FIRST THING'S FIRST

As every gardener soon learns, priorities in the garden are always changing.  

I allow myself to become distracted by creative ideas; maintenance can wait.

Despite proclaiming in a previous post that the first thing I was going to do was to create my lasagna gardens, it turns out that the very first thing I did was  to hang a bird feeder.  Not quite the same as a creative distraction but it did share a certain instinctual decision making process.  It was just something I had to do.
Sometimes you have to do things when they occur to you or miss the moment.
I find that to be particularly true in the garden.

An important part of gardening for me is creating a landscape that is both beautiful and that contributes to its environment.  Feeding the birds is an enjoyable obligation. I have the resources and the time if I choose to and those little Chickadees deserve my respect...how those tiny things do not freeze is one of nature's miracles.

So despite having a long list of actual work in the garden to do it surprised me, and it did not surprise me, when the first thing I did was hang up that feeder.

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Sharing with Nature Notes & Outdoor Wednesday

WEED WAR - who would win?

How about this for a plan to get rid of all of the Creeping Bellflower in my front garden:

I pit it against another well-suited aggressive plant that I like better, like Obedient Plant (left). Since the bed is edged all of the way around we could consider it a cage match...

  VS.   

In a war between these aggressive beauties, who would win?
Lay down your bets.

TUXEDO PLANT LIST

The list below is taken from a permanent page on my blog.  Today I am adding plants that I came across in my T&M Seed Catalogue.  I am not sure if they are the best place to order from or how they got my name, but I am glad they did.  They got me thinking about seeds whereas I have only used plants in the past.

I am not going to be afraid to try zone 4 plants (but will have to be sure to remember which they are so I do not plant all the risky ones in the same area) and I am going to keep a Buy list (B) and a consideration list (C) for next year and not buy everything I would like this year since I am just learning and it could all go awry.

So wherever I end up buying them from, these are the winners that have piqued my interest:

 Watermelon, Yellow Baby - random I know, but I want to integrate some 'veg' in my perennial garden, have always wanted to try my hand at watermelon and I will have more room this year before the garden fills in too much. (B)

Aconitum (Monkshood) 'Carmichaelli' - Whenever I have seen this live it has been less impressive than in magazines, I will hold off for a year. (C-3)

Asclepias (Milkweed) - "Gay Butterflies Mixed". Orange with red and yellow accents, perfect colours for my new south-facing lasagna (SFL) garden; it seemed "appropriate". (B-4)

Aquilegia (Columbine) 'Firecracker' - more orange/red/yellow for the SFL and I grew to like Columbine at the Ontario cottage where they volunteered. (C-3)

'Caerulea' - a shorty for the front of the front border. (B-3)

'William Guinness Doubles' - Without spurs they look quite different. (B-3)

Catananche (Cupid's Dart) 'Caerulea' - Never heard of this plant before, but I have room to experiment with blue/purple flowers/ (B-3)

Coreopsis 'Presto' - I already have some Coreopsis from last fall's local plant sale.  Let me see how they do before I invest in more. (C- 4)

Delphinium 'New Zealand Hybrids' - The one exception to the rule where I will accept a mix that has pink.  I have loved this plant for a long time but it has been years since I had a sunny enough garden for it. (B-3)

Dianthus 'Crimsonia' - I am not usually a fan of Dianthus, I think they are too plain, much like I feel about carnations as cut flowers. But these red beauties have frilly edges.  I would not have guessed what they were by the bloom. (B-3)

Echinacea 'White Swan' - I have some already from the fall plant sale, let us see how they do first. (C-3)

Echinops (Globe Thistle) - Sure their foliage makes it look like a roadside weed, but what is a weed after all? (B-3)

Foxglove 'Pam's Choice' - I am thinking that this could work well under the spruce near the house in the front yard, behind the alpine garden. (B-4)

Helenium 'Sunshine Hybrids' - Bright colours later in the season is something every garden can use. (B-4) 

