Teza's Hortus Magnificum

Looking Back: The First Two Years

2012-01-27T15:48:00.001-05:00

Reading with Teza

2012-01-26T19:23:00.001-05:00

The winter months allow me to catch up on my second favourite endeavor – reading - and this month has been most rewarding, especially with the potential arrival of two more books to add to my gardening collection!

I am enthralled with the flora of Asia, with specific praise for the plants of China. Many visitors have commented that my garden might be a sliver of the ‘Mother of Gardens’ – as is how China has been referred to in many of my recent reading accounts. This new book co-authored by Christopher Grey-Wilson and Phillip Cribb [of ‘The Genus Cypripedium’ fame] touted to be the largest collection on this subject, is definitely a worthwhile addition!

For two years I have been searching for ‘The Greater Perfection – The Story of the Gardens at Les Quatre Vents.’ Those who know me best would say it is because of the trademark Meconopsis on the front cover, but in truth, the entire garden fascinates me. I am looking forward to reading author Francis H Cabot’s description of not only the garden’s history, but also of it’s progression over the years as one of Quebec’s leading horticultural wonders!

Are there any new gardening books that have piqued your curiosity of late?

Two More Reasons To Visit Lost Horizons This Spring!

2012-01-24T15:38:00.001-05:00

Epimedium grandiflorum f. violaceum ‘Tama No Genpei’

Epimedium ‘Storm Cloud’

Where Have You Been All My Life?

2012-01-22T15:39:00.001-05:00

Have you ever stumbled across a plant – something you’ve never seen before, but something nonetheless that by all rights should reside in your garden? Its one of those late night computer games I like to play when the mind is telling me I should head to bed, but the fever for new and exciting plants simply will not extinguish itself – if only for six or seven hours!

Take for example the smashing plant in the header photo for this post: Scoliopus bigelovii!

Scoliopus is a genus in the Liliaceae family with two species that are native to cool moist woodland in Oregon and California. They are one of the fringe geophytes with underground stems with numerous fleshy storage roots. They are known by common names of slink pod because of the long seed pod that "slinks" and buries the seed in the ground and fetid adders-tongue because they have a fetid scent although it is not very strong and you have to get very close to smell it. They bloom late winter to early spring, one of the early wildflowers in their native habitat. Scoliopus bigelovii is a northern coastal California species that is found in very wet habitats: mossy streambanks and moist, shady forests. [Pacific Bulb Society]

Scoliopus bigelovii comes from moist woodland areas in Oregon and California, flowering in late winter and early spring. It is proving to be hardy in British gardens when grown in cool acid woodland or peat-bed conditions, appreciating partial shade where it may gently seed itself about. When grown in the open garden, protection from slugs is advised as the seed pods push themselves downwards towards the soil prior to releasing the seed, making them virtual gastropodic picnic baskets. This seed dispersal method resembles that of Trillium rivale and although the floral parts of Scoliopus superficially resemble those of a Trillium, both are thought to be coincidental; they are not botanically related, Scoliopus being closer to the genera Calochortus and Tricyrtis in the Liliaceae.

The colour of the beautifully marked flowers, with their broad recurved petals, can vary not only in the shade of yellow in the background but also in the amount of brown streaking and spotting. Unerringly constant however, is the reminder of its colloquial name 'Fetid adders-tongue'....... it stinks! Just a few open flowers in my greenhouse was enough to announce their arrival. The odour is best described as that of a wet dog (that has also rolled in something nasty), necessary to attract carrion beetles, its putative pollinators.

Despite this failing, it does make an excellent pot plant for the alpine house giving a much needed lift to the cold dark days at the start of the year. [Alpine Garden Society]

I think I’m in love! Falling somewhere on the scale between Trillium and Tricyrtis, how could I not? Now if I only knew the directions to my ‘Alpine House.’ I know it is around here somewhere.

‘When Teza’s Garden Tangoed with PhotoShop!’

2012-01-19T10:51:00.001-05:00

Lets get something straight, right from the hop! I am not a fan of PhotoShop when it comes to the garden! How many time have I overheard someone say: ‘But that’s not what the picture on the tag looks like!’ Really? I guess this is why I prefer a simple tag: Botanical Latin name, and price. This way I have to do my own homework! Hopefully I will have discovered what the plant in question will look like in bloom [a shout out for display gardens!] or, if I’m particularly lucky, there will be one in bloom in the tray that I am choosing from! Having said that…… the thought of PhotoShop engaged in a seductive Tango here in Teza’s Garden….. lets just say the results could be stunning, if not entirely unrealistic!

Hakonechloa macra ‘All Gold’ and Cornus alternifolia ‘Golden Shadows’

While it is true that this photo, in reality, did afford me a mesmerizing example of the contrast between leaf colouration, the deep wine in the foreground, the delightful pink blush in the background, it now takes on the feel of a painting!

Cercidiphyllum japonicum ‘Rotfuchs’ [Red Fox]

For those who have problems with Cercis, I would strongly suggest this beautiful tree, whose leaves, albeit smaller in surface area that the Cercis, still have that wonderful heart shape to them. With this cultivar in particular, new foliage is a deep purple colour with gold veining! Spectacular without the assistance of PhotoShop!

She who needs to assistance from PhotoShop….. but still, I could not resist! If you’re going to be a rebel, do so confidently!

Beware the tags that offer saturated blues like this photo! Granted, the flowers are decidedly more blue than purple, in reality this is just a visualization of a dream that keeps looping through my subconscious!

Dracocephalum ruyschianum

And then there is this…… a unique and hard to find plant that doesn’t need any bloody dance lessons, let alone a tango!

Cotimus coggygria ‘Grace’

To highlight a special effect, such as the foliage of ‘Grace’, sometimes it ‘helps’ to do the Tango, but only to ‘highlight’ an already unique photograph. So many of my pictures catch me off guard!

Aster ‘Little Carlow’

I enjoy this little known Aster. ‘Little Carlow’ is very popular amongst English gardeners, but is still relatively uncommon here. Such a pity considering its highly mildew resistant foliage, and stunning iridescent flowers!

‘Cory, are you shimmering, or are you just happy to see me!’

Truth be told, his flowers truly are of an icy blue opalescence! He is single-handedly responsible for my obsession with all flowers blue!

‘My God, that flower is so blue, why it’s casting a shadow on the brick!’

Why yes, yes it is! Ceratostigma willmottianum ‘My Love’ captured my immediate attention with its combination of fabulously chartreuse foliage and sky blue flowers, to say nothing of it’s ruby infused stems and branches! Tender as she is [reputedly Zone 7] I cannot live without her presence gracing Teza’s Garden!

Actaea simplex ‘Hillside Black Beauty’

It’s beauty is only transcended by the intoxicating aroma of these mesmerizing flower spikes! A late summer, early Fall bloomer here in Teza’s Garden, if you’ve got a spot close to where people congregate, plant it and sit back and be amazed as people crane their necks to detect where the delicious fragrance is coming from!

The Bold Foliage of the Shaded Walk

When I set out the create the Shaded Walk, I knew that one of its unique features, aside of being filled with rare and unusual plants, would be that the majority of said plants would boast bold foliage! Diphylleia cymosa, a grealy under used and under appreciated native was the ideal perfect fit!

Nectaroscordum siculum ‘Bulgaricum’

Granted, though I describe it as a vampire’s perfect lair, there is a good deal of morning sun that filters into the garden, and it is at this time of day when this wonderful bulb looks it’s absolute best!

Thalictrum ‘Black Stockings’

I mentioned those photographs that catch me off guard. This shot of the gentle finger’s of morning sunlight caressing the unique flowers of one of many Thalictrum here in Teza’s Garden left me somewhat speechless. In reality, it had been nothing more than point, focus and shoot! With or without Tango lessons, it remains a personal favourite!

Spigelia marilandica

A recent shout-out from Joy, reminded me that even the most fickle of gardeners can have a sudden change of heart. There was a time when I would hard pressed to be able to point out a flower with a red or yellow flower in my garden repertoire. Too bright! Too garish! I like flowers to show off in an understated way – by their uniqueness and or rareness. Leave the bright and sassy flowers for the sunny borders! Oh yes, this gardener comes with more biases and idiosyncrasies than you could ever imagine! And then, along came my Spi Guy as I now lovingly refer to this North American native as!

Gentiana septemfida var. Lagadochiana Select

The faster you Tango with PhotoShop@ the more startling the results! Goodness me, these blooms look as if they might melt with too much sunlight. Lucky for me they are more than happy in partial shade!

Baptisia ‘Purple Smoke’

The very first photo ever taken during the creation of Teza’s Garden! I remember it as though it were yesterday!

Syneilesis aconitifolia

A favourite to help accentuate the importance of texture when creating a shade garden. Syneilesis causes a stir from the time it emerges from the ground in Spring, all fuzzy, furry tiny little aliens, through its awkward ‘I look like the umbrella you find in those fancy pink drinks!’ right up until it looks like this, boldly demanding an audience with everyone who should stumble upon it unsuspectingly – a relatively common occurrence here in Teza’s Hortus Magnificum [the reason behind the name!]

‘In The Gloaming: The Shaded Sanctuary’

and lastly, one for Joy! I too am a huge fan of this photo, captured on the anniversary of my Grandmother’s death in the previous garden of two of my favourite garden friends.

So… no more Tangos with PhotoShop! Are you people who make plant tags listening! Give us the real deal or give us nothing at all!

Joan Didion: l’heure bleue

2012-01-18T14:23:00.001-05:00

‘….You pass a window, you walk to Central Park, you find yourself swimming in the color blue: the actual light is blue, and over the course of an hour or so this blue deepens, becomes more intense even as it darkens and fades. approximates finally the blue of the glass on a clear day at Chartres, or that of the Cerenkov radiation thrown off by the fuel rods in the pool of nuclear reactors. The French call this time of day ‘l’heure bleue.’ To the English it was ‘the gloaming.’ The very word ‘gloaming’ reverberates, echoes- the gloaming, the glimmer, the glitter, the glisten, the glamour – carrying in its consonants the images of houses shuttering, gardens darkening, grass lined rivers slipping through the shadows….’

from the book ‘Blue Nights’ @2011

How To Beat The January Blahhhs!

2012-01-17T17:09:00.001-05:00

It was on St.Patrick’s Day this past year that I attended Canada Blooms. Of mixed opinion, it did afford a day out where one could surround themselves and breathe in the ‘green life essence’ that surrounded them.

These were my two favourite displays! I was slightly dumbfounded with the lack of plant material available for sale, especially the delightful Helleborus x hybridus ‘Golden Lotus’ that was the highlight of the photo above!

When you find yourself on the inside, looking out upon a dreary, wet, foggy, way-too-mild-for-January day, and you’ve tidied and organized not only your living and work space, not to mention updated and flogged your Facebook pages, and, you’re caught with laundry….. Sweet Jesus, what is there for a guy to do?

That was one of the highlights of the past year for sure! The Ontario Rock Garden and Hardy Plant Sale that Julie, Doreen, George and I attended at the Toronto Botanical Gardens. I’d heard of NARGS and was seriously considering joining, knowing that a few of my plant hoarding friends were members. This would be a perfect introduction!

It was so rewarding and comforting, rubbing shoulders [literally] with other like minded plantaholics, and I even ran into two or three people I knew…. and a few who I should have recognized but didn’t, so preoccupied was I with finding new and rare treasures! [Sorry about that Barry P!]

We were the second people in line: I was so thrilled to discover that like myself, Julie likes to get there early. Secure the best possible spot in line! Needless to say, I was able to find a few tantalizing treasures, which did, yes, include yet another blue flowered Corydalis! Not that I needed anymore! I’ve been looking forward to the 2012 sale ever since, and have already allocated half a pay so that I can be sure of being able to enable my addiction as best as possible. That was one of the big highlights this past year……

And then there were those closer to home:

A return engagement to Lost Horizons allowed for me an opportunity to indulge in conversation with the man who opened my eyes to the wonderful flora of Asia. It was also an opportunity to pick up a few much lusted after plants…. including a second Paeonia mlokosewitschii and the beguiling Deinanthe caerulea – both considered by plant connoisseurs to be ‘holy grail’ selections.

Deinanthe caerulea

It was also the year that another two of my ‘Holy Grail’ selections decided to bloom – proving that life’s best pleasures do indeed come to those who wait. Glaucidium palmatum [above] and Anemonopsis macrophylla [below] afforded me one bloom from each, but what magnificent blooms they were!

It was also the year that the carnival came to live in Teza’s Garden: Acer campestre ‘Carnival’ had haunted my dreams for the past four years, having first stumbled across it in the magnificent display garden of Lost Horizons. All in all, 2011 was a stellar year as far as personal rewards and satisfaction were concerned. And to think that it would provide me with hours of enjoyment on a wet, foggy, way-too-warm January day!

A Few That I’m Anxious To See, A Few [More] That I Need!

2012-01-16T19:49:00.001-05:00

These are the two most anticipated blooms that I am waiting for this gardening season. I have a soft spot when it comes to Epimedium, and after acquiring ‘Sakura Maru’ from Lost Horizons last summer….. well, just look at those spectacular flowers! As for P. mlokosewitschii – we go back a long way! I’m considered a patient gardener by most, and let me tell you ‘Miss Molly’ is the perfect plant to test that theory!

I was chatting with a fellow hoarder, who I think was surprised with my staunch bias towards shade loving plants. I was pontificating on the genus Epimedium and he commented to the likes of: ‘I like my flowers big and flamboyant!’ And that in a nutshell is why I prefer shade loving plants! I do love a stunning flower, don’t get me wrong, but for the most part, I am equally, if not more excited about the foliage. Case in point…..

I need me one of these…..

and these

and yes, even one of these!

And by the way…. does anyone know where I can find a plot of moderately acidic woodland soil….. cheap!

Cypripedium formosanum

2012-01-15T17:05:00.001-05:00

I have been reading up a storm – learning as much as possible about the genera that holds my every waking hour captive – that of course being Cypripedium!

I currently grow Cypripedium reginae, and have lost track of the number of times I have found myself swooning on hands and knees over her beauty! She and the camera are as one as they would say!

