20.8.15

Late summer blooms at the Toronto Botanical Garden

Purple coneflower, Joe Pye Weed, Rudbeckia and other late summer bloomers at the TBG


Where did the summer go? You may be asking where did "garden muses" go? 

Yes, I haven't posted for almost two months which defeats the purpose of having a blog in the first place. My excuse reason is a combination of exhaustion and laziness. I'm often too tired to take pictures,  don't want to carry a camera around and/or preoccupied with the business side of things to post pictures and write commentary.

I agree, it's lame but there you go, faithful reader!

Today is a rain day so I'm taking a break from weeding and decided to write about a recent trip to the Toronto Botanical Garden ("TBG"). I had 2 hours to kill before meeting a client near the TBG so I made my first visit for the year.

Here are some highlights from my late summer visit. I'd post more pictures but of course my camera batteries died.

Another excuse!

I hope you're having a good summer (winter for those in the southern hemisphere.)



Ligularia Rudbeckia Joe Pye Weed late summer blooms at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Ligularia,  Rudbeckia and Joe Pye Weed
 late summer blooms at the Toronto Botanical Garden 

This perennial border is showing its summer flowers wonderfully. Pink and yellow may not be your favourite colour combination (it isn't mine) but the butterflies and bees visiting don't have this prejudice.


Late summer perennial border at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Late summer perennial border
at the Toronto Botanical Garden

What will this bed look like in winter? When I design gardens, I always think about structure during the winter months. TBG's gardeners know better than to level plants to the ground as part of the "fall cleanup" offered by landscaping companies. Birds have to eat too!


Toronto Botanical Garden late summer perennial border by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Toronto Botanical Garden's
late summer perennial border 


A closeup of a hungry visitor on this Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum) set of blooms. This native perennial does well at the back of the border in a big mass, of course.



Joe Pye Weed Eutrochium purpureum at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum)
at the Toronto Botanical Garden 




Eutrochium purpureum Joe Pye Weed  at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Eutrochium purpureum (Joe Pye Weed)
at the Toronto Botanical Garden 

In the Knot Garden, the "White Swan" and species Echinacea and Gaura were in full force. Again, I can't love these enough in masses. The formation remind me of a river/stream or clouds of coneflower.



Toronto Botanical Garden White Swan purple coneflower Echinacea purpurea by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Toronto Botanical Garden's "White Swan"
purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea spp.) 

White Swan purple coneflower Echinacea purpurea at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
"White Swan" purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
at theToronto Botanical Garden 




Echinacea purpurea White Swan purple coneflower at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Echinacea purpurea White Swan purple coneflower
at the Toronto Botanical Garden 



Here are four pollinator favourites. I'm discovering Agastache cultivars are truly versatile and bee magnets!

Geranium Rozanne Cranesbill Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Geranium "Rozanne" Cranesbill
at the Toronto Botanical Garden


Kudos Gold Agastache Dwarf Hummingbird Mint at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
"Kudos Gold" Agastache (Dwarf Hummingbird Mint)
at the Toronto Botanical Garden  



Buddleia Nanho Purple butterfly bush at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Buddleia "Nanho Purple" butterfly bush
at the Toronto Botanical Garden  


Blazing Star Liatris spicata Floristan Violet at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Blazing Star (Liatris spicata "Floristan Violet")
 at the Toronto Botanical Garden



I'm not a rose fan (a lot of effort yielding low results) but this David Austin shrub rose called "Mary Rose" could change my mind. Nice scent and luckily not ravaged by Japanese beetles.


Mary Rose David Austin shrub rose Rosa Ausmary at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Mary Rose David Austin shrub rose (Rosa "Ausmary")
 at the Toronto Botanical Garden 

Rosa Ausmary Mary Rose David Austin shrub rose at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Rosa "Ausmary" Mary Rose David Austin shrub rose
 at the Toronto Botanical Garden 

On display were several containers to give condo owners and gardeners who like colourful containers some inspiration. I was attracted to the containers made up of succulents which offer excellent contrasts in shapes and textures.

Echeveria elegans Mexican snowball at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Echeveria elegans (Mexican snowball)
at the Toronto Botanical Garden 



Echeveria Perle von Nurnberg at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Echeveria "Perle von Nurnberg"
at the Toronto Botanical Garden 





Summer container at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Summer container
at the Toronto Botanical Garden


This container definitely has a big wow-factor. Here's the list of plants making up the design (see if you can identify each component):


  • Pink Diplandenia ("Rio Pink" Mandevilla")
  • Bidens hybrid
  • Indian Feather (Gaura lindheimeri "Belleza Compact Light Pink"
  • Verbena "Lascar Compact Pink"
  • Red Cordyline
  • Globe Amaranth (Gomphrena "Fireworks") 
  • Heuchera "Berry Smoothie"
  • Fountain Grass (Pennisetum x advena "Cherry Sparkler")

I won't even bother showing the containers in front of our house. Compared to this one...



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