17 June 2008

Bloomingwriter in the 21st Century...



Well this is cause for celebration!
EW may be trailing along a little late with the Garden Bloggers Bloom Day celebration here at Sunflower Hill, but we have happy news to report. Thanks to the dedication of Cross Country Television, our locally owned Internet Service Provider (and television provider, obviously)...our Intarnets is fixed. We now have genuine highspeed blazing along here. Steve installed some new equipment here on the hill and at the tower in Scotts Bay, and while he'll be working his way through the community, we got done first. And it works blazingly well. Whoo hoooooo!


So to celebrate, a look at the chaotic glory that is the garden here in mid-June. Those of you further south of us will be fascinated at what is STILL in bloom here, compared to what's happening in your gardens. We had a cool spring--no, at times it was damn cold, actually--and we've had a fair bit of fog and rain here too with the weather warming up several weeks ago. Things grow really, really well in such conditions, but then the cool evenings (and more fog) hold them longer, in a lot of cases. Mind you, there's also been a LOT Of wind this spring, and last week I was having great ranting tantrums because the wind was so strong it was breaking a lot of the lush growth. And the weeds have been a remarkably prolific and daunting collection this spring, too.

However. I'm keeping to my mantra of "One bed at a time." For the most part. But people would spear this was a garden of benevolent neglect, for sure, the way it's looking. I can only hope that they notice the splendid blooms and not the...um...other stuff.


These tulips and some others in this garden have done a very strange thing. Instead of having a dozen or so large flowers from the dozen or so large bulbs I planted...I have whole bunches of flowers of all sizes. I think, if my notes serve me correctly, that these are called 'Jackpot'

And this is Carousel, a fringed tulip with red flame. I can look out my office window and see these, and they make me happy. They've produced a lot of flowers, too.


These are Marilyn lily-flowered tulips, planted in loving memory of my former mum in law...whose birthday would have been today, I just realized with a jolt. Miss you still, Marilyn. Your quiet grace made this world a richer place while you walked this earth, and a poorer one for your leaving too soon.


Trillium luteum, the yellow trillium, isn't as showy as its red or white relatives, but I just love it for its own eccentric self. And its foliage is great whether it's flowering or not.


The first of my decidious azaleas to flower, 'Golden Lights' makes me--and the hummingbirds and bees--very happy.


Finally put a flowering crab in this year, and it's called Makamik. It's not as dark-flowered as I had hoped for, but that's okay. I've finally got one, and that's the main thing.



Along with my besotted affair with blue poppies, I love every other colour and type of poppies, too. These are alpine/Icelandic poppies, which will quite literally pop up wherever I scatter the seeds, including outside the garden bed.


Aronia melanocarpa, the black chokeberry, a lovely native plant and beloved of birds. It's planted with an Ilex verticillata, an Amelanchier canadensis, and an assortment of other shrubs.


The last of the fragrant viburnums in my garden to bloom, this is Burkwood, and a beautiful thing it is, too. It's actually just finishing after the wind beleaguered it last week, but still fragrant.


One of my favourite euphorbias though it does have tendencies to want to spread, Euphorbia 'Fireglow' is just so striking with its coppery-orange flowers and bracts. It really shows up in the garden, especially since it's near a 'Black Lace' sambucus and some brilliant tulips.


I should know which Heucherella (foamy bells) this is, but nope...not remembering. Possibly Skelton Key, r something with Mercury in the name. Or something else completely!

On the other hand...I DO know what this is. Meconopsis betonicifolia, my precious blue poppy. Several of them aren't blooming yet, and I'm not sure if they're going to or if they're putting their goodness into enlarging their crowns. They're in a slightly more shaded spot, so I'm not worrying about them anyway. This particular blossom is pretty well shot, compliments of the wind, but new buds are coming up behind it. So it's all good.

That's it for this Bloom Day report--there are plenty of annuals in containers doing things, but I really DO want to visit other blogs and catch up a bit, so twill have to do for us. I hope you're having a blooming good June, whereever you're gardening.

30 comments:

  1. Jodi, I love seeing your late, errrr early blooms. It is always fun for us to get through early spring blooms here then drive up to Ann Arbor, MI to visit family and be able to enjoy the early spring blooms once again.

    Your tulips are just wonderful. They look so much more exotic than any I have.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jodi, it is amazing to still see spring in your gardens. But oh, how lovely and fresh it all looks. Our spring did last a little longer this year due to cooler weather, but then we went right into mid-August temps! Finally this week we are moderating a litte and are having a dry spell. Just can't help but smile when I see that blue poppy. Thanks for sharing your garden blooms.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wonderful photos. I'm blue with envy over your Meconopsis betonicifolias. One day...one day...

    Enjoy the high speed!
    Charmian

    ReplyDelete
  4. This post is like a time warp. It is surprising and wonderful to see your spring blooms so long after mine.
    Congratulations on high speed internet service! That should make your life a little easier.

    ReplyDelete
  5. That is grand that you have a new high speed connection. Isn't it fun! Your blooms look lush and fresh unlike our drought ridden pitiful stuff. I'm just checking in on a few of my favorite blogs. It looks like you have thawed out since I last visited and I can't believe how many blooms you have.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I wonder if I can find that Euphorbia here... I love pretty much any Euphorbia, but the color on that bloom is to die for.

