Woodlands and Meadows

Opuntia Culture

2012-02-16T11:22:00.000-04:00

Prickly Pears (Opuntia) are edible. You can eat both the pad (nopales) and the fruit (tuna), although I haven't tried it. A word of caution, remove the spines first. The Cactus are full of water, so considering where they grow, they are a very attractive food source to other animals, hence the need for defence mechanisms of the spines.

Those spines are lethal, and it is not the large ones you need to look out for, but those small, tufted hairlike ones in clusters that are no more than a few millimeters in length.. Regular gardening gloves are not enough, they will go right through. They will even go through several layers when leaning over the pots on a greenhouse bench. Then you are back in the house looking for the tweezers. There are some varieties that are spineless.

The best way to work around them either when propagating or weeding around established plants in the garden is to use good old kitchen tongs and yuo do need to be careful. Use your tongs to grab the weed, a small, long handled dandelion weeder to loosen it from the ground and gently pull, at least the soil mix is very loose. Moving established plants requires a shovel (they have quite the root system) and good leather gloves. Most varieties are quite tough and will not break off with out a lot of force.

Seedling selection

Propagation is really easy. They will produce viable seed. I germinated mine with GA-3 but have hear that scarification also helps. If you leave the seed pods on the plant for a year, they will drop and germinate much easier. I have established quite a nice one from seed that resembles the O macrorhiza but the pads seem to be larger and the plant a bit more vigorous. I also have one appears to have many more spines, much more like the O. polyacantha which gives it a more silvery look.

Propagation by pads is probably the the easiest and more reliable way to go. Using your tongs to hold a pad, cut off the pad where it had joined to the other ones. Allow the pad to lay out for a few days, even a week, they need to callus. I have left them in the greenhouse in direct sunlight and they have been fine. After that pot them up in the soil mix suggested in the previous blog and they should root in within the month.

I have said before that these cactus can take the cold: they can. What they can't take is the wetness especially in the spring. In the fall, make sure any debris from trees and other sources are removed from around the plants. The Cactus will start to show signs of going dormant by starting to shrivel, they will also start to go from the pads being prostrate, to them lying on the ground.. This is a mechanism that allows them to overwinter. In the spring, when the snow is gone they look pathetic. But if they have not gone to mush or jelly, then they are usually fine. Last winter with all that snow, a few of the pads turned black. Those pads were dead and they needed to be removed. The rest of the plant was find. As the spring warmed, the pads went from being shriveled to filling with water and becoming prostrate again.

Late spring, you started to see small knobs forming around the edge of the pads. New pads were being formed. At the first of the summer flower buds start, they don't look a lot different from the newly forming pads until they get a bit bigger. Most of the cactus that do well here have yellow flowers, but reds, pinks, and salmons are available. The flowers don't last long, they are a lot like peonies and poppies in that respect, but they are absolutely beautiful.

And just think what a great conversation starter when some one comes into your garden.

The Ice Storm Cometh

2012-02-12T11:11:00.002-04:00

So it rained on Saturday, what else is new. Then sometime in the middle of the night, the ice hitting the side of the house woke me, and it takes a lot to wake me. Andrew was called in to plow at the Agricultural college around 5 am. He nearly tripped over the dog who sneaked upstairs (she is not allowed). She doesn't like thunder and lightening and apparently ice storms too.

All the branches are touching the ground. Little bits of branches can be found every where. Most of the perennials I left standing are flattened. I really hope the wind doesn't pick up.

I looked out the front window this morning and saw my English Oak snapped off. A good friend of mine gave it to me after my father died this spring. There is always life after death, no one should forget that. Even if there was a low branch I was going to nurse that tree back to life.

But I was very happy to find it was just bent. I may need staked for a year to straighten it up but it was fine. Now I will need to dig its head out of the snow and ice. That is the only problem with Engish Oak keeping ther leaves all winter, they are just a magnet for the ice.

I found out in what direction the freezing rain was coming from. North, and a bit to the west. All the windows on the back side of the house had a shear coat of ice on them and all the clap boards had a row of tiny icicles.

I like it on the house, not on the trees.

We lost a good healthy spruce tree. A dead one or dying one could have dropped but no, it had to be a living one. At least it fell towards the woods and not the play set and the power lines.

This young spruce is also leaning. Got to find another stake.

The old birch at the side of the drive way is leaning further into the elm tree that was planted 15 years ago. Andrew has been threatening to cut it for the last few years because it has been dying back and the Elm has been getting bigger (they grow fast - the Elm).

I guess Andrew will have to sharpen his saw.

Winter Hardy Cactus

2012-01-31T11:26:00.003-04:00

10 years ago most gardeners in Atlantic Canada would not have believed that you could grow Cactus outside, in the garden, through the winter in Nova Scotia. I certainly would not have. Even now, most people who come to my nursery or the Farmers Market comment 'but you need to take them inside in the fall?".... and are quite astonished to find out that you can leave them out.

Winter hardy Cactus are found in almost every US state and from Ontario to BC. It is not necessarily the hardiness that you need to look out for when selecting these plants but the conditions they are grown in. Many of them can take the cold. What they can not take is wetness, after all they are 'Cactus'. Some will even survive to Zone 2 temperatures.

One of the biggest things to consider, besides varieties (will get into in the next blog) is where will I put them. They need good drainage, a proper soil mix, sunlight and even though they are Cactus, they do need water.

If you are thinking about Cacti, you are probably thinking about a desert. They do need to be grown in well drained soil. They don't mind the wetness, what they can't take is sitting in any water. Ideally your Cacti should be on a slope where the water can flow away and the soil should be replaced or amened with course sand and rock. A good soil mix is 1/3 each compost, sand, pea gravel. If you want to just amend your existing soil then mix in sand and pea gravel or crushed rock.

Be careful of what you plant near them. Because it is the wetness that will do them in, don't locate them to close to perennials (or shrubs and trees that loose their leaves) that die back in the fall and their leaves and stems fall on the Cactus. This can rot them because the leaves will hold water and moisture. Make sure leaves and debris are removed before winter. Don't mulch them with anything. Don't cover them. The more exposed they are, the better they like it.

Having said that, last winter, when we had snow, and the Cactus bed is located at the edge of our parking area. Andrew is careful not to plow over it but because of the amount of snow it was piled up at least 6' over the bed. I crossed my fingers, toes and whatever else I could and waited. Most survived, two did not.

As the snow receded, Opuntia humifusa failed to thrive for the second year. It was clearly dead. I always kept a copy in the unheated greenhouse to keep trying. O. humifusa should survive and I am determined to get it to live. Other people who have bought this variety from me have had no problem at all.

This little barrel Cactus, one of four, turned to mush. You know when they look like a mass of jelly, they are not coming back.

Opuntia macrorhiza

They are so well worth growing and when they flower........

I have more to tell you......next time...why you need to be very careful when you lean over.

Gardening in January

2012-01-05T09:04:00.000-04:00

So, if the weather is good, you might as well be in the garden.

