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Friday 17 June 2016

The Glow in Your Garden

Sometimes you are VERY lucky to catch just the right light ... it doesn't last long at all so you have to be prepared to lug your camera around even if you are just doing a quick "walk about" to see how your plants are progressing.
Luck is the key word .. I have lost that advantage in minutes, even seconds and have kicked myself in the proverbial butt many a time .. there is something about that "glow" that is magic.

My young Tiger Eye sumac was such a beauty during this time frame in the morning .. not that it isn't a beauty the rest of the time mind you .. but in magic light it was special.

 "Junior" Fringe tree is growing up fast this season.
Surrounded by this spectacular Schubertii allium , with the light filtering through ? again SPECIAL!

    How could I post without one of my favorite Japanese Maples with said light just about fading.

Light can be mimicked by the colour of your plants plus the site they are situated in .. say a shady corner ? .. the "All Gold" Japanese forest grass plus other light coloured plants can brighten a dark area with their presence.
I am hoping it will fill in nicely one of these years ... eventually ?

Speaking of light ... I was running out of it when taking the rest of these pictures ...
In any case .. I had to break up my beautiful huge Pinot Gris heuchera in this spot so I could plant some hopefully gorgeous Black Form iris I bought on sale from Vesey's .
I had some gorgeous blue Siberian iris here before, so I am hoping the dramatic black iris will really stand out ... yes .. I know what you are thinking ... that Piglet grass is going to GROW .. yup, there will be some "rearranging in the future but for now this is it.

Speaking of black ... my Black Lace sambucus has managed a couple of flowers.
I have to find a better place for it to live some year .. the finches and other birds use the poor thing like a springboard in a play ground .. new growth is constantly broken off .. guilt guilt !

So far so good with this standard hydrangea .. something I have never tried before.
Plus ? I have moved Sun King  gazillion times .. OK ... 4 or 5 times in the real world sense.
It is supposed to be cranky about that sort of abuse but so far it hasn't died on me .. fingers crossed!

 Before I overload this post with nonsense one last "glow" in the garden is this beauty  (run of the mill now, with so many new cultivars of baptisia) .. that blue is a show stopper in the garden at the moment because there aren't a lot of flowers and variety of colours out right now.
When the sun hits this in it's special way ... well you gotta' know ... it is SPECIAL !

16 comments:

Pat said...

Oh, just to see back and look. Joy, how long does the Schubertii allium last ?

Angie said...

Capturing the plants at just the right moment seems to be something I am not quite so good at but you seemed to have mastered that ability spot on Joy.
The black Iris, am I right in presuming I. chrysographes? I can assure you that you won't be disappointed with it. I planted mine about 3 years ago and it is clumping up enough that I hope to be able to divide it next year. Thanks for good wishes - the antibiotics are kicking in now and I am able to breathe a lot better this last two days. I'll soon be fighting fit!
I hope your weekend is a good one :)

suz said...

hi - i retired seven months ago, after 35-plus years of working some version of an afternoon or night shift. this has been one of my fave parts of retirement so far: being home to catch "the light" in my back yard in the afternoon. getting up with the sun instead of going to bed then is also a joy. --suz in ohio

rochefleuriegarden said...

You did catch just the right light but I do not think it was luck. Your garden look so fresh and inviting.

rusty duck said...

Light can make or break a photograph and you've really made the best of it with those shots. I love the Japanese Maple :)

CiNdEe's GaRdEn said...

So pretty(-: Hard to believe such a short time ago everything was dormant.
We had 3 inches of rain in the last couple of days. It was amazing. Things have grown like weeds here. We normally have no rain at this time of year. El Nino helped with that(-:

Lisa at Greenbow said...

It is almost impossible to capture those special glowing moments with a camera. I have tried so many times and failed, yet, those moments come to me in my mind often. I am so glad you could capture some of your special moments. Your garden is gorgeous.

Martha said...

I can never get enough of your garden, Joy! It's so amazing. Years of hard work (VERY hard work) and a lot of love have brought about these amazing results. I have two baptisias in my garden and they are blooming! I so love them.

Casa Mariposa said...

I love the glow! It's wonderful when just the right light turns a spotlight onto our plants. :o)

RobinL said...

Those alliums really are quite stunning, especially with your favorite light glowing! My favorite light is shortly before sunset. Love it!

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hello Patsi gril .. you asked me how long the Schubertii allium last ? .. as long as you want them in the garden. You can clean up the foliage as it yellows and then just have these crazy firework heads stay there .. all up to you ! I love them : )

Yes Angie the three roots I planted are chrysographes and I couldn't help but fall in love with them on line .. but sometimes plants don't translate as well in real life but I have my fingers crossed this one will.. glad you are getting better girl .. have a great week too !

Hello Suz ... I can well imagine how good it feels to be able to access your garden and time the way you want to .. I know shift work can be daunting with your schedule so screwed up .. glad you are getting true enjoyment out of your garden now !

Alain thank you so much : ) we were under threat of a tornado last night with heavy down pour of rain .. it was a bit scary .. but the garden was well watered and now in jungle mode so a lot of nip and tuck has to happen soon... haha

Thank you so much Rusty ? LOL .. you are so right about the light and how quickly it can disappear .. I am a full blown Japanese maple nut .. my absolute fav would be a Fill Moon variety .. but the zone is too iffy .. one day I might just try it though.

Cindee girl I am happy for you with the rain : ) and yes it really does make things go jungle mode .. that is what happened here .. last night we got over 38 mm .. a good down pour in any case .. plus guess what ? a tornado warning to boot ... go figure ? LOL
Thankfully it didn't happen but it made me nervous.

Lisa girl thank you : ) I see it so often and I am too late SO often to catch it because it changes so quickly .. it is special to us in our own gardens and makes us smile eh?

Martha girl you are too sweet .. you have to come over some time and see how different things are now .. the flagstone pathways are wonderful and the sprinkler system makes my life as a gardener (an Garden PA) so much easier !
Yes baptisia are gorgeous .. I have this one and a baby one I am growing for a friend .. my old anise hyssop finally bit the dust over this past winter .. I have to get a new one next year for sure .. I so love that scent of anise : )

Yes Tammy that glow makes your heart skip a beat when it is just right .. I am so happy these sort of things make me so HAPPY : )

Robin, I too love that after glow of the day transitioning to evening .. it is a beautiful time of the day .. dusk is very special indeed !

Jason said...

I know just what you mean about that special light late in the day, I especially love it when it makes the ferns and grasses glow. I have a 'Sutherland Gold' Sambucus that flowers modestly and has never set fruit.

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hello Jason .. yes when it shines on the ferns and especially tall ornamental grasses it can be spectacular. I also have Sutherland Gold but trained it more as a small tree .. it flowered amazingly this Spring .. no fruit though either. Thanks for stopping by !

Optimistic Existentialist said...

That tie late in the day when the light hits just right is a truly magical time...

I wish you a terrific weekend!

Nadezda said...

Special light in the garden, I think it's a special thing, this glow Joy. Sometimes I think what is it, looking at the white flowers as phlox or dahlias. Love your pictures!

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hello there Mr. Optimist : )
Yes there is something about dusk light that I have always felt connected to, I can't describe it .. just a feeling that is so internal. Morning light is beautiful in it's own way but it is felt like a beginning of the day while dusk is the start of a night adventure ?
Have a great weekend too !

Nadezda girl hello there, and thank you so much ! .. yes the white flowers enhance it all, they truly glow in the right light. That is why I like to have them in different areas of the garden for that "spot light"