May 2-4 Weekend - Sunday

     You would think that yesterday's labour would be enough for us for one weekend, but then we remembered that there was a not-to-be-missed perennial sale from a private home of gardeners extraordinaire.  It's a short distance from downtown and we were the first to arrive.  The house is nondescript but has a marvellous garden and greenhouses.  CC had a good long chat with the owner and I once again coveted the Bonsai Larch Forest.  "Not For Sale" sadly.  We only spent $86, not bad for eight perennials, some of which are unusual.

$86

      Keeping in mind that we have Walnut trees in the backyard, we have to be careful about what we plant, as not everything is walnut-tolerant.  Fortunately, there is still a lot to choose from.  We already have quite a few different Hostas, and were delighted to get two pots of "Golden Oriole" Hostas with their bright, yellow-green leaves.  We first cleared a lot of Asters and grasses from the corner bed with the bird bath (now a succulent garden), being careful to put the Scilla and Crocus bulbs back.  It has been something of a wild area that I have wanted to tame for some time now.  There are some other Hostas already in the bed, along with Grape Hyacinths, Boxwoods, Aliums, Forget-me-nots, Epimediums and a Hellebore.  Behind the new Hostas, we put another new purchase, a true red Bleeding Heart (Dicentra 'Valentine').

Birdbath bed

     At the back of the garden, we had planted some Brunnera, which have Forget-me-not-like flowers, a couple of years ago, but they have been lost amongst the foliage.  So, we dug them, moved them into the birdbath bed and beside the patio, and replaced them with 'Lady in Red" Lady Ferns (Athyrium filix-femina var. angustum).

Lady Fern

     I put three new plants out front, two in the boulevard, to take advantage of the full sun, and one amongst the shadier part of the front garden, near the Heucheras.  I put a Clary Sage (Salvia sclerica) and a Stonecrop (Sedum 'Xenox') right next to the driveway in full sun so that we can enjoy them and keep our eyes on them.  We have quite a wooly boulevard and are in the process of cleaning it up.  Amongst the Heucheras, I planted the Meadow Cranesbill (Geranium pratense 'Midnight Reiter'), which has reddish foliage and contrasts nicely with the surrounding greenery.

Stonecrop

Clary Sage