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Sunday 25 April 2021

Hello to the Natives !

"Berry Bladder" fern or Cystopteris bulbifera  or bulbet fern .. I have planted quite a few of these babies last year. Seeing that intense red stem now at this point in the season is so rewarding !
They practically glow with this colour and what a foil between Spring bulbs and their greenery.
No I did not enhance this photo, I couldn't believe the colour either .. I think the trick is back lighting.
Trillium luteum or yellow trillium is amazing ! It has grappled with cold, drought, and snow in-between within a matter of weeks ? albeit typical of SE Ontario .. it is still remarkable to watch even as a gardener .. I guess that is the point right ? gardeners never get tired of seeing plants not only survive but thrive as well, no matter the circumstances.
Jacob's Ladder , Polemonium reptans "Stairway to Heaven" has such a beautiful pink tinge when it first peeks out in the Spring, and it doesn't stop there .. it will have gorgeous little flowers that draw you in.
Natives are beautiful plants that keep the shade garden so interesting .. especially when you need that something after a long winter. Yes most of them are ephemeral .. but that is their magic !
This part of the garden takes a little longer to wake up, but it is .. waking up !
Ok .. I had to sneek in a few more hellebore, I could not help myself. They have been spectacular this year !
Golden Lotus 
Royal Heritage strain
My gargoyle approves of these gorgeous flowers and when the flowers finish ? the foliage stays fresh and full looking all season, who doesn't love a multi-tasking plant ?
Yes things are still a little bare looking here still  , but once it starts to take off ... it TAKES OFF !

10 comments:

Jason said...

That fern is very striking with the red stems.

Phillip Oliver said...

All beautiful - I'm just beginning to discover native plants in my region. There are some beautiful ones and the benefits to wildlife make me want to use more.

Anonymous said...

The fern is gorgeous, and I have serious hellebore envy. Your garden looks ready to LEAP into action. Come on, spring!

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Yyes! Natives are miraculous plants. They come into the world when we need them most. They are so reassuring that despite many set backs all will come together beautifully.

Margaret said...

Wow - those hellebores ARE spectacular! Mine are nowhere near that glorious yet - but I'm patient :) Loving the ferns, btw - need to get some into my shady areas for sure!

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hi Jason ... they are very striking indeed ! I didn't notice them being that red last year, but then again they were under a different tree in a very shady area.

Hello Phillip .. I am so happy to be able to get my hands on some, ten I buy as many as I can each Spring to populate the colonies a little quicker and enjoy the results a little faster ?

Hello Anonymous ? and thank you so much ! It has taken years to have my hellebore border come to fruition like this .. and even then ? it depends on the winter and Spring with how pretty they can be .. all up to mother nature ?

Yes Lisa natives are remarkable plants my first encounter with them was as a little girl seeing those lush ferns in the woods .. and then particularly a little pink flower that only bloomed in the Spring ... to this day I don't know what it was called .. but it was a Nova Scotia specialty .. May Flower ? .. the scent was amazing too !

Margaret .. a patient gardener is a true gem ! LOL .. it took years for mine to show off this way but wow .. I am a happy gardener ! .. yes ! ferns are the perfect shade plant to me .. they put up with a lot of nonsense and stick to their guns by smiling back ! LOL

Snowbird said...

Oh, those red stems certainly are something! I can't seem to stop looking at that trillium, gorgeous it is. You run with the hellebores, they are utterly beautiful. Lovely to see your garden exploding into life.xxx

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hello there Snowbird ! .. Funny enough, I didn't really notice how red those fern stems were last year .. but then again all the elements converged with those pictures to show off that red ? LOL .. Yes I am so excited by my trillium and I hope to find more this year .. but things aren't near normal yet .. so I have to be happy with what ever I find .. thank you for your comments girl ;-) .. I do love my hellebore when they smile ? haha

Kris Peterson said...

I didn't think that fern was real at first - wow! I'm also very impressed by Polemonium 'Stairway to Heaven' although I haven't a chance of growing it in my climate. I've managed to grow some hellebores (after giving them a good span of time to settle in) but sadly 'Golden Lotus' quickly said goodbye.

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hi Kris .. when I first saw saw how those pictures turned out I was amazed too ! .. the back lighting was just at the right angle (all conditions for an unusual photo were perfect !) these little ferns can look so delicate yet have a wow factor. I have gone through a few of this polemonium over the years but for the most part they are hardy and gorgeous.
I had created my hellebore bed maybe 17 years ago and just kept adding to it .. I have had duds .. Black Diamond never followed through sadly .. and ? I have had surprises with tags saying one kind and being another .. gardening is a treasure hunt some times .. you never know who plants will turn out ? haha