Six on Saturday – 10JUN2023 – Smokin’

Chris Mousseau

It’s been a strange week, weather-wise, in much of Canada, with large forest fires blazing from B.C. to Nova Scotia to the Northwest Territories; more than 4.3 million hectares – that’s 10.5 million acres – have burned this year, and wind patterns pushed the smoke from fires in Quebec and northern Ontario south. Smoke and wind pay no attention to international borders, of course, and judging by the American newscasts, New York City had thicker smoke than we did. For us, it meant several days with no sun, warnings to stay indoors with windows closed, and eery lighting conditions in the garden. A minor inconvenience compared to what many others have lost.

This was what my garden looked like Wednesday morning, with smoke adding a greenish soft focus to everything:

Here is the same section of garden mid day yesterday, when the smoke had mostly shifted course. Allium Globemaster are standing tall behind a bowl of Gypsophyla ‘Gypsy White’ – a type of Baby’s Breath that should form a compact white mound.

That view is the first of my SIx this week – a garden meme hosted by Jim at Garden Ruminations. Be sure to check out his site if you’d like to see six things in other gardens from around the world.

My featured peony, at the top of this page, comes from an unnamed clump that arrived unannounced in a pile of fill many years ago. It’s the first to bloom here and its flowers are looking quite blowsy at the moment:

Opening fully this week are oriental poppies, with humongous petals, that look quite stunning (I think, anyway) coming up amongst lupins and this bridlewreath spirea:

Here’s another view of that same Spirea – lupins have been really spectacular this year!

I have a few pots – fewer every year, to be honest, as I grow tired of filling them, watering them, emptying them every year – but I’m enjoying this one in which I planted something called ‘Supertunia® Honey.™‘ It’s a petunia hybrid from growers Proven Winners – I like the various subtle shades of yellow and orange that are emerging, and how I don’t have to dead-head. Should be a nice ‘spiller’ for this green glazed pot.

Finally, going back to smokin’ Wednesday, my Umbrella Magnolia – M. tripetala – is now blooming. It’s not entirely happy here, likely because of how dry it gets in the summer, but it’s keeping on keeping on, as the song goes. Have a great weekend everyone.

24 Comments

  1. That peony is a beauty! I also love the way the alliums seem to be guarding the gypsophilia in the pot – I suppose the name ‘baby’s breath’ made me think of the image of a baby in a cradle surrounded by sentinels! 😃 I do hope the wind subsides and you get some real rain soon to relieve the wildfires situation (and improve the air quality). We had small fires popping up around us last year when it was over 30°C and very very windy, and it is so scary.

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    1. Baby in a cradle – that’s a wonderful image for this photo! Fortunately for us, the fires are many hundreds of kms away – but many are still burning. I feel so bad for people and animals caught up in them…

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  2. Those fires are aweful. We got caught up a few years ago when we were holidaying in Eastern Canada. We spent an anxious night in a hotel with our bags packed by the door ready for evacuation if necessary.
    Meanwhile was a gift the peony is.

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    1. I think you’re right about these wildfires – I know people who have ‘go bags’ packed and beside the front door in case they need to suddenly evacuate…

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  3. Speaking of odd associations: the color palette in your second photo brought to mind some of the paintings of Henri Rousseau, like this one. I enjoyed seeing the bridal wreath, too. That’s another from my childhood whose fragrance I can recall.

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  4. The wildfires and the smoke are so alarming. I came to NYC on Thursday and it was still pretty smoky. Thankfully, it cleared over Friday and is pretty good this morning. Folks say Wednesday was the worst, apocalyptic. Really gives one pause over what is happening to our climate. I feel for the folks displaced in your country.
    On a happier note, your gardens are looking fabulous. Love the peonies and lupines, a great show.

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  5. Awesome colors from your garden on Wednesday morning! I saw the images in New York, and it must not be easy for everyone, especially for those who have lost everything…
    Super lupins: it’s true for here too, they are very flowery and it lasts a long time. .

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  7. Fires are getting to be a terrifying normal! I hope the fires keep their distance from you. We even had a bit of smoke here not too long ago. Not terrible, but I avoided bike riding since the air quality was bad enough to cause watery eyes and nose. I only have two containers: the tomato that I want to control water on, and the pansies and alyssum on the front steps. The pot is a gorgeous turquoise,really to shallow, so much watering is needed, but I love the purple pansies with the turquoise of the pot, and just have to remember to water! Your petunias are gorgeous and I like the color against the green pot.

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    1. Thank you! I also have a turquoise pot – it’s quite large though – in which I’m growing a King Tut grass, surrounded by mauve allysium. That colour is so stunning and welcome on the patio – brings a bit of the Caribbean to Canada 😆😆😆

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  8. Amazing poppy, spirea and luipin photos! 🌸 I hope the smoke lifts soon and the wildfires get some rain!

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  9. How eerie the light is in the smoke, I can’t imagine what it’s like living with that for days. But, as you say, others have got it worse.
    I love the alliums with the gypsophila, what a beautiful combination.

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    1. Thank you! Spring has been cooler than normal (dryer as well, unfortunately) so things have opened a bit slower, perhaps, but staying open longer as well. It still ‘feels’ like a spring garden, which is nice.

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  12. This weather is disturbing. We are getting the sort of weather that other climates get, after the worst frost and worst flooding in many years, but within the same winter, and now, it has not gotten warm yet! Smoke is should be confined to the West, not your region.

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