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.

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?

Stargazer Blooming

They are a bit more impressive this year than last.  I really do need to plant white phlox behind them.

Very Dizzy

This is what I found on my first morning walkabout.  Next year there should be 3 tall stalks blooming among Opus One and asiatic lily America.  Both were planted here early summer - too late to bloom this year.  (Although I suspect that they will all bloom at different times!)

Imagination Required

Changes to the ring garden:
- pulled up all the Panorama bee balm
- planted new purple campanula 'Superba' in front
- planted a division of Moonbeam coreopsis on the corner
- in the fall, Danielle phlox will go in back where there is a sorry looking cleome now

Marmalade Coral Bells and Other Blooms

This reminds me more of caramel than marmalade but it does get more orangish as the season goes on.

My rose is blooming today, along with the Blue Moon catmint.  Mom's tall purple and white bells are starting to bloom in back and the Moonsilk iris patch looks awesome.

The President

Very exciting!  It's 4 years since I bought this clematis and my first time seeing it bloom.  I moved it here to the front ring garden last summer after it spent a couple of years against the back fence.

Digby Daylilies

Early yellow daylilies - these are tall and bring the first real splash of colour out by the road.  (They came from one of Kelly's relatives in Digby.)

Alison's Iris

No idea what the name is but  it came from Alison's garden before she moved.  No yellow bloomed at all last year so I'm surprised to see 5 or 6 stalks that will bloom this year.  In this spot I also have 3 iris stalks coming that are different than anything I thought I had here - so hopefully I'm in for a pleasant surprise.
(Orig picture replaced by this one taken with new camera.)