It’s Victoria Day weekend in Canada, when, thanks to our forefathers who thought it would be a good idea to celebrate Queen Victoria’s birthday on the Monday before May 25 each year, we have a federal statutory holiday. The unofficial start to summer, the quasi-official weekend to plant your annuals and veggies and, with gas (petrol) prices so high this year, the perfect weekend to stay close to home, giving you time to enjoy six things in gardens all over the world, all courtesy of The Propagator’s site. In my garden, with spring two thirds over, most of the bulbs are done aside for some daffodils and Camassia, while flowering shrubs and trees are taking centre stage.
Narcissus poeticus syn Actaea – the Poet’s daffodil – last to bloom in my garden, it has a gorgeous, delicate clove-like fragrance.
Canada Redbud – Cercis canadensis – still blooming thanks to some chilly temperatures this past week.
Another shrub now blooming is this purple leaf sand cherry – Prunus × cistena. A soft, soft pink flower that contrasts wonderfully with the darker red emerging leaves.
I have a small fir tree that started life in front of a good friend’s home, as one of those living Christmas trees. She donated it to me about three years ago and it has started to grow nicely, now about two metres high. This spring, for the first time, it has two deliciously small purply cones, standing proudly erect at the tip of a pair of upper branches. When I sought to get a close photo a small bird flew out from a lower branch – it had been protecting this nest of eggs.
There’s giant Solomon Seal – Polygonatum biflorum – now blooming in many places throughout the woodland areas here, but this is the only patch of the variegated variety. Much shorter, but it’s proving to be just as tough and has started to spread nicely.
Finally, competing with dandelions and continuing providing yellow, are Primulas. A neighbour gave me a clump several years ago, dug from his garden, saying they come up everywhere. He was right – they self seed like crazy, and I kinda like it! Hope everyone has a great weekend (long or otherwise) – happy gardening!
Ooh I wonder what bird has laid those pretty eggs, we had baby Great-tits leaving their nest yesterday and saying hello to the garden. There are also some Blue-tits in another nest box, there are at that very demanding feeding stage for their parents. Enjoy your long weekend. We have one in a couple of week’s time for the next long reigning queen.
I’m not a great birder, but I love watching them, and hearing their songs and chirps; finding the next was a welcome surprise. Summer long weekends are one of life’s pleasures!!
The next was a surprise! I also hope the parents came back – I would think so, I’m out there all the time, often chatting with the birds, so they should know me by now! 🙂
Canada redbud? Gee, that same species has a few names, including Eastern redbud and Oklahoma redbud. (I believe that Oklahoma redbud is Cercis reniformis, but Californians do not know any better.) It used to be one of my favorite small trees, since it was a good excuse to avoid crape myrtle. However, the ‘Forest Pansy’ cultivar became an overly common fad also. Well, I still like the formerly common sort with green foliage. It does well as an understory tree near the redwood forests.
Yes they’re perfect on the eastern edge of the woods, where they’re protected from the hot afternoon sunshine. I was just reading about what differentiates Forest Pansy from my eastern redbud – a bit of colour difference in both the flowers and leaves it seems eh? I’m happy with mine. They’ve survived well in my hot dry summers…
Yes, the bronze foliage. However, they do not maintain good color here. Purple leaf plum provides better foliar color in that regard, but is no longer a fad.
The flowers of Cercis canadensis are more resistant to cold than those of Cercis siliquastrum which I grow here. Mine burned out with the April frosts. Very nice !
Speaking of cold, I just read a post saying that a cold snap is arriving again for you? Are you going to be hit?
We’ve been lucky this year with no frost (for me, at least) in May, so the Cercis flowers were never in danger. I guess ‘cold snap’ is relative – cooler than usual, with day temperatures in the mid teens, lows in the low teens, mainly. Just prolonging spring, which I like!
What a delight, to find the nest. The parents will come back, no fear. As you say, they get to know who lives in ‘their’ neighborhood and who poses no threat. Just this morning I realized the baby cardinals I’ve been hearing are out of the nest. Now, the parents will be run ragged for a while, feeding them all in different locations.
