Picture below: pretty peonies I picked up for when my best friend Jessie and her family from Calgary came to visit. I forever wish these beauties would last more than a few days.
Picture below: I was able to get this orchid to bloom for the third time! A miracle in my book for sure!
I added this Rhododendron "Roseum Elegans" back in May from PC Garden, and only caught a glimpse of its most vibrant pink flowers before we left for our Nordic vacation. And of course the blooming reached its peak while I was away.
I also missed the stunning peak blooms of the Wine & Roses Weigela in our front yard. The shrub was adorned with hundreds of small bell-shaped pink flowers. The picture below was taken one week since it started to bloom.
And I missed the Lilac Miss Kim as well. Thankfully my kind neighbour snapped a couple of shots for me. I will need to make sure we don't go on a long vacation again in late May to early June.
Now this specimen probably deserves a post all by itself, a Royal Purple Smoketree I added last year. When back-lit by sun in the morning, its colourful foliage shines like stained glass. The tree is still very young so it only issued a couple of large smoke-like blooms this year.
Another big move we made this year was to have the blue spruce tree in our front yard removed and replaced with a flowering Dogwood Kousa. You know how OCD I am when it comes to symmetry. This blue spruce was not only growing sideways, but also out of control. The arborist we hired said it would eventually take over our yard if we let it. I saw the signs to call it quits - it's time to move on to something else more rewarding.
So I selected this Dogwood Kousa from Tree Valley. Andrew from the Re:Leaf Group did an awesome job removing the old tree and planting the new one for us. The best part was, he didn't cut down the blue spruce tree but to completely dig it up. I was so relieved that our old tree may get a second chance somewhere else. Oh the best part was (did I already say that), there was absolutely no mess! Andrew and his crew cleaned up impeccably afterwards so all we were left with was this beautifully symmetrical and lush Dogwood tree.
I will look forward to its elegant white blooms next Spring.
Which fade into a faint shade of pink as in the image below.
And eventually yield Lychee-alike fruits in the late summer. Flowering Dogwood Kousa is truly a specimen with four-season interests.
That said, I'd go and get ready for the family wedding tomorrow. Last night I finally just got around to picking up a dress for the wedding reception tomorrow! But then, which pair of heels to go with?
This blue number will be for the church ceremony.
I hope to come back to write about our Nordic trip very soon. Enjoy the weekend everyone!
