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Tuesday 31 May 2011

Old or New .. Do they still delight you ?

This was one of the first new plants I bought last year .. I had read about it on the net during the winter and I fell madly in love with it (along with too many others of course)
It is a sweet little flower that does say "look at me !"
Another "look at me" .. but in a SCARY way !! I am not a complete fan of these poppies but husband enjoys them so I have made it a point to set aside room for these alien looking creatures! .. waiting for them to flower is some what like a birthday party .. they shed their prickly shell to shine that brilliant RED : )
Another geum .. my first, so it is about 9 years old .. isn't that rather old for a plant ?
Not only the flowers are pretty (especially when in focus) but the seed head reminds me of clematis seed heads !
This is the part where I could use some help .. I bought this geranium about a week ago at a nursery that was very busy and the fact that it had NO name tag didn't bother me .. I liked the foliage and just knew the flower would be interesting .. I thought it might be "Ballerina" but I'm just not sure .. so if anyone sees this and knows which one this geranium is ? can you let me know?
Back to one of my older plants .. one that quietly loves my garden and in turn I love it for not being a problem plant .. more of a back bone plant ? .. great neutral foliage to have others shine against it type of plant ? Doesn't every garden have those ?
My first Deutzia .. my only type of deutzia actually .. it is amazing to watch all of those "pearls" unfold to tiny white stars .. a small and very pretty plant to have in a shady garden : )
A new addition .. My Crimson Queen Japanese Maple ..
All of my Japanese Maples mean a lot to me .. I was so tense waiting to see if the two I planted last year would make it through the winter and a HUGE sigh of relief when they did show me their leaves unfolding ..
So now I have the "watch" on this little gem .. so intricate so charming .. just one lovable little tree that I already have such an emotional attachment to ? Other gardeners know what I mean .. right ?? LOL
.... and so a few old plants mixed with new plants and I still love them all : )

14 comments:

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Hi Joy,

I do miss my poppies, but I had those big expensive ones and did not have luck with them coming back at my last home.

Maybe, I should try them again, they were beautiful!

Eileen

Rebecca @ In The Garden said...

Beautiful pics Joy! Yes, I still love my oldies too. They are tried and true and provide less stress than the new additions which may or may not like it here. :)

Tamara Jansen said...

Although I have grown somewhere in the TENS of millions of geraniums in my lifetime, I have never seen this geranium. Are you SURE it's a geranium?

Oh well, its way more fun when you have mystery plants in your garden, wouldn't you say?!

Darla said...

Nice, nice, nice Joy!! I have the Flames of Passion for the first time this year...any growing tips would be most helpful.

Karen said...

Can't wait to see the alien poppy when it blooms!

Northern Beauty Seeker said...

Joy, I just love that Deutzia. I have never seen one before but those little pearls had me at hello. :)
Two of my old favourites are really about the foliage and they are the Ostrich fern and Sweet Woodruff. Both very unassuming but add so much.

Hope you are getting lots of sunshine!

Anonymous said...

I guess poppies ARE kind of pugnacious looking in the beginning and at the end, but in the middle I'm a complete sucker for them :)

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Old or new I love em all. You have some real pretties.

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hello there Eileen girl : )
I am not a fan of them (except when they are in high bloom ? LOL) the foliage is ugly and they can really look bad as they die down .. so planting in front of them is a must so they don't drive me crazy .. but maybe a couple tucked away for you?

Thank you Rebecca girl !
Absolutely what I am talking about her girl : ) .. it is exciting to find a new addition but having the tried and true ones to fall back on is such a must in our gardens isn't it !

Hello there Tamara : )
Yes I am sure it is a geranium !
I thought it was Ballerina .. but I don't think so now .. the main reason I got it even though they lost the tag and couldn't tell me what it was .. the foliage was dainty so I assumed the flower would be special .. are you sure you don't have an idea what this is? .. keep hunting ? so I can know? LOL

Hello Darla girl : ) Thank you !
Nothing that I know of for this geum other than lots of sun and good drainage (isn't that a certain mantra for sun perennials ? LOL)_
It is a pretty one though eh ?

Hey Karen girl : ) Yes .. they are rather spectacular when all of the conditions are just right to have them bloom .. they are WOW ! flowers : )

Ms. S You have to have one of these! when the flowers open they truly are like hundreds of little white stars : ) I also have loads of ostrich ferns they are so tenacious they have broken up through the pavement area by their bed ! I have to have another batch of sweet woodruff, that is another wonderful back bone plant .. the smell of them both is wonderful : )
We are in sun and humid conditions .. the humidity I could do without though ? LOL

Patricia you said it perfectly!!
It is the "middle" part of these plants in full gorgeous bloom that I love too .. all the other stages? not so much !! LOL

Thank you Lisa girl .. the garden is coming into total LIFE mode and it is daunting .. we had NO Spring to ease into the season .. it is exhausting trying to keep up with things !

gittan said...

I understand why! Such beauties /gittan

GRACE PETERSON said...

Is your Geranium 'Purple Pillow'? I've got 'Flames of Passion' and seems to be doing fairly well so far.

CiNdEe's GaRdEn said...

Little geums are just precious(-:
I also get attached to my plants too! I can't wait to see them bloom each Spring(-: It is like seeing old friends again!(-:

It is still raining here. I have never seen anything like that here and I have lived here my whole life! Record low temps and rain. So strange!
Not complaining though cuz my flowers are LOVING it!!!!!(-: Everything is so green and pretty!
I think my owl friend is not to happy though...(-:

joey said...

Old and new is good, Joy, and all looks grand. I am one who adores poppies and can never have enough :)

CanadianGardenJoy said...

gittan : ) hello there ! I have been meaning, so many times, to drop over at your place and see how you are doing .. I am so "dug in" my garden by the time I actually get inside I am pooped ! haha

Grace girl .. no, Purple Pillow is much more intense in colour and I would love to have that one too!
This is going to drive me nuts .. but I will find out what it is one way or another !! Yup Flames of Passion is a neat little geranium isn't it ? : )

Cindee girl this weather has been so strange it makes you wonder what next ? LOL .. but the good thing was the trees and plants have stocked up ? .. our summer is supposed to be VERY hot .. so husband and I have to get the drop hose in the front bed set up .. poor owls .. I bet they wished it would stop raining is right ! I hope they are able to feed even if it is a soggy dinner ? LOL

Hello Joey girl and thank you so much : ) .. Yes, they make one heck of a grand entrance don't they ?
I hope to get some really good pictures of them !