Calgary Garden Coach

July 2011 garden blog round-up

You can tell it's full-in gardening/holiday season because this past month I didn't collect nearly as many articles related to sustainable gardening in Calgary.  Gardeners just aren't posting as frequently these days!  And why would we? The season is too short to be spending too much time on the computer if you ask me.

But here's what I did find.  To get them in "real time", you can follow my Facebook page.

Blogs and Blooms

• Beets and Other Bouquet Ideas - great idea!?  Why not a healthy bouquet of beets?

 A Way to Garden

• My Fall Vegetable Garden Plans - Margaret's growing season is longer than ours but there are still some useful tips here

Houzz

• Garden Edging, Clean Lines for your Landscape - This article missed one option: using nothing and just cutting a clean edge between lawn and garden a couple of times a season. It looks great and is cheap!

• Are you ready to lose the lawn? - Inspiring photos of lawnless yards with lots of character.
• Plants for your pathway - Of the plants shown in this article, I grow woolly thyme between my pavers in the vegetable garden, and I have turfgrass growing between hopscotch stepping stones in the back lawn.  How 'bout you?

pink peony, blue oat grass and painted daisy in the Adventure Garden

white peachleaf bellflower, Morden Centennial rose, blue salvia and annual cosmos in the Adventure Garden

what's blooming in the Adventure Garden in late July

Actually, this garden looks a lot like it did in mid-July except that the geraniums and iris have finished blooming and the ornamental grasses are bigger.  There are lots of long-blooming perennials here, and the garden looks different depending on which direction you view it from - which makes it interesting but also a challenge.  And sorry about that kiddie pool in the way - it's just a part of the reality of my backyard! (I managed to crop the tent out.)

 

 

 

Above: the last of the peonies is blooming, an unknown variety of light pink.  Sigh.  It's a bittersweet day when the peonies are done because I look forward tot hem all year.  Also painted daisy and nepeta blooming in this photo.

Above: dianthus, snapdragons, lamb's ears, blue salvia, white peachleaf bellflower, roses and achillea are also blooming now.

To see this garden at other times of the year and how it has evolved, click here and scroll down.

strawberries, and peas, and tomatoes, oh my! - the edible gardens in late July

We have had a bumper crop of strawberries this year!  I grow a perennial "June bearing" variety.  Who knows whether it was all the rain this spring, or the worm castings I topdressed the bed with, or just the fat that the plants are more mature now... or all three?  But this is the first year we've had enough strawberries for a family of five - in the past the kids picked them all before the adults had a chance! And the alpine strawberries that I started from seed this spring have some nice green berries on them so we still have more strawberries to look forward to.

The snap peas have been yummy as well but the birds have had more than their share.  Note to self: use netting on the peas next year! And I've even picked a few Sun Gold tomatoes already (no picture because I always eat them before I bother to go get my camera) which is the first time I've harvested tomatoes that I've grown myself from seed in July.  I'm sold on Sun Golds!

Above: the entrance to 'England', my veggie box area with honeysuckle blooming on the still-waiting-to-be-replaced arch (it's on the to-do list.)

Above (clockwise from top left): marigolds, lettuce and rainbow swiss chard; cherries ripening in my "orchard"; nasturtiums with foliage of kohlrabi, carrots and parsley; more cherries; marigolds, lettuce and chard; scarlet runner beans, red orache, beets, lettuce and tomatoes.

What are you enjoying in your garden right now?

 To see what's good to eat in my garden at other times of the year, and how the garden has evolved, click here and scroll down.

the back Shade Garden in late July

The heuchera, columbine, and goat's beard that were blooming here in mid-July are finishing up, and the astilbes and ligularia will blooming soon.

To see what this garden looks like at other times of the year and how it has evolved, click here and scroll down.

the Butterfly Potager garden in late July

 

To see this garden at other times of the year and how it has evolved, click here.

the Side Garden in late July

This is just a little transition space on the south side of my house that I use as a cutting garden.  Blooming here now are pink baby's breath, snow-in-summer, delphiniums, verbascum and three different varieties clematis.

The delphiniums are almost as tall as my house this year!

