Oh, thank you. Yours seem to open a week or more before the ones in Stanley Park at the Pavilion, so I should start looking for those soon.
Things have been really slow to appear this year (or not at all) but I have found more color in my garden this past week.... Wand flower 'Yellow Emperor' Asiatic lilies 'Tiny Ghost' (red ones) and 'Gwen' (white one) Clematis 'Jackmanii Superba' Triplet lily Calla lily 'Picasso' Bindweed Mountain roscoe lily Smooth prickly pear Canadian violet Fusion lily Chameleon plant Peruvian lily 'Inca Ice' Gladiolus 'Nymph.
I didn't know Triteleia came in blue - T. laxa, Triplet lily. I'm wondering how you have room for any of these with Houttuynia (Chameleon plant) growing. I had it in a planter with some other plants one year. It was so aggressive, and I didn't like the smell when I tried to pull it out. Nice to be reminded of Ixia (Wand flower), which I was going to say I didn't know at all, but I see that I commented on a posting of one one year. Actually, that was a delightful thread: What is this mine eyes perceive?, started by @soccerdad .
I like the fact that it will grow in a variety of conditions; the plant is actually listed as an aquatic or bog plant but the ones in the photo are growing in full sun where it is dry, which is why they are so colorful (the ones I have growing in the shade are either green or green and white variegated). They are also in a raised bed and must compete with assorted dwarf tulips (these are finishing up when the chameleon plant is just getting started) and a large Corsican hellebore. The canna lilies in the background are in a separate bed.
The plants are definitely lush and growing..... Eastern prickly pear cactus (so many flowers you almost can't tell its a cactus) Asparagus - ever wonder what happens when you don't harvest? Beautyberry is flowering now Variegated porcelain vines are taking over a dark corner on one of the terraces (just as I'd hoped) And a couple of winter success stories... Pineapple guava not only survived this past winter but is flowering for the first time, ever Rice paper plant was not bothered by the past winter and has almost tripled in size since last spring
@pmurphy, I see that you posted one of these Ampelopsis Glandulosa var. brevipedunculata 'Elegans' three years ago at Ampelopsis Glandulosa var. brevipedunculata 'Elegans' - variegated porcelain vine | UBC Botanical Garden Forums, and I was taken with it then. I'll be happy if you keep posting it until I learn the name. A member from New York posted comments about it in 2006, calling it "The devil in disguise". About Botany Photo of the Day
It could be that it will get out of control in some areas but I see that New York is listed as zones 3 - 7. As Vancouver is listed as zone 8(ish) and the vine is listed as ranging from zone 5 to 9 perhaps it is more aggressive in cooler area? - I'm located in a microclimate where I can grow some zone 9 plants. I've never had any issues with this plant getting out of control here, and I've been trying to get them to spread in this one area for almost 4 years now. I've also never had any issues with them sprouting everywhere. Some of my vines I've had for over 10 years now and I find them a very well behaved vine that will scrabble through some of my leggy shrubs (I am encouraging this). They will also grow in full sun to full shade so I find them very versatile.
No, it seems to be in the eastern US where it's a problem. It's too bad I removed my balcony trellis when we had the building painted - it seems like it would be perfect on my wall.
Kudos to you @pmurphy for holding down the fort in the Virtual Garden Tour 2022 department. Your photos are inspirational. My garden has been decimated by deer this year to the point where not even daylily buds have been spared. I'm going to make a list of all the plants they (and their spawn) despise in the hope that something good comes out of this to recommend to others in the area. My focus this summer and fall will be to beef up the deer fencing and thereby outwit the varmints (including rabbits - don't mention 'bunnies' to me). * For anyone who has not heard my tale of woe - for 10+ years my garden was off the radar for the resident deer until the terrible storm last November caused so much water to wash through my 1-acre property that a 30 foot section of deer fence was knocked down. For 3 weeks until it was rebuilt, the deer rediscovered Paradise Lost and have been finding ways in ever since. They have been relentless - not only enlarging holes in the plastic netting chewed by rabbits but also creating new ways in. At least they haven't started jumping the fences - yet.
My condolences Margot. Vitog, The guava has been living in my back yard since I purchased it in 2011, but I wouldn't say thriving (it was only about 1/2 M tall at that time). It would put on new growth each year only to have it "trimmed back" each winter. After our most recent terrible winter when it had only a few "freezer burned" leaves left I decided to move it into the covered garden to where my bottlebrush - RIP - was. I made the move in March thinking it would either recover or die. After almost two months it started sending out new leaves all over the bare branches and, much to my surprise, a handful of buds as well. The plant now seems extremely happy and should start thriving...I hope
Here is another reason I'm very cautious about pulling "weeds" from my gardens. Just identified Michauxia campanuloides - rough-leaved Michauxia 0r Michaux bellflower. This is not a plant I purchased but rather a stow-away? during a seed swap from Greece back in 2018. This is the first time it has flower so that it could be positively identified. Plants are about 1 M tall and flowers are 10cm across. I never pulled the plant because "its easier to remove plants then replace them".
The recent hot weather has certainly helped my gardens. Some things I thought would never flower are now doing so while others seem to be unaffected by the weird weather we had earlier this year. Persian silk tree - was a little late flowering this year. Canna lily 'Roze' - I thought would never come up let alone flower Trumpet vine 'Atomic Red' - doing very well this year Cobra lily 'The Perfect Wave" - was late in coming up Pineapple lilies - not affected at all Tree lily 'Beverly Dreams' - supposed to reach 120cm this first year but got a slow start and only made 1M Calla lily 'Frozen Queen' - translucent leaves and red flowers, did well this year (last 2 photos)
Not the cheapest of plants but I couldn't resist.... Frozen Queen Calla Lily | Premium Dutch Flower Bulbs
Haven't posted here for a while, my garden has suffered rather badly through this Summer's heat and continued drought. But I thought some photos of last evenings sunset and some silhouettes of my Ginkgo and Cherry would be nice to share.
I definitely didn't have as many plants flowering this year but I have had some plants flowering for the first time... Giant miscanthus grass Guernsey lily 'Edelweiss' Silver lace vine with Virginia creeper - in autumn colors - in the background
Thanks for posting that - I saw one today and forgot that I was supposed to know what it was. If you do searches on your photos, the silver lace vine is missing its "P" on the Polygonum in the file name.
