It has been cool spring up here in the north and daffodils are still at their best. The late spring means that the tulip season is just about to begin.
The Strikes (Narcissus ‘strike’) have enjoyed the coldness and are blooming by the lake.
I do not have many vacation days this summer which has meant way less plants than normally. The simple reason is that I am not here to water them. Luckily the perennials are there to brighten the flowerbeds.
Last year the summer had a long and hot dry period. My father’s Cunningham’s White (Rhododendron ’Cunningham’s White’) did not make it.
We simply did not think that it was quite new plant and would have needed more watering and in the end it just dried out.
Managed to find a new plant and will take it to my father as a birthday present when I go and visit them next time.
Cunningham’s White’s flowers are a bit pink in the beginning but turn bright white when the bloom grows older.
Found one daffodil variety I do not yet have in the garden. Ice Wings (Narcissus ‘Ice Wings’) is a beautiful white variety.
As a triandrus narcissus, it usually carries multiple flowers on every flowering stem.
I am going to continue my hunt for more varieties but decided that three new ones is enough for this year. Otherwise I end up having the car full when I move them to the summer cottage.
It has been two years since I have been able to travel to the Mediterranean Sea but finally here after a long break.
It is always nice to see completely different flora that you have at home. Something new and something that you unfortunately cannot grow at home.
The Sea Daffodil (Pancratium maritimum) is a flower I have never seen before. After a rainy day they started to bloom on the beach in front of the hotel.
Navona (Lilium ‘Navona’) was a buyer gift when I made an order years ago. I was not considering white lilies to the garden at that point of time.
But I must admit that it has been a gift that I have liked a lot.
The Navona blooms are big and pure white. It has grown well in a challenging location where the birch trees take the nutrients and consume the water.
I had completely forgotten that I planted Origami Red and White (Aquilegia caerulea ‘Origami Red and White’) seeds last year.
The blooms were a nice surprise and lasted long.
Now the flowering season for columbines is over but it is time to collect the seeds. This surely was a variety that I want to see more in my garden.
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.
Covent Garden (Gypsophila elegans ‘Covent Garden’) bloomed well this year. Dry weather suits it fine and there were no rain to ruin the blooms.
The only challenge with Covent Garden is that the blooming season is quite short.
The flower is popular with the florists and is used in the bouquets. Gypsophila has been cultivated for hundreds of years and is a very old garden flower.
The heatwave that lasted for more than a month is finally over. Now waiting for some rain to save the garden.
The long warm period caused some plants to get confused. The White Admiral (Phlox paniculata ‘White Admiral’) decided to start blooming a month earlier than normally.
The White Admiral is the one which starts the fall phlox blooming season. It will be interesting to see if the other phloxes got confused as well.
Gardening in the North 