I made a quick trip out to Vancouver Island last week and it was paradise - I got to plant bulbs and dig in the dirt. Weeding is a joy when you haven't done it in over a month! The soil wasn't even close to being frozen! There were hellebores and daphne blooming! Mahonia too - one of my favourites!
I try not to hate winter in Edmonton, with, yes, our dry cold and sunny days, but I do. I really do. So here's a post of some garden studies (arrangements using only things from my garden or those of my friends) from the summer/fall. I've been going through them to make sure I catch everything I need for seed orders and to remind myself what tends to bloom at the same time, so I can better coordinate colours. The planning for this year is a bit different, more things that can be planted directly or have a quick maturation. We'll see how it goes.
Early July (photo by Milton Photography) - peonies, mock orange, phlox, astrantia, viburnum , sweet peas, Dicentra formosa, roses, goutweed, alliums, poppies
Mid-July - zinnias, poppies, sweet peas, foxglove, frosted explosion grass, verbena
Mid-July- cynoglossum, phlox, foxglove, cornflowers, frosted explosion grass,
Mid-July - poppies, many poppies
Late July - lilies, nasturtiums, early apples, poppies, oregano, sweet peas, nicotiana
Late July - roses, phlox, oregano, frosted explosion grass, scabiosa, heuchera, coleus
Late July - the first real flush of roses (!), sweet peas, cosmos, oregano, astrantia, phlox, foxglove
Early August - roses and hydrangea, cobea vine
Mid-August - zinnias, nasturtiums, nicotiana, coleus, sunflowers, scabiosa, frosted explosion grass
Late August - begonias, poppies, thalictrum, nigella, heuchera, sweet peas, pelargoniums, roses
Late August - begonias, zinnia, epimedium foliage, cosmos, scabiosa, 'Limelight' hydrangea, astrantia, sweet peas
Early September - pelargonium, nasturtiums, dahlias, apples, coleus, nicotiana, begonias, Chasmanthium latifolium, cornflower, zinnia, rosehips, wheat, chocolate cosmos, heuchera
Early September - cosmos, spirea, roses, foxglove, frosted explosion grass, hydrangea, alpine clematis
Early September - delphinium, hydrangea, roses, sweet peas, shirley poppies, calendula, astrantia
Mid-September - Cobea vine, 'Limelight' hydrangea, sweet peas
Mid-September - hydrangea, phlox, dahlia, cobea vine, clematis, heuchera, frosted explosion grass, poppy pods, ninebark (Physocarpus), Rosa glauca, rudbeckia seed heads, sandcherry (Prunus x cistena), oregano, eupatorium, purple fountain grass (Pennisetum)
Late September (photo by Milton Photography) - dahlias, zinnias, cornflowers, nasturtiums, sweet peas, bachelor buttons, cynoglossum, nigella, foxglove, nicotiana, poppies and pods, viburnum berries, cosmos, scabiosa, apples, rose hips, roses, delphinium, spirea, pelargonium leaves, anemones, clematis
Late September - sweet peas ('Lipstick') and Rosa glauca
Early October - nasturtiums!
Early October - roses, hydrangea, heuchera, astrantia, actea, acidanthera, oregano, frosted explosion grass,
Early October - anemone, heuchera, actea, thalictrum, scabiosa
Mid-October (spring comes again) - columbine foliage, nigella, anemone, primroses(!), viola, alpine strawberries
EARLY NOVEMBER (!!!!) - ranunculus and anemones. Then it snowed.
