The Front Entry Garden Room
The photo album for The Front Entry Garden Room
The Magnolia Tree Garden Room where the Trilliums grow.
The photo album The Magnolia Tree Garden Room where the Trilliums grow.
The Inner Garden Room, including The Sun Dial Circle, Thyme Circle and Center Garden
The photo album for The Inner Garden Room, including The Sun Dial Circle, Thyme Circle and Center Garden
The Smoke Tree Garden Room that is part of the Inner Garden Room
The photo album for the The Smoke Tree Garden Room that is part of the Inner Garden Room
The Front Garden Rock and Alpines
The photo album for The Front Garden Rock and Alpines
The Boulevard Garden
The photo album for The Boulevard Garden
The Strip between the Driveways
The photo album for The Strip between the Driveways
The Woodland Garden Room
The photo album for The Woodland Garden
The Fig Tree Bed, including the bed next to the old sidewalk, in the back garden
The photo album for The Fig Tree Bed, including the bed next to the old sidewalk, in the back garden
The Japanese and Moss Garden Room
The Japanese and Moss Garden photo album
The pond and surrounds Garden Room
The photo album of the The pond and surrounds Garden Room
The plants in the pond Room (note: This is a list page for the plants in the pond)
The photo album for The plants in the pond Room
Water gardening list page for the Larix Landscaping pond. (note: I had Larix Landscaping rebuild the waterfall, pond and surrounds after the pond sprang a leak in November and December of 2024. This newly lined pond includes a new Aquascape Ultra 1500 Water pump.
The photo album for the Larix Landscaping rebuild of the waterfall, pond surrounds and the pond in January 2025.
The Back Garden Rock and Alpines
The photo album for The Back Garden Rock and Alpines
The Cutting Garden including vegetables, herbs
The Cutting Garden Room photo album
The deck and patio plants, including some of the plants also listed in the Moss and Water Garden Room
The photo album for The deck and patio plants, including some of the plants also listed in the Moss and Water Garden Room
The Fish Pond Note: this is a new water page, not a list page
Pond Plants Note: this is the list page for the Plants in the Pond and the deck tub.
The photo album for the Pond Plants
The Light garden and Orchids
The photo album for The Light garden and Orchids
B. C. INVASIVE PLANTS list.
Perennial Pruning
A good look at how to prune a few perennials
Not only do perennials make a statement, they’re also relatively low-maintenance and give you a bang for your buck with their yearly return.
However, some perennials don’t thrive when pruned in the cold weather and others don’t thrive if they’re pruned too early in the season. So, which perennials are best to cut back in the fall and which ones are good to keep until the spring? Read on to find out.
Perennials to cut back in the fall
YARROW (Achillea)
This long-blooming perennial is often used in butterfly and rock gardens as an edging plant. They come in a variety of colours and are known for their vibrant, feathery foliage.
Yarrow doesn’t thrive in cold or wet soil and often stops actively growing in the fall. This is a great time to cut back its lowest leaves to give the plant enough time for its new growth to emerge in the spring.
Tall Garden PHLOX
Tall garden phlox is another perennial that adds a pop of colour to any garden. They often grow in tall clumps and are known for their cluster of blooms at the top of their stalks.
Unfortunately, phlox is prone to powdery mildew so cutting the stems and foliage back in the fall can prevent the plant from getting infected. This can also help the plant increase airflow and prevent disease.
PEONY
Peony is a magnificent addition to any garden space. They are captivating, have large, full blooms and come in over 30 different species. With this plant also comes careful handling and care in order for them to thrive in your garden.
Similar to phlox, peonies are prone to mildew which is why cutting them back in the fall is important. This will also give your peonies enough time to set buds for the spring season.
Tall BEARDED IRIS
Tall Bearded iris is an easy and stunning plant to grow. Their sword-like leaves offer a unique display to your outdoor space, and come in a variety of solid and bi-colours.
As the foliage of this plant begins to flop early in the growing season, it may become prone to pests and fungal diseases. As soon as the plant is done blooming in the fall, cut the flower stalk and remove any damaged or diseased leaves.
DAYLILY
If you’re looking to create a pollinator habitat in your garden, daylilies are an attractive plant to butterflies, bees and hummingbirds.
Removing spent flower stalks of daylilies in the fall can encourage new flowers in the spring and save you garden cleanup time during the spring season. Removing diseased parts of the plant can also protect the plant from getting infected.
GAILLARDIA
Gaillardia is a perennial that is often compared to daisies due to their shape and rich coloured-flowers. They’re relatively easy to grow, and their red and yellow shades are guaranteed to make a showy display during the warmer months.