House work can wait. I am trying to finish putting away the Christmas stuff, seems there is more every year and Gill doesn't want me to get rid of anything. But there is a box that is packed for the Community Workshop for next November. Shh, don't tell her.

Back to gardening. If the temperature is around 10 C, in January (Tues. Jan 3), you might as well be out. Do you know how easy it is to pull those weeds (yes I am on the weed topic again)?

Out came the groundsel, which is still blooming. Some one should test to see if those seeds are viable, bet they are, that is one determined plant.

The grass still grows in the paths. And this time of year they are so easy to pull, the ground is moist and the frost has somewhat heaved them up. Only the dandelions and some plantain which has more of a tap root are more difficult to pull by hand. I needed my little weeder, which I didn't bother with. So I will get to them during the next thaw and the way the winter is going, I don't doubt that there will be another one.

Andrew gave me these great gloves from Lee Valley Tools. (Thermal Gripper Gloves) They are slightly insulated, quite comfortable and perfect when you want a bit of warmth this time of year. Like the uninsulated pairs (Lightweight Nitrite Gripper Gloves) I wear the rest of the year, they are quite easy to pick up small objects with. These are great gloves and they keep your hands in good shape (for a gardener).

This weather isn't all great, some of the bulbs and plants are getting heaved up. These crocus are out of the ground and the Primula veris (below) has its roots exposed. I will have to get a bit of soil some where or bark and mulch this bed.

They are directly under a Maple. I think the tree is part of the problem with heaving. The rest of the garden isn't showing any signs of frost heave. Although as of Tuesday, there wasn't much frost in the ground.

But the Daffodils are peeking up.

Back to bed darlings.

I guarantee winter will be back

Twigs and Bows

2011-12-14T16:29:00.000-04:00

My wreath making is almost done. Just a few more orders to go out but nothing like last Tuesday.

Last Tuesday was our 4-H meeting (Christmas Party) and wreath/centrepiece pick up. We host it here at the house as I do the wreaths for the annual fundraiser for the club. We have hot chocolate and juice, gingerbread cookie decoration, a bond fire, and games. What a beautiful night. The first night when we had this, three years ago, it must have been 10 below with 30 km winds. We were lucky this year with only light rain (barely any as it did hold off).

We make 3 sizes of wreaths, 17". 20" and 23"

Bunches

And Centrepieces

We make the centrepieces at in the church basement in Old Barns with some of the local community members and 4-H members. With the centrepieces, the proceeds are split with the Christmas Index Program and the 4-H group.

And after all that, Gill and some of her friends got together and make a bunch of the centrepieces to raise money for the Central Colchester Junior High breakfast program.

It's amazing what you can do with a few twigs and a bow.

Tis the Season

2011-11-30T08:26:00.000-04:00

I have been busy these last three weeks. Now that all the perennial have been tucked into bed I am out cutting fir to make wreaths. We are lucky here to have a good supply on our property. It is easy to just cut lower branches of the fir trees as they are growning, and sometimes we do thin out trees that are close together. So nothing is wasted.

I collect cedar from a massive hedge that Andrew's Dad has on his property and I also raid his white pine trees. I prefer the white pine as it is the softest of the pines. I have in the past used hemlock, cypress, juniper, and yews. I have inserted dogwood, spirea and any other shrub or perennial (sedum) that has an interesting seed head or drying flower that I can find.

I started the week after Remembrance Day. It seems early but I need that time to get them all done. It was a lovely week, so warm, didn't need any extra heat on at all. During the second week, my hands froze cutting the brush into usable pieces. Thank goodness for the greenhouse. Now this week we are back to the balmest (is that word?) weather I can remember.

I have been making these the last few years for our local 4-H club as well as a steady clientele. Don't be fooled by the quantities in this picture, each wreath is a stack of 5 and that is just one part of the pile.
I have been determined to post atleast 2 blogs a month. I haven't even had time this month to go for my usual walk and to the local excersize class Tuesday and Thursday mornings.

Maybe next week, then we will be 10 below Just my luck.

The Plants are Still Growing

2011-11-04T09:27:00.001-03:00

Now that all the pots were put to bed, it was time to start to clean up the nursery beds. This is a good project for October. The days are cooler, everything is usually finished blooming in the nursery and the plants are getting ready to go to sleep for the winter. Last year, I didn't get the beds cleaned up so spring cleaning was in order, which is perfectly fine, there is really no reason why it can't be left till then. But I am usually quite busy in the spring and one less thing to do helps out a lot. Certain perennial are left untouched because they create winter interest.

As you can see not everything has stopped growing. I don't thinks weeds ever do. This Irish moss is a menace to my woolly thyme path. I am constantly removing it. I don't understand why any one would want to purchase the cultivated version.

And why do they feel the need to cosy up to the stems of plants making them very difficult to remove. I have to say that I think dandelions are at their best in the spring and fall. The groundsel is growing well too, I think it germinates blooming. That is one that definitely needs to be removed.

Here it is the first of November and I still have flowers blooming. Monkshood, Anemone, and even the Double Marsh Marigold. I don't think it realizes it is not spring.

Certainly, Sedums are at their best usually right through winter. Some hold there colour better than others. Nothing beats Autumn Joy and Brilliant. The Sedums are not at their best this year because of all the rain we had, most of them have flopped over.

They may not have blooms this time of year, but some plants like certain Euphorbias and Coral Bells, look even better than they do in the summer.

I had never been particularly fond of Coral Bells but for these reasons I think they are really growing on me. Now I know there are getting to be quite a few varieties of these just like mega amounts of Hosta but I will try to restrain myself in getting too many more.... I think.

Time for Bed.

2011-10-18T20:00:00.000-03:00

Its time to clean up and put my little babies to bed for the winter. We are having some really nice days and some miserable ones. The only problem with the nice days is that it is bringing out the mosquitoes, and they are still hungry. We really haven't had frost here yet, just a little bit that touched the cars but not the ground, the impatiens are still blooming and the tomatoes are still producing although the plants look a bit pathetic. On the other hand the ground is so wet that the sod moves when you walk on it.

I take my plants and line them out for winter in rows. Cutting back what needs to be and grouping them so they are easier to put out in the spring. I will write in my book where each ones are located in the groups and then remove the tags. The tags fade and get brittle over the winter so it is just easier to remove them. I will mark which ones need dividing, potting up to a larger size or need more propagated.

They will be covered with insulation and leftover fir boughs from making wreaths in November. I have learned over the years what plants over winter well with this method and what doesn't. Many of the grasses don't over winter in pots (some do) so they are either healed in the garden or put in the unheated greenhouse. The cactus, sedums and sempervivum are also placed in the greenhouse (unheated) mostly to keep them dry. I have been keeping the creeping phlox there too because the mice like to get into them under the fir boughs.

