Calgary Garden Coach

what's blooming in the butterfly potager garden in late September

Sigh.  This is probably the last collection of photos I will be posting for the season!  Ah, but now I won't be gardening so much so I'll actually have time to write about stuff again, rather than just posting photos all the time!  Anyway, here's the clematis, hyssop, rose 'John Cabot' and sedum 'Autumn Joy' all still blooming in the butterfly potager (above.)

The foliage of 'Dreamweaver' columnar crabapples is turning bright yellow (I wish it were red!)

More photos clockwise from top left: goldenrod and raspberry monarda; golden hops, hyssop, purple liatris and raspberry monarda; siberian iris foliage looks good even when not in bloom; swiss chard has been harvested; sedum 'Autumn Joy' in bloom; liatris, hyssop and monarda again.

what's blooming in the front welcome garden in late September 2010

I've written about combining plants for texture before, because adding textural contrasts will add interest to the garden even when the given plants aren't in bloom.  The textural contrasts get amped up a notch in fall when colours start to change to fiery reddish-oranges through to bright golden yellows.  Aren't you just loving fall this year?  Especially since we didn't get one at all last year (the green leaves just froze on the trees/shrubs/perennials early last October, remember?)  The golden, spiky foliage of daylilies can be seen in the front of the photo above.

I'm also especially thankful for my neighbour's cotoneaster hedge across the street.  This is the view from my living room window in the mornings these days.

More photos, clockwise from top left: echinacea 'Magnus', nepeta 'Walker's Low", shasta daisies and sedum 'Autumn Joy' in bloom; daylily foliage in front of ornamental grass 'Karl Foerster' and a juniper; red spirea 'Goldflame' foliage and a purple sedum; the more established side of the front welcome garden.

fall foliage - viburnum trilobum (american cranberry) 'Bailey's compact' and lamiastrum in the front shade garden

what's blooming - the Adventure Garden in late September

Above: sedum matrona has filled out and is still attracting bees (below.)  Perennials in bloom: liatris, echinacea, russian sage, lamb's ears (second bloom), yarrow, rudbeckia, astrantia, roses.  Annuals in bloom: borage, sweet peas, snapdragons, lavatera (cosmos succumbed to frost already.)  Irises, grasses and daylilies provide interesting texture.

what's blooming - the Back Shade Garden in late September

Wow!  I went away for the week-end and came back to a glorious show of fall colours in Calgary!  Not to mention great weather!  The cotoneasters (such a common shrub but worth it to have a few just for the blazing reddish-orange fall colours) and mountain ash in my backyard look especially colourful right now.

Above: The shade garden from the central lawn area of the backyard.  Hostas, bergenia, ornamental grasses, mountain ash and cotoneaster are providing colour.

Above: view from the kitchen window.  The grasses will also provide plenty to look at all winter long.  Sigh... I'm already thinking of winter...

fall foliage - rudbeckia 'Golden Glow' and cotoneaster in the Adventure Garden

fall foliage - bergenia and festuca glauca in the back shade garden

pathways - what kids want in a garden

Someone asked me a while ago if I could post some plan view sketches of my garden so they could get a feel for the layout.  Doing so is still on my winter to-do list..  but in the meantime here's one my 7-year-old drew of our backyard.

It is actually quite amazing (she's a genius, of course!) in terms of the details she has included... I don't think she's missed a single container! Although the drawing isn't exactly to scale... 

She drew this plan because she wanted to show me what she thinks I should do in the garden next year... put in more trees and more pathways.  The section in the middle is where she'd like me to take out the current lawn and plant a lot of deciduous trees (so that we'll have lots of fall leaves for playing in) with pathways in between them for exploring/chasing/playing hide-and-seek.  Cute!

I've said it before and I'll say it again: putting pathways in the garden for the kids to roam was the best thing I ever did.  Pathways that link and make circles are even better.  For posts about the pathways I've created in my garden, check these out:

• the family mosaic path from 2008
• building the dry stream bed/path from 2009

more cold frame inspiration

I posted some cold frame pictures and links last spring but around my house we still haven't got around to building any cold frames.  Ah well, there's always next year (more likely the year after that...)

