Victoria Day Update

With the continuing hot and dry weather, I haven't been able to keep pace with the garden this spring on the blog.  This weekend, most of my gardening took place at Davey's Mum's place near Lake Huron, a good 3 hours drive from home.  We did make it back to Toronto by about 1pm, so I was able to spend some time getting things somewhat under control in my own garden.  My poor pink tulips, which have always been the highlight of my spring garden,  had concerned me last year.  They now appear to have been largely decimated by some disease or other, which has quickly withered the foliage and will preclude the bulbs getting a good store of energy for future blooms.  I've had them since I created my garden from a lawn about 7 years ago, so they've had a good innings and I will be digging them up and discarding them.  The other challenge is that our dry winter and even drier spring have left my garden absolutely parched.  It's unusual for it to be so dry this early in the season, so I'm going to have to start watering already....ugh!  On a positive note, my white tree peony has avoided being torn apart in the spring downpours we normally have at this time of year, and looks quite stunning, as does the creamy clematis clambering over the garage and the lovely delicate anemones in the front garden.  The alliums which were intended to fill a gap between the end of the tulips and the arrival of mid-summer flowers, are already in full bloom due to the unusual weather.....but they do look rather lovely, so I'm glad I planted more last fall.

This beautiful creamy white clematis envelops my garage in late spring, before the roses come into bloom.  Too bad I lost the tag, so I can't identify the variety for you.

Tree peonies are in full bloom now, a good 2-3 weeks earlier than normal.

The blooms are dinner plate sized, and pleasantly fragrant.

These airy anemones have spread and grown over the years, and are now scattered through several of my friends' gardens too!

These white tulips looked stunning this year.....

.....but my poor pink tulips, despite mostly coming up and blooming, are now withered and largely looking dead, so they will need to be removed this year.   Need to think of a new scheme for next spring.

I planted several clumps of alliums last fall....loving their stately elegance.

Order of Work May 23

• Planted out white cosmos seedlings
• sowed larkspurs
• sowed trionfo violetta beans at the base of the espalier supports.   I was inspired to try these by a post on "You Grow Girl", so hopefully they will fulfill my hopes for something both beautiful and utlitarian
• planted out "Arabian Nights" Dahlias, which had been started off a few weeks ago indoors
• corralled the peonies.  I didn't get around to making lovely twig structures to support them this year, but at least I've staked them before blooming!