Mom and Dad's Waterfall

Ain't it pretty?

Landscaper for hire, anyone interested?

Seed Collection

Information on Seed Collecting for annuals and some perennials:
http://www.seedandsower.com/collecting-seeds.asp

Misc

These 'hens and chicks' were prettier when they were flat, but now they are definitely more interesting! On Hornby Island, we visited an artist's studio who had these and other similar plants cushioning old chairs...it looked really cool, though a bit un-sittable.
Very interesting seed heads on the clematis.
Love the colors, pretty good for a 5$ basket huh?

Front Left Garden-August 1.07

This bed needs more annuals or edging next year, and something to go behind the lupine on the left that will bloom from mid-July on.

Front Pergola Garden-August 1.07

The sages did really well in this garden, but there's a bit of a bare spot on either side of the right hand one. I'm not sure about a center-piece plant for the garden...I'm experimenting with a lily that was a gift from Nakisa, but I'm not sure if it'll come back, and it's done blooming by mid-July. I definitely need something longer blooming, like the sages.

I love the fleabane and star creeper in here, and the snaps surprised me and reseeded themselves.

I'm a little concerned that the veronica speedwell 'Royal Blue' is invasive as it is spreading everywhere...we'll see what happens I guess.

There is a purplish colored grass that I'm considering for this garden, maybe paired with the yellow with purple-centers 'osteopermum' (sp) annual? But it definitely needs a feature plant.

Waterfall Garden-August 1.07

I'm a little concerned the Mexican Hair grass is outgrowing it's bounds, but don't want to move the red coreopsis because it brings the brightest color to the area. Hmmmmm.

Balloon flower looks nice here too.

Impatiens work well under the cedars where other things die.

The mouse-eared coreopsis (2) beside the impatiens were finished flowering mid-July and weren't that impressive. They may need to move. It might be better to replace them with a bigger bed of impatiens next year.

The creeping speedwell is really pretty and blooms in late spring.

Front Step Garden-August 1.07

I tried to do a bit of a formal planting scheme for Nu in here as he doesn't always like the cottage style that I do...I don't know how formal it is. I used New Guinea impatiens for edging, and closely placed Gazania in the middle as foreground for the perennials. The two lily plants were great, but both were done blooming by August and looked a bit dry through the season. The coleus should have been in a place with less sun as it faded. Rudbeckia started blooming late July. Astilbe is looking a bit wilty here, I think it might be too hot for it. I love the crocosmia in here, but not the bachelor's button...I don't think I like it anywhere! This bed probably needs more annuals and sun-loving plants in it next year.

Vegetable patch-August 1.07

Dill, Lettuces, Beans, Cucumbers and Rhubarb....

I think the dill needs more sun.

Beans grew very very well from seed. Cucumbers did alright too, mainly the seeds that were started indoors, but none are producing yet. Lettuce grew well from seed. The rhubarb is TOO BIG and needs to be divided, even though I just got this patch this year. They say it's good not to harvest it the first year, and never past the July long wkd, as it allows the root system to develop and nurture the plant. I'd say mine's not having too many problems!

Back Garden-August 1.07

This bed is crying out for bold, bright colors. It gets a lot of bright sun during the day, and needs the color for the flowers to stand out.
I have 3 daylillies in the front left corner which I hope will bush out, but want to make room for more, in different colors and bloom times, by moving the yarrow which is right behind them. This should be a bright focal point. The Jupiter's Beard could be moved closer to the bee balm and make room for some Japanese Blood Grass which would look smashing!

I want to increase the patch of delphiniums to 7 or 9, including some early and long-blooming types. I'm not sure about the phlox as it's quite floppy. I would like to add some coneflowers too.

Also, I will never again grow sweet peas up the pyramid, maybe a trailing nasturtium, or a runner bean?

I need to plan better so there's different things blooming all through the growing season, rather than a sea of green! Maybe throwing something like poppies out there, that reseeds itself, would help.

This bed also needs a bit of edging around the front.

Happy with: bee balm, delphiniums, jupiter's beard, lavender, may night sage, daisies, pincushion flowers, lillies

Catmint: is pretty in bloom in June, and looks like it will rebloom anytime, but is not attractive in between!

Foxgloves: are not blooming yet!!

Tomatoes: are monstrous (the plants not the fruit)

Sweet peas: are being eaten by a little green bug and aren't blooming yet

Asters: are flopping over

Painted Daisies: were finished blooming mid-July

Yarrow: is in too conspicuous of a place

Cut-flower garden-August 1.07

So I'm fairly confident now that there WILL be some flowers in here!

Unfortunately none of my ladybird poppies really amounted to anything, but the Shirley Poppies from Pare, my neighbor, are growing nicely.

In the pot: mint

top right: creeping thyme, flowered in beginning of summer and has doubled in size its first year.

-to the left of it are 3 dwarf Jacob's ladder and 3 alpine poppies. The Jacob's ladder was cut back after flowering in June-early July, and is now flowering again. The poppies were done early July.

-the rest of the greenery is poppies to the right, and zinnias to the left, still anxiously awaited.

I'm considering putting a lavender hedge in the back of this garden for some year-round interest...and moving several floppy asters from the other side where I don't know where to put them. Also, I think this bed needs something low and long-blooming edging it, maybe aubretia, and some wallflowers in spring and something else a foot or so high in summer, to provide a foreground while my cut-flowers are growing.

Foxglove 'Foxy'

Botanical: Digitalis purpurea 'Foxy'
Biennial
Height: 4-5 '
Exposure: Light shade to sun.
Spacing: 15-18" apart
Notes: Save the dried seed pods and sprinkle in the garden in spring and fall
Location: 2 in back garden, 3 in front

Brass Buttons

Origin: Hornby Island

Will grow in almost any conditions

Supposedly spreads rapidly by runners

Variegated Sweet Flag

I'm guessing on the name...it's similar to what I'm guessing is Golden Variegated Sweet Flag in the waterfall garden...a very lovely clump of grass, though really scraggly looking it's first summer...

2nd year 2007

Daylily 'Stella D'Oro'

Daylily

'Stella D'Oro' hybrid

Color: yellow

Taken Aug. 1, first year 2007

Delphinium

Botanical: Delphinium 'Pacific Giant hybrid'
Bloom: June and September (mine bloomed June and August first year 2007)
Exposure: Full sun
Height/Spacing: 4-6' by 18-24"
Care: Require staking!
Apply 10-10-10 ferilizer in spring and again in growing season.
Water at base of plant.
Plants: 4 (3 blooming)

First year, August 1