A Story - "Drone Flight" and Minnie Pearl Phlox, Evening Primrose, Wild Daisy, Mauve Clematis

A Story

Flying over the Icelandic moonscape, the drone smoothly closed in on the volcano.  At a safe distance, the operator took zoom photos of the lava flows, the crater.  Toxic gases drifted erratically threatening the lungs of the oblivious tourists lounging in the mineral waters of the Blue Lagoon a few miles away.  South of the volcano, Grindavik valiantly tried to hold the lava back with huge earth berms but, in a couple of spots, the black lava dripped ominously over the walls.

The drone's battery became low.  The operator regretfully terminated the dramatic flight over Iceland from his Colorado office.

Minnie Pearl phlox is an early blooming, shorter phlox. It helps to bridge the gap between spring and summer flowers blooming in the middle of June. It's not always easy to find but it is hardy and super reliable.

These evening primrose were initially given to me about forty years ago.  I have divided it and moved it around and enjoyed it every June.  It is somewhat aggressive so it needs to be planted where it can be managed with other strong growers.  If it's planted at the edge of the garden, the lawn mower can keep it in check. In the fall, the leaves turn a lovely dark red. It blooms best in full sun but will still give you plenty of colour in a shadier location.

The native daisies are so pretty I let a patch grow in our back lawn.

Here is a pale purple clematis I've had for several years.  Clematis like to have cool roots but sun for the top growth so you can either mulch the roots with hard scaping (rocks, patio stones, etc.) or put down wood chips.  Another way to keep the roots cool is to plant low growing, shallow rooted plants near it. I have pulmonaria near this one.

There is a lot of hoopla about how to prune clematis.  In my zone 4 garden all the clematis that survive the winter bloom on new growth.  I am very haphazard about pruning them and find they grow well no matter what I do. A little bit of slow release fertilizer in the spring will give them the nourishment they need for the season.

A Story - "Pause" - Pink Poppy, Hosta, Pink Rose, Astrantia, Lamium

A Story

This story is the bookend to the last story, "Attack".

Pause

When I remember the first year of Covid, I think of anxiety, sorrow, death, the world on pause.  I remember masked faces, people six feet apart, direction arrows in the stores.  I remember people scrambling to figure out work from home, parents overwhelmed as they cared for children while on video meetings.  I remember family and friends not able to visit or to travel to get home.  So much stress, so much uncertainty, so much pain.

But I will also remember the sky: so breathtakingly clear, so unbelievably blue, so incredibly beautiful. How it filled me with joy and hope.

I really like this frilly pink Oriental poppy.  It's so flouncy. I have some regular reddish orange poppies but this poppy is the one I look forward to. Oriental poppies are very hardy and reliable.  Mine are in a location that gets spring sun and part-shade for the summer.  They like adequate moisture. They will survive with dry conditions but will not bloom very well.

This interesting hosta is Snake Eyes.  I bought it from Botanus. I haven't seen another hosta with this kind of leaf markings. I also like the fact that it has decent vigor in its growth habit.  I have some other newer hostas that have nice leaves but they hardly get any bigger.  I have some old varieties of hostas that get really big but it seems the new varieties are bred for leaf colour and shape but not good growth.

This pretty Knock-out rose has survived for several years in my zone 4 garden.  I like the classic rose shape of the blooms.  The only downside is it doesn't have any scent.  Not prone to blackspot or other diseases. With my winters, there is always some die back so it doesn't get taller than 2-3'. Not super bushy but it is a reliable bloomer and will rebloom later in the summer.

I like the unique flowers of astratia (masterwort). No other flower is quite like them.  This pretty white one has pink ends to the flowers as they mature. The flowers are about 1- 1 1/2" wide and grow in clusters.

I had a failed attempt with astrantia several years ago.  I think the key is to have a constant level of moisture.  They like to be damp but not soggy and definitely not dry.  I mulched around this plant with some hard mulch - left over flooring, and it really appreciates the root protection. It is in a part shade location which it likes. It makes a nice big clump without getting out of control.  Does not spread by runners.

This red astrantia, which isn't fully open yet, was a pleasant surprise.  Two years ago I planted two bareroot plants and only one sent up leaves.  However, this spring the other one sprouted and now I have a lovely dark red astrantia.  I had a similar thing happen with a bare root giant fleeceflower.  It only sprouted the third year but has kept growing nicely since.  Don't give up on your bare root plants.

