My New Campanula Plants On My Windowsill

They are so pretty and healthy. I am planning to get some more tonight at Valleyview Gardens for $5. The best part, they can be both indoors and outdoors. Great bang for the buck!
Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry

Love The Signs of Spring!

Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry

Valleyview Gardens

We just left Valleyview Gardens at Kennedy and Finch. That place was amazing! It was huge with countless healthy flowers, shrubs and trees. Their tropical selection was top notch. It was obvious that this place would be a big gardeners hub when the weather's nicer. The staff was great and were busy stocking up for the busy season. The price point was competitive.

The main reason we went was because they carried Acti-sol fertilizer which is supposed to be safe for kids. I am starting to teach Theo to garden so it's important for me to use natural products as much as possible. We definitely got what we wanted from this store and more! I recommend!

http://www.valleyviewgardens.com/home.htm

Patio Furniture Shopping

Yesterday, Ry and I went to DOT Patio. We saw a really decent 12 ft offset umbrella in yellow. All this time we were contemplating on getting a pergola for $2.2K but now we're thinking of just getting the umbrella for $.8k. We would then have extra money for a patio set.

Still deliberating...sigh...

http://relaxdotstyle.com/product.php?id_product=417

So I previously mentioned that I loved rhododendrons at first sight. Well, I found there's an actual society dedicated to it. It's called Toronto's Rhododendron Society and they had a booth at Canada Blooms. So I took a gander and the ladies there were very informative. I took some brochures and I might just join it this weekend.

Anyway, I also found a website that sells Ontario grown rhododendrons at wholesale price. For $25, one can get a 2 gallon rhodo. The best part is that the selection is top notch! Different colours, different sizes of blooms, different blooming times. All at my finger tips!

Here is my order for 2010.
1) Bluenose (Bruckner) -Bright blue flowers. Mid-season bloomer (Theo)
2) Ginny Gee (Berg)- Pink and white flowers turning to white with age. (Jasmine)
3) Mary Fleming (Nearing)- Beautiful yellow flowers that are streaked salmon pink. (Parents)
4) Landmark-Rose/red with leathery green leaves that turn a mahogany bronze in the winter
(Kiara)

Large Leaf
5) Purple Passion Dark - purple, light purple throat (Arlene)
6) Mist Maiden .-white (Parents)

Azaleas
Cheerful Giant - double yellow flowers (Ninang Tess)
Gibraltar - vivid orange blooms (Tony)
Fragrant Star - white blooms

Sounds like a lot but it should make my garden very lush, if not this year, definitely next!

http://www.rhodolandnursery.com/default.htm

Will be picking them up at the Toronto Botanical Gardens just in time for my birthday!

Ever Changing Plant Inventory

Okay, so I took a quick count...here is a list of what are in my garden or at least on their way.

10 Double Peonies
1 Pee Gee Hydrangea
2 Japanese Maple
3 Star Magnolia
1 Rugosa Rosebud
1 Witch Tree Hazel
10 Dahlias
delphinium
chinese lantern
foxglove
Mystery Peony
6 Different Variety Daylilies
1 Large Daylily

French Lace Weigela
Clematis
Northern Gold Forsythia
Mystery Rhododendron
Amur Privet
10 different variety Roses (lost track of names)
5 different hydrangeas
hostas
dahlias
begonias
2 magnolia
trumpet vine
sunflowers
chicks and hens
hick's yew
Juddi Viburnum
Blue juniper
Japanese Barberry

NEW - more about these later.
Bluenose Rhodo
Ginny Gee Rhodo
Mary Fleming Rhodo
Landmark Rhodo
Purple Passion Rhodo
Mist Maiden Rhodo

Sunburst Yellow Rose
Salmon Rose
Intrigue Dark Red Rose
White Rose
Golden Yellow Rose
Red Rose
Pink Rose

5 Double Peonies for $39.99

My sister and I would constantly check out The Shopping Channel for their daily showstopper. It's a hit and miss - I normally pay close attention when they have Kitchen Aid products and some jewellery, others like clothing I avoid like the plague.

Last Saturday, the showstopper was Botanus' Spring Blooms Collection for $39.99. I chose 2 orders of 5 bare root double peonies. I was thinking of buying some while I was at Canada Blooms but it was going for $25 each! So I passed and here came straight into my living room another opportunity. I can't wait to receive them. It should be any time now.

Front Yard

AFTER SHOTS

Yahoo! Ryan and I are so happy with the work! Now, it's cleaner and so much easier to work with. We also love the hedge in the front - hopefully it just prevents some things flying into our yard. The only hard part is choosing the plants to fill the plot against the wall.

Mystery Rhododendron

Last year, I had noticed a very attractive lush tropical-looking plant at Sheridan Nurseries. It had the one of the biggest and showiest flowers in the lot. I immediately checked out the tag and read 'rhododendron' - I thought it sounded like a dinosaur name or something! Well, what a disappointment it was to see that it was for about $60 bucks a 3 gallon pot! I couldn't afford it so I moved on.

Then in September, I saw a lonely one with all the buds already gone outside our local Metro. It was half price for $25. I immediately bought and planted it. I still don't know to this day what colour flowers it would bear. I can't wait to find out!

BEFORE SHOTS

Today, we have our landscaper, Roger, do some work on the front yard. He would be transplanting 3 plants to create an instant hedge. Ryan likes this as it would prevent the wind blowing unwanted items into our property. Being an end unit, we get all the junk! Roger is going to get rid of a diseased rose bush for us and clear the uneven retaining wall. Total cost is yet to be determined but I can't wait to see it when I get home.

Our Backyard in March

These are pictures of our backyard taken during a week span of warm weather in March. We had a pretty mild winter so some plants still had a bit of green on them.

Some Stone Work Spring 2009