Friday, January 3, 2014

The Year in Bloom, Part 2: July



The weather report on the CBC(radio) was all doom and gloom this morning. There are bad storms in eastern Canada and several U.S. states making it difficult or even impossible for residents and visitors to get around. In England there are unusually high tides and the threat of flooding along the coast. Here in Ontario it is bone-chilling cold: -35 Celsius if you factor in the wind chill.

Time for some summer pictures to warm things up a bit!


The garden looks fine enough in June, but it really starts to come into its own in July. The hard work of spring is done, and as the heat settles into the final two weeks of the month, it is finally time to sit back and enjoy the garden in all its summer glory.

Here is a look back at last July, with an eye to new plants that were added to the garden this year:


Along the white picket fence there are roses.


The Fairy Rose, Polyantha, 'The Fairy'. Height: 60-90 cm. Spread 60-120 cm.  Sadly it has no fragrance, but on the plus side Japanese Beetles seem to largely ignore it.

I have misplaced the I.D. on the top two roses, but I think the one on the right is a Flower Carpet Pink Groundcover rose. The deeper pinky-red rose on the bottom is Hybrid Musk rose 'Marjorie Fair' and the lighter pink is the Hybrid Musk rose 'Robin Hood'

The view from the far side of the front garden. The bright pink flower is a common Spirea.

Tall Speedwell, Veronica Longifolia 'Eveline Pink' Height: 50 cm, Spread: 30-40 cm. Full sun. 
Hardy: zones 4-9


This is a great little plant although slugs can turn its neat, mounded foliage into swiss cheese. Place it near the front of a flower border. Alpine Betony, Stachys monieri 'Hummelo'. Height 45-50 cm. Spread: 45 cm. Hardy zones 4-9. The tag says full sun, but mine does just fine in part shade.

This year I added the pink form of Betony:

Betony, Stachys officinalis 'Pink Cotton Candy'  Height 45-50 cm. Spread: 45 cm. Hardy zones 4-9.

 Blue Catmint, Nepeta racemosa 'Walker's Low' A long blooming perennial (if regularly deadheaded) that has a mounded, bushy habit. Height: 30 cm, Spread: 45 cm. Full sun. Hardy zones 3-9.

Some people dislike hosta in flower, but not me!

It's never all pretty in a garden. Did you notice the two spiders (upper left corner) 
lurking on the underside of the flowers?

Coreopsis verticillata 'Moonbeam' Full sun. Height: 30-45cm. Spread: 30-45cm. Zones 4-9


Rose Campion, Lychnis coronaria is a short lived perennial that re-seeds itself. The plant has a low mound of soft silver-grey foliage and magenta or white flowers. Height 60-90 cm when in flower. The flowers have no fragrance, but butterflies like them. Spread: 40-50 cm.  Drought tolerant. This clump is in half-shade, but it would much prefer full sun. Zones 3-9. 

Echinacea

Phlox maculata 'Rosalinde' 

I love the dark stems on this pretty mauve Phlox. It is shorter than many of the other varieties 
I have and blooms earlier than most.

Phlox maculata 'Rosalinde' Height 75 cm, Spread: 60 cm. Light fragrance. Mildew resistant. 
Blooms in mid-July. Hardy to zone 4a.

This is a new woodland plant that I added to the back garden. It originates in western China at the edges of forested areas. My image is a bit misleading: the mature leaves on the plant turn a deep, olive-green with silver-green veining. The delicate flowers float on wiry stems and are a very pale lavender. Thalictrum ichangense, Evening Star strain. Height: 25 cm Spread: 35 cm Zones 6-9


Happy New Year to you!

Stay warm!

31 comments:

  1. Teraz w czasie zimy patrzeć na piękny w kolorowych kwiatów ogród, to rozkosz. Ślicznie wyglądają też kwiaty przy białym płocie.
    Wspaniałego 2014 roku !
    Now in the winter time to look at the beautiful colorful flowers garden is a delight. Pretty flowers also look at a white fence.
    The Great 2014!

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  2. These images are just gorgeous with all the color - thanks for sharing! :-)

    http://tinajoathome.com/

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  3. Your garden never fails to take my breath away :-)

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  4. Thank you for letting me enjoy such a gorgeous, enchanting & inspirational garden. Now I can't wait for Spring to start making magic in my own garden. Happy New Year 2014!
    By the way, what is the name of the purple flowering perennial on the first picture? Is it a Campanula? It's such a pretty thing!

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    1. It does look a lot like a Campanula, but no, it is actually a close up of the clematis that you see in the next image. I would love to offer the name of this variety of clematis, but I have had it for years and have misplaced the I.D. tag.
      I have really come to love these bell-shaped clematis and hope to add a few new varieties this spring (and I promise in future to be more careful with the plant tag!!).

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  5. Thanks for the lovely colourful show. I just finished posting the latest ice storm photos - kind of dragged me down. Tell me, how much care does the Fairy rose need? I have been thinking about adding it to my garden for a year now. All the best in 2014.

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  6. Those roses!! WOW!! What a magnificent shot! Your photography is exceptional Jennifer. And such a lovely trip into a summer garden when it's -22C outside….brrrr!

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  7. I love your garden! For some strange reason, I cannot get coneflowers to grow here. Don't have a clue why, but they all die after 1 season. Sigh. I miss my Moonbeam coreopsis too. Can't buy that variety here anymore.

    Thanks for the beautiful inspiration, I can't wait for spring!!!

    xox

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  8. Such a refreshing post with all that lovely color. - Stay safe, dry & warm. Happy New Year!