Oh, and the first zinnia from those I started from seed this year is blooming.  I plunked the zinnias in front of the delphiniums to hide the delphs' tatty foliage once the delphs are done.

To see this garden at other times of the year and how it has evolved, click here and scroll down.

the front Shade Garden in late July

Yay!  The new Coppertina ninebark beside the stairs is actually a little taller and more visible now!  OK, now imagine it at least twice as big, imagine the silvery lamiastrum going all the way across the width of the window, and imagine I've actually weeded this garden.  Now, doesn't it look nice?

To see this garden at other times of the year and how it has evolved, click here and scroll down.

the front Entry Garden in late July

It appears that I have two different varieties of purple aconitum (monkshood) in the garden to the right of the steps - one is tall and blooming, the other is shorter and doesn't have any buds on it yet.  There are supposed to be three in front of the chimney and two to the right of the railing, below, but you can't tell, can you?  Note to self - re-arrange them next spring and put the three tall ones in front of the chimney. And only one more chance - if the short ones don't bloom next year, they're out.

To see this garden at other times of the year and how it has evolved. click here.

time to deadhead the shasta daisies - the front Welcome Garden in late July

They're so pretty even though they're weedy - mine seed everywhere if I let them!  Which actually means they aren't shasta daisies anymore because shastas are supposed to be sterile.  Shasta daisies can revert back to the parent plant, ox-eye daisy, which is a weed.  So even though they're pretty, I cut these back as soon as the first flush of flowers is starting to finish so that they don't seed all over the place.

How do you tell the difference between a shasta and an ox-eye?  Well, it can be difficult.  Especially since reverted shastas can crossbreed with ox-eye, resulting in a hybrid that is difficult to distinguish from either parent, and can also be invasive.  One presenter I listened to once said that the ox-eye has a spoon-shaped leaf and the shasta a tongue-shaped leaf, but then showed photos the opposite way around, so even she seemed confused!  And pictures of the ox-eye leaves from Alberta Invasive Plants look tongue-shaped if you ask me.  In fact, what I have is probably a hybrid and thus I cut it to the ground before it starts to set seed just to be safe.  But technically I should probably get rid of it.

Other perennials also blooming right now: blue salvia 'May Night'; several varieties of achillea (yarrow); campanula glomerata; nepeta (catmint) 'Walker's Low'; veronica spicata 'Sunny Border Blue'; potentilla 'Miss Wilmott'; and an unknown variety of white phlox which is just starting to flower.

To see this garden at other times of the year and how it has evolved, click here.

blue delphiniums, white peachleaf bellflower, scarlet trumpet honeysuckle, white peony, red asiatic lily

back porch makeover - check!

This makeover wasn't actually on my to-do list for 2011 but after hubby finished building the trellis, he was on a roll and he wanted to replace the "temporary stairs" too.  (Now, unlike me, my husband is not a "project person" and it is usually me who is keen to do more than one major project per summer and usually I do something I don't need his help with because it's just easier that way.)  So if he was on a roll, who was I to stop him?

Those "temporary stairs" have been there for 6 years (!) since we had to suddenly rip out the back deck when we discovered it was infested with carpenter ants.  We just hadn't got around to replacing them yet.  Anyway, he built the new stairs and railing to be as open as possible because that's the kitchen window overlooking the porch and I wanted to be able to see through the railing out to the garden as much as possible.

Then I decided that if we were going to fix up the porch, we were going to fix up the porch.  So I painted the ceiling pale blue (I'm gradually trying to get rid of the gawd-awful yellow trim), painted the window frames (two colours, white and brown, do you KNOW how long that takes?!) and we covered the astroturf carpet (another awful feature that I have hated since we moved in) with beautiful redwood deck tiles.  I should have taken a close-up before and after of the floor since it is a HUGE improvement.

But...

I still have 6 more window frames to paint (3 shown above) to finish the house.  Since I am really trying to discipline myself into minimizing the number of projects on the go at any one time (and doing a terrible job of it, but trying nonetheless), I am now hoping to get the painting done this summer (I started it last year after we had replaced some windows). 

