So, it is Farmer's Market, hosted by Chris at Stuff Dreams are Made Of, and I have finally got on here on a Saturday! Sadly, here in Ottawa the Farmer's Markets don't start until May, and nothing can be planted until after the May long weekend (usually around May 18-20), when the danger of frost at night is finally past. To cheer myself up because it is snowing today, and cold, I am going to blog about the garden I want this year.
My plan:
I thought I would share with you my big plan for my garden this year. I am turning 50 in May, and I thought as part of my celebration, I would plant 50 new plants into my garden.
I have some roses (above), and peonies, which are the centers of my garden and around which my garden is built. It's based on flowers for bees and butterflies, because I love the idea of feeding insects this way. I get to see the butterflies, and they get much needed nectar :-) I do have a butterfly bush, which is the star of my back garden, when it blooms in late July. Here is a link to a post I did two years ago about some of the little statues I put in my garden during the summer, and here is one about flowers in my garden, from last summer.
Below is a picture of my garden, in July, from this past year. The butterfly bush is way in the back, between the phlox (the bright pink flowers) and the tiger lilies.
And in amongst the roses, I have these lilies.
Black-eyed Susans, my namesake!
I even tried gladiolas the year before, of which this lovely pink one came up unexpectedly last year.
These are some of the flowers in my garden. I love flowers, they delight my soul. I find I am so happy after being around flowers. They soothe me, and calm me, and I am deeply delighted by them.
So I want to celebrate my 50th by adding more flowers to my garden.
I thought I would ask you, dear blogger friends, what are your favourite flowers? What do you like to see in gardens? Do you have an idea or a suggestion for me? I will as the summer goes on, show the ones I am adding, and give you updates through the Farmer's Market on how my garden is doing. I will be making a list of 50 flowers that I want to add, once I can figure out how to add to my header pages with this new blogger update.
For now, I am so cheered up doing this post! Thank you Chris, for holding the Farmer's Market on your Saturdays, and giving us a space to blog about our plants.
15 comments:
What a fun way to celebrate 50! I cut my hair and got a new (to me) car. LOL.
That is a brilliant idea for a birthday present to yourself--I love it!!! My favorites are all simple, unassuming flowers--black-eyed Susans, daisies, and coneflowers. I'm looking forward to seeing your garden throughout the summer, Susan! :D
I love love love love LOVE this idea :D :D :D Your garden is absolutely beautiful Susan and I can't wait to see everything you add to it!!! When I finally get a house, I want a butterfly and bee garden too :) I think my very favorite flowers are coneflowers :) They're just so pretty and so neat...I love nasturtiums too! I just planted tons of seeds all over my patio so I'll see what comes up :p And I've always loved zinnias and black eyed susans and sunflowers...Oooh, and cosmos...orange cosmos are so damn beautiful...ok..so I could just go on forever here really :p
That is a neat way to celebrate your 50th birthday. Your garden looks beautiful already, I can't wait to see it with the added plants!
wow your garden is gorgeous Susan!! my very VERY favorite flower is a "bush" and it won't grow in florida as it need the "winter" *sigh*.. and that would be Lilacs. But I love so many others too! Iris's grow well and keep increasing the garden by growing bulbs of their own until you have to thin them out! So they are excellent flowers ..and come in so many colors !! but I think you do perfectly well with your own choices!
Well, this is such a gorgeous post. Butterflies and bees? Budlias (not spelt right I think) seem to attract a lot of butterflies and they also love zinnias I notice. The two plants that seem to attract the most bees in our garden are two herbs, marjoram and oregano. They flower so beautifully, the flowers last for months and the bees swarm all over them. They're so pretty we have them in the flower garden as well as the veg one. Take care though as marjoram can be a bit of a thug. There's also a shrub with small red berries and I'm having a stupid moment and can't remember the name of it. Rats. It begins with 'C' I think. How silly, but it crawls with bees in the autumn and you can hear the buzzing from yards away. Just went to ask P, 'cotoneaster', although again I don't think I've spelt it right. Hope that helps.
