Looking back and Moving Forward into 2019

A photo taken by my dear husband.

When my father called me on Tuesday morning to wish me a happy new year, he told me he had celebrated into the night at a party with live music, singing and dancing. Myself, I fell asleep on the coach shortly after dinner. Goodness, my 93-year-old father has put me to shame!

When I woke up around nine, I found my husband had already done the dinner dishes. How grateful am I that I have a husband who does the dishes all on his own even after a long, hard day at work! To close our wild New Year's Eve, we grabbed our umbrellas and took the dogs for their nightly walk. The drizzle was so heavy it might better be described as rain. Mild temperatures and rain on New Year's Eve in Ontario. How very odd that seemed! For our walk, the boys wore their sporty red raincoats because they'd be drenched otherwise. Even so, I still had to dry them with a towel when we got back.

We finally crawled into bed sometime after eleven. My husband drifted off to sleep almost immediately, but I lay awake long enough to hear the first of the fireworks at midnight. Welcome, 2019!

Buddy (on the left) lived to be almost twenty. The bunny with his buddy Piper (on the right).

I am not sad to put 2018 behind me. It was a difficult year. First, our oldest dog passed away and then our pet rabbit. The most difficult loss of all was my Mom in October. I am glad that I still have my Dad to fuss over (though perhaps the worry is unwarranted after hearing about all the singing he did on New Year's Eve. I always knew he loved music, but I had no idea he loved to sing until recently. Myself, I sing like a toad. Obviously, singing on key is not a gift he has passed on to me!)

Even my blog had its difficulties in 2018. Google made technical changes and page views dropped just when they would usually start to peak. Never have a come so close to quitting altogether. Somehow I have managed to rally my spirits mid-summer. Tough times seem to have stirred a renewed determination.

For me, taking a look back at the posts in 2018 is an important exercise. What blog posts resonated with readers and what fell flat? I have begun to put together my editorial calendar for 2019 and it's always helpful to look back at the previous year with a critical eye towards improvement.

For you the reader, I hope this is a way to catch up on any posts you might have missed.

In the past, I haven't written a lot about indoor gardening, but there is such a renewal of interest in houseplants, it's a missed opportunity.

This post, in which I featured one of the more quirky houseplants in my personal collection, was very popular. A few readers commented that this odd-looking plant looked "ghostly". For me the fuzzy, grey foliage makes me think of Q-tips.

I have been doing more plant profiles on Three Dogs in a Garden. In this very popular post, many gardeners were intrigued by more unusual forms of Rudbeckia, a common cottage garden plant: Lesser-Known Rudbeckia.

Finishing second was New Perennials from Proven Winners. No surprise there! What enthusiastic plant collector doesn't like to read about all the new plants coming to market in the spring.

Two further plant posts, Baptisia: How to Grow It + Newly Introduced Cultivars and How to Grow Bearded Iris, were also very well received.

An experiment that got mixed reviews were blog posts on creating themed gardens. Creating a Fragrant Garden Season by Season did not attract as much interest as I hoped, but Creating a White Garden did fairly well.

A Visit to Grange Hollow Nursery was the most popular of the public spaces I showcased. 

Grange Hollow is a family-run nursery located in Grey Bruce County just south of Owen Sound. Hardy perennials, annual flowers, herbs, heirloom tomatoes and a wide range of vegetable transplants are sold at the nursery, but what makes Grange Hollow stand out are the inspirational display gardens.

As always, I featured quite a number of private gardens. Two were reader favourites. Finishing second in terms of readership was A Pretty Cottage Garden that was photographed in late May.

The most popular private garden was a bit of a dark horse. I showed this garden with a bit of trepidation knowing that not everyone is a fan of garden gnomes (or in this case, the equivalent). 

I wrote passionately that Eva Martini's garden, "... speaks to the personality and imagination of the woman that created it. You know a little something about her by the time you wonder the pathways and stop at all the little vignettes. And I think that's great." 

Judging from the number of page views, readers agreed.

I also tried a slightly different approach to showing a private garden. With less focus on the garden's story, and more concentration on ideas readers could use was the post 10+ Ideas to Borrow for your Garden.  Mining a Garden for Inspiration: 10 Ideas to Borrow this Spring did even better.

The most popular post of 2018 was 10+ Numbered and Identified Shade Planting Schemes by a landslide. No surprises there! Shade gardens are a real challenge for most people. Combining perennials with trees and shrubs is also a difficult task in both sun and shade. 

Looking forward now into the year ahead, both my husband and I am super excited about installing a waterfall, stream and pond. Last summer we laid out the watercourse, planted the flowerbeds at the water's edge and built the two bridges that will cross the stream. 

Now we need to go back in, dig out the area out and lay the liner. A pump will create a waterfall at one end and a second pump in the pond will recirculate the water. 

I am not sure if the pond will be deep enough for koi, but I am looking forward to 

watching fish and frogs in our new pond.

A bee on my Monarda.

 Just two dogs in a garden now.

Phlox paniculata 'David's Lavander' out front.

I am also hoping to build a rose trellis, rebuild our compost bins, lay paths and finish the area at the side of the house. 2019 is going to be a busy year!