This past October I decided that I would take the leap, or is it plunge, and increase my collection with the purchase of Cypripedium formosanum. As I type it is over wintering in my basement [cold but not freezing] with high anticipation that it will respond favourably next Spring….. in other words, knock my socks off! Judging from the photos, it would not be a difficult feat. My wonderful enabler, Richard, from Fraser’s Thimble Farms, is only too generous to feed my addiction, whatever the plant, whatever the time of year!

With so many different species and hybrids available, how could I possibly narrow it down to just one? One word….. foliage! Considered by many to be the most beautiful of all the species within the genus, it was first discovered at Oiwake in the mountains of Taiwan. and described in 1916 by Japanese botanist B. Hayata. It is endemic to the island where it is found growing in the mountains between 2000-3000m. It is closely related to Cypripedium japonicum, and has been considered by many authorities to be a variety of that species, however it differs in having a glabrous stem, sparsely pubescent or glabrous peduncle, and a flower with several distinctive features. The author of the monograph, Phillip Cribb believes that it represents its own species.

Description: A terrestrial herb with erect glabrous flowering stems arising from a creeping, branching rhizome, bearing remote scales and clustered roots at intervals along its length. [I was amazed at this feature when I carefully unpackaged it and transplanted it!] Stems, 10-25 cm in length. enclosed below by five to eight imbricate obtuse sheaths, two leaved at the apex. Leaves plicate, spreading flabellate, obtuse, rounded or apiculate at the apex, 10-13 cm in length, 7-11 cm in width, are ciliate on the entire to erose margin, with 11-13 radiating veins. [In layman terminology, they look like a pleated Elizabethan fan! Simply smashing!] Inflorescence one flowered, erect, peduncle 10-11cm in length, sparsely pubescent; bract ovate-lanceolate, acute, sparsely pubescent. Flower nutant, white to pink with crimson spots at the base of the petals and larger spots on the lip especially within, the staminodes purple-red with a white tip; pedicel and ovary 1.8-2.3cm long, densely shortly tomentose. Dorsal sepal curving forwards, ovate-elliptic to narrowly elliptic, acute or acuminate, 4.5cm long, 2-2.5cm in width, pilose towards the base, ciliate;synsepal elliptic; naviculiform; acuminate and bidentate at the apex, 4.5-5.2 cm long, 2.5-3cm wide, pilose towards the base. Petals spreading deflexed, flat, oblong-oblanceolate, acute or acuminate 4.8-5.3cm long, 1.5-1.8 wide, pilose towards the base. Lip calceiform, ovoid to ellipsoidal in shape, with a narrowly pandurate mouth, often shortly apiculate at apex; 5.5-6.5cm long, 4cm wide, the margin incurved, the veins sunken especially towards the apex, barbate-pubescent within. [Translation: One stunningly beautiful plant if I do say so myself!]

Cultivation: As mentioned earlier, while some consider it to be variety of the species C. japonicum, the good news is that it is much easier to cultivate! In its native Taiwan it occurs in the mountainous north of the island, growing near seepages on schists, in light shade and in the open. In cultivation it can also be grown in calcareous soils; however, it will grow most vigorously in a heavier substrate with frequent watering. The perfect medium for growing is one consisting of 60-80 percent loam pellets and pumice gravel, with a pH of 7, with an extra drainage layer at the base of the pot. When growing well, Cypripedium formosanum needs to be heavily fertilized; lack of nutrients being indicated by a premature yellowing of leaf margins. Healthy growth also depends on a regular supply of water, but standing water in the compost will cause instant rot. In the glasshouse the plant will remain green until November, and start into growth in February or March, It is hardy in Central Europe and New York State, but needs protection from warm spells to ensure an undisturbed dormancy.

It seems like a lot to remember, but I must remember that it is also supposedly one of the easiest within the genus to grow! I think I can, I think I can! Does anyone else grow this plant? Do you have any information or tips to assist me on my way? Any and all would be greatly appreciated!

Reading with Teza: The Genus Cypripedium

2012-01-13T18:17:00.001-05:00

A recent inquiry into the availability of a book on the genus that seems to preoccupy more and more of my waking and breathing time, has netted me the newest addition to my gardening library. I have fallen victim to the hypnotic swoon of the genus Cypripedium, and no thanks to the latest catalogue from my mail-order nursery of choice, Fraser’s Thimble Farms, I find myself pondering the very strong likelihood [ I was going to use the term ‘possibility’ – but seriously, who are we kidding here?!?] of future purchases of these most beguiling of terrestrial orchids.

Dr. Phillip Cribb joined the staff of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in 1974 and served as Deputy Keeper of the Herbarium and Curator of the Orchid Herbarium until his retirement in 2006. His current research is concentrated on a new classification and evolution of the family Orchidaceae, and on the taxonomy and conservation of orchids.

I am most excited to be able to examine this fine monograph which includes the history. biology, conservation, cultivation and classification of the temperate slipper orchids. Hopefully I will develop an educated understanding of what has easily become my latest addiction! A full review will be forthcoming! Special thanks to the dedicated staff of my local bookseller – Roxanne’s Reflections Books and Cards – for their capability in performing magic tricks – the ability to locate rare and hard to find books in the blink of an eye!

A Tidy Workspace is the Sign of a Sane Mind!

2012-01-12T16:44:00.001-05:00

I decided to take a day off from plant posts. I considered posting about my recent foray into the world of knitting, but didn’t really think that would be too interesting. That’s the problem with this time of year. January, for me at least, is a time to review the past year, [mainly from a gardener’s perspective] to organize and tidy my photo files [Sweet Jesus, what do you mean I need more RAM? What the hell is RAM?] and to de-clutter the workspace.

I live with my sister and her family. I’m the oldest, and am therefore given a wide berth when it comes to some of my more idiosyncratic behaviors – talking to plants; forgetting a birthday but remembering a botanical Latin name; suggesting that they draw a beloved Cypripedium for their upcoming Art assignment – fellow gardeners will understand perfectly!

I spent the better part of yesterday condensing and organizing most of my photos from the past year, which in turn led me to update my Facebook page, Teza’s Garden, with a few new albums of photographs. Many thanks to those who have ‘liked’ the page. Next came the ever increasing collection of Gardens Illustrated magazines. I remember gasping with delight to see that a fellow subscriber [and the person responsible for my subscribing! Another debt Larry!] had taken his old issues and used them as the base for a table in his living room! I too am a hoarder when it comes to magazines. I think it started back in my Chapters days, as magazine lead. A pretty cover [gorgeous flower, handsome model] would guarantee a sale. Months later it would still be amongst the growing pile at the end of the bed! I vividly remember the last time I moved, vowing that I would discontinue this habit of hoarding them! Fortunately, with Gardens Illustrated, I have found a magazine that I read cover to cover, and as a result I find myself filing them away for future use. I month without GI is like a month of banishment from the garden!

This morning dawned, well, it dawned wet and dreary. I knew, going to bed last night, that we were in for a mixed bag of weather. It rained here for the most part, briefly turning to snow for a bit this morning. Instead of my usual walk down town, I decided to attack my work space. A minor flood last Fall [the blessed hose on the washing machine decided to let go in the middle of the night] relegated everyone to the main living level of the house. Five people clamoring for computer space…… it truly was a sight to behold. Finally, after choosing new carpet and repainting [due to drywalling that was part of the repairs] ‘computer central’ has moved back downstairs! I am bookended between my nephews, but have discovered that I now have more room than before! A few strategically placed photographs, my GI collection, my most frequently referred to resource books….. its all looking very tidy and organized is it not?

Further ‘Beastly’ Stirrings……

2012-01-11T17:40:00.001-05:00

Anemonella thalictroides ‘Cameo’ [this photo has been magnified nth times as the flowers are usually as small as the nail on your pinky finger!] has been somewhat fleeting in my garden – due to my own reckless gardening! This past year I had two frail stems, but, later in the season, after I’d planted my new selections from Lost Horizons, I had a difficult time locating it again…… time to add more! Luckily my friends at Fraser’s Thimble Farms are offering it in their catalogue!

Disporum flavens is a member of another of my most favourite genera. Also known as ‘Fairy Bells,’ this delightful, robust selection features wonderfully veined foliage and pendulous, drooping bright yellow flowers.

Disporum brachystemon with its wonderful smoky rose-purple pendulous flowers has been on the radar since I first laid eyes upon it in one of the stock beds at Lost Horizons. I must check next season to see if they have any divisions available. If recollection serves me, it is very slow to increase!

Disporum cantoniense ‘Himalayan Green Giant’ rounds out the members of this fascinating genera that constitute an integral part of my wishlist. I already grow D.c ‘Night Heron’, but in truth, not as successfully as I would like. I am most enamored of the purplish bruising to the foliage.

A dear gardening friend, J, brought this divine beauty, Cardamine enneaphylla to my attention. Look at the amazing divided, toothed foliage, and those delightful whipped buttery yellow flowers……. come to me my precious!

Gentina sino-ornata ‘Kingfisher’ really needs no prefacing as to why it appears on this year’s wishlist. Ok…. let me indulge. It was last year that I was able to acquire the much coveted Gentiana scabra ‘True Blue’ with its robust, upright growth habit, not to mention two inch pleated cobalt blooms that literally smothered the plant. When I spotted this delightful species with the same smashing true gentian blue flowers, floating atop needle-like pinnate foliage, what could I do but succumb….

and then there was Gentiana sino-ornata ‘Strathmore’ with lighter blue flowers distinctively showing a smattering of white veining within each flower. Sweet Jesus, another addiction takes hold!

Another must have for the woodland garden is the genus Hepatica. While I would love to be able to indulge in the double flowering species [$$$ ca-ching!] I have fallen in love with Hepatica transsilvanica, with its mauve-powdery blue flowers that appear in late Spring.

The Beast Within Stirs…..

2012-01-08T21:31:00.001-05:00

While I have yet to make my first pilgrimage to Fraser’s Thimble Farms on Salt Springs Island in British Columbia, I am very familiar with their annual catalogue. Similar in breadth of selection and prose to Lost Horizons infamous and equally favoured tome, it is a welcome breath of fresh air in what is typically a rather cold and morose month of January.

I’ve been through the online catalogue once, having spent close to an hour and a half dissecting it line by line, page by page, and have already started my initial list of MUST HAVES for 2012. For the record there are twenty six plants that have left me nothing less than besotted! Being that we’re all such good friends, I thought I might share a few….

Cypripedium ‘Philipp’

Cypripedium ‘Aki’

Cypripedium ‘Sabine’

Epimedium grandiflorum var. thunbergianum ‘Tama No Genpei’

Epimedium grandiflorum ‘Dark Beauty’

Epimedium acuminatum

One might, after viewing these sublime selections, be led to believe that I’m narrowing my focus. One might be led to believe such a thing. One might also be led to believe that I am compiling HAVE list in ALPHABETICAL order? What should one believe?

New Beauties for April

2011-12-22T16:42:00.001-05:00

Already, I’m thinking ahead! To April 2012 for that matter! In an effort to give our customers something ‘green’ while it was still too cold outside to garden, I brought in a limited selection of Helleborus. There is something heartwarming about a plant that wants to bloom its heads off so early in the season! I was most impressed with the response – it was refreshing to know that there is still a fan club for this wonderful genus! Based on the positive response, I’ve upped the ante this year with even more.

Oregon based Northwest Garden Nursery is home to Helleborus breeder Marietta O’Byrne, who is responsible for single handedly reintroducing the word Helleborus to the garden repertoire! Her ‘Winter Jewel’ series features the latest in cutting edge breeding, resulting in an absolutely stunning series of plants! This is where I have focused much of my attention. Listed below are a few of the ones that I hope to have available for my loyal clientele next Spring:

[Top to Bottom]

Helleborus x hybridus ‘Golden Lotus’ [Winter Jewels Collection] – this is the one that caused such a stir at Canada Blooms 2011, partly due to the fact that nobody there was selling it! Fully double lotus yellow infused flowers. Delightful!

Helleborus x hybridus ‘Amber Gem’ [Winter Jewels Collection] Similar to ‘Golden Lotus’ with delightful pink picotee markings.

Helleborus x hybrida ‘Cotton Candy’ [Winter Jewels Collection] – delightful confectionary of fully double light pink flowers, resembling a ruffled petticoat or skirt. This one appears no less than three times in my garden repertoire! Absolutely divine!

Helleborus x hybrida ‘Onyx Odyssey’ [Winter Jewels Collection] – perhaps the most talked about release in years! Near black [or so the photos lead you to believe!] double flowers make this a true conversation piece. I have found the flowers to be a deep, rich wine colour, which, when placed with the fabulously chartreuse foliage of Aralia cordata ‘Sun King’ – the result is nothing less than stunning! [And yes, we’ll have the Aralia a bit later in the year!

Helleborus ‘Sparkling Diamond’ is not part of this unique collection, but for me, nothing comes close to the pristine beauty of a double flowering fully white Helleborus in the Spring garden. This is said to be an improvement on Helleborus x ‘Mrs. Betty Ranicar’ – a boast that, up until I saw ‘Sparkling Diamond’ with my own eyes, I would never have believed.

Helleborus x hybridus ‘Harlequin Gem’ [Winter Jewels Collection] – picture the sassy cousin of ‘Amber Gem’ and you get the picture! Rich pink and wine colouration with a delightful yellow infusion throughout the flowers makes this one a definite stand out selection for the discriminating gardener!

I’m so very excited! I can hardly wait!

Dear Santa

2011-12-19T14:12:00.001-05:00

Dear Santa:

It’s me, the plant geek! I have a few plants left that I haven’t been able to find, so perhaps you and the elves might have a better chance. You might have to make a trip to China between now and the 24th, but with that magic sleigh of yours, and Rudolph to boot!

Epimedium ‘Pink Champagne’

Just look at those mottled leaves Santa. And those spidery blooms!

Cypripedium ventricosum

I need help Santa! It started with C. reginae, then I added C. japonicum var. formosanum, and now this one sneaks into my affections!

Arisaema triphyllum ‘Black Jack’

This was the first genus I learned about as a child. I’m very excited about four new ones that I’m going to sell at work next year, but this one remains frustratingly elusive!

Oh, and one more thing Santa…..

The ‘kids’ are getting nervous with the lack of snow! They want to know if you’ll send some ahead of time, or at least bring some with you when you come. They’re missing their insulating blanket of white!

Peace and goodwill among humankind would also be appreciated if you can spare it!

