Grapevine pruned

Today we were blessed for with an over 10 degree Celsius weather with almost no wind and clear, sunny skies. I had initially planned to attend a World Cat Show happening this weekend in my city but at the thought of how crowded it would be I gave up the thought. I stayed home, slept late and around noon went outside to do my first garden chores this spring - pruning the grapevine, draped over the first and second story balconies of the house. The wine used to be overgrown and neglected but I got rid of all the old, dried out growth about three years ago and the vine has been much less work ever since. Today it took me about three hours to cut off last year's growth and pile it up for drying in the middle of the lawn. The canes that remained look quite neat, as if they received a crewcut. More sun is expected throughout this week so I hope to clean up the beds next to the house. Right now they are still full of the fall foliage, uncut grasses and herbs, and in the emerging sun they are beginning to look really out of place.

August vacation and bulb preview

My August vacation time is almost over. I ventured to my usual far-away gardening center today to see if they were already selling tulip bulbs and what varieties would those be this year. Well, they were selling but only a few, inside their old store which they've recently reorganized - furnished, stocked with new items and began calling a gallery. The outside bulb stand - which was upgraded last year and received a thatched roof - was only being stocked and the stock price tagged as I watched. They will be selling many more varieties, and some at lower prices than the gallery, there as of Monday.

I bought some orangy-red fosteriana tulips Juan, some orange Kaufmanniana tulips Shakespeare, some crocuses and I splashed on alliums - five bulbs of the purple flowering variety Gladiator, and three of the white flowering Mount Everest. The alliums still seemed expensive but, surprisingly, the price went down 30% since last year. I also bought three pots of hosta plantaginea bearing the most wonderfully scented white flowers! I've never seen a fragrant hosta before, and rightly so, upon researching back home I learned they are a rarity among the genus. The scent is gorgeous, heady and intoxicating. I might be back there tomorrow because only upon returning home I realized I had seen bags of Orange Princess tulips hanging right in front of me but got distracted and didn't buy them.

Needless to say, I'll have to add new entries to my list of monthly expenses: amounts spent on tulip bulbs, smaller bulbs and garden soil. I sincerely hope to keep the amounts reasonable.

Fosteriana tulips Flaming Purissima and Sweetheart

Both varieties have been in bloom for a couple of days now. And I've had the very same bulbs for at least for four years now (that is, the year-to-year descendants of the same bulbs). They have been moved from their original spots two years ago and it's their second spring in the current spot.

I'm amazed because they've actually multiplied in the sandy soil of my garden, particularly the Flaming Purissimas. They were taller and had much bigger flowers when still residing in the rich leafy soil under the trees, however here, in the open spot next to the house, their petals are more pink. They are the second tulip to bloom this spring, after the greigii tulip Toronto, which bloomed on April 9th.


On cloudy days the flowers remain closed.

Christmas

After a week of severe frost a couple of days ago today we've been enjoying a day of 10 C, apparently a single spring-like day at the very beginning of the actual winter. Amazingly warm and no wind whatsoever. I managed to plant fifteen bulbs of Pink Impression tulips. With leaves almost 2 inches tall, the bulbs were somewhat dry, so I'm curious if they will produce flowers. I also planted one bulb of giant allium, in a bit of half shade I'm afraid, so I also wonder if I'll see it flower. And I cleaned about a dozen huge clay pots in which I grow seasonal flowers. I brought them inside the house because I was afraid they'd crack if major frosts return in January and February.

I'm behind with so much home and garden work this fall. At work, I've been requested to submit my vacation plans for the following year by the end of December. I guess that's what stimulated me to step outside and tackle some of the work immediately. While planning yesterday I realized how much needs to be done and how little time combined with favorable weather and unpredictable circumstances (although I sincerely hope there will be no such circumstances next year!) I will have to accomplish it. I'm so glad I've got some of the work done today.

Pink rose

This is my favorite rose growing here in the city. I love the old-fashioned shape of the flowers with many petals and flat centers. It may be four or five years old. The leaves don't look too healthy this year, I guess because I have not been attending to the plant properly. It didn't get fertilized and mostly relied on the rain - of which we had plenty - for watering. Pictures taken on June 21st.

Parrot tulip Estella Rijnveld

I can't believe I have not posted pictures of the single best of my tulips this year. First waiting for them to finish flowering, so that I could sum up their peformance, and then amidst the turmoil of the most unfortunate month of June I had, I simply forgot.

