Plant World

New Iris!

I went to a different nursery this weekend: Plant World, up in Etobicoke. It’s HUGE and fantastic. And very dangerous. I went for herbs and I came back with an alarming selection of plants. My garden is jam-packed now. And I had the self-discipline to put some of my selections back on their shelves.

• Pacino Alpine Poppy – Papaver nudicaule ‘Pacino‘
• Dwarf Arctic Iris – Iris setosa var. arctica
• Lion King Japanese Iris – Iris ensata ‘Lion King’
• Hint of Gold Blue Mist Spirea – Caryopteris ‘Hint of Gold’
• Sonic Bloom Pearl Reblooming Weigela – ‘Weigela florida’
• Snowcap Shasta Daisy – Leucanthemum superbum ‘Snowcap’
• Solenia Begonia: Apricot
• Everlasting Sweet Pea – Lathyrus latifolius
• Lilies: Four Tiger, Three Oriental
• Herbs: Catnip, Basil, Parsley, Rosemary, Oregano, Thyme

I really love my spirea – its foliage is a fantastic yellow-green colour, and when you brush it, it has a wonderful peppery smell. A definite winner. The cats, on the other hand, think the catnip was the best addition.

Annuals And Other Stuff

Rainbow’s End With Polka-Dot Plants And Spiralis

I went to the nursery to pick up some annuals, to fill in the spaces in my garden with a dash of colour. I came out with my annuals, and a selection of perennials:

• Dwarf Hosta (1) – Hosta ‘Rainforest sunrise’
• First Frost Hosta (1)
• Rainbow’s End Hosta (1)
• Sun Power Hosta (1) – (maybe)
• Autumn Charm Stonecrop (1) – Sedum spectabile ‘Autumn Charm’
• Japanese Painted Fern (1) – Athyrium niponicum ‘Pictum‘
• Cobweb Hen & Chicks (1) – Sempervivum arachnoideum ‘Cobweb’
• More Honey Hens-and-Chicks (1) – Sempervivum ‘More Honey’
• Virgil Hen-and-Chicks (1) – Sempervivum ‘Virgil’
• Sweet Alyssum (flat) – Lobularia maritima
• Regatta Midnight Blue Lobelia (flat) – Lobelia erinus ‘Midnight blue’
• Water Sedge (3) – Juncus Spiralis
• Polka-Dot Plant (5) – Hypoestes Confetti XL ‘Carmine Rose’
• Polka-Dot Plant (2) – Hypoestes ‘Confetti White’

I learned that a flat of sweet alyssum goes farther than you think (or want). But I love my specimen hostas scattered about the garden, and the pink Polka-dot plants.

Related articles

• Spring Temptation (beachesgardening.com)

My Vesey’s Order Arrived

Soon my pretty!

No pictures from me for this post, bare roots aren’t very interesting. The pic to the right is “aspirational” as I’m hoping that’s what my rose will look like in a month.

I ordered a few things from the lovely Vesey’s in Prince Edward Island, and they were waiting for me when I got home from work:

• Blanc de Coubert Rose – Rosa x Rugosa ‘Blanc de Coubert’
• Fire Flames Potentilla (3) – Cinquefoil ‘Fire Flames’
• Bonus! A package of 25 mixed Liatris spicata

The Liatris were a nice touch, but I was a bit pressed to find a spot for them. My garden is small and they are threatening to be three feet tall. I put most of them around the AC unit to try to hide it. The others I nestled in the back where I don’t THINK I put any seeds.

I always do this to myself, throw seeds in the ground and don’t label where they are, convinced that I will remember. Then I forget before I make it back into the house. The situation is exacerbated when things start to sprout, since I can’t tell weeds from flowers.

Anyway – it fits well with my garden, it’s native and apparently hummingbirds and butterflies love it. So – welcome unexpected flowers! We’re glad you joined us!

Related articles

• Spring Temptation (beachesgardening.wordpress.com)
• Evergreen Brick Works And New Plantings (beachesgardening.wordpress.com)
• More Perennial Planting (beachesgardening.wordpress.com)

More Perennial Planting

Invasive eh? You jerk.

Up and out early to Sheridan Nurseries, and then back to plant:

• Japanese Blood Grass (3) – Imperata cylindrica ‘Red Baron‘
• Blue River Lavender (1) – Lavandula angustifolia ‘Blue River‘
• Schwellenberg Salvia (3) – Salvia ‘Schwellenberg’
• Elijah Blue Fescue (1) – Festuca glauca ‘Elijah Blue’
• Lily of the Valley (5) – Convallaria majalis
• Green Brass Buttons (5) – Leptinella squalida
• Ice Plant (5) – Delosperma ‘Topaz’
• Daylillies:
  • Hemerocallis ‘Joan Senior’ (1)
  • Hemerocallis ‘Red Hot Returns’ (3)
  • Hemerocallis ‘ Strutter’s Ball’ (1)
• Black Eyed Susan (3) – Rudbeckia hirta ‘Irish Eyes‘
• Blue Moon Wisteria (1) – Wisteria macrostachya ‘Blue Moon’

I also threw around some seeds, for the hell of it, we’ll see what happens. I planted matching seeds next to my coneflowers, astilbe and rudbeckia – plus sunflowers, sweet peas, chinese lanterns, cosmos, bellflower and nasturtiums.

I bought the Wisteria, despite having one, because it actually has flower buds on it. I’m amazed by that, getting them to bloom here is/was rare, I’ve never managed, anyway. I think some types just WON’T bloom until they are 10+ years old.

Invasive!?

I’m more than a little bit horrified to read at Wikipedia that the Japanese Blood Grass is one of the most noxious invasive weeds IN THE WORLD!  Further research has made me feel a little better – seems like our cold winters keep it spreading so slowly that it can’t take over.  But when you read that a plant is more invasive in the U.S. south than kudzu, you feel a little bit bad for planting it. I’ll keep a close eye on it. Apparently the real risk is that the fancy red will revert to wild green, then take off.

It’s interesting though, and you see how these species can take hold and keep hold. I’m an inexperienced gardener, and I went to my local, reputable, nursery, and I bought a plant that I liked the look of, with no notion that it could possibly be a risk.

So much for my nice, mostly native, bird, butterfly and bee garden…

Evergreen Brick Works And New Plantings

Cat watches over the bird bath.

Pro tip: If you want to pick up some plants at the Evergreen Garden Market in Toronto, go early. Parking was at a premium, and several people followed me to my car when I left, and fought over my parking spot.

Beyond that – it’s a great place for native Ontario species at a good price, plus I found a lovely cat sculpture to sit next to my bird bath, just to keep the birds on their toes.

Todays new plantings:

• Monarda Didyma (5) – from Evergreen
  
• Swamp Milkweed (5) – from Evergreen
• Astilbe Younique Lilac (3) – from Sheridan
• Astilbe Arendsii Diamond (3) – from Sheridan
• Summer Sky Coneflower (3) – from Sheridan
• Valentine Bleeding Heart – from Sheridan

Plus I moved a couple of things around, and put in a shallow container of water for the birds.

I really like the bleeding heart.  It’s a newer cultivar, but the whole plant has that “bleeding heart” smell that I remember from my grandmother’s garden, which seems to be lacking in other varieties.

Beyond that – everything is bird-, bee- and butterfly-friendly, which is my main goal for the space.