Photo of the Month - July 2014

Captured this Euphorbia polychroma in the evening, with some sunset twilight. Turned the grey-green foliage to blue. Every garden should have this plant.

Perennial Plants For Shade - Part 2

Gee, I can see myself making several parts to this sort of post. There are so many choices out there. Not the run of the mill either. Choices like these:

Not your average shade plant. This Chiastophyllum oppositifolium "Cotyledon" has wonderful grape clustered, yellow flowers in early June. I don't grow it for the flowers, but more like a ground cover. Habit is rather low and quite tolerant of dry shade. Adds shiny leaves and different texture to garden.

Here is a close up of the flower cluster.

Foamflower, or Tiarella. This one is called Iron Butterfly. Love, love, love. Foliage is golden all summer and doesn't scorch in shade. Flowers come up in late May early June. Tolerates a fair bit of drought once established.

Epimedium davidii, or Bishop's Hat. Fabulous little columbine like flowers in late May, with semi evergreen foliage which....

...turn lovely shades of reds and bronzes with frost.

Viola cornuta "Bowles Black" - a dwarf variety, with purple/blue flowers. Foliage in spring is quite bronze purple, maturing to dark greens and a tinge of purple. Self seeds every where, but easy to hoe out if you don't want them. Great planted with Lysimachia nummularia "Aurea" beneath!

Alchemilla molis - Ladies Mantle. Nothing looks more glorious than leaves covered in dew on a  spring morning. Yellow flowers in June/July. Lovely paired with blue/yellow hostas. Can grow in a fair bit of sun as well.

Matteuccia struthiopteris, commonly known as Ostrich Fern. Lovely fiddle heads in spring (edible), unfurl into soft fronds. A bit of a runner. Must remove baby ferns in late spring to keep at bay. Great for dense shade and tough spots like under trees, or to cover an area quickly.

Tricyrtis - Toad Lily has long lily stems bearing orchid-like  flowers late in season (August-September). Real visual interest against evergreens or autumn changing foliage.

Anenome x hybrida "Honorine Jobert". Fall flowering Anemone. Some of the most delicate blooms that flower, standing above deep green foliage. Gently blowing in the breeze - they are stunning in masses.

Part 3 post here...

Clematis Wilt - Phoma clematidina

Clematis are some of the most beautiful flowering vines available to the avid gardener. However, several cultivars are prone to clematis wilt.

This newly transplanted clematis (moved this past spring) has shown signs of the wilt disease.

Rather a young plant, we waited for the flower buds to unfurl, but with the heavy rains we've had and humidity, the buds never got large enough to flower.

On closer inspection, the flowers were wilted and lost some colour.

The stem bearing the flowers at the base had the typical Clematis Wilt brown leaves.

Clematis wilt a few years ago was known as Ascochyta clematidina, but now it is classified under Phoma clematidina. A fungus which in wet weather, multiply by spores, creating blotchy lesions and eventually browning of leaves - making the plant wilt.

Even though the leaves at the tip of the stem are green, the base leaves are all like this.

The best route of action, is to cut back (as far back to the ground level) any stems and leaves that are infected. Do not compost the remnants. Destroy or remove. Re-situate the plant, if it is prone to dampness (frequent foliage contact with water).

Cut right back to ground level. No sense in letting any remaining leaves to infect other healthy ones.

This clematis was planted in a fair bit of clay soil. Adding compost and humus rich soil will help boost it back to health.

Clematis generally like to have "cold feet" which is a term used to describe cooler roots. Help clematis by shading the base of the plant. Planting the clematis slightly deeper than it is in the pot is wise. Make sure the roots are deep enough to keep cool. Planting a perennial or placing a rock over the root system is also beneficial.

While recovering, it's best not to let the remaining foliage get overly wet. You can't help the rain, but any additional waterings should avoid the foliage getting wet.

This is the stem in question. Discarding it, I have cut it in half. The wilt began at the base, slowly working its way to the tip. A sad shame, but thankfully, the wilt didn't spread to the other stems.

Fabulous Bird Bath - Renzo Cattoni

Gardeners know that birds are crucial to promoting a balance between insect populations and healthy plant life. Helping to attract birds to a garden is key. Adding just any old bird bath is the challenge.  Why not this one?

I am blessed to have creative people in my life. Renzo Cattoni designed and made this bird bath himself. I giggle every time I see it. Not only does it bring visual interest to the garden, it does attract hundreds of birds each season. I think it's fabulous.

The face is meant to enable smaller birds to stand in less deep water, as well as provide relief and visual interest. The finger/hand is used after the bird has bathed. Perching there to wiggle and dry off. The large basin size enables more than one bird to bathe at a time.

The detail is what makes me giggle.

We've had the pleasure to see Robins, Baltimore Orioles, Red Winged Black Birds, Yellow Finch, Cardinals...you name it!

Happy bathing birds. Great design, Renzo!