Follow the new garden path 08/06/2010
 The new path and shade garden are complete! The path is filled with 3/8” Algonquin Pebble, which is a mix of coloured smooth round pebbles that glisten when wet. For the shade garden, I transplanted and divided plants from other parts of the garden. The rocks were lurking under forsythia, so I hauled them over to add interest in the new garden. So aside from the lumber, rebar, and pebbles, our new shade garden didn’t cost that much. And the best part – we no longer have a ugly bare patch of grass under the apple tree!  Add Comment  A few months ago I received a package from Proven Winners with plants from their spring preview for 2011. I like a mix of blooms in my front door urn, so I planted several different annuals including: Intensia Blueberry – Phlox hybrid Superbells Blackberry Punch – Calibrachoa hybrid Superbena Royale Chambray – Verbena hybrid Golddust – Mecardonia hybrid Slightly Strawberry – Anisodontea hybrid Lucia Lavender Blush – Lobelia hybrid Three months later these feisty annuals have grown and are now in full bloom. We’ve had a hot summer in southern Ontario with a fair amount of rain and all of these plants have preformed incredibly well. My personal favourite is Intensia Blueberry. It’s prolific blooms have captured the attention of visitors and people passing by the house. I’ll definitely be looking for these plants at the garden centre next year!  A close up look at Intensia Blueberry – Phlox hybrid Progess on the new shade garden 07/28/2010
The path renovations have began and so far, progress has been excellent. It took us a day to dig up all the grass, everyting, and then frame the path and flower beds with lumber. The frame is held together with rebar that we hammered in. Then we dug the extra soil out from the path and used it to build up the flower beds. Next step, finish the path with landscape fabric and aggregates and then comes the fun part.....SHOPPING AND PLANTING!!!! The only downfall to our plan is the locatin of the hammock. It use to hang from the deck to the post on the left hand side, but now it would hang right across the path. A minor dilemma, but still annoying.   At long last my yuccas have bloomed 07/09/2010
For three years my yuccas didn't do much of anything in the garden. I transplanted them from my Oma's garden the first year we moved into our house and I kept waiting for something to happen. Well, something happened and as you can see in the photo below, it was well worth the wait. I didn’t know this but apparently yucca flowers and flower stalks are edible. According to a few foodie websites, they’re quite delicious. For now I’m going to appreciate them as blooms in the garden, but if I get a little more adventurous and try out a recipe or two, I’ll let you know how they taste!  Landscape dilemma 07/06/2010
 Welcome to my landscape dilemma in the garden. As you can see from the photo, I have a big patch of dirt, where the grass refuses to grow. There are a few factors contributing to the bald patch. First, the apple tree above shades the area for most of the day. Secondly, it’s a high traffic area and the grass endures a great deal of abuse from pedestrian traffic, as well as being a main thruway for the wheelbarrow and green bin. And thirdly, when my dog, Gimli goes out for his morning and evening pee, he always chooses the closest patch of grass (or dirt) from the door.  We’ve tried seeding grass and for the first few weeks during the spring, the grass become lush and thick, but as soon as the apple tree is in leaf, it’s game over. So three strikes and you’re out! The plan is to extend the flower beds from either side of the space and edge them with 4x4s to match the other flower beds. Then we’ll build a path between the two beds. Problem solved? Hopefully. We still need to figure out what kind of path we want, but I think it’s the best solution to my landscape dilemma. My evolving backyard 06/23/2010
 There was a time when I envisioned my backyard to be filled with beautifully landscaped flower beds, a bubbling pond and chic patio furniture. Today I share my backyard with Gimli, an active German shorthaired pointer, my two year old daughter Katrina, and my husband who loves to putter. A new swing set and sand box now occupy the space where I once planned on planting a hosta garden. And plans for more flower beds have been modified or forgotten. Not that I mind in the slightest. Our backyard is a great place for all family members to relax, unwind and have a little fun. Of course the 80,000 liter pool in the middle of the yard certainly helps! What fun is a perfectly manicured lawn and pristine flower beds if you can’t enjoy your space.  My veggie garden thief 06/09/2010
I’ve got a veggie garden mystery. I planted beets, carrots, and radishes using seed tape only to discover the tape unearthed and strewn across the soil. I couldn’t for the life of my figure out who my garden thief was. You see, my veggie garden is surrounded by a fence, so that eliminates bunnies. I’ve never had problems with squirrels since the dog keeps them out of our yard. The following weekend I planted more seed tape, and low and behold it was dug up again. My next solution was to plant good old fashion seeds, thinking maybe it was the tape attracting my thief. Success…my seeds germinated and seedlings are growing rapidly. I discovered last week who was to blame for my missing seed tape – it was a morning dove. Last year they left my seed tape alone. I don’t know why this silly bird thought my veggie garden was an all-you-can-eat buffet. But as long as they leave it alone from now on, I won’t bare any ill will. Proven Winners Plant Trials 2010 05/27/2010
 I consider myself lucky to be included in Proven Winners Garden Writers Plant Trials. I get to preview, grow, and enjoy several new exciting plant introductions from Proven Winners ColorChoice. The box arrived yesterday and considering the plants were in transit for two days, they were in excellent shape. Last year, the plants had a rough journey and many of them were knocked out of their pots and quite dry – some of them didn’t survive. I didn’t have a lot of time last night, so I just made sure they had some fresh air and water. Tonight, I’m going to remove my spent Parrot tulips from my front urn and plant my new PW annuals. I’ll provide a thorough description of the new varieties and keep you posted over the summer as to how they perform. Spring time in Germany 05/19/2010
I spent a week in Germany in early May visiting family and appreciating the spring blooms. Although it rained the entire time I was there, I was able to get a few photos to showcase a few gardens.  Most gardeners have limited space, so many of them have rock walls in their garden with cascading plants.  Hardy giant peony.  The hills are alive with dandelions. Photo courtesy of Karl Sonnenberg.  Blooming apple and cherry trees. Photo courtesy of Karl Sonnenberg.  White ruffled tulips. Photo courtesy of Karl Sonnenberg.  Wildlife in the garden? These snails appear everywhere after the rain. Tulip splendor 05/11/2010
 After a recent trip to Germany, I was worried that I would miss my tulips blooming in the garden, but luckily I got home in time to see the new varieties I had planted. Each year I buy new bulbs for my container that graces my front steps. I then plant them in the garden in the fall. I always look for bulbs showy and flamboyant or unusual colours or interesting petals. Last year, these green and pink parrot tulips captured my attention at the garden centre. The ruffled pink petals edged with streaks of green are really quite stunning!   | ArchivesSeptember 2011 CategoriesAll A Gardener's Playground – Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Anja Sonnenberg |
RSS Feed