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Friday, August 9, 2013

My Jardin de Fleurs

I wouldn't exactly call myself an avid gardener: I am not particularly fond of the ongoing upkeep - we've even outsourced our lawn care. But I do like planting shrubs and flowers that are hardy, easy to maintain, and with little care can bloom beautifully. This is my spring and summer flower garden. 

Blooming time: Spring April to May
Clockwise from top left: 

  • Crocuses: they are among the first perennials to bloom in the spring. Their presence usually symbolizes the arrival of spring. 
  • Globemaster Allium bud.
  • Globemaster Allium in full bloom. 
  • Dwarf Blue Spruce topiary: their new leaves are in a much lighter shade of silvery blue and very soft to touch. 

Blooming time: Spring May
Clockwise from top left: 

  • Bearded Irises: they make perfect cut flowers. 
  • Dwarf Korean Lilac: very easy to care for, very fragrant blooms. 
  • Fresh-cut Bearded Irises in an Anthropologie hobnail vase. 
  • Red Riding Hood Dipladenia: again very easy to care for, fast growing. I am in the process of training the vine onto a trellis. Flowers almost instantaneously turn into a more vibrant shade after Miracle-Gro "Bloom Booster". 
  • French "Sensation" Lilac: very attractive white-edged purple flowers but not as fragrant as Dwarf Korean Lilac. Relatively slow growing due to our clay-based soil - it prefers soil with very good drainage. 

Blooming time: Summer May-June
Clockwise from top left: 

  • Wide Brim Hostas: start to come out in May and bloom throughout the summer months. Extremely fast growing and easily spreading. I need to put out bait around the clumps to protect them from slugs throughout the summer. 
  • Yellow Daylily: fast growing and spreading. A little bit fertilizer around flowering time will take them through the entire season. 
  • Pink "Fragrant Memory" Roses: flower buds start to appear in late May early June, bloom a few times throughout summer and fall, very fragrant. 

Blooming time: Summer June, July and August
Clockwise from top left: 

  • Blue Satin Rose of Sharon: I trim them throughout the season to get to the desired shapes. I also cut off  seed capsules so that more nutrient can go to the flowers. Size of the flower is usually at the cost of quantity - so if you'd prefer larger single flower, you can trim off some flower buds. 
  • Red Hibiscus

Blooming time: Summer July and August into the Fall
Clockwise from top left: 

  • Limelight Hydrangea: has unique bright chartreuse blooms in mid-summer that hold bright and refreshing colour right into autumn when the blooms change color to a rich deep pink. The autumn display of chartreuse and pink blooms on the same plant is breathtaking. Easy to care for, fast growing, one of my favourite flowering shrubs of all times. 
  • Bougainvillea: a new addition this summer after our trip to Palma Majorca. I saw a giant Bougainvillea tree there by the coast, and have since been obsessed. I finally found them here at Terra Greenhouse and I now have two bushes in my backyard. Their fuchsia pink flower adds a pop of colour to my patio. They are not hardy enough for Canadian winter so I will need to bring them indoors during winter months. 

This is the giant Bougainvillea tree in Palma Majorca, Spain. 

Last but not least, these gorgeous blush roses Mr. surprised me with today.


So do you like gardening? What's in your Jardin de Fleurs? Have a great weekend everyone!