Victoria Weekend 2007

front garden, may 21st:
The rose bed on the west side of the house has had its soil replenished. I blended peat moss with triple mix and sheep manure, added potting mix, bone meal and some time-releasing rose food. Topped with a thick layer of black cedar mulch, I think the roses will be pleased. John Davis, George Vancouver, and a new addition, Morden Sunrise live on that side. Winchester Cathedral will join them as soon as I find him. ;)




A Munstead English Lavender is there between Morden Sunrise and John Davis.

The other side, on the east, will be home to Winnipeg Parks, J.P. Connell, Morden Fireglow, and Morden Blush. I'll work on that bed starting tomorrow.

I also amended the soil along the east side of the porch, adding a lot of peat and manure to add nutrient to the dry, sandy existing soil. It feels great now.
Planted in the awkward triangular space between the sidewalk and the stones of the rose beds is a small phlox, creeping emerald blue. I added two flowering kale to fill the corner this year, and into the autumn. just beyond, where the stones of the rose beds meet the porch I planted a spiderwort, moving two returning hostas down further along the wall.
I was so happy to see two of them return - especially after the harsh winter spent in that sand! Added to crawl are purple Labrador violets and nutmeg Thyme.




Scenes from our front porch, May 21st:
I planted two containers (pots), a large one for the back yard in the shade with millet and purple fountain grass, along with some sweet potato vines; and another for sun with my favorite argyranthemum - Butterfly, with some pink nemesia and wee gypsophila.

I have a large Lophospermum for my large hanging basket - I just need a new liner before I can replant it.




I planted the window boxes for either side of the front porch and am very pleased with how they turned out. They're my same two window boxes from previous years. I'm going to try the Lophospermum in the centre o the box, but watch it closely - I have a feeling that the front receives too much sun for that tender plant. well see. I hope it works because the boxes look beautiful. On either side are some crested pink argyranthemums, with yellow snapdragons and petunias, blue pansies and lobelia, and a touch of white nemesia. They're full, upright and trailing - and I think the colors will stand out nicely from the house.







A list of newly acquired plants:

two new roses:
Parkland Rose 'Morden Sunrise'
Rose 'J.P. Connell'
English Lavender 'Munstead' (planted between roses)

two matching window boxes (for front porch):



Lophospsermum in the centre
Argyranthemum frutescens 'Crested Pink' on either side of the Lophpospermum
Snapdragon 'Snapshot Yellow' next to Argyrathemum
tucked in and around:
Nemesia 'Poetry White'
Pansy 'Blue Sky'
Lobelia 'Trailing Blue'
Petunia 'Yellow Madness' trailing over the edges

in large planter pot for the shady back:
Penisetum setaceum (Purple Fountain Grass) 'Rubrum'
Millet 'Purple Majesty'
Ipomea Batatus (Sweet Potato Vine) 'Marguarita'
Ipomea Batatus (Sweet Potato Vine) 'Black Heart'

for another shady pot:
Oxalis vulcanicola 'Zinfandel'
Upright Fuchsia 'Gartenmeister Bonstedt'
Helichrysum Petiolare 'Lemon Licorice'

along the east side of the front porch:
Tradescantia 'Caerulea Plena' (Spiderwort)
Thymus praecox 'Nutmeg Thyme'
Viola labradorica 'Purple Labrador Violet'

planted in a pot for the sun:
Argyranthemum frutescens 'Butterfly'
Gypsophila 'Garden Bride' (Baby's Breath)
Nemesia 'Poetry Lavender pink'

east corner, space between sidewalk and lockstoned rose beds:
Phlox subulata 'creeping phlox' (Emerald Blue)
Flowering Kale 'Chidori Red'

various perennials collected so far (not planted yet):
Stachys byzantina 'Lamb's Ears'
Heuchera micrantha (Coral Bells) 'Purple Palace'
Echinacea ' Big Sky Sunrise'
Hosta 'Tokudama Flavocircinalis'
Hosta 'Paradigm'

and one shrub:
Elder Sambucus racemosa 'Sutherland Gold'