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Monday 1 August 2011

What Happened This Year ?

I think even Winthrop is contemplating this garden year as a not so great one .. just like I have been thinking .. I'm not sure I can blame it all on the weather either.
Yes .. my "Balloon Flowers" are "popping" .. they are pretty and make you smile when you see the process of the magical POP!
"All that Jazz" (the above picture) is shiny and healthy looking thank heavens .. I am expecting GOOD things to happen to this rose !
Poor Morden Snow beauty was drastically cut back if you look at the larger picture below you can see how tiny it is .. but it was just too sickly to leave in a .. hum .. I want to say "half ass" condition ? eeekkk ! but it really did look neglected from the garden center.
So drastic action was taken and it seems to be working.
I am so glad to be able to count on the Autumn sedums .. they remind me of broccoli but are back bone plants that I love !
Full size Joe Pye Weed provides a wee bit of vertical drama and privacy ? .. once these buds open up they will be literally humming with visitors : )
Little Joe is just too darn cute not to have in a garden ! .. I am totally smitten by him : )

I think I already said I haven't seen "Sparkler" echinacea on the market for years now .. I am so glad to have a good patch of it because it truly is a beauty whether it is an older cultivar or not!
My new favorite annual is "Purslane" which I had no idea is also "portulac grandiflora .. funny the things you find out on the net ?
Anyways .. tough as nails and look terrific in terra cotta ! This specific colour is perfect !
Pamina has buds : ) a sign that Autumn is coming , slowly but surely!
.. getting back to my "ho hum" garden year .. well .. I just didn't enjoy it the way I usually do .. I can't pin a specific problem (other than a crazy way we started out cold and wet then graduated to HOT and DROUGHT!) .. something just didn't do it for me .. and yes .. I can't wait for Autumn .. sorry people who are still trying to enjoy the summer ? *giggle snort* ;-)

13 comments:

Vetsy said...

You have put into words everything I wanted to say about how disappointed I was about gardening this year.

The weather turn out to be nuts, nothing went the way I wanted this year. I think we all suffered from this unusual weather.

Any-who your garden still turned out lovely! I certainly enjoyed looking at it...

By the way I didn't catch-up on what happen with that comapny and your rose? How did things turn out?

Rebecca @ In The Garden said...

Little Joe is so charming!!! Maybe it would grow for me? Big brother Joe doesn't like my garden. I hope your roses thrive, hard pruning is so daunting, but can have such great results. :)

Lona said...

I have given up on this year too for good looking plants. They were doing so well until the heat hit. My anemones are getting buds too. I love that echinacea. Even though it is hot I hate to see Fall come. I always start getting sad about that time knowing what comes next.LOL! Girl you just want Halloween to get here. LOL!

Anonymous said...

Seriously, how huge is your garden? You never run out... Another cool set form you... Keep up the good work... :)

Gatsbys Gardens said...

I agree Joy, this summer has been kind of ho hum, some plants doing well and others, oh well!

I am a fan of Purslane also, have it planted with my cactus and it looks great.

Eileen

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hello there Vetsy girl : )Thank you!
I'm glad not to be the only one that has felt this way .. it almost makes me feel guilty complaining but I truly did not connect with my garden like I have every year .. it has tried hard to do what it should but somethings just are falling flat.
You are so right about the weather .. it really twisted us around !
The company was Vesey Seeds and yes they gave me the credit which I can use any time .. so I am waiting to see what kind of roses they have for next year : ) They are a good company!

Hello Rebecca girl : )
Little Joe may be just the one for your garden! He doesn't need a lot of space at all and seems to be very strong and determined .. I have helenium in front of him .. and he is a bit crowded but fine all the same : )
Yes .. when it comes down to having bad foliage issues .. and this rose being a tough one .. I chose to cut back hard to bring healthier foliage on it .. but yes, it makes for holding my breath to see what happens ;-)

Lona girl welcome to the "Ho Hum garden Club" ? LOL .. awwwww ! I'm sorry Autumn makes you sad girl .. I don't like our long winters either .. too long .. and not enough true Spring for years now.
YES .. you know me too well girl .. HALLOWEEN !!!!!! hehehehehe

My goodness VP ! thank you very much : ) I had a peek at your water drop and that was very cool indeed!

Eileen girl .. it was just a year that the garden didn't GRAB me the way it usually does .. I hope to do some switching around in the Autumn where I saw problems happening .. and cross my fingers for next year that it will be much better for us all ? wink wink ..I am such a fan of this Purslane .. it is fantastic in terra cotta pots !

joey said...

It's been a tough gardening year for many but all looks grand to me, Joy! Happy August :)

Karen said...

I'm not an avid gardener, but I am really miffed with my veggie garden failures. Gee...my zucchinis died...zucchinis for goodness sake! I usually have enough to feed the whole neighbourhood!

Jennifer said...

Jennifer@threedogsinagarden
I have to agree that it has been a miserable garden season. It seemed to continue downhill after that long cold spring. Finally today there is rain. Hopefully summer will continue to redeem itself in August. If not, there is always the fall to look forward to.
I think your comment about the "Sparkler" echinacea was great. We tend to get too wrapped up in the latest, greatest new varieties. Here's to us older "varieties"!
P.S. Those horrible Japanese beetles have arrived in my garden. I hate those #$&@ already!

Meadowview Thymes said...

All your flowers look so pretty Joy. But as much as I always loved summer--I now yearn for fall. I have got to change my gardening habits. We are hearing that Texas is in for these HOT summers for quite a long time. My winter will be spent deciding how to make a change. sigh... : )

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hello Joey girl ! .. those butterfly pictures were gorgeous ! .. Yes .. I think this garden year was kind of sucky .. but a few plants shine .. to keep us at it I think ! haha

Karen girl .. your poor zucchinni !
Now that has to be really bad when yopu can't have at the very least those veggies .. this year crapped out for most of us I think .. argh!

Jennifer .. you caught some amazing pictures of those cormorant birds .. quite a tricky problem here in Kingston too ... yup ! older varieties have lots to offer gardens still .. keeping up with the latest isn't as solid as keeping up with the greatest ! LOL

Hello Linda girl and wow ! on those pictures of the mountains .. that must have been a wonderful vacation! .. Yes .. I think we all have to adjust our thinking when it comes to cranky plants in our gardens .. we don't have the time or energy to keep up with that type .. I will be thinking a lot during the winter too !!

Diane at My Cottage Garden said...

Thanks for your lovely comments! I like the way you incorporated your name into your blog's title like that.

I can't say I'm looking 'forward' to autumn, summer never lasts long enough for me, but I do love the fall flowers!

I wish I knew the name of the red daylilies, but they were one of those wonderful 'garden gifts' that we gardeners treasure so much. I'll ask my friend, whose garden they came from, if she knows the name. But I suspect she might not know either.

I'll leave a note on your blog, one way or the other, after I speak with her.

Cheers, Diane

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hello Diane and you are very welcome girl .. and thank you too ! LOL
I wouldn't mind summer so much if it wasn't so hot and humid .. I love the smell of Autumn air and all the fun things that go with it so much though .. if the trees are in a good mood and their colours are beautiful I am in heaven taking pictures of them: )
Isn't that funny about pass along plants .. I have had that happen too .. but those red lilies really struck me .. they are gorgeous !
Thanks in any case : )