Diary April 10, 2012 - Oakleaf Hydrangea

My favourite deciduous shrub - hands down - is the Oakleaf Hydrangea. Its flowers are conical
rather than round, it has year round interest and it definitely has a strong personality! In my
designing days, I often incorporated it into clients' yards.

The shrub's latin name is Hydrangea quercifolia. It likes moist, well-drained soil and grows in
sun or shade. If it's in full sun, make sure it gets enough water. Mine is in the darkest shadiest
location of my whole garden and obviously loves it there! It's over 10 feet tall and 6 feet wide!!
The hardiness zones are 5-9.

The flowers are a lovely long conical shape. In the spring they start out a beautiful white, then
turn a delicate pink before finally changing to a bronze-y brown. If I'm feeling Martha Stewart-ish,
I cut them and spray paint them gold for the Christmas centrepiece.
The leaves are large, leather-y and shaped like an oak leaf, hence the name :)

I see this bush the instant I walk out the front door. Gorgeous!!

The colour show starts in the fall and it's pretty spectacular.  The leaves turn red, purple, orange
and burgundy. I may not wear those colours but Mother Nature somehow makes them look great together! Some articles say that the leaves aren't as colourful if in deep shade but I have not
found that. (See?)

As if the colour wasn't enough, the branches have this very interesting peeling bark that stays
throughout the winter.

Oakleaf Hydrangeas require little pruning if any (maybe if there's some winter die-back). If
there is die-back, prune only back that far.
The shrub can be used in a border or planted under tall trees but is often best used as a
specimen plant.
Give the Oakleaf Hydrangea a try this year - you may come to love it as much as I do!
 Oakleaf hydrangea is one of the few hydrangeas native to the United States (H. arborescens being the only other native of which I am aware).

Diary April 1, 2012 - Spring has Sprung!

As a kid, I eagerly awaited Spring after a cold, snowy, windy Ontario winter but never like I anticipate Spring now, as a gardener. SPRING is THE SEASON gardeners wait for. We dream about it, talk about it, plan for it and then relish in the first warm beautiful days. I don't know a single gardener who doesn't "tour" his or her garden as soon as the weather gets sunny and warm.

Let me show you what's blooming in my garden right now.

Hellebores are a plant that I only discovered several years ago, but many gardeners in North America and especially Europe and Japan, have grown and loved Hellebores for a long time. They are one of the earliest plants to flower, most starting in March already. They often grow curving downwards, which is a natural survival posture to protect against the cold. There are many different species and their common names are many, among them: Lenten Rose and Christmas Rose. Helleborus x hybridus was named the Perennial of the Year in 2005. Alistair from Aberdeen Gardens (one of the blogs I follow) did a lovely post on Hellebores - take a look:  http://www.aberdeengardening.co.uk/diary/index.php/2012/03/helleborus-party-dress-picotee/

Here is my only Lenten Rose:

A number of Daffodils have made an appearance:

Above is February Gold, a 10" cutie that I planted in the front yard.

16" Ice Follies has bloomed in the backyard as well as….

….the standard (but consistently dependable) King Alfred type.

I am still waiting for "Suzy", "Jetfire", "Hawera", "Thalia" and "Tahiti".
Daffodils are lovely, strong and the bulbs themselves are bitter, which is why squirrels leave them alone. I'll have to remember to fertilize the bulbs after they bloom.

I really worry that the (#$%^&^^%$) squirrels have eaten most of my tulips as a gourmet lunch!! Many of the upcoming tulip leaves are chewed and I have seen bulbs scattered all over the yard. Rotten little rodents…..Grrr……

Other spring flowers have made an appearance. Hyacinths are in the front yard and the back.
Hyacinths are fragrant, gorgeous and can be grown indoors and outdoors.

Scilla is a small bulb that naturalizes anywhere it pleases. It's short, dainty and a very pretty shade of blue.

And so day by day, I get happier and happier, as I can get see all my favourite plants coming back to life and can spend my days in my favourite area: the garden.

Oh!! Take a look at 2 visitors who came for a little swim in our pool for a few mornings a week ago but then disappeared!

CANADA BLOOMS! March 2012

Canada Blooms is Canada's largest garden and flower show featuring display gardens, workshops, expert speakers and a marketplace over a 6 acre area at Exhibition Place in Toronto. My girlfriend and I had a great time taking in the fragrances and beauty of the flowers as well as checking out ideas for our own gardens. Let me show you some of the highlights, starting with new plants we'd never seen before:

Helleborus ballardiae 'Pink Frost'

Campanula punctata 'Cherry Bells'

Heuchera 'Hercules'

'Queen Bee' Petunia

New Guinea Impatiens 'Magnum Fire'

Medinilla magnifica

Bergenia 'Magic Giant'

I was surprised that vegetables were so widely featured! They were integrated into flower beds, they were in planters, they were in big long boxes and on trellised walls. Some of the ideas were very creative.

At first this just looked like a neat way to use a wheelbarrow as a planter "box" but there were lots of vegetables featured! Lettuce, little onions and swiss chard as well as flowers!

There were very nicely done display gardens as well as display walls.

Lovely chairs and creative seating areas were featured.

(We liked this suspended table but wondered what would happen if a guest leaned on it!!)

The orchid display was a fitting ending to a lovely day!!