Now for something completely of the wall, or should I say up on the roof. This is Puddle, Gillian's cat. How she got on the garage roof I'll never know, I only know while I was arranging my plants, I heard this thump and here she was half way up looking absolutely terrified. She krept right to the top and sat there and cried. Anyone who has been here before knows our house and garage roofs are at a steep pitch. I didn't know how to get her down, but I knew enough to get the camera because no one was going to believe me.

I went and got a ladder and stood it against the greenhouse, hoping she would come down the roof and use the ladder. She would not come down when I was watching so I sat on the bench under the tree and waited. Didn't take long and she carefully came down.

But of course she didn't use the ladder, she punched a few more holes in the plastic and jumped to the baggage wagon. Well, at least she is down and I didn't have to call the neighbours in a panic.

Looking pretty smug isn't she. I bet she won't try that again.

Lichen the Caboose

2011-10-07T10:31:00.000-03:00

I really like moss and lichen, even though there are no flowers, the textures are amazing. We were out in the woods over in Masstown at MacElmons Pond a week ago and I wish I would have brought my camera because I seen so many types of moss. Maybe this winter I'll research some various types that grow in NS after all, I think they are nature's perfect ground cover for the shade.

I always said that all plants have their place. And I still stick to that belief. We were out in Alberta last year and went up to Mt. Edith Cavell. The rocks there had the most amazing lichens on them. The colours were wonderful. I took pictures because I though I would do a collage of just lichen on rock. But I just have not had time.

Lichen and mosses belong on trees, rocks or in the woods, not on the garden art. Anybody who has been to our nursery knows we have a rather large piece of garden art. Ok, so I collect plants, I admit it, Andrew collects Trains (www.woodlandsandmeadows.ca/trains.htm) and anything related to them, hence the rather large and orange piece of garden art. Oh and yes, the tractor and lawn mower are also orange. I guess orange and green go together.

It is a good week to give the caboose a good cleaning since it has been humid and raining for most of it. Andrew started on Monday evening and it was surprising how little effort it took to get it off, just a little elbow grease with the car brush and a push broom (worked great). The power sprayer cleaned it off after that. My job was to just stand there and raise and lower the bucket on the tractor so he could scrub. I can handle that.

The caboose stands just across a drive way from the nursery, beside the woods, some of the maples actually over hang which does cause him some concern especially when the wind blows. Anything that is concerning comes down.

There, at least one side is nice and clean, since it is starting to get dark, we will finish it in the next few days. For having such a thing in the yard, I don't find it looks out of place. The most common question is how did you get it here and "why?". A few people don't say anything at all. So either they have been here before, have heard about it or simple just don't care. They are probably just too interested in the plants.

I am posting this on Friday. The sun is shining although Mother Nature is giving us a good taste of what winter will be. From what I hear, summer is back on the weekend. Oh well, it is Nova Scotia.

The Empty Space Where You Once Stood...is Filled With a Hosta

2011-09-23T15:54:00.000-03:00

Remember when the tree came down this spring? I had all my mini hosta around the front of the tree. The spruce had provided enough shade for them, but now, I wasn't so sure.

Looking back I did quite a bit of plant moving this year.

So out came the mini hosta this spring. I was just making more work for myself. The ferns, lungwort and a few other assorted plants were moved out to the edge of the bog making room for a mini hosta bed.

I had, of course, added to my collection.

So no mini hosta, no tree. What to put there. Andrew and I talked about adding another tree. Evergreen? Tall? Short? Couldn't decide. Couldn't decide all summer. So I put in a few dwarf iris, clematis, cortusa, almost using it as a holding bed until I could figure out where they should really go.

The main hosta bed, that was added to just last spring 2010 (grasses moved), had become too crowded. One hosta just blended into another. They needed spacing. And because there were many very large ones (ie: T-Rex, Bressingham Blue, Big Daddy) in the middle and small (not mini) around the edge, the bed looked lopsided. I had toyed around with the idea of moving hosta that preferred more sun to that bed out front (ie: Pedmont Gold, August Moon,). That bed does get more sun but I have a Kentucky Coffee Bean tree at the corner of the garden that in just a few years will cast a lot of shade on the area anyway.

So out came the small to medium sized hosta (Citation, El Nino, Halcyon, Kathryn Lewis, Tatoo) and in they went in that small bed. I think they look pretty good. But I know that even by next year some of them may be too close together.

Now for the large hosta bed. It looks like Swiss cheese around the edge. All but 3-4 needed to be plucked out and shifted even a few inches, I tried to alternate the blue and solid coloured ones with the variegated types.

There, much better. But I bet that by next summer it will need to be done again. Some of those Blues have not reached their full potential yet. There were still 2 large hosta in the upper garden that I could not accommodate in this bed. If I expand it, it will be on the lower side toward the road. But that is enough for this year.

Yet the grass and daylily bed is getting a bit crowded and I do have new acquisitions of grasses to find homes for.

Judging Them All

2011-09-09T22:13:00.000-03:00

There is nothing like a good flower show. You know it's summer when the Exhibitions start and the exhibits are full of flowers.

14 years ago, the was a need for Horticultural Judges, I remember the dates because over the 2 years to train, I was both pregnant and a mother to my daughter. At that time a call went out to garden clubs over the province to find people interested in being judges. We learned everything from judging flowers (annuals, perennials, dahlias, gladiola) to various types of flower arrangements and vegetables. In detail.

Over the years I have judged them all. But dahlias make me nervous. There are so many types and the exhibitors of dahlias are very competitive. Usually, in the major dahlia shows, they have their own trained judges. That suits me fine. Not saying I can't do them but in those type of competitions, we will leave it to the professionals.

Flower arrangements can be very simple.

To very elaborate.

And there is nothing better than seeing the children enter. I always try to write a short comment on the back of the tag. They are the future of the exhibits. I have encouraged my daughter and her friends to enter over the years. Gill is always excited to come away with prize money.

And some even manage to take home a few ribbons

This has been a hard year for flowers, all the rain we have had. Many of the annuals really took a beating. The exhibits have been down in all the shows I have judged at and exhibited in. A lot of it can depend on the year. This year I went over to my Uncles and found two beautiful Glads in his garden that I knew would place well. One received best in the show (for that category); he was quite happy.

It takes a lot of volunteers to keep these shows going, as well as setting up, having people there when the exhibits are setting up to help people find the right categories, keeping everything fresh during the week and cleaning it up in the end. In many cases it is a labour of love. It brings great joy when they see the hall full of flowers. Pick a few flowers next year and try exhibiting. It really is a lot of fun.

I'm Your Huckleberry

2011-08-26T11:10:00.000-03:00

     Last fall, Andrew noticed this plant over in our uncle's woodlot, next to ours. I figured at that time, it might be a native highbush blueberry. We kept our eye on it. Late this spring it produced flowers very similar to blueberries. Yes! It was a highbush Blueberry.

      Andrew was over the other night and brought back a few berries, they liked a bit like blueberry, similar in size but they were almost black.

     OK, out comes the Flora of NS (old version but still good).

