30.4.17

Spring blooms at the Toronto Botanical Garden

Crocus, tulips, daffodils and more blooming at the TBG


Spring has sprung in Toronto (although as I'm writing this, the weather is cold, wet and miserable) and many flowering shrubs and bulbs are blooming magnificently. I had an opportunity to visit the Toronto Botanical Garden several weeks ago to see what was in bloom and while most of the tulips (at the time) had not emerged yet, there were plenty other spring stars on display.

(I took many pictures of hellebores at the TBG so if you missed a previous post showcasing them, go to this post titled "Hella Good Looking Hellebores!")


I hope you're enjoying your spring (or fall)!



Chionodoxa Glory of the Snow at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Chionodoxa (Glory of the Snow) 
at the Toronto Botanical Garden 




Cornus mas Cornelian Cherry spring flowers at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Cornus mas (Cornelian Cherry) spring flowers 
at the Toronto Botanical Garden




Crocus luteus spring blooms at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Crocus luteus spring blooms 
at the Toronto Botanical Garden 




Crocus spring blooms at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Crocus spring blooms 
at the Toronto Botanical Garden 




Crocus tommasinianus Ruby Giant at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Crocus tommasinianus "Ruby Giant" 
at the Toronto Botanical Garden 




Crocus tommasinianus Ruby Giant spring blooms at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Crocus tommasinianus "Ruby Giant" spring blooms 
at the Toronto Botanical Garden 




Dwarf Iris (Iris reticulata Katharine Hodgkin) at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Dwarf Iris (Iris reticulata "Katharine Hodgkin") 
at the Toronto Botanical Garden




Dwarf Iris (Iris reticulata) at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Dwarf Iris (Iris reticulata
at the Toronto Botanical Garden




Erica carnea Myretoun Ruby Heather at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Erica carnea "Myretoun Ruby" Heather 
at the Toronto Botanical Garden 




Hearts Delight Waterlily tulip Tulipa kaufmanniana at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
"Hearts Delight" Waterlily tulip (Tulipa kaufmanniana
at the Toronto Botanical Garden 




Iris reticulata Dwarf Iris at the Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Iris reticulata (Dwarf Iris) 
at the Toronto Botanical Garden 




Katharine Hodgkin Dwarf Iris (Iris reticulata) at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
"Katharine Hodgkin" Dwarf Iris (Iris reticulata
at theToronto Botanical Garden 




Narcissus and Chionodoxa spring blooms at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Narcissus and Chionodoxa spring blooms 
at the Toronto Botanical Garden




Narcissus Jetfire daffodils at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Narcissus "Jetfire" daffodils 
at the Toronto Botanical Garden 




Narcissus Rijnveld's Early Sensation daffodils at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Narcissus "Rijnveld's Early Sensation" daffodils 
at the Toronto Botanical Garden 




Pushkinia scilloides Striped Squill at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Pushkinia scilloides (Striped Squill) 
at the Toronto Botanical Garden 




Toronto Botanical Garden daffodils and hellebores spring container by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Toronto Botanical Garden daffodils and 
hellebores spring container




Toronto Botanical Garden Helleborus x hybridus Berry Swirl hellebore by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Toronto Botanical Garden 
Helleborus x hybridus "Berry Swirl" hellebore 



Tulipa kaufmanniana Hearts Delight Waterlily tulip at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Tulipa kaufmanniana "Hearts Delight" Waterlily tulip 
at the Toronto Botanical Garden 



Viburnum farreri Nanum Dwarf Fragrant Viburnum spring blooms at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Viburnum farreri "Nanum" (Dwarf Fragrant Viburnum) 
spring blooms at the Toronto Botanical Garden




White Crocus spring blooms at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
White Crocus spring blooms 
at the Toronto Botanical Garden 



25.4.17

Summerhill Toronto Spring Garden Clean Up

And the Spring Cleanups Just Keep Coming...


Toronto's weather in April  has been fantastic compared to last year with many warm and sunny days so far.  The yellow blaze of Forsythia is seen over the city and is a welcome sight after many dreary winter months. Even the magnolias and flowering cherries are currently blooming and this normally occurs in May. 

Below are some photos from a recent cleanup for a client in the Summerhill neighbourhood of Toronto showing some "before" and "after" pictures. All the leaves and stems are from last autumn so I filled about 8 "yard waste" bags (which are collected and composted by the city.)



