catching up in the garden

The Spartan apple tree had a huge number of blooms this year. Its too bad that the Jonahfree had only a few. That means that there wasn't much cross pollination, so there probably won't be much fruit on the Spartan. There weren't many bees either this year so even with full blossoms, there might not have been much fruit anyway. Both sour cherry trees bloomed like mad, but with no bees I don't think there will be much fruit. It appears, however, that the sweet cherry that only had three or four blossoms was pollinated by ants and will have at least three fruits. I'm watching them closely and protecting them from the rest of the insects.


The first columbines are blooming. They are among my summer favorites as they normally bloom till frost even if I don't deadhead them. I got copious amounts of seed last year so I can spread them around in all the flower beds. They come in all colors from the red ones that grow wild in Manitoba through all shades of pink, purple and blue. There don't appear to be any yellow ones, at least I have never seen a yellow one.



I'm quite pleased with the look of this corner of the yard. The periwinkle up at the top is in full bloom, and the dianthus will begin blooming any day now. So will the irises and the true geraniums (pink, blue, and white). That will be followed by the day lillies and the astilbe, and maybe some pumpkin colored cannas (I didn't start them early enough so they may not bloom this year).

The north side of the yard doesn't look like much yet, but the hostas are putting up their first buds. They'll be followed by orange day lilies which will be followed by the rudbekias (aka black eyed susan). I also put in some gladiola bulbs and seeded some cosmos and carnations. Then it rained so hard that I have no idea where the seed might be now. I guess I'll see in a couple of weeks.

The west side of the yard looks like even less than the north side. That will change as the sunflowers come up and eventually bloom in August and September. I also put in some four o'clock roots that I overwintered in the basement. Hope they come up. They usually do and they make such a lovely show of flowers throughout the summer and fall. If they're planted form seed they barely begin blooming before the first frost hits. I'll plant some from seed later so that I'll have some roots to overwinter again. The roots I put in this year will be too big to dig up and keep for next summer.