Heliopsis 'Golden Double Hybrids' - Something I have never grown before. (B-4) 

'Sunburst' - This one has variegated foliage. (B-4)

Ipomea 'Hazlewood Blues' - About the only annual I am getting this year, though I know they self seed enthusiastically. (C)

  'Heavenly Blue' - for Guerrilla gardening - I know just where to put them. (B)

Lobelia 'Queen Victoria' - These 3 foot plants will be very different from the trailing annual I think of when I think  'lobelia' now. (B-4)

Malva 'Snow White' - Never heard of Malva before but I will  a lot of variety with my whites so I will happily try it out. (B-3/4)

Perennial Geranium 'Buxton Blue' - They served me well at the cottage I think they will like having a bit more sun here. (B-4) 

Poppy ' Brilliant' - A classic red. (B-4) 

Primula 'Noverna Deep Blue' - I need to check on this more since the catalogue says in blooms 'summer into fall' but I thought they bloomed exclusively in the spring. (B-4)
'Camelot Cream' - Will look good in the moon garden.

Prunella ' Freelander Blue' - I had never heard of it before; though it is short it blooms from May to October so I am in. (B-4)

Physotegia (Obedient Plant) ' Summer Snow' - I already have this listed on the page, this particular one is supposed to be less invasive than some. (C-4)

Sedum 'Turkish Delight' - Another later summer bloomer. (B-3)

Veronica (Speedwell) - Blue on blue. Catalogue says zone 4, but web says some are zone 3. (B-4)

Okay, so the list may be a bit too long, but at least I have step 1 done.  Step 2 will be to get feedback from locals on which of these zone 4 plants actually have a chance here.  That could really narrow down the field.

Here is the list as it as before these latest additions:

• Thanks to "Gabbing in the Garden" for putting "Silver Mound" Artemisia on my radar
• Deer & rabbit resistant?  Shade tolerant?  Zone 3?  I have to consider  Tiarella (Foam Flower) 
• I can buy Fireweed seeds with a white bloom rather than red as the name would imply, so it it s worth consideration
• Thanks Canadian Gardening for the advice on climbing roses good in zone 3
• Blaze Rose
• Rambling Red
• Fruhlingsgold
• Green Girly has got me thinking about Globe Thistle
• A Prairie Rose Garden has cautioned me about the spreading nature of Obedient plant, but I am willing to take the risk for such a lovely fall bloomer
• Lupine - how could I have forgotten them?  Finally I should have enough sun to get a bunch of these delights blooming
• Gail at Clay and Limestone has got me thinking about Phlox, which would be great in both my white and purple gardens
• Likely one of many good suggestions from Northern Shade Gardening is Hepatica Nobilis for under a large evergreen tree

Old favourites I could not do without:

Summer

Rudbeckia
Echinacea
Daisy
Hosta
Creeping Jenny
Ferns of all kinds
Asiatic / Oriental / Day Lilies

Spring

Forget-Me-Nots
Daffodils
Crocus
Periwinkle
Muscarri
Iris

APPLE URN

Sharing with Fertilizer Friday, No Rules Weekend, Wordless Wednesday Bloggers, Wordless Wednesday, Wordless Wednesday, weekly top shot

T&M SEED CATALOGUE

A warm bath, a glass of wine, jazzy music and the new Thompson & Morgan seed catalogue (and a pen)...what a great way to spend an evening.

I have come to the realization that with the size of garden beds I now have and the full gardens that I prefer the only financially feasible thing for me to do (even with great prices at the local plant enthusiasts association),  is to learn to plant from seed.  There is no comparison, I can buy a single perennial for $4 or a pack of 25-500 seeds.

I have never planted seeds before, so I have some research to do.  

Feel free to provide any advice.

CREEPING BELLFLOWER - the pretty weed

Thanks to a reader for identifying the pesky weed I mentioned in a previous post as Creeping Bellflower.  I had seen it around before, but never in such numbers.