Pruning these perennials in the fall can result in a fuller, healthier plant and steady blooming.
Perennials to prune in spring
LAVENDER
Lavender is a fragrant garden favourite for many reasons including its attractive display, aroma and versatile uses.
A lot of areas struggle with over-wintering due to moisture and the cold, however, they can benefit from pruning winter dieback after new growth has appeared in the spring as new growth can be sensitive to the cold.
GAYFEATHER (Liatris spicata)
Gay feather, also known as blazing star, is known for their signature grass-like leaves and reddish-purple colour varieties. Rather than being sensitive to cold weather, they are more sensitive to cold, wet soil.
During the winter, their flower heads can be left in place for winter-feeding birds. Any garden debris in the spring is important to clean before new growth begins.
MUMS (Chrysanthemum)
Mums are great, vibrant plants for potted plants and garden use. They come in several colour varieties perfect for creating an enchanting arrangement when placed together in any garden.
Mums are a perennial that can benefit from keeping their foliage over the winter in order to protect their root crowns.
LAMBS EARS
Lamb’s ears are known for their silvery foliage and are extremely drought-tolerant. They love the sun and work well in rock gardens or dry spots in garden beds.
With these perennials, it is best to leave them as-is for the winter as their foliage can protect the crowns of their plants. In the spring, garden cleanup will be relatively simple while you’ll only have to rake loose foliage.
SAGE (Salvia yangii)
Sage is another perennial that is low-maintenance and drought-tolerant. Similar to lavender, sage doesn’t benefit from cutting back in the fall as its growth is sensitive to cold weather.
In the spring once new growth of this plant appears, it is best to cut back to about 6 to 8 inches to allow their growth buds to resprout.
CORAL BELLS (Heuchera)
If there’s one perennial that is the epitome of fall, it’s coral bells, also known as heuchera. They have show-stopping foliage and new varieties of this plant are introduced every year.
These perennials are best to keep until spring as they are adept at protecting themselves during the fall and winter. Leaving the foliage of coral bells intact during the fall can help mulch the plants through the winter season, making it best to prune in the spring season.
The Boulevard Garden Room
The photo album for the garden paths and art helps define each of the garden rooms. Also shows some of the renovations to the previously existing garden rooms. There is garden 'art' such as the David or the West Coast planter, in most of the garden rooms to add to the viewing pleasure. This album was recreated in 2021 and mentions some pending renovations that have been done, with more to do, as ever, in the changing garden.
According to the Changes2 page:
The front Boulevard garden
I am using about 30 feet of the city property in the front garden. This blog post shows the front boulevard garden The cedar hedge at the street side runs from the neighbors property line to five feet from our driveway, with a small nook created in the hedge for the garden bench on the inside of the hedge. This nook allows for a rectangular bed on each side of it. These rectangular beds and the nook are about 8 ' X 5 '. There is a honeysuck pilea hedge that runs the length of the cedar hedge, across in front of the beds, and nook. In front of this little hedge there is another 5' deep strip that runs across the front garden. In front of this strip there is grass out to the street. In about 3 to 4 feet of the grass I have planted crocuses. These crocuses come up in the Spring and need to be left until they harden off, when I can mow the grass. In the strip behind the crocus field there is a purple plum tree, at the east end and moving westerly there is some pussytoes, some lychnis, a red currant shrub, some black-eyed susans, and other perennials, and in the middle of the strip, is the bridal veil spirea bush. Continuing westerly there are michaelmas daisies, achillea, verbena, a french lavender and a few others under planted with thyme. The hedges, and beds end about five feet from our driveway and the grass continues along this side to add the frame. Just past the cedar hedge of the front boulevard garden the grass frame is interrupted by the bed with the magnolia tree, the bamboo, and other plants in the front garden. See the blog post for the creation of the tree well in 2022.
The frame and paths
There is a five foot grass frame around the front garden. This blog post is a good view of the grass frame along the sides and at the front by the street. The frame on the east side is the neighbor's five feet of grass between our properties. This page from my web page contains views of the curving grass path that makes the top frame to the garden.
There is a photo album for the Boulevard Garden Room showing the three approximately 8 ft. by 5 ft. rectangular beds bordered by a small pilea hedge. Next to the hedge is a strip of approximately five feet that runs across the property to the plum tree well (approximately 25 feet long). This strip contains lupines, yarrow, French lavender, the Bridal Veil Spirea, pinks, verebena, and many more perennials. Next to this strip is the Crocus Field, of about 5 - 6 feet across in front of the perennials strip. There is a few feet next to the crocus field that I keep mowed, where people like the mailman sometimes park their cars.
