Sunday, January 12, 2014

A Look at 2013 (2)

Here are a last few collages as farewell to 2013. On the left is a lace cap hydrangea. These used to be too tender for our climate, but much hardier varieties have been developed these last few years. Upper right is Chrysanthemum rubellum Clara Curtis, also a very hardy plant that can be relied on to come back every year. At the bottom are old-fashioned peonies cultivars.







In the upper left are nasturtiums and in the upper right mostly Anthemis tinctoria. Bottom left are cosmos and on the right annual candytuft (Iberis umbellata).


Some more animals. In early summer a pair of chipping sparrows raised a brood in a New Dawn rose in the garden. You could not help but walk right by the nest, but they did not seem afraid. The turtle we met on the side of the road.


The chronology is not very good in the following collage, as none of these things bloom at the same time. At the top are Colchicum autumnale, after a rain storm. At the bottom left is the crocosmia 'Lucifer'. The pale blue aster-like plant on the left of the crocosmia is Kalimeris pinnatifida and the pale yellow, lower plant, is a sedum. Bottom right is a beauty bush (Kolkwitzia amabilis).






My collection of metal watering cans was acquired over numerous years. Each one pours differently, and they are regularly used, because the garden is mostly watered by hand. Bottom left is a Japanese anemone (Anemone x hybrida) and on the the right is a garden phlox.




Another anemone on the left below, but this time a spring blooming European one, Anemone nemerosa. On the right are Shirley poppies.


To end with, our native yellow lady slipper, Cypripedium pubescens, that self-seeds all around the garden. On the right are some Siberian irises, and lower left are irises that have naturalized themselves in the grass on a low slope just outside the garden gate, Iris sintensisii. The last picture is of Coreopsis grandiflora "Domino".



11 comments:

  1. Hi Alain, isn't your european anemone, anemone sylvestris ? I'm wondering as my sylvestris do look almost the same but not my nemorosas...
    Lucky you ! This clump of cypripedium pubescens is beautiful... Peonies too! I assume 2013was a ncie year in Canada !
    Bonne soirée

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    1. I think you are quite right about the anemone. It was given to me as nemorosa but looking into it, I see that it is sylvestris. Thank you for pointing it out François.

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  2. I used your collage making website programme you recommended - how very very useful.
    I love the purple chrysanthemums,

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    1. It is easy to use and I think a very good program. Most chrysanthemums in our climate do not survive the winter. However this one is one of the most popular in Canada as it very tough but very attractive. Last fall I was given a double version of the same thing. I look forward to see if it will still be there next spring.

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  3. We seem to have a lot of plants in common, Alain

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  4. I like anemone, but had to import my from Holland. We're waiting for spring!

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  5. Good morning Alain,
    It's so easy, when I look out of our window, and all to be seen is grey, wet and gloomy, to forget just how beautiful things become once the summer is here. Are these all pictures from your own garden? Beautiful.

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    1. Yes Gary,
      All the pictures were taken in the garden, except for the turtle which was along a road not far from the garden.

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  6. Of course, my favourite photo is that of the Chipping Sparrow chicks! Adult Chippies are themselves tiny -- it must have been amazing to watch the progress of their offspring.

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    1. What I found funniest was that they slept with their beaks open to make sure they did not miss any food.

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  7. Great pictures! I love the baby birds and the red poppies.

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