I mentioned planting them last fall and you might have thought they didn't come up. Oh no. Estella Rijnveld, aka Gay Presto, developed handsome buds in the first week of May,

opened its flowers in the second,

and bloomed until the end of the month, when the rains and wind finally helped it drop its gorgeous petals.

The tulip is not very tall and doesn't even look much like a tulip, especially from a couple of yards away and to the unsuspecting eye. But belive me it is fabulous. The red and white of the flowers looked so crisp and refreshing! They literally sparkled in the morning shade of the spot where I had planted them.

Fascinated by the color and shape of the petals, I spent many minutes crawling in the grass to take pictures. I kept peeking at them through the window. I simply couldn't get enough of them!

The flowers are quite large and resistant to the elements - a mere rain doesn't harm them at all. They just dry off and keep turning their heads to follow the sun whenever it shows again.

Sturdy and beautiful, Estella Rijnveld is worth every penny it costs. Which is twice as much as the more common tulips. A true feast to the eyes. I can't say how well it returns because I've enjoyed it for the first time this spring. But I'll definitely be buying it again.

Sweet iris

I like to think this is iris pallida, commonly known as sweet iris, however if indeed it is I don't know. I bought it unnamed and have had it for at least ten years now, multiplying freely. It does well in considerable shade and the flowers have the nicest, light, fruity smell.

The stalks are tall and quite many, the flowers are small but of a gorgeous, bright, bluish lavender color. They stand out from a distance, particularly well against a dark background.

Iris Indian Chief

A very reliable bloomer. Many large flowers of reddish purple color. Also reliable and lasting as a plant - doesn't deteriorate within two-three years from planting.

In the above pictures the color of the flowers looks a bit too pink and purple. The actual color is closest to the below (all pics are of the same plant, taken on May 30th).

Purple iris

Another store bought iris which bloomed for the first time this spring. It turned out to be the first iris germanica to bloom. It is very tall - you can see the flowers are higher up than the garlics - but the flowers are quite small.

It is not terribly interesting by itself, as well as it's too tall for a spot right next to a narrow path through the flowerbed. I will probably move it somewhere more to the background and out of the way.

Pictures taken on May 16-19th.

Small peach iris

These are small but not dwarf - perhaps one foot tall - irises which appreciate a bit of well-watered dappled shade rather than a dry full sun spot. They bloom early, when tulips are still there. Picture taken on May 16th.

Yellow and red iris

This store bought iris has been in my city garden for about three years. It seems to need dividing quite often, as its stalks are already getting shorter and fewer. They were about three feet tall when first established in their current spot. Picture taken on May 28th.

Iris Sultan's Palace

iris germanica Sultan's Palace

Bloomed first time ever after I planted it last spring here in my city garden. Picture taken on May 30th.

Sneaky snails

While talking about the fauna of my garden, let me also mention that yesterday, when carrying some weeds to the compost pile in the shadows of the eastern part of the garden, I accidentally walked upon two large snails which I thought were having sex. Facing each other, they actually stood on the ends of their tails while the rest of their bodies were glued to each other, and they were checking each other out with their tentacled eyes really intensely. I'd never seen snails do anything like that before. They looked very sculptural. Also romantic, making out in the dappled shade of the very middle of the path..

Unfortunately, I have no pic of those guys, just of another random snail I noticed marching through my groundcovers towards, I believe, one of my geraniums, with the intent to eagerly consume it in its entirety, as they do each spring. It's been raining on and off lately and they've started to come out in large quantities. I've already seen iris stalks chomped into halves and holes eaten in their petals. Suddenly, there are fewer leaves on my hostas. Time to spread those poison treats, darlings..

New cat on the block

With age - she's about sixteen years old - my cat is beginning to resemble Garfield more and more each day. Just look at the pic. 8 a.m. I open the front door and there she is. Her eyes half closed, she turns to me in disapproval.

"Look at this guy. What does he think he's doing? He's been following me all morning. I couldn't get inside the house, so I'm keepin' the front door behind my back.. and he's been sittin' here looking at me for ages! No way I'm having any of it!"

I don't know what to make of this attitude because he must be about fifteen years her junior and he's very handsome.. I mean I'd go for it. I call him Tiger because he's young, striped and really bouncy. Fearless, too. He ignores people appearing near him and will even approach you if his curiosity is aroused. We already played chasing the end of a stick in the grass a couple of times and he let me briefly touch his head. Below you see him preparing to jump at my cat the moment she leaves the safe cover of the front door behind her to satisfy thirst from the nearby bowl of water.