The Plants in the Boulevard Garden Room
ACHILLIA Yarrow
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is a native North American plant popular with pollinators and practically care-free, making it perfect for borders, ground covers, and open meadows. Sold as a hardy and versatile perennial, yarrow has showy flower heads composed of many tiny, tightly-packed flowers rising above clusters of ferny foliage. The flowers may be yellow, red, pink, or any shade in between. Yarrow is pest-resistant, drought-resistant, attracts butterflies, and is excellent for cutting and drying. The plant is also an aromatic herb that has many healing properties!
Plant in the spring or early summer after the danger of frost has passed. If you plant yarrow from tip cuttings, plant them in spring or early summer. Plant in an area that receives full sun to encourage compact growth and many flowers. In partial sun or shade, yarrow tends to grow leggy. Yarrow performs best in well-drained soil. It thrives in hot, dry conditions; it will not tolerate constantly wet soil. Loamy soil is recommended, but yarrow can also be grown in clay soil as long as it does not stay saturated with water all the time. If you grow yarrow in soil that is too rich, the plants may require staking due to overenthusiastic growth. To keep it from growing too tall, choose a site with average to poor soil and supplement it with some compost to give the plants a good start.
Space the plants 1 to 2 feet apart. They are quick to establish and spread, though some species, like Achillea millefolium, are extra-aggressive growers, so be careful when choosing your plants. Most kinds grow to be about 2 to 4 feet tall. Add a thin layer of compost around your plants each spring to keep them fed.
Yarrow is very drought tolerant, but if you receive less than 1 inch of rain a week in the summer, remember to water your plants to keep them looking their best.
Cut off “deadhead” flowers when they start to fade in mid-summer; this encourages most varieties to produce another round of flowers. Divide yarrow plants every 3 to 5 years to sustain vigorous, healthy plants. Lift the clumps in early spring or fall and remove any dead stems from the center of the clump. You can replant the divisions elsewhere in the garden or share with a friend!
Recommended variettes
‘Coronation Gold’, for its beautiful mustard-yellow flowers and silvery gray leaves.
‘Fanal’ (or ‘The Beacon’), for its rich red flowers with yellow centers.
‘Cerise Queen’, to add some bright pink color to your garden.
PUSSY TOES - ANTENNARIA ARGENTEA
Antennaria is a genus of dioecious perennial herbs in the family Asteraceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, with a few species (A. chilensis, A. linearifolia, A. sleumeri) in temperate southern South America; the highest species diversity is in North America. Common names include catsfoot or cat's-foot, pussytoes and everlasting.
Different Antennaria species reach between 10 cm and 50 cm in height. The leaves are basal and often stem leaves. The name Antennaria refers to the projecting stamens seen on the male flowers of some species, resembling insect antennae.
Antennaria species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Vanessa virginiensis (American painted lady), Coleophora pappiferella (which feeds exclusively on A. dioica), Schinia verna (which feeds on several Antennaria species).
Antennaria argentea is a North American species of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae known by the common name silver pussytoes or silvery everlasting. It is native primarily to Oregon and to northern and central California with additional populations in Nevada, Idaho, Montana, and Washington.
Antennaria argentea grows in dry coniferous forests. This is a perennial herb forming a basal patch of woolly grayish oval-shaped leaves a few centimeters long and many slender erect stems up to 40 centimeters tall. It is dioecious, with male and female plants producing different types of flowers. Both flower types are clustered in many flower heads with whitish phyllaries. The female plants produce fruits which are achenes with a soft pappus a few millimeters long.
Antennaria aromatica the scented pussytoes, is a North American species of plants in the family Asteraceae. It is native to the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. The crushed foliage has a strong scent resembling that of citronella.
My silvery pussy toes grow in the rectangle bed by the plum tree in the Boulevard Garden room.
COREOPSIS verticillata
Threadleaf Coreopsis in the garden.
(Coreopsis verticillata (Threadleaf Coreopsis, Whorled Tickseed)
with its showy flower clusters and airy foliage, is as popular in the garden today as it was in the 19th century. If you are fond of its appearance but wary of self seeding plants, then try the sterile, compact cultivar ‘Moonbeam’ that spreads by rhizomes. If you are fond of its appearance but wary of self seeding plants, then try the sterile, compact cultivar ‘Moonbeam’ that spreads by rhizomes. This plant grows by the bridal veil spirea.