A Garden as Theatre

A vase of white peonies dress up the trellised seating area

Generally I am not a huge fan of perimeter planting where the garden follows its way around the outer edge of a piece of property. 

It not that there is anything wrong with this type of layout. It's just that there are so many other more interesting and creative approaches to garden design.

The garden I am about to show you would be an exception to this point of view. Here the well executed perimeter planting seems to work in perfect concert with the formal style of the design. 

The fenced-in area between the house and garage.

This garden is a side yard rather than a backyard, but the same approach could easily be taken in a backyard.

Between the house and garage is a private walkway that the owner has transformed into narrow courtyard complete with a patio table and chairs. 

The walkway leads you around the back of the garage to a seating area with a large overhead trellis. 

It is from this vantage point that you get your first glimpse of the garden that stretches out in front of you. Here is a very rough plan of the garden:

Sitting comfortably in the wicker chairs and looking out at the flowers in bloom, listening to the water splash in the fountain, watching the bees flit amongst the flowers seems almost like a bit of garden theatre. 

Certainly, watching the coming and goings of insects and birds must provide hours of relaxing entertainment.

And after you have sipped your morning coffee and want to stroll into the garden to better appreciate what's in bloom, there is a path the leads you all the way around the garden.

These first two images were taken in May when pink tulips were flowering. Clematis vines have just started to make their way up a number of supports that run the length of the fence.

Here we are in June. 

The Clematis have come on strong and are almost hiding the wood fence. There is even a Clematis flower or two.

Gorgeous pink peonies have replaced the tulips.

Opposite the peonies there are more pink flowers. This time it is the tall spires of pink Lupins.

Briefly on growing Lupins:

Lupins do best in well-drained, slightly acidic soil that is on the moist side. They will tolerate average or sandy soil, but dislike clay soil. Plant them in full sun. 

Lupins will sometimes fail to come back a second year, so to maintain the vigour of your Lupin deadhead it once it flowers to prevent it from going to seed. 

Growing Lupins from Seed:

If you want to grow lupins from seed, direct sow them into the ground in the fall. Lupins sown in spring will need cold stratification (a short period of time simulating cold, wintery conditions. Put lupin seeds in a ziplock bag and place them in the refrigerator for approximately 7 days).  Just before you sow them, soak them overnight in lukewarm water. Sow the seed shallowly (about 1/8" deep).

Lupins have long, fragile taproots that don't take kindly to being transplanted. For this reason, it is a good idea to grow them in peat pots.

The pathway leads all the way back to the cool comfort of the shade.

In the corner, there is a small terra cotta fireplace for cool evenings.

Here warm June days have also brought out the first pink roses which climb their way up

 the trellis supports of the seating area.

One of the things I like best about this garden's design is that it's laid out in a way that really enhances the owner's ability to enjoy her garden. 

And isn't pleasure what gardening should be all about?

Jacquie's Spring Garden, Part 2

Traditional thinking links creativity with some lightning strike of genius or some crystal clear "aha" moment. 

But people like Jacquie don't wait for a flash of inspiration; they simply get down to it. Making a garden is about hard work and perseverance. When you talk with a gardener who has as much experience as Jacquie, you realize that creativity involves planting a perennial in the wrong spot, digging it up and moving it to a more appropriate one. You make mistakes, but hopefully, you learn from them. 

When I asked Jacquie about her methods for creating such pleasing plant combinations, she told me:

 "I used to be that I'd plunk a plant in where I had room. Now I'm much more careful. Often a shrub or tree will remain in a pot for a month until I decide for sure where its permanent home will be. Smaller plants don't take as long, but even so, it takes me a while to decide."

"I look at the foliage and plant colour, texture and size, walk around the around the garden with it or sometimes I just sit the plant where I think it should go, and leave it for a few days just to be sure. "

"I might do that two or three times before it's a done deal. If a plant doesn't do what I think it should do the first season, I'll try it somewhere else next year. I'm much braver now and more ruthless. Eventually, it all works."

I was curious to know the story behind this tall, totem-like wood carving.

Jacquie says, "I had friends for dinner including Steve, an ex-priest and Maureen, his wife and an ex-nun. Steve passed away last year, just before Christmas, but he was a character and as big as life, so his memory lives on. "

"During dinner, he told us he had taken a course at Lee Valley on how to carve outdoor trees but didn't have a tree to work on. 

"During Hurricane Juan, two 100' poplars fell down into our neighbour's property. When the people we hired had trimmed one of the poplars to about 25', it popped back up and landed in the 8' hole it had left. When I saw it standing, I realized I could probably do something with it and so stopped them from cutting it down further. Then I forgot about it." 

"When Steve complained about not having a tree, I said, "I have just the tree for you." He was excited and started that summer. It took about a week in total to complete it."

"Steve had a very dry humour. I was watching him up on his ladder one day and asked why he was using a mirror. He replied, "I want to get the wrinkles just right." And they were! We were very pleased with the carving, and now, we treasure it even more."

The lower section of the hillside garden

Unknown variety of Euphorbia 

Jacquie kindly spent over an hour trying to find the name for this Euphorbia for me but to no avail. 

