The Garden in the Early Days of April

What a roller coaster ride this spring has been!

The weather is always more than a subject of polite conversation for gardeners and this spring is sure to be one that we are likely to talk about for years to come. 

Hot one minute, freezing the next, it is hard to know how to dress for the outdoors. I had a sunburn and mosquito bites in March, in Canada!

It seems garden is equally confused by this spring weather.

After several fine, sunny days in a row, the magnolia flowers in the front garden decided it safe to emerge from their little furry jackets. 

Then wham-o! The thermometer plummeted and the beautiful white flowers all turned brown. 

The tree did make a bit of a recovery and a second flush of flowers appeared when the temperature levelled off again, but sadly the new flower buds were mixed with all the ugly brown ones. 

This year's spring display was certainly a mixed blessing!

One of the nicest aspects of the milder weather has been getting an early jump on the typical spring chores. Already the planters have been cleared out and pansies added.

Despite the warmer spring, it is early days for my Canadian garden. There is but a smaller scattering of flowers in the garden.

Growing hellebores are a new experience for me. I bought this Helleborus x ballardiae 'Pink Frost' to go with the clearance pink variety that you might remember that I bought last fall. (The pink hellebores are only just starting to open.)

I find the many-layered centres of hellebore flowers very interesting. 

In future, I hope to add some of the black and plum varieties that I have admired in so many people's blog posts.

So what else is blooming? In the back garden, there are daffodils.

And hyacinths of various colors.

The Ostrich ferns are starting to emerge.

Wood violets are poking their little purple heads up from under the blanket of fall leaves.

I added these tiny pink Chionodoxa very late in the fall (I have powder blue ones as well, but did not get a chance to get a photo). I am so happy with them, I am going to add more next fall.

The tiny blue scilla are still blooming.

The odd patch of lamium are flowering in the dappled shade.

And there are self-seeded Pulmonarias that have appeared in little sheltered corners of the garden.

Up close you can see that the spotted foliage has a fine, fuzzy texture, which no doubt helps to keep the plant warm on the frosty spring nights. 

Apparently, the flowers of Pulmonaria change color from blue to pink to discourage pollinators from wasting their time on already pollinated blooms. (Read Kylee's post about this on her blog Our Little Acre).

So what's blooming in your garden? I'll be making the rounds just to see.

To see what is blooming in gardens around the world, click to link for May Dreams Garden's GBBD. I am also going to join in to My Little Home and Garden's Sunlit Sunday. To put some sunshine in to your Sunday, click the link. 

A Sunday Afternoon Under the Banana Trees

Towards the end of March, when the winter season has overstayed its welcome, we gardeners here in the northern part of the world, start to feel a desperate need for even a little green. 

The final days of winter can be endlessly grey and the garden seems only to offer up the following adjectives: drab and brown.

And so it was, one Sunday a few weeks ago, my husband and I went in search of 

a little bit of spring color.

Now who would have thought, that on our little Sunday adventure, we might discover

 banana trees growing in the heart downtown Toronto?

But there they were, under the protective dome of a glass conservatory called Allan Gardens!

As I found myself gazing up at big bunches of green bananas, I found myself thinking,"I have lived in the greater Toronto area for over 25 years, how is it I have never been here before?" 

It didn't even cost anything to get in for pete's sake! 

At Christmas time, Allan Gardens has a huge display of poinsettias and amaryllis. 

In March and April, the conservatory is filled with spring bulbs.

Even here, a gardeners work is never done!

I love the way the sweeping branches of this Norfolk Pine gesture 

for you to reach out and touch them.

There were delightful textural stories everywhere.

At the end of our Sunday afternoon, we went home feeling grateful for this 

tiny piece of the tropics in the heart of our big, northern city.

More information and Links:

Allan Gardens is a botanical jewel that includes six greenhouses and an historic cast-iron and glass domed "Palm House". 
It is located on the south side of Carlton Street between Jarvis and Sherbourne Streets in Toronto.
Admission is free.
Hours of operation: 10 am to 5 pm
There is limited free parking available off Horticultural Ave.





I thought that I might mention that we here as far north as zone 5 can now enjoy a little bit of the tropics right in our own backyards! Though currently sold out, Gardenimports has on offer a Basjoo banana tree from the Ryuku islands of Japan. This banana tree has sturdy, fibrous stems that support 3' leaves.  Bananas like rich soil, require full sun to light shade, and need some wind protection to keep their leaves from becoming tattered.
Though they are the world's hardiest banana trees, the Basjoo does need extra winter protection. It may be best grown in a pot and  over-wintered in a cool, dry place like a garage.
For more information, click the links.

It's a Matter of Prespective

Filling the picture frame as they do, you might think that these were tall, stately flowers.

But in reality, they are the teeny-tinest of spring flowers, standing not much taller than a blade of grass. 

These little blue scilla were planted by some unknown gardener back at a time when there was a house on the now vacant lot next door. Over the years, they have naturalized themselves in grass. Every spring, the otherwise ordinary lawn, is adorned with these diminutive indigo-colored stars.

I have added my own scilla bulbs as well. In my garden, they wake up the peonies in the flowerbed at the front of the house each year.

Held aloft on stems with a slight purplish hue, they make me think of little blue parasols. 

 Scilla's small contribution to spring could easily be overshadowed by taller, more showy spring bulbs. 

To truly appreciate them, you must shift your perspective a little, and stoop down to ground level.

There are none so blind as those who won't see.   English proverb

Happy Easter!

Spring has officially been here for a few weeks, but for me, it never entirely feels like spring has arrived until the Easter weekend. 

Usually by Easter-time, all danger of a significant snowfall has passed. The days have begun to be sunny and warm. It is finally time to get out there and start gardening!

Though we have had the most marvellous of springs, the garden is only just starting to come alive. There are no tulips yet (these pink tulips are store-bought), but there are crocus, little blue scilla and daffodils. 

My container plantings are looking a little scruffy, so I treated myself to some pansies.

Can you tell I adore pansies?

These are small decorative bunny rabbits I picked up a few years ago. The Easter egg in the foreground is hand-painted using acrylic paint and is finished with a spray acrylic varnish.

I always try to make a few decorative eggs each Easter. I also have a collection of ones that I purchased. The pink tissue-flower egg below is from Kate's Garden in Unionville, ON.

To make these eggs, put a hole in either end of a natural egg and remove the contents. Then submerge the eggs in your choice of fabric dye. ( Follow the manufacturer's directions for the fabric dye. The longer the eggs are submerged, the darker the final color.) Gently etch your design by scratching very carefully into the surface of the egg shell with the tip of a sharp knife (the curved hook of a florist's knife works perfectly to etch the surface).

See a few other Easter egg decorating ideas here.

I saw this Easter decorating idea on Pinterest (Yes, I too have become Pinterest obsessed!). 

I had all the components already, so it wasn't hard to put them together. 

Here is hoping that April showers bring May flowers!

I hope that you and your family are have a great Easter weekend!