Teza

I Can’t Live Without You…. Teza’s Top New Plant Additions for 2011

2011-12-16T18:29:00.001-05:00

I’m a bit of a list guy – you know the type – favourite actor, favourite book, favourite movie, so it should come as no surprise that I also compile a yearly list based on new and exciting plants that have been added to the garden’s repertoire. I find myself laughing mirthlessly every year when I discover just how many new plants I have managed to add to what I jokingly refer to as my ‘postage stamp’ sized property. Over the years I have learned that contrary to opinion, and the possibility of crushing the male psyche, ‘size’ is not everything! Its really quite amazing just how many plants you can fit into a 30cm x 30cm speck of fertile soil!

Dysosma versipelle [also known as Podophyllum versipelle] was one of the most anticipated additions to the garden this year. Everything about it, from its irregularly large hexagonally lobed foliage, to the interesting ruby fruit bespeaks that it is definitely not the ‘Mayapple’ that you grew up with! Methinks its Chinese heritage has something to do with it! I was so excited that I had to buy two! Here’s hoping they adapt and do as well as the ones in this photo!

While this photo doesn’t come close to doing the plant justice, Aralia cordata ‘Sun King’ was another recent introduction that did it’s damndest to remain elusive! Luckily I embarked upon a return pilgrimage to Lost Horizons and came home with this robust specimen. I have another of the species within the garden, but was more than impressed with the fabulously chartreuse foliage that this latest introduction flaunts so effortlessly. I cannot wait for it to add its infamous wine coloured clusters of berries to the picture! A veritable hortgasm waiting to happen!

Having been a staunch advocate of the genus Roscoea, I was thrilled to be able to add two new species this year. Pictured about is Roscoea purpurescens, with its dazzling display of pink infused flowers, while below, is the more demure, but equally mesmerizing Roscoea cautleyoides ‘Kew Beauty.’ I cannot pontificate the importance of adding at least one of this ‘flowering ginger’ to your garden enough!

For the past four years, I lusted after a diminutive, variegated hedge Maple, Acer campestre ‘Carnival’ and this past June I added one to the garden as a birthday present to myself! It offers delightful pink, green and cream infused Spring foliage, is a somewhat slow grower and is likely to remain rather demure in height [2m] which makes it a perfect addition to my smaller property.

With the success of my first within the genus, Cypripedium reginae, I decided that I would boldly move forward with my new obsession. Cypripedium formosanum var. japonicum stole my heart with her stunning pleated, fan shaped foliage, so reminiscent of a Victorian collar, to say nothing of her bloom’s dazzling beauty! I am told that it is another rather ‘easy to grow’ species, so my fingers and toes are crossed!

I could go on, but for me seven is a lucky number, so I shall pontificate on only one more plant. Its the same as the wonderful drift depicted in the photo that begins this post. That photo is courtesy of Lost Horizons, where, four years ago I questioned L about a most unique plant whose inflorescence reminded me of the genus Hydrangea. Turns out, Deinanthe caerulea is in fact a distant relation. I started with its cousin, Deinanthe bifida, whose white flowers are smothered with bees during its bloom period, but was never able to shake the intoxicating allure that D. caerulea held over me. I felt like a drug addict, desperately in need of a fix. And now I have one of my very own. I cannot wait to fall under its spell once again when I am rewarded with its exquisite blooms! Of all my additions this past year, this one makes my heart sing loudest!

Do share your favourite recent garden additions! Please!

You Know You Want Me: A Sneak Peak to 2012

2011-12-14T23:36:00.001-05:00

Now that my ‘hibernation’ has begun, its time to torment my clients with a few of the specialty plants that I am hoping to stock my benches with next year! I’ve often been asked, typically at this precise time of year, what exactly it is that I do with myself. Gracious! One would think that without a steady flow of rare and unusual plants, one like myself must surely fall apart, or descend into an abysmal depression to say the very least! Alas my friends, you know me too well!

In actuality I actually look forward to this time of year. Aside of the momentary distraction of Christmas, this is when I hone my plant hunting skills - ‘hunting’ perhaps being a synonym for ‘acquiring!’ I leave it to the much revered plants persons like Hinkley, Wynn-Jones, Lancaster and O’Brien to provide collector’s like myself with such amazing specimens. This is the time of year when I amass my collection of post it’s, gather up my multitudinous notebooks and begin the beguine as it were.

Clematis rooguchi [pictured above] is a delightful C .integrifolia x C. reticulata cross with demure, diminutive bell shaped blue flowers to approximately 5cm in length with gently recurving sepals. With it’s somewhat lax habit, it works best when allowed to cavort amongst nearby shrubs.

Those familiar with C. tangutica will be interested in this latest hybrid known as C. tangutica ‘My Love.’ Whereas the species boasts wonderful bell shaped yellow flowers, this new selection offers bi-coloured flowers – a wonderful peach blush on the outer sides with a delightful golden hue to the inside and along the very outer edge, giving it a mesmerizing two-toned, layered effect. As with the species, this is a late flowering climber blooming between July and October, where it clamors to a height of 2.5m.

Clematis alpina ‘Willy’ offers pale pink, nodding bell or skirt shaped flowers that are infused with a more rich pink towards the base of each flower. It’s 3.5cm blooms smother the plant in April and May and possibly a second time in late summer, and are followed by the unique seed heads common with the genus. It will attain heights of 1.6-2.5m

While I am less than impressed with next year’s Hosta of the Year, I do remain smitten with Hosta ‘Fire Island.’ It was one of my best sellers this past year with its bright sunshine yellow infused, slightly puckered leaves atop brilliant, striking ruby petioles. Definite to light up a darkened pocket of the shaded woodland garden.

Of course I would be lying if I didn’t admit that the greatest excitement is reserved for a collection of rare and unusual Arisaema species that I hope to be able to offer my fellow shady characters! Arisaema kuisianum is a most unusual species with the eye catching burgundy and golden spathe, with a spadix that indeed looks like a whip-like tongue!

I long lusted after Arisaema urashima var. thunbergii from the moment I stumbled upon this photo. [courtesy of Plant Delights Nursery.] The deep, dark, serpentine hooded spathes with the vertically erect spadix add a degree of sinister beauty to the woodland garden. This one never fails to elicit comment from visitors.

People never fail to squeal with delight when they spot Arisaema sikokianum. With it’s unique upright flaring spathe, a rubbery confectionary of a deep mahogany purple on the outside with its pristine white, golf ball shaped spadix, it truly is a rarity within the genus. Many believe this to be my favourite, but alas that privilege is reserved for yet another!

You wanted sinister, and I’m only too happy to oblige! Arisaema griffithii is without a doubt the most exotic and sinister member of the genus. Too bad it’s also one of the most tender. With its unique widely rippled wine and green-gold striped spathe, it is sure to garner a passing comment or three! It will need to be taken inside for the winter, which is why I am suggesting it as a container specimen for those who cannot resist his other-worldly beauty and allure!

And there you have it. The sneak peek that I promised. Of course this is only one supplier. I still have a lot of tricks up my sleeve, and a plethora of new and exciting plants to debut for that matter. Stay tuned. My recent lull in posting allowed me to finish the holiday shopping. Now the glog will have my undivided attention. Be forewarned!

I’ll Stick to Perennials, Thanks Very Much!

2011-12-09T20:06:00.001-05:00

This series of photos shows this year’s attempt at a festive centrepiece! I lack total confidence when it comes to dealing with cut flowers, and foliage for that matter, but at the behest of M, and with the guided assistance of G, I came home with this! I do not envy those who do this for a profession, in fact, I have great respect and admiration for them. As they say, ‘Practice makes perfect,’ so I will give it a go again next year!

The ‘Children’ Were Nestled All Snug In Their Beds….

2011-10-20T14:55:00.001-04:00

While Mother Nature continues to flex her authoritative muscle, at least where the weather is concerned, I could not let that stop me from getting my newest additions planted into their new homes. Located in the recently revamped border to the right of the entrance steps, I am hoping for a more simplified planting. After a rather hasty eradication of Hydrangea ‘Annabelle’ [to make room for my unplanned for Metasequoia and Larix… talk about impulse shopping!] the following plants remain: Metasequoia glyptostroboides ‘Matthaie Broom’ in a standard form, Larix kaempferi ‘Nana’ [Low Graft], Leptodermis oblonga, Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Nana Gracilis,’ Thelypteris decusiva pinnata, Paeonia mlokosewitschii [directly beneath the red circular object] Gentiana scabra ‘True Blue’ and Penstemon heterophyllus ‘Electric Blue.’ Did I say I wanted a more ‘simplified’ approach? LOL! Those who know the postage stamp size of my property will better understand! Today’s addition of two Gentiana asclepiadea represent the finishing touches. I was thrilled with the size of the bare root specimens that I received – each of the four [What? You can never have ENOUGH true blue flowers in the garden!] are all showing potential for four to five stems per plant, which is a blessed improvement on the single stemmed plant that I have been coddling and coaxing along for the past three years!

This is what I deplore most about this time of year! I hate seeing the ‘Shaded Walk’ stripped naked of its bounty of foliage and texture. This past year was one of the very best, what with it’s cool and wet Spring that seemed to coax blooms from plants that I had almost given up on! Who can forget the ear-drum piercing scream heard throughout the neighborhood when both Anemonopsis macrophylla and Glaucidium palmatum both bloomed in the same year!

Glaucidium palmatum [upper]

Anemonopsis macrophylla

I fondly remember back to a time when the ‘Shaded Walk’ looks more like this:

I haven’t planted everything out in the garden – there are a few tender hearted ‘kids’ who I am going to overwinter inside so that I can keep a closer eye on them: these include Dysosma versipelle, Arisaema griffithii and Cypripedium formosanum. I am hoping to force them into growth next Spring. For the time being I am sheltering them from our somewhat bone chilling Zone 5 winter winds. Fingers crossed that I have something to brag about next year! In the meantime, all that remains is for me to bring in my garden adornments: the mirror, reflecting bowl, statuary and gazing ball! And I almost forgot: thanks to the fierce, howling winds of the past few nights, the wooden trellis that supports a rather substantial Vitis on the side of the garage came crashing down in the middle of the night! For a year or so now, I have been contemplating its removal, replacing it with Hydrangea petiolaris, which would hopefully clamber along the side of the garage without need of the trellis. There is always next year! And how does your garden fare?

A Walk In The Woods

2011-10-12T20:52:00.001-04:00

Look What the ‘Turkey’ Dragged In!

2011-10-10T20:04:00.001-04:00

There’s no reason for name calling! Truth is, for we Canadians, this was our Thanksgiving weekend, and as such today [Monday'] is pretty much a stat holiday – few and far between are your chances of finding any retail establishments of interest open. M and I decided to tour the countryside, and happened to notice an OPEN sign at Ayr Country Gardens, a wonderful garden centre I’d never stumbled upon before now!

It didn’t take long to spot this solitary Metasequoia glyptostroboides ‘Matthaei Broom’ in a display at the front of the store. No questions asked, it was bound for Fergus! Those familiar with this delightful specimen know that it originated as a ‘witches broom’ on the species M. glyptostroboides, and is usually sold grafted onto a trunk. It maintains relatively the same shape and habit as the species, but in most cases, owners comment on the exceedingly long and soft ‘needles’ that Matthaei Broom exhibits. I can definitely attest that its ‘needles’ are long, soft and feathery! [Barry, stop fondling it for the love of God!]

The owner came out and acknowledged us and let us know that there was more nursery stock ‘in the back.’ I was pleasantly surprised to find row after row of what can best be described as ‘rare and choice’ nursery stock. There was a decent selection of Acer palmatum species, a couple of Cercis canadensis ‘Covey’, [Restrain me M, you know I have a weakness for them!] and then I spotted this adorable charmer:

Larix kaempferi ‘Nana’ also known as the ‘dwarf Japanese Larch’ is everything that it’s name touts and more! Growing 40-45cm in height, it is a wonderfully globose shaped member of a favourite genus, with smashing blue grey green foliage and a tight slow growing habit, making it a perfect accent point!

Did I mention that both were 25% off, and I got both for $165! De-bloody-lightful! I am going to do away with the ever so ‘been there done that’ Salix integra ‘Hakuro Nishiki’ and extend the existing front garden, in an effort to eradicate more lawn in 2012! Do you think anyone will notice? And how was your Thanksgiving?

Here are a few pictures from our walk in the woods:

Coming To Teza’s Garden: The Last Order

2011-09-30T18:54:00.001-04:00

I was late getting my Fraser’s Thimble Farms mail-order plant list put together this year. I’d pondered trying other mail-order nurseries but kept returning to the fact that none come close to FTF’s comprehensive list of shade loving perennials. I’ve been happy with their product and service in the past, and knowing that some of my Wish List items were only available in the Fall, I put pen to paper and dashed off my order. The photo above shows Deinanthe caerulea, a wonderful Asian [Chinese] Hydrangea relative that is typically only found on shade plant connoisseur’s lists, and rarely, in their gardens. I already grow it’s Japanese cousin, Deinanthe bifida, and am now content to know that I will soon grow both species within this little-known about genera.

Dysosma versipelle is sometimes labelled as Podophyllum delavayi, but I believe the two to be separate species. I have been in thrall of the plant pictured above since stumbling upon it in, you guessed it, the display gardens of Lost Horizons. Large, eight sided leaves, usually toothed along their edges, are held on petioles that branch off from their main stem at 3-5cm from the ground. Whitish green flowers are followed by delightful red fruit.

A Nepalese native, Arisaema griffithii without a doubt possesses the most sinister yet strikingly beautiful of all inflorescences within the genus! It’s greenish yellow spathe is veined with deeper tones of black purple and bears a fluted edge. The spathe bends forward to conceal its inner mechanics, ,extending out and then back towards the base to form two auricles. Its entire inflorescence is produced on very short stems, nearly at ground level! The trifoliate leaves are extremely heavily veined and textured and sit atop handsome mottled petioles to 40cm. Although easily cultivated, it is less than dependently hardy in Zones 7 and lower. It would seem that a terrarium or glass house is an essential item for my success with this sinister beauty!

With pleated, tomentose foliage that is distinctly reminiscent of an Elizabethan collar, I remain enamored of the species Cypripedium. This is my latest love affair – Cypripedium formosanum var. japonicum. which will bring my collection to two species. I have vowed that I will not get carried away with this genus…… but I may need an intervention!

