Your photos are inspirational. What kind of grasses are you growing?
Caroline
I garden on a large corner lot in Calgary.

Welcome back, Pudge! :) I posted something on Facebook to see if i could pry some people out of there and back here. Sorry to hear about your surgery, but hopefully you'll be in fine form for the gardening season - just around the corner! What's the challenge? Favourite pictures of our gardens? Will see if i can dig some up this evening.

Hey Pudge...

*sigh!* Look at that lovely GREEN. I have lawn envy, for anyone who has something other than permanently gray-brown native grass. I would love to post pics, but since last year was year number one for my big garden, all my pictures look pretty sparse! I'll post this year; I hoping things will have bushed out a lot. Most of my irises were planted last fall though, so they'll be little, and the majority of the daylilies won't be planted until this spring.

From your pictures, there is obviously a lot of be said for an established garden! I love your use of grass in the bed, also.

Thanks, Caroline. The grass in the top photo is Helictotrichon sempervirens (Blue Oat grass). For anyone who is not familiar with this grass, it is completely non-invasive in that it clumps but does not run and it does not seed out. In the bottom photo the bigger grass is Calamagrostis x acutiflora (feather reed grass) and the variety is Eldorado. This is the same kind of grass as Karl Foerster only Eldorado has green/yellow variegated leaves. It is also non-invasive.

Hi Marcia and thanks for the welcome. Yes, I meant challenge to post two favorite photos - no better way to get rid of the winter blah's than look at summery photos, right?

Weeper, all gardens have to start somewhere. I started with nothing here - 100' of native grass and weeds, then big piles of dirt and clay when the house was being built. Landscaping and gardening started in 1999. Patience and a dream is all it takes :) Oh yeah, and a really good spade, LOL.

Hi Pudge,
Great to see you back! And I never tire of viewing your beautiful gardens.
I have a question about the Eldorado. I have the Karl Foerster grass, and was wondering if I should try Eldorado also. But everything I've read says it is zone 4 or 5. Have you had yours very long? I like to be a bit realistic in my choices.

Hi Marie. Yes, I've had Eldorado for probably 5 years - actually 2 of them and neither have been a problem for hardiness. They get snow from the driveway in the winter so almost always have good protection, but we've had minusreallycold with no snow cover a few times, too. I don't cut the majority of the foliage off until spring.

Here are my two.

And, by far, the prettiest flower in my garden last summer:

That is good to know about the Eldorado grass; I planted it last year, and I was hoping it would pull through. I love that oat grass. It has character.

Marcia - Beautiful! Your lilies are very vibrant! I like your basket hanging in the trees too. Heehee, the pretty little girl looks understandably stumped in deciding which peony is best!

Thanks, Weeper. :) There are actually three baskets in the trees, but that one of impatiens at the end was especially nice, and managed to echo the colours of the lilies.

That's my beautiful granddaughter in the other picture - she loves flowers! Notice the verbena blossoms in her hair!

Your lilies look awesome, Marcia, and your granddaughter certainly is beautiful!

Hi Pudge It's great to have you back. Got to love your pics. hope all is well with your wrist- after going though the surgery and healing time I'm sure you'll find you'll enjoy the gardens more. What is the burgandy shrub/tree in the mid back of pic #1?
Marcia- do I see a gardener in training?- get them while they're young. The lily in the center-Cancan?
I have to get organized and learn how to download pics- I sooo enjoy those everyone shares. Take care Lois

H, and thanks Lois. The shrub is Diabolo Ninebark - one of my favorites.

Thanks Pudge for the reply on Eldorado. I think I'll give it a try. And Marcia, vibrant shot of the lilies. I also would like to know what the centre one is. Of course, the one of your granddaughter is sweet!

I can't say I have a favourite garden picture, but I'm sticking in one of my largest perennial beds. This is the one that just evolved rather than being planned and gives me fits. I keep ripping things out and trying to get it right. Some days it looks okay, and this was probably one of them. But most of the time it frustrates me.

Ahhh, oh Marie, that's breathtaking!

