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Wednesday 21 September 2016

A Struggle ...

I am shaking my head thinking "what happened this year ?" .... I missed so much of it and let my garden run wild on it's own.
I have had comments before that my garden was too "neat" ... which made me giggle ...
Now ? ... if anyone saw what was going on they would not accuse me of that .. it is running wild and I am thinking where did the gardener go ?

Sweet Autumn clematis has been blooming like mad and crawling over the top f this arbor to rest on my neighbor's hibiscus "tree" behind it ... so far she hasn't yelled at me ?



The other one has been busy filling out in the ally way
The ornamental grasses have been filling out as well and they are really pretty

The colour actually echos the hydrangea flowers on the opposite side
Speaking of hydrangeas ... they have been gorgeous this year.


I can't even mention how insane the rose canes have been ...
I am sure it is because it has been such a hot dry summer they took off like crazy ...
My big chore is to tie the canes in where I can and trim off what I can't manage, which makes me shudder but what is a girl gardener to do with crazy canes ? Whip & Chair time ?
I know ... how could I let it get to this stage ... right ? ... shudder ... GUILT GUILT !!
Normally I would NEVER show a picture like this but I am only human and I like to share my mishaps with other gardeners ... spread the shame ? LOL
Now that I dumped that "Guilt Bucket" ... a pretty picture of how the heucheras are colouring up now.
How is that for a HOT colour contrasted with the yellow hosta ? Yup  .. it sizzles eh ?
OK .. last little look at the back so some things look almost normal ?
Yellow Wax Bells are budding up nicely .....
So the garden back here in general has been surviving thanks to the sprinkler system (as in the front)
It really was SO worth the investment, kept me from losing what is left of my tiny mind!! ...
I am hoping to get over the slump I am in and start Fall clean up ... so many things to do and a few bulbs to plant as well ... not as many as I did last year (PHEW!!!)
I think the best thing to do is go out with my clip board (look as nerdy as possible) take notes on what I need to do in each area and ? just get it done .... GASP !!

16 comments:

CiNdEe's GaRdEn said...

I always love your garden. It looks wonderful. I don't mind the canes or anything out of place. I am just glad you shared it with us so we can enjoy it too. My garden is done and has been for a while. I have a few blooms here and there but keeping it green is about it after June because of the high temperatures. It held up well though this year. I was happy. I love all the green so its o.k. I wish flowers bloomed better here but we have a lot of trees and shade now so we are stuck. I would rather have the shade. So I have been getting more Hostas and Heucheras, Ferns etc. Now it is squirrel winterizing season. Those little critters want to bury all their seeds and nuts in my pots. They make me crazy. So I have to put chicken wire or a basket over my pots so they can't dig them up. Oh the things us gardeners go through.

Lisa at Greenbow said...

I love the way your garden has filled up with gorgeous foliage and flowers. I bet that new watering system kept things going for you. I know with the heat and dryness of this summer I didn't get out near as much as usual. It shows in the garden. I did get a couple of projects accomplished.
I hope that the autumn clematis doesn't become a pest in your garden. I took mine out despite the wonderful way it grew and bloomed because I have found it popping up everywhere. It has been added to the invasive species list here. Aren't all wonderful vines that way??

Buttons Thoughts said...

Oh, Joy I like the look of your garden. This year was such a struggle to keep things alive in our drought and you have a beautiful live garden good for you. Hugs B

joey said...

Amazing color for this time of year! All looks grand. It's been some time since a visit but wishing you lovely 'Autumn Joy'!

Rose said...

No need to feel guilty, Joy; I hit a slump in mid-July, and my garden is really showing it. You don't know how happy I am to see the photo of your rose with the canes going wild--that is my climbing rose, only double the wildness:) I'm hoping once the weather turns cooler, that I am going to get a big dose of energy and motivation to finally get things tidied up! I love the path in your last photo.

Nadezda said...

Oh, my dear, finally you're with us and I could read your new post. Your garden is pretty grown without your maintenance. Love your heucheras and sweet autumn clematis. I have it in my 'wish list'
Happy weekend!

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Cindee girl you are so sweet thank you ! .. Every gardener wants things to be neat and tidy so when things get crazy it makes us a bit crazy ? LOL .. but I thought "what the heck .. I might as well show how things go wrong and wonky!" haha
Yes .. I know your temps and lack of rain are tremendous elements to deal with as a gardener .. I got a true taste of what you go through this year and it is ROUGH!
You are better off in the end with more shade for sure .. and I can't help but giggle over the wildlife storing their goods in your pots .. we have had that going on here too .. must mean a bad winter like the almanac is predicting .. brrrr !
Take care and eventually the renovations will be done and you will love the new areas !

