Hackberry Trees, etc, #3

Charlie, so beautiful it looks like a painting!

Beautiful composition too, Sharon.
Is the tall white flowered plant a yucca? Have worked around them and you really have to watch the rigid pointed leaves. Scratching your arm is one thing, but you have to be very careful about your eyes.

Yes it is, and it does have a sharp tip, but this one is not as rigid as some I have seen. I have never researched it to know its specific botanical name, but I do know it is not as harsh as others.

It is aggravating, though, and tough as nails to cut or to get rid of the old stalks and undergrowth.

It's an architectural plant and quite popular here.
There's a lot of garden plants for sale here (viz. Richmond Hill - Aurora (our town) - Newmarket - towns on Yonge Street, going north). Lots of places sell annuals and perennials, and also shrubs to varying degrees): many chains (foodstores, Home Hardware, Canadian Tire, Zellers, etc) have garden centres, until the end of June/early July. There's also some places that are exclusively garden centres (usually close in winter), as Black Forest, which we like. There's a very good Chinese garden centre (seasonal) near here too - find the Chinese merchants look after their plants.
Do you have the same sort of things Sharon?

Small town here, and really small rural area, but a popular tourist region because of the lakes. We do have 2 very nice sized nurseries that have just about anything that will grow in this area, and another one that is not as large, but also good.

Our local hardwares, foodstores, etc do have plants as well. So I would guess it is very similar, Charlie to what you have, but maybe on a smaller scale.

I know here, Sharon, that there's a problem for the classic garden centres
(probably U.S. too) versus the box type stores garden centres, with classic garden centres potentially being driven out of business by competition from big chains. The classic ones tend to have a much wider selection of plants.

Mosquitoes now quite bad locally, notably in evening. That garden I did, that backed onto the trillium woods, was my worst mosquito garden. When was at cottage were lots of black flies too. Been cool and damp, so they're still around to bite folk. You probably have biting/stinging insects?

We do have mosquitoes, and sometimes flies, but don't think I have seen a fly in some time. It is very dry or will be, in another month. I think the mosquitoes are the worst things we have, but strangely enough, they don't bother me. Rarely do I ever have a mosquito bite. Maybe I am too tough, or not sweet, or whatever they are looking for, I don't have.

And if my kitties were ever outside they might get fleas, too. They are bad here, I think.

Don't think we have fleas in the garden.
Decided about twenty years ago, would not let cats roam freely. One reason, get themselves into trouble. Also can bother the neighbors, e.g.preferring the neighbor's garden to the cat box. Would say also, as 100% carivores, cats can be lethal to the wildlife. A good thing about Pebbie was she was so territorial that she only wanted to drive things off her turf. And a good thing about Budd is that he could never catch anything. I think Budd has now forgotten about the plants and just goes on the deck to check out the barbecue.
Going to Merlin's Hollow tomorrow to help David and Dierdre sell plants.
David was just chosen 'the Aurora Citizen of the Year' for his conservation work. He usually looks rather unkept. (last time he and Dierdre were working at the local Food Bank, he was told to get to the end of the line!). Various friends have expressed surprise at his picture in the local paper - Dierdre actually prevailed on him to trim his beard, comb his hair and wear a new sweater for the presentation. He's a real character!
Will get some pictures - hope lighting OK.
Better get to bed. Nite Sharon,
Charlie

Good night Charlie...
I'll be waiting for the pictures!
Enjoy your visit to Merlin's Hollow.

Hi All
Christi - particularly hope all OK re weather.
Sharon - will get some pictures.
JoAnn - meant to say, like that OP. (Like your abbreviations too!)
Sure you know, but was advised not to plant them too close, since
they die back after flowering. Am amazed how tough they are. Have
chopped up several large ones and the replanted sections are fine.
Will be on the watch for 'Royal Wedding'.

