Gardening in the North

This blog is about gardening in the north.

recent posts

about

  • Violet

    Violet

    Violet (viola)

    Spring is finally here and spring flowers have started to arrive to the shops.

    Bought my first violet (viola) today. It was a bit difficult to choose the color and ended up buying a classic white one. The scent it has is simply staggering.

    It sure has been a strange start for the new decade. For the first time we did not have a winter. It was like having an autumn that lasted for five months. Up here in the north it really gets dark and miserable without the snow. I have no idea what a winter like this will do for the garden and the plants.

    Luckily the days are now getting longer and we can finally start to enjoy life again.

    Violet (Viola)

  • Brilliant

    Brilliant

    The Brilliant (Sedum spectabile ‘Brilliant’) is blooming beautifully.

    It is a new variety I bought this year and I like the color. The others I have are variations of darker pink.

    Most of the other flowers are now gone and it makes the sedums stand out. The first frost came few days ago but does not yet affect hardy plants like sedums which are going to continue blooming several weeks from now.

  • Vales Emerald

    Vales Emerald

    Autumn is here and it is time for harvesting.

    The potatoes did exceptionally well this year. Cannot even remember when was the previous year like this.

    The past few years I have been growing Vales Emerald (Solanum tuberosum ‘Vales Emerald’) just to see how would it do up here in the north.

    It grows well and the potatoes are of good size and beautiful. Unfortunately the crop is only one third what it should be.

    In other words I will try something different next year and grow a new variety.

  • Sandved

    Sandved

    Sandved (Dasiphora fruticosa ‘sandved’) is a new variety I bought this year.

    It seems to be doing well and has been blooming several months.

    It should be very hardy but time will tell. It would be nice addition to the flowerbed.

  • Elke

    Elke

    The Elkes (Geranium sanguineum ‘Elke’) are doing fine. They made it through the winter and have been blooming the whole summer.

    Bought few more to the new flowerbed I have been building to have some reliable bloomers in it.

    Their flowers are a bit delicate when it comes to rain and wind but new ones emerge often so it is not a big problem.

  • Red Flavour

    Red Flavour

    The Red Flavours (Lilium lancifolium ‘Red Flavour‘) are blooming beautifully.

    The dryness has made the red in them even darker this year.

    They are very hardy and do not mind the cold winters or dry summers.

  • Ball’s Orange

    Ball’s Orange

    I just love the orange color Marigolds (Calendula officinalis ‘Ball’s orange) have. It is so bright and striking.

    It always surprises me how much water they need to grow well. The summer here has been dry and some of my Marigolds are still dwarfs and not blooming.

    Well I guess I just enjoy the ones that made it.

  • Garden Phlox

    Garden Phlox

    It is already the time for the garden phloxes to start blooming.

    This old white variety is always doing well and has been cultivated in the area for decades and decades.

    It blooms earlier than the new varieties I have bought and has adapted well to the harsh winters we have.

  • Mango Tango

    Mango Tango

    I so like the Mango Tango (Dasiphora fruticosa). It is has just the color and size I want to my flowerbed.

    Planted two last year to the raised flowerbeds but those are not doing that well.

    Now I bought few more and try a different spot. Let’s see how these will look after the winter.

  • Iris

    Iris

    The heatwave has made everything bloom and all the flowers are now opening their buds.

    The irises are starting to appear as well.

    It is a bit pity that up here in the north they are annuals and need to be replanted each year.