There are dozens of species and varieties of coreopsis, which mostly differ in appearance rather than care. Some of the most popular varietals for outdoor cultivation include:
Coreopsis rosea 'Nana': A mauve-pink dwarf variety that spreads nicely but lacks drought tolerance (might be the one on the deck.
Lanceleaf coreopsis, Coreopsis lanceolata, is a wildflower native to the southeastern United States that has become a popular garden plant in other parts of the country. The solitary daisy-like golden yellow flowers emerge from slender, erect stems. The narrow, hairy, lance-shaped leaves (which gave this species its name) are clustered near the base of the plant.
It blooms in spring to early summer and its nectar and pollen attract a wide range of beneficial native insects, including long-tongued bees, short-tongued bees, wasps, flies, butterflies, skippers, day-flying moths, and beetles.
It is planted in the spring and has a moderate growth rate.
Common Name: Lanceleaf coreopsis, lanceleaf tickseed, sand coreopsis
Botanical Name: Coreopsis lanceolata Plant Type Perennial
Mature Size: 1-3 ft. tall, 1-2 ft. wide
Sun Exposure: Full Soil Type: Loamy, sandy, moist, well-drained Soil pH: Acidic, neutral
Bloom Time: Spring, summer Flower Color: Yellow
CROCOSMIA (Montbreita) Fire King
Attractive sword-shaped foliage. Gather loads for unique indoor arrangements.
'Fire King' is a clump-forming, cormous perennial with upright, lance-shaped, dark green leaves and, from midsummer to mid-autumn, arching stems bearing racemes of funnel-shaped, orange flowers that mature to red.
Humming birds love it. It grows in the rectangle beds on both sides of the Boulevard garden. It needs to be thinned out because it can quite aggressively spread. It is easily controlled. It grows in all of the garden rooms. Needs to be planted in the cutting garden.
CROCUSES
Emerging from bulb-like structures called corms, crocuses are low-growing perennial flowering plants from the iris (Iridaceae) family that come back year after year for at least five years growing from one corm. In many regions, crocus flowers (Crocus spp.) mark the arrival of spring. These early bloomers can often be seen peeking up through the snow well before any other flowers appear in your landscape in January, February, or March, depending on the severity of your winter. The Crocuses grow in various conditions including woodlands, coastal gardens, and suburban lawns. Deer usually pass over them, but rodents like squirrels, chipmunks, and mice consider crocuses a tasty snack. Bloom colors on the cup-shaped flowers include mauve, lavender, and yellow. There are over 80 crocus species, but most commercially available corms are hybrid plants derived from carefully cross-breeding selected species. In the Boulevard garden most of the crocuses grow in the the Crocus field which is a strip of lawn, bordering a couple of feet of just grass next to the street. I leave the crocuses field unmowed until the leaves have browned and 'hardened off'.
DAY LILLIES
The daylily’s botanical name, Hemerocallis, comes from the Greek hemera (“day”) and kallos (“beauty”). The name is appropriate, since each flower lasts only one day! However, each scape has 12 to 15 buds on it, and a mature plant can have 4 to 6 scapes, which is why the flower seems to bloom continuously. Despite their name, daylilies are not “true lilies” and grow from fleshy roots. In the case of daylilies, leaves grow from a crown, and the flowers form on leafless stems—called “scapes” which rise above the foliage.
There are thousands of beautiful daylilies to choose from. Combine early, midseason, late blooming varieties, and repeat bloomers to have daylilies in flower from late spring through the first frost of fall. If you see a height listed alongside a daylily variety, this refers to the length of the scape. Some can reach 6 feet tall!
My daylillies are older varieties. And much more information on growing daylillies Some of the newer varieties are doubles and very pretty.
DIANTHUS
is a genus of about 340 species of flowering plants in the family Caryophyllaceae, native mainly to Europe and Asia, with a few species in north Africa and in southern Africa, and one species (D. repens) in arctic North America. Common names include carnation (D. caryophyllus), pink (D. plumarius and related species) and sweet william (D. barbatus). The species are mostly herbaceous perennials, a few are annual or biennial, and some are low subshrubs with woody basal stems. The leaves are opposite, simple, mostly linear and often strongly glaucous grey green to blue green. The flowers have five petals, typically with a frilled or pinked margin, and are (in almost all species) pale to dark pink. One species, D. knappii, has yellow flowers with a purple centre. Some species, particularly the perennial pinks, are noted for their strong spicy fragrance.