The lamium, geranium,  and euphorbia make an interesting combination.  The flowers of the lamium and geranium are exactly the same pink which helps to give the area a cohesive look.
 

A Story - "Attack" and White Rose, Columbine, 3 Iris, Early Lettuce

A Story

This story is about how our immune system fights off infection. Inspired by Covid but based on research. Quite amazing really.

Attack

The scouts came back with alarming news.  The enemy had infiltrated their territory.  Quickly, elite first responders spread out, stealthily searching for and swiftly attacking the foe.  Messages zinged throughout the area co-ordinating the operation, and special coded signals were dispatched to confuse the enemy.

Reinforcements struggled to replace the injured and dead, so chemical warfare was released strategically lethally.  Special sharp shooters stalked and eliminated fortified pockets of the hostile force.  Massive units arrived to surround and destroy entrenched enemy strongholds.

The battle feverishly raged on but finally, victory.

The Covid-19 test was negative.

Blanc Double de Coubert is a hardy rugosa rose with a lovely fragrance.  Plant habit is kind of scruffy and the flowers are delicate but they are so elegant and smell so nice.  I have found a new Youtube channel for all my rose questions :  Fraser Valley Rose Farm. Very good presenter with clear advice. He also grows some perennials. Some of his plants can be ordered through the mail but most are only available in his location.

I got this columbine last summer when the plants were on sale.  I have already had both the blue and pink version of this double Winky columbine and found them to be durable and bloom well.  I bought four of them but one mysteriously died.  Not sure why. Maybe something ate the roots. The bees like these columbine even though they are double. They are best in a part shade location and are hardy to zone 4.

So I have three different kinds of iris blooming right now.  These ones are Siberian iris in two different colours. They like to be wet. I wanted them in a drier location so I just kept giving them a good drink every few days, plus we did have quite a few rainy days.

This little iris, Bristly Iris, is native to some parts of North America.  It is only about 16" tall.  It can deal with wet or dry locations.  This one gets rain off the roof and is in a partly shady spot.  I was surprised to see a bumblebee go to each of the three petal areas and then later a swallowtail butterfly was feeding at it.

Here is a standard bearded iris.  An old variety so it's not as flashy as some new cultivars.  Bearded iris like a hot, dry full-sun location with their tubers partly exposed.  If they are not in a suitable location, they may still bloom but will likely flop over.

 The first planting of lettuce is doing well.  I started it inside in April. The challenge for me is not to start too many plants.  Do I need twenty lettuce at any time? No.  The seeds germinate so well and you get so many in a package  I find it hard to restrain myself. Fortunately, Pepper, my horse, will eat over grown lettuce.  I have made a new planting as lettuce gets bitter once it has reached maturity. Successive plantings are the way to go with lettuce and allow you to have fresh lettuce up until frost.

A Story - "Her True Self" and Tree Peony, Purple Allium and Alpine Aster

 A Story

Her True Self

When she was a little girl, her grandma called her a sweet angel.

When she was in school, her teacher called her a brilliant student.

When she went to university, her peers called her a trailblazer.

When she got married, her husband called her his soulmate.

When her world fell apart, she had no idea who she was.  Friends and family tried to find the right words to stop her floundering, but their words evaporated like the mist.

All alone she reached out to God and finally she found out who she was.  His beloved child.

My tree peony bloomed nicely this year.  Although the plant is reliably hardy in my zone 4 garden, some years the buds don't make it through the winter. 

The flowers are quite fragile and if the days are hot or windy they will only last a couple of days. This year the weather was cooler and they lasted about 5 days.  Yesterday we got rain and today all the petals have fallen off.  I enjoy the lovely flowers while they last.

The purple allium is super dependable.  I like the way these plants are shimmering in the shady location. The wind was blowing the tree branches and the light kept changing making the purple flowers sparkle in the breeze.

I bought 3 alpine asters the other day.  I really like the periwinkle petals with the strong yellow centres.  They should be hardy in my zone but they need well-drained soil. I hope the location I picked will do. They will bloom for several weeks into mid summer. 

The bees and other pollinators like all of the above plants.

A Story _ "Perfect Fix" and Feathery Muscari, Pansies, English Daisy and Mini Solar Birdbath Pump

A Story

Perfect Fix

Jenna was skating on the famous Ottawa Rideau Canal, thirteen kilometers of frozen delight. Figures skaters twirled and swirled.  Turbo-charged hockey players zoomed by her.  Jenna glided cautiously, a tourist soaking up the playful atmosphere.

