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Saturday 19 June 2021

"At Last"

 Have you ever  .. sort of forgotten about a plant and then "rediscovered" it ? Most gardeners have I should think  .. it is just one of those episodes we all go through when we have distractions pulling us in all different directions. It is ( for the most part) like burying a hidden treasure and bang there it is !

My hidden treasure is "At Last" rose and I am fully embarrassed that I "buried" it in a less than optimal setting where it has absolutely shamed me with how gorgeous it is trying to be.
I couldn't stop taking pictures of it I was so enthralled with how beautiful it was despite the shady conditions it literally dropped it into .. was I feeling full throttle guilty, and have made a pledge to find it a much better placement.
Now for the next sunnier discovery .. not so much a plant but curiosity of an insect enjoying spirea flowers.
It looks like it is wearing sunglasses to me ! 
Could anyone tell me what this little guy is ?
This is another rose in the same area and I am not sure which one it is .. it could be Julia Child ? It is so rare to have nice healthy foliage and clean buds I just had to include this shot as well.
I usually have NO luck with roses so I want to soak these in !
Romantika clematis is a VERY dark , vigorous one .. I want to intertwine it with a nice large white clematis so I planted Mary Claire this year .. it will take a bit of time for them to "work" together.
That texture reminds me of velvet.
Madame Julia Correvon is springing out now in two places of the garden. She wants to drape over Little Lamb hydrangea and the ivy over the water barrel.
Finally "The President" has "swamped the dead lilac tree .. but this will soon be taken out to replace with Pee Gee hydrangea standard .. less overwhelming and messy I think ?
A little dark here but you can see this campanula "Waterfall" with a shock of blue in the ally way.
The kiwi vine is a complete rat's nest that I have to get under control .. hopefully today !
Update on the mystery insect from one of my commenters letting me know what it is.
A "Carder Bee" ... I had no idea about these bees ! Now I have to have a good look at my Lamb's Ear to see if they are being "carded" ?  This is a stock picture of the bee.




14 comments:

Anonymous said...

That's a hoverfly. :)

Alana said...

Not only have I lost (and then found) garden plants, but my spouse (who does all the planting due to my back issues) has accidentally dug up some plants, thereby removing them from our garden. So, you may have found a rose that enjoys shade. Enjoy your discovery. I also "lose" variety names of my plants and I enjoy that you remember your variety names.

Anonymous said...


Lovely garden! Such great variety of plants and blooms.

I believe 'your' bee is a Carder Bee.
I discovered these bees when I found a brood nest (which I didn't realize at the time) while cleaning a swing out window. The nest was a tube of fuzz and eggs dispersed evenly. After some investigating I found that the female bee collects or cards (as in wool making) hairs from fuzzy leaf plants such as Lamb's Ear, which I know you have. I do too, so I checked my plants at that time and sure enough I could see evidence of the fuzz having been scraped off ! I felt badly though as I had destroyed the nest in my investigation.

Elizabeth

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hello there "anonymous ! LOL ... I have found out what this insect is and I am flabbergasted because I had no idea of this type of bee .. I hope you come back to find out what too !

Hello Alana, thank yu so much ! and ouch ! sorry about the back issues (I know about them too) but also through your hubby's help having lost a few plants .. but that gives you ground (literally) for buying a few more right ? LOL
I feel guilty about this rose and I have vowed to find a better , sunnier site for it .. now when that miracle happens I will post about it ! I'm under pressure now ? LOL

Hello another Anonymous ! LOL
THANK YOU !!! I had no idea about these little miracles ! I Googled the image .. found more information and I am THRILLED to have such bees in my garden ;-) Doubly thrilled that I can supply them with material to build their nests .. yes I am a lamb's ear fanatic !
Now when we have some good weather (we have a rather severe storm front coming) I want to check the ears to see if any fuzz has been scraped off.
Hey .. don't feel badly ... you had no idea ... it was an innocent mistake,then you educated yourself about them and are spreading that education and that is a great thing !
I appreciate it so thank you ;-)

Lisa at Greenbow said...

That dark clematis is sumptuous. I would love to grow that. Your yellow rose is a keeper too. That little bee is sweet.

Kris Peterson said...

Handsome bee! I LOVE that dark-flowered clematis. I haven't had much success with clematis - I have just one, C. terniflora, right now - but I'm committed to trying one of the larger-flowered species next year (while praying for more rain than the piddly amount we got this year). I've been tempted to try that 'At Last' rose too and I think your testimonial has helped push me further to that decision.

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hello Lisa girl ;-) Romantika is one of the darkest you can get and you are right .. it looks sumptuous indeed right ? LOL .. I have to move these roses to a much better site !

Hi Kris .. I have never heard of this bee until now .. always learning something new !
I understand you are stuck when it comes to water hungry plants .. I have problems with trying ot find spots for sun thirsty ones. This At Last rose is a special one . I really have to find it a better position .. Julia Child is gorgeous too and they both are scented which means a lot to me .

Alistair said...

Joy
Handsome bee, sweet bee! what's wrong with everyone, he looks like a right creepy looking little bugger to me. Great looking Roses and Clematis.

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Alistair you cracked me right up ! LOL .. I think you are thrown off a bit because it looks more like a wasp than a bee .. I was very close to it and it was not aggressive to me at all .. I think everyone is just trying to be as positive about any kind of bee right now because they have taken such a hit ... thank you for the compliment on my roses and clematis ! ;-)

Jason said...

Yes, I frequently rediscover plants that seem to reemerge after disappearing for a year or two, often just after being planted. Those are two lovely roses. It's a good sign that you are finding native bees in your garden!

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hi Jason and thank you I am smitten with At Last ! LOL .. it is a very curious thing isn't it? I am discovering that lilies I planted maybe last year ? have sprouted up this year and I have no idea which ones they are until they flower. I just watched one of the carder bees early last evening scoping out my lamb's ears .. it is fascinating !

Lee@A Guide to Northeastern Gardening said...

I am happy you found your rose, since it is so lovely! The garden always has a surprise awaiting. Your dark clematis is lovely too!

Snowbird said...

Oh I say, what beautiful roses and there's you saying you can't grow them. I love your clematis, here's to those two marrying up. Your critter does look like it's wearing sunglasses, it looks like a sort of hover fly to me.xxx

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hello Lee ! and thank you .. I am determined to find a better, sunnier position for this rose it has so much potential in the proper place and it illustrated a stubborn streak to bloom despite this shady nook ? LOL

Snowbird hello there ;-) .. this rose showed me who is boss ? the ROSE is ! LOL
I feel so guilty letting it fight so hard to be seen .. I am going to help it out as soon as I can. Yes Romantika is one dark vigorous clematis. The carder bee is amazing .. I actually saw it on my lamb's ears doing the carding thing .. I never knew about this bee before !