Gentiana asclepiadea is also known as willow Gentian and although I have one meager stem of it growing in my garden, I have finally accepted the fact that I need to have more. With large arching branches to .7m in height, its handsome dark green foliage is topped with masses of elongated, pleated, tubular gentian blue flowers along its axils, making for a most dramatic presentation. I know that it too is marginally hardy here, but when it comes to the true blues within the world of horticulture, this collector can never seem to get his fill.

Plant Handled

2011-09-27T20:26:00.001-04:00

Inevitable as it is, I am always saddened when I come to the last page of the current issue of Gardens Illustrated , and yet, it is here, on the last official page where one finds Frank Ronan’s monthly column ‘The Writer’s Plot.’

In September’s issue, his column is entitled, ‘Let it all hang out,’ and one of his memorable quotes is as follows:

‘…But gardeners know that that the best place to be is among the plants, and that gardens always feel best when you are crouched in the middle of a border, handling and being handled by the plants that surround you.’

I decided that I wanted to see if I could find a few visual representations of this sentiment. Let me know what you think of the results that I stumbled across:

I have always had a soft spot for this last shot, and pausing to remember the contortionist twists and turns that I put my torso through in order to capture this moment of beauty, I haven’t a doubt that this is the true definition of what it is to be ‘plant handled!’

A Gentle Decline: I Don’t Hardly Think So!

2011-09-25T20:57:00.001-04:00

All photos: September 25, 2011

Calamagrostis brachytricha

The Rare and Unusual Border

Persicaria [Fallopia japonica] variegata ‘Compactum

Thalictrum delavayi ‘Splendide’

Corydalis ‘Wildside Blue’ with Pinellia tripartita ‘Green Dragons’

Fabulously chartreuse foliage of Aralia cordata ‘Sun King’

Cory up close and personal!

Hakonechloa macra ‘All Gold’ with Saruma henryi

Polygonatum odoratum ‘Variegatum’

Acer campestre ‘Carnival’

Snake-like flower spikes of Actaea simplex ‘Hillside Black Beauty’

Aconitum austroyunnanense

Visions in a World of Blue

2011-09-22T23:11:00.001-04:00

September Newsletter

2011-09-20T19:20:00.000-04:00

What is that delightful fragrance?

2011-09-16T17:33:00.001-04:00

‘Tis the time of year when the bugbane, snakeroot, Cimicifuga or Actaea, pending on which of its ever evolving names one chooses, begins to bloom in Teza’s Garden. It is one of my favourite Fall flowering beauties, and as such, I have these tall, shrub-like garden stalwarts wherever there is room for them!

My favourite remains Actaea simplex ‘Hillside Black Beauty,’ with its deep purple, near black foliage that rises close to 2m in height. Its long arching wands of snake-like flowers add a touch of structural whimsy to the Shaded Walk this time of year, and as mentioned earlier, the delightful aroma leaves me next to breathless!

I also grow ‘Brunette,’ ‘Black Negligee,’ White Pearls,’ and ‘Pink Spike,’ which is supposed to surpass the fragrance of all that have come before. Truth be told, I have yet to see her bloom in my garden, but perhaps the fault lies in where I have planted her. Somehow she has a hard time competing against an overzealous Euphorbia cornigera ‘Goldener Turm’ that has all but smothered her! Note to self: transplant Pink Spike this fall!

This remains one of my favourite gardening seasons, what with the cooler temperatures, and the presence of the late flowering beauties such as Kirengeshoma, Aconitum and the delightful Aster ‘Little Carlow’ – all of a palate that fluctuates between rich blue-purple to the endearing whipped buttery yellow!

While it remains somewhat elusive to photograph, one of my favourite late season bloomers is Strobilanthes attenuata ‘Purpurea’ a towering beauty to 2m that covers the end of its stems with a rich blue purple flower that closely resembles a ram’s horn. Literally hundreds of flowers between mid August to late September. This afternoon, the ground beneath it was a blanket of this same rich colour. The flowers usually fall within a day or so, but there is always a multitude to replace them!

The later of the two Kirengeshoma that I grow [ the earlier being K. koreana – by far the more handsome of the two with its pewter coated palmate foliage and flowers that are decidedly more upright in appearance] this one being K. palmata, continue to delight me with it’s waxy whipped buttery yellow shuttlecock shaped flowers! The abundance of moisture this Spring has resulted in both clumps nearly tripling in size! I may have to start referring to their home as the ‘Waxbell Walk!’

Head and shoulders [well not really, as she is somewhat more diminutive in height!'] above all other Fall flowering Asters is A. cordifolius ‘Little Carlow’ – which in my humble opinion remains the most handsome! Shiny, deep green lance shaped foliage is a far cry from the powdery mildew susceptible stalks of many of the other Michaelmas daisies. Its opalescent mauve flowers contain a bright yellow boss before being pollinated as the season progresses!

I have always dreamt of having my signature plant blooming in the Fall garden, and on one or two occasions in the past four years, was blessed with a somewhat fleeting presence. This year, thanks largely to yet another Lost Horizons acquisition, I am enjoying this exact wish! Corydalis ‘Wildside Blue’ has been blooming nonstop since I brought it home last month! Indigenous to the gardens of esteemed plantsman Keith Wiley’s Devon, England nursery, it appears to be a much more vigorous grower and bloomer than other blue flowering species! Music to this gardeners ears!

And how was your gardening week?

Thank You Peter: One More From the WishList!

2011-09-12T20:30:00.001-04:00

My employer and I did a road-trip last Friday to some of our suppliers to check out what was in bloom and to check and see what was on offer for 2012. Its always an exciting time for me, as I begin compiling the ‘WishList’ items that I hope to be able to introduce to the benches next Spring.

I’d read about a most beguiling shrub Leptodermis oblonga, also known as the ‘Himalayan Lilac’ and quickly added it to my personal WishList. And yes, I did squeal with delight, when, after ogling a new silver leaf Caryopteris, Peter asked what I thought of the shrub next to it. At first [and hence the reference to its striking Lilac-like appearance] I mistook it for Syringa meyeri ‘Palibin.’ Can’t say that I am impressed with the genus as a whole. but upon closer appearance I realized that it something entirely different. I think I surprised Peter by recognizing the name Leptodermis! Needless to say one came home with me!

Definitely diminutive in habit, typically growing to between 0.2 – 1m in height, with slender branches that are grey to pale brown in appearance, with thin bark that is usually exfoliating as it emerges. Leaf blades are typically papery, sometimes leathery, lanceolate or oblong [sometimes elliptic or subovate] between .7 – 2.5cm in length. Flowers are sessile, usually three fascicled and terminate on branches, rarely axillary on upper part of branchlets, lobes are subtriangular with a stiff apiculus at apex, subequal to calyx in length. Its corolla is purplish red and funnel shaped.

Leptodermis begins to bloom in late Spring, and as this recent photo attests, it has a lengthy flowering season! It emjoys sharply draining soil, and is frost hardy to Zone 6. I am curious to see whether it will over winter in my diminutive micro-climate. If so, clients can expect me to expound it virtues next Spring when it hits the benches front and centre! Endemic to sunny hills and slopes, roadsides and thickets of Gansu, Hebei, N. Henan, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Sichuan.

A Twining Beauty

2011-09-05T19:49:00.001-04:00

Another of my Lost Horizons treasures is blooming! I have always been enamored of the genus Aconitum, toxicity aside, and have amassed a decent collection, so was thrilled to see that Larry had added a new, climbing/twining one to his eclectic inventory! Here is what he says about it in his famed catalogue:

Aconitum austroyunnanse is a rare climbing species from China where it twines itself up shrubs or scrambles over boulders with large palmate foliage. Long stemmed, rich blue tinged with purple helmets appear in late July.

I am rather impressed with the flowers on my plant, as they seem to be decidedly more lobed in appearance than with most of the ‘helmet heads!’ I am most intrigued with its almost claw like appearance.

Famed plant hunter Bleddyn Wynn-Jones, owner of Crug Farm in Wales, also offers it in his catalogue. Here is his write up:

Aconitum austroyunnanse BJW7902

A climbing perennial species I collected seed of from the Western Heights overlooking Kunming, Yunnan. Where it twined up scrub and over large rocks to 3m tall, bearing large three-parted palmate leaves. With generous axillary inflorescences of long stemmed deep blue tinged purple flowers 5cm long, primarily composed of a large upper helmet-shaped petal. Coming into flower in late July. Best growing into the sun any good soil.

If you’re as avid a fan of this genus as I am, I highly recommend adding this to your garden repertoire!

Garden of Solace and Tranquility

2011-09-02T15:24:00.001-04:00

It has been a bittersweet week, and more than ever, I find myself turning to the garden for solace. How magically it is able to soothe frazzled nerves, act as a balm against the abrasive sting of grief, and to remind me that the greatest beauty in the world belongs to Nature itself.

A delicate and beautiful reminder that life indeed is fragile and should never be taken for granted. Let the important people in your life know how much they are loved.

I was thrilled to discover that the blooms of a recently acquired Corydalis ‘Wildside Blue’ are indeed that same electric icy blue that first enamored me to this plant four years ago.

Tricyrtis ‘Taipei Silk’ is a personal favourite, and when examined this closely, one cannot help but revel in its mesmerizing beauty.

When I created Teza’s Garden, it was as a place to house an inventory of rare and unusual perennials, but in the past week I realize that I was remiss – in fact it was more about creating a personal sanctuary of beauty and tranquility, allowing myself a space where I could step into the cooling shade of foliage and leave the outside world behind, if only for a fleeting moment. I fall on my knees in gratefulness!

Here is where I shall come to reminisce, to transform grief into celebration, and to give thanks for the beauty and friendship that touched my life, and most importantly, for the beauty that continues to do so on a daily basis. Many thanks to those who offered kind words of support.

Remembering Cat

2011-08-30T19:47:00.001-04:00

It was her smile, high voltage and genuine, one that would light up a room, that I will remember most. Perhaps fitting then, that it will now assist the stars in lighting up the night skies, chasing away the darkness from our lives.

She offered her friendship so many years ago, and asked for so little in return. Ours was a friendship based around a close knit group of friends, seemingly inseparable, where there was one, you would likely find us all. We laughed together and cried together – shared each other’s successes and were there to offer our support when darkening clouds threatened our happiness.

I will forever remember her high school Prom, the matching highlights that adorned our hair, and the ruffled aquamarine dress that perfectly complimented the colour of her eyes. She accepted me for who I was, and we were often spotted regaling one another with ‘boy problems,’ usually on the concrete boat in Centennial Park. The hopes and joys, secrets and frustrations that concrete structure was privy to! ….and then real life happened!

I remember when she got married, and the dazzling smile of recognition when she spotted me as she walked the aisle on the arm of her Father. And then came the birth of her Son. We were close geographically, but new responsibilities seemed to take a precedence in our lives. Ours was a friendship that weathered the waves of time: It was as though we could simply turn back a page and pick up from where we left off. Today I wish I could turn back a page.

My heart goes out to her husband, Son and family. The world has truly lost someone very special. I take comfort in knowing that her ‘bright light’ will help to guide those who mourn her loss away from grief’s darkness. I have my own special memories of Cat, and I will hold them close in the coming days, months and years. In journeying to the stars, she has shed her cloak of pain. A glance into the nighttime sky will be the solace and reassurance to those she leaves behind that she will always be close by. Rest in gentle peace my dearheart!

Reading and Gardening and Reading….

2011-08-25T16:39:00.001-04:00

… the perfect way to spend a day off, don’tcha think? Already there is a familiar scent to the air, especially in the morning, when the chill from the previous evening can still be felt, and you find yourself remembering that its almost September. I have always thought that if they could bottle and patent this fragrance….

I walked downtown after finding myself stopped dead in my tracks by the near endless bloom cycle of Gentiana ‘True Blue’. I have pontificated on them enough to last a lifetime, so I’ll leave it to a photo to describe exactly what I mean! Granted, I did plant, now let me see, I think it was three plants inside of a week of each other, and all of them are in an area that also includes the fabulously chartreuse foliage of both Aralia cordata ‘Sun King’ and Pinellia tripartita ‘Golden Dragons’… so I suppose this would be par for the course, but damn!

I have to admit, and it might come across like boasting, so forgive me, that I am thrilled with the recent revamping of the rare and unusual border. It is after all, the first border that one comes across on my postage stamp sized property, and it was created with the vision that it would be crammed with as many rare and unusual plant selections as if humanly possible…. well for me at least!

For the past two days, I have been pondering relocating two of my most prized possessions to the R & U border, if only to up the ante even more. I readily admit that in the four years that I have been actively seeking out rare and choice woodland plants, this has definitely been the year to reap the magnificent rewards. I remember two years ago being over the moon when a certain Princess Reginae bloomed for the first time. And to think I considered that the penultimate reward! Hello Anemonopsis macrophylla! Salutations Glaucidium palmatum!

Originally they were planted half way down the length of the Shaded Walk, with the Anemonopsis completely shrouded beneath the foliage of an ever expanding Kirengeshoma palmata, and sadly, Glaucidium found herself competing with the equally captivating foliage of Diphylleia cymosa, in a rather awkward planting combination. In a year of horticultural musical chairs, all three plants now have new homes.

Diphylleia cymosa is now planted across from where you see the water bowl in the first photo of this posting. I was forever crushing his newly emerging stems in the Spring when I add my composted pine bark top dressing. He will remain visible [in fact will be more so!] as you enter the Shaded Walk and will add just the right amount of early drama! Those familiar with the garden layout will also notice that I’ve removed the clump of Ligularia stenocephala ‘The Rocket’ and have replaced it with a second Thalictrum delavayi ‘Splendide’ and Veronicastrum virginucum ‘Lavender Towers,’ both of which are under-planted with Melittis melissophyllum ‘Royal Velvet Distinction,’ Phylittis scolopendrium and Triosteum himalayanum. ‘The Rocket’ – well he was just too commonplace for my revamped garden vision.

While you cannot detect his presence, Anemonopsis macrophylla now resides to the right of the foliage of Helleborus x hybrida ‘Cotton Candy’, which is another recent addition to the R & U border! Is it possible to have too much of a good thing Martha? I relocated a Polemonium alpina that seemed to struggle against the bolder foliage of Aconitum kyrlovii, and it was there that I relocated my Glaucidium. [I have yet to take a photo – leave it to the camera battery to let me know I was finished with the glamour/posterity shots for one day!]