Suddenly, her skate pick caught the ice, throwing her down hard.  Her right knee zinged with pain.  A hero braked sharply, held out his arms.  "You need a beaver tail."

Confused, Jenna gratefully grabbed his hands and hung on to his arm as he guided her to a snack shack.  He ordered hot chocolates and delectable deep-fried cinnamon doughnuts, shaped like beaver tails.

Perfect fix.

This is a feathery muscari which isn't offered very often by the bulb companies.  This is its third spring in my garden and this is the first year that it has opened properly so that may be why it isn't seen so often. We had a lot of rain in late April and early May so maybe that's what it needs.  It is flopping a bit as the location is fairly shady. It is a lovely periwinkle blue colour unlike the regular grape hyacinths that are more dark purple. The feathery muscari grows to about 6-8" high.

I had planted four columbine in a row.  They all came up just fine but then one died so I needed a replacement plant.  I decided on this pretty pink English daisy which, where I live, will likely only last the summer. If I see the same double columbine as the one that died, I may buy another one to replace it.

Some pansies to brighten a partial shade spot.

 

I saw a mini fountain set up on the internet and decided to try one out. It is a small submersible pump powered by a solar panel (4" square).  I bought a plastic cup and drilled a hole in the bottom and cut away a bit on the top end to allow the wire to go out.  I flipped up the cup and put the colourful top on the bottom that is now the top. The pump has a suction cup to keep it in place and it goes inside the cup. The pump works when the sun shines on the panel but not when it's cloudy or dark. I had bought a green bowl to go with the green cup but it was too small and too much water was landing on the deck when the pump was at full force. I am enjoying the sound of the water and it was so easy to set up.  I am hoping some birds might like it, too. 

A Story - "The Lemmings" and Virginia bluebells, Forget-me-not, Tulips, Bleeding Heart

 A Story

The Lemmings

"It's a beautiful day for a jump," enthused Frank Lemming.  "Let's sing our happy song as we mosey over to the cliff."

The crowd around him cheered.

"Why are we jumping?" asked a young lemming.

"Everybody's doing it," was the reply.

Becky and Joe Lemming watched nervously.  They knew about gravity but people didn't want to listen to their warnings about it.

"Here we go," shouted Frank as he stepped off into space.  The others followed.  No one cried out in fear. They didn't believe in gravity.

Becky and Joe couldn't bear to watch the devastation and sadly crept home.

Virginia bluebell is a native plant in Virginia.  It makes a lovely clump of blue bell-shaped flowers tinged with pink.  When the weather gets hot, the leaves die back but it is a hardy perennial. Click on photo for full-width picture.

A couple of vibrant lily shaped tulips. At the edge of the forest something ate a few tulip flowers. Likely was a deer wandering through. They definitely like tulip flowers.

This is a combination I bought from Veseys last fall.  I really like the colour combination of the lemony daffodils and maroon tulips.  The only thing I don't like is that the tulips are much shorter than the daffodils. The bloom times do coincide which is what I was hoping for.

A nice patch of tulips that keeps coming back year after year. The cooler temperatures this spring have kept the blooms fresh for a couple of weeks. These tulips are in a bed that is a bit raised and is quite dry due to trees nearby but tulips actually like being dry in the summer and it can help with reblooming the following year.  They get full sun in the spring and will be in partial shade in summer.

Yes, I know dandelions are a weed but don't they look lovely surrounded by the mixed colours of the forget-me-nots? Forget-me-nots are biennial so they pop up in a variety of places.  Some will spontaneously bloom in pink or white.

Bleeding heart is one of my favourite spring flowers. They look pretty with the blue brunnera. Bleeding heart can be easily divided in spring or fall.  They enjoy partial shade and a humus rich soil that holds moisture but isn't soggy.

A Story - "Sharing" and video of Little Stream

 A Story

Sharing

Under the shade of a mango tree, Maggie and Morgan Orangutan enjoyed their lunch of fresh fruits and vegetables.

"Lovely lettuce, " commented Maggie.

"I prefer the crunchy radishes," replied Morgan as he routed through the food looking for the rosy orbs.

They sat companionably close as they chewed contentedly.  Once in a while, they would give each other a friendly scratch.

A worker appeared with two bright yellow bananas.

"They smell spectacular," gasped Maggie.

"Obviously meant for me," asserted Morgan.

They stared at each other, challenging.

Suddenly they each grabbed a banana, dashed away.  Unfortunately, it was a banana split.

The sound of spring.