See for more species . In the Boulevard garden the pinks and sweet williams grow as edging plants from the Bridal Veil spirea to the Plum tree. They are easy care plants with fragrance.
ERODIUM reichardii
The names Heronsbill, Cranesbill and Storksbill are in reference to the plant's hard, beak-like seed pods.
This plant grows best with full sun for most of the day. This plant requires or will tolerate shade during the heat of the day, will tolerate some drought, but benefits from periodic watering, needs a thorough, deep weekly watering, requires boggy or wet conditions.
Alpine Geraniums are delicate looking but tough little plants. They are low growing (3"-6" tall) plants that form compact, dense 12" evergreen mounds of tufted, dark green foliage with scalloped edges. From April until October they provide a continuing show of solitary, ½" saucer shaped rose-pink flowers or white flowers with red veins.
Erodiums are excellent plants for Rock Gardens. Erodiums should be planted 8"-12" apart in gritty, very well-drained soil, with a slightly alkaline soil pH. Add lime to the soil in the fall if you have acid soil.
Erodiums can be divided in the spring. Basal cuttings can be taken from side shoots taken from the base of the plant as soon as they emerge in late spring. Each cutting should include a small sliver of the parent crown attached at the base! Erodium seeds should be sown directly into the garden as soon as they are ripe in the fall.
TALL BEARDED IRISES
- Indian Chief iris will grow to be about 24 inches tall at maturity extending to 3 feet tall with the flowers, with a spread of 24 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 18 inches apart. With velvety, wine-red falls and glowing standards of raspberry to bronze, this tall, striking, Jazz Age iris is one of the most colorful we grow. It’s exceptionally vigorous, too, thriving on neglect in old gardens everywhere and blooming even in part shade. These Irises grow in the rectangle bed by the cedar hedge in front of the Plum Tree.
IRISES Dutch Irises
I have a number of the tall Dutch irises growing around the garden. In the Boulevard garden they grow in the rectangle bed by the plum tree.
Dutch iris – white perfection – 20”
Frans hals – bronze & purple
Blue wedgewood - Old original light blue and yellow
Bronze beauty – yellow/bronze
LAVENDER
English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), French lavender (L. stoechas), and woolly lavender (L. lanata) are among the most widely cultivated species. My French lavender grows at the corner of the driveway of the strip that goes across the property to the plum tree. The crocuses field is the next level of the Boulevard garden. This amazing plant is bee friendly, draught tolerant, and deer resistant!
Hardy noninvasive perennials, lavenders suit both informal and formal gardens. Mature lavenders form dense mounds of foliage, ranging from grey to green and from 30 to 60 centimetres tall - beautiful even when they're not blooming. They also look great in containers!
Given a sunny, well-drained site, lavenders will thrive in dry, poor soil and even self-seed. An annual top dressing of compost and occasional watering during very dry spells is welcome, but avoid overfeeding with high-nitrogen fertilizers or rich manures. Follow the spacing recommendations on the plant tag (some lavenders spread up to 1 metre in diameter) when planting in a flowerbed, but shave off about a third of that when planting a row for a hedge.
Harvest some or all of the flowers, if you like, or leave them all summer long. Either way, shear back lavenders by about one-third (avoid cutting into older, woody stems) each fall, leaving a compact cushion of leafy stems. My lavender plant has become floppy, disfigured, and gnarled. I will try severely cutting it back and if that does not work I will get a new one. I shall try to take cuttings. It looks easy enough on this utube.
LIMONIUM
Limonium is a genus of about 600 flowering plant species. Members are also known as sea-lavender, statice, caspia or marsh-rosemary. Despite their common names, species are not related to the lavenders or to rosemary. They are instead in Plumbaginaceae, the plumbago or leadwort family.
Sea-lavenders normally grow as herbaceous perennial plants, growing 10–70 cm tall from a rhizome; a few are woody shrubs up to 2 metres tall. Many species flourish in saline soils, and are therefore common near coasts and in salt marshes, and also on saline, gypsum and alkaline soils in continental interiors.