Oh…. and then I walked downtown, visited my favourite independent bookseller, Roxanne’s Reflections, where I picked up Dan Pearson’s new book! [See previous video post!] I am enjoying it immensely, even more so that it is riddled with some of the very plants that reside here in Teza’s Garden. You will note a wonderful Clematis tubulosa that the camera lands on once or twice in the previous video posting…… it is doing exactly the same thing in my garden as I type! I wish more people could see beyond the clamoring vine species that to me are far too susceptible to wilt, and would embrace the beauty of the herbaceous woody species that exist!

…. and now I am going to go and immerse myself in my new book yet again! Tomorrow I might just have another wonderful garden surprise…. blue to boot!

Dan Pearson: Home Ground: Sanctuary in the City

2011-08-25T14:22:00.005-04:00

Here is a promotional video for Dan Pearson's newest book which chronicles the creation of his own garden sanctuary.

If I Were to Die Today…..

2011-08-21T21:14:00.001-04:00

… I could honestly say that the greatest rewards in my gardening career were witnessed this year! Ironically, for one who doesn’t consider patience to be one of his stronger virtues, one need only examine the length of time I am more than willing to wait in order to be rewarded with the sublime beauty of a single bloom! Already this year I have witnessed the first bloom of Erythronium japonicum, followed shortly thereafter with the forced bloom of Roscoea cautleyoides ‘Kew Beauty’ and the resurrection of the diminutively beguiling Anemonella thalictroides ‘Cameo.’ Gardening life within Teza’s Garden was proving itself to be the best year ever!

Four years ago, while under the employ of Lost Horizons, I was busily tidying the row upon row of plants that made up what I referred to as ‘the shade connoisseur’s hoop house.’ It was here that one found a gluttonous treasure trove of rare and unusual shade perennials ranging from the exotic Asian Arisaema species, to the more unusual plants, one of which immediately caught my eye, if only for its amazing foliage that seemed to possess an almost blue/green sheen. Further investigation revealed its name: Anemonopsis macrophylla. A quick referral to Larry’s infamous catalogue, and I was more than willing to part with close to two hours wages so that I could add this intriguing plant to my ever growing rare and unusual repertoire!

…And the waiting game began! I’d researched the growing requirements and discovered that like me, it truly was a shady character, despising bright afternoon sunlight. It would be happiest as an understory plant where it would thrive in the shadow of other shade loving plants….. and God only knows, if there was anyone who had a plethora of such plants, it was I! It was pure and simple fate that our paths should cross! Planted beneath a stand of Kirengeshoma palmata, I kept a vigilant eye on its progress. S_L_O_W is the only word that comes to mind. Slow as in molasses running uphill to be exact! I worried that slugs would be drawn to its delicate, sumptuous foliage and considered moving it somewhere closer to the house – in the Rare and Unusual Border perhaps, but then worried that it would get lost amongst the towering ferns and Aconitum? What to do, what to do? In the end I left it where it was. I would simply implement a near daily visit to ensure its safety.

It bloomed for the first time last year, but I wasn’t able to witness its fully opened bloom. A severe wind storm broke of its only flowering stem, leaving behind a near perfect pearl shaped bud. But this year…. all hail and rejoice, I have my very first bloom! Its beauty leaves me speechless, so I shall borrow the words of Larry Davidson, plantsman extraordinaire and owner of Lost Horizons, the woodland plant nursery where this diminutive beauty came from: ‘A delicate, Japanese woodlander, with attractive, glossy, dark green foliage. In mid to late summer thin, dark stems are topped with eloquent, cup-shaped,nodding flowers 3 cm (1.25") across. Each flower has waxy, lilac sepals over rows of smaller violet petals.

A LittleTree Walkabout

2011-08-21T18:05:00.001-04:00

August is almost behind us, meaning that in the coming weeks the kids will be back in school, the temperatures will slowly begin to drop, and the focus can return to fall maintenance in the garden. This year the focus has been on inspiration, how to package it up and present it to our clients all done up in a wonderful package, complete with a bow!

Megan and I, while the owners were attending the IGC in Chicago, decided that we’d create a panoramic inspiration for gardeners looking to either create, or freshen up existing borders that traditionally flank the house.

Too often, plants are categorized and are displayed in rows. Suddenly you’re confronted with row upon row of trees, shrubs and perennials, and granted, while they look beautiful, to an inexperienced gardener, it looks like a whole bunch of the same thing, which in essence, it is nothing less!

Without a doubt, Megan is the visionary of the twosome, whereas I tend to notice the more subtle nuances of a plant – likely this comes from living in a world of macro photography. I’m often told I can take a photo of a plant and turn it into something that borders on the erotic! Imagine! Me of all people?!?

By utilizing all of the available plant categories available at LittleTree, namely perennials, annuals, trees, shrubs, statuary, furniture and giftware, I think we came up with a rather impressive display of how to combine all of the elements to create a comfortable, aesthetically pleasing, functioning living space.

August is a wonderful time to do a walkabout in your own garden and see if you’ve got any barren holes! Who doesn’t have room for just one more rare and unusual beauty? I laughed at a number of clients who were, ‘only looking’ who left with three or more new garden additions! Rumour has it that I should expect an onslaught of calls from bewildered spouses - ‘He told you what? He has no idea what our garden looks like!’

LittleTree Garden Market boasts not only the town’s most comprehensive inventory of annuals, trees, shrubs, perennials, grasses and vines, but also offers our clients a botanical garden where mature specimen trees, perennials, shrubs and annuals are on display.

Our in-house sense of humour is reflected on our roadside sign! In case you’re wondering, this past weekend was the Fergus Scottish Highland Games.

A wonderful Chinese Ginseng plant is one of the most requested items in the gardens.

As our main grower, Megan grew a wonderful series of Zinnia this past Spring and planted them in delightful drifts in the sign bed. These bring back memories of gardening with my Grandmother – except the flowers were rather boring compared with these new cultivars!

These three photos show where you’re most likely to find me should you happen to visit the nursery! While my title says Perennials Specialist, its the Plants for Shade section that causes my pulse to beat fastest! I’m constantly on the lookout for new and exciting, rare and unusual plants so as to offer gardeners alternatives to the ubiquitous fern and Hosta!

I like to boast that we have the most comprehensive selection of ornamental grasses as well! Its really true:

‘Our grasses are smokin!’

Thanks for coming along on our walkabout! I’ll leave you with photos of Megan and myself so that we’ll be recognizable when you visit! Please stop and introduce yourself, we’re always happy to make new gardening friends!

Included in my exclusive ‘Barry’s Picks’ is Asarum splendens!

Another Lost Horizons Beauty…..

2011-08-19T14:15:00.001-04:00

A recent trip to Lost Horizons [click here for posting] solidified my penchant to update the Rare and Unusual Border of Teza’s Garden. A rather robust Heuchera ‘Mocha’ and several Tricyrtis hirta plants were annexed to other sections of the garden to make room for plants such as this!

As a member of the Hydrangeaceae family, Deinanthe is sadly very obscure in cultivation and is generally only found in connoisseur’s collections – not surprising then, that I would first be introduced to this most beautiful of plants at Lost Horizons!

Deinanthe bifida [pictured above] was found and first described in 1863 by Russian botanist Carl John Maximowicz , who came across it growing in the southern woodlands of Japan. As its specific epithet implies, the species bears leaves that terminate into two distinct, pointed lobes, [ bifid] are approximately 20cm in length and are a rich green, with a slightly leathery texture.. Terminal clusters of nodding, waxy white flowers are held by ghostly pedicels, slightly above the foliage on stems to 45cm. As with some Hydrangea inflorescences, some of the florets along the outer perimeter of the inflorescence are completely sterile and are simply there to attract pollinators towards the fertile flowers towards the centre.

I hesitated in bringing home the crown jewel of the genera, its Chinese counterpart, Deinanthe caerulea, if only because I need to find a larger space for it. It was first discovered by Irish physician Augustine Henry in Hubei Province. It is an exquisite woodland plant and is truly a ‘Holy Grail’ selection, sought after by true woodland plant enthusiasts and connoisseurs like myself. Here is how plantsman Daniel Hinkley describes it in his tome ‘The Explorer’s Garden: Rare and Unusual Perennials’: ‘The leaves, rich green and coriaceous, are produced in pairs along 30-40cm stems that terminate in lovely clusters of nodding, lilac suffused flowers, each with a gorgeous assemblage of lavender-grey stamens crowded inside. Like the shy demure blossom of so many within the genus Helleborus, it requires those wishing to admire the blossom, to either bend or kneel to truly appreciate its beauty! Note to self: Continue the ‘annexation’ of more readily available plants to make room for this ‘Holy Grail’ addition as soon as possible!

Both members of this delightful genus are considered perfectly hardy in Zones 4-8. Successful cultivation requires a shaded position with adequately moist, rich endaphic environments. Too much sun results in burnt and blemished foliage. Propagation can be exasperatingly slow. Inspection of even the smallest clumps, dug in late winter will reveal large numbers of dormant buds that will not break into growth unless removed and planted independently.

A Morning Visit with Grandma: August 16, 2011

2011-08-18T10:20:00.001-04:00

I could sense her presence with the gentle golden fingers of sunshine that filtered in through the bedroom window, and hesitant that I should linger in the gentle breeze of the fan, I shook myself awake and headed outside.

We ‘meet’ on this day every year, a private garden tour if you will, where I show off the ‘kids’ but more importantly give thanks for all that she taught me as a child. The importance of the preservation of nature, the nurturing of all that is green, and an appreciation for beauty that goes well beneath skin deep! How else does one spot the last mesmerizing droplets of dew atop the foliage of Thalictrum delavayi?

On this day, I add a single plant in her memory. This year, remembering her affinity towards ferns, I added Athyrium nipponicum ‘Burgundy Lace’ in the hopes that her fronds will in time resonate with the deep flush of wine colouring that provides a wonderful contrast to the silvery pewter background. It basks in the shadow of my personal favourite Athyrium ‘Dre’s Daggars’ with its dramatic criss crossing pinnae that results in a lattice like appearance – a truly three dimensional experience to behold!

Beauty was everywhere one looked! Tricyrtis ‘Taipei Silk’ looked ravishing against the fabulously chartreuse foliage of a recently installed Aralia cordata ‘Sun King!’ We all know how I feel about that colour! Need I say more?

I found time slowed itself, allowing for me to fraternize with the ever increasing number of plants, that over the years have won over my heart and affection! Some of them were first introduced to my by my Grandmother, while others allowed me the pleasure of being able to introduce them to her: the thrill of it hummed through my body like a song that only gardeners are aware of!

I could hardly wait to introduce her to two of my more recent additions: Acer campestre ‘Carnival’ and Thalictrum ichangense ‘Evening Star’ – both of which have delightfully surpassed all expectation! While ‘Carnival’ is noted for possessing a notoriously slow growth habit, I must confess that he is twice the size he was when I first brought him home back in June, and ‘Evening Star,’ what can I say beyond bloom your delicate and lovely head off! Non stop, for well close to two months and no sign of his slowing down. If you haven’t sought out this diminutive beauty, do it now!

It is this time of year that I am rewarded with the delightful ram’s horn shaped flowers of Strobilanthes attenuata ‘Atropurpurea’ – a wonderful perennial with handsome slightly tomentose foliage, that this year, thanks in part to the wonderfully damp Spring and early Summer, has rewarded me with growth to almost 2m in height! I’m not certain that Larix decidua ‘Horstmann’s Recurva’ is equally happy, as she now finds herself dwarfed in the background! I shall have to rethink placement for either or in the coming months.

Euphorbia cornigera ‘Goldener Turm’ is a personal favourite, with its handsome upright habit, fresh foliage with the delightful silver striping down the centre of each leaf, and its fabulously chartreuse bract like flowers in Spring!

I could practically hear her giggle when I explained the taxonomic humour derived in the naming of Saruma henryi, a plant that to the unsuspecting could easily be misidentified as Asarum – a delightful anagram if ever one existed!

Always one for pontificating on the beauty of coniferous trees and shrubs, I knew she would approve of Abies koreana ‘Horstmann’s Silberlocke’, but I am sure she would be beside herself if she knew how much it cost me! Grandma, some things in life are priceless!

‘You always were attracted to the rare and unusual!’ Oh, you have no idea Grandma! But then again, with every passing year, you must realize that for me, the rarer and harder to find the better! You always said that life was what one made of it, and for me, its all in the hunt for new and exciting plants! Don’t bore me with pansies and geraniums!

A slight shifting in the air, a diffusion of the morning’s sunlight, and I sensed that our time was coming to a close. How is it that seven years have passed? I need only look at the garden to realize that indeed time stands still for no one! One last story to tell: How I waited patiently for three years before I was rewarded earlier this year with the first ever bloom of Glaucidium palmatum, the wonderful plant whose dramatic foliage is front and centre of the above photo. And her bloom: How soon we all forget…..

The enveloping sense of an embrace, here in Teza’s Garden, amongst what have quickly become my ‘children’, and she is gone, having returned Into the Distant Light, where, although she is but a thought or memory away, I feel blessed to know that a part of her will forever remain here in Teza’s Garden. A few stray tears, so similar to the drops of dew on the Thalictrum earlier, and I am suddenly aware that the pain of loss has been replaced with a sense of reunion, if only for a brief moment in time!

Into the Distant Light

2011-08-16T19:10:00.001-04:00

I envision her just beyond my grasp, a million brightly shining particles that make up her familiar, surrounded by the sound of an orchestra of birdsong. This is my greatest wish.

I feel her presence every time I enter the gardens: in the drop of early morning dew, in the shy petals of a partially opened Gentiana, her eyes the same summer blue that invokes the sky descending to kiss the garden.

I hear her voice, its contagious excitement whenever I find yet another special Arisaema to add to the ever growing collection – this was after all the very first genera to hold me spellbound in it’s thrall!

I experience the pain of separation most during the ‘gloaming’ hour of the day, when the sun casts its magical glowing rays across the multitude of foliage that is Teza’s Garden.

And yet, it is in the garden where she visits me most.