There are two species of Huckleberries in Nova Scotia. According to the NS Wild Flora Society, Gaylussacia baccata (Black Huckleberry) is found in sandy, rocky barrens or on the edges of dry woods and lakeshores. Our two plants that we found were on the edge of a 'sand pit'. This is just a vein of sand that runs through the property. I use the sand in my soil mix for my perennials and we have also use some in our vegetable garden to loosen up our clay soil. The fruit of the Huckleberry is smooth, black or bluish and sweet and the leaves turn to a brilliant red in the fall. There is also an abundance of blueberries and creeping blackberries in that area.

Back we go with the camera to take a few pictures and to just see what else was out there We kept going on our tour back over to the cranberry bog to see how the cranberries were coming along. There is going to be an amazing crop this year. I could have swore I took a picture of the cranberries but I can't find it anywhere even in the 'trash'. I must be losing my mind. The low bush Blueberries are quite abundant also and do they ever taste good.

Every time I go over there we find something new, this is the area that we found the orchids. There was an abundance of cotton grass (pictures blurry, not posted) and may small Viburnum cassinoides (Witherod). These, like the huckleberry, will turn colour in the fall. I must try to collect some seed when the fruit turns dark blue.

There seems to be a streak of blue running through this blog, but that will change to red when the cranberries are ready.

Daylily Delight

2011-08-13T20:44:00.000-03:00

I am but an amateur in the field of Daylilies. But I know what I like.

Helicon

My perfect daylily must be medium to large plant (I have a big property), must be brightly coloured (no washed out colours for me) and must bloom for a long time. But I can make exceptions.

Prairie Blue Eyes

Daylilies are a diverse group on colour and form from many years of hybridization by both amateur and professional daylily breeders. I don't know who has the most varieties, Hosta or Daylilies. They emerge early in the spring with wonderful grassy leaves coming up at a time to cover the dying foliage of spring bulbs. They are clump forming, are not aggressive spreaders and are easily divided. Very low maintenance and work well in a perennial garden or with shrubs. The colours are amazing. What more could you ask for.

Late July and Early August can be down times for colour in the garden, and this can be due to the fact that most people have finished buying and planting new perennials. And the general public tend to purchase plants in bloom, there for they miss out on great plants for later in the season. Serious gardeners know better. Daylilies are just one type of plant that can fill this gap. Some bloom earlier in the season and some later but the bulk of them bloom during this time.

Jim's Pick (foreground)

Frans Hals (behind)

The Daylily is so named because the flower usually does not last more than 24 hours. This does not make them useful in flower arranging but they do make good cut flowers because unopened buds continue to mature and open over many days.

They come in a range of colours from yellow to orange, all shades of pink and red, lavenders, green tones and almost black and almost white (but not quite). Blues still elude the breeders although the name 'Blue' pops up in some varieties.

The old fashioned Tawny Daylily that many people would consider a wild or native plant is actually an escape from old homesteads. Other names for it is Railroad Lily (Andrew likes that one) or Outhouse Lily (gee, where did they plant that one)

Dublin Elaine

Daylilies do cross pollinate easily, and I am not going to get into terms like diploids. tetraploids etc..... I would have to look them up and try to interpret them (did not do well in genetics in school) and I will leave that to the professionals. They are constantly breeding for ruffles, doubles, colour, fragrance and reblooming or continuous blooming such as the Stella series. Name your combination, it is probably out there.

Seed Selection

I have played around with seed, purchasing some seed years ago from Garden's North. I had a range germinate that were from lavender (see above) to reds, yellows and others. This lavender is really nice. I have not sold any yet, maybe next year, and I will need to find a name for it. A daylily breeder would probably cull it out since the newer ones are more frilly or more exotic. They have exotic prices too.

An Orchid Surprise

2011-07-21T21:04:00.000-03:00

Andrew took the buggy (my motorized wheelbarrow) up through a few trails in the neighbourhood last week. He promptly became stuck in an area that use to be an old woods road. When I went up to help him to get out we found that the old road is now impassible (especially this spring with all the rain). It was located near a natural bog that we went to every fall to find a few cups of cranberries. It seemed the bog was expanding and claiming new territory.

The cranberry vines were everywhere (we found some great cranberries there last year), and just finishing blooming. It should be a good crop this year. The Bog laurel (Kalmia) was also in bloom as well as cinnamon fern. Among all this was a pink plant I had never seen before. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was an orchid. I had never seen them in that area before but we may not have been in the area at the right time of year.

After getting my sneakers soaked and Andrew out of the mud (not much damage, to the bog, I mean), we went home and got our boots and camera. After taking some pictures of the orchid (2 in fact) we came home and I did some research (love the Internet).

Calopogon pulchellus

Grass Pink

Grass Pink is actually quite common in Nova Scotia. It is usually found in lightly shaded sphagnum moss bogs and swampy areas. In this case it was more of an open bog. They get their name for a long, grass-like leaf that comes up from the base. The flowers are on a single stem with 2 or more magenta to pink blooms present.

The lip of Calopogon is on the top of the flower, not the bottom, as is common with most other Orchids. The yellow feelers are designed to attract pollinators, when the insect lands the flower then snaps shut and the insect has to crawl out between the lip and the reproductive parts in order to escape, hopefully pollinating the flower in the process

Cypripedium reginae

Showy Ladyslipper

We were fortunate to see the Showy Ladyslipper last year just around July 1st at Smiley's Provincial Park just outside of Windsor NS. I really know very little about Orchids and had a gentleman who is an authority on the subject come to my nursery late June of last year. He was the one who told me of these orchids. We asked at the gate where to see them. The park attendant told us and if it was not for her we would not have known where to look. The ones I am familiar with are the Pink Ladyslipper, they were in abundance where I grew up. The Showy Ladyslipper grows in completely different conditions.

The Showy Ladyslipper grows in a boggy, sweet (limestone) soil. Cryripedium acaule (Pink Ladyslipper) is more common in slightly drier soils under Oaks or Pines (more acidic soils). Both are difficult to propagate as the require a microbial association with the soil. Crypripedium pubescens (Yellow Ladyslipper) is also a native that likes moist soil even boggy areas and is not as fussy in requiring sweet or sour soil. This one is more adaptable to garden soils. It is the only one that I sell and I acquire it from a reputable dealer. There are other sellers of orchids out there but you should do your research before purchasing.

Getting back to the Grass Pink Orchids I found, this one was also present only in a few numbers. It did not strike me as a Grass Pink but I could be wrong. This is where I bow to an expert in the field. Anyone recognise this one?? There are more orchids out there, and they are sparking my interest. It is just fabulous when you find something you haven't seen before.

From the Perspective of a Bench

2011-07-10T16:47:00.003-03:00

I started to write this blog last week on Hosta. I guess I wasn't overly inspired because it just sat there a while.

