Calgary Garden Coach

things to do before next year's garden competition

 This coming week-end is the judging week-end for the Calgary garden competition.  I'm thinking that I might be ready to enter parts of the garden next year - just for fun!  Now is the time to step back and analyze which parts of the garden need "a little something" at this time of year.  Some more blooms over there, some contrasting foliage over here... 

But not me.  I have bigger plans!  A lot of major things need to be fixed up before next year.  Here is my project list, in order of priority:

 Finish staining the front steps, then paint the front door, garage door, window box and patio table.  I am still deciding on colour combinations, but am leaning towards more conservative now and am thinking terra cotta for the doors and window box, and brown for the table.  Whaddya think?

Replace this rotten wooden retaining wall with stacking concrete bricks.  This is the major project of the summer then I have some new shrubs in mind to plant in fall, to hide the view of the garbage and recycle bin area.  You can see the stump still leftover from our Christmas tree last year.  I also want to lift the interlocking bricks in the corner because they are directly under a spruce tree which has made the bricks all wonky, and which drops needles and cones which need sweeping up all the time.  I'm just going to put down bark mulch and let the area be natural.  No more sweeping!

This pathway in the kids' adventure garden is going to become a dry stream bed.  I need to dig out some of the dirt, put down landscape fabric and then cover with rocks.  Won't that look nicer than the weeds you see currently?

Once the retaining wall (above) is done, the palettes of bricks in this area will be gone and I can tidy up.  The garbage can has got to go, wouldn't you say?  Hubby has promised to build raised beds for me in this area this fall so that they'll be ready to plant next year.  Also, I'd like a new arbour for the entrance to this area - my husband took the top off the current one because it was too short so it looks pretty bad even though you can't quite tell in this picture.  I want a taller, wider arbour and a focal point (an urn, perhaps?) that you can see through the arbour.

 The tree beside the front steps is coming down this fall (I don't want to do it now because it will smash the front yard garden).  I am sure the plants on both sides of the front steps will grow much better next year once they have one less spruce tree to compete with for water and nutrients (there are still 4 more).

This greenhouse is coming down - I can't wait to get rid of the ugly behemoth!  Look at last year's post to find out why.  I want to use some of the glass to make cold frame tops for the raised beds my husband's going to build (above), and we hope to recycle/give away many of the other materials as well.  I'd really like this to be done by next spring but I'm not holding my breath.

And finally, these "temporary" stairs were put in 4 years ago when we ripped out a deck.  I'd really like to get them replaced by next summer but as this requires hubby's help, again I'm not holding my breath!!  The garden competition is my dream, not his.

painted daisy and iceland poppies

what's blooming in my Calgary zone 3 garden, July 5 2005

In the front welcome garden, stonecrop, iris germanica and shasta daisies are taking centre stage.

On the new side of the front garden, there is lots of empty space but the catmint and campanula glomerata are in bloom, as well as more iris germanica.

In the front entry garden, more iris germanica is blooming, along with chives.  I sure love the colourful foliage of goldmound spirea!

And heading around the side of the house, you will see the sweet rocket is finishing up, but the snow-in-summer is still going strong, more iris germanica and shasta daisies are blooming, and the delphiniums and mullein are just starting.

Coming into the backyard through the butterlfy potager, you will see the peony and blue cornflower just finishing up, and roses (john cabot and john davis), honeysuckle and martagon lilies just starting. 

In the back shade garden, the bleeding hearts are still blooming (it is very shady), the hostas finally look like something, and the heuchera and columbines are in bloom.

And finally, there is almost too much to mention going on in the kids' adventure garden on the back hill!  The ornamental alliums are finishing up but the roses, painted daisies, blue salvia, catmint, peonies, meadow rue, geraniums and more are all in bloom.  I think this is my favourite time of year!

home brews for the garden, and dealing with slugs

I've had a few questions about these things recently and it just so happens that other people got around to writing about them first. So, here are a few links to check out:

comfrey tea and more, from The Guardian UK
alfalfa and compost tea from the Calgary Herald
more on slugs from the Calgary Herald

July garden to-do list for Calgary zone 3

I haven't quite completed everything on my May and June to-do lists (the practical, useful things like empty the compost bins and weed, for example) but I did accomplish a few things I didn't originally plan (like finish the front yard garden ahead of schedule and plant some new plants I bought at the spur-of-the-moment).  So it goes...

Most of the major planting and re-arranging is done for me now, for the summer. Now it's time to just tend the garden - weed, deadhead and thin, mostly.  But of course I do have a few big projects in the back of my mind too, if the opportunity arises!!  Here's my July to-do list:

Weed and deadhead (cut the finished flowers off plants to either tidy them up (most perennials) or encourage more flowers (most annuals)).  A little bit every day doesn't seem like a chore.

Water the veggies regularly and the perennial gardens anytime we've had a week of hot weather and minimal rain.

Thin out the veggies as they grow - yum, baby greens!

Cut back cranesbill geraniums and centaura (blue cornflower) after they finish flowering, or else they get leggy and ugly.  They'll look not so great immediately after shearing, but will grow back quickly.

