Good for you Charlie, getting some planting done.

Caroline I hope your plants are ok.

Couldn't plant again today, still a chance of frost tonight. The weather was not pleasant today, windy, cold with showers.

Some plants look beat,but others will be okay.
Squirrels are digging in containers, so I am covering them with clear garbage bags.

Caroline, I'm glad to hear that your plants are ok. The squirrels and chipmunks are cute but they sure can make a mess of the containers.

Looks like the weather may not cooperate again today for planting, 60% chance of showers.

As per Margaret sentiments, Caroline; glad no serious damage from the frost.

I never realized what thugs chipmunks (of Alvin fame) are.
Somebody told me recently that they saw a chipmunk hauling off the body of a small bird that had died by flying into a window.
Apparently young birds in nests can also interest them.

Most destructive animal here is the voles.
But even they don't dig in planters/containers.

Was warm and sunny today; with low humidity, it was a lovely day to garden.
Still we're scheduled for rain tomorrow too.

Today I finally got to plant a lot my alyssum and lobelia around the beds, it was cloudy, a little breezy with the threat of rain for most of the day, it started to rain in earnest around 4:15, but by then I had enough planting for the day anyway. More rain for the next 3 days. I still have lots more planting to do but it's a start.

Squirrels raid bird nests also, and they kill small birds, saw that with my own eyes, I hadn't know that about them, I was shocked.

I am going to try and get petunia plants into containers today.
And maybe some perennials in the ground.
And move more plants out of the house,--- as I can not move without bumping into them.

Excellent, Margaret.
I'm referring to you being able to start planting annuals, not to the existence of killer squirrels (of course).

Hope the weather allows you to start, Caroline.
Know exactly what you mean about needing to get plants out of the house (in our case, the garage).

Carol (spouse) does our container annuals.
She's just about been able to get all of them done.
I do Mrs L's. Almost finished.

She just made an interesting comment re annuals available for sale in garden centres.
We're seeing fewer individual annuals in trays and more containers of annuals already made up.
And the trend is to a mixture of different pre-potted annuals in a container (very often in hanging baskets).

Both of our neighbours always have hanging baskets and both of them have, in past years, let them die (no watering) as the summer progresses.

I am thinking about getting some annuals to plant in the ground this weekend -- it is warmer now but it just keeps raining!! May have a break this weekend!!

I planted blue poppy seedlings today.
I have had them on the go since November.
Then we had a thunder storm so they are well watered.

Last week was cold here (frost warnings several nights), then we had a lot of rain and for the last two days we've had heat advisories (because of high humidity).
Not that big on the humidity.
It's unfortunate, however, that the mosquitoes are.

Pictures today:
A very small number of perennial plants below have been added this spring.

Some pictures of our garden today:



















I didn't start the tread myself, but I'm putting individual plants in our garden in a thread that was started in the Cottage Garden forum;
namely "Favourite perennials in my Canadian garden". I had previously mailed in about a possible zone 5a forum, but realize it would be too narrowly defined.

Don't consider the type of perennial gardening I do to be cottage gardening. I'd simply say mixed perennial gardening, but agree that many folk might identify it as cottage type.
Certainly the individual plants themselves might well belong in a cottage garden.

Charlie
What is the bright little flower at the base of the iris?

Not completely sure, Cinda, but it's definitely a rock/wall cress (Aubrieta or Arabis).

Judging from the leaf size, it's Aubrieta not Arabis
and of the Aubrieta I've put in our garden over recent years, it really looks a lot like Aubrieta 'Royal Red'.

Thanks
I have grown Arabis before but never tried aubrieta before . Great spring color I may have to give it a try.

Think some of the Aubrieta colours are quite spectacular, Cinda.

My favourite among those I've used is Aubrieta 'Whitewell Gem" (below).



Don't know about your growing conditions, but have found here, of the three edging spring colour perennials
(Aubrieta, Arabis and phlox subulata (creeping phlox)), creeping phlox is likely the hardiest and longest lived.

That is a very vivid color.
Did you start with plants or seed?

I've always started with plants, Cinda.

Don't have the facilities for growing seeds.
Re small business, the customers pay for the plants and their garden has to look as good as possible immediately.

Currently having an annoying time, in own garden, with weeds sprouting.
I'm quite sure they're largely from the last load of packaged triple mix I bought at Terra.

Are seeing things that we don't have around the flower beds like wild mustard.

When I complained to the company they said that they had just replaced their supplier when the problem would have started.
Still have now switched 100% to mushroom compost (has course sand in it) to upgrade our heavy clay soil.

Agree with a knowledgeable friend of mine that hoeing is a very efficient way to deal with many weeds.

I have enough weeds without having to by dirt full of new seeds.
A gardener should not have to pay$$ for weeds

Thanks for the sympathy.
Never a truer word was spoken.

Charlie, everything is shaping up and looking great at your place, Carol's pots are lovely.

Sure don't blame you for not being happy about those extra weeds.

I planted 3 containers for the front today, I'm hoping it's something the deer will not be interested in eating.

The weather wasn't very nice, cloudy, cool, breezy with showers, still very cold at night.

Thanks, Margaret.
Will pass it on to Carol.
She's decided on more bluey red geraniums for the edges of the deck and orangey ones close to the house.

I've tried to focus on burnt orangey-pink and -yellow in Mrs L's main annual spot, plus orange. There's also a bit of pink thrown in.
Going with dahlias and geraniums myself again.
Only inconvenience is having to deadhead, especially the dahlias.

I'm extremely sympathetic about your front planters versus the deer.
In our case, the cottage has fortunately been sold, so most of the deer are at least three hours drive away from here.

Your weather doesn't sound great, but the showers are likely good.
The humidity here has been extreme and the mosquitoes are out in full force.
Still, rather have mosquitoes than deer, I think (said as I scratch an arm).