    And then there is that blue poppy. Precious indeed. *drool*

    ReplyDelete
  7. How amusing that we both started our posts today with the same flower. ;-) Your garden looks lovely Jodi but for me tulips in June look pretty weird as they have been gone for quite some time now over here.

    cheerio!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Your garden sure looks wonderfull at this time of year. Those icelandic poppies are so beautiful!Congrats on high speed...another thing I wish I would have ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Yes, welcome to the 21st century. It should make things much easier for you.
    I think the more numerous, less uniform height of the Tulips makes for a more attractive grouping in the garden. No need to look like those uniform rows of flowers in the fields for the Dutch cut flower trade. Is your mystery plant a Tiarella? 'Skeleton Key' sounds vaguely familar. Whatever it is, it's blooming its little heart out. And of course that Meconopsis - stunning as always.

    ReplyDelete
  10. So glad you are back on line with all those spring blooms! It is a great thing to be able to share spring several times with all the bloggers in the world! Love that E. 'Fireglow' and the blue poppy is heavenly.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hey Jodi congrats on the real time connection to the rest of the cyber world ? LOL
    beautiful pictures of your gorgeous flowers .. everything looks so fresh and lovely .. Youur globe flowers have bloomed before mine ! .. and i can not mention the Blue Poppy ..I'm just too jealous .. BIG sigh .. I'll pretend one of yours is mine (poppy adoption papers to follow !)
    Joy

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wowwowwow Jodi, you still have tulips and azaleas! Woo-hoo! But even more to the point, you have high-speed internet!!! I am *wildly* jealous. We still have high-speed in, dial-up out here in the scenic middle of nowhere, and as a fellow freelancer, you know what that does to our work. Scream and scream again! You're going to have such a great time now!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi Jodi, how wonderful to get that high speed, and also to be the first one with it, hooray! I love to see the tulips and azaleas blooming in your plot. It is near time to place the bulb order, and your fringed beauty is tempting. We have Golden Lights azalea and love the colors to bits. You seem so happy in this post, and with good reasons!

    ReplyDelete
  14. There were days when you thought this day would never come, Jodi. Pinch yourself! Your garden is beautiful :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. I'm sorry to say I haven't been a good visitor in a while so I didn't know of interweb woes - I'm glad to have a mo to catch up and that you're up and running! Amazing to see such lush tulips still and poppies. I'm wicked envious like everyone else of your blue ones! We were given a couple and will be crossing our fingers from now to next year that they flower for us...

    ReplyDelete
  16. Glad you're back, Jodi, and with high-speed internet,too--you'll love it. So great to see all those lovely tulips still blooming, and your blue poppy is the envy of all of us.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I enjoyed the beautiful photos, Jodi.
    I wonder where all the ladies live who made the comments about the late springtime blooms. Here in cold and windy Cloverville (northern NS, on a hill), we are even further behind you.Even the blackflies and mosquitoes are too cold to bother with us!

    In your newsletter you mentioned Endless Summer Hydrangea. Ours has been very disappointing also.
    "Much ado about nothing."
    I have moved mind to what I hope will be a better locale.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I love that blue poppy. I fell in love with it about 9 years ago, when I first saw it pictured in a Thompson and Morgan catalog. Glad to see someone actually able to grow it!

    ReplyDelete
  19. I had almost forgotten most those blooms, we must be at least 2 months ahead of you here!

    I love the little blue trumpet shaped flowers, what are they?

    The Meconopsis is fab too, I bought some seed last week and thought I would have a go at growing it here, although I know it can be very temperamental.

    Best Wishes,

    Zoë

    ReplyDelete
  20. A week without Jodi is a week without sunshine. That high-speed Internet connection is addicting, so watch out - you'll be using the computer even more than usual. "One bed at a time" was what I was chanting, thanks to you, as I weeded and fussed over my hollyhocks yesterday. The weeds love my compost as much as the flowers do.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I really enjoyed this post and seeing all your lovely flowers.

    ReplyDelete
  22. oh happiness! Your poppies are beautiful! I just discovered them, and loved seeing your pics:) The blue is just stunning!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Gorgeous pictures of your garden flowers.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Lovely flowers! You're a wiz with the camera.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Oh Jodi! Such spectacular colors and blossoms! I'm so glad your connections are fixed and speedy. Woo Hoo!!!!! Now if I can get my new Apple fully loaded (it replaced my pathetic PC), I'll be a happy blogger too.

    Hugs,
    Cindy at Rosehaven Cottage

    ReplyDelete
  26. I just picked up a black chokeberry and enjoyed its bloom. Very glad to hear the birds like the berries and don't choke too much on them!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Wow everything is so beautiful in your garden, I love the poppies but there is no chance growing them here.
    Congratulation on your high speed Internet. I makes the internet experience much more pleasant.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Jodi,

    I'm so very glad you've got high speed now, and your garden, WOW, beautiful plants well grown.~~Dee

    ReplyDelete
  29. Is that Trollius in the firt photo? Very pretty!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Oh Miss Jodi - I'm so excited for your highspeed! This, combined with the tranquility of your garden, should mean your blood pressure remains at an even keel.

    Love the blue poppy...I'm so envious. I expect you've made all the rounds of NS's beautiful nurseries these days. The garden shops must love to see your happy face coming through the greenhouse door.

    Cheers and happy weeding!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for visiting and for taking the time to comment! It might take me a bit, but I will return the compliment whenever possible.
Spammers--need not apply. Because I delete your comments and they will never make it here. Kthxbai!

Search Bloomingwriter

Custom Search