So I am continuing to collect inspirational pictures and instructions.  Here's a good, instructional post from Fine Gardening.

where's the sun?

It's supposed to clear today... eventually... finally.  All this rain and fog has got me feeling rather blah plus I'm way behind on gardening projects.  Gotta get those bulbs in the ground these next few days!

Here's my garden this morning - the second frost of the year in my yard, but not a killing frost.  I still haven't lost anything although some annuals are starting to look a little worse for wear.

the pergola / playhouse : still in the planning stages

The photos below show my latest ideas for a playhouse... or a teahouse... or actually a playhouse to eventually be turned into a teahouse. But first, this lovely spot in my yard is where it's going:

Yikes!  It almost hurts me to post this picture but this is what my north patio has looked like all summer!  We took down the nasty greenhouse last spring and this empty spot has been just sitting here growing weeds.  But actually, that's OK, because I've been waffling back and forth on what exactly I want to put here.  Now I've got the winter to finish planning and deciding, and my husband has promised that this project will be the top of his priority list next summer.

Originally I thought a "treehouse" would be fun, and I posted a picture of an inspiring playhouse previously.  I wanted something that was fairly high to eliminate the imposing view of the side of my neighbour's house (only partially seen above.)

But now I'm leaning towards something lower down, that adults will actually be able to use when the kids aren't using it.  I'm thinking longterm here - the kids won't need a playhouse forever! 
And to save ourselves the work of trying to lay a patio in this spot to match the already existing patio (a big pain in the &^$%, believe me, we've done it before), we're thinking of building a pergola/house with a slightly raised deck for a base.  I like the base of this one (below) for its openness and style:

Above photo from the LA Times.

I wouldn't go quite so Asian for the style of the rest of the structure though, as it wouldn't fit with my yard.  So I kept looking for more inspiration... 

Design tip: renovation and design options can be overwhelming so one way to figure out what you really want is to collect photos over a period of time of things that catch your eye, then figure out what are the key elements that the photos have in common that you liked.  Here are the pergola photos I've collected this summer:

Above: I love anything in blue, of course!  But I also love the chandelier and the interesting fence as a backdrop.

Another one with a chandelier.  Too bad I don't have such a view...

Above: Lanterns are cute too though, don't you think?

But let's be realistic here.  I'm not going to have such a beautiful "adult space" for a few years still.  I was thinking our structure could be used for the kids for a playhouse for a few years first.  We could put temporary walls on it but an easier way would be to add curtains:

This (above) is pretty, don't you think?  I could see kids using something like this as either a playhouse or a stage, depending on whether the curtains were open or shut.

And finally, I'm leaning toward a covered roof (so more of a teahouse than a pergola) because our structure is going to be situated between two large spruce trees in my backyard (practically everything is between two large spruce trees in my yard, but I digress...)  A solid roof will prevent everything underneath from getting covered with needles, cones and sap.  But I'd like to keep it as open as possible to maximize light.  The roof and curtains on this one (above) are perfect.

I should have been more diligent in keeping track but I believe all unlabelled photos above are from www.houzz.com.

for the record

Snow on the rooftops this morning.  Ew. 

2010 was not a good year for tomatoes... but...

Growing tomatoes in any given year in Calgary can be a challenge.  I only grow short season varieties and I put them in Kozy Coats in spring to give them a headstart, plus keep them in pots in the hottest area of my yard.  Usually I get a fairly decent crop.  But this year the crop has been sparse, to say the least!

Here are all my poor little tomato plants shivering in our unusually cold, wet September weather.  We've had a lack of heat all summer and everything is very behind!  I'll be cutting these tomato plants off in the next few days (tomorrow?) and bringing them inside to hang upside down as per a previous post.  I probably could have done this weeks ago and it wouldn't have made a difference for all the lack of sun we've been having lately.

