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Tuesday 15 October 2019

Last Jewels of the Garden

Toad-lily is an Autumn jewel in my garden .. it reminds me of an incredibly durable orchid.
It survives our winters .. our hot humid summers .. our in-between weather that makes you wonder what will happen next.
It looks so intricate and delicate , your eyes can't help but be drawn in, to study the form it takes.
Least of all those hairy , spiny options that also makes them look like a plant in the "Little Shop of Horrors" .. maybe it wants to bite you while you get that close ?
These pictures are shot in natural light and it seems to enhance a glow the flowers seem to have from within.
These shots are taken with a flash because this part of my garden is in deeper shade and timing for enough natural light is difficult, and it lasts literally minutes.
Can you notice the water droplets ?  the morning sprinklers had gone off and left them with "tears".
Other jewels are the berries from my Variegated Porcelain Berry Vine.
The colours run rampant from very pale blue with freckles , deep blue, and finally purple.
The deep blue is an amazing foil against the green of the foliage.
I also think of "future jewels with benefits".
Iris pumila "Cherry Garden" was a new addition this Spring.
The foliage stays fresh all season along side this amazing also new heuchera "Northern Exposure Amber"  I am definitively getting more of these !! , plus Blue Mouse Ears hosta and sedum.
This is like money in the bank, with the hope the iris flowers will look gorgeous in the Spring.
Little Lamb is on her last legs of looking so darn "pretty in pink".
Her foliage is finally taking hits from the cold nights .. so the flowers will soon turn more brown than pink, sooner rather than later.
Ok .. technically ? these jewels are water droplets caught in a spider's web.
They still wowed me all the same .. especially the bottom ones that absolutely glistened like diamonds.
A jewel of another kind is the tenacity of a rouge Japanese Painted Fern that decided it was going to not only exist, but thrive in one very difficult situation "between a rock and a hard place"?
This hydrangea standard, "Pink Diamond" the name is rather fitting .. was a meeting place of jewels from the insect world .. It became a Monarch Butterfly Magnet !
I will never forget how many I saw enjoy the nectar alongside the hundreds of other pollinators.
It was the highlight of my garden year.
A few shots of the last days of glory for the back garden before I started my cutback and clean up for the winter.
I'm thrilled to see moss grow between the flagstone path.
A visual slice of garden pie, coming out of the ally way, to the back garden.
I've had some wonderful chances for great moon shots.
One very colourful morning by sheer luck, right place at the right time !
One very windy, dark, "Halloweeny" type night with leaves silhouetted, against the great shining orb.
Last night's shot of the moon while hanging out my bedroom window.
Don't ask, it's better not to know.
Thankfully for the neighborhood ? no one had to see me do those gymnastics !

26 comments:

CiNdEe's GaRdEn said...

Love everything!
Hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving!
and a Happy Birthday too.(-:

David M. Gascoigne, said...

I have scraped my windshield twice now, and I suspect that in Kingston you are a tad colder sooner than here, so get your memory bank revved up to enjoy what is coming to an end, and begin to anticipate the joys of spring. Seems like we are always waiting for something else doesn't it?

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Your garden looks so lush. You had a good year of gardening obviously. What a joy it is when this happens. Those ferns popping up next to the walk are fantastic. I am always happy if those Japanese ferns just exist in my garden. Ghost seems to do the best here. Maybe because it is right by the patio and I give it a shot of water more often. Clearly water is the best thing for a garden. Your Toad lilies look great. Mine not so much. I am already looking forward to next spring/summer. It hopefully will be better than this droughty year. Your photography is exceptional. It is always a joy to see.

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Thank you so much Cindee and how sweet are you ! to remember Canadian Thanksgiving on top of it all (my birthday snuck in there some how ? LOL) the weather had been great but we are definitely having touches of November like winter now too .. the weeks are flying by it is scary when I have so much work to do in the garden.

Hello David .. I haven't scraped mine yet , so far so good but yes that will come to fruition soon. A huge YES ! already to Spring thoughts with loads of bulbs to plant yet but it is a bank also of future pretty images to hold on to during our long down time .. BIG sigh!

Lisa girl hello there ! and thank you so much ;-)
Yes .. even with the down sides I had such a great time with the garden and those visitors to the hydrangea right by the deck .. the Monarchs made my year !
I have Ghost in a few areas too .. it is a really nice one and that extra sprinkle of water does help a lot .. but the rouge ones really make me smile because they are so stubborn .. I have one out front too ! Toad lily can be tricky .. I have one in a different area and it suffers from rust ? on the foliage so I have to move it .. but wow they are amazing when they behave. I hope you have a much better time next year in your garden and it won't be so droughty !

Jason said...

A beautiful moon, and great shot of the water drops suspended on the spider's web.