Andrew brought home this bench last week. He has been wanting a bench for the garden for a year now. There was no where to sit and enjoy the garden. But I think the reason we were slow in getting one is that we just haven't seen the one we wanted. They are either to plastic-key (not sure if that is even a word but you know what I mean), too big or too park bench like. We wanted something to blend in. Well blend in it does, since it is black wrought iron (looks-like) it really does blend in. If you are not looking for it you could miss it.

I thought I would take a picture of what I could see if I sat on the bench. Directly in front is the new hosta bed that replace the grass bed last spring (2010). We can also look up the driveway and if we sit just right see cars going by the driveway. We can not see the cars from the house (not that there are many where we live) anymore because the trees have filled in so much. We even had to have our satellite dish relocated on the house last week.

Back to the hosta bed. I was nicely spaced last year, there was plenty of room between the hosta to show them off nicely. But that just shows you how fast these guys can grow especially with all the rain we had this spring. There will be some little ones like Golden Tiara and Orange Marmalade that will be moved to a different spot. Even though they are good sized hosta they are being dwarfed by the larger ones. I will be making a map and taking pictures and planning which ones go where next spring.

When the spruce tree came down this spring, I moved all the miniature hosta into pots for safe keeping until the bog garden was done and I figured out where to put them. This bed, along where the shade plants are for sale, contained Pulmonaria (lungwort) and ferns. We moved them to the back of the bog garden. The miniatures went in there a few weeks ago. I have two I have no names for. I need to go back in my records in the past few years to try to figure out who they are. Any hosta collector out there who wants to identify them for me is welcome.

Getting back to that bench. Some times things happen for a reason. Andrew was in A J Walkers (Truro local Hardware Store) two weeks ago and saw this bench in the window. It had a sold sign on it so he asked if there were anymore. There were not and at the price of $39, I can see why not. The lady who put it on hold never came to pick it up so Andrew got it on Monday. It was meant to be.

Compost: Part II - Sources in Colchester County

2011-06-21T08:36:00.003-03:00

Were do you get your compost? A frequently asked question. Compost is highly prized by gardeners. If you have a small perennial bed or veggie garden then your own personal compost pile may be enough, or a few bags from the local nursery will do. But what if you have a property like mine, where my own compost is just enough for the veggie garden not including the potatoes.

Doesn't the beds look great with compost on them. I was lax last year in getting them top dressed. This year I was determined that that they would all be done. Usually I get my compost from our local bailfill (municipal composting program). I usually have good luck with it but I make a point of not putting it in my veggie garden. A lot of people are not careful with what they put in the compost bin, there is always a lot of plastic (bags) and even though it is screened, there is still plastic and other small non composting items in it. And even though it is a in-vessel system (it is heated to the proper temperatures), I prefer to know exactly what is in it for my veggies.

Ideally the best time to get it (municipal compost) is late summer. That is because they sell it by weight (tonne) and in the spring it is usually alot heavier but the last few years they have run out of it. But I really needed some so Andrew took the trailer to get a load. They were really good about it and did deduct some off the price because of all the wet weather we have been having. But it was really chunky and difficult to spread. I have noticed that it is breaking down if I run the rake gently over it, it will smooth out. You do get a bit of plastic showing up but over all not too bad. Many people used to complain about the smell years ago. I guess it used to be very bad. It still does have a bit more odor than other companies. That is due to the fact that it is not turned as much as it should be. Frequent turning would solve the problem as well as the chunkiness.

We also found a local (the other side of the bay) farmer that was mixing compost from manure and silage. I have had this mix years before (different source) and found it wonderful. But this one was not so great. For one thing, we found white roots of couch grass which is not what you want in your garden, and we spent time carefully removing those roots as I sifted through it to top dress the bog garden. Also germinating was lambs quarters and a bit of vetch. As soon as we get some sunny dry weather, I will weed this out. Since he just turned the piles with his tractor the mix never got up to temperature to kill any weed seeds. Not going to buy this mix again.

Fundy Compost in Pleasant Valley (also North River Rd, Bible Hill) was my third try. They do take the local Bio Solids from the Waste Water Plant in Truro and mix it other material to produce compost. They also take other county's municipal green cart waste and make compost out of it. They do keep both streams separate. We purchased the non bio solid compost which is equivalent to our municipal compost. Fundy Compost windrows their compost to bring it to temperature to eliminate pathogens and weeds. Their compost was not as chunky, much finer and any 'balls' were easily broken up. I did find quite a few rocks ranging from golf to baseball size which probably came from the gravel pad it was piled on.

The only thing I didn't like is that there was a lot more garbage in the load, I picked out a lot of small pieces of plastic (shopping and garbage bags) . The compost had a good compost smell due to the fact that it was probably turned more often. Even though it had more garbage, I got a second load.

I don't like to use bark around my perennials, I just find it too chunky (I must like that word). However a lot of people use composted bark. This is a good alternative for larger perennials, if you have a hosta bed for example. I don't think I would like it for more delicate perennials and certainly not an alpine garden.

This comes from Nova Tree Seed, across from the old Truro Hospital. It is a nice product in that it is well composted and quite fine. I use it in my soil mix for my potted perennials.

I like shredded hemlock for my shrub beds and paths around the perennial garden (like the colour). I use pea gravel in the alpine (cactus) bed. I don't like coloured mulches. That is a personal opinion.

Compost: Part I - Why do my Gardens Look so Good.

2011-06-14T17:32:00.002-03:00

Yes I am bragging, I don't do that very often, I really am very modest. But June is when my gardens shine. Everybody's garden shines in June. Spring rains (extra this year), warm temperatures, the bugs haven't chewed everything yet, no mildew, but there is another secret.

There is nothing better you can do for your plants than improve your soil before you put them in. Absolutly nothing. Many people ask how I get my plants to look so good. The single word I answer is ... Compost.

When ever we prepare a new bed, we add a lot of compost. My soil has a lot of clay, in parts of the garden more than others. But I tell every one that it is good. I would rather have clay soil than sandy soil. Although a nice sandy loam would be ideal, but that is quite rare.

Compost is more of a soil conditioner than a fertilizer. The fertilizer of any compost is quite low. But what it does is conditions the soil to allow that soil to either release the nutrients it already has (clay) or allow the soil to hold nutrients (sandy). It gives clay soil structure, aeration and allows it to drain and allows sandy soils to retain water, nutrients and gives it structure.

Hosta Flamboyant

I also like to top dress with compost. It gives a nice clean look as well as adding extra compost to the soil. It helps to keep the weeds down (more on that later), the soil moist (not a problem this year) and just gives a very finished look to it. I usually add about 2" every year.

This is my compost pile in the back of the veggie garden. This is two years old and has been turned probably 3 times. It would have been originally, 3X the size. I use this for my vegetable garden (more on that later too). A few weeds are turning up in it but nothing too bad (no perennial weeds). It is not as fine as it would be if you bought a bag at the store. I don't mind seeing the odd egg shell or unbroken down piece of plant material. If it is too big I toss it into this years new compost bin and let it go through another years cycle.

