Victoria Day Holiday-The Garden is Celebrating with Colour! #1: Victoria Day Holiday-The Garden is Celebrating with Colour-May 24, 2010

Beautiful flowers, Cynthia. There are many I don’t recognize in your collection. The lilac in the beginning is just stunning. As you said, nature’s fireworks! It looks like you are starting to get some of your seedlings in the ground too. Enjoy the holiday, even as you are working.

-- "To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves." M. Gandhi

Amie is looking at me because I kept yelling at her to stay out of my new vegetable and herb garden. Hence, the ropes and metal dividers to keep Boo and her out! Primitive in appearance, yet effective. The plant with ants is a lovely Purple Pineapple-it is a tropical beauty and has a sweet fragrance. The purple Mullein is new for me, but I thought it might be taller.The pink Lupines only grew about 4 ” last year and did not blossom: this year they are! And who could forget the passion flower? They are so simple, but elegant at the same time. I have others, but it hasn’t been warm enough to take all my tropicals outside yet. This week I will…Still have to plant the rest of my seeds, and I will finish that enjoyable task in the next few days. It is in the 70’s here today. Supposed to be 84 this afternoon. Humidexes are going to be around 30-32 for the next few days! Finally, the warm weather is here. Have many pitchers of Crystal Light and lemonade and ice tea ice-cold in the fridge. Are any of you planting seeds outdoors? What are you planting? Have a GREAT day!

Thank you, Robin! The lilac is a dwarf one. We have several miniatures in large pots that will finally be planted in the ground since we have finally settle here in London. I have a passion for tropicals-anything unusual. I have orchids, bromeliads, many passion flowers, etc. We like any unusual plants…I hope to have an atrium someday to grow even more tropicals…

how wonderful.
beautiful show of nature’s celebration :)

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

Love the flowers and the macro shots. Thanks for sharing.

-- Orchids77

OH MY,what a beautiful Victoria Day you are having!!! I don’t know which to comment on,the b,ooms are all so lush!

-- Moose Jaw,Sk.CA Z3B

Loved all the blooms and colors.My mini lilac finally started blooming but it got so hot that they are dieing as fast as they bloom which is too bad because there was a ton of blooms on it this year.It still smells wonderful though and I can smell it from all over the yard.
Happy May Two Four to you too.

-- Bon,Hastings,Ont.....zone 5a....Always room for one more

Okay, folks: I said that I wasn’t going to do anymore gardening today, but I got in the spirit and planted the following in the back perennial garden: hyssop; pink cloves; Baikal scullcap; clary; mountain mint; some rudbeckia-Cherry Brandy; and some more rudbeckia-Cappuccino pelleted. Still have a few more packages to plant in the front, but it is too darn hot to do today. Therefore I should finish planting the seeds tomorrow in the afternoon after a good day-time sleep! On a sad note: my blanketflower that was so resplendent in yellow and orange and rusty brown doesn’t seem to have made it through the winter. Need to replace it for certain. Now, I must lounge…

Wonderful photos and such lovely colors abound.

-- Donnie in sunny South Carolina

Nice photos and selection of flowers … enjoyed seeing your place and gardens. Those dwarf Lilacs are so beautiful; we had a neighbor at the old place that had a dwarf Lilac “tree” ... I so wanted to take my shovel over there and “steal” it – LOL!

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" --

It looks like you won’t have much lawn left, with all the planting you are doing, Cynthia. Your flowers look wonderful. I love Aimee’s big grin. :) And I love your efforts to keep the dogs out of the veg. garden….we do what we have to do….and can do. :)

Thanks for the tour.

-- 'To plant a Garden is to believe in Tomorrow'

Iris: I should be so lucky to have a lot less lawn to cut especially since it was 35 with the humidex here today. There is less lawn in the front thanks to all the new evergreens that we planted on Earth Day. Yeah, I turned around while digging the little vegetable and herb garden and there she was, standing right behind me! Boo Boo watches me and then tries to sneak into the large perennial garden when I am not looking! What a brat! The homemade contraptions to keep them out work until the greens are larger. Than, for the most part, they both stay out. My dogs are easy on the eyes…Thanks for your kind words. How is your garden doing?