The primroses are looking lovely in our garden at the moment. I went to take photos and down came the rain so will try again tomorrow.
P has started our garden, he has shallots and garlic looking great and various seeds just planted. The first blossom is out too, plums and greengages, always the first but rather late this year.
Your garden is beautiful. I can't imagine putting 50 more plants in it.
I like: bleeding hearts (Perrenial), crocuses (but I never remember to plant them in the fall), zinnias, sweet peas, pansies, marigolds, begonias, daisies. Hen and chicks, and lots of herbs.
Have fun
Reading your post is making me miss my garden! I think not being able to have a garden is the only part of condo living I don't like. Back at our old house, the bulbs will all be out in full force now. I always loved planting bulbs in the fall - you get such lovely surprises in the spring. It's not a flower, but do you have any lavender? It's my favourite garden plant.
Oh your garden is lovely! Glad you are planting peonies - I love peonies. Apparently Zelda Fitzgerald used to wear one in her hair ...
Beth: Thank you! I've been debating dying my hair again - I was letting the gray come in, but there is so much of it! Gah, I hate looking 70....it really is alot. How did you feel, when you cut your hair, is it a cut or shortness that you've kept since?
Debi: Thank you! I love black-eyed Susans too, and coneflowers. I will post pictures for you :-)
Chris: *hug* thank you so much! I'm having fun planning plants to go in. I had nasturtiums for the first time two years ago, and love their colour, you are so right. And cosmos, which I have to remember to add this year - sometimes with annuals it depends what our garden centers have, for what I can put in. Cosmos are such a fun flower, aren't they? I can hardly wait for you to get your own house and garden, and what you grow there!
Ali:Thank you so much :-) I'll take lots of pictures for everyone through the summer.
Pat: I have a lilac bush! My kids bought it for MOther's DAy for me the first spring we were in this house. It's now over 7 feet tall, and getting bushy, and has the loveliest purple flowers. I love the smell, I think it is my favourite fragrance in the world, and I wish it could be made into a perfume. I'll post some pictures for you when it blooms :-)
Cath: Thank you so much :-) I'll check for cottoneater (?) too, though it certainly isn't one I've heard of here. I had some oregano, you are right, Cath! The bees loved it. I had to get rid of it as it was taking over the front patch, though once I have the main plants in, I might try it again, it is good cover. And the bees do like it. I keep forgetting about zinnias, so thank you, Cath! Primroses are gentle and sweet.
Please post some pictures, Cath :-) I've enjoyed the ones you posted in previous years, and love to see flowers in other gardens. Maybe we can post on Saturday markets, how our gardens are growing, this year?
raidergirl: Thank you :-) I have a bleeding heart plant, which I love, but it struggles. I might have to get another one to try. Aren't the little hearts so delicate and lovely? I buy marigolds every year, they are one of my favourite flowers. I love their bright yellows and oranges, and seeing the bees all over them is so thrilling. When I can remember or can find them, sweet peas are so delicate. So are snapdragons,which I and my daughter love. Oh, I love gardens! I'll post as i add the 50 plants so you can see I have the room :-)
Belle: I don't have any lavender, I don't have much of a herb garden yet. I should try, there's a small space by my lilac tree that needs to be developed :-) It's hard to not be able to garden, now that I know what it's like, I can't wait to get into the dirt every spring. Can you grow any potted plants or window gardens, in your condo?
Vintage Reading: Thank you. I adore peonies. I will take some photos for you, when they bloom! I want to plant a few more, to make my garden radiant when they bloom. I had no idea Zelda wore one in her hair, though it would suit her, I think.
It's a wonderful idea, Susan! Your garden is so beautiful.
I wish you lived closer so you could help me with mine! I'm so clueless!
Wendy: I do too, wish I lived closer! We could have lots of visits over tea, and books, and our kids could play :-) and I would gladly help you with your garden.
I'm a little slow to comment, sorry -- but I love this post! What a lovely, lovely garden you have. Love this idea!
Daphne: Thank you so much! I'm so excited now, our gardening season is almost here - this weekend we can finally plant things in the garden again.
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