With all this rain I haven't had time to do much construction in this area of the yard either, as you can see.  But I'm slowly making progress laying down those recycled concrete patio stones. 

But enough complaining.  All this moisture is great for the trees which suffered a lot of stress from a too-hot September last year.  Plus the cool temperatures and extra moisture are sure making the perennial garden lush and the flower blooms extra vivid in colour.  Also, my cool-season vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, chard, beans and peas all did very well this year.  I guess you can't have everything!

And while I'm on the topic of the harvest, I must add that my strawberries and raspberries did very well this summer.  I can't say whether it's because the plants are now more mature or because I was a little more diligent in fertilizing this year (probably has at least something to do with that!) or because of the weather or who knows what else.  My neighbour's Saskatoons did extremely well this year too and they are quite old shrubs so the Saskatoon harvest, at least, didn't seem to have anything to do with plant maturity.

What did well (or not) in your garden this year?

what's blooming in the Adventure Garden, Sept 15 2010

Here's the adventure garden in its full frontal view.  It has been a bit of a challenge to design because it is so deep and can be seen from so many directions in the yard.  I still have a few more tweaks to make next year, but I'm pretty happy with it.  Here's another view:

Above: from "England" looking towards the back shade garden beside the garage.

Below: close-ups

 

Here's what this garden looks like at other times of the year:

• August 31 2010
• mid August 2010
• early August 2010
• late July 2010
• mid July 2010 (my favourite time of year for this garden!)
• early July 2010
• late June 2010
• early June 2010
• 2009 overview

what's blooming in the front welcome garden, Sept 15 2010

Sigh.  This may be the last round of garden photos before I start talking about "winter interest"!

Primarily the echinacea, nepeta (catmint), achillea (yarrow) and ornamental grasses are the perennials that are still blooming right now. 

I've planted some purple liatris in the past but it hasn't bloomed yet (last year or this year).  Not sure why as they should get enough sun in this area and they're blooming right now in other parts of my yard.  I'll give them one more year before I pull them out.  

Sedum 'Autumn Joy' is only just now starting to open its flowers, while euphorbia, bergenia and perennial geraniums are providing lots of vivid red fall foliage colours.

Here's this garden at other times of the year:

• August 31 2010
• mid August 2010
• early August 2010
• late July 2010
• mid July 2010
• late June 2010
• mid June 2010
• early June 2010
• winter 2009/10
• south (new) side, all of 2009
• north (older) side, all of 2009
• August 2008

what's blooming in the butterfly potager, mid-September 2010

It's sad to think that the garden is only going to look like this for just a few more days... snow forecast on the week-end!  Ugh!

Perennials blooming right now: monarda (bee balm), eupatorium (Joe Pye weed), hydrangea 'Annabelle', agastache foeniculum (golden hyssop), purple hemerocallis (daylily), purple clematis, rose 'John Cabot', ornamental grasses, and a new goldenrod that I got from the Plant Share last week-end.

Annuals blooming right now: calendula, dill, poppies, zinnias, nasturtiums, allysum.

Other: swiss chard - why have I not grown this vegetable before this year?  I have been harvesting it all summer and it's still looking and tasting great!  I will be freezing the rest for winter cooking soon. 

 

To see this garden at other times of the year, check out:

• August 31 2010
• mid August 2010
• early August 2010
• late July 2010
• early June 2010
• mid-June 2010
• late June 2010
• mid-July 2010
• 2009 overview

rose 'Morden Sunrise' - a great rose for fall

While a lot of other hardy roses in my garden have finished their big flush(es) of blooms already, Morden Sunrise is still blooming like crazy.  I have noticed it blooming long after my other roses for the last few falls actually, so it doesn't seem to have anything to do with the particularly wet, cool September we're having this year. 

So if you have an empty spot in your garden right now that needs a little 'something', I highly recommend adding this hardy rose!  In these photos you will see it paired with perovskia (russian sage), liatris spicata, borage, and a purple sedum which are also blooming right now.

phlox paniculata 'Peppermint Twist' - a flower for little girls

"It looks like candy." 

