Front Garden

The front garden is small and it is the newest garden.
Because of this, it is also the garden that is the most overgrown.

Weeds overtake some of the plants and I never see them again. Others struggle through until I manage to get over there and weed.

The bit that is closest to the front deck is getting more and more under control this year. I see it more, walk by it more, bend down and pull weeds up more.

It is actually getting quite pretty.

 

 

 

The top of the boardwalk.

Catmint was here, at the top of the boardwalk garden. It occupies its own semi-circular space just off the back deck. There is little to no sun in that spot yet, it continues to do well every year. Getting tall and full of blooms. The blooms bring the hummingbirds. Close enough to hear and see, watch and enjoy. I have tried adding things to this space to compliment the catmint. There is a Meadowrue growing with them as we speak. But it never works. Nothing does well there except Catmint.

It has become one of the things I have surrendered to in my garden. Like leaving pathways where the dogs most often travel and empty spaces where they most like to lay. The fight is not worth the result and can be exhausting. The Catmint now falls into the same category. I have surrendered the semi-circle to it and will watch as it takes it completely over. The hummingbirds will thank me.

Lava rock

This huge lava rock was a gift from a friend and came here full of cactus that I immediately killed. Well, actually, it took me a year but anything that has to come inside the house really has no chance here so I always say hello and good bye at the same time.

It is moved outside permanently now. Sitting in a prime spot at the drive entrance to the lower boardwalk garden. If you arrive in a car and come into the house, you have to walk right by the lava rock.

I am trying to grow golden creeping jenny on it and if that takes, by the end of this season, it will look like it has always been there!

Who doesn't love groundcover?

I have groundcover everywhere! Nothing keeps the weeds down better. Most of my groundcovers bloom and it is wonderful to see sweeps of flowers in the gardens.

Some of my groundcovers are plants not traditionally considered groundcover. I use anything that will spread and fill in, like fern and lily of the valley.

I even have plants that I would never have considered in my city garden, like sweeping views of goutweed. Here, the drive keeps it under some control and I have learned to brutally rip it out where it needs it... without feeling guilt. lol.

I always have my eye out for new or different groundcover, like my tricolour sedum. And, I am always looking for new little corners, nooks and crannies in my yard in which to plant them.

 

Lilac

There are lilac in several places in our yard. All of them need help. None of them get sun so they have to really stretch to bloom.

It has taken a long time to beat back the bush and this year, we can finally open up above the lilacs, in almost every spot, so they can reach sun without leaning.

I love lilac. We have dark and light purple. No white that I have found but they are on my list to add.

The light purple grows in the campground and the dark purple grows at the top yard edge and at the road gate. There are so many great things to say about Lilac but what has to be the best is the scent on the dining table!

Iris, German Purple

This is one of the iris I am dividing again this year. It has been in my garden for many years, starting in my city garden. It was moved here and spread to Linda's garden in Nova Scotia. I don't think I have many gardening friends that don't have it by now.

Originally given to me by Judy, it produces lots of flowers and is still a favourite! The best thing about it is that it is early blooming with open flowers long before the other iris are budding up. And it blooms until the later iris start. This week, the blue and whites started to open and there are still 2 patches of german purple that have blooms!

This variety really extends iris season in my garden.

NOTICE TO MY LOCAL FRIENDS -
I am dividing this iris this year.

If you want some, let me know!! 

 

My Little Backyard Oasis

In another month or so as the perennials grow, I won't be able to see much of the garden along the fence from the driveway. Unfortunately the neighbour's fence has been a gardening challenge. Nothing wants to do well on the north side of a 6 foot fence that's also shaded by big maples most of the day. The bonus is we have privacy, but it's nothing like Danielle's open spaces.

Weather Rolls In!

We have had a lot of stormy days. Two days without power, although never for the whole day, just a couple hours here and a couple hours there. Enough that staying online to work has been a challenge and watching TV or movies online has been impossible. I tried to complain about that but wasn't really successful.

Truth is, my garden can use the rain and I am feeling a little ahead of the game in terms of weeding. Lawns are all mowed and another day of rain means I can get some work done. Of course, at some point, in order to finish the work, I will need to get back online. Weather is such a double-edged sword!

Yellow and Blue

There is a period in my garden where everything is yellow and blue. I used to think I didn't like yellow. Until I discovered it was just a particular shade of yellow that I don't like. There are LOTS of yellows that I love. All my yellows are in that category and the blues run from the burgundy of the lady slipper, through the royal purple of the german purple iris, to the pale, true blue of Nova's Little Blue iris.

The first of the pink flowers opened this week, as did the first of the white flowers. Other colours are on their way! Sometimes I think I should make a concerted effort to add other colours earlier in my spring garden. But I like my season of yellow and blue.

Tulips 2014

It was a bad year for tulips here and they put up a very poor showing in my garden. I am happy it was a problem all around me and not just in my garden but it is always a drag when we get a bad tulip year.

Judy thinks it did not get warm enough for them and she may be right. Some years, the buds will form and start to get full when a frost will come along and next thing you know, all those buds are dropping. It wasn't that kind of year so frost was not the problem.

Whatever it was, I guess it is not worth contemplating much since there is nothing that can be done to change it. Or fix it for next year!

I will keep my fingers crossed for a better tulip year in 2015. If memory serves me, I don't think I've had 2 bad tulip years in a row. Might be a good year to add tulips to my garden... I think tulips are going to be awesome... next year. Why is it I am always waiting for next year? lol.

The Reappearance

One fall about 4 years ago, Danielle decided she was going to move to Nova Scotia in the spring. That November we received a big box of bulbs from her to hang onto till she got here - tulips, daffodils, glads, iris and lilies. The glads went into the fridge - easy. Because it was November, the ground was already partly frozen. Kelly poked the rest all into one garden back under the trees in Little Stonehenge.

We still getting surprises! This iris came up once before and I neglected to mark it - have been waiting a couple of years for it to show up again. At least now it's a nice little patch and I can send some back to Danielle AND move some into my garden.

unknown bearded iris

Gotta Love Hosta

There's nothing for filling in all those gaps in the garden like hostas. They make such a nice backdrop for all the other plants, but at this time of year as they're starting to 'pop', they're at their best - before the slugs get them!

hosta 'First Frost'

unknown hosta (from Mom's garden)