In loving memory of a wonderful Grandmother, mentor and friend who slipped softly into the distant light seven years ago today. I shall set aside precious time to visit with her in the gardens.

A Sense of Satisfaction!

2011-08-14T13:16:00.001-04:00

The weeks vacation is coming to a close. Seems like only yesterday M was calling to see where I was – seems I was pushing the whole ‘on vacation mentality’ just a wee too much!

I made a return engagement to Lost Horizons with gardening friends D, J and K this past Wednesday and returned home, wallet lighter and plant budget blown to hell, but with a wonderful selection of new rare and unusual acquisitions to help return the R&U border back to its glory. On Thursday A [my boss at LittleTree] and I ventured off to Connon, one of our suppliers with an empty cargo trailer and pick up truck! Egads people, what were we thinking? It was time to freshen up the benches in time for the late summer gardening season which is upon us! Lots of delightful new additions found their way home with us: Diervilla ‘Cool Splash’, Origanum ‘Bristol Cross’, Thalictrum ‘Splendide’, three or four new Echinacea cultivars, and of course, another tray of Gentiana ‘True Blue’ with a delightful upright almost shrubby habit! It was interesting to note the surprising variations in growth habit when comparing two different suppliers. Not sure which I preferred, so I ended up with a couple from both! One can never have too many Gentiana in the garden!

A day at D’s allowed for me to stay atop her garden maintenance, which, as the season wanes, is slowing itself to a more relaxed pace. The tour and a few garden parties behind us, its time to focus on the ominous task of dividing and conquering that comes with a garden’s maturation.

I had promised the ‘kids’ that I would spend time with them every day whilst I was off, and true to my word I would be out puttering amongst them first thing every morning. Even in the rain I was weeding and contemplating the R&U border’s next progression. Overall I am rather pleased with the results. I am anxious to see what next year will bring. I am still of a mind that I need to remove the narrow strip of grass between the garden edge and the sidewalk.

Oh, and I’ve been getting my feet wet on a new Facebook group entitled ‘PlantPorn.’ A staggeringly brilliant group of gardeners who all share a similar wicked sense of humour! The group is by invitation only so let me know if you’d like to experience it! It can be intensely addictive as you can attest to if you’ve noticed the recent posts on my Facebook page!

All in all a rather delightful and immensely self satisfying [wait a minute, that doesn’t sound right now does it?] week. Anxious to get back into the swing of things and start foisting the newest arrivals off to my loyal clientele!

Back To Where It All Began

2011-08-13T13:37:00.001-04:00

Sixteen years ago it started with a meager strip of garden against the side of the garage. Mine is a house where the garage juts out from the front, in the left corner of the overall structure. Gardening wasn’t exactly the obsession/career that it is today. A wild Vitis riparia was positioned in the centre of the bed, in hopes that in time it might cover the brick of the garage. Anything to soften a rather boring expanse of brick.

New the the community, most of the plants came from, and here I shudder with dismay, the local supermarket as well as Zellers and Canadian Tire. I hadn’t yet been introduced to the two local garden centres. In time I made my way to both, and a somewhat more comprehensive selection of plants were gradually introduced. The bed is roughly fifteen feet long, and at the time of its creation had a scalloped edge. Some of the initial plantings included Clematis ‘Blue Boy’ which is there to this day, and other shade tolerant plantings since the border only sees sun until about eleven thirty in the morning. Digitalis and ferns stick out in memory and I remember a year when a rather robust Digitalis grandiflora ‘Alba’ was the talk of the neighborhood. It stood close to five feet and was covered with the largest, most pristine flowers imaginable.

As horticulture permeated into my retail addled brain, I began searching out more rare and unusual plant selections, including what has since then become my ‘signature plant’ – Corydalis flexuosa ‘Blue Panda’ with its fabulous shoal of icy blue sea horses that float above a tumultuous sea of blue grey foliage! [Interesting that as one delves deeper into the fascinating depths of horticulture, their vocabulary seems to develop exponentially as well!]

Slowly these rare and unusual plants began to culminate in this same bed. Granted, I would eventually have to construct what is now known as the Shaded Walk – an expanse of space in between my house and the neighbors, but for the time being, I wanted them to be front and centre! Braggarts rights so to speak!

I spent most of the years between then and now seeking out some of horticultures most beguiling and under-appreciated plants. It was here that I planted my beloved Cypripedium reginae, only to wait for three years before she graced me with one of her pristine pink and white blooms. The tomentose heart shaped foliage of Saruma henryi was assured of eliciting questions by garden visitors as were two Aconitum, both featuring whipped buttery yellow flowers that were nothing like the traditional helmet shaped blooms that one associates with the blue, purple or bicoloured varieites. These, if anything, looked like miniature smurf hats! My recently departed friend ‘M’ said, ‘it looks like the hat that the Pope wears!’ I have since learned the term is ‘mitre.’

An ensuing tenure at Lost Horizons, Ontario’s leading woodland plant nursery, ensured that I would be able to continue my dream of creating what I now began referring to as, ‘the rare and unusual’ border.

My current obsession is what is without a doubt, my second favourite genera ever! – Gentiana! Oh how those delightful alpine beauties seduce with their true blue trumpet shaped flowers, ranging from the powdery blue of Gentiana makinoi ‘Blue Magic’ [pictured above] to the seductive blooms of Gentiana asclepidea [Willow Gentian] and Gentiana septempida var. Lagodochiana Select: [respectively pictured below]

This past week witnessed a return visit to Lost Horizons which netted eight new rare and unusual beauties for the border of the same name – but there was one small [well, not so small to be honest!] problem: [lets all say it together shall we!] ‘Where the hell are you going to fit them in!?! Perhaps a photo montage might allow you a better visualization: This series shows the Rare and Unusual Border, all fifteen feet long by three feet deep, from far left to where it ends and the veranda begins!

I trust I’m not the only one who has trouble saying ‘NO’ when it comes to rescuing what can best be described as ‘plant orphans’ – you know the ones, the last lonely selection at the end of a season, the one sitting so forlornly by itself….. how can you conscionably pass it by? Trouble is quite frankly, I cannot help myself!

Rest assured, I was able to find the space. In some of the photos of the border, you can actually see bare soil – so now the bed is actually four foot deep in some places – and the fancy scalloped edge? One day soon the border will end at the walkway, which itself is much wider than it need be! I’m sounding like a true addict on the prowl for space, aren’t I? Some of the, and how shall I word this and not offend any of the ‘children’? Simply put, some of the more easily recognizable selections have taken up residence along the length of the Shaded Walk. Its time to reintroduce the ‘WOW!’ factor to the Rare and Unusual Border! Two delightful new selections of Gentiana, a delightful climbing Aconitum austroyunnanense, the fabulously chartreuseness that is Aralia cordata ‘Sun King,’ the enchanting Epimedium Sakura Maru, and last but not least, a second Paeonia mlokosewitschii will all ensure that come next Spring, Rare and Unusual will be back where it belongs…. front and centre here at Teza’s Garden! And what do you know…. we’re back to where we started! Sweet Jesus, but I’m totally enamored with the combination of Gentiana scabra ‘True Blue’ when combined with the fabulously chartreuse foliage of Pinellia tripartita ‘Golden Dragons!’ A partnership made in hort heaven!

Oh the Wonder of it All: A Visit to Lost Horizons

2011-08-10T18:04:00.001-04:00

It was a return engagement that has been three years in the making, but finally, with a little trepidation, I joined two of my gardening friends and we made a trek to Lost Horizons. It was like returning home after years of wandering aimlessly. It was here that I spent two years ‘learning the ropes’ from plantsman extraordinaire Larry Davidson. Situations change, time marches forward and we make decisions. It is heartwarming to receive a welcome back, even if it is as a customer on the other side of the bench.

I’d whittled a wish list of some twenty plants down to perhaps a dozen, and armed with a recipe card I explained to my cohorts that it was best that we part ways and meet back in an hour in time for lunch. A mere hour, what was I thinking!

There were a lot of noticeable changes in the three years since I’d last been, but one thing remained certain: Plants would always be the focus of this nursery. Everywhere you looked were pot after pot of wonderful and exciting plants. I’d first been attracted to the nursery four odd years ago when, desperate and frustrated with a fruitless search for a particular blue flowering Corydalis, I was steered in the nursery’s direction by fellow plant enthusiast M! Sure enough, Larry fitted me with my very first [of many since] of the genus. Now, armed with another list I was ‘coming home’ as it were. I was thrilled to get to spend a few precious minutes with Larry before heading off with my list.

I am the first to admit that regardless of any so called budgetary measures that one might attempt to follow, it is an absolute fruitless folly to think that you can remain within its strict confines. One look at a luscious stand of Deinanthe bifida, aswarm with honeybees, and you just know that one will be coming home, regardless if it is on the wish list or not! And what about the stunning chartreuse bounty that is Aralia cordata ‘Sun King’….. HELLO! Or what about the hortgasmic inducing Gentiana makinoi ‘Blue Magic!’ Wasn’t it only last week that you were singing the praises that second to the delightful ‘Cory,’ that Gentiana was a perennial favourite? Indeed! Shall we take a closer look?

I can hardly wait to see the icy blooms of Gentiana makinoi ‘Blue Magic’ once they have opened. They will provide a wonderful contrast with the recently installed Gentiana scabra ‘True Blue.’ One plant was simply not satisfactory, so homeward came two!

One cannot sing the praises of Deinanthe bifida loud enough! A distant Hydrangea relative, its fabulous white and pink stained flowers are an absolute magnet for the honeybee! Reason enough to grow this smashing woodland gem!

Admittedly, this was the sole reason for my trip. I was disappointed with the performance of my beloved ‘Molly the Witch’ – Paeonia mlokosewitschii – one that I admit came from a west coast supplier, and knew that I’d first lusted after seeing it performing magnificently in the display gardens of Lost Horizons. My heart pounds with excitement just thinking about when it emerges from the ground next Spring! All velvet burgundy…… sweet Jesus!

When I’d spotted a new blue flowering Corydalis [Corydalis ‘Wildside Blue’] in the 2010 catalogue, I knew I’d eventually have to have one. Named in honor of UK plantsman Keith Wiley, from whose garden it originates, this robust charmer is supposed to be less likely to suffer from summer dormancy, while producing wonderful swathes of intense blue flowers! Need I say more?!?

Two words say it all: FABULOUSLY CHARTREUSE! I’d been looking for this charmer, Aralia cordata ‘Sun King’ since reading about it last fall after returning from the IGC Tour in Chicago. I’d flipped through the catalogue in hopes of finding it, but alas, it was MIA! I should have known that part of Larry’s charm is in stocking plants that aren’t listed in the catalogue. A brilliant strategy to keep people stopping in to see what’s new and exciting! It worked aces for this customer! Bloody brilliant is it not!

Granted, it doesn’t look like much at the moment, but I’m envisioning three or four years from now when its magnificent blue and purple tinted hooded flowers peek out from an existing wild grape wine that clamors on the side of the garage. Aconitum austroyunnanensis is a twining [climbing] species of the much loved family of Monkshood.

… and lastly, Epimedium Sakura Maru, a beguiling, smashing new cultivar that features larger than average double, claw shaped flowers! Lost Horizons has the most comprehensive collection of this wonderful woodland plant in perhaps the entire country, definitely the province! For a plant that thrives in dry, shaded locations, it never ceases to amaze me why they are not more popular! The photo below shows what its flowers look like! Pure hort lust!

The day seemed to fly by, and soon it was time to head home. We all came away with new and exciting treasures, and I am proud to say that it felt better than good to know that we supported one of Canada’s leading independent plant nurseries. Leave the big box department and grocery chains to the so called ‘weekend’ gardeners! True plant people are becoming a rarity, and its excruciatingly important that we support our independents wherever and whenever possible. For me, it was but a small token of thanks to the man who truly opened my eyes to the fascinating world of horticulture. Thank you Larry!

I kept hearing ‘but where are you going to plant all of this’ running through my subconscious mind, but I had a plan man! In the past year or so, the rare and unusual border had become…. well rather boring! Yawn! My so called rare and unusuals were being overrun with the tawdry likes of Heuchera Mocha, Tricyrtis hirta and Adiantum pedantum. Not that I do not appreciate any or all of these wonderful woodlanders, but I was risking my reputation as a true plant collector by highlighting such readily available plant materials. One has a reputation to live up to after all! The Heuchera went with J, the Tricyrtis, well a good deal of it went to the compost pile [more than slightly rambunctious it can be!] and I simply pruned off some of the ebony stems of the Adiantum to make room for my newest additions! Yes indeed! All eight rare and unusual new additions now reside in their rightful place within the Rare and Unusual Border.

You have to look closely to see Aconitum austroyunnanensis to the left of the photo.

And lastly, a heartfelt thank you to J for providing the transport and to D and K for the always humorous plant companionship!

The Countdown has Begun!

2011-08-08T19:13:00.001-04:00

This year she is a flurry of bloom! I continue to be enamored of Thalictrum delavayi ‘Splendide’ – even as she continues her quest for the clouds! I, silly goose that I was, didn’t believe that she would attain the 2+ metres that the tag clearly stated, but she looked so delicate and ethereal at the time, all blue grey fern like foliage. In year two she broke off in a wind storm and though she did make a come back, she remained ‘dwarfed’ in comparison to this year’s momentous leap! Such is life in the garden.

I spent much of the day in the garden of a wonderful friend and client at the garden centre. Having been away for most of the month of July, the garden was in need of some ‘recapturing.’ Amazing how when everything else seems to shrivel and dry out, the weeds just keep going and growing! In no time, the beds were back to their previously glorious self again! In return I offered her a quick walkabout of my own gardens. People are always amazed at how many different shade loving plants exist outside of Hosta and ferns.

I am looking forward to returning to what remains my favourite specialist nursery on Wednesday, and in preparation for the occasion, I have been scouring the catalogue for the truly rare and unusual. I am in need of another Paeonia mlokosewitschii, as my current plant has languished since I planted it in a container. I was worried about not having the proper location for it – she is worthy of a pedestal after all!

And there is an amazing new Arisaema, a mutation of our native known as A. triphyllum ‘Black Jack that has my Arisaema senses twitching in excitement! Near black trifoliate foliage with the distinct purple, green and white spathe! Hortgasm worthy indeed!

