~ Jeff-in-the-Pulpit: June 2012

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Goatsbeard and pollinators

Aruncus dioicus

The Goatsbeard is in bloom, and attracts all sorts of little flies and other pollinators. Such as a good dozen Virginia Ctenucha. (I'm tempted to say there were ten Ctenucha.)

I did not know the name of this moth... had to Google images and track it down.

Below is more of a view of the bed. Note the golden leaved Aralia Cordata 'Sun King.' And in the right foreground is a very happy seedling of a Shagbark Hickory, Carya ovata. About three years old now.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Wildflower Wednesday: Pitcher Pictures

Well, I'm a day late, but I'll sneak in on wildflower Wednesday with these shots I took on the weekend in a bog in Parrsboro, Nova Scotia.

Sacrricenia purpurea

This native Pitcher Plant has been a favourite plant of mine for almost ever. Here is a view of the habitat. I need to create a tiny bog garden and recruit some of these great plants for it.

The genus is named after Dr. Michel Sarrazin (1659-1734), Canada's first professional botanist, according to Bill Casselman's Canadian Garden Words (1997). I say he was Canadian; he was from Burgundy, and went to New France to serve in medicine and surgery. Along with medical work he catalogued and collected a vast amount of plant material. The species, "purpurea," means purple, naturally. Some of the common names include "Indian Cup," "Petis Couchons," "Piggywigs," and "Whip-poor-will's Boots."

Check out Wildflower Wednesdays, the last of each month, hosted by clay and limestone.

Monday, June 25, 2012

Garden Club Party

Our annual garden party for our local Garden Club was hosted by our dear member, and great gardener, Pauline. She has welcomed us to her yard before. For the most part I will let the pictures speak for themselves. :)

Pauline, our gracious and well-prepared hostess, is below, fourth from the left. A good time was had by all.

We ate a grand pot-luck meal, and enjoyed the wonderful gardens of this back yard and the neighbour's.

The food was plentiful, the gardeners were plentiful, and the blossoms were plentiful. After a rainy weekend - which was so needed and so wonderful to have - the weather was clear and breezy... just perfect.

Well, the sun-dial says it's time to go. Enjoy these days of wine and roses!

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

NSAC Gardens

On the grounds of the Nova Scotia Agricultural College, in Bible Hill, one can enjoy plenty of interesting horticulture.

And a few sculptural elements. But to me, the natural sculpture of the plants themselves is the most enjoyable. Such as this Allium... nectaroscordum siculum? Or did this get renamed and is no longer an Allium? Well, doesn't matter to me. It was nice to see it.

Can't resist Irises. And then, at an entrance to the Alumni Gardens, this planting looks like it came right out of a hot, sunny landscape. These are all plants that will not be spending the winter there, that's for certain!

Love that Kangaroo Paw!

But other, more usual plants caught my eye too. Like this Mahonia which is surviving here, year by year, fairly well. My attempt at one of these a few years ago failed.

I love that Euphorbia griffithii 'fireglow'. And the last of the Azaleas and Rhododendrons were still blooming. This season, as many across Eastern North America can attest, has been an early one this spring. So many of the Rhodos are over and done already. Nice to enjoy the finale.

Though... just last year I learned that there are some later-blooming Rhodos available. Must get one... once a bed is ready for it at the Cottage.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

NSAC Rock Garden

I enjoyed a spectacular rock garden this past week, while attending a conference at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College. The rock garden is ten years old now, and it's been a joy to watch develop. Happily, almost every year at the same time I attend the same conference there.

The plant material in the garden is out of the ordinary. And a lot of it is blooming just now. A week ago at the Nova Scotia Association of Garden Clubs Convention two men who are behind the building and development of this garden gave a presentation all about it. It has been a big project.

Not everything is 'rock gardney,' or alpine in nature (for instance, the Peony below), but there is a multitude of small, tough stuff (see above).

Most plants are not labelled, so I can only guess what many of these are.

The garden is often under construction. This donation box sculpture (below) was installed just the day before I took this picture. The floral emblem of the garden is the Bluet (Houstonia caerulea), represented by this bit of art.