This is this years new pile started late last summer with garden clippings, chopped leaves, kitchen waste (peelings, paper towel, newspaper, coffee/tea), and bunny cage waste (bunny poop/newspaper). I don't have a method for properly building a compost pile (you can find all sorts of recipes on the Internet). I don't have time, I just dump and I figure it gets mixed enough when it gets turned. Home composting usually doesn't allow the compost to get up to a temperature to properly kill all the weed seed or pathogens. Pathogens is not a problem in mine because I don't add questionable materials. I also don't add weeds. They get thrown in the woods.

I did say that compost will keep down weeds. It will help suppress those weeds that are present in your soil as long as they are not perennial weeds that grow by underground rhizomes (sheep sorrel, crab grass, buttercup, dandelions - when the root was not completely removed). But weeds being weeds, there are always some seed being blown in or very persistent ones coming through, compost does make them easier to pull since the soil is loose. Weeds can come in with the compost though, which can create a whole other problem.

It can even bring in other organisms such as mushroom and maybe even unwanted insects such as earwigs.

So where do you get your compost is the next most common question. The next blog will explain. I'll give you the pros and cons of 3 different sources that I tried this spring and which one I went back to.

A Blog on the Bog

2011-06-02T08:25:00.002-03:00

After those two wet, sunless weeks we got back at it. Andrew had a vision. He wanted a path down the middle that you could walk between the two bogs. We finished the first one, closest to the garage, by back-filling it with some of the soil that was there supplemented with peat moss. I'm still concerned that it will not be boggy enough because he did poke quite a few holes in it.

The centre is a path of class A gravel to give it stability and still allow any water to drain through. He is going to add stepping stones to the top and we will probably finish it in bark mulch or something like that. The outside bog has the same mix as the first one only we poked only a few holes. Andrew figured that if it held too much water we could always poke a few more holes.

After trimming the edges to hide the plastic, I started planting. Some of the Iris, Ligularia and Persicaria had been sitting in the garage for almost 2 weeks and need some TLC. I am not concerned that any of them will not survive (they are all tough as nails) but they may need the rest of the summer to recover. The back bog is a bit squishy (good), but I hope not too squishy. This is really an experiment as to what water loving plants like what conditions. A lot of sun hits these beds in the afternoon, but the two Oaks are starting to leaf out so that can change.

The back edge drops off onto the lawn. We added a 2 ft bed there, before we reached the lawn and some of the Lungwort and Ferns are going there. We need a bit of sod and grass seed to repair the lawn. The poor Lungwort looks pathetic when the sun hits it. It did not like to be moved. But it will recover. A nice thick layer of compost will complete the look.

Phlox subulata Fort Hill

Doesn't the garden phlox look great. Just covered with masses of blooms.

Phlox subulata Apple Blossom

This one has pale pink blossoms with slightly greying foliage.

Creeping Phlox or Moss Pinks have been around for years. They are low growing (about 6") creeping, evergreen plant considered by some as ground covers spreading to 2'. They have small flowers in dense clusters of red, white, blue, pink, rose, lavender, purple as well as bicolours. Easily grown in full sun with well drained soil (not a bog) and benefits with the addition of compost. Easily divided in the spring and quite commonly found in spring plant sales.

In a Sea of Yellow

2011-05-23T08:13:00.002-03:00

So we haven't seen the sun in 13 days (oh maybe just a glimmer here in Clifton). I would give it credit, it did try yesterday, maybe 3 times and it was warm for the 30 second it managed. Time for a serious dose of yellow. Maybe we will shame that sun into burning through those clouds.

Nothing like a nice spring daisy, it is a shame that more people don't grow this one. Leopards Bane (Doronicum) has nice apple green foliage first thing in the spring with blooms coming out in early May and holding on into June.

Alyssum has fallen out of favour in the last ten - twenty years. You don't see it as much as you use to. Maybe because it was so over used. I found that if a property had one, they had a dozen scattered all over the place. Basket of Gold was concidered a rock garden plant and no rock garden was complete without alyssum and creeping phlox. These little guys belong to the mustard family, easy to tell that by looking at the clusters of flowers. Alyssum wulfenianum (above) is a nicer version, native to the alps it has deep gray foliage forming a low growing mound, completely covered in bloom by the end of the month.

Our native Erythronium (Trout Lily or Dogtooth Violets) are little spring bulbs from the lily family. The flowers are no more than 1" in diameter. The above larger Erythronium is Pagoda, a hybrid bulb that may be purchased in the fall when buying tulips. It may be 6-12" tall with 2 large brown-green mottled leaves. Pagoda is one of those plants that disappears after flowering, so it is perfect for planting among hostas and ferns.

Uvularia is also in the lily family as is Solomon's Seal of which this little Merrybell reminds me of. U sessilifolia is our native one which is slightly smaller than the above U. grandiflora. Very easy to grow in a woodland setting.

Don't forget spring bulbs like these Darwin Tulips (I guess only if you do not have deer). Darwins are best, in my opinion, for coming back year after year and putting on a good display. Other spring bulbs such as crocus, daffodils and winter aconite can give that burst of yellow early on.

Euphorbia's actually have no 'flowers'. The colour you see are highly coloured bracts (modified leaves) that surround the very small flower parts. Think poinsettias (same family).

Don't forget plants that are grown for their foliage, there are many plants with yellow variegation. From Hosta to Solomon's Seal, Euonymus to Coral Bells.

Ah, the lowly Dandelion. This is a love/hate relationship. You either like it (not many) or hate it. Either way I must give it some respect. Look at that colour, a perfect round head of bright yellow with shaggy petals. You can eat the leaves (high in Vit. A, B, C and D, Iron, Potassium and Zinc), the roots can be made into a coffee substitute and some parts of the flowers are made into wine. What more do you need. You can blame the French, English and Spanish for bringing them here. They saw the benefits.

The plant is ingenious at survival, it is designed to act as a funnel to direct rain water to the roots. If broken off it has the ability to regenerate from a piece of root. It has an abundance of flowers per plant with up to 200 seeds being produce on one flower. The seeds have a transportation system that can travel for more than 200 km (so it is not just your neighbours lawn that you need worry about). They are found world wide and are able to grow in all conditions.

I know, 90% of you reading this is thinking that she is right off her rocker praising the Dandelion. But I must give it some respect. Which flower did you pick when you were a child. Did you present your Mother or Grandmother with a Dandelion bouquet?? Didn't she gush with praise that it was the most beautiful flower ever?? And looking over a field, over a sea of yellow just adds some warmth to the chilly air.

Come on Sun, Where are you.

Bogged Down by Rain, ...Literally

2011-05-10T20:43:00.001-03:00

Rain, Rain, go away, come again another day

We must be out of our minds. Another garden project, when I am busy trying to get everything plotted and laid out for sale. Andrew wanted to remove the rail bed, trolley flat car that occupied the centre of the above picture. The ties were starting to rot and he felt we should have something new in the garden. And if he is willing to do the construction part, why not.

