Aquilegias (Aquilegia ‘McKana Hybrids’) are enjoying the warm weather.
This year the main blooming season is going to be short because of the exceptionally warm weather.
Just love the shape and size the McKana’s have.
Tag Archives: north
May Queen
Though having the May in its name the ox-eye daisy (Chrysanthemum leucanthemym ‘May Queen’) starts to bloom in June up here in the north.
The month of June has been exceptionally warm. Usually the weather is quite cool but not this year.
Everything grows fast and soon the lilies will open their flowers.
Bordeaux Barlow
Bordeaux Barlows (Aquilegia vulgaris var. stellata ‘Bordeaux Barlow’) is blooming nicely this year. Must try to grow more Aquilegias from the Barlow series.
I have managed to spend two weeks on the summer cottage by the lake and the weather has been great.
I sometimes wonder how much joy and happiness can a small lake bring to your life.
My mother’s parents and her grandparents have a small farm by the lake. The farm is as modest as it can be. My great grandparents established it and my grandparents and now my parents live there. After retiring they decided to move to the farm and be here by the lake.
As a child I spend all my summers with my grandparents while my parents were working. A whole summer taking care of the cows with my gramma and I guess it was her and my other grandmother who thought me my love to grow plants.
I cannot think having a better childhood.
My grandparents from my father’s side have a summer cottage on the other side of the lake. All the grandparents and all the family around the lake made all the difference.
Blue Barlow
The Blue Barlow (Aquilegia vulgaris var. stellata ‘Blue Barlow’) is doing well.
I have had a fair share of challenges trying to get it to grow but I think I have finally succeeded.
For the Barlow series we are a bit too north when it comes location and it is hard to get them flourish.
Snowball
The snowball bush (Viburnum opulus) is blooming .
In the beginning the blooms are light green and then turn to white.
Originally we only had one bush but I managed to create two more by bending a branch to the ground and letting it grow roots. Then moving the new bush to another location.
Moss Phlox
Moss Phlox White Delight (Phlox subulata ‘White Delight’) is blooming at its best at the moment.
It seems to do well in a spot which is only inches away from the lake but receives ten hours of direct sunlight every day.
It is a hard place for any other plant because the temperature rises so high during sunny days.
Alpine Clematis
Up here in the north the day is now nearly 20 hours long and everything is growing with a staggering speed. The summer is short and the time is limited.
Alpine Clematis (Clematis alpina) is blooming and full of bees. Which seem to be absolutely in love with it.
Alpine Clematis can take the cold and is very hardy. Even grows well further up in the north.
Snowdrop Windflower
I renewed one of the flowerbeds last year and thought that I lost the Snowdrop Windflowers (Anemone sylvestris) that I had.
Luckily few of them started to bloom this year.
It seems to be a very though plant and is not sensitive to rough handling.
Flaming Flag
The late blooming tulips are still blooming up here in the north. Most of the others are already gone.
The flaming flags (Tulipa ‘Flaming flag’) are doing well and it seems that we did not loose any during the winter.
We have been promised good weather for the next week and hopefully the summer flowers start their show.
Common Lilac
Common Lilacs (Syringa) are starting to bloom up here in the north.
The blooms are crowded with butterflies and bees. The ones in the pictures are Common Yellow Swallowtail (Papilio machaon) and Tree Bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum) which both are common for the region.
I just love the smell of the lilacs. It is simply intoxicating. The variety we have is an old one and has been here more than hundred years.
Gardening in the North 