I do not know why but I lost half of my lupines last winter which was a surprise because they are usually very hardy.
To my delight The Chatelaine (Lupinus ‘The Chatelaine’) started to bloom in the new spot that it was planted this spring.
I am still trying to find more colors. Lupines are so easy flowers for the summer cottage.
Something new to the garden. Fell in love with the blooms Brachyscome (Brachyscome hybrida) has.
It is a small flower, only about 15 centimeters tall at this point. It should double its hight during the summer.
Placed it to full sun. The only problem is that it requires regular watering when placed like that and I will not be here to do it.
It is always a bit tricky to grow Dahlias (Dahlia) up here in the north. They would need a longer summer to bloom well.
This year I decided to buy ready grown plants instead of trying to grow them by myself. At least this way I am able to be sure that I can see the blooms.
Found two that I liked from the store and brought them to the summer cottage. They are very different from each other but were the ones that caught my eye.
Phloxes are blooming beautifully at the moment. The Windsor (Phlox paniculata ‘Windsor’) finally started its show and is the last one of the phloxes to open the blooms.
The summer has been a good one for the phloxes even though they have required a lot of watering.
Planning to have more colors and varieties next year.
The nights are getting longer and colder up here in the north. Days are still nice and warm but you can feel the autumn coming.
Few years ago I had some extra yarrow seeds and just threw them around. The end result is that I now have Cerise Queens (Achillea millefolium ‘Cerise Queen’) growing here and there.
We have the white form of yarrow as a native plant but no other colors. Cerise Queens are easy to spot since they just stand out.
I am usually quite self sufficient when it comes to the Sensation (Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Sensation’) seeds but this spring bought some to ensure that all the color varieties are there.
Cosmos likes the warmth and this summer has been good to them.
Sensation grows and blooms quickly which is good for the short summers we have.
It seems that I am slow going to loose my Elkes (Geranium sanguineum ‘Elke’). After the winter I only have one plant left.
To be honest I am not quite sure if I buy more. I like the color Elke has but it is not doing so well in the summer cottage.
In the end there are so many flowers to choose from so you can actually be a bit picky and select the ones you like the most.
Put let’s see how the last Elke does. It might be with me many more years. You never know.
I have been trying to find more Maiden Pink’s (Dianthus deltoides ‘Maiden Pink’) seeds but have failed this far.
The flower likes the rough terrain we have in the summer cottage and has done well the past few years.
I like the pink color of the blooms. Somehow it just stands out nicely.
I would love to have the garden full of roses but unfortunately they do not do that well up here in the north.
There are exceptions though. Tornedal (Rosa Majalis ‘Tornedal’) is one of them. It can tolerate the long and hard winters extremely well.
The blooms are beautiful and many. Unfortunately the blooming season is very short but love the variety.
The Elkes (Geranium sanguineum ‘Elke’) have been blooming all summer.
I like the bright color of the blooms which stand out nicely. They are though a bit sensitive when it comes to rain but new blooms emerge quickly to replace the damaged ones.
The variety seems to be very suitable for the area and does not require much attention. Some of the plants have survived in a sandy soil without any additional nutrients or care.
Gardening in the North 