That bed was always the lowest part of the garden and held the plants that required more moisture anyway, but I was wishing for a true bog garden. The Iris, Ligularia, Marsh Marigolds, Jack in the Pulpit and a few other moisture loving plants hung out in this area and did OK. But I also had a Picture Plant and some Skunk Cabbage that were struggling in another area. So out everything went, and in goes the big equipment. Boys and their toys.

I think there will be a bit of lawn repair to do with a trip to the sod farm.

We started the construction on Saturday morning. Nice day, really, not too wet. Dug down about 1.5' and laid down a heavy sheet of plastic. Andrew poked some holes in the plastic for some drainage and we back filled with soil, peat moss and some sand. I think it needs a bit more peat moss. This picture above was taken Sunday morning after it had rained some over night. I am a bit worried that we may have poked too many holes and it won't hold enough water.

Never fear and don't wish too loud. This may be a very long and drawn out project if it doesn't stop raining. We now have a pool at the back of the bog. And yes the bog is a bit boggy. I still think I will add more peat moss when I can get in. The rest of the garden is soggy. Awful, who can garden in this. I have actually liked the weather lately because it is very good for potting (outside), non of the plants are wilting. But enough is enough. At least it is showing signs that the weather may be good for the first day of the Truro Farmers Market. More later as the bog progresses.

Fritilaria meleagris

Snakes Head Lily

Not really an attractive name although it describes it perfectly.

These are wonderful spring bulbs, growing 10 - 12", having 1 - 3 downward facing cup shaped flowers. The flowers have a snake skin pattern and comes in purple and sometimes white. They bloom just after the crocus and with the daffodils. Very easily grown and can usually be purchased where you buy fall bulbs. Last year I potted a few up in 4" pots and they came through the winter wonderfully. People were asking for them for years. Now I have a few for sale. I must pot some more this fall.

More Construction

2011-05-05T08:26:00.000-03:00

There is always something that needs fixed in the garden. Andrew built me these rock walls to display my plants for sale probably 13 years ago. He said he did not want to see wooden benches. And I really like the natural feel it gives to the garden. Anyway, the walls are holding up well, but they do tend to sag once in a while. This part needed rebuilt.

While he was removing stones he found two small salamanders which I removed to a new location down the wall. Thank goodness it wasn't snakes. Never have seen one in the nursery area even with the rock walls. Nothing against snakes, they have their benefits, but if they started to come around, the wall would go.

I talked about putting another small wall on the other side of the walkway, just to give it a more finished look. Have been talking about doing it for years. It only took 3/4 of an hour to do.

And it makes it look so much better.

After Andrew finish this wall, he took on another project.

Echeveria, The Other Hens and Chicks

2011-04-26T09:34:00.002-03:00

So you probably figured out from a previous post I have been smitten by Sempervivums. I really like them probably because they come in so many sizes, shapes and colours, they are fuss free and Oh, did I mention winter hardy???

No?

Well I guess I knew that most of you knew that anyway.

What about this little guy, is he winter hardy??

Echeverias are tender succulent plants native to Mexico. They form rosettes of fleshy leaves much like the Semps.

According to one nursery in the province, they are. (Nursery shall remain nameless because for the most part they are a really good nursery). Last year I was out cruising a few local nurseries in May, looking for something that maybe I didn't have. Here was a whole table of Echeveria. I was thrilled. They are here in the perennial section, not in the Greenhouse, so they must be hardy. Must be new varieties. But my sceptical mind reminded me to ask. And I was very disappointed in what I heard.

I asked 3 different people there "are they hardy?, will they survive??" I got "well, I'm not sure, but they are here in the perennial section so they must be." All three of them, and one may have been the owner, looked as if they had been employees for many years (not high school students). One did indicate they could be border-line hardy. I was sceptical and felt that they didn't really know their product. I bought 4 anyway, I have a small greenhouse and would overwinter them inside. And I really wanted to get a few. I did some research when I got home.

Most are propagated by cuttings and offsets and if they have not been hybridized, they can be grown from seed. They are drought resistant but when watered, need to be deeply watered (as with most plants, that is the preferred method). Even though they are considered a sun plant they do prefer a bit of afternoon shade at the hottest part of the day, because they can burn. They are best grown in pots. Use regular potting soil with a bit of grit added to it such as perlite or pea gravel. But most are hardy to zones 7-10. Definitely not survive in this part of the province and I doubt if they would in other parts.

I remarked to Jodi DeLong (bloomingwriter) when I saw her a month later at a gardening event. As I was speaking, she was just shaking her head, 'No they're not, No they're not.' She had remarked in her blog a month later that there had been many nurseries selling plants that were not suitable to this climate for over wintering. These types of plants need to be treated as annuals or brought inside for the winter.

Even though I was sceptical of the hardiness of the plant, I wanted some and I had an idea what conditions they needed. Even talking to those people, they didn't tell me how to take care of them and where they would grow best. I was very concerned of other people coming by and taking them home. If they have planted them out, this spring they are going to have a jelly like mess.

Always ask questions at a plant nursery. People are there to help. Customer service is one of the most important aspects of a nursery considering all the different products they sell. If you feel you are getting no help, then find a nursery that gives good customer service. Those who run specialty nurseries know their product inside and out and can help you select appropriate plants for your garden. That is what we are here for.

When Nature Changes Your Garden

2011-04-11T20:47:00.000-03:00

Years ago when this Red Spruce was younger (and smaller), it had leaned. We managed to straighten it and for a few years it was doing beautifully. Last November during one of those gales (not even a hurricane), the poor spruce leaned again.

This time the roots were exposed. It could have been straightened either by staking (big stake) or by binding it to the oak tree behind it. But I was not risking damaging the oak. So we decided it had to go.

In front of the spruce was a Bayberry (Myrica) we transferred from Andrew's Parent's cottage along the Bay of Fundy a few years ago. It rooted in nicely and was doing really well. I was not risking damaging that. We moved it to another part of the garden and I'll cross my fingers and pamper it well.

On a nice quiet Saturday morning out came the power saw. The bed around the tree holds my collection of mini hosta as well as some other perennials, so Andrew had to be careful where he stepped. Yes he does know what he is doing.

But, of course the tree had to get caught up in the tips of the branches of the Red Maple.

Maybe, just a little push??

Yes, that is all it took. Down it came.

There is really no joy when a tree comes down, other than it did not make any damage.

It just came short of the cactus bed.

Andrew decided to pull it out, wiggling it around the beds. I was there cringing, 'don't rip anything out'. Can't you just cut it up here?? No he pulled it out. A branch or two brushed over the end of the mini host bed. Some of those were very small and had heaved a bit over the winter (probably should have covered a few). I guess I will have to wait a few weeks to see if they have made it.

The dynamics of the garden will change a bit, that hosta bed will get a bit more afternoon sun. We will have to see how much as the season progresses. It was a tall skinny spruce, not like the bushy ones at the corner. If they went, then the shade garden would no longer be the shade garden. We may replace the tree with another evergreen, but move it out a bit further. We are not sure, we will have to think about it. I know I want a native tree of some type, not some new cultivar.