Will you go out with me, pretty?


Oh, shucks! She moved! Ain't that butt just lovely?


Move away - lemme aim!


Oh, I'm so gonna show her...

Next, he jumps! The funny part is that he misses most of the time, so all I get to see is a spectacularly high jump followed by a loud landing about two feet behind her, and then my cat hissing and chasing him. He runs and she follows! Man, I wish I had the camera on, but it all happens too quickly.

Three weeks ago. The early stages of figuring out how to approach her - hiding in the flowerbed, next to a huge catmint plant.

I have no idea where he lives but I believe he doesn't have a home. He's such a funny and healthy young fellow that he made me think about actually giving him one.

Dame's rocket

hesperis matronalis

I saw a beautiful photo of these on the web last year and read about how sweet they smell on spring nights. I decided to grow a whole batch from seed. I was very proud of the results, because I don't think I had had success with seeds other than zinnias before, and I actually managed to produce about two dozen containers of seedlings.

After all the watering, shading and snail picking I did, imagine my surprise when I discovered them growing wild, in abundance, in the shade of the lime tree at the farm. I could have simply transplanted them from there...

Pictured is one of my seedlings, which are now waist high, in its sweetly scented flower.

Parrot tulip Rococo

First time I've tried this variety. I hesitated whether to buy them or not because they are both red, which I'm not crazy about, and parrot, which means they grow short and twisted and never return after the first year. I finally decided to only plant a few and try them as an accent close to the path. It turns out they are lovely!

The color is velvety fire engine red with some yellow visible inside - almost like flames - when strong sun shines on the flower, while the outside of the petals has an equally velvety purplish tint. I have them planted in dappled shade, which was a truly brilliant idea, because it brings out the colors just enough to make them shine instead of dulling them the way strong sun does.

The shape of the flowers is fascinating and gorgeous from every angle. Opulent, yet elegant, this tulip is definitely a keeper.

Parrot tulip Erna Lindgreen

First time in my garden. The picture was taken at dusk, so there's a tad too much blue in it but the color is not affected beyond recognition. Contrary to what I read on the web, Erna is a deep, bright, perhaps slightly reddish pink and not a red tulip. The flowers are cup-shaped with only slightly irregular edges of petals, so the overall impression is more of a Triumph, or perhaps a modest double tulip rather than a parrot one. The inside of the flower is adorned with a blue stripe encircling the bottom.

Erna is quite short, has strong stems and flowers early. The pictures were taken on May 3rd and they are of the last tulip remaining. A late bloomer, it is somewhat smaller than the ones that have already faded. It doesn't truly reflect how attractive they all looked in full bloom - in a bare April garden, they stood out like bright colored roses.

Tulip Blushing Lady

Water and watch it grow twice as tall as other tulips!


Blushing Lady and Toyota

A Darwin Hybrid. The tallest of all flowers in my garden, including perennial sunflowers.. perhaps excluding the Jerusalem artichoke. They must be about three feet tall and are visible from quite a distance.

The flowerheads are initially small and pale colored, but with time they grow to size L and develop the most lovely deep pastel shades you'd expect from a ripe peach - yellow melting with pink and hints of orange. They are spectacular, even though they tend to crawl like snakes if the spring is very windy. They are completely charming even then. I remember I had to tie them to supports last year, this year, however, we have had drought and truly summer temperatures almost without wind, and they are doing just great. The flowers open towards the sun, but they don't go completely flat, which I don't find attractive, they remain cup-shaped.

At dusk they close tightly.

Second year in the ground without being lifted.

Tulip Marilyn

One of my long time favorites, with large white lily-shaped flowers striped pink. Quite tall but not too thin, it definitely deserves its name - it's just sexy. Pictured growing in my front bed with Elegant Lady and Blue Heron. All of them second or third year in the same spot without being lifted.

Tulip Ballerina

They are very reliable and tend to come back well, or even naturalize. It's at least their third year in the same spot and there are only a couple fewer than I originally planted. A bit smaller, I admit. But if I took proper care of them, such as kept watering, weeding and fertilizing, they'd probably multiply. The spot where they grow is partially shaded, extremely dry and almost never watered. They share it with iris pallida.

They start out orange and develop the red and yellow as they mature but remain thin and delicate, as many lily-flowered tulips are.