Here, there, and back again

The merry month of May has been not so merry if you're a nursery operator or a gardener here in Nova Scotia, because the weather has been, to say the least, terrible. Rain, fog, drizzle, repeat as necessary, very little sunshine to speak of, and chilly temperatures have meant that a lot of people haven't been able or willing to work in their gardens.

For this gardener and writer, however, it has been hectic, regardless of the weather. I've put a lot of miles on my car, and brought home a lot of plants from assorted nurseries, doing my part to improve the provincial economy. I've been giving talks and signing books at assorted locales, and visiting gardens whenever I have a chance. This garden outside of Annapolis Royal features a wonder selection of conifers and flowering shrubs and trees, with some bulbs and perennials interspersed for added colour.

There are lots of plants tempting me when I venture into nurseries around the province. At Briar Patch in Berwick, the golden flowers of 'Canary Feathers' corydalis tempted me, as did 'Peppermint Ice' double hellebore, shown in the first photo. One can never have too many corydalises. Or hellebores.

The exquisite 'Nancy Steele' rhododendron was in bloom at Ouest-ville Perennials, but I have the same one and it will be blooming soon. This yellow rhodo was bred by our friend, the late and much beloved Captain Dick Steele of Bayport Plant Farm, and named after his wife.

I've been wanting a double flowered bloodroot (Sanguinaria) for several years, and finally, thanks to Jill at Bunchberry Nurseries, I got a very handsome specimen. Jill has her website back up and running, and is doing a wonderful Plant of the Week post featuring a different specimen each week to whet our appetites.

This weekend, I was at a friend's garden outside of Yarmouth, for her 'primrose tour'. Leah has an extensive, joyful garden with many different beds, and her primroses were most definitely at the peak of perfection.

It's been a particularly good year for magnolia bloom around the province, leading me to think I should add a 'Leonard Messill' to my collection of plants. My Stellata is in full bloom, and I think it needs a friend.

Although the sun has been rarer than blue poppies this month, it did appear in southwest Nova Scotia on Friday afternoon and evening, bathing my friend Flora's back garden in brilliant warmth and light.

It always delights me to no end to find people who love epimedium as much as I do, and this specimen of 'Rubra' is doing splendidly in this woodland planting, scrambling up over stones and sending sprays of blooms everywhere.

I keep telling everyone that because I'm so busy, it's okay with me that it's raining as I'm not home or have no time when I'm home to do anything in the garden. However, I keep bringing home more plants, and the greenhouse is now full, so although I'm looking forward to the visits I'm making this week, including one at Den Haan's Nursery in Middleton on Saturday from 10am-1 pm, I will be glad to be able to get in the garden and do some weeding, planting, and regrounding myself. Plus, to be honest, I'm worried about our farmers, nursery owners, and others whose living is weather dependent. So I hope the weather breaks soon!