The leaves are simple, entire to lobed, and from 1–30 cm long and 0.5–10 cm broad; most of the leaves are produced in a dense basal rosette, with the flowering stems bearing only small brown scale-leaves (bracts). The flowers are produced on a branched panicle or corymb, the individual flowers are small (4–10 mm long) with a five-lobed calyx and corolla, and five stamens; the flower colour is pink or violet to purple in most species, white or yellow in a few. Many of the species are apomictic. The fruit is a small capsule containing a single seed, partly enclosed by the persistent calyx. Several species are popular garden flowers; they are generally known to gardeners as statices. They are grown both for their flowers and for the appearance of the calyx, which remains on the plant after the true flowers have fallen, and are known as "everlasting flowers". For more information on statice
As with other flowers on this list, they are non-toxic aside from the potential upset stomach if ingested by our pets. Limonium (Limonium sp.) and Statice (Limonium leptostachyum) are safe filler flowers that could be used in your Mother's Day bouquet too.
My limonium is white and grows in the rectangle bed next to the driveway. It is a good substitue for baby's breath in bouquets. There seem to be some lovely purple or blue kinds. It would be good to have these plants in the cutting garden. Limonium latifolium has tiny flowers with colored papery bracts and one-sided ranked clusters at stem ends. The most popular colors are blue, purple and lavender but also come in white, pink and yellow. Limonium sinuatum boasts dense clusters of papery, funnel-shaped flowers in summer and early fall. Borne on winged flower stems, the blossoms feature white corollas and showy calyces in shades of violet, lavender, pink, rose, orange, yellow, and white.
LONICERA PILEATA
Lonicera pileata with its evergreen boxwood-like foliage and low spreading habit has small, fragrant, funnel-shaped creamy-white flowers in May and pretty, violet-blue translucent berries in winter. Lonicera pileata makes a good groundcover, where a branch touches the ground it will root-in and slowly spread over time. This box-leaf honeysuckle is salt tolerant and does well in seashore plantings. Lonicera pileata also works well as a companion plant for deciduous trees like the Pacific Northwest native maple, Acer circinatum. This plant was made into a small hedge along the front of the rectangle beds from side to side of the boulevard garden, and up the side of my property that borders the nefarious neighbours. It makes a fine little hedge. But mine got out of control over the past few years. And this week (July 4, 5 and 6, 2024, I have removed the hedge. I expect some of it may grow again, where I just cut it back to the soil level.
LYCHNIS - Coronaria Rose Campion
A short-lived perennial, it forms clumps of silver felty leaves, which make a pleasant backdrop to bright magenta flowers in late summer. There's a number of cultivars to choose from, ranging from pink and white flowers, with double-flowered varieties as well.
This perennial is easy to grow and adaptable to a variety of growing conditions. It reseeds readily, so deadheading spent blooms before they produce seed is a good idea if you don't want it to spread throughout your garden.
Mature Size: 12-18 in. high Sun Exposure: Partial to full sun
Soil Type: Well-drained, tolerant of most soils Soil pH: Neutral to partly acidic
Bloom Time: Early to mid summer Flower Color: Magenta, pink, white
ORNITHOGALUM umbellatum
Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum umbellatum) is a winter bulb belonging to the Lily family, and blooms in late spring or early summer. It is native to the Mediterranean region and is similar to wild garlic. Its foliage has arching leaves but does not have the garlic odor when crushed. Star of Bethlehem flowers, though attractive for a few weeks when in bloom, have escaped cultivation in many areas. When this happens, they quickly become a danger to native plant life. They are invasive and should not be planted. I should probably dig mine out.
PEONY
Peonies are usually sold as bare-root tubers with 3 to 5 eyes (buds), divisions of a 3- or 4-year-old plant.
Peonies have lovely foliage and are easy to grow, magnificent as cut flowers, and hardy anywhere you need an overcoat (they require a cold period for bud formation — a frustration to some southern gardeners).
The rules for success are simple: provide full sun and well-drained soil. Dead head the flowers immediately after the flower has finished blooming so the energy of the plant goes to the roots. The seeds are hard to germinate. After its stunning bloom, the peony’s bushy clump of handsome glossy green leaves lasts all summer and then turns purplish-red or gold in the fall, as stately and dignified as any flowering shrub.
Peonies like full sun, and though they can manage with half a day, they bloom best in a sunny spot that gets 6 to 8 hours of sunlight each day. In southern states, provide some shade.
Provide shelter from strong winds, as peonies’ large blooms can make them top-heavy. (Use stakes to hold them up, if necessary.) Don’t plant too close to trees or shrubs, as peonies don’t like to compete for food, light, and moisture. Grow peonies in deep, fertile, humus-rich, moist soil that drains well. Soil pH should be neutral.
I have 3 peonies in the rectangle bed of the Boulevard garden room. They are old varieties that were some of the first plants I had in my garden. They have been moved once to where they are now. One of them blooms in white. I think there may be a pink one. They need more care and attention as it seems I have broken every rule from the move, onward.
