Frontenac Rose

A hardy rose planted in a raised bed in a sunny backyard in Mount Royal, Calgary. 

Clusters of large double deep pink flowers with approximately 20 petals 

from early summer until the first frost.

Height 24"-36" and Width 24" -36"

Explorer Series 1992

Attracts butterflies.

Hardiness Zone 3a

Under ideal conditions can live for 20 years.

Should be grown in full sunlight.

Planted Spring 2019

Oriental Orange Poppy

Orange poppies grow well in two sunny beds at the Lakehouse in Norglenwold, Sylvan Lake. They are most likely the "Prince of Orange" Oriental Poppy.  Prince of Orange blooms can measure from 4 to 5 inches and I have had some that are significantly larger than that. 

 Bloom time is spring to early summer.  When they finish blooming, not only do the blooms wither, but the plants do too, turning yellow and dying back. This leaves you with some unsightly dead foliage, (which you can cut off), along with a hole in your garden design so it is good to have other plants around them.  Oriental poppies also have a long taproot much like a carrot.  For this reason, they can be difficult to transplant, so try to plant them where they can stay a while.

June 27, 2019 Front Flower Bed
Arrived home from Connecticut yesterday and poppies blooming

July 6, 2019 Front Flower Bed
This poppy measured by Reegan is 10 inches across

July 6, 2019 Front Flower Bed
Still Blooming

Snowcap Dwarf Shasta Daisy

Planted June 28, 2019

Snowcap Dwarf Shasta Daisy

Blooms June to September when deadheaded

Hardy to Zone 5

This Daisy was planted June 28, 2019 in a sunny bed

beside a deck in rural Connecticut along with

hydrangeas,  salvia, day lilies and lucifer montbretia.

Lucifer Montbretia Crocosmia

Crocosmia are summer blooming bulbs with brightly-colored flowers on wiry, arching stems. 

The buds open one-by-one from the bottom up and are magnets for hummingbirds and butterflies.

Crocosmia are in the iris family.

Plant crocosmia bulbs in spring for flowers in mid to late summer. In most climates, crocosmia is a perennial and the plant will return to bloom again year after year.

Deer and rabbit resistant and make wonderful cut flowers that will last up to 2 weeks in a vase.

Best blooms in full to part sun sheltered from wind.

Zone 5-9

This Lucifer Montbretia Crocosmia was planted June 28, 2019 in a sunny bed

beside a deck in rural Connecticut along with

hydrangeas,  salvia, shasta daisies and day lilies.

Planted June 28, 2019

Lucifer Montbretia Crocosmia

3'-4' feet tall (36"- 48")

Fiery Scarlet Red, Orange and Yellow

Blooms Mid to Late Summer for 5-8 weeks

Tiger Swirl Day Lily

This Tiger Swirl Day Lily was planted June 28, 2019 in a sunny bed
beside a deck in rural Connecticut along with
hydrangeas,  salvia, shasta daisies and lucifer montbretia.

Planted June 28, 2019
Tiger Swirl (Rainbow Rhythm)
32" Tall
Light Golden Yellow with Raspberry Red Eye
Blooms Mid Summer

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Mud the Frog

Mud the Frog seen on June 24, 2019
 in the backyard of a rural property in Connecticut.

Cherokee Princess Dogwood

This Cherokee Princess Dogwood tree was planted
in the front yard of a home in Salem, Connecticut.
It is an early flowering tree with bright red berries which attract birds.
It grows to 24 feet high and 20 feet wide.
Hardiness zone 5.
 Fall foliage red.

June 22, 2019

Lupin

This lupin is planted in the front flowerbed on a rural property in Connecticut.

June 2019

Boxwood

This Boxwood grows on both sides of the front step at a home in rural Connecticut.

June 2019 Freshly trimmed

June 2019 Freshly trimmed

Beach Rose

Beach roses are found around many of the beaches in  Rhode Island.  Also known as Sea Rose or Salt-spray Rose they grow well in the Coastal Sand Dunes.  Rose hips resemble small crab apples and although they have a slightly bitter taste they are edible.

Found on Napa Beach, Rhode Island June 2019

Mushrooms

Mushrooms  pop up frequently in the high humidity area of rural Connecticut.

June 23, 2019 Front flower bed under the Yarrow

Flower Containers

These are some of the flower pots found 

on a rural property in Connecticut.

Lantana found in flower pot below. June 2019

June 2019
Cana Lilies, King Tut Grass Focus with Dragon Wing Begonias,
Sweet Potato Vine, Creeping Jenny and Lantana

June 2019    Kale, Sweet Potato Vine, Marigolds

June 2019 Cana Lilies, Marigolds, Lantana, Hummingbird Feeder

Brandywine

This Brandywine was planted in a flower bed in rural Connecticut with Eastern Exposure. 