Sharon,
Have slightly over a dozen pictures of Merlin's Hollow, taken today.
Should we start a new thread or shall I add them on this one?
Charlie

Sorry Charlie, I had to coordinate and emcee a fashion show tonight, and have been pretty well tied up all day, just got home.

No, unless you have slow dialup, and I have forgotten, then go ahead and post. We are OK till it gets to about 200 posts, I think.

Looking forward to seeing the photos.

Crazy week, I rarely do things like this, but once a year for about 20 years I have coordinated a fashion show at the marina where we boated. So every spring I get the call, and it is so easy to do now, I just do it without thinking. So anyway, that's one day out of a year, and it isn't too bad.

Fun for a change of pace.

Been up and going strong since about 7:30 a.m. and am about to wind down now. Whew! gettin' too old for this.

Sharon - sounds like fun to me
- keeps you young!
- will send Merlin's Hollow pictures tomorrow morning
(want to get them in meaningful order)
- sounds like, however young you are, you need to get to bed
- night dynamic person
Charlie

Good night, Charlie....
It was fun, but yes, I am tired...
Day was just too long, and the music was just too loud!

And I had to wear a crummy outfit that I didn't like, but the hat was great!

Sharon, Carol asked for a picture of you in the outfit, but we won't hold you to it, if it was truly crummy.
Some pictures of Merlin's Hollow yesterday.
Outside: alliums, daylilies (you probably noticed), large mulleins and perennial geraniums. A lot not out yet. End of day.

In entrance, knot garden. Very pretty in early spring, as is planted with species crocus.

Into perennial garden - sign says 'walk on the grass'.

Perennial garden. (herbaceous)

Perennial garden.

Perennial garden into alpine garden

Alpine garden.

It won't accept the next picture - have to check it out.

How pretty and peaceful it looks, Charlie.....years of work, I would think. Very beautiful.

Yes Sharon,
Started basically in the recession of the 1980s, when landscape design work was in limited demand.
Trying for next picture.
Alpine garden.

End of stream-pond in alpine garden.

David (Aurora Citizen of the Year badge on) and another gardening friend, Ann, discussing politics under the big tree.

Into the fragrant garden.

Fragrant garden, including thyme lawn.

Is this JoAnn's OP?

Mountains? Do I see mountains there?

Stunning gardens, Charlie. Yes, I could live there, but doubt if I could give all the proper care to keep it all growing so well and so beautifully.

Sharon,
David really is a remarkable person: gardener, horticulturalist, landscape architect, urban planner, conservationist, etc.. Apart from his intelligence,
knowledge, common sense, humour and amiability, what strikes me about him is his organization and planning ability.
Merlin's Hollow was all planned out before he started building any of it. His gardening is incredibly efficient. I sometimes fall back on rationalizing things after the event, but David has an amazing ability to envisage things, including details, ahead of time.
Charlie

Takes somebody like that to create what he has created.
It is very very beautiful, soothing, I think.

Sharon, that's part of David's ability - the land was chosen for rises/ winter protection to the north and west and the garden designed to be screened and consist of 'rooms', with passages between (Sissinghurst, etc.). Beyond one rise is the municipal works department lot (i.e. industrially zoned). The garden was also all planned out to anticipate the subsequent urban development around.

Amazing, his ability to 'see' that.

Nite All,
Maple keys all over the flower beds.
Got to get an early start tomorrow.

Enjoy your day tomorrow Charlie...I am swamped in daylilies....and they are so beautiful.

Just gorgeous! No wonder they are so addicting. I have just a few and they came from my mother's garden. Just plain 'ole, plain 'ole. Now how could I have said that? No such thing as a plain flower. Have had Star Gazers blooming for the first time and I will be sure to have more of those next year. Busy day ahead.

Spectacular daylilies, pictures beautifully put together, Sharon.
Below - Siberian iris (Caesar's Brother)
(variegated Iris pallida, just about finished, behind.)

Japanese iris (Silver Edge).

Siberian iris (Ruffled Velvet) and Cheddar pinks.