Slightly Obsessed with Sempervivums

2011-04-05T12:45:00.000-03:00

I am not a collector, I don't need one of everything. Some people may say otherwise. But I have been slowly falling for sempervivums (Hens and Chicks).

Sempervivum Black

They are also known as Houseleeks originating in the Alps of Europe. They grow from rosettes of succulent leaves (The Hen) producing new plants (Chicks) in a circular patern. Usually grown in full sun and can tolerate hot dry conditions, they are great for rock gardens and troughs. The old fashion ones can grow in light shade as long as they are kept dry. I found that the hen tended to be larger producing fewer chicks.

Sempervivum ciliosum var. borisii

They are not usually grown for their flowers although the individual flower is quite attractive. The flower stalk however, has drawn a few giggles over the years from those with a slightly perverted mind. The flower stalk is an elongation of the hen so one thing to remember is that once the hen makes the transformation to a flower, she dies. Hopefully, she has had her babies before hand and her daughters usually spread to fill in the space. Some varieties will bloom more than others. I remember seeing at a nursery a few years ago, a single hen blooming in 4" pots. Whoever purchased those would not have had anything left.

Sempervivum arachnoideum var tomentosum

Cobweb Hen and Chicks

And the great thing is they come in so many sizes, shapes and colours. They are easily hybridized and grown from seed. On the upside you get a lot of variation, on the down side it is difficult for a collector to be sure of the named varieties. I currently have about 15 and have found a like minded person in BC that I am going to do some trading with this spring.

Jovibarba hirta

Jovibarba grows almost exactly like sempervivum.They distinguishing features that keeps them in a separate genus is the flowers. To the untrained eye they look alike, but taxonomy says different. The chicks are also formed a bit different. They are produced on thinner stems and tend to roll off when able to make it on their own. Hence they are called 'rollers'. They are green with the chick being reddish until they mature. It is harder to get named varieties with Jovibarba then Sempervivum. I currently have 3 types J. hirta I, II, III. Until I find and expert in this genus, that is what they will be called.

Jovibarba heuffelii

J. heuffeli are larger, very fleshy evergreen semp-like. They do not produce stolons on which the chicks form but form new rosettes in between the leaves. A sharp knife is required to separate them for multiplication.

Orostachys spinosa

Again another semp-like plant, it folds on itself during the winter in a tight ball, gradually opening up into the summer. It produces chicks at the base of the hen much like semps.

I am now on the look out for Rosularia. Have just heard of them and I may be getting one in trade. Again another form of a Hen and Chick. Garden North has seed. That is going on my April seed list.

Canada Blooms 2011

2011-03-28T10:09:00.000-03:00

My initial impressions of Canada Blooms were WOW, this is better that the Boston Show. Both were wonderful in there own way. There seemed to be two themes to this show. One was 'Juno Rocks'. A strong music influence in some of the gardens and flower arrangements which were just over the top. The other influence was 'Nurture Urban Nature'. They nailed this one also because you had a feeling in some of the displays of being very modern and urban. They definitely were city styled gardens.

As I said above the flower arrangements were over the top. Far better and more creative than Boston. To put these together must have taken days. We were there on Saturday and they still looked 'fresh as a daisy'.

Where as Boston had all kinds of Orchids for sale, Canada Blooms were selling Helleborus. Although nothing really exciting. They were mostly white and pale green 'no mamed' varieties. No interesting colours or even doubles. I did not bring any back. Did find a daylily I was looking for, a fern, new butterfly bush and a new sempervivum although a bit on the pricey side for what they were. There was a booth with succulents and sedums but none of them were named. Very disappointed.

I can only put so many pictures on the blog, so check out woodlands and meadows on facebook for more pictures.

Boston Flower Show 2011

2011-03-21T11:32:00.000-03:00

My husband Andrew has a travel bug. As soon as he gets back from one trip, he is planing the next one. He is very considerate and really tries to include myself and our daughter in where to go and what to see.

I guess this was my trip. He has been wanting to go back to Boston since we were there 2 years ago. It worked out this year that the Boston Flower show, and Canada Blooms where during the same week and Gillian's March break.

The show was wonderful. The best time to go to any of these shows is in the evening. Less people. We went in the afternoon (Wednesday) and it was just jammed. Went back in the evening and could take these great pictures.

I couldn't bring any plants home (sniff, sniff), I crossed my fingers that there would be good stuff at Canada Blooms. There was a booth there with great Sempervivums, Sedums and Echeverias. Gill really wanted an Air Plant (Tillandsia), many booths selling those. Lots of garden gadgets, $40-$60 hand creams ("oh a jar will last a year, you use just a drop"), garden furniture, garden art, jewelry, food (candy, dips, hot sauce etc). Orchids everywhere.

The flower displays were great. The theme of the show was 'Celebrating the Container Garden' This was my favourite. This display was by Peter R. Sadeck, Inc (Massachusetts). They used stumps and rocks as natural containers. "My design resembles what naturally occurs in the wilderness" They nailed it. It looked like you were walking through the forest.

Pictures tell a thousand words

This little Screech Owl was adorable. Yes he is real and was sitting on one of the trees in the display. He came in on his own, whether on the plant material or through an open door. They did have someone hovering around to make sure no one bothered him. I was told they were quite common in this area.

I wanted this bench. Sigh... It was a little too big to sneak on the plane. I have a picture of Andrew checking out the base to see how it was constructed. He would not appreciated me posting that one.

The show as great, but honestly, when we arrived at Canada Blooms on Saturday, it was even better. More later.

Perennial Seeds

2011-03-09T10:40:00.000-04:00

Time to do some seeding.

For a lot of my specialty perennials, I try a lot of the seeds from Garden's North. Garden's North is a seed company based now in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia. They are a mail order company with an online cataloge that just inspires you. Some of my best plants have originated form there.

I have great Alliums, two fantastic Hostas from a package of seed that I now sell under my own name, Primulas that are just great and my interest in winter hardy Cactus was encouraged by the availability of seed and pads a few years back.

I planted a half a dozen types that should germinate in a few weeks. These are considered easy, Cortusa (small primula like), a white primula, Asclepias (a type of milkweed), Sisyrinchium (yellow eye grass) and Limonium (statise or sea lavender). If your eye site is great, then in the top picture you would have seen Helleborus. Gardens North was good enough to give it its cold period, so I am hoping to see some germination in the next few weeds.

Wishing for Spring

2011-03-04T11:20:00.000-04:00

I think everyone is longing for spring, I know I am especially on a day marking -13 C here in Clifton. The radio said -20 C in Truro. Spring can not come soon enough. I'm hearing + 8 C on the weekend. Then the road will be muddy, Oh the joys of living in the country on a gravel road.

But I know it will come, I must be patient

I better get the housework done before spring.