Prune lilacs right after they finish flowering because they will soon set flower buds for next year.

Sit back and evaluate the garden.  Are there spots that need a little something?  Plants that could use a sunnier spot?  Take some pictures and notes now so that you can move things or add new plants in the fall.

My project plans:

More on these soon.  Still have to replace that retaining wall (the big project) and I want to paint the front door and steps (the more reasonable project)!  Cross your fingers that these will get done this summer - the retaining wall especially so that the area around it can be planted with new shrubs in fall. 

Help! I have a problem! I can't stop buying more plants!

I saw these 5 Skyrocket junipers at Superstore for $5.50 each and I couldn't resist.  What a deal!  They are planted at the back of my hill garden where I have taken out some tall spruce trees.  They will eventually get up to 12 ft tall and 3 ft wide, and form a nice background at the back of the garden, without making too much shade (which is one of the reasons why I took out the spruce). 
Now if I can only stop buying plants maybe I'll actually find time to weed for the rest of the summer...

How much foliage variation is too much?

(text coming soon...)

shasta daisy and achillea (yarrow) 'Moonshine'

pink geranium (cranesbill) and yellow sedum (stonecrop)

blue geranium (cranesbill) and pink erigeron (daisy fleabane)

salvia 'May Night', iceland poppies and white peony

This peony is supposed to bloom with some purple siberian irises planted nearby, but this year the irises finished before the peony bloomed.  That's OK, there's blue salvia planted on the other side of it!  And those are some cosmos behind the poppies in the first picture that also just started blooming.

red peony and blue centaurea montana (cornflower)

Even though they're not blooming, I think the foliage of baby's breath and Karl Foerster feather reed grass also look great with these plants.  The white petunia is an annual so I can change this vignette every year.  What else do you think would look good in the pot?

partners for iris germanica (bearded iris) 'Bounty'

I have lots of this plant in my front yard because it smells so nice and is pretty low maintenance (I would classify it as very low maintenance if it didn't need to be divided every few years).  Clockwise from top left:
ornamental alliums, shasta daisies and sedum (stonecrop); red sedum and snow-in-summer; shasta daisies; chives.

partners for nepeta (catmint) 'Six Hills Giant'

I love this plant!  And the bees do too.  Here are some of the things I have growing with it (clockwise from left):
helictotrichon (blue oat grass), painted daisy, elder 'Black Lace'; pink sea thrift and iris pallida (variegated iris); lady's mantle and astrantia.

partners for pyrethrum tanacetum (painted daisy)

This 'Robinson's Red' painted daisy looks good with several other things in my garden.  Clockwise from top left:
ornamental alliums and elder 'Black Lace'; siberian iris; helicotrichon (blue oatgrass); blue oat grass and ornamental alliums again; hesperalis matronalis (both purple and white); catmint, ornamental alliums, hesperalis matronalis and iceland poppies.

iris pallida 'Argentea Variegata' (variegated sweet iris) and nepeta (catmint)

anemone sylvestris (windflower) and chives

I took this picture a week and a half ago and the windflowers are no longer in bloom, but here you go anyway.  Better late than never!

Calgary Horticultural Society's Garden Competition

I am tempted to enter this year but due to holidays (not to mention kids, etc) I don't really have the time to get the garden up to show quality in the next month.  Plus I still have unfinished things going on and a few new spots in the garden I would like to let mature a little first.  I'm definitely thinking next year!

But in case you're interested, here's the e-mail I just got from the Hort Society:

Do you have a beautiful garden, or know someone who does?

 

If so be sure to enter the Calgary Horticultural Society's 2009 Garden Competition!

 

Join in a fun, friendly event that celebrates Calgary’s best amateur gardens. You’ll receive great ideas, suggestions and praise from a community of like-minded gardening enthusiasts.

 

Winning entries will also have the opportunity to win great prizes donated by our generous sponsors!

 

Enter your garden or a section of your garden into any of the following categories:

 

• Small Garden
• Mid-Size Garden
• Large Garden
• Senior’s Garden
• Container Garden
• Curb Appeal
• Newly Landscaped
• Outdoor Living
• Perennial Garden
• Plant Lover’s Garden
• Rose garden
• Food Garden
• Water Garden
• Water-wise Garden

Hurry! Entry deadline is July 3, 2009.

 

Judging: July 10-12

Passports on sale: July 17

Viewing: July 25-26

 

Details, competition guidelines and entry forms are available at  http://calhort.org/events/gardencompetition.aspx

front yard gardens revisited

I wrote this post on my almost-finished-front-yard-garden-instead-of-grass for Gardening Gone Wild's monthly design workshop this month.  The wrap-up is posted so check it out if you're looking for more front yard inspiration!

pruning the flowers on bergenia (elephant ears)?

Q: I have a question about elephant ears once they have finished flowering. I have heard that you should never cut these flowers, but the flowers are starting to go to seed. Can I cut the flower stems now that they are going to seed? When is the best time to cut the stems back?

A: No, you can cut the flowers, just don't ever cut the leaves!  Anytime after they finish flowering is fine.  And by the way, bergenia make nice cut flowers, too!