So I went to the Plant Share last week-end and brought my four-year-old daughter with me.  We each picked one plant to bring home and this is what she picked! It happens to smell nice too, but that's not why she picked it!

Now my gardening style, as you may have noticed, is fairly naturalistic.  This plant with its sickeningly sweet flowers is pretty much going to clash with everything in my yard when it's in bloom!  So I had no idea where I was going to put this plant in my garden.  (I should probably have a spot reserved just for each kid, but I don't.) 

I ended up putting it on the edge of the Adventure Garden, right beside a pathway for easy access for the kids.  Conveniently, I'll be able to crop it out of any photographs I take of the garden as well.  ;-)

Hello, Joe Pye!

Eupatorium (Joe Pye Weed) has been in my garden for several years now, and I kept moving it around trying to find the right spot.  Apparently it needs to have some time to get settled before really taking off, so finally I found a permanent spot for it a few years ago and this year (2 years later) it is finally blooming!  Well, those are flower buds but they'll open soon if we ever get some sun...

I was a bit concerned it might not get enough sun here in general (on the north side of a fence and east side of the garage) but it seems to get just enough. 

Sure, it would probably bloom earlier and bigger somewhere else in the garden with more sun, but Joe needs lots of moisture, too.  Therefore he's in the corner of the butterfly garden near a downspout, next to an 'Annabelle' hydrangea, another moisture-lover and late summer bloomer.  Looks like they're going to be happy together!

Elsewhere you might hear about Joe Pye being a weed (hence the name!) and self-seeding aggressively, but in Calgary zone 3 he's very well-behaved.  This is a tall perennial that doesn't need staking and looks great in fall.  Just make sure you've got enough moisture for him and he's an excellent candidate for a low maintenance garden.

curb appeal - more than just a few flowers

Sometimes I feel a little conflicted being a garden coach.  Yes, I can help people who want to spruce up their existing gardens, who need help with learning how to maintain their garden, and even those who want overall design drawings.  But really, people, if you want to have a garden with personality you're going to have to put in a little effort yourself.  The gardens I myself am most drawn to are the ones that have some individuality, rather than just a well-put-together selection of the standard, low-maintenance plants that are proven to do well in Calgary.

I walk/ride by this house often with my girls when we're toodling around the neighbourhood and it always catches my eye.  The garden is great but I actually cropped most of it out because what I really love are the unique things - the lanterns hanging on the wall, the house numbers on a fencepost topped with a finial, and the home-made teepees which appear to be made of bamboo with chicken wire fastened neatly to them (I didn't venture up the steps to take a closer look!)

From a slightly different view you get a peek into a shady sitting area near the front entrance, complete with more lanterns and pots.  Charming!

What catches your eye in your neighbourhood?

great source of plants! Calgary Hort Society plant share coming up!

From the Horticultural Society:

--

Fall Plant Share

Join us for the Fall Plant Share
Saturday, September 11, 9:00am - 12:00pm
on the grassy field west of the Society office
(208 - 50 Ave. SW)

In addition to plant sharing you can also enjoy the on-site vendors, socialize over coffee and cookies, and share gardening knowledge with other enthusiastic gardeners! This is a members only event, but others can join and go by visiting the Society office the morning of the event to purchase their membership.

REMEMBER - Be sure to carefully label all your plants (common name, mature height, colour, etc.) and divide any perennials needing to be divided PRIOR to arriving, as this helps speed up the check-in process

For more information and complete details click on the link below. Hope to see you there!

Plant Share Details

my September 2010 garden to do list for Calgary zone 3

September is usually one of our best garden months in Calgary - if you can get past the occasional night of frost (and for the record, we had frost the night of Aug 29 - not in my relatively sheltered yard but I noticed the next day a neighbour's pot of impatiens in an exposed spot had been frozen!)

