First, the good news. This past week I went on an enthusiastic nursery crawl through the Niagara region in Ontario. I was looking for some old favourite annuals like Rocket Series snapdragons, gold marigolds with mahogany and red markings, and any kind of heliotrope. I also wanted perennials with chartreuse foliage, and came up with two dandy selections — ‘Pineapple Upside Down … [Read more...] about The ‘Red Dragon’ fleece flower caught my eye
May in the garden
Off schedule: Italian honeysuckle
The lovely Italian honeysuckle (Lonicera caprifolium, Zone 6, possibly Zone 5 with protection) is finally in flower, and is quite late this year. I expected it to bloom while the spring air was still nippy, about the last week of April. But I won’t complain, as it has increased its flower count and is thriving on the deck railing. I mentioned this plant in a February 22 blog … [Read more...] about Off schedule: Italian honeysuckle
Peonies and butterflies
The past week of heat and sun has made the garden dry, and last night I let the sprinkler run for an hour. This morning I found the heavily budded peonies (those without ring supports) splat on the ground, victims of overhead irrigation. Well, I should have known better. Staking them up individually this morning, I realized this is a perfect time to remove the two smaller buds … [Read more...] about Peonies and butterflies