PLUM TREE
Prune Plums Features:
TASTE: sweet, succulent FLESH: firm, soft
BEST FOR: snacking, baked goods, sauces & jams
Quick Tip for Prune Plums:
Ripen in brown paper bag at room temperature.
Store covered and unwashed in refrigerator for up to a week.
Choose evenly coloured, smooth plums that yield to light pressure.
Plums can be separated from the pit like a peach – cut lengthwise and gently separate. To prepare for immediate eating, simply wash and enjoy. See about the tree well I fertilize the plum tree with fruit tree spikes pounded into the surrounding area of the tree roots. The plum tree needs more water than it is getting so, we have been known to let the garden hose drip slowly into the root area of the tree. We had a huge crop in 2023 after creation of the tree well, fertilizer and attention to it getting enough water. Now in October of 2023 we are still in a period of drought and hopeing the rains soon start.
RUDBECKIA hirta. (Black eyed susans)
At 30–100 cm (12–39") tall, this North American native annual wildflower is immediately familiar, and conjures a sense of the heat of mid-summer. Dark brown cone centres are surrounded by pure yellow petals in flowers 5-8cm (2-3") across. Black Eyed Susan is a common name shared by many plants, but this is the annual that is native to the northeastern United States. This plant has been used by a number of First Nations as a medicinal poultice to treat a number of infections, including cold and flu. You'll love the bright look of this plant in mass plantings or in larger containers. This plant grows in the Boulevard garden next to the bridal veil spirea.
RUDBECKIA Fulgida Var Sullivantii 'Goldsturm'
A hardy, long flowering perennial bearing large, black-eyed, single, yellow daisy flowers with cone-shaped, black-brown centres from August to October. Adding welcome colour to borders later in the season, it's ideal in partially shaded areas and works well in prairie-style schemes with ornamental grasses. It’s short enough not to need staking, and doesn’t spread so fast that frequent division is necessary, making it a very easy-care plant. This plant grows in the Boulevard garden next to the bridal veil spirea.
SCILLA
For outdoor landscape planting, find a spot where the soil drains well, and your Scilla plants will receive good light. Dig holes and plant the bulbs 3–4" deep and 4" apart at the base with the small points facing up. Bloom in spring. Remove the dry foliage when the leaves turn yellow and die back as the plants slip into dormancy around early to mid-summer. Some of the scillas grow in the Crocus Field.
VERBENA bonariensis
Clusters of small purple flowers floating on long, airy stems tempting passing butterflies to stop for a sip is just one reason to consider adding Verbena bonariensis, also called tall verbena or purpletop verbena, to your garden. This plant is just one of about 250 species in the genus Verbena, of which only about half a dozen are in cultivation. V. bonariensis is native to Brazil and Argentina (the specific name is after Buenos Aires). This plant is perennial in zones 7 to 11 and is grown as an annual in cooler climates. I let this plant self seed everywhere around my garden. The humming birds, butterflies and bees love it. In the Boulevard garden it is growing with the Lychnis Coronaria (Rose Campion), next to the Plum tree. The purple and the magenta flowers of these plants bloom at the same time and are a wonderful combination. It is also growing in the other end of this strip near the French lavender, and looks good with the golden and pink yarrow.
NOTES: There is a wild thorn bush that grows by the cedar hedge in the rectangle bed along the property line. I cut this plant back to the stump when I get the time. Also, there are bluebells growing in this rectangle bed. I am trying to get rid of them by smothering them with leaves, digging them out, and cutting off the blossoms before they produce more seed. They are horribly aggressive all around the garden.
NOTES:
QUEEN ANNE'S LACE:
Daucus carota, whose common names include wild carrot, European wild carrot, bird's nest, bishop's lace, and Queen Anne's lace (North America), is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae. It is native to temperate regions of the Old World and was naturalized in the New World.
The good news is that several distinct features of poison hemlock make it possible to tell apart from Queen Anne’s Lace if you know to look for them.
The most obvious difference between the two plants is their height. Poison hemlock grows much taller than Queen Anne’s Lace and appears earlier in the year. While Queen Anne’s Lace doesn’t grow much taller than three feet, poison hemlock can grow to ten feet tall.
Another distinction between the two plants is their stems. Poison hemlock stems are smooth, while Queen Anne’s Lace stems are covered with tiny hairs. Poison hemlock also has dark purplish splotches on its stem, whereas Queen Anne’s Lace has a solid green stem. Like its stem, the leaves of Queen Anne’s Lace are hairy, as opposed to the smooth leaves of the poison hemlock plant.