And then, I need a break.  I'm getting tired!  The north patio project is going to have to wait until next year. It actually makes sense time/cost -wise since I also want to put a little patio in the front next year (OK, so that's 2 projects already planned for next year but they are both patios so it counts as one, right?)  After a rest, I should really do some things a more-disciplined-gardener-than-me would do, like weed, and maybe dig out my compost bins and spread that good stuff around the garden.  Yes, that boring maintenance kind of stuff!

pink peony, red painted daisy, blue oat grass, blue salvia in the Adventure Garden

blue salvia, white peachleaf bellflower, pink peony, red painted daisy in the Adventure Garden

what's blooming in the Adventure Garden, mid-July 2011

This is my favourite garden area at about my favourite time of year!  It is a bit of a challenge though, since it can be seen from many directions and it goes from shady on the left to hot and sunny on the right.  It's still a bit patchy in the top left corner near the chair, but I have some changes in mind for this fall that will hopefully help fill that area in and give it more impact.  Above: the Adventure Garden viewed straight on (from the house, lawn or north patio).

Above: viewed from the Butterfly Potager garden or the back steps of the house.

Above: viewed from "England" (the veggie garden) towards the back Shade Garden.

 

what's blooming in the back Shade Garden, mid-July 2011

Above: The back Shade Garden, viewed from the lawn, is a study in textures with bergenia providing the glossy, paddle-shaped leaves, a 'Sun Power' hosta for a splash of yellow pointier leaves, and several ornamental grasses providing different fine textures - calamagrostis (feather reed grass) 'Karl Foerster' is the green, tall straight one on the left, festuca glauca is the small, cushiony blue one on the bottom right, and deschampsia cespitosa (tufted hair grass) 'Goldstaub' is the feathery one reaching over the retaining wall.  They all get backlit in the low, evening light and look gorgeous.

Above: This is the part of the back Shade Garden which is closer to the garage, viewed from the back steps - it is much (much!) shadier and drier.  But right now, heuchera, columbine, forget-me-nots and goat's beard are blooming:

nepeta, dianthus and annual snapdragons in the Adventure Garden

 

 

what's blooming in the Butterfly Potager garden, mid-July 2011

Welcome to my Potager garden!  This garden is supposed to be about hot colours, edible plants, and flowers for butterflies and hummingbirds.  How's that for a theme?  Obviously, I find it pretty hard to limit myself!  Also, I say "supposed to" because I'm pretty flexible on the "rules" in cases where I really like something but just don't know where else to put it, or for a few plants which were here before I decided on the theme.  I'm just not ruthless enough to have a pure themed garden!  Anyway, let's have a look inside...

Sadly, it's looking a litle sparse in a couple of places this year for three reasons: One, I mulched heavily last winter which is good for the soil and all, but this year I didn't find that any of my self-seeding red poppies nor my golden hyssop came back!  Boo.  Actually, there are a couple of poppies growing through the patio stones which I will let grow so that I can save seeds for next year.  The second reason is that I planted asparagus this spring in those little diamond raised beds, which will take a couple of years to fill in.  The third reason is that I didn't get around to planting scarlet runner beans on that bamboo trellis until very late this spring.  I only ended up with two plants growing and they are still very small.  I had the best of intentions this spring but the weather and a few trips out of town set me back quite a bit in terms of getting things done.

But enough excuses, here are some close-ups of what does look good right now:

Above (clockwise from top left): golden hops; window box full of annuals; calendula (annual from seed this spring) in front of lemon thyme; row of calendula in front of asparagus in raised beds with perennial Jacob's Ladder in the background; unknown variety of dianthus that someone gave me seeds for (first bloom, started from seed last year) in front of John Cabot rose; close-up rose; close-up of dianthus.

what's blooming in the Side Garden, mid-July 2011

The delphiniums are AMAZING this year!  Must have been all that rain this spring.

Also blooming in this garden right now are hens and chicks, sedum and snow-in-summer, which are all grown here for their low-maintenance, drought-tolerant and ground-covering qualities.

 

the front Shade Garden in mid-July 2011

Meh.  Nothing much happening here to report.  This garden has mostly spring-blooming perennials in it, which have just finished up.  The only thing worth noting here is that those little baby dogwoods and junipers in the foreground which were planted this spring are getting noticably bigger... but I doubt they'll impress anyone for a couple more years. 