Hello Lisa girl ! You got some massive projects done girl ... you are a warrior ! LOL
But yes this year has been wicked ... and thank goodness for the sprinkler system because I hate to think of what would have happened if we were left to our own devices .. yikes
I have had this clematis (two of them) for some years and they can be monsters but so far I have been able to handle them ..they add such wonderful greenery and then flowers, so I hope to hang on to them until I can't whip them back into shape ? haha
Yes .. most "wonderful" plants have a tricky side to them too .. ahhh ... life as gardeners?

Thank you so much Grace ... this has been one of the worst years for drought and heat ... I have felt so bad for the farmers and what they must have gone through and still are going through .. I feel guilty for complaining about my wee gardens .. the bigger picture is scary ! my heart goes out to them.

Joey girl hello there ... your recipes always make me want to cook more ! LOL
Thank you so much for dropping by and a very Happy Autumn to you !
I know your house will be filled with wonderful smells and beautiful decorations : )

Rose girl you have brightened my morning with another gardener confessing to "letting it go"? haha .. but I swear the roses just took off like they have never before .. and I think it was all the heat and drought that encouraged it .. CRAZY !!
I too am HOPING like mad for a burst of garden energy (plus Garden PA) to get things tidied up for winter and a few bulbs yet again to plant ... lets both cross our fingers !!!! LOL

Hello Nadezda girl ! You have a new cozy blanket looking like flowers for the winter which I am sure will come in very handy. Yes Fall has finally made some of itself seen and I am happy to have the cooler temps to maybe get some work done. I think you will like Sweet Autumn a lot .. it is mostly just greenery until late summer then millions of star like white blossoms burst out .. I love it !

RobinL said...

Well, I'm going to say the same thing you said to me. I don't see this disorder you're talking about, but then again, I know all the tricks to hiding the rough spots from the camera! Guess we'll both have to get to work and clean things up out there. But do I have to? Whine....

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hey there Robin girl .. I am whining too ... this season was a total wash out for me (except maybe the Spring ? .. I was able to get work done then but this dry hot season was a real pickle ? haha ... on with the seasons !

Pat said...

If your garden looked like my backyard you would not want to take any pictures except close-ups, well at least that's how I feel. But there is always next year. Think everyone had issues with the heat this year. All looks pretty and full of so many different colors, love seeing it. I'm a little brain dead right now because we're redoing our kitchen...more like exhausted. Oh, good luck with your bulbs.

Tatyana@MySecretGarden said...

I don't think that fall gardens can be absolutely, 100% neat. Yours looks normal, fall-normal!
Hydrangeas are beautiful, but that clematis - wow!

Barry said...

If this is the state of neglect, I guess you would have called mine abandoned. I don't think I took a picture after May 24. Once the yellow Itoh finished, my garden said 'that's all she wrote folks!' The weather was atrocious to say anything, and I simply lost the desire to try and keep things looking alive. Bad me! I can only hope next year is better! Check for an email soon!

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hello Patsi girl !
Thanks girl ... yes this year was wicked and I am so hoping next year will be better like all of us eh ? .. I popped by your place and it is looking good ! I so understand about redoing the kitchen thing .. we did that a couple of years ago and yes .. you lose your damn mind with that all going on .. hang in there and soon you will have a beautiful kitchen to lounge in !

Tatyana hello there ... I think you are too right about Fall gardens .. we just get too tired to keep them well maintained ... Yes Sweet Autumn clematis is a beauty and a beast but so far I am keeping the beast in check to enjoy the beauty : )

Well hello there sweetie ! Funny enough my yellow beauty did not grace me with flowers ... I have to check and make sure it isn't buried too much, yours was gorgeous !
Hey ... this year was a right off ... if we hadn't installed the sprinkler system I would have lost a lot of plants .. we just had enough of hand watering .. plus if I didn't have Garden PA .. I shudder to think ! Speaking of thinking ... I had been of you almost all ear and meant to email so many times but clunked out at the computer ... me too !!

Jennifer said...

Joy, your garden always looks terrific if you ask me! There have been so many days this summer when I wished we have an irrigation system too. I have a Sweet Autumn clematis that is blooming for the first time this fall. Love those little white starry flowers! I can't wait until the clematis gets a bit bigger. My hydrangeas have done fairly well this summer too, but with regular watering.
I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend Joy!

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Thanks so much Jennifer ... I am too late to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving but I hope it was a good one for you and the family ! ... No worries about Sweet Autumn ... it will get BIG with age and then you may be cursing it a bit ! haha
The sprinklers have been turned off since the 3rd of this month ... if I had had my way I would have waited a lot longer but who knows when the real COLD will snap at us anyways.

Victoria Williams said...

Ha ha ha! Your garden still looks fantastic!!!