Really, there is a lot of it!

It was practically the only flower in my north front garden in the fall.

 "Creeping bellflower is very difficult to eradicate. It is nearly impossible to control it by digging or pulling the roots and even chemical control is difficult."

Oh my.

 According to the Alberta Invasive Plants Council I have many years of hand pulling ahead of me. 

The Vancouver Courrier suggests that I could nuke the whole area by laying down some tarp and cutting off sun to the area for a few years.  I can't see myself doing that since I do not know whet else could be growing there that I would like to keep.  

And of course I suppose it will respond well to the compost I covered it with in the fall.  This could be why it is suggested to wait a season to get to know your gardens before doing too much, LOL.

At least I know now; feel free to pass on any advice.

FRENEMIES

The bunny rabbits that are plentiful in my new neighbourhood are terribly cute, like this one marching down my sidewalk.

As I understand it I will also find them to be terribly hungry come spring.  

Not surprisingly I did not have to worry about rabbits in downtown Toronto, nor did we have them at the cottage.  They present a new challenge for me; like the deer I love having nature in my yard, but knowing they will want to snack on my hard work come warmer weather I am classifying them as "frenemies" (friends + enemies).

Nestled under a Christmas tree decoration on our front porch.  Too cute!

Do you have a love-hate relationship with critters who consider your gardens their buffet table?

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Sharing with Nature Notes and Outdoor Wednesday

IF NOT NOW, WHEN?

There is no time like the present, so today when refilling the bird feeders I took the opportunity to try and set them up in a less squirrel friendly way.  I just go through the seed too fast when they tip it over; the feeders are meant to be a bird feeders, not bird, squirrel, bunny feeders (the bunnies love to scavenge beneath). 

It involved pruning back a bunch of the dead branches at the base of the tall spruce in the back.   Who says you can not garden in the winter?

I was outside at a balmy -9 for a few hours (before and after pics to follow another day) and I just want to state for the record what a nice way it was to spend the afternoon outside in Winnipeg, in January. 

WINNIPEG COTTAGE - fir strip

At the family cottage outside of Winnipeg we have a cute little bunk house for guests.

Between the bunkie and the main cottage is this cute little strip of fir trees that have been there for quite a while despite their small stature.

My mother has been 'topping' the trees to keep the height manageable since she does not want them growing up and splitting the yard entirely in two.  Personally I think it would be okay to let them grow as tall as possible but not too high to be able to top them still, which would give the bunkie more of a sense of privacy from the rest of the cottage.  

They self seeded there and are so dense that when I was looking for evergreeens to transplant I could not take any from here because digging out one or two meant disturbing the roots of many because they are so tightly packed.

Last summer I harvested and transplanted Forget-Me-Nots and Asters and planted daffodil bulbs in and around the strip to really make it more of a focal point all season long.

I am a big fan of working with what you have instead of starting from scratch.  Not just because starting from scratch is for people who have a crew of helpers and infinite budget, but because there is something to be said for respecting and working with what nature has put there first.

TUXEDO OVERVIEW - north side

This space in back of the daylilies at the side of the driveway may become part of the alpine garden I am going to start at the base of this big old fir with the succulents I bought at the local horticultural society fall plant sale.

I have surmised that the stones currently under this tree are made up of the old sidewalk once it was replaced by interlocking stones.  I can easily harvest other rocks from the side of the road en route from the cottage to add to the Alpine look.

This shrub outside the front living room window will get a severe pruning since it appears to be blocking the window substantially.

And the same goes for this one outside the southern living room window, even more so.

Currently it blocks light from a whole pane of the bay window. 

Of course to understand how best to prune it I should probably know what it is, so if you know, please speak up.

 

An odd shaped block of grass has now been cut up and left as a strip/path with the introduction of my new lasagna garden which I put in this south facing spot to allow me to explore more sun loving plants.