North 53 sometimes it's the ones that evolve are the best as proof is seen in the "okay" one you've showen- Far from okay try beautiful. The chartuese shrub is it a ninebark?
Pudge I love the ninebarks also.There is a newer one called "Center Glow" which is very attractive.
Would it be possible for us to be told the plants in the pics if they are a "great" one for you?
Snowing out- these pics warm my heart.
Lois

Marie - absolutely beautiful! I can't see a thing wrong with it! But i understand - we always see the faults in our own gardens. It looks very lush. Are those astilbes (pink flowers)in a couple of spots? I was thinking that i should move mine into a sunnier area. And perhaps the chartreuse colour is a golden elder? I love mine and it has grown far taller than the tag said it would - but it's fairly close to the foundation (probably too close, but i'm hoping dh doesn't twig on that!).

I also have two ninebarks - Coppertina and Centre Glow. I love the Coppertina. Centre Glow was just planted last year and i do like it so far.

Yes, the red and yellow lily is Cancun. The red is Stones, and the yellow is Medail. I think that's how it went, anyway. :) The purple-ish daylily in front is Silent Sentry. I love it!

And Darius is definitely a gardener-in-training. She and her big sister (my step-granddaughter) both love flowers. I'm going to make Darius a little garden of her own this year. I imagine, there will be all pink flowers in it as that's her favourite colour! :)

Thank you all for the kind words and Marcia for understanding. This picture is taken from the back of the yard and I think that perspective was much better.
Anyway, to answer your questions, yes the chartreuse shrub is a ninebark. It doesn't seem to be reliably hardy. Some years it almost dies back to the ground. I want to try one of the newer cultivars. The pink flowers are coral bells. I don't know the variety, but I recommend this as a perennial that pretty much blooms all summer.

Hopefully others will respond to Pudge's challenge and post pictures of their gardens!

Some very nice pic's!! Now I am getting the itch.

Feels good to be back!!

Yay, me too :0) Lovely photos everyone!
Marie, I'm always amazed at your beds and cannot believe we're in the same zone! Lots of color and shape...beautiful. I have 'Summerwine' ninebark and it sort of acts the same as yours, but has never died right back. I guess in a way its nice in a mixed bed because it will never get too big. I'd like to try the Copper one...can't remember exactly what its called at the moment.
Do you know the variety of the juniper in the front by your birdbath?
My first photo is one of a whole bunch I took one day when the sky was so blue adn the clouds were so puffy. I struggle with having nice back grounds in my photos so this one worked well, I thought. Its an alleged 'Goldfinch' columbine but is always very white...maybe its 'Dove'?
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This one is my chubby garden companion. He would bury himself in the cedar chips, for the night I'm guessing.
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xtreme, our zone got downgraded to 1b when the Canadian zone map was redone. Previously we were zone 2, which sounded so much better.
I love that shot of the white columbine. I would say you succeeded very well!
The juniper is Calgary Carpet, I think. The hostas on either side are Royal Standard and are huge.

the pictures are wonderful! such and encouragement :)

Thanks, Marie. I did notice your hostas, they look like they're thriving! I'll have to remember the name.

Beautiful bright glimpses of summer everyone. Marcia it seems such a short time ago your grand daughter was born, she is growing into a lovely garden helper...Jean

Thanks, Jean. :) Welcome back!

xtreme gardener - the copper ninebark is Coppertina, and I completely recommend it!! I've found that it naturally has a more evenly bushy, rounded form than most ninebarks; you know how they often shoot out some branches much taller than others? Not this one..no pruning involved, anyway. Grows fast, has beautiful form, and its leaves are stunning. In the spring they are a very burnished bronze color, and they darken to more of a rich red burgundy later in the year. In fall, they are quite red.

Plus, if you want to keep it smaller, even if it doesn't die back over winter, you can just prune it down a few inches from the ground and next year it springs up like nobodies business! I love ninebarks, can you tell? ;)

Weeper, thats it! Thanks for sharing your experience with it. They are a nice shrub and I love using the branches for flower arrangements.

I like to use Ninebark shrub branches in flower arrangements, too. They last a really long time. I haven't come across Coppertina in my travels yet, but will keep an eye out for it.

Spring is coming! It's lighter out, the sun is stronger - and the forum is coming out of hibernation!! Here's two of my favorite pictures.

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Can't you just feel the sunshine?

I'm hoping the clematis gets bigger - but it's a very old one that I've had to move 3 times in 15 years due to renovations of house and yard. Can anyone tell me what the lifespan of a clematis is - maybe I should start with a new one.

Connie

Most of my clems have not had a very long lifespan at all. Ville de Lyons lasted 5 or 6 years, and then nothing. :( Don't judge it by me, though - i'm sure others have clematis that last a lot longer!

