June Blooms

Hello fellow gardeners! We've had an unusually dry June, with several temperature records broken. Other than a few poor seedlings that I forgot to water (oops!) and my sad looking peas that aren't enjoying the heat, my garden seems to be happy. I worked on my fairy garden and added the accessories my daughter bought me along with some blue rocks for the creek. I still want to add a little patio but the pebble one will do for now. Here are a few of my favorites this month.  

Daylily 'Strawberry Candy'

Daylily with unknown name

Dianthus just opening up

Feverfew

Nigella or Love in a Mist

Miniature or Fairy Garden  

Fuchsias with Lobelia

Spirea 

Buddleia or Butterfly Bush

Peas while they still looked green 

Welcome May!

Welcome May! This pretty clematis belongs to my neighbour but it blooms on my side of the fence too, lucky for me! In fact I wonder if I have even more blooms on my side than theirs, poor neighbour, ha ha. I bought some peonies a couple of years ago and I was really hoping they would bloom for the first time this Spring but they didn't. Maybe next year. I did however find huge peony blooms in front of my local library so I added a photo. My new geraniums are blooming in my front bed and the bees seem to love them. My Hansa roses started blooming earlier than ever before, with the first bloom opening in late April. My Veggie garden is all planted except for the cucumbers, which I need to buy because my seeds failed to sprout. That happens sometimes when the seeds get old. Happy gardening!

Clematis

Raindrops on Columbine Leaves

Iris and Hardy Gladiolas

Chives

Hardy Geranium

Hardy Geranium with Bee

Therese Bugnet Rose

Huge Peony blooms at my local library 

Hansa 

An Early Spring

Our winter was basically nonexistent this year, so we are experiencing an early Spring. Some plants are a few weeks early, while the geraniums started blooming a whole month earlier than normal. I don't think anyone is complaining though. I don't know if this happens to you, but I found some bulbs blooming in my yard that I have no recollection of buying or planting, ha ha. They are called Spring Snowflake or Galanthus. I had one growing beside my house and another underneath our hazelnut tree. The house makes a poor backdrop for flowers, so I experimented with holding coloured page dividers behind the blooms. You can't have spring without tulips, so I added some photos of those along with some others. The Scillas were here when we moved in and they just keep multiplying and spreading. I'm not sure which variety they are but once you have them you HAVE them.  

Geranium Sanguineum 

Spring Snowflake

Spring Snowflake

Spring Snowflake

Glory of the Snow or Chinodoxa

Choisya ternata

Elderberry

Tulip Blue Diamond

Tulips Purple Flag

Scilla

Bleeding Heart Luxuriant

Perennials in Disguise

    

Petunia Pretty Much Picasso 

 Have you ever been surprised to see your annuals survive the winter? An annual is a plant that completes their whole life cycle within one growing season, so all roots, stems and leaves of the plant die at the end of the season. Some plants that we consider annuals are actually tender perennials. Perennials are plants that live for more than one growing season. The part of the plant that is above the ground typically dies back each winter and new growth comes from the roots. If you live in a mild climate and/or give these perennials some added shelter, you may be surprised to see these plants growing once again in the spring. As usual, I'm also adding a few pictures of plants blooming in my yard this month.

• Alyssum (Lobularia maritima) Zone 5-9 These honey scented flowers also drop seeds that will grow the following year. 
• Coleus Zone 10-11 If you take cuttings of this plant, they root easily in a glass of water and  can be grow as houseplants over the fall and winter.
• Begonias (most are perennial) Zone 9-10 These have been known to overwinter in zone 8 if the winter is mild
• Fuchsia Zone 8-10, with some varieties hardy to zone 7
• Geraniums (Pelargoniums) I found various conflicting zones listed for these, from zone 11 all the way down to  zone 7 with protection.
• Gerbera daises Zone 9-11
• Heliotrope Zone 8-11
• Impatiens walleriana Zone 8-10
• Lobelia erinus Zone 9-11
• Nicotiana Zone 8-11
• Osteospermum Zone 9-11
• Pansies Zone 4-8 These are usually grown as biennials because they get leggy and unattractive looking in the second year. I love pansies because here in southwest BC, they bloom all winter long, except during our brief cold snaps.
• Petunias Zone 9-11
• Sage (Salvia) Most species are zone 8-10 with culinary sage being hardier
• Snapdragons Zone 8-9 These don't bloom well the second year.

