinky-purple, very pale in colour. And ohhhhh so very fragrant!

Some gardeners cut hosta flowers off before they bloom but I adore them. I am careful to cut them off when they have expired, though.

Deep purple bellflowers hang heavily on their stems

Many clematis blooms come in deep purple.

Lisianthus comes in many colours, including purple.

Finish the year with lovely autumn crocus!

Please visit my food blog - latest posts are recipes for Spinach and Lemon Risotto with Shrimp as well as Swedish Meatballs with Dill.

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.

Flowering Shrubs and other lovelies

We returned from vacation last Tuesday, and as I stepped out of the car, all I could smell was lilacs! Mmmmmmmmm…….divine…...
I have 3 lilac bushes in bloom right now. Two are the common lilac Syringa vulgaris and one is a Korean lilac Syringa meyeri 'Palibim'.

The common lilac is in the Olive tree family. One of mine is about 12' feet high and the other one at least 18' tall.

The buds of one are pale mauve, opening to a whitish mauve.

The tall one at the side of the house are a deep pinky-purple opening to mauve. Both are delightfully fragrant.

Did you know that the best way to make lilac branches last in a vase is to smash up the bottoms of the stems with a hammer before placing in water?  Lilacs have a woody stem and this gives the water more surface area to enter up into the stems.

The Korean lilac is an almost perfect plant: it has fragrant flowers, it has a manageable size (5' x 5'), it's winter hardy and easy to grow.

It's grown over the years but never outgrown its spot.

Several types of viburnum are also in bloom right now. Above is Viburnum plicatum 'Popcorn', a tough plant whose corrugated leaves have never succumbed to the rotten beetle that's eaten my other viburnum leaves over the past years.

The flowers are not fragrant but very lovely nonetheless.

Viburnum plicatum f. tomentosum 'Mariesii' is a gorgeous shrub, whose flowers bloom HORIZONTALLY along its branches. I had a lot of die-back this year (probably due to last summer's drought) but even though it's not as full, it's still one of my favourites.

It's a large shrub averaging 8-10' high and 9-12' wide. I have three side by side so it's quite a show.

Also blooming right now are my Giant Ornamental Onions Allium giganteum. These beauties have self "seeded" all over the front area (they are actually bulbs). They make great cut flowers and make a terrific bouquet when added to lilacs and bleeding hearts.

And be sure to drop by my recipe blog to check out tried-and-true recipes plus restaurant reviews!

Diary - My 10 Favourite Shrubs

My 10 Favourite………………………………..SHRUBS

I really, really love a lot of different shrubs but since I’m trying to narrow down the choices, here are my top ten plus some honorable mentions.

Crimson Queen Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum dissectum ‘Crimson Queen’)
Zone 5 Ht: 5’ Spr: 5’
Bright crimson red colour holds well during summer on this mounding shrub with finely cut leaves and graceful, pendulous branches. Dislikes clay soil, unprotected location, strong north winds and direct sunlight. Otherwise not picky at all!!

Serviceberry (Amalanchier Canadensis)
Zone 4 Ht: 20’ Spr: 10’
My all-time favourite!! It can be trained as a tree or a shrub. It has three- season interest: gorgeous snowy white flowers in spring, red-purple fruit for the birds in summer and bright scarlet-red fall colour.

Silveredge Dogwood (Cornus alba ‘Elegantissima’)
Zone 2 Ht: 5’ Spr: 4’
A great staple in the flower bed or front yard. This variety has variegated cream and green leaves that turn rosy burgundy in autumn. During winter, its bright red-purple branches stand out well against the snow.

Royal Purple Smoke Tree (Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’)
Zone 5 Ht: 7-8’ Spr: 7-8’
A great substitute for Purple Leaf Sandcherry (Prunus x cistena) when you want a shot of burgundy on the landscape. All the sandcherries I’ve ever had have been very vulnerable in often complete sections have died out come spring. The Smoke Tree has the same burgundy colour but is much hardier and has the advantage of having long lasting airy flower clusters that look like ‘smoke’ from a distance.