And while we’re at it, how about this impressive Podophyllum pleinthum! [One must remember that Lost Horizons prides itself on being a specialist of woodland plants, so the choices tend to leave one emotionally and financially exhausted – but oh, the rewards are endless!] The specimen in the display garden elicits more squeals of delight and queries as to if it is available for sale or not….. fingers crossed that they have one left!

But seriously, how does one narrow down a list of tantalizing rare and unusual plants to just three or four? One supposes a budget would help. Not where this nursery is concerned!!! I have resorted to Ritz and peanut butter in order to have just one MUST HAVE rarity! I was tempted when I saw that L was stocking Meconopsis x shelldonii ‘Lingholm’ this year as well. I’m still in a bad state of denial where this beguiling genus is concerned. Alas. I have looked at the weather forecast and it looks like rain, but rest assured if its a sunny day, there will be a posting on this much anticipated road trip to follow! Stay tuned! I only wish Grace and Joy were able to join us!

The Perfect Way to Start the Day~

2011-08-07T14:30:00.001-04:00

If ever there was an example of being an over achiever in the garden, this divine pair of blooms on Kirengeshoma koreana would win hands down. I spent close to ten minutes with this charmer alone!

There is everything to love about this plant! It emerges with a fabulously shimmering silver overlay to its stunning palmate foliage. As the plant matures, the stems take on an almost ebony coloration which, combined with the silvery foliage and the delightful waxy whipped buttery yellow shuttlecock shape of the flowers, resulting in what this gardener considers a MUST HAVE when it comes to creating a shaded woodland garden! Interestingly, its cousin K. palmata is showing no signs of wanting to flower. Its flowers tend to hang down moreso than this one as well!

I mentioned in an earlier post that I’d added not one but three new Gentiana scabra ‘True Blue’ to the rare and unusual border. I am but days away from being rewarded with what appears to be a strong flower performance. After my beloved Cory, Gentiana wins my heart hands down!

My wonderful ‘Carnival’ continues to shine! I am going to have to see about dividing a rather large clump of Lamium orvala that is crowding him out!

I must remember to look at this photo when the water bill comes in later this year! I simply could not allow for my kids to suffer on account of Mother Nature’s less than humorous recent dry spell!

I awoke to the sound of water splashing into my new bowl. It was finally raining! It was a wonderful way to spend the morning…. even after the phone call telling me that I was actually supposed to work! Talk about being overly eager to start one’s vacation!

Even I have to admit that the newly installed Thelypteris decursiva pinnata [Japanese Beech Fern] is the perfect finishing touch to the recently introduced mirror! I can see you, can you see me?

Heads Up Kids, You’ve Got A Week with Dad!

2011-08-06T20:38:00.001-04:00

Just in time for the first of what is potentially supposed to be a wet, rainy week, I’m embarking on my first week of vacation. Plans? I’ve confirmed trips to two garden nurseries, including the legendary Lost Horizons, where I hope to source out a few must have perennials that have been annoyingly eluding me this year! The other is a day trip with the boss, to one of the garden centre’s top suppliers in hopes of finding new and exciting plants to freshen things up as we head into August.

I’ve been mulling with the idea of revamping the rare and unusual border – moving out some of the more, dare I say it, common plants, to make room for a few new rarities that I am eying from Fraser’s Thimble Farms in British Columbia later in the year, including two new Cypripediums and a rather astonishing Podophyllum! In the meantime I brought home another Thelypteris [Japanese beech Fern] and my third [yes!] Gentiana scabra ‘True Blue.’ I am days away from witnessing the two original plants in bloom, and from the looks of it, I shall not be disappointed – not in the least! True gentian blue, trumpet shaped flowers, close to 2 inches in length! Sweet Jesus! Sounds like the perfect way to spend a weeks vacation! Stay tuned for my gardening adventures with the kids!

Through the Garden Mirror

2011-07-31T19:02:00.001-04:00

You’ve got to love it when your two favourite garden adornments go on sale – buy one get one free! Oh how to decide? Uh, duh! This cathedral window shaped mirror has haunted me for well over a year now – definitely a gorgeous addition but always just the other side of justification. The perfect accent feature for the rare and unusual border, helping to add a sense of depth to a rather straight, narrow space!

This handsome glazed water bowl was my freebie! I love the colours, and its size is perfect for collecting rainwater. It could easily house a few water plants should the idea present itself in coming years. I must remember to bring both of these striking additions inside for the winter months!

… and to close, a couple of my favourites in the throes of passionate bloom!

Sweet Lucifer, is that rain on my face?

2011-07-28T20:05:00.001-04:00

It made me want to dance around naked, so it did! But I didn’t! At thirty days plus, we finally awakened to light rain, the kind that would make Heathcliff howl over – me too for that matter – that continued well into the morning hours. It created a gentle mist that offered sustenance to all of my children who had grown reliant on my watering them every other day! Not that I was complaining. Here, Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ is showing his happiness. I was more than thrilled with this planting as when combined with the deep purple foliage of Eupatorium ‘Chocolate’, the results are rather dramatic to say the least. This year my chocolate ‘Joe’ is on the thinner side!

Many came and they all wanted! Say what? I nursed a pot of Aconitum back to health from last year and waited patiently to see if my suspicions were correct! Bang on! I absolutely adore this bi-coloured species with larger than normal flowers with a decidedly inflated upper petal! I inadvertently left it at work on Wednesday and it appears that everyone who glanced upon it wanted to buy it! Go figure!

One of my favourite clients stopped in earlier in the week, wondering the name of the plant that I took when I visited her garden a couple weeks back. Roscoea purpurescens is blooming his fool head off! I am anxious to see how big the plant is next year, as compared to other species that I grow, this one seems to be on steroids! Pretty spectacular isn’t he?

I must remember to add this to the list of staple shade plant inventory for next year. I am always thrilled when I can introduce shade gardeners to new and exciting selections, and this one flew off the benches when I touted its numerous attributes!

It has taken three years, but I am finally content with the overall habit of Cornus alternifolia ‘Golden Shadows.’ This year, thanks largely to the cool, wet Spring, it has responded most markedly sending forth new growth that will one day fill in some of the lankier portions of its central trunk. Of course this isn’t to say that it would be usurped in the blink of an eye if I were to locate a similar sized C. alternifolia ‘Argentea.’

To be able to go through life coasting on your dramatic smashing good looks! Athyrium filix femina ‘Dre’s Daggars’ has not a worry in the world, even surrounded by the likes of Meconopsis and Cypripedium!

A triptych of sorts to show the length of the rare and unusual border. The dramatic leaf in the last photo belongs to an unnamed Arisaema – methinks A. draconitum, but the jury remains in deliberation! Regardless, it stops visitors in their tracks!

A similar perspective of the border on the other side of the house where the taller, more robust, sun loving plants reside including Strobilanthes attenuata ‘Atropurpurescens’ which is coming close to smothering out my beloved Larix decidua ‘Horstmann’s Recurvata.’ It [Strobilanthes] has more than doubled its height and spread in the past month! I am terribly fond of the rich deep purple ram’s horn shaped flowers that will bloom mid August!

Did the rain visit your garden as well?

Fire and Ice

2011-07-25T18:49:00.001-04:00

I delight in spending time alone in my garden. It is a refuge from the outside world, a shaded sliver of existence where I shrug off the constraints of the passage of time. Consumed within its beauty, the boundaries of the world begin to blur.

This past week has been the hottest on record, with temperatures soaring near to 50 degrees Celsius if you take into consideration the humidex quotient – and trust me, it was next to impossible to ignore!

Rain was greatly called upon, yet for the most part the call went unheeded. A few drops here and there, often misinterpreted as perspiration, dropped from the sky,a goading punishment to those who complained about the cool wet Spring that we had been graced with.

I did my best to keep the kids happy, or at the very least moist, so as not to droop in the sweltering heat, but even this proved taxing to say the very least! A recently departed gardening confidante ‘M’ once commented that I would make a lousy gardener if I were stranded in the desert: ‘My God man, what were you thinking choosing all of those rare and usual plants that demand water on a near daily basis! What happens when the dustbowl of summer descends?’ If anyone’s words would come back to haunt me, it would have to her hers! Somewhere she is hoarding massive rain-cloud formations, eking out rainfall in drops, all the while her thunderous laughter haunts me! ‘But ‘M’ look how the blue and purple play off the fabulous chartreuseness of the Filipendula. Would you rather I plant Petunias? On second thought, do not answer that question!’

I snagged myself three new Helleborus x hybrida ‘Cotton Candy’ [part of the brilliant Winter Jewels Series from famed breeder Marietta O’Byrne – click here for she and husband Ernie’s fabulous Eugene, Oregon website!] from one of our suppliers this week, and as a result, had to do some creative revamping of the R&U border to make room for them. I removed swathes of Tricyrtis hirta [the spotted ones] and a Thalictrum ‘Hewlitt’s Double’ that had outgrown its home, not to mention that it was usurped by its Cinderella cousin T. delavayi ‘Splendide’ in recent years which is located in the same border. [As a good parent, I try to steer away from sibling rivalry whenever possible!] The genus Helleborus has become a revisited weakness for me! I am speaking about them at the September meeting of our local Horticultural Society, in an effort to promote their beauty and potential for shaded woodland gardens! Methinks that ‘Cotton Candy’ [photo courtesy of northwestgardennursery.com] will make a lasting impression!

And how was your week?

The Work Is Paid Off – Garden Tour Day

2011-07-20T20:40:00.001-04:00

Have I told you that I love my second job! Being allowed the privilege of maintaining a garden of such beauty and magnitude, and being given an opportunity to introduce new and exciting plant materials [read: some of my all time favourites!] is like a dream come true! Imagine then the thrill of preparing for a garden tour – a busload of people coming out of Toronto, led by Frank Kershaw no less! With all the finishing touches in place, all that was left was to sit back and wait for the onslaught of visitors to arrive! Priming and pruning during the week leading up to the grand event ensured that the gardens were at their peak in pristine beauty!

The fence line that introduces visitors to the potage was brimming with bloom: Rosa, Alcea, Allium [albeit spent heads to add texture!], Chelome…. the epitome of country charm!

A view of the central border – albeit slightly skewed from where the photo was taken. It was a scorcher of a day and I knew that without fail the Petasites would have to be watered at just the right moment in order to ensure that it wasn’t flopping when the guests arrived.

I intuited that the guests would gravitate towards the shaded White Garden so encouraged that they enter the property at the potage, work their way down to the river and then back up around the central border and up into the shade. It worked, almost! I had to laugh, knowing that if I were a guest, I too would have made a beeline for the woodland garden.

The guests arrived precisely to the minute and began milling around the property. I had contemplated a guided tour but shunned the idea when I pondered what I would look forward to as a participant. D and I were both on hand to answer any questions, and there were plenty! Did I have personal quarters on the property was the best!

The host of the tour, Frank Kershaw, kindly reciprocated with three pots of plants from his own garden, including the native yellow Lady Slipper Orchid. I simply couldn’t resist taking him to a sheltered spot within the woodland garden to show him where our Cypripedium reginae and Meconopsis grandis are planted. Methinks he realized at that precise moment that as a horticulturalist, I can hold my own, thank you very much! Sadly, with another garden yet to partake of, the tour was over in the blink of the eye!

Heartfelt thanks to D for allowing me this exciting opportunity to be an active participant in an event such as this. I have never entertained the idea of opening my garden to the public, but was more than reciprocated for the weeks of effort with the comments that we received.

Swelter Skelter…..

2011-07-19T20:39:00.001-04:00

Sweet Jesus Dorothy, I’m melting! And no, this isn’t the Wicked Witch of either the East nor West, this is Teza people! The mercury read 35 degrees Celsius today, and that was without bloody Humidex! They’re calling for similar weather for the remainder of the week, topping off Thursday with Humidex nearing 45 freaking degrees! I want my Scottish moors with the low banks of cloud and fog, blissful drizzle, the sound of bagpipes….. you get what I’m saying here, right?

In the meantime, the cool mauve flowers of a Clematis that insists upon pooling itself around a pot of Helleborus does seem to bring the body’s temperature down somewhat!

Were I smaller [okay, considerably smaller!] I could hide within the bloom of Hydrangea ‘Annabelle.’ Every year I promise myself her eradication from the garden, and every year, she turns up in my photos! Why is that?

A recent addition to the R & U border is Gentiana scabra ‘True Blue,’ an introduction from Epimedium guru Darrell Probst. I am ever so anxious to see if it lives up to the hype – two inch cobalt blue flowers on a plant with an upright growth habit! Time will tell!

We all know how much I love my Aconitum, including A. cammarum x spicatum ‘Stainless Steel’ with its decidedly two tone flowers. It does have a somewhat lax habit, so relies on Thalictrum delavayi ‘Splendide’ to hold it erect!

Perannual be damned, I cannot go a year without the delightful Origanum ‘Kent Beauty’ in my containers! I actually managed to over winter this one, so there is hope for those Zonal Denial addicts like myself!

Mystery Plant: Any guesses? Hint: One of my favourite genera ever!

Only the second time in four years that I have had blooms on Acanthus mollis! The first was the year that the plant was installed in the garden. Just goes to show you what a cool, wet Spring does for the residents of Teza’s Garden! Obviously I’m not the only one partial to such weather conditions!

See what I mean?

The dazzlingly beautiful fronds of Athyrium filix femina ‘Dre’s Daggars’ – easily my favourite of all ferns, with its criss crossing pinnae, and wonderful graceful arching form. If only it were easier to photograph!

Does this offer a better understanding, perhaps?

The obtuse cones of Abies koreana ‘Horstmann’s SIlberlocke’ are getting… well fatter by the day! They are beginning to look somewhat…. obscene when compared to the actual size of the tree! Not that I would ever make an inappropriate comment in its presence….. I waited bloody years to get my hands on this gem!

Of course, not to be outshone, Acer campestre ‘Carnival’ continues to captivate! I was worried the leaves would scorch with the sometimes strong winds that whip between the houses, but thus far it remains rather pristine if I might say so myself!

The newest of the Roscoea to join the ranks of the Shaded Walk is R. purpurea, which, judging from its quickly increasing bulk, promises to wow me later in the season when it blooms! Stay tuned.