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hello Jason Thank you so much , it took a little bit of gymnastics out my window for some of the moon shots but I was so happy to capture it. The spider web was a bonus after the sprinklers had gone off that morning .. hope the spider survived it ... haha
I loved that picture of the Sea Oats you took !

Snowbird said...

I have a Toad lily, I agree they are stunning plants, loved the pictures of yours and those multi-coloured berries. Lucky you having all those monarchs! Just loved the spider's web and those stunning moon shots.xxx

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hello there Snowbird and thank you so much ! .. Toadlily is a striking flower and much needed in the Fall here when other plants are exiting. The spider web was a "gift" from nature.
I just read your last post , you have so much going on there and such a sweet little animal spirits to look after .. your pictures translate into such love for them and how you live .. I love seeing that !
Yes !! this year was the most amazing for Monarchs, we were stunned to see them mass on the hydrangea tree and lucky that it was right by the deck where we could witness this amazing opportunity .. made me so happy !
PS ... I am addicted to taking moon pictures ? LOL

Gail said...

Hi Joy, I am attempting to visit blogs again. Facebook has ruined blogging visit. It's good to see your garden and lovely toad lily. I killed a beauty a few years ago. Our summers are too dry and I am terrible about watering. Happy October and it will soon be Halloween. xogail

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Gail girl I just came back from visiting your blog and those photos were stunning !
Funny enough I have the same TL in another spot and it is not doing as well .. so I am thinking the light value is too high for the lagging one .. I want to move it to the shadier side .. the watering is also adjusted with a shadier aspect so that helps I think.
LOL ... you remembered how much I love Halloween !? .. yup .. I am still a sucker for it !
Thanks for stopping by ;-)

Carrie said...

utterly stunning photos of a truly magical garden xx

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Thank you Carrie dear ;-)
I popped over to see you have been hard at work with Andrew and Toby in your garden plot and it is shining way over there ! .. It is almost time for cocooning for the winter eh ? LOL

GRACE PETERSON said...

Now I'm thinking I might need that hydrangea too. Love the moss, love the toad lilies. Love that Heuchera!

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Thanks Gracie .. my gardens are maturing and I am loving it .. but I am also "editing" to make it easier on these old bones ? LOL .. who can't love moss ! LOL

Pat said...

You've done a great job of improving your garden. My dot com is gone so I'm slowly creating on my original blog. I can't remember how to list people I like to follow. I hope all is well with you. Oh, new/old address is gardenendeavors.blogspot.com

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hi Pat and thank you ! ... I can't get to your blog with old or new address yet .. so keep dropping by and let me know what your new address for your blog is ok ?

Teresa said...

Di una vuelta por tu jardín y me ha encantado,tienes unas flores preciosas,me gustan todas. Un beso de otra jardinera.

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Teresa ! I think this is what you said ? I walked around your garden and I loved it, you have beautiful flowers, I like them all. A kiss from another gardener
I tried translating and this is what I came up with ... Thank you so much !! : )
Muchas gracias !!!!!

RobinL said...

This post was only two weeks ago, and everything still looked gorgeous and summery. I finally lost everything just two nights ago. My goodness, but I think I need that porcelain vine. Wowzers, it’s fabulous.

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hi Robin .. it did indeed look wonderful for quite a long time but wow .. on Halloween we had a huge wind/rain storm that ripped leaves off trees and all sorts .. Garden PA and I were out today to do bulbs and I couldn't finish fast enough .. the rain started just as I finished the mass muscari planting .. I still have more daffs to do but I hope to squeeze that in later this week and finally be DONE ! .. Yup, you have to have one of these vines .. they are fabulous even if a bit of a thug .. worth those colours for sure.

Karen said...

Beautiful garden, and lovely moon shots.

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Thanks very much Karen (I renamed you Helen by mistake when I commented on your blog .. sorry about that ! LOL) ..You had an amazing shot of a magnolia bud !

Carrie said...

A gorgeous post with stunning photography. Oh my I do love those purple berries (and everything else to be honest). Your garden is triumph xx

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Carrie you are so sweet ... thank you ! .. every winter I wonder if I can still do the right thing by my garden and it will smile for me ? LOL

RobinL said...

I’ve never seen toad lilies in person, and they sure are pretty, even with a less than pretty name. And that variegated porcelain vine really has the wow factor! My garden is sound asleep right now, nothing to see. But it does give me time to rest and plan ahead.

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hi Robin .. sorry I am just catching up with your comments now .. I really neglect the blog during winter time .. I should have taken pictures when the snow fell and it was pristine and pretty .. Yes ! resting and planning ahead .. I am all for that ! LOL .. but I know I have to put in some hard work on the treadmill and yoga to be able to do the things I love in the garden .. no true escaping eh ? LOL
Hope you have a great rest and enjoy the plans to mull over !