Additionally, you can see a difference in the shape of the flower clusters on each plant. While both have small white flowers that form umbrella-like structures, they have a more rounded shape on poison hemlock than their flat or even concave shape on Queen Anne’s Lace.
Now that you know what to look for, you’re prepared to protect yourself and your neighbors from the dangers of poison hemlock. If you do find the plant, avoid touching, mowing, or trimming it. Instead, use an herbicide such as ArmorTech Tetra to manage the threat safely. Keep in mind that fall and spring are the best times to treat poison hemlock. As always, contact your ATS sales representative with any questions about control options. I would like to get some of these plants growing in the driveway strip garden room. There are currently two plants growing in the boulevard garden. They grow in the park and along the ditches.
Annual Gardening pages
January - we occasionally get snow.
February - more rain, and some
bulbs up
March - first spring bulbs
blooming
April - rock plants blooming,
grass needs mowing, fruit trees blooming
May - the garden is in full
swing
June - lovely warm days of
medium temperatures and roses in bloom
July - we need to water a lot
in the summer as we do not often get rain.
August - the Fall perennials
starting to bloom and fruit is ripening
September - harvest time in the
vegetable garden and time to plant the winter garden
October - glorious fall colors
and sunsets, fruit ripening and rains begin again
November - sometimes a lovely
month with the Fall colors and warm rains
December - more rain, the garden
is mostly greens and browns, very peaceful.
Annual Journal Notes - This is the first page of the annual Journal Notes excerpts beginning in 2012 when I began to keep my garden notes on my computer. See the bottom of this first page to go to the Journal Notes for the next year.
Annual Journal Notes 2013 - This is the page of the annual Journal Notes excerpts beginning in 2013 from my garden journal . See the bottom of this page to go to the Journal Notes for the next year.
Annual Journal Notes 2014 - This is the page of the annual Journal Notes excerpts beginning in 2014 from my garden journal . See the bottom of this page to go to the Journal Notes for the next year.
Annual Journal Notes 2015 - This is the page of the annual Journal Notes excerpts beginning in 2015 from my garden journal . See the bottom of this page to go to the Journal Notes for the next year.
Annual Journal Notes 2016 - This is the page of the annual Journal Notes excerpts beginning in 2016 from my garden journal . See the bottom of this page to go to the Journal Notes for the next year.
Annual Journal Notes 2017 - This is the page of the annual Journal Notes excerpts beginning in 2017 from my garden journal . See the bottom of this page to go to the Journal Notes for the next year.
Annual Journal Notes 2018 - This is the page of the annual Journal Notes excerpts beginning in 2018 from my garden journal . See the bottom of this page to go to the Journal Notes for the next year.
Annual Journal Notes 2019 - This is the page of the annual Journal Notes excerpts beginning in 2019 from my garden journal . See the bottom of this page to go to the Journal Notes for the next year.
Annual Journal Notes 2020 - This is the page of the annual Journal Notes excerpts beginning in 2020 from my garden journal . See the bottom of this page to go to the Journal Notes for the next year.
Annual Journal Notes 2021 - This is the page of the annual Journal Notes excerpts beginning in 2021 from my garden journal . See the bottom of this page to go to the Journal Notes for the next year.
Annual Journal Notes 2022 - This is the page of the annual Journal Notes excerpts beginning in 2022 from my garden journal . See the bottom of this page to go to the Journal Notes for the next year.
Annual Journal Notes 2023 - This is the page of the annual Journal Notes excerpts beginning in 2023 from my garden journal. See the bottom of this page to go to the Journal Notes for the next year.
Annual Journal Notes 2024 - This is the page of the annual Journal Notes excerpts beginning in 2024 from my garden journal. See the bottom of this page to go to the Journal Notes for the next year.
Annual Journal Notes 2025 - This is the page of the annual Journal Notes excerpts beginning in 2025 from my garden journal. See the bottom of this page to go to the Journal Notes for the next year.
Annual Journal Notes 2026 - This is the page of the annual Journal Notes excerpts beginning in 2026 from my garden journal. See the bottom of this page to go to the Journal Notes for the next year.
Outline of the garden changes - This is the first page of a series of three giving a tour of the my garden.
A description of the garden rooms - This is the second page of a series of three giving a tour of the my garden, and showing the creation of the garden rooms as well as some of the renovations over the years.
Annual Garden changes photo albums The third page of the series will be annual photo albums of the changes in the garden for the year, beginning in 2009.
