Morden Snowbeauty Rose

Hardiness Zone 3B

This hardy rose  grows in a garden tucked beside the house  with 

a northeast exposure in Red Deer, Alberta.  It has clusters of lightly fragrant, semi-double white flowers the bloom continuously amid shiny, dark green foliage.  To learn more click Morden Snowbeauty. 

Hope for Humanity Roses

Hardiness Zone 3B

This hardy rose  grows in a backyard garden (Benny's garden) with 

a southwest exposure in Red Deer, Alberta.   

This year (2012) the bush began blooming in early July.  

Hope for Humanity is a low growing ever-blooming hardy rose. The beautiful double blood red flowers are produced over a 10-14 week period, starting in late June.  Flower buds are pointed and a deep wine red colour.  Flowers are double, cup shaped and average about 8 centimeters in diameter.  There are small white spots at the base of the inner side of the petal, and a white and yellow spot at the base of the outer side of the petal.  They are slightly fragrant. Click Hope for Humanity, Heirloom Roses or Nature Hills to learn more.

Albuquerque Memory Day Lily

Hardiness Zone 3B

This day lily  grows in a backyard garden by a pond with a southwest exposure in Red Deer, Alberta.   The flowers are small with a diameter of about 3 inches.  The apricot melon petals bleed to pink frost in full sun.  2012 the first bloom was seen on July 21.

Maltese Cross/Lychnis chalcedonica

Hardiness Zone 3B

This perennial grows in a backyard garden (Benny's garden) with a southwest exposure in Red Deer, Alberta. The Maltese Cross is  an heirloom perennial, popular in Cottage gardens.  It is a rugged and easy perennial that grows good in a sunny garden but will tolerate partial shade.  The plants form an upright clump of bright green leaves, with taller stems in summer that bear large clusters of scarlet-orange flowers that are excellent for cutting.  This year the blooms were larger than in the past .  It is best to stake the plant early in the season to prevent flopping.

The height is generally 3 to 4 feet and it is hardy to minus 46 (zones 2-9 USDA).

Other common names for this perennial are Jerusalem Cross and London Pride.