That sunflower is heartwarming! :) We just have to get past one more cold night and then it's supposed to be normal to above for a couple of weeks! Hope the weather guessers have it right!

Beautiful photos, Connie.

I've got a rotten black thumb when it comes to Clematis. But my mom's got one (unnamed) that's over 20 years old. Another lady in town has one - I'm sure it's Jackmani, that's about that old, too, and it's huge. Both these are planted on the south side of the house, right up against the foundation. Of course, the ones I tried weren't happy with the south side of MY house but oh well, lol.

Ville de Lyons was on the east side of the house against the foundation but Jackmanii was on the west - way warmer - and it only lived to bloom one year (i.e. planted one summer, bloomed the next, then nada). I have, hmmm, i think it's 'Dutchess of Albany' there now. It was really nice last summer, so i'm hoping that wasn't it's death knell!

Plant clematis deep. Real deep. As deep as you can. Bury as much of that stem as you can. But before you do, make sure that stem is brown (matured). And then cover the area with mulch and even big rocks - keep those roots cool.

Ah, it's so nice to see some familiar faces here, it's very heartwarming. Sure hope your wrist is 100% by spring, Pudge. And your borders look fantastic! They've certainly filled in the past couple of years.

Wow, Marcia, your granddaughter is gorgeous! I remember when she was born. How's her name sake daylily coming along? If I remember correctly, you did pick one up didn't you?

Marie, that looks like a professionally landscaped border...you stole that photo from a gardening magazine didn't you?lol It really works so well all together, great job!

As for the longevity of clematis, from what I've read and my own personal experience, the hybrids tend to be somewhat short-lived. Jackmanii does seem to be an exception though, as I've known a few gardeners to have had them for years, but most of the other hybrids don't seem to last more than about 5 years. The species, on the other hand, seem to be much longer lived.

All the pictures are beautiful and I'm very much looking forward to this spring. I don't have any favourite pictures to post now as I left that garden behind. Last summer was a write off as I separated with my husband, and to make a long story short, he's ended up with the garden.lol I will be dividing a good portion of the perennials from my old yard and bringing them to my new yard in town. We take possession on April 15th, so it will be wonderful finding out what's planted in the many flowerbeds that are already in the yard. It's going to be a challenge deciding on which perennials to bring with me, as I'm downsizing from 10 acres to a city lot. But I'm really looking forward to my new gardens and new life. I will certainly post pictures this summer again.

Spring is in the air.:) Laurie

I'm home recovering from surgery again this winter as well, so looking for some gardening pics to brighten the days. Last year, I came upon a bunch of pictures by Alphabet, and was hoping to come across a similar thread this year.

Laurie, yes, i did get a "Darius" and it bloomed last summer - almost as pretty as its namesake:

Glad to hear that you've gotten your house, and we'll all be looking forward to pictures of your progress with it. :)

Joan, that's beautiful!!

Thanks, Laurie, the wrist is coming along although I may have to hold off on a project or two this summer to make sure I don't screw it up. I'm glad life, which does throw us some wild curveballs occasionally, is working out for you now. That which doesn't kill us makes us stronger :)

That's a nice looking flowerbed, bloomorelse. I hope your recovery is going well.

Marcia, my mom planted an apple tree when her first granddaughter was born - not named after her but planted kind of in her honour. Well, 30-some years later that apple tree is beautiful and my niece still refers to it as her tree. I'm sure as your granddaughter grows, that daylily will become important. It certainly is a beauty, just like her.

Hi all
Had to join in and say "hi", too. Miss all of you and I miss my gardening. I had more knee surgery last spring (3rd in 5 years) so I just did minimal stuff last year. Nothing even close to warranting a picture. Happy to report that the knee is really good now and I no longer have to use a cane. It bends and straightens almost normally now. So nice to have it back -even 90% is wonderful.

We've got some big news too. My husband just got a promotion and we've been transferred - to Red Deer. So, there goes this year too. Lots of easy, fast blooming annuals with big, bright colours this year. ; ) We're hoping to have the house up for sale by May 1st and probably will be buying something there by July 1st with possession Sept 1st at the latest. Have to see how fast our house here sells. But, hopefully next year all will be back on track and I'll be able to get back to the soil.

