A Return on Work in the Garden

Things are now starting to look green all over, a welcome reward for the spring clean up and the past few falls of bulb-planting.  Only the last 2 years of tulip plantings are producing any significant blooms, which is really not surprising.

My new favorite: Akebono double late tulip (yellow)

Today, I dug up some tulips that were planted 3 years ago and which had divided themselves into multiple tiny bulbs, none of which produced a decent bloom.  I immediately filled the space with columbines (Aquilegia) that I found in odd places after doing some intensive dandelion weeding.  There was nearly a dandelion hedgerow forming at the back of the long raised bed.  I was quite proud of my work after all this.  I also found a thumb-sized brown larval creature and many earthworms that my little assistant gardener took on a tour of the yard before naming and eventually replacing them in the flower bed.

Grape hyacinths with daffodils and pink tulips

Primula auricula - completely hardy and dramatically showy blooms

 It is interesting to see what has ceased to appear each year.  My saxifraga in the alpine garden have entirely disappeared.  I think they got too wet, because the one I transplanted to the dusty dry sunny sloping flower bed is still alive.  I resolved to be more careful that no one waters this flower bed with the sprinkler, as the alpine plants do really thrive on the minimum of care (really, just weeding alone).   

Primula scotica - a petite plant that has reproduced nicely in the shade

Perennials really are an economical plant, living long and producing extras for transplantation far and wide.  I mostly try to avoid multiplication of the delphiniums, however, there are enough growing in the back of the large raised bed to move around and create quite a wall of these towering flowers.  If I get time before these get much larger, I will remove more of the under-acheiving old tulips and give their real estate to the delphiniums.

I am happy to see that the sunflower seeds planted recently have produced some little sprouts.  As of yet, no squirrel has found them.  I planted them randomly throughout the large raised bed (below). 

The long raised bed - site of today's dandelion massacre

Rainbow seen from the air over northern SK yesterday

This rainbow was spotted from the small plane I was in yesterday, just after passing through a dark cloud.  While it was sunny and bright on take off in the far north and on landing in La Ronge, we passed through rain and some  turbulence in between.  We were able to see the entire arc of the rainbow from the air - though the cellphone camera and the plexiglass windows don't really do it justice.

Erigeron compositus blooming in alpine garden