And that ninebark 'Coppertina' beside the front steps (also new this year) is not yet noticeable unless you get close up..

Sigh.  Gardening teaches nothing if not patience!

To see what this garden looks like at other times of the year, click here and scroll down.

nepeta (catmint) 'Walker's Low' and alchemilla (lady's mantle)

This is one of my all-time favourite plant combinations ever, and it's blooming right now if you're looking for something to brighten up your garden at this time of the season.  I don't actually have lady's mantle in my garden, but when my neighbour decided to plant lady's mantle along his front fence, I seized the opportunity by planting nepeta right next to it.

the front Entry Garden in mid-July 2011

There's not much new happening here since I showed you the outline for the new patio a few weeks ago.  And as usual I have way too many projects on the go so for this garden, nothing else is going to happen until next year, I'm afraid.  So...

... thank goodness for pots!  I started that blue scabiosa 'Jasione Laevis' from seed last spring and have been nursing it along in containers and overwintered it in the veggie garden.  This fall it will find a home somewhere in the front garden.  Have I mentioned recently that I love blue?

what's blooming in the front Welcome Garden in mid-July 2011

Shasta daisies and nepeta (catmint) 'Walker's Low' are the most noticeable things in the front Welcome Garden right now. 

That's a ninebark 'Coppertina' in front that was new this spring and is supposed to pick up on the brown and red tones on the house.

Above (clockwise from top left): nigella started from seed in front of ninebark 'Coppertina'; campanula glomerata (which I might regret planting, it's a spreader) in front of nepeta (catmint); campanula glomerata in front of catmint; corally-pink herbaceous potentilla 'Miss Wilmott' started from seed last spring; nepeta and shasta daisies again.  Not shown are some small salvia 'Blue Night', and several varieties of alchillea (yarrow) which are about to start blooming.

 

the veggie garden in mid-July

I am not really a veggie gardener at heart.  I am a perennial gardener.  If I was a true vegetable gardener, I'd have something started inside, ready to fill the spot where I'm about to harvest the last of the spinach.  But I haven't. I don't even want to think about doing that, actually!  (I'm busy painting these days... more on that later.)  And there's more than enough to eat out there right now, anyway.

As a perennial gardener, I'm finished my mad spring rush of gardening, and I'm in cruise mode.  In the perennial garden, the plants in most areas by this time of the season are big enough to shade the soil and minimize weed growth, and the garden almost takes care of itself (I do a little deadheading and pull the largest weeds that catch my eye, and that's about it.) 

Most of the veggies are getting quite large and lush also now, and the veggie garden looks great.  So great I almost hate to harvest!  (I said almost, but I'm not quite that crazy!)  I truly have been my enjoying fresh greens these last many weeks and the strawberries and peas are starting to ripen now.  But it's kind of a pity things won't look so nice for the rest of the season, isn't it?  So in honour of the beauty of home-grown veggies, I thought I would post a few photos! 

I feel I should mention that this area is not complete - eventually those pots against the fence will also be replaced with raised beds.  Eventually...

Anyway, these beds seem to be doing very well for their first year - I've read that sometimes it takes a couple of years to get up to full production because it takes a while for the beneficial organisms to build up in the soil.  The boxes are 4' x 8' in area and more than 1 ft high.  After building them, I briefly thought that maybe they were too high, because of course, extra height means extra cost in wood and soil, and I was afraid they might dry out quickly.  But they don't, and I am loving the extra height because it is SOOOOOOO easy to weed.  My back is very happy!

And since having all this extra space was new for me this year, I wasn't sure how much of everything to plant.  So I guessed, and recorded what I did, so I can make notes for next year.  I planted 4 squares of spinach (see my notes on square foot gardening here), which was maybe a bit too much, but in case of a few dinners or potlocks, I'd like to have a little extra, so note to self: plant 4 squares of spinach again next year.  The actual garden and planting plan are shown from the same orientation, below:

the North Patio Project, phase 2 complete!

So this is why I haven't had much time to blog (or garden, for that matter) lately.  Hubby has been doing building projects and I've been on babysitting duty!  Here is the pergola screen we built in the spot where the greenhouse used to be (phase I was taking down the greenhouse LAST YEAR... things don't get done very quickly around our house!)  While nothing would be big enough to totally screen our view of the neighbour's house, my plan is that this spot will be so beautiful that it will distract you from noticing that window up there.  I think it is already much prettier to look at than this...

