Fall Garden Tour

Here is a fall tour our yard, for those that have noticed a lack of pictures that encompass the yard as a whole rather than through the macro lens. There was a bit of sunshine this morning before it started to rain.

Large raised bed on the right:

Raised beds, blue spruce, and crabapple. You can also see three of the four "Carmine Jewel" tart cherries, which I planted in 2005. The water is Lac La Ronge.

View from the road:

The shade beds, under the poplars that I hate (I hate the fluff and the suckers everywhere).

The first of my sunflowers!

The perennial border along the driveway.

Bank of sedum (unknown type), which flowers yellow in July and turns red in fall. The mountain ash tree to the right has been stripped clean of its orange berries by the hungry robins. I would like to do something more with this bank, but it is composed of mainly sand, boulders, and rubble. It is impossible to dig weeds out of here and most plants would require addition of real soil.

Daylily planted last week, labeled with a Permastake, my favourite plant marker:

Morden "Blush" rose never looked this good all summer!

Large raised bed with fall colors in the background. My raised beds contain mostly perennials.

Gardens Abroad

While I was not blogging this past week, I was enjoying gardens and garden centers while travelling in British Columbia. I am aware that this activity qualifies me as a garden nerd, yet I feel no shame.

I bought myself some narcissus and botanical tulip bulbs as well as some Fritillaria imperialis bulbs for a relative in Penticton with a nasty deer problem. These flowers (and the bulbs themselves!) are repulsive to any nose, including those of deer. The woman at the Kelowna garden center said that you should avoid planting these next to your door so that their fragrance does not overwhelm you. I hope that they are effective!

This green combo to the is my mom's potted canna with a cluster of green bell peppers! I can only imagine that the annuals that filled the base of the pot included a stray vegetable!

I had to stop to see this private garden in Trout Creek, a small community near Summerland, British Columbia (southern Okanagan, zone 6). There were hundreds of crocus-like flowers, planted in rows and clusters.

Lots and lots of Colchicum! Apparently, they are also growing saffron crocus, but the woman said that they bloom later, closer to November.

A violet-colored Waterlily Colchicum. The woman working in the garden said that these were Colchicum, a special interest of her husband. Of course, I have garden envy, as I cannot grow these fall-blooming beauties in my own cold zone!

Rotary park at Okanagan Lake beach in Penticton, British Columbia. The plaques surrounding this circle of flowers record the winners of the Ironman triathlon, which starts and ends at this location.

Broad tropical leaves of cannas fill the background, with bright pom-pom zinnias and purple salvia "Victoria" in the foreground.

I like looking at flowers in city parks, both for inspiration for my own garden, and to see what grows well in this particular climate. The southern Okanagan is hot and dry during the summer. This flower display uses cannas, zinnias, marigolds, salvia, cleome, ornamental peppers, and a few other plants.

Tall Plants: Bright red canna flowers on the right with the last blooms of pink and purple cleome at left. Zinnias occupy the foreground.

Headless Chicken of the North

Kona got her new chicken today, which replaces the chicken of her puppyhood (thanks Kandace). Unfortunately, her doggy friends had not been so gentle with the last rubber chicken and it developed a significant laceration of its neck (see the graphic photo below).

Kona has been observed spending hours gently licking and holding her rubber chicken. When it squeaks, she makes crying noises. Rubber chicken, rubber chicken, how I love thee...

Tragic rubber chicken injury:

Kona is beside herself with excitement:

Besides dog news, I got a few hundred bulbs in today. I even got a blister in my right palm while doing it! For all this work, I'm hoping more family members come for garden tours next May during bulb-o-rama.