Thursday Thirteen - 223 - 13 Views of the Garden 2011

1 - Biggest garden thrill this year: I planted two lilac bushes several years ago, and this year one of them bloomed. When I first saw the buds early in the spring, it was like spotting-my-teenage-heartthrob time.

(That would be Les McKeown, from the Bay City Rollers, in case you didn't already know that.)













2 - The next big thing for us was the emergence of our daffodils. I'd planted these a few autumns ago, but they'd never turned up the following spring. Mom and I chalked it up to raiding squirrels and left it at that.

Suddenly, this spring - voila. Daffodil.













3 - Forsythia and tulips in the front rock garden.






















4 - Kolkwitzia, a flowering shrub we planted in the backyard beside the deck






















5 - Pink clematis in the backyard, a gift from my sister, and dark blue clematis in the front yard, which came with the house













6 - Lady's mantle, which just appeared all on its own













7 - Angelica, which I planted outside the backdoor































8 - The Monster Rose Bush, otherwise known as an American Pillar rambler rose along the side of the house (which I grew from cuttings,) a delicate Rugosa rose which my sister and got from the side of the road by Grand Pré in the Annapolis Valley (in the front rock garden,) and the Aunt Sheila Rose, also known as a Subzero Brownell rose.






















9 - My mom's container gardens, featuring some gorgeous purple lobelia and her favorite, pansies






















10 - Orange lilies, originally from my husband's great-grandmother's Ontario garden, daylilies in the front garden and heritage lilies at the backdoor which I got at a farm museum plant sale.

















11 - Hostas in the back woodland garden













12 - Wild asters near the rugosa rose bush













13 - Balsam near the back door, at the edge of the woodland garden

Wordless Wednesday - 174

Thursday Thirteen - 177 - 13 Views From Our Garden This Year

My mom and I share our home and our garden. The house is a two-family set-up: mom on the main floor, and my husband and I in the basement level. But the garden is a communal effort, as my garden-loving sister and brother-in-law have also contributed to its formation.

Here are thirteen views I captured in the garden in 2010.














1 - Tulips














2 - Lily-of-the-valley














3 - Forget-me-not














4 - Rhododendron


















5 - Yarrow














6 - Honeysuckle














7 - Cranesbill Bevans














8 - Lavender














9 - American Pillar rambler rose














10 - Our self-titled Aunt Sheila rose (real name = Sub-zero Brownell series)

This was planted as a memorial to my aunt and godmother, Sheila, who passed away 7 years ago. She was a lifelong fan of yellow roses, so there was no question as to what we would choose for the garden to represent her.














11 - Frosty Fire Dianthus














12 - Clematis














13 - Lily

Wordless Wednesday - 163

Wordless Wednesday - 159

Wordless Wednesday - 158

Momstart says What a beautiful garden.

Heather says I should have taken one last walk to your garden before I moved from the area :( I'm sure I'll walk through again.

Nikita Bannerjee says I envy your garden!

Wordless Wednesday - 157

Lisa Lectura says Lovely photo!

Anne MacFarlane says Julia, love seeing pictures of your gardens. Mine's a little overgrown right now - between the heat and the rain - and, oh yeah, my lack of discipline.

Nessa says Very pretty.

Wordless Wednesday - 154

Debby says Gorgeous!!!

Janet says Love it - keep them coming so I can at least dream of what my garden could look like :)

Nessa says Pretty.

Wordless Wednesday - 153

Michelle Helliwell says Very pretty! I have two of those in my backyard, hopelessly buried behind other stuff...those look so nice out in the sun where they belong:)

Nikita Banerjee says So pretty! The rains are here and everything out here is soo green!

Thomma Lyn Grindstaff says Oh wow, those rhodies are beautiful. Happy Wordless Wednesday! :)

Wordless Wednesday - 151

Jennifer Leeland says Gorgeous!! Especially the blue ones!!!

Janet says Um, when did you say you and your family are coming to work on mine?

Anne MacFarlane says Julia, your garden looks lovely. Those pink tulips are beautiful.