Slender Deutzia (Deutzia gracilis)
Zone 5 Ht: 3’ Spr: 4’
An underused small shrub with masses of flowers in spring on arching, bright green branches. So pretty!

Winged Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus)
Zone: 3 Ht: 8’ Spr: 6.5’
Funny how Magnolia can be on “beloved but Faulty” list with its fast-fading beauty whereas Burning Bush has similar faults and it makes my Favourites list! Oh well – the bush is not much during spring and summer but what a blazing autumn show it puts on even for a few short weeks. It comes in a smaller form as well (Euonymus alatus ‘Compactus’).

Goldflame Spirea (Spiraea x bumalda ‘Goldflame’)
Zone 2b Ht: 2.6’ Spr: 3’
A wonderful small shrub that goes from bright golden foliage in spring and summer to copper orange in fall. Other good spireas are ‘Anthony Waterer’ (beautiful mauve pink flower heads in mid-summer) and ‘Alpine Spirea’, a tiny dainty, fine-textured shrub great for grouping, edging or as a ground cover.

Marie’s Doublefile Viburnum (Viburnum plicatum ‘Mariesii’)
Zone 5 Ht: 8’ Spr: 8’
Try to find space in your garden for one of my all-time favourites Marie’s Doublefile Viburnum. A gorgeous, dark green foliage shrub that holds large creamy white flowers “horizontally” on its branches. Will grow in sun or shade. Another beauty I’ve had in my garden for many years (it even survived a transplant) is Viburnum burkwoodii, with its glossy, semi-evergreen leaves and very fragrant white flowers in early spring. I have it right outside the back patio doors so I can smell it in May!

Oak Leaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia)
Zone 5 Ht: 4’ Spr: 4’
Another all-time favourite! A completely different shrub from the regular snowball hydrangeas. It’s huge oak-shaped leaves turn bronzy copper in autumn but not before it produces huge, long conical flower clusters that start out white, then turn pink and finally bronze. Mine grows really well in very dense, dark shade, whereas the guide books often say to grow it in full sun or semi-shade.

Variegated Weigela (Weigela ‘Nana variegata’)
Zone 5 Ht: 4’ Spr: 5’
Lovely light pink flowers grown on the green and cream variegated leaf branches. A real stand-out!

Honourable Mentions

Lilacs (Syringa vulgaris)
Zone 3 Ht: 13’ Spr: 6.5
Who doesn’t love a lilac in the garden? Wonderful fragrant deep mauve flowers in June. Great for cutting and bringing into the house but here’s a practical trick: smash up the ends of the branches with a hammer and then place them into the vase. They last a full week this way, because there’s lots more surface area for the water to get in!

Forsythia (Forsythia x intermedia)
Zone 4 Ht: 6.5 Spr: 6.5
Nothing says spring has arrived in Ontario like a forsythia in full golden yellow bloom!

Diane Witch Hazel (Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Diane’)
Zone 4 Ht: 8’ Spr: 6.5
An excellent specimen with colourful bright red flowers in spring and red, yellow and orange fall colours.

Great but Underused
Here’s list of wonderful shrubs that hardly anyone knows about or uses:

Fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus)
Zone 4 Ht: 16’ Spr: 13’
Called a tree but really a large shrub. In July, this gorgeous specimen has masses of outstanding white flowers.

Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles japonica)
Zone 5 Ht: 4’ Spr: 4’
Terrific small shrub with spicy fragrant fruit, vivid clusters of orange-red flowers and dense bushy growth. But watch those thorns!!

Red Vein Enkianthus (Enkianthus campanulatus)
Zone 5 Ht: 10’ Spr: 5’
Stunning shrub for shade with pendulous creamy yellow flowers and a brilliant orange-red autumn foliage.