 

... greenhouse structure (photo from September 2009) which was old, rotting, and in the shade.  The next step (after a week or so of rest!) will be to start digging to prepare the area in front of the screen to be filled in with recycled patio stones from under a nearby tree.  The design is inspired by this photo below,

and which I wrote more about here.

close-ups in the Adventure Garden

Above: nepeta, variegated iris, blue oat grass, white peony, yellow sedum, and pink sea thrift, saponaria and geranium 'Ballerina'.

Above: white peony, pink rose 'Therese Bugnet' and saponaria, blue salvia 'May Night'.

 

Above: white hesperalis matronalis, painted daisy 'Robinson's Red', white peony, siberian iris 'Caesar's brother', blue nepeta 'Six Hills Giant'.

My July 2011 garden To Do list

OK, so this list is a week late!  Can you blame me with the weather we've been having?!  I really can't believe how much "summer" we've had.  It feels like we've already had more than we did all of last year!  And with all the rain this spring and now all this heat, things are getting big and, well, a little out of control.  There are a few areas where I haven't got around to weeding yet, a few delphiniums that should have been staked ages ago (but so far haven't flopped over), and a clematis or two that I haven't been diligent enough in making sure it climbs its trellis (next year I SWEAR I will put chicken wire behind the trellis so the clematis won't need my help...I have meant to do this for several years...)

There are also a few projects underway in my yard, which is why I haven't got around to posting my July list yet... more on those soon.  Otherwise, July is a fairly low maintenance month and it's mostly about eating from the garden and enjoying the flowers.  Hooray for that!  But here's what I'll be doing at least a little of over the next few weeks:

TREES & SHRUBS

• prune the lilacs as soon as they're finished flowering (or else risk cutting off next year's buds)
• I planted a lot of new shrubs in the front this spring, and even though they are drought-tolerant varieties, shrubs need extra water the first few years to get established.  So I've been watering regularly.  Even established trees and shrubs need water after 2 hot weeks, so if you haven't watered yours yet, it wouldn't be a bad idea!

EDIBLES

• I'll be finishing the spring spinach soon and eating lettuce as fast as I can - I sure am a healthy eater in the summer!
• when the spinach is done, I'll probably sow some more carrots and beets for harvesting a young crop as well as the spring-sown one
• Eat, eat, eat.  Weed, weed, weed.  (**strawberries should be ready to pick soon! mmm!)

ORNAMENTAL GARDENS

• There are a few things like perennial bachelor's buttons and perennial geraniums that I cut back hard after they have finished flowering.  They'll look ugly at first but much tidier later than if I hadn't cut them.
• Deadhead annuals regularly and perennials when they have finished flowering.  In the case of annuals this promotes more flowers, for most perennials it just looks tidier.

LAWN

• Ugh.  My lawn gets worse every year.  I haven't done anything for it.  But I don't see the point at least until the major construction projects around the yard are finished.

COMPOST

• The pile should be watered regular in this weather - which I just remembered when I noticed how dry mine was the other day.  I've had rodent problems before so I am vowing to water and turn regularly from now on.

What are you doing in your garden this month?

martagon lily in the Butterfly Potager garden

red peony in the Butterfly Potager garden

 

 

bearded iris and blue perennial geranium in the Adventure Garden

peony, shasta daisy, rose 'Therese Bugnet', and saponaria in the Adventure Garden

iris germanica 'Bounty' and ninebark 'Coppertina' in the front Welcome Garden

bearded iris in front of 'Sun Power' hosta at the edge of the back Shade Garden

what's blooming in the front Shade Garden, July 2 2011

This is not the most beautiful garden area at the moment, but here it is anyway for the record.  The leopard's bane is just finishing flowering, and once I cut it back you will be able to see the tiny little Coppertina ninebark shrub that was planted behind it this spring...  in a couple of years this dark-leafed shrub should make more of an impression!  Bleeding hearts, lamiastrum and mertensia virginica (virginia blue bells) are blooming right now in this garden and look much better closer up:

To see how this garden area has progressed over time, click here and scroll down.

what's blooming in the back Shade Garden, July 1 2011

This is the view from the kitchen window of the back shade garden, backlit in the evening.  I love this view!  Here's another view during the day:

I just deadheaded the bergenia and the leopard's bane is almost done as well, but here are some close-ups of what's blooming now:

To see how this garden area has progressed over time, click here and scroll down.