June 19, 2019

Brandywine is a deciduous shrub that grows well in zones 5 to 9.  Grows to a height of 5 to 12 feet and a width of 5 to 12 feet.  It blooms from April to May.  Flowers are white, showy and fragrant. It attracts birds and butterflies. 

Yarrow

         This Yarrow was planted in a flower bed in rural Connecticut with Eastern Exposure.

June 19, 2019

Yarrow comes in yellow, red and pink or variations of these colours.  

It attracts butterflies and is an aromatic herb which has many healing properties.

Most plants grow to about 2 to 4 feet tall.

Native Americans used ground yarrow infused in water as a wash to treat sunburns.  Yarrow is thought to symbolize everlasting love.

Flower Containers

This hanging basket is one of three? and grows well against a sunny brick wall in South West Calgary.

June 15, 2019

This flower urn flourishes on the front porch of a colonial style? 

home in South West Calgary.

June 15, 2019

Iris

These irises are planted against a sunny brick wall in a back yard in South West Calgary.

June 15 2019

June 15, 2019

Irises come in many different colours and are named after 

the Greek goddess of the rainbow.  

Colours range from white to almost black, although most common are shades of 

lavender, purple, white and yellow.

Dianthus

This Dianthus plant was planted by Reegan in a backyard flower garden 

in SouthWest Calgary in the spring of 2018.  

In researching the dianthus plant it soon became clear that there are many species of this plant, all with similar characteristics, but unique as well.  The dianthus plant is more commonly known as Pinks or Sweet William and they are found as hardy annual, biennial or perennial. It has a fragrance of cinnamon or clove.  Modern varieties typically bloom from May to October.

June 15, 2019

Bohemian or Cedar Waxwing

June 10, 2019

June 2019  

This waxwing is one of many that have been feasting on a Mountain Ash tree 

since late May in Norglenwold at Sylvan Lake.

We believe it is a Bohemian Waxwing but will look more closely tomorrow.

Bohemian Waxwings are bigger, chunkier, and brawnier then the sleek, thin Cedar Waxwing.  Bohemian Waxwings are only an inch longer than Cedar Waxwings but weigh almost twice as much on average. If the undertail is orangeish then the bird is a Bohemian Waxwing. If it is white it is a Cedar Waxwing.

February 2021

We think these are Bohemian Waxwings.  Some further facts we found.

 A bohemian waxwing is primarily gray, with a peachy blush around its mask and a rusty undertail. The cedar waxwing, on the other hand, has a mostly brown body with a yellowish breast and belly. Its undertail is white. The bohemian waxwing is bigger, about the size of an American robin. Cedar waxwings are between a sparrow and a starling in stature.

February 22, 2021

February 22, 2021

February 22, 2021

February 22, 2021

Grey Partridge

June 6, 2019

These grey partridges have been seen regularly late May and early June in the backyard in Norglenwold at Sylvan Lake.  They are also commonly known as Hungarian Partridges (Hun) or English Partridges. I believe the one closest to the fence is the female due to the
distinct cross bars also called the ‘Cross of Lorraine’.

Peonies in Connecticut

These peonies are growing in an East facing front flower bed of a 

rural Connecticut property.

June 7, 2019

June 7, 2019

June 7, 2019

June 7, 2019

June 19, 2019

Early June 2020

Early June 2020

American Goldfinch

This Goldfinch was photographed in a Pincherry Tree in the backyard in Norglenwold at Sylvan Lake.

June 2, 2019

June 2, 2019

The American goldfinch (Spinus tristis) is a small North American bird in the finch family. It is migratory, ranging from mid-Alberta to North Carolina during the breeding season, and from just south of the Canada–United States border to Mexico during the winter.

Winnipeg Parks Rose

This rose bush was been planted at the beginning of June 2019 in a Northwest facing bed at the Lakehouse in Norglenwood on Sylvan Lake, but due to the openess of the yard should 

receive ample sun. 

The Winnipeg Parks Rose bush belongs to the Parkland Artist Series (1990) and was introduced by the Morden Research Station in Manitoba. It is of average size, growing to a height of 24" to 36"  and a width of about 24" to 36".
Dark green disease resistant foliage turns red tinged in the fall.  Brilliant medium red fragrant flower clusters throughout the summer until the first frost. 
One of the most popular shrub roses.
Zone 2 cold tolerance.


Water regularly as needed. Feed in spring with an all purpose fertilizer prior to new spring growth.  Can prune back heavily in spring to promote vigorous new growth and better flower production.  If a severe winter causes die back prune back and can restart as low as root system.

Full sun.