It rained most of Thursday, for which we are thankful, and Thursday night into Friday it was quite foggy. Yesterday morning I braved the armies of mosquitos to venture out at daybreak and snap a few moody shots of spiderwebs and dew drops. It turned into quite a glorious day, perfect for songbirds, aphids by the millions that are, for some reason, attacking all sorts of plants normally ignored, and lawnmowers. Every Saturday, The Propagator encourages gardeners around the world to share six things that are happening in their garden – here’s what I spotted in my garden this week.
This is what asparagus looks like if you don’t harvest it, and it gets covered in dew and spider webs one night.
One of the last Magnolias to bloom – M. acumentata – cucumber Magnolia. When this tree was younger the flowers would be on lower branches, and I could smell the lemony fragrance.
I’m growing more fond of perennial Geraniums as I get older. No fuss, no muss, just lovely flowers. I don’t know this variety…
I could show you a slew of shots featuring huge orange or red oriental poppies in full, blowsy bloom. But what really makes me smile is noticing how they shed their outer, protective petals to display and unfurl the red or orange tissue paper thin petals within.
I mentioned in March that a neighbour had given me five extra dahlia tubers. Here they are in the garden. I’m told that by the end of July they’ll be more than a metre high, covered in blooms. We’ll see. As a precaution against slugs I’ve bought a few of those copper wire pot scrubbers – they’ll soon be wrapped around the stalks…
Look! A flower!!! I almost can’t believe it! I planted a shasta Viburnum (Viburnum plicatum f. tomentosum ‘Shasta‘) five years ago; it’s one of the very few shrubs I pamper – giving it water in July and August, pulling weeds and unwanted cone flowers from around the base…it hasn’t bloomed until now! I know, just one tiny flower – but it’s a start!
I hope you’re enjoying your garden this year as much as I am mine. Stay safe everyone!
Magnolia acuminata is native almost as far north as New England. If I remember correctly, it naturally lives in New York. I think of that as close to your region. I have never been there, so it all seems like the same sort of place to me. New York is actually about as far from your region as Washington is from here!
Ha! We’re just across the lake (Lake Ontario) from upstate New York, and this Magnolia is not native to my County. It is, however, native to a few small pockets of southwest Ontario and is, sadly, on the Endangered List here in Ontario.
Have you ever noticed that, on the monitors that describe incoming and outgoing flights at airports, only Portland airport is designated by state? Apparently, there is enough confusion with Maine to justify that distinction. Actually, Meneta Airport used to get incoming passengers who believe that they arrived in Costa Rica (and might still get some).
I’m finding the asparagus takes up a lot of room in the garden – in the air, at least. In the ground, not so much. It’s an interesting challenge, design wise.
Oh, that first image just would be enough. Gorgeous lupines. But you have more! Do you have to deadhead the Geraniums? I have added a couple this year and was happy to see you find them no-fuss.
😁 I was thinking, as I looked at the view, that there were Six things right there….maybe that’ll be a future post – one image, then close ups of six things in it.
I love the photo of the Little Viburnum That Could. I have a cactus that had given flowers year after year until the squirrels took to sitting on top of it (I know — weird) and gnawing the new growth. I just noticed that it seems to have buds again. Plants can be determined.
I agree. Geraniums rule! They are just terrific, and there’s a wider selection than I’d have thought. Don’t kre ognise your one, but it’s a beauty.
By late July you’ll he in Dahlia heaven!
County Gardening 
Nice to see a flower coming out on the Viburnum – they’re lovely shrubs. The Lupins in the top photo look great too!
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I was pleasantly surprised to see them! The leaves are so attractive but it may, in the end, be a case of wrong plant, wrong space….
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Don’t you think the mulch at the base of your dahlias is enough to repel slugs and snails? I have flax mulch like that and there are no snails around.
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I don’t know – never tried either before! Gardening is always an experiment! Maybe two with the copper, three without?
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Fingers crossed that it works!
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Magnolia acuminata is native almost as far north as New England. If I remember correctly, it naturally lives in New York. I think of that as close to your region. I have never been there, so it all seems like the same sort of place to me. New York is actually about as far from your region as Washington is from here!
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Ha! We’re just across the lake (Lake Ontario) from upstate New York, and this Magnolia is not native to my County. It is, however, native to a few small pockets of southwest Ontario and is, sadly, on the Endangered List here in Ontario.
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Oh, of course. I think of your region as being on Prince Edward Island.
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Not an uncommon assumption.
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Have you ever noticed that, on the monitors that describe incoming and outgoing flights at airports, only Portland airport is designated by state? Apparently, there is enough confusion with Maine to justify that distinction. Actually, Meneta Airport used to get incoming passengers who believe that they arrived in Costa Rica (and might still get some).
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LOL!!!!
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Lovely virbunum, in fact lovely everything 🙂 I have just bought an asparagus crown, so interested to see how that looks grown out.
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I’m finding the asparagus takes up a lot of room in the garden – in the air, at least. In the ground, not so much. It’s an interesting challenge, design wise.
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Oh, that first image just would be enough. Gorgeous lupines. But you have more! Do you have to deadhead the Geraniums? I have added a couple this year and was happy to see you find them no-fuss.
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😁 I was thinking, as I looked at the view, that there were Six things right there….maybe that’ll be a future post – one image, then close ups of six things in it.
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No, no dead heading necessary!!!!
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I love the photo of the Little Viburnum That Could. I have a cactus that had given flowers year after year until the squirrels took to sitting on top of it (I know — weird) and gnawing the new growth. I just noticed that it seems to have buds again. Plants can be determined.
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I planted a lovely King Tut grass a few weeks ago. The deer found it a few days ago. I’m hoping it’s as determined as your cactus!!
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The viburnum will be worth the wait!
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That’s my hope!
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I agree. Geraniums rule! They are just terrific, and there’s a wider selection than I’d have thought. Don’t kre ognise your one, but it’s a beauty.
By late July you’ll he in Dahlia heaven!
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There’s a song lyric in there somewhere..’heaven….dahlia heaven….’ 😁😁
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