It’s been a while since I posted for a few reasons.  We were on holiday, and then my dad passed away from cancer,  just last week.  Family came up this week and we spent a few days relaxing, taking in some local hikes and sitting in the garden.  We also took the opportunity to plant a few things in memory of dad.

This peony tree was given by two friends.  We planted it in a sunny spot in the front court yard, right next to where dad used to sit:

I finally got my Ginkgo!   Mom and Dennis generously contributed to the purchase of this Ginkgo biloba ‘Autumn Gold’ and we planted it in the ornamental grass bed also in the front courtyard:

We also planted some new new grasses, Japanese Forest Grass aka Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola‘:

We buried dad today, so it seems rather fitting that we also planted a tree in his memory.  Miss you dad!

Today I transplanted the rhubarb that my mom dug out of her garden for me:

I also prepped the soil and assembled my poles for beans:

I fixed the downspout to the rain barrel but was disappointed when it began to pour rain, nothing came down the spout, it just overflowed over the gutters.   It appears Bart needs to get up on the roof and clean the gutters out!

April 2007 – We planted three new trees on the new extension to the perennial bed (on Earth Day in fact). I’m looking forward to watching them grow over the next few years (another reason we can’t move, Bart). The following pictures are not mine as mine are nowhere near that exciting … maybe next year!

Planted in order from south to north:

Pyrus Chanticleer / Ornamental Pear

Common Name: Ornamental pear
Genus: Pyrus
Species: calleryana
Cultivar: ‘Chanticleer’
Skill Level: Beginner
Exposure: Full sun
Hardiness: Hardy
Soil type: Well-drained/light, Dry, Moist, Sandy
Height: 50 feet
Spread: 20 feet

An unusual, stately, deciduous, thorny Chinese tree (introduced to the West in 1908) which has superb late autumn colour. This particular cultivar, with flamboyant red autumn leaves, comes from North America and is now very popular because of its terrific show of early spring blossom, its relatively tall, thin, spire-like shape and its ability to tolerate pollution, which is why it’s often seen in cities. It has been given the Award of Garden Merit (AGM) by the Royal Horticultural Society. The variety ‘Bradford’ was the traditional alternative, but there are also other forms, like ‘Autumn Blaze’, which produces striking late-season colour.

Viburnum opulus ‘Sterile’ / Eastern Snowball

Family: Caprifoliaceae
Genus: Viburnum
Species: opulus
Cultivar: Roseum
Additional cultivar information: (aka Sterile)
Medium-sized to large-sized ornamental shrub (cultivars are smaller)
Species form matures at about 10′ tall by 10′ wide, although sometimes larger
Upright oval growth habit in youth, becoming arching and spreading with age.medium growth rate
Full sun to partial shade
Prefers moist, well-drained soils of average fertility in full sun, but is highly adaptable to permanently moist to wet soils, dry soils, poor soils, soils of various pH, heat, drought, and pollution

Masses of pure white snowball-like flower clusters make a showy display in summer. Bright green leaves have a purplish-red fall coloring. Spectacular landscape specimen. Deciduous. Full sun. Moderate grower to 12 feet tall, 10 feet wide, larger with age. Cutting grown.

Cornus ‘Rutgan’ STELLAR PINK / Stellar Pink Dogwood

Common Name: dogwood
Zone: 5 to 9
Plant Type: Tree
Family: Cornaceae
Missouri Native: No
Native Range : None
Height: 15 to 30 feet
Spread: 15 to 30 feet
Bloom Time: April – May
Bloom Color: Pink
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium wet
Maintenance: Low

This flowering dogwood cultivar is a small, deciduous tree which typically grows 15-30′ with a low-branching, flat-topped, broadly pyramidal to uniformly broad habit. Profuse bloom appears in spring, with each “flower” (3-4″ in diameter) featuring four showy, petal-like, slightly overlapping, light pink bracts which surround a small, yellowish-green, center flower. In autumn, the oval, dark green leaves (3-6″ long) gradually change to a uniform red to purplish red. Bright red fruits (poisonous to humans, but loved by birds) mature in early fall and usually persist until the middle of December.

Those aren’t mine.

April 2007 – I planted two blueberry bushes and they are currently both covered in tiny white flowers. A good sign that I might actually get some fruit this year?

On the north-side of the raised bed is a Northland:

• old hardy, vigorous and spreading plants that are consistently very productive. Berries are medium sized and very sweet. They ripen early-midseason

On the south-side of the raised bed is a Reka:

• Plants are upright, very fast growing and extremely productive. Tolerates wetter ground than other varieties. Berries are dark blue, medium sized and firm. They ripen early.

Plant in full sun or partial shade into well-drained, preferably acidic soil.  Keep moist through the growing season.  Use light amounts of acidic fertilizer in the spring.  Prune out old wood on established plants during the dormant season.

The funny thing is that I don’t even really like blueberries!

Planted May 2007 (pictures of my actual plants to follow):

Saxifraga

Can anyone further identify this?

Pulmonaria ‘Sissinghurst White

Delicate, pure-white, funnel-shaped flowers in early spring and white-spotted, bright-green leaves. This dainty pulmonaria is perfect for shady areas. One of the first to flower, it looks lovely alongside dwarf narcissus. Best in a soil that remains moist over summer, since mildew can take hold if the roots dry out.

Position: full or partial shade
Soil: humus-rich, moist, well-drained soil
Rate of growth: average
Flowering period: March to April
Flower colour: white
Other features: white-spotted leaves
Hardiness: fully hardy

Garden care: Lift and divide large clumps everythree to five years after flowering or in autumn. Cut back plants affected by mildew to the ground, water and feed – the plant will regenerate and produce new leaves later in the year

Eventual height: 25cm
Eventual spread: 45cm

Omphalodes

Native to Turkey, this forget-me-not relative makes a complement for late-spring bulbs and perennials. It forms a low-growing mound of mid-green oval foliage. This is topped with lots of starry, bright-blue blooms in spring. Plants will grow on most soils but produce the best results on a moisture-retentive but free-draining soil. Plants resent disturbance and should only be divided when they become overcrowded. Plants will self-seed prolifically.

Common Name: Navelwort
Genus: Omphalodes
Species: cappadocica
Cultivar: ‘Cherry Ingram’
Skill Level: Beginner
Exposure: Full sun, Partial shade
Hardiness: Hardy
Soil type: Well-drained/light, Moist
Height: 40cm
Spread: 40cm
Time to divide plants: March to April

Heuchera sanguina (Splendens Coral Bells)

Compact, clumping perennial with scalloped-edged, roundish, dark green leaves with lighter green marbling, 1-3 inches long. Late spring borne, loose, wiry-stemmed panicles of delicate bell-shaped blooms contrast well with the attractive foliage. ‘Splendens’ bears brilliant scarlet flowers and grows to 28 inches tall and spreads 12 inches. Makes a nice cut flower. Excellent for the shady border in hotter areas. These plants are a natural for rock gardens and woodland paths, and make great companion plants for hostas, ferns, strawberries, begonias, irises, lilies, and peonies. Native to the southwestern U.S. and Mexico.

Common Names: Coral Bells
Flower Color: Shades of Pink/Red
Height: 8″ to 14″
Light: Part Shade
Zone: 5-9
Water: Average
Soil: Average to Rich
Maintenance: Low
Other info: Loved by the hummingbirds! Remove spent bloom stalk for continued bloom. With ample fertilizer and moisture, plants may bloom all season. Plants may be short lived unless older plants whose crowns have died out are lifted and the side growths replanted every 3-4 years.