"It must have been given to me because I keep a record of everything. It seeds around a lot, but in spring I gather the seedlings up and clump them together. It also has to be cut back in mid-summer, so it leaves a bit of a hole. Despite all that, I really like it for its colour."

I did some poking around myself on the internet and I wonder if it is no Euphorbia 'Mini Martini'. Any suggestions?

Flowers or foliage? I asked Jacquie which she valued most. 

Her answer: "I think I value flowers and foliage equally, but am much more interested in foliage than I used to be. For instance, hostas didn't use to interest me much, except as a filler, and now I'm crazy about them."

Golden Comfrey, Symphytum x uplandicum 'Axminister Gold'

Jacquie: "I love Golden Comfrey for its beautiful foliage and have moved it several times because it burns in the sun. I think it's finally found its home."

Golden Comfrey, Symphytum x uplandicum 'Axminister Gold' has long oval leaves edged with a creamy butter colour. Note: the foliage can cause skin irritation, so use gloves. It has pale blue bell-shaped flowers in early summer.  This plant likes moist soil in full sun or light shade (afternoon shade is best in hot regions). It has a spreading growth habit. If you cut back the foliage after the plant flowers it will produce a new flush of fresh growth. Powdery mildew can be a problem. Propagate from root cuttings or grow plants from seed. Height: 75-90 cm (29-35 inches) Spread: 75-90 cm (29-35 inches) USDA Zones: 4-9

Gentian Speedwell, Veronica gentianoides

Jacquie has two different cultivars of Veronica gentianoides: "I have one that is pale, pale blue - almost white and another that is a deeper blue. Love them both."

Gentian Speedwell,Veronica gentianoides: forms a low rosette of wide leaves with upright powder blue flower spikes in late spring/early summer. Veronica gentianoides tolerates a variety of soil types but likes the soil to be moist. Full sun or light shade. Height: 30-40 cm (12-16 inches), Spread: 30-45 cm (12-18 inches) USDA Zones: 2-9.

Jacquie's "flower fairy" who presides over the lower part of the garden from the top of a 

stump of an old crabapple tree.

Lysimacahia cliata 'Firecracker': is an upright plant with burgundy-purple foliage and insignificant yellow flowers. It prefers clay soil and moist conditions. For best colour, plant it in full sun or light shade. Be warned this is a pretty aggressive plant that spreads. Height: 75-90 cm ( 29-35 inches), Spread: 75 cm and more ( 29 inches...) USDA Zones: 2-9

Jacquie's review of this foliage plant: "It's a horrible spreader, but worth keeping contained in a pot for its beautiful colour. I have one area where it has gotten fairly wild and I'll never get rid of it."

Unnamed variety of Verbascum. Jacquie says,"I've had trouble with these in the past because my garden is so wet, but this one is doing well.

Jacquie told me, "I found the Buddhist hand in one of those small boutiques you stumble upon in a mall and just have to enter because everything looks so interesting. It was very inexpensive and I thought it might dispel evil or bring good luck or something good. I've looked it up and it appears to have many possible meanings. It's lost a finger, but now it has more character."

I asked Jacquie if she had a favourite perennial. 

Not surprisingly she replied, "Favourite perennial? That's impossible to answer. They're nearly all favourites!"

Geum borisii: Forms a low growing clump with sprays of bright orange flowers from early spring into summer. It may occasionally re-bloom in fall. Part shade and moist soil are best. Height: 30-45cm (12- 18 inches), Spread: 30-45 cm (12-18 inches) USDA Zones: 5-7. Note: Geum borisii struggles with heat and humidity south of zone 7. 

An interesting mix of colours and textures with a large, glass bottle as a centrepiece.

Geum rivale: has nodding reddish-brown and butter-yellow bells in May/June. This plant will grow in average garden soil, but it likes moist conditions and some light shade. Bees love its flowers. Height: 25-50 cm (10-20 inches), Spread: 45-60 cm ( 18-23 inches) USDA Zones: 5-9.

Creeping Speedwell, Veronica whitleyi

Jacob's Ladder, Polemonium caeruleum

Jacob's Ladder, Polemonium caeruleum: forms a low mound of ferny foliage with star-shaped blue flowers on tall, upright stems. It can self-seed prolifically given the right growing conditions, so deadhead it after flowering if you want to limit seedlings. Average garden soil is fine, but Jacob's Ladder likes the soil to be moist. Height: 45-80 cm (18-31 inches), Spread 30-45 cm ( 12-18 inches). USDA Zones: 2-9.

Even though the sun shines well into the evening in June, the light in Jacquie's garden was starting to fade. Happy, but weary after taking pictures for well over an hour, I sat with Jacquie for a few minutes while she continued to pot up her plants. You can learn a lot from someone like her. We compared notes on plants and chatted about gardening. 

As Jacquie's beautiful garden shows, creativity is mostly conscious hard work. With a little passion and determination, we all have it in us to be creative.

I have one more post showing how Jacquie's garden transitions into late summer 

This third post will appear in the coming weeks. 

Have a wonderful weekend!