Art Deco works for me

I have to brag about my Art Deco dahlias.  I bought a tuber on clearance in 2008.  My first dahlia ever - it cost me a dollar.  Although I had a few glads at the time, I wasn't really bought into the whole 'lift in fall' thing.  They multiplied fast.  This year we had them all along the top of the stone wall beside the driveway.  It would have been beautiful if the slugs hadn't been feasting on them all summer.  We did eventually get blooms this year but not nice clumps like we've had in previous years.

It's one of my favourites (next to Alpen Cherub).  I'm hoping for a cold winter this year so we don't have as many slugs, snails, and earwigs next season.

Best of September 2011

September was an interesting month this year in my garden.  With such a short season this year, I was running around still waiting for phlox, glads, and dahlias to bloom.  One of the nicest surprises this season was seeing two hydrangeas bloom for the first time.  Both of my Cityline hydrangeas, Paris and Vienna (below) require winter coverage and I've always been too lazy to do it.  After one season of no blooms from either, I was rewarded this year with blooms on both.

Hydrangea Cityline Vienna

My purple statice bloomed in this spot also for the first time this year and was a lovely backdrop for the delicate pink flowers.

Best of August 2011

I didn't do nearly as much picture taking this gardening season as in previous years.  Because I didn't buy many new plants this year, I was thinking that my photos would mostly be repeats from previous years.  However, I did have several things bloom for the first time this year: including new daylilies planted last year and two hydrangeas that I've been too lazy to protect over the winter.  The winner for new perennials this year has to be the new pink coneflowers planted in Kelly's garden.

Echinacea purpurea

It's now late October and these flowers are still going strong!  Here's some more pictures from August.

Best of July 2011

It was hard to pick a favourite of all the pictures I took in July, but this daylily stands out.  I planted a mix of 6 daylilies in the spring of 2010 and I have 2 patches of this colour.  In the fall we'll put them together by the golden coreopsis.  Some exciting first time blooms this month: Kelly's voodoo lily, our wisteria, and America lily.  Danielle's temporary lily garden out back gave us lots of variety.

Best of June 2011

I couldn't decide so it's a tie for June.  Azalea exbury 'Fireball' above and a new unknown iris below.  Here are some more June pictures.

Best of May 2011

My back garden looks a lot different now but the spring colours were pretty.  The daffodil mix I planted last fall has turned out to be fun and I snapped lots of pretty blooms.

Best of April 2011

My gardening and photography have both been suffering this year, along with the Nova Scotia weather.  Of the few shots I took in April, this is my favourite.  These are botanical tulips that came from Danielle - they got a big break this past winter from what they were used to in Saskatchewan.

5 days of heavy rain

Things are a bit droopy.  In the end it was the rain, not the frost, that did in the dahlias in the front garden.  Ones in the back garden are still blooming.  I'm going to send a picture to our local weather lady on the evening news.

Overdue

Last quarter's HST filing is overdue but I got the worst part done - gathering up and sorting all the receipts and papers.

Flood Zone

After 3 days of constant rain, we had a lot of water in the back.  The 'henge (top centre) overflowed into the gardens.  In the middle of this picture is what Kelly says is the real DHD - but unless you watch StarGate you won't really care.

Dahlia in a Vase

Hmm, I'm thinking this might be Babylon Bronze.

Make it Pretty

My instructions were 'make it pretty'.  And I learned lots in the process.

Mimulus

I didn't plant mimulus this year but I got some anyway.

November Garden

Can we make it till December?

Amaryllis Made Easy?

This has been stuck to the fridge in the basement for at least 3 years.  Haven't gotten it to work for me yet.  It appears simple and would be if I took the time to mark the tasks on a calendar.

PS:  Most of the leaves are down but I still have dahlia blooming.  Had a little snow today but I still have dahlia blooming.  If this keeps up, Kelly will want to try palm trees again!



Romeo at Attention

Halloween Bud

It looks like Halloween but I don't think it will last till then.  This one could possibly be Caballero.

What the heck?

I've been pulling these little twiggy things from all over the ring garden ever since we converted it to a garden.  They're growing up through from underneath the soil we added.  This one managed to get big without me finding it.  After yanking it out I noticed it kind of looks like a rose...?  So I dug it back in to see what happens.
Do you think it might be wild rose?

Weeping Solomon's Seal

Such a pretty pale yellow... hostas are mostly looking like this too.

Bright Red

Finally got a pic to turn out!

Fall has Arrived

'Huron Sunrise' in Kelly's garden.  (PS:  I still have dahlias blooming!)

No frost again

Looks different than yesterday...

Yellow Star

Chance of frost tonight...

Accomplishment

Today I didn't even get outside with my camera.  But I had a great work day.  Aside from a couple of big projects, I've also crossed lots off my to-do list.

Plant Moves - Back Centre

Kelly has been busy the last couple of days.  He moved the tall 'David' and 'Blue Boy' phlox from here to the far end of the back centre garden (behind 'Laura').  Seems strange because they had been in this spot since the garden was first planted.
From that spot he dug up the pale pink Oriental lilies and moved them here.  He also moved the pink monkshood here.  Some of the purple iris will go back along the left side.  Two 'Mojave' lilies will be moved into here, along with the sea holly from the rock garden.  Hoping to get two dahlia in here next year too - Glenbank Twinkle and Orchid Beauty.