June 5 2010 garden update

I haven't had time to post my June to-do list because I'm still trying to finish my May to-do list... pictures coming soon!  Would anyone else like to share what's happening in their garden right now?

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Update: here are the pictures I didn't get around to posting earlier:

Above:  Here's the front garden which I am still in the process of mulching with shredded cedar.  I'm trying to do a thorough weeding before I put down the mulch so it is fairly slow going, but I think it will be worth the effort.    Gawd, I can't wait to paint that front door...

Above:  Here's a close-up of the south side of the front welcome garden, which was new last spring.  I'm almost finished mulching here.  There are some blue grape hyacinths (bottom) and pink bergenia (top) blooming right now.  There's also some yellow 'Moonshine' yarrow in bloom but only because I bought it new this spring - it normally wouldn't be so far along.

Above: Here's a close-up of the north side of the front welcome garden, with more grape hyacinths in bloom, and and also yellow euphorbia (cushion spurge).  I haven't done anything to this area of the garden yet this year and while it doesn't look that great yet, at least I can say it is low maintenance!  There are ornamental onions and dwarf bearded iris which will be blooming soon.

Above:  Here's the front entry garden which obviously I am still in the process of mulching.  Doesn't look like much yet... so why am I showing you this?  Just going for full disclosure, I guess.  My garden is a work in progress that's for sure.  There are some white anemone sylvestris, blue brunnera and grape hycinths, and pink lamium in bloom up closer to the house, but they don't show up well in this picture.

Above: Here's the epimedium rubrum, yellow leopard's bane and some tulips in bloom in the front shade garden.

Above: There's nothing in bloom yet in the side garden but I'm pretty happy with the mix of foliage colours and textures here.

Above: In the butterfly potager I start a lot of things from seed (this year: spinach, chard, dill, sunflowers, zinnias and poppies) so I'm glad I added some permanent structures such as the crabapple trees and bench so that things don't look quite so bare this early in the year.  Pulmonaria and lilacs are also starting to bloom here.

Above: In the back shade garden, red tulips, yellow leopard's bane, pink bergenia, and checkered fritillaria are in bloom.

Above: It's all about iceland poppies and dwarf bearded iris in the sunny adventure garden right now!  The poppies are practically a weed and I will pull a lot of them out once they finish their first flush of bloom, but they do continue to bloom all summer and are one of my husband's favourite flowers, so some are allowed to stay.

Above: In 'England', the tomatoes are in pots and I've seeded snap peas, scarlet runner beans and a few different kinds of lettuce.  I was going to try kohlrabi this year but I never got around to it.  I'm trying to get this back area tidied up this year (it was formerly a parking pad and a junkyard) and I want hubby to start building me raised beds back here this fall.  That's bluebird clematis in bloom on the right, oh and a dandelion or two in the grass...

And finally, I'm done planting all my pots planted with annuals.  I'm not much of a creative pot person yet, but once I stop having major projects in the garden I might put a little more effort into pots.  For now, I impulse-buy a few things like a fuschia that matches my door colour.  Love it!

Comments

[Lisa Turner]

My garden is a sad, sad place. =( I lost so much over the winter! Spirea, columbine, astilbe, hosta, one of my roses (which has been in for 5 years) died nearly to the ground, rock cress, speedwell. =(

My Thunderchild crab is finally blooming, pincherry has just finished and my new favourite, brunnera, looks gorgeous! I think I need more spring blooming plants. Suggestions?

[Janice Miller-Young]

Hi Lisa,
Sorry to hear that! 
I think you can never have too many spring-blooming plants - we all yearn for colour in our gardens at this time of year, dont we?!  Hopefully the pictures I recently posted help, but some of my favourites for this time of year are brunnera (who doesnt love this plant?), bergenia, lamium and pulmonaria for shade, and cushion spurge and dwarf bearded iris for sun.  There are lots of alpine plants that bloom in sunny spots in spring too - veronica whitleyi is a great one that comes to mind.
Cheers,
Janice

[Lisa Turner]

Hi Janice,

Your pictures are perfect! My lamium is just about to flower, ditto with my anemone. I think part of the lack of flowers is my "zone" (I live in Rocky Ridge) and we just seem to be weeks behind the rest of the city. Damn elevation! ;)

I have a sunny spot in the front that needs some plants. Is it too late to plant iris? Is that something I need to plant in the fall? I've never tried bulbs of any sort!

[Paula H]

"England" looks great this year!

[Janice Miller-Young]

Ha!  Thats very kind of you to say!  Theres still some junk back there but I cropped it out of this particular picture.  But its definitely better than last year!  ;-)