Backyard Pair

I'm always happy when a plan works out. I have my big Japanese iris blooming with an unknown dahlia and they really look great together.

iris ensata Royal Robes

unknown dahlia

This dahlia may be Glenbank Twinkle, but our dahlia story is a bit confusing.

Pow! Cloud Chaser

The first of our new daylilies from last year's shopping spree bloomed today and it's impressive. None of the photos I took do it justice. The flower is huge - 10"! I'm in awe of daylilies - Mother Nature makes this beautiful bloom that only lasts one day.

daylily Cloud Chaser

Unfortunately it's a little too impressive for the spot where I planted it - definitely not a good choice as you can see below, so next year it'll be in the front garden.

Linda's back garden

Pinks in the Backyard

Most of the first plants in our garden came from my Mom's and sister's gardens. "Mom's pinks" have been reliable and we now have several patches. The blue foliage grows like a mat and looks great all year - even in spring - because it keeps its foliage under the snow all winter.

My luck hasn't always been so great with other types of pinks. It's not that they don't grow for me, it's that they don't stay where I put them. We have self-seeded patches of pinks all through the front gardens. This patch below is new to the back garden and it really brightens up this corner. I'm feeling the urge to try and put some more pinks where I want them...

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.