For me, I'm done holidays and back at my full-time job so the garden pretty much has to take care of itself these days.  Fortunately I grow mostly low-maintenance perennials which don't need anything from me at this time of year.  All I do these days is water/fertilize the veggies and annuals in containers, pull up the odd weed before it goes to seed, and maybe a little tidying of the flower beds now and then if I get a chance.  My real efforts at this time of year are usually focused around some big project getting ready for next year - last year it was cleaning out the greenhouse and this year's it's preparing the new raised beds.

But in any case, here's what we should be doing this month in the Calgary garden:

Trees and shrubs

• Hopefully you stopped fertilizing woody plants a month ago.  We want them to start hardening off at this time of year, not expending their energy on fresh, green growth.
• Give your trees a good soak at the end of the month.  This means putting a soaker hose around the drip line (directly under the outermost branch tips) and turning it on for a day.  Sometimes I'm lazy over the summer when it comes to watering trees, but I always make sure they go into winter in a well-hydrated state.
• No pruning at this time of year except for cleaning up any dead or diseased wood.

Edibles

• Pull out fading plants as they finish, to get a head start on clean-up (I've already pulled up my peas and beans will go soon too).  Chop them up and compost them, of course!
• Plant garlic bulbs (actually I did this a few weeks ago but forgot to mention it - sorry).
• Get blankets ready to cover the tomatoes and other tender edibles if there's risk of frost.
• From the archives: what to do with green tomatoes and ripening tomatoes.

Flower Garden

• I selectively deadhead perennials if they don't have showy seed heads or if they turn to mush in winter.  Sometime soon I'll do a post about which are the best perennials to leave standing, but in the meantime if you're curious leave a comment or browse through my Archives in the winter months to see what looks good at that time of year (I think I posted lots last January)
• I've already started cutting down woodland perennials such as bleeding hearts and ferns that go dormant by this time of year. 
• Keep deadheading annuals for maximum bloom.  While this cool, wet weather isn't great for my tomatoes, it sure keeps the annual flowers looking fresh!  The cosmos are going great guns right now!
• Plant bulbs - here's what I planted last year.
• Divide and replant older perennials and take some to the Calgary Hort Society's plant share (you need to be a member but it's well worth it!)
• Keep weeding!  It never ends, although when the perennials are so big at this time of year there's not much space for weeds.

And a constant reminder to myself to turn the compost bin.  I never seem to get around to it - it's in the back corner of my yard and it's out of sight, out of mind.  But I just finished digging mine out and found a mouse nest.  Ew.  More regular turning and watering would have prevented this.

construction in England coming along...

Two new 4x8 ft raised beds made of cedar 2x6's and treated with tung oil.

This hot, sunny corner of the backyard was dubbed "England" by our oldest 5 years ago and the name stuck.  But it has been our junk area since we moved into the house.  Well no longer!  I've been gradually trying to clean it up over the last couple of years and finally this year, I decided it was time.  My husband was ordered to build me some boxes (which he happily did with a few new tools!), and voila! 

I wanted to get this spot ready now for a couple of reasons:

• I need to empty my compost bins but where to put it all? This time of year is not a good time for spreading it on the garden - the perennials are all too big and it's difficult to get around them without making a mess.  Spring is the time for topdressing with compost in my opinion, but in the meantime, I will soon need space to start putting the dead plant material this fall.  Note that I would not recommend using pure compost to fill a raised bed for perennials! But anyway I believe my compost bins have quite a bit of soil in them too, due to all the sod I've removed over the last few years. 
• I want at least to get my own compost in place so it can settle over the winter and then I can top it up (with purchased composted manure and soil) and plant as early as possible next spring (laying the patio stones etc can be finished whenever!)  I'll be putting hoops and plastic sheets on top of these boxes in spring to build little greenhouses. 

This is the most veggie garden space I've had since we moved to our current house 6 years ago, and I've never had raised beds and hoop houses before.  Man, am I excited!  I'll be studying a lot of veggie seed catalogues this winter, let me tell ya!

Other women I know get excited about shopping/TV shows/jewelry.  I get excited about this?  Is something wrong with me?

What are your favourite vegetables to grow in Calgary?

echinacea purpurea 'Magnus' and annual California poppies in the front welcome garden