Sorry I've been so quiet for so long. I've also taken a provincial position in lacrosse and I've organized 2 national championships in the last 2 years. So, despite the knee, I've been pretty busy.

Laurie, best wishes to starting a new chapter in your life. I've now got more chapters to mine than you'd find in War and Peace and it seems that more get added all the time. Each one just makes us stronger.

Marcia, Darius is getting soooooo big. What a beautiful little girl. It does seem like yesterday when we were all awaiting the news of her arrival. And that picture was from last year already. Blink and she'll be starting school soon. :)

That's all for now. I'll drop by when I can. I need to refresh on all of my MG knowledge and botanical names. I've forgotten so many right now. But, they'll come back, like any other language, once you start to use it again.

Shauna

PS To all of my facebook friends, if possible, please don't mention our upcoming move on facebook. We haven't told everyone yet and I guess they'd better hear it directly from my mouth. : )

Hi Shauna - we've missed you too! Sounds like you've had a really busy couple of years. And now you'll have to leave it all behind. It'll be hard, but exciting, too, eh?

Yes, it's amazing how fast time has gone, and my grandbaby is now a grandgirl. :) I'm sure she'll be letting me know soon that she isn't a baby!

Good luck, and be sure to check in again from time to time!

Very nice to see familiar names still on the Far North. And looks like lots have had some news to share with surgeries and moves.
I too am looking forward to spring (and color). I have lots of flowers started this spring again. All annuals. Not much on order for perennials this year.
I have other priorities this spring.....I need to build a wheel chair accessible deck/ramp on the house for my son's girlfriend as soon as the weather warms.
My son Devon, his girlfriend Stephanie, three of his cousins and another girlfriend of one of the boys were in a nasty accident on Halloween due to icy road conditions. My son lost his best friend/cousin that night, his girlfriend lost their unborn baby that she was carrying as well as her legs and hands. Only one of the 6 has returned back to work as of yet.(I did say it was nasty...broken backs and necks, crushed vertebrate's, arms torn out of sockets, etc.....) So it was an emotional winter for a whole bunch of us.
But I do feel blessed that I still can hug the ones I love the most. Things could have turned out so much worse.
Life does go on....proof of it happened last Monday. The wife of the young man that lost his life that night gave birth to a lovely baby boy.

The icing on the cake that night was that my dad suffered a heart attack as well. Thankfully he was transported to the same hospital as the kids. He had surgery as is doing fine now.
Stephanie is still in the hospital so I make the trip into the city every second weekend for a visit. Since she has had her neck brace removed, I plan event or places to go so she gets out of that dang hospital. This weekend I am cooking a home cooked meal for her at Devon's new apartment.
This will be her first home cooked meal since October.

Soon life will settle down even more here and I can post more often.

Shelley

What a tough fall and winter you have had Shelley. I hope this year brings healing and hope to your family....Jean

For sure, Shelley. I'd seen mention of some things on Facebook but wasn't sure what it was all about. Glad things are working out as well as they can.

I've also seen some of your Facebook postings, Shelley, and I hope for all the best for you and your loved ones.

Thanks....I found out that the hardest thing being a parent is watching your child hurt,especially emotionally. There isn't a thing you can do with that kind of pain except give it time.

Shelley,
Time, support, love and prayer - each one helps with the healing, a little at a time. We always just hope the ones who are hurting can heal enough to be able to fully enjoy life again.
Thinking of you,
Connie

I am truly sorry to read about the sad events that some of you have experienced in the past year. Shelley, what unbelievable grief you have been through. I admire your strength and spirit.

Hi all my gardening pals, I haven't been on much in the past while but it's almost making me choke up to log on and see you all here. :0) We've all been here years now, the mind boggles.

Here are my two favourite pics from last summer. I like finding little critters enjoying my garden...

Funny, Gil - i skimmed through this thread (sighing at the pictures again), and was getting a little teary myself, but you made me laugh with your comment.:)

Does the Weas like flowers? Are you going to make a garden bed for her. Gotta recruit them young!

Marcia, yes she does like flowers! Last year I taught her not to pull on the flowers, so she says "pat pat" and pats them. She thinks sea holly is hysterical because it's "sharp". The other day my mom found her with her face sideways on the ground and her butt in the air, having a conversation with a caterpillar. I haven't started a garden for her yet but I've been thinking about it.

Aw, that's cute! She sounds like a naturalist already!