Heartfelt thanks to my kids! I’ve been trying to keep ahead of the watering, but sometimes it takes a little drooping and sulking to capture Dad’s attention! Please forgive!

A Touch of the Mediterranean!

2011-07-16T20:57:00.001-04:00

Goodness me! Its been awhile since I have had time to myself, what with work, house sitting and the garden tour – but now I can sit, put my feet up and reflect on it all. Oh and did I mention that we’re in the middle of a scorching heat-wave at the moment? [My Heathcliff sensibilities – fog, drizzly cool moorish weather are sulking at best!]

The garden tour, a bus trip out of Toronto under the tutelage of Frank Kershaw arrived in Elora at three this afternoon, with their first stop being the gardens of two wonderful gardening friends, D & I! Truly artistic plant aficionados, in the three years since moving, they have transformed their corner property into a plantlover’s paradise – not to mention the stunning transformation of the recent Heritage designated stone house. It is as if you stepped off the sidewalk and into a Mediterranean villa!

The back of the property which sits 3m from street level is home to a wonderful series of raised borders that form a potage. Here kitchen vegetables are grown with other ornamental aromatic flowers such as Lavandula and Salvia. In the year since I last visited this area has been totally transformed! The results are nothing less than stunning!

A magnificent fountain provides a wonderful trilling sound of water as it splashes from one level to the next. D insists that it was found in a feedlot, complete with a floating plastic yellow duck! ‘They had no idea what they had!’

This has been a stellar year for anyone who grows Yucca, and this magnificent specimen of Y. filamentosum immediately caught my eye. I am still toying with the idea of adding three plantings to the Ornamental Grass Border at D’s this Fall.

Rosa “Peace’

The last picture in the above trio designates the woodland garden where one will find Trillium, Meconopsis, Hydrangea, and the much beloved Arisaema, including the beguiling A. candidissimum! Is it any wonder that I and myself can spend hours discussing plants when she visits the nursery? We did a brief jaunt to the garden whilst D entertained guests so that she could catch me up on recent installations.

An aptly designated plaque of achievement!

I look forward to seeing the garden as it continues to mature and develop under the careful tutelage of such talented and artistic caretakers. Congratulations on an additional achievement as well! Here is a sneak peak inside!

Sublime!

2011-07-08T17:00:00.001-04:00

Next to ‘Cory’ this sublime whipped buttery yellow Aconitum reigns supreme in the Rare and Unusuals border!

Happiness Is…..

2011-07-07T18:30:00.001-04:00

A Cercidiphyllum japonica ‘Rotfuchs’ that is finally beginning to understand the term ‘cascading habit!’

The sublime pinkish red petioles of Persicaria [Fallopia japonica] variagata ‘Compactum’

The tell tale signs that this is indeed going to be a bumper season of bloom for my delightful Spigelia marilandica! [Joy – better late than never! I was shocked when yours bloomed so early this year! You may be in for a surprise next year, but be patient!]

Happenstance!

2011-07-07T18:19:00.001-04:00

Sometimes a photo opportunity in the garden presents itself, and cannot be ignored! Such was the case with this composition of a miniature rose [ a memorial from when my Grandmother passed away seven years ago – and the absolute only rose that grows in my gardens] Corydalis elata and Aconitum kyrlovii. In the bottom left of the photo, one might even notice the first blooms of Spigelia marilandica preparing for their stunning debut!

Miss M is Blooming!

2011-07-07T18:13:00.001-04:00

Moss Hollow: A Return Engagement

2011-07-06T22:38:00.001-04:00

At the behest of S, Megan and I revisited this wonderful garden in order to give her a second opinion of its composition. In a year that has witnessed burgeoning growth, I was pleasantly surprised to see the state of the woodland garden. A mere year ago it was just getting started after witnessing a devastating collapse of one of the surrounding stone walls – an original from the mill that this magnificent property has utilized to glowing results!

The original wall of the mill affords fleeting moments of dappled sunlight – and was especially enchanting during the ‘Gloaming’ hour. This is my personal favourite aspect of the property – the woodland garden filled with an array of charming nativplantings – including a rather healthy specimen of Diphylleia cymosa that grew too big for his britches here and went off to keep S company as she rebuilt this garden from the ground up. Tonight I sent Roscoea purpurescens her way as well – there’s only one way to create a collector’s garden, and that’s one rare and choice plant at a time! Besides, it doesn’t take a lot of convincing where S is concerned!

My last visit was in the Springtime, when the lower garden was a riot of colours: pink, white, yellow, purple – a virtual rainbow of colour. Now, the brighter colours have given way to more muted shades of green – a compliment to its woodland setting.

A charming trailing Campanula has seeded itself into a smaller retaining wall, adding the perfect touch of charm and whimsy!

A striking Athyrium specimen caught my eye: I wish I could have gotten closer, but its deep burgundy midrib suggests A. ‘Ursula’s Red’ – a true connoisseur within the genus!

Subtle placement of bright, bold foliage pulls the eye along the length of the border. Hosta have all done remarkably well this year with the abundance of moisture we have received!

The blue and purple garden, filled with Iris, Nepeta and Lavandula never ceases to stop me in my tracks. I have once again come away thinking I must give N. subsesssilis another go! I pulled it out in a fit of frustration two years ago when it decided it was going to try and push the boundary of the Shaded Walk! In such case, there is absolutely no room for friendly discussion – the shady characters are going to win out each and every time! Nonetheless, it is a splendid plant! It just needs plenty of room!

Happy, soothing thoughts Teza!

A moss, grass and sculpture bed flank the magnificent view of the Grand River!

A wonderful potage is home to raised beds of herbs, and includes the only rose I would grow: Rosa glauca with its wonderful powdery grey blue foliage.

A most delightful visit as always! Thanks for the invitation S!

After the Storm: Another Wonderful Surprise!

2011-07-03T20:04:00.001-04:00

Gale force winds swept through the area last night, toppling more trees and wreaking havoc at the nursery, but luckily everything survived yet another of Mother Nature’s muscle flexing! There was a moment when I was tempted to run out and check that my recently installed Larix decidua ‘Horstmann’s Recurva’ was securely where he had been planted two weeks ago, but the too close for comfort lightning strikes kept me inside cowering beneath a favourite blanket!

I lost a favourite Penstemon this past winter, most likely because the eave of the neighboring house. directly above the border where it is planted leaked like a sieve last year and it drowned. I was more than surprised to find this seedling about 1m from where the original clump disappeared. Its sky blue flowers….. well, you know!

Three long years I have waited for this! I fell head over heals in love with Morina longifolia, a delightful Himalayan plant that is difficult to locate in commerce. Mores the pity!

Its appearance is visually contradictory as upon first glance one might mistake it for a rambunctious thistle, with its dark, glossy, spiny foliage. When bruised, the foliage emits a delicate citrusy aroma, making it difficult not to scrunch a leaf or two every time you walk past, just to confirm that your olfactory sense is working!

Stout stems appear in mid Summer, rise to 45cm and carry whorls of pale pink and white tubular flowers. While the flowers seem to darken with age, it is actually a visual indication that the individual flower has in fact been fertilized! Stay tuned for pictorial updates as Miss M unveils her astounding beauty!

Morina are named in honour of Rene Morin, a French nurseryman who has the distinction of having produced, in 1621, the world's first plant catalogue, Catalogus plantarum horti Renati Morini. Morina longifolia originates from the Himalayas, where it grows at about 9,840ft in an area from Kashmir to Bhutan.

I love the soft, feathery blooms of Trifolium!

Bar none, Cassia marilandica has one of my favourite foliage presentations. I love the pleated fan shape, and the unique folding that occurs towards that time of day that I refer to as ‘the Gloaming!’

The newest addition to the family is Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Sikes Dwarf’ – another one of those long lusted and coveted plants that I could wait for its presence in the garden no longer! A diminutive selection within a species that houses some true giants, Sikes maintains a manageable height and spread of 1.25m. I love the panicles of flowers that emerge a lime colour, fading through white to pink, atop traditional Oak leafed foliage that turns shades of red, purple and burgundy as the seasons wane towards Winter’s inevitable return!

The first of the stately Campanula species is beginning to bloom. Odd, since I am used to its more rambunctious and lax cousin, Campanula Sarastro to bloom first! Sarastro is there, but he’s not nearly as eager as he has been in past years! Patience is the name of the game!

[How did I miss those yellowing Aconitum leaves when I took this photo?] If you look closely, you will notice that I have three potential blooms on Acanthus mollis this year! It bloomed three years ago and then seemed to languish in its shaded placement along the Shaded Walk. I have been tempted to move it to the sunnier border, but love the wonderful contrast that its foliage provides.

I all but missed Arisaema consanguinium’s remarkable striped spathe this year, but he has gone shy on me, hiding not only beneath his own dazzling whorled, star shaped foliage, but beneath the tropical foliage of his native cousin. I am forever reminding myself to look beneath the obvious to find the true inner beauty that my garden contains!

Happiness abound along the Shaded Walk. Saruma henryi has spread his roots and is now a magnificent clump, and I am more than thrilled to see that Triostrum himalayanum is also settling in! Two more shade garden essentials~!

Second Heaven – Part Two

2011-07-01T14:47:00.001-04:00

If you choose to bypass the gated entrance, the gardens shift towards sun. The central kidney shaped border is a plant lovers dream: Ligularia, Allium, Hydrangea, Delphinium, Digitalis, Alchemilla, Iris, Petasites, Aconitum, Astilbe, Aruncus….. and these only account for a third of its overall inventory!

Specimen Hosta and Ligularia ‘Britt Marie Crawford’ exemplify the careful attention to shape of foliage and colour contrast that is at work throughout the property!

Garden adornments are scattered near and far, many hand created by the owner’s artist friends!

The lower gardens evoke a rustic country charm, and the addition of hand made wooden furniture is a complimentary touch that also adds a sense of whimsy and fun!

Few are afforded a luxurious view of the river, and in maintaining a clear view, the lower bed along the shore of the Grand is kept to a minimum with various perennial grasses!

Like me, this gardener loves to fill her borders to brimming with interesting and exotic plantings!

The Mediterranean theme is continued with the presence of this magnificent marble outdoor sink. I feel guilty every time I was my hands there!

A wonderful pond feature provides a pleasant surprise to unsuspecting visitors, as it is neatly tucked behind a stone wall that separates the dining area from the central lawn. A single jet of water provides the perfect sense of water movement.

Wonderful stone steps lead you back to the formal woodland garden, which sadly denotes that we are back where it all started!

Second Heaven: Where I Spend My Downtime!

2011-07-01T14:15:00.001-04:00

There is something magical about this garden! I am privileged beyond imagination to be able to surround myself with such rampant beauty on a weekly basis – even if some people would consider it work!

An earlier post focused on the Spring garden – April, when the property was a riot of spring flowering bulbs and ephemerals, most notably the majestic stands of Matteuccia struthiopteris! Imagine my delight at being able to watch them unfurl their fiddlehead fronds and leap skyward! Literally, many of the mature clumps come close to 1m in height and spread!

Arriving, one is given a glimpse of the fernery that awaits ! The stone house and surrounding gardens compliment one another, making it not only a picture perfect oasis, but inviting for like minded gardeners, a group of whom will be visiting in mid July. Prepping the gardens have become my essential task.

Two planters that greet visitors have been cleverly designed to include stems of Agapanthus of a startling mauve-blue.

Undoubtedly one of my favourite aspects of the property os the woodland garden which features wonderful mass plantings of Trillium, Arisaema, Sanguinaria and Corydalis – four of my must have shade garden essentials! A wonderful curved stone wall houses steps from the veranda to garden level.

The clever positioning of Sorbaria sorbarifolia and Hydrangea ‘Annabel’ help to camouflage the central air unit, and the recent addition of an authentic Japanese gate distracts the eye!

A closer view of some of the woodland garden residents, including the spectacular Arisaema triphyllum, our native ‘Jack’ whose spathe has disappeared, but retains its distinctive trifoliate foliage!

Clever repetition of the container plantings at roadside here, in the formal garden helps to tie the property together. The circle of clipped Buxus sempervirens introduces visitors to the white garden where a more formalized structure is introduced to help slow down and soothe the eye.

A sumptuous Hosta specimen and obelisk anchor one end of a delightful semi circular stone wall, allowing for a respite for visitors to the garden.

The use of a limestone wall whose bricks have aged naturally and a fence whose complimentary hue have allowed for a narrow bed to be planted with Begonia and other shade loving plants.

Stay tuned for the second installment!

Bring on the Fireworks!

2011-06-27T21:50:00.001-04:00

With July just around the corner, I decided to skip ahead to remind myself of what I have to look forward to in the second half of the gardening year! Bring on the fireworks!

A Shift In Positioning!

2011-06-25T20:42:00.001-04:00

Two years ago I could only gaze in rapt adoration at the wonderful large, palmate foliage of Diphylleia cymosa as it unanimously held centre court literally and figuratively in the centre of the Shaded Walk. Last year, after dividing it to share with S, a wonderful gardener from Elora, I noticed that I was tripping over it as I tried to navigate the near impossible to traverse pathway. [ Remembering my philosophy that if there’s room to step, there is room for another three plants!] I made a conscious effort to keep an eye where I was going and to try and step as lightly as possible when I simply had to maneuver my way past. This year I finally came to the conclusion that it needed to be moved! It is far to beautiful a plant to risk my pontoon sized shoes damaging the shoots before the foliage is able to unfurl.

I removed a sickly looking Cornus pumila from the right side of the Walk [though my heart and soul were in mourning, it had steadily deteriorated this past two years, and this Spring it was little more than a brittle stem. No signs of life!] and found myself with a bare spot. In my eyes that is akin to winning a lottery. I was amazed how many weeks the ‘gaping hole’ remained unfilled. I had a kazillion ideas as to what I would replace it with. In the end, I decided this would be the perfect spot for Mr. D! His bold foliage will provide the perfect foil for one of my most auspiciously positioned Meconopsis grandis plants – shelter from the hot scorching sun, with plenty of room to spread his love and attain the height he is known for! So now, I can almost traipse gaily along the Shaded Walk…… almost! I’m in the clear until I come across a rather statuesque Thalictrum ‘Elin’ that threatens to match my own height! Where do these damnable obstacles come from? That my dearheart is a perfect example of a rhetorical question! Where do they come from indeed!