This is the first long weekend of the summer season here in Canada. Yippee!
Diehard enthusiasts like myself have already been gardening for a while, but for many Canadians the Victoria Day long weekend is the traditional time to finally get digging. The danger of killing frosts have passed and it is usually safe to begin planting tender annuals and tomatoes.
So for those of you heading to the nursery or garden centres for the first time this season, here are a few ideas to get you inspired:
Plant something pretty: Bee Balm, Monarda 'Marshall's Delight'
My favourite new plant of last summer: Dwarf Calamint, Calamintha nepeta ssp. nepeta
Plant something fragrant: Thyme or Lavender (below)
Create something whimsical
Think outside the box when it comes to container plantings
Plant a fruit tree...
even if you have a small yard.
Add some interest to the edges of your flowerbeds. This gardener neatly edged the grass and then she added a trough of pea gravel. Stones mark and elevate the permitter of the flowerbeds and...
low growing succulents keep the whole thing looking tidy.
Don't forget to think about adding some late season color with ornamental grasses and late flowering perennials like sedum, phlox and rudabeckia.
Plant some old fashioned annuals that nobody else in the neighbourhood has thought off.
Snapdragons
Lavatera
Don't forget to plant some Morning Glories
and maybe some Cosmos.
Some sunflowers would be nice too.
Have a great weekend!
Such beautiful flowers and pictures, Jennifer! Thank you for the tips. Today I put some sunflowers' seeds to grow. Happy gardening!
ReplyDeleteHappy gardening, dear Jenny !!!!
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I think my garden will be quite overlooked this year - I have too many other things on my mind so I can´t seem to find the real energy
ReplyDeletehttp://tinajoathome.com/
You are inspiring! Really! That ladder is fantastic!!! And the table among the fruit trees is perfect!!! Cheers to you! I hope that you have a lovely weekend!
ReplyDeleteHappy Victoria Day weekend! Your photos are fabulous and I'll be one of the many engaging in some gardening this weekend.
ReplyDelete-Karen
Love the lime ladder. The restrained bell-flowered dark blue clematis 'Roguch'i only has vines around 6-9' and would be a perfect selection to grow up into such a simple structure.
ReplyDeleteThe snapdragon close-up was sheer magic.
What a great idea - using an old ladder as a trellis. I'm going to look and see if I can find one for free online.
ReplyDeleteWonderful inspiration photos!
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely right Jennifer .....will spend next week buying plants (great suggestions, by the way) and then planting in after the 25th. That's the night of the full moon. Things really do grow better when planted during a full moon! Here comes the fun part of gardening.
ReplyDeleteExcellent advice! I love the ladder trellis and the succulents in the stone edging. So clever!
ReplyDeleteI love all these wonderful ideas and the beautiful blooms! I'm hoping to get my veggie garden planted tomorrow, finally...I'm a bit late! Have a fantastic long weekend! ~Sheryl @ Flowery Prose
ReplyDeleteAre these all flowers from your garden? Some lovely pictures to inspire. My gardening season is well underway although I am waiting for the weather to warm up a bit before I start planting out - not sure how I am going to fit everything in.
ReplyDeleteELaine, only the first image is of my own garden, the rest are pictures I collected from many different gardens I have visited. I hope to do a post on my own garden next.
DeleteI have seedlings almost ready to plant out as well. When I run out of room I start editing. Yesterday an always unkempt looking blue-grey ornamental grass got the boot so I could have a spot for some catmint.
Jennifer, many interesting ideas for garden!
ReplyDeleteI want to add some more annuals, I prefer to plant seedlings instead of sowing seeds because these are growing faster. Nice photo of a small yard, I love the composition of the plants and flowers.
Happy gardening!
These are the kind of images that make me so happy to be a gardener, just gorgeous. Happy gardening Jennifer.
ReplyDeletePaul:)
Great ideas, Jennifer. You're right, most of us devout gardeners have been at it for weeks. But the weekend gardener is just getting going.
ReplyDeleteLove that ladder with the clematis. I have a couple old ladders sitting around that need a coat of paint. I may just use one of them for this idea.
Happy Gardening - although it looks a little cloudy with the threat of showers where we are today.
Hi Jennifer....such great ideas and wonderful flowers. I love that wheelbarrow and that garden with the table and chairs is just fabulous! What a wonderful place to sit and relax.
ReplyDeleteSome lovely ideas there, I loved the ladder and the Bee Balm. Sunflowers get me every year, I love their cheery faces. This year I'm growing the tall and short varieties.xxxx
ReplyDeleteHappy gardening time Jennifer.
ReplyDeleteI am planting many of these annuals this weekend...just adore my snapdragons and sunflowers especially...you certainly have me in the mood to take time off so I can get more time to get to my big planting push
ReplyDeleteI succomed to a bit of retail therapy this morning at our local garden centre and can't wait to get started planting, must weed that bed first! From now on we are all going to be busy with all the jobs that need doing, but we must also make time to just enjoy the garden we are making!
ReplyDeleteJennifer, I am overwelmhed with ideas, love that ladder used as a trellis!
ReplyDeleteEileen
Your photos and enthusiasm make me want to head to the nursery and buy one of everything.
ReplyDeleteGreat ideas! We don't celebrate Victoria Day weekend in Britain so I have been buying plants since January :-)
ReplyDeleteI had to chuckle of your definition of a small garden, or yard - you should see my postage stamp garden!
I sowed sunflower seeds last month for the first time, yellow and wine red, in between the roses. Looking forward to seeing if that's going to be success or disaster!
Certainly an inspirational post! Every year there is something new, or old, to try. I love the green ladder! I also have a green ladder, smaller, so I use it opened up as a plant stand. But the idea of a taller one leaning against the house for vines is great! I will keep that in mind for my future garden house.
ReplyDeleteSo much inspiration! :)
ReplyDeleteHappy gardening time, Jennifer.
Oh, I love that edging idea! It's funny how the garden centers are suddenly overflowing with people in the spring, people that have not and will not visit it again any other time of the year! But I suppose some of them will get hooked on gardening, and that's a great thing. Good advice in your post.
ReplyDeleteMy goodness Jennifer ! .. such beautiful pictures : )
ReplyDeleteI am totally taken with that image of the ladder and the vines .. now that is one creative idea I would love to use too !
It just goes to show that almost anything can be a support for plants right? LOL
Joy : )
PS .. I had to buy one of those "Get Mee" campanula .. such a deep violet blue is so pretty !
Blue Cloud dwarf calamint x 2 for me this year as well .. I can't help myself ? haha
Great advice and beautiful images to inspire us all! Love that green ladder!
ReplyDeletegreat suggestions Jennifer, I love the photos, the foxtail grass and the fact that you included my plant namesake. Enjoy the gardening while the weather is suitable.
ReplyDeleteMy old ladder gets covered with reseeded morning glories. Painting it would be a great idea-another item to add to the "list". Our first long weekend is on the horizon. I've been in the garden since March but it's time to kick things up a notch. Happy gardening!
ReplyDeleteIf this doesn't get the gardening juices flowing Jennifer, I don't know what would. Just perfect.
ReplyDeleteB.
that ladder!! we bought an old ladder at auction last year and I still haven't decided what to do with it. This is another great idea. funny, you never see snapdragons anymore. My mother always had them in her garden.
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