Camellia

Crocus

Anemone Blanda

Pretty Primrose I couldn't resist buying 

Annuals for a Rainy Climate

     

Petunias, California Poppies, & Bachelor Buttons

     It's easy to find lists of plants that tolerate drought, but what about a list of plants that tolerate rain?  Here's a list of plants that I have personally grown, and found them to survive and thrive in our rainy climate. Don't forget to water them once the rain finally stops some time in July, ha ha. On another note, our crocus are busy spreading themselves throughout our back lawn, (much to my husband's dismay) and now cover at least a 1/4 of our back yard with their purple blooms.   

• Alyssum (my favourite are Carpet of snow, New carpet of snow. and Royal Carpet)
• Bachelor Buttons
• California Poppies (Purple Glean is a pretty variety)
• Cerinthe
• Coleus
• Cosmos 
• Dianthus (may live over the winter)
• Fuchsia 
• Larkspur
• Lavatera
• Lobelia
• Marigolds
• Morning Glory
• Nasturtiums (mine always get tons of aphids)
• Nicotiana
• Nigella
• Pansies/Violas
• Petunias
• Poppies
• Stocks
• Sunflowers
• Sweet Peas 

Crocus 

Crocus in the back lawn

Crocus

Slug & Snail resistant Annuals

       Only 63 days till Spring! Okay, I know that's not very close, but I hope you are busy planning your garden and looking at seed catalogues, which is the best thing about January. There is only one plant blooming in my yard at this time of the year, and that is my Pink Dawn Viburnum. It starts blooming a little in November, and blooms a little here and there until it puts on a big show in March. The flowers are fragrant and attract Anna's hummingbirds, which live here year round.

      Here's a list of some annuals that are resistant to slugs and snails, especially after they have grown past the seedling stage with their own true leaves. I don't know about you, but I find slugs to be one of the most disgusting creatures on earth and I have no desire to plant their favourites. Happy Planning!

Pink Dawn Viburnum 

• African Daisy
• Ageratum
• Alyssum
• Bachelor's Button
• Calendula
• Canterbury Bell
• Cosmos
• Forget-me-not 
• Lunaria
• Moss Rose (portulaca)
• Nasturtium
• Nigella
• Papaver Rhoeas (poppy)
• Pansy
• Petunias
• Pinks (dianthus)
• Scarlet Sage
• Snapdragon
• Stock
• Any plant with fuzzy leaves

Christmas Decorating with Chester the Kitten

Decorating the house for Christmas has been a bit of a challenge this year. Our kitten Chester is five months old today, and he is very, very interested in the Christmas tree, and all the ornaments dangling on it. I collected some sticks from our backyard, and put them in an old milk bottle and hung up snowflakes from the branches, but Chester found the sticks to be irresistible to chew on, so I gave up on that project, ha ha. I also made a "window" from sticks and added berries but that has survived because it is out of his reach. There's also pictures from him hiding in my son's backpack, and a picture of him just before his workout. I'm also adding a few fall photos from my yard at the end. Wishing you all a Merry Christmas!

Helping with the garland

The failed project

Inspecting the lights

Checking out the Tree

Getting stuck 

Playing with his Christmas mouse

Time for a nap

Guarding the tree

Relaxing

Stick Window

He fell asleep while I was wrapping presents nearby so this is what happens

My new hummingbird ornament :)

One of his favourite places, my son's backpack

Chester's workout 

Rocks and Leaves beside my house

Fall in the fairy garden