The cedars are on my hit list.  Don't worry that just means I will plant them somewhere else, I would never just kill them off.

Originally just a minimally sized bed along the wall.

It has been expanded, the new bed at least twice the size of the old bed, leaving a path between two gardens.

And the cedars now awkwardly protrude from the garden's edge.  Figuring out this garden will take up a lot of my time this winter planning and this summer getting it planted and up and running. 

Hot colours to celebrate the sun is the general idea for colour scheme.  Appropriate or too obvious?  I guess we will have to wait and see how it turns out.

I love reds, yellows and particularly oranges, so I will run out of plants to try out.

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Sharing with Nature Notes & Outdoor Wednesday

TUXEDO OVERVIEW - the cantina

We have settled on calling the 2-sided structure attached to the garage our "cantina".

In white stucco and covered by a grape vine it feels practically mediterranean, and I know we will sit and have some drinks in cooler weather around the chiminea.  

So 'cantina' it is.

I would have left the open wall facing the backyard, but it is what it is and I appreciate its quirkiness.

And one thing it is is cute. 

Great detail like this round window with wrought iron bars.

And its matching curved gate seen here from the backyard.

There is a garden bed around it on both sides.

I am going to have to learn about and then write a post about how to prune a grape vine.   I certainly did not expect to find one in zone 3 where I did not know they survived.  

This south facing bed has daylilies on either end that need to be divided and Asiatic lilies in between. 

Who knows what else I will find next spring and summer?

Also whatever this low growing plant is.
{later removed as a weed}

In the east-facing bed I do not see much other than some Lamium, the vine and the tall wispy blue-bell-like plant that I consider a weed. Do you know what it is?
{Jan 10 update: thanks to a reader for identifying Creeping Bellflower for me.  Definitely a weed.}

I just love how lush it is with that grape vine. I may add in some morning glories or clematis to keep it blooming longer, though not a big priority to add to it in the grand scheme of things.

Here is an overview of our new front yard in case you missed it.

PRIORITY PRUNING

When we first moved in on October 15th I knew I had little time and big goals...and as the days shortened so did my list, but the days somehow moved faster and with the possibility of snow in November more real than it had been for me in 15 years I let it define my priorities.  

What could I not do after the snow fell?

Planting bulbs - once the money is spent on them it is a crying shame to not get them in the ground and I think we can all admit to having made that mistake.

Second on the list was my lasagna gardens - a big undertaking for my first fall - which I finished just in the nick of time.

Then of course there was weeding, the sooner I got rid of those things and their seed pods, the better.

BEFORE

Somewhere down the list was pruning the dead branches off the large fir trees, particularly the one on the street since it is so public.  But one day when there were still bulbs to plant, gardens to build and weeds to pull I got out the ladder and saw, climbed pretty high (but not foolishly high, I hope) and rid the front tree of its lower dead limbs.

While it technically could have waited until after the snow, or even until the spring, they just seemed so obvious. Something I would notice right away elsewhere.  A symbol.

So down they came.

AFTER

And now when I look out at the beautiful snow covered yard?

I am very glad I made the time.
While having a plan and sticking to it is generally a great idea, sometimes you just have to strike when the spirit moves you.

CHRISTMAS TREES

One could debate how Christmas trees fit into a gardening and landscaping blog, but heck it is Christmas, and they are trees after all.

This the our main tree in our living room.  A great looking 7' tall pre-lit in red and gold.   

And this is the tree that was our main tree in our last home where it seemed plenty big, but is now our second, smaller tree in the den.  

Red and silver colour scheme; I ran out of ribbon half way through, but it will do.

It feels a bit decadent to have two trees, but Winnipeg is such a Christmas-y place that it works well here.

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Sharing with A Return to Loveliness 

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

An important part of landscape design is the lighting, not just in summer but year round.  

