The woodland garden

I don't remember the name of this plant. It is very well behaved and has big green leaves. It is just at the back of the garden by the firethorn and holly trees. It has some lemon balm near it, that needs constant controlling (another invasive plant, but lovely fragrance).
As you walk along the chip path along the side of the garage the last plant before the driveway is the bleeding heart. This plant is becoming quite thick and lovely since I have been feeding it compost and more water. There are also a few other choice spring blooming plants along this little strip of woodland garden, in the shade and under the eaves of the garage. I now have the new big green compost bin by this end of the garage and we park the van right up by the green bin and the front of the garage in the side driveway. I might be the only one who gets to see this garden because of the close proximity of the van and bin.
This is the large trillium. I found it had two blossoms this year. The red one is the older one. They turn red as they age gracefully. Its nice to see my trilliums increasing. The fawn lillies are finished but, they too are growing into a nice patch with a few new ones popping up in other spots of the woodland garden, too.
This is the linaria or money plant. It self seeds and is an excellent plant with its silver seed heads all winter.
The Saskatoon berry trees are full of blooms this year. I must keep them watered and see if I get enough berries to make a pie this year. They are delicious fresh also.
As you walk along the old cement sidewalk it turns left at the end of the garage and goes long behind the garage with approximately 15 foot strip between my property and the neighbour's planted with woodland plants, a huge eucalyptus tree, an evergreen that turns a burnished brown in winter, some cedars for screening, a yew, a holly tree, a firethorn, Saskatoon berry trees, a few sumacs. On the side of the path nearest the garage there is a bed of sweet smelling evergreen ground cover (forget its name) with a special hydrangea, a large fern, a lily of the valley shrub, the compost bin, some daylilies, a multistemmed pin oak, and a rhododendron. At this point the old cement sidewalk is mossy and becomes the chip path. As you turn the corner around the garage you follow the chip path with tall cedars along one side and more woodland perennials. I have bluebell bulbs taking over... they are very invasive. I have found that if they are covered heavily with mulch they can be controlled somewhat. I have some talll german irises along this area also that will one day have to be moved. Many of the plants that no longer fit in their beds find their way into this woodland area. The honeysuckle and a little black bamboo are in the corner and will need attention. There are thistles (from birdseed fallout) and those awful perennial morning glories (very invasive) as well as black berries. I need more chips for the trail. It is still a fairly easy care area, with lots of good interest in the plants and trees in color throughout the seasons.

The vegetable patch and surrounds

this photo shows part of last year's newly made perennial and special plants area with one of the new heavier cement stones and one of the last year's decorative stones on the path. The path along the grass is flat field stones on a thin layer of sand. To the left is the border along the old cement path by the garage and to the right is the Japanese area /water garden and the vegtable garden. If you take the old cement path around the garage at the top of the left side you will be in the woodland area behind and on the other side of the gargae. The areas are small but definely give you the distinct feeling of being in a different 'garden room'. The apple tree needs the grass around it so that I can harvest and prune the tree. The branches coming in from the top right of the photo are the yellow plum tree branches. Its in the Japanese / water garden area.
In the forefront of this photo you can see the little lewisia. I have a pink and a white... nevada? maybe, and a few of the large showy varieties. The top of the photo shows the bottom of the veggie garden, including part of the rhubarb plant/
The strawberries are doing nicely this year. I do hope they get pollinated. I have some frozen ones for the next rhubarb and strawberry pie. The rhubarb can be harvested now.
This is the view past the little rockery, along the top of the garden path past the strawberries that are mulched, fed compost and slightly hilled up. At the back of the photo you can see the compost bags and 3 large black pots. I have transferred gladiola bulbs into one of the pots, but will need more annuals or perhaps tomatoes in the pots. The dill seed is in the row marked with its package. Across the path from the dill are the other herbs. I added some oregano to the spaghetti sauce last nite, but did not get the full flavour. I think I will add more next time.
In this shot I was standing by the Irises and shooting towards the grass (garage).
I added the brick edging along this little rockery to give me a bit of room to walk along its edge to tend the plants and view. I think it turned out rather well. It needs a bit more topsoil, then plants and the final pea gravel mulch. At the moment I have a cyclamen coum and the daphne to add. I have taken some of the very nice green mounding plant from the front and added it. It looks like it will thrive. I really like that plant .. wish I knew what it is. That upside down pot is hanging on the stump of the pear tree we took out. The pears were scabby and miserable hard things.
Primula marginata, potted, with its own special piece of rock. Its decorative to keep on the deck. I wonder if I should bring it into the house early next year to enter in the show. I can see that it is already too low in the pot. It needs a feeding as does the little willow.

April Showers in May

The apple tree is in bloom. The plum trees are finished blooming. I have not seen very many bees around this year. I hope our Island is not affected by the diseases that are diminishing the bee populations on the mainland to alarmingly low levels.

Along the old cement path along beside the garage the tulips are putting on a good show. They are also blooming on the other side of this path too, so that right now this path is lined with tulips. All these tulips that I thought I had lost are blooming all over the garden now. I could still use a few more at the front.
This is a rather colorful shot of the garden pond featuring the water hawthorn blooms in the reflection of the marsh marigold. I am keeping the pond topped up. The water fall looks good. the edging plants are filling in and some are growing over the rock edging. I must add compost to these plants to encourage more growth. The pond is going to look so much better without the rock necklace.
water hawthorn close up.
The water table on the deck showing some of the rain we were having yesterday. The tub on the deck needs to be topped up more than the rain is going to supply. I need to fill the blue pot with soil and plant something bright pink in it... petunias, perhaps. The little willow, the soldenella, the little bog plant with big blue trumpet flowers and a very nice little Primula marginata seem to have survived. I lost 2 or 3 other potted alpines, probably due to neglecting their watering needs.