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  9. Our gardens are in the depth of depression here, twenty below zero by Monday! I must get my act together and plan on spring and summer, love all of your lovely photos.

    Eileen

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  10. Your pictures of your garden are stunning. I still have roses blooming here in So CA. But I need to deadhead them. We don't have to prune way back as it never freezes here. So that will ne my project after I get all my Christmas decoration put away.
    Stay warm
    Mary

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  11. Happy New Year to you friend! I am so going to have to bookmark this post! You have listed so many plants that I am thinking I may try, specifically the roses! And your first shot is jaw dropping Jennifer! Just absolutely gorgeous! Thank you for warming us up with your post! Unbelievably cold here right now as the winds howl outside...they will be canceling class for all of our kiddos on Monday! Stay warm!!! Nicole

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  12. How wonderful to be treated to your summer flowers on such a cold, miserable day. Yes, there are lots of floods here in the SW of the UK, so many people have had their houses or businesses flooded, devastating for the people involved, we thankfully are fine, living on the side of a hill, the water just rushes by. we have also seen the news over in Canada/America, you are having it bad too.
    Your roses are absolutely fantastic, what a lovely show they give along your fence.

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  13. We so long for some colour in the garden. It was wonderful to see the many lovely flowers in your garden. Here in Denmark the winter has decided to stay away. The last 3-4 years we have had loads of snow and frost. But so far this winter has shown no sign of snow, and only frost a couple of nights.
    So the springflowers has already begun to show themselves.
    The catmint Walkers Low is also a favourite of mine, and I have it several places.
    Echinacea performed well last summer, and I hope it spreads further.

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  14. I've always admired the shots of your front border with all the pink roses. Didn't realize that they were the fairy rose - I love them and have used them in a previous garden. Will have to get some for my new garden this spring.
    Gorgeous as always. Thanks for sharing.

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  15. You have such a beautiful garden. I was surprised to see how nice was the spirea. I like this plant and it looks good in the mix of perennials. Many don't use it in this fashion. I gave one to a friend to put into her perennial garden as you did and each year she has trimmed it into a ball and never really saw the pretty pink flowers. It looked horrible in the mix this way. Kudos to you using it in combination like that.

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  16. What a beautiful collection....sighs....we need a little cheer in the mid winter. I loved the butterfly too.xxx

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  17. I remember July - I think... Your roses are just amazing. I planted 'Marjorie Fair' last summer, hoping it will look as awesome as yours one day (might help if the rabbits would stop eating it). I also have a Thalictrum ichangense and it is lovely, although growing slowly in my garden so far. Thanks for the reminders of warmth and color!

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  18. Oh how I needed that injection of sun and flowers to banish the drear gloom here in the uk. Love your garden, it looks so interesting, just overflowing with fantastic colour and texture.
    Lovely roses ...

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  19. Your garden has so much color and profusion of bloom, it's just beautiful! I am swooning over the blue clematis. So lovely.

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  20. I remember your bell shaped clematis very well! It was one of my favorite flowers in your garden. I think I'll refer to this post when I add new flowers this Spring. I wish you a happy new year as well!

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  21. Your garden is simply magnificent! Whenever I embark on another one of my redesigns, your garden is always one of my inspirations. It's amazing that all these plants can simply go to sleep and then burst onto the scene again in the spring, regardless of how cold our winters are. I have 'Hummelo', too, and ended up moving mine into full sun last fall after it stopped blooming when its spot became too shady. I have three 'Little Princess' spirea in my front garden. I just added the other two last summer and am excited to see them all blooming together this spring. It's one of my favorite shrubs. :o)

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  22. What a breath of summer to see your pictures in the middle of winter. You sometimes wonder when the garden is all brown earth and nothing showing whether it will all come back to its former glory - your photos are so inspiring.

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  23. I long for the summer when I see these flowery pictures. Until now we have no winter yet + 8 degr.C., should like to have snow or frost by now because it is so muddy in the garden and the dog's paws are always muddy......

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  24. I love to hear the Beetles leave The Fairy alone. I have ripped out almost all of my Knock outs as I cannot stand watching the roses die slowly as the beetles form huge living masses all over them. I have one Paprika rose that seems to be not to their liking. I will pick up The Fairy and give her a try!

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  25. Oh how I needed this!
    It has been horribly cold here too, but not nearly as cold as where you are.
    Thank you, Jennifer!
    Stay warm and safe.

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  26. I was doing much the same as we have been snowbound of late....your pictures are stunning and certainly gave me such joy!!

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  27. A treat to see some of your Summer pictures Jennifer. Great photo with the garden arch.

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  28. What a treat to see all these colorful blooms on such a cold day! I've always loved your picket fence border--it's just what I imagine when I think of a cottage garden. It's bone-chilling cold here, too, and everything has been closed because of the snow and cold. Stay warm!

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  29. It's so amazing to me how different July is for your garden than for mine. Mine is hot and dry and dormant usually by then. Yours is glorious! As I lay in bed, with 12 degree temperatures outside, I am reminded by your photos that spring and summer will come again. I needed that reminder! Thanks for the beautiful images. And Happy New Year!

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  30. This was so beautiful ! There is something about a white picket fence with over flowing gorgeous flowers that is perfection : )
    WE both have Evening Star just from last year ! .. I was very impressed with how it kept flowering all season .. there are some new cat mints I'd like to try "Cat's Meow" ? I think, and a mini me Walker's Low .. I really liked Blue Cloud that I found last year .. so much so I have three ? haha
    Ah ! roses that the dreaded beetles will leave alone .. but oh ... I NEED that fragrance ! LOL
    Joy : )

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