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.

Big Bulbs

Oriental lily bulb - the size of a squash!

Too cold to garden

It's the cold wind that's keeping me inside.  Today we had to resort to Catan.

Go for a Dip?

The water had receded a bit by this point - easily a foot deep.  We could get some float beds and martinis and pretend we have a pool - but only after it rains.

Breast Cancer Ribbon

Here's what I got for my donation.  Get yours at Instant Flawless Tanning on Dutch Village Road in Halifax.

Frost Warning

Last night we had a frost warning for all of the Maritimes.  I was waiting patiently this morning for it to get light so I could see if I still had blooms - and YIPPEE!  No frost for the next 3 days but lots of wind and rain.  Hoping I still might get to see 'Yellow Star'.  Apparently lots of people had frost and Neil in Tantallon lost all his begonias and such.  I guess we're kind of protected even though we're on a hill.

So Pretty

This will probably be the last of the dahlia pictures - forecast calls for frost tonight :(

Karma Bon Bini Opening

This one is so bright!

Dahlia 'Giggles'

Sid's picture is dead-on.  This one isn't as tall and the bloom isn't as big as Alpen Cherub, but that's probably because it's so late blooming.  The colour is AWESOME!

'Little Scottie' Dahlia

This is a tiny bloom - pehaps 1.5" across - but very bright and pretty.
Unusual gardening this year.  Not only do I have new asiatic lilies that are in bud, I also have a stalk of the early Digby daylilies full of buds.

Back Garden in September

You can see why my bluebeard is called "Snow Fairy".

Dahlia Update

Blooming:
Alpen Cherub
Longwood Dainty
Preference
Orchid Beauty
Glow
Kasasagi
Art Deco
Galley's Red

In bud:
Glenbank Twinkle
Cornel
Karma Bon Bini
Little Scottie
Brookside Snowball

Dahlia 'Preference'

We needed rain and we definitely got it today.  We didn't need the wind that came with it though.  Orchid Beauty is lying on the ground and I lost most of my newly blooming glads.  Ugh!  I should have re-staked the dahlia after Earl.

Huron Sunrise

This grass in Kelly's garden was all tipped over after the storm, despite being in a big hoop.  Didn't matter how much adjusting we did, it kept wanting to flop over.  Kelly used the leaf blower to blow it back into shape!

Survived the Storm

So glad this one survived Hurricane Earl!

Calm Before the Storm

The weather has been too hot to enjoy the garden all week.  I wanted to capture this picture before Earl hits tonight.

Record Breaking Heat

Luna Red is a couple of weeks early this year.  Hot today and even more expected tomorrow.  We set records today - hottest September 1st ever (or at least since they've been writing these things down).  It's expected to start getting stormy on Friday as Hurricane Earl approaches.  We may not get to enjoy the blooms much longer!

Map in Progress

It's a start!  I watched the sun in here today and it seems to be about 4 hours midday, plus dappled sun the rest of the time.

Spreading Seeds - The Henge

My urge to spread seeds overcame me yesterday evening.  I carefully opened the little seed packets that Danielle so carefully prepared for me and I spread half of each of these in the 'henge:
columbine - purple/yellow
delphinium - front light blue
delphinium - pale purple, pale blue, white centre

Also, moved pink and white physostegia from the woods garden into the henge, and a blue fescue.  Had also planted alpine columbine and blue lobelia.  Kelly has planted the sea lyme grass in a buried planter near the entrance.  I think it might be time to start a map.

Last of the Phlox

Becky Towe hasn't grown a whole lot in 2 years so she will move to a sunnier spot in the fall.  Her gold and green foliage is definitely her redeeming feature.  Flowers are similar to Orange Perfection.

More Space!

Kelly moved the oil tank so we have some more gardening space but I'm not sure what we'll do with it.

Planned Changes - Back Centre

David and Blue Boy phlox will move to the far end of the centre garden, closest to the woods.  The pale pink lilies and pink monkshood will move from there to replace the phlox.  Also in that space near the back deck will go sea holly, Amazing lily, Aubade lily, pale delphinium seed, pink poppy seed, Becky Towe phlox, and more things I can't think of right now.

Waiting and Waiting and Waiting...

This - Longwood Dainty - will be the first dahlia from Danielle to bloom.  Also in bud are Kasasagi, Glow, Alpen Cherub and Preference.

The first glad is also starting to open.

Construction Continues

Notice the border around the outside edges... all for planting.  The area that is behind the big centre rock from this angle is where delphinium will go.  The closest spot on the right will have tall blue lobelia very soon.

Sea Holly

I keep forgetting to move this till it's too late.  This fall I'll move it to the back where the big phloxes are moving out of, with the lilies.

Blooms

The pineapple lilies are in full bloom.  The gallardia recovered after its move and looks great with the calendula.  Phlox in the back garden blooming all over the place.

Lobelia plus Bee

I really love this lobelia and I have to wait till late summer every year to enjoy it.  It's tall - over my head - and bright, and a good compliment to the Opus One lilies.  If you look closely you can see a bee mooning me.  I watched him crawl right into all these blooms - he was quite loaded up with pollen.

I'm having to do some watering every evening and no rain in the forecast.  Kelly potted up Endless Summer and Danielle's orange daylilies so we can find them permanent spots in the garden in the fall.

More Plants from Danielle

Received Danielle's package today (yippee!) and planted:

• variegated sedum - front garden by red and orange lilies near steps
• yellow-blooming sedum - front garden in front of Annabelle hydrangea + woods garden
• green creeping Jenny - henge, crack in rock right side
• orange daylilies - in a pot temporarily
• Endless Summer hydrangea macrophylla - in a pot temporarily

Lots of seeds to plant as well!

Kermesina Blooming

Almost missed these few blooms way up by the garage.  My clematis in the pot finally bloomed and is definitely going to move before next year.  It certainly looks nothing like in the past.

Blue Boy Phlox

Looking quite pink in the bright sun.

Bench Beneath the Trees

Kelly painted the bench and assembled it on the lawn today.  It looks great there... so glad Danielle suggested white.

Dixie Chip Bugleweed

I finally planted this today in front of my Snowmound spirea.

ajuga x tenorii Dixie Chip
sun/part
zone 3

Back Centre Map

There are still a few plants missing, and it's far from perfect, but it feels good to have this done.  Next, the rock garden.

Back Centre Garden

It's all blooming wonderfully!  Tom Pouce holds centre stage and I really hope that I can get more papyrus next year.  The pale pink rose mallow and blue lobelia are filling in nicely.  Opus One lilies tower in the back.

Casablanca

My very first lily ever.  Bright white and tall - over my head.

And Tom Pouce is, in Kelly's words, like a big basketball on a stick!