Keith Irvine is sharing photos with us today—some close-up looks at the stars of his Zone 3 garden in Oxdrift, Ontario.
I struggled for years to get a decent mature specimen of this variety of amaranthus (Amaranthus ‘Early Splendor’, annual). The secret to success for me seems to be to gradually replant them from small cells up to 4-inch pots in the greenhouse and then to add slow-release 14-14-14 fertilizer pellets to the soil mix for the final 4-inch pot. They seem to perform better in very large containers rather than in the ground.
I love these little show-offs (Gazania ‘Daybreak Red Stripe’, Zones 9–11 or as an annual). They look like each petal was meticulously painted with the brush of a skilled artist.
Zinnia ‘Key Lime Pie’ (annual) with Verbena ‘Tuscany Scarlet’ (Zones 9–11 or as an annual)
You’ve got to love rudbeckias. They are breathtakingly beautiful and have extremely long-lasting blooms. This one is Rudbeckia ‘Cherokee Sunset’ (Zones 3–7 but usually grown as an annual).
This iochroma (Iochroma hybrid, Zones 8–11 or as annual) was a late-season purchase. I had seen it earlier but passed because of price, but when my daughter gave me a gift certificate for that greenhouse for Father’s Day, it didn’t take me long to figure out how to spend it. It is a hummingbird favorite.
I don’t know the name of this gorgeous red daylily (Hemerocallis hybrid, Zones 3–8). It was given to me by a late gardening friend. I visited him in his final weeks, and he had his wife tag it for me to dig it up in the spring. It is a treasured memory of Bob.
‘Fire Twister’ false sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides, Zones 3–9) is a new perennial that I just purchased last spring. It is nowhere near the bright red it was pictured as but is beautiful nonetheless.
Giant fleeceflower (Persicaria polymorpha, Zones 3–9) is a “must have” perennial for large spaces. It grows 6 to 8 feet tall and at least 12 feet wide in my garden. The flowers come out white and last all summer long, ending up near brown by fall. This photo was taken mid-August.
‘Karl Foerster’ grass (Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster’, Zones 3–9) is my favorite ornamental grass for Zone 3. It is extremely well behaved and not at all invasive. It’s resilience to wind and rain is simply amazing. At the end of a storm it can look all twisted and bent, but a day or so later it is standing stalwart again.
Here is a smorgasbord of succulents, hardy and tender. The specimen rosette in the middle is Echeveria ‘Ebony’ (Zones 9–11).
Have a garden you’d like to share?
Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!
To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.
Have a mobile phone? Tag your photos on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #FineGardening!
Do you receive the GPOD by email yet? Sign up here.
Comments
Very nice . I hope that the red day lily from your friend prospers for many years to come . Make sure to split it once every two or three years and you can spread the positive energy from your friend throughout your property . Love is infinite and easily spread among anything and everything one wishes ... Peace from the Mohawk Valley in central New York State .
Thanks Mohawk. Peace to you. I always enjoy reading your comments to other gardeners
I must admit I was impressed with the beautiful flowers you have grown after viewing the map and seeing how far north Oxdrift. Ontario is (I am in Toronto and that is cold enough). I made note of the “Gazania” and will drop that into my gardening folder and purchase that next spring. I am wondering if the Iochroma is the same flower as is shown in the bridal bouquet photo I am attempting to attach.
Thanks Sandy. Nice to hear from a fellow Ontarian. Hard to tell on that brudal bouquet, it is certainly elegant and would be nice to see in colour. It am wondering if it is honeysuckle
All wonderfully unique, vibrant and showy! Would love to see more. Thanks Keith!
Thank you Cherry. Always enjoy your tasteful creations.
I always enjoy perusing pictures of your garden, Keith. Keep them coming. I grow a red daylily that looks very similar to yours called Seventh Inning Stretch. It blooms very late, often taken out by frost.
This one is a late bloomer as well. Mid to late August
Everything is so beautiful. Cherokee Sunset is a superstar - I have several in my garden and they never disappoint!
Ohhh I like your iochroma, never saw one before! and wow your Giant fleeceflower is amazing, first time I ever heard of one!
Love those succulents you have arranged- beautiful!
Log in or create an account to post a comment.
Sign up Log in