Also, check back over the next few days as I post pictures of other areas of my garden as well!

what's blooming in the Butterfly Potager garden, July 1 2011

While we wait for the asparagus, beans and annuals started from seed to get bigger here, there are lots of little things happening in the borders surrounding this garden:

Above: Blue perennial cornflower, a pot of annuals and a red peony about to bloom make a nice combination in one corner, while...

Above: lilacs are still blooming; asparagus (planted this spring) is getting ferny; Jacob's ladder and martagon lilies are starting to bloom in a shady corner; peony opening up; and calendula started from seed is beginning to bloom.

To see how this garden area has progressed over time, click here and scroll down.

Also, check back over the next few days as I post pictures of other areas of my garden as well!

what's blooming in the Side Garden, July 1 2011

Snow-in-summer is doing a good job of keeping down weeds and looking pretty in my low-maintenance side garden right now.  The delphiniums are really big this year thanks to all the spring rain and they're just starting to open up...

Why would you grow blue flowers in front of a blue wall where they're hardly noticable, you might ask?  So that I don't feel conflicted about cutting them and bringing them into the house in bouquets, of course!

To see how this garden area has progressed over time, click here and scroll down.

Also, check back over the next few days as I post pictures of other areas of my garden as well!

Hello, Therese!

Therese Bugnet just started blooming in my Adventure Garden yesterday - the first hardy rose to bloom after the wild rose.  It is shown here with shasta daisy and saponaria.  For more on hardy, low maintenance roses in my garden and how to grow them, click here.

what's blooming in the Adventure Garden, June 30 2011

The Adventure Garden is my favourite garden and this is the time of year where it is really starting to fill in.  It is also 3 years old now so getting quite mature in spots. It is viewed from many angles depending on which area of the back yard you're in (above: from the house or north patio, which is the worst view so I don't know why I put it first...),

Above: from 'England' looking towards the garage.

Above: closer up and looking at an angle up the dry stream bed.

I just finished deadheading most of the dwarf bearded iris and some of my other favourite plants and combinations for sun are blooming in this garden right now:

Above (clockwise from top left): perennial geranium 'Ballerina'; blue oat grass looks good with just about anything; ornamental alliums, siberian iris 'Caesar's Brother', and white hesperalis matronalis (the purple variety is considered a weed but white is a little less vigorous and smells soooooo nice!); pink saponaria (a bit of a spreader but I have it at the back of the garden where it helps keep down the weeds); blue and pink perennial geraniums, variegated iris (great foliage and blooms smell like grape juice! yum!), white hesperalis matronalis and purple siberian iris; the variegated iris backlit with geranium 'Ballerina' and pink sea thrift 'Dusseldorf Pride' in the background.

To see how this garden area has progressed over time, click here and scroll down.

More pictures coming tomorrow!  Now I'm off to celebrate Canada Day at Heritage Park.  What are you and your garden doing today?

'England' (the veggie garden), June 30 2011

Happy Canada Day!  I'm off to Heritage Park with the family today, but first, a few more pictures of what the gardens look like at this time of year:

Above: We call the veggie garden area 'England', and it was built last year.  You enter it through a structure which still has 'Blue Boy' clematis blooming on one side (and which is too narrow, it's on "the list"), and feast your eyes on the yummy food that is spread before you!

I am quite happy with the Square Foot Gardening layout I used this year.  It looks rather like a patchwork quilt.  Very decorative!

So far we've mostly been eating chives (!), and spinach and red orache salads.  Elsewhere in the garden, haskap (honeyberries) are ripening, strawberries are in bloom, and we've been harvesting thyme, mint, parsley and oregano.  Gawd I love this time of year!

 

To see how this garden area has progressed over time, click here and scroll down.

Also, check back over the next few days as I post pictures of other areas of my garden as well!