The sand cherry is beautiful. As you say, the combination of flowers and new leaves is really appealing. I know we have a variety of Solomon’s Seal in east Texas, but I’ve not yet been there at the the right time to find it.
The garden is really coming into bloom. Lovely. I love the first poeticus photo and how wonderful to see some Redbuds, even though they are C. canadensis, I associate them with the American South.
County Gardening 
Ooh I wonder what bird has laid those pretty eggs, we had baby Great-tits leaving their nest yesterday and saying hello to the garden. There are also some Blue-tits in another nest box, there are at that very demanding feeding stage for their parents. Enjoy your long weekend. We have one in a couple of week’s time for the next long reigning queen.
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I’m not a great birder, but I love watching them, and hearing their songs and chirps; finding the next was a welcome surprise. Summer long weekends are one of life’s pleasures!!
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Oh how lovely to find the nest! Hope the bird came back. Gorgeous primulas,
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The next was a surprise! I also hope the parents came back – I would think so, I’m out there all the time, often chatting with the birds, so they should know me by now! 🙂
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Canada redbud? Gee, that same species has a few names, including Eastern redbud and Oklahoma redbud. (I believe that Oklahoma redbud is Cercis reniformis, but Californians do not know any better.) It used to be one of my favorite small trees, since it was a good excuse to avoid crape myrtle. However, the ‘Forest Pansy’ cultivar became an overly common fad also. Well, I still like the formerly common sort with green foliage. It does well as an understory tree near the redwood forests.
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Yes they’re perfect on the eastern edge of the woods, where they’re protected from the hot afternoon sunshine. I was just reading about what differentiates Forest Pansy from my eastern redbud – a bit of colour difference in both the flowers and leaves it seems eh? I’m happy with mine. They’ve survived well in my hot dry summers…
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Yes, the bronze foliage. However, they do not maintain good color here. Purple leaf plum provides better foliar color in that regard, but is no longer a fad.
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It’s all looking good over in your garden. Narcissus poeticus always takes me by surprise, flowering when all the other daffodils have gone over.
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Me too! There’s N. Hawera also still in bloom, but they’re soooo short they almost don’t count.
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The flowers of Cercis canadensis are more resistant to cold than those of Cercis siliquastrum which I grow here. Mine burned out with the April frosts. Very nice !
Speaking of cold, I just read a post saying that a cold snap is arriving again for you? Are you going to be hit?
LikeLiked by 1 person
We’ve been lucky this year with no frost (for me, at least) in May, so the Cercis flowers were never in danger. I guess ‘cold snap’ is relative – cooler than usual, with day temperatures in the mid teens, lows in the low teens, mainly. Just prolonging spring, which I like!
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Yikes! That graphic looks pretty bad! It’s below zero on the prairies right now, a long way away, but +19 here! 🌞🌞
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A pretty cherry tree Chris. Have a great weekend!
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Thanks! You too!!
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Oh, 5hat sand cherry is my favourite. Really nice colour.
Enjoy the long weekend.
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Thank you!!
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What a delight, to find the nest. The parents will come back, no fear. As you say, they get to know who lives in ‘their’ neighborhood and who poses no threat. Just this morning I realized the baby cardinals I’ve been hearing are out of the nest. Now, the parents will be run ragged for a while, feeding them all in different locations.
The sand cherry is beautiful. As you say, the combination of flowers and new leaves is really appealing. I know we have a variety of Solomon’s Seal in east Texas, but I’ve not yet been there at the the right time to find it.
Enjoy your weekend!
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The weekend is starting off in glorious fashion, weather wise! We’re about to head out and visit a few farmers’ markets that are just starting…
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Beautiful six, Chris. I love the bird’s nest, what a sweet surprise!
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😊😊 Thank you Eliza, and hope you have a great weekend!
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Thanks, same to you!
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Oh the redbud and the blue eggs! Your garden and post is a treat for the eyes.
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Thank you Lisa!!
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The garden is really coming into bloom. Lovely. I love the first poeticus photo and how wonderful to see some Redbuds, even though they are C. canadensis, I associate them with the American South.
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They have a huge native range, don’t they? And for a change, this year the flowers are lasting a long time on the tree…silver lining to a cool spring!
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