We are lucky to live in a neighbourhood where people go to great lengths to decorate their trees for the holidays.
I can not take any credit for these lights, completely my husband's doing.  I just added the ice candles up the walkway for entertaining.

It's a winter wonderland.


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Sharing with Christmas Cheer at "the view from right here"

INSPIRATION - city hall

My new job in Winnipeg is in the heart of downtown not far from city hall where they have these beautiful displays.

Thanks Scott for letting me know those huge plants in the middle are Castor Beans, they were very popular around the city and at the rate they grow in our short season I can see why. 

Clearly not a perennial...popular nonetheless.

 The scale is dramatic and in a city with as long a winter as Winnipeg I think it makes a lot of sense to have those evergreens as a base.  With the variety of shapes and shades it holds enough interest; I remain a  fan of green on green.

I am not considering the huge plants despite their dramatic scale; I have enough to learn just focused on perennials for now.  

I am inspired by the grasses.  I need to incorporate them into my gardens now that I (should) have enough sun.

It will be interesting to see next year if this is city's 'typical' set up or whether landscapers change up what is in the center occasionally.  

Or if there are bulbs, as eager for spring as I am.    

THINGS NEIGHBOURS SAY - 1

One night in the dark I was busy spreading newspapers on top of mulch I had placed on the lawn as I started my lasagna garden when my new neighbour drove up.  Earlier he had seen me collecting the tree leaf debris from the gutter, which I had been gathering for the same purpose.  

A friendly fellow, he stopped by to check things out and as I explained what I was doing he referred to my hobby as 'extreme gardening'.  And it was.  And it is.  

And I was quite flattered.

GUERRILLA GARDENING - tennis plans

Like many of you, I am sure, I cannot help but evaluate landscapes rather than just observe them.  To think of how the park on the corner could be improved, or what I would have done differently at a friend's newly landscaped yard or drawing inspiration from something I judge to be particularly well done.

Often times they are just fleeting thoughts, but there are other times, times where you d not want to forget and this blog is in part to help me remember.

The tennis court below is at a park halfway between my home and my parents.  Public courts, no fee. Not usually that busy and somewhere I hope my husband and I might start playing next year.

There is a single vine growing up the far side of the fence and I stopped and took this shot because I imagined it with more vines.  

Why not?

A highly public place to do a little guerrilla gardening.  

I am thinking of morning glories.  They are colourful and easy to grow and should self seed year after year.

I picture a variety of colours, deep purple, white, pink, heavenly blue. As if that will somehow feel more natural than a wall of solid colour.

Hopefully this post will keep me motivated and committed to follow through next spring.

MACRO MONDAY - moss part 2

I absolutely love old moss covered stumps and transplanted many from the forest onto my property this fall.

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Sharing with Macro Monday

TREE FOLLOWING - north, part 2

The other week I did my first tree following to share with treeblogging.com

 The photo I shared was taken in the fall after all of the foliage had fallen and I thought the opportunity to see this particular tree with all its bushiness intact and would be past by the time spring comes round given my plans for winter pruning. 

Then I found this pic. 

I took it before we actually took possession of our home in the fall but had forgotten to download it - there are more to come!

And I found this pic too, which I took to share with more experienced gardeners to help me identify the tree, which I think a friend has done already!  

I had dinner guests over and one happens to be a landscape architect.  How he could tell in the darkness that this was a Japanese Lilac Tree is beyond me, but there you go, I think he was right the way he described the horizontal lenticels on the bark (see below) and the seed pods (see above).

I am very happy to have  a lilac tree, and now that I have that in mind, the leaves do look like a lilac even if the shape of the tree did not make me think of the shrubs I am familiar with.

The Japanese Lilac blooms slightly later in June and has a fragrance that I am eager to get to know and which means its placement by the front door should pay sweet dividends.

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Sharing with Garden Tuesday & Nature Notes

MACRO MONDAY - moss

Moss from the cottage garden. A universe unto itself.

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Sharing with Macro Monday