Summerhill Toronto spring backyard garden cleanup before by Paul Jung Gardening Services
Summerhill Toronto spring backyard
 garden cleanup before 



Summerhill Toronto spring backyard garden cleanup after by Paul Jung Gardening Services
Summerhill Toronto spring backyard
garden cleanup after 



Summerhill Toronto spring backyard garden clean up before by Paul Jung Gardening Services
Summerhill Toronto spring backyard
garden clean up before 




Summerhill Toronto spring backyard garden clean up after by Paul Jung Gardening Services
Summerhill Toronto spring backyard
garden clean up after 


Toronto Summerhill spring backyard garden clean up before by Paul Jung Gardening Services
Toronto Summerhill spring backyard
garden clean up before 




Toronto Summerhill spring backyard garden clean up after by Paul Jung Gardening Services
Toronto Summerhill spring backyard
garden clean up after 




Summerhill Toronto spring front yard garden clean up before by Paul Jung Gardening Services
Summerhill Toronto spring front yard
garden clean up before 




Summerhill Toronto spring front yard garden clean up after by Paul Jung Gardening Services
Summerhill Toronto spring front yard
garden clean up after 


Summerhill Toronto spring front yard garden cleanup before by Paul Jung Gardening Services
Summerhill Toronto spring front yard
garden cleanup before 



Summerhill Toronto spring front yard garden cleanup after by Paul Jung Gardening Services
Summerhill Toronto spring front yard
garden cleanup after 



Toronto Summerhill spring front yard garden clean up before by Paul Jung Gardening Services
Toronto Summerhill spring front yard
garden clean up before 




Toronto Summerhill spring front yard garden clean up after by Paul Jung Gardening Services
Toronto Summerhill spring front yard
garden clean up after 




If you made it this far past these boring shots, here's your reward:

 A beautiful double flowering hellebore was in fine form in this garden. My best guess for the cultivar name is "Harvington Double White" which has brilliant white flowers (sepals?) shining brightly against glossy fresh green leaves. Very classy!





Harvington Double White hellebore Helleborus x hybridus by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
"Harvington Double White" hellebore 
(Helleborus x hybridus)




Helleborus x hybridus Harvington Double White hellebore  by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Helleborus x hybridus 
"Harvington Double White" hellebore 




21.4.17

Hella Good Looking Hellebores!

Plant It and Forget It: Hellebore Hybrids


Chalk it up to Toronto gardeners having an early case of spring fever as I'm seeing Hellebores popping up in more and more gardens. These Christmas Roses (Helleborus niger) and Lenten Roses (Helleborus orientalis and the many hybrids under H. x hybridus) give us late winter or early spring blooms and look fantastic around daffodils, snowdrops, crocuses and early season tulips. They also don't expect much fussing about from their caregivers either: plant them in soil with rich organic matter, provide average moisture and allow for full to part sun. In many ways, hellebores are like peonies: just plant them, leave them alone and they should be long lasting. In terms of ongoing maintenance, I spend a couple minutes a year cutting off the previous year's old and often diseased leaves in early spring. That's it.

(A great reference for the hellebore care and propagation is Hellebores: Winter Hardy Shade Perennials for the Woodland Garden from Plant Delights Nursery.)




Hellebores and crocuses at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Hellebores and crocuses at 
the Toronto Botanical Garden 



I had an afternoon off last week and with April's weather being so nice (with above average temperatures), I visited the Toronto Botanical Garden to see what was flowering. Among the early flowering bulbs and shrubs, of course, were many hellebores in fine form so I went a little crazy with the camera in capturing these beauties.



Stinking Hellebore Helleborus foetidus at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Stinking Hellebore (Helleborus foetidus) at 
the Toronto Botanical Garden 

Don't let the common name dissuade you from planting Helleborus foetidus (there are cultivars too.) The leaves do have strong musky (skunky?) scent but if you avoid rubbing them all over your body. it shouldn't be an issue.



Helleborus x ericsmithii Pirouette and Jetfire daffodils at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Helleborus x ericsmithii "Pirouette" hellebore 
and "Jetfire" daffodils 
at the Toronto Botanical Garden



Helleborus x ericsmithii Pirouette and Jetfire daffodils in container at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Helleborus x ericsmithii "Pirouette" and
 "Jetfire" daffodils make up this spring container 
at the Toronto Botanical Garden 




Helleborus x ericsmithii Pirouette and Jetfire daffodils Toronto Botanical Garden spring container by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Helleborus x ericsmithii "Pirouette" hellebores 
and "Jetfire" daffodils detail as part of this 
Toronto Botanical Garden spring container



Helleborus x hybridus Anna's Red hellebore spring bloom by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Helleborus x hybridus "Anna's Red" hellebore 
spring bloom in my backyard

I have a few hellebores in my backyard which received full sun until noon. "Anna's Red" is finally slowly becoming a nice clump after a few years of just sitting. Hellebores are slow growing but if you're patient (almost to the point of negligent) with them, they'll reward you every late winter to early spring.





Helleborus x hybridus Berry Swirl hellebore at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Helleborus x hybridus "Berry Swirl" hellebore 
at the Toronto Botanical Garden 




Helleborus x hybridus Berry Swirl hellebore blooms at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Helleborus x hybridus "Berry Swirl" hellebore blooms 
at the Toronto Botanical Garden 



Helleborus × nigersmithii Ivory Prince Hellebore at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Helleborus × nigersmithii "Ivory Prince" Hellebore 
at the Toronto Botanical Garden 

"Ivory Prince" seems to be the hottest hellebore cultivar on the market for several years now (I didn't think it would be possible to describe hellebores as trendy) as I see it in many flowers shows, garden centres and spring containers in tonier parts of Toronto.



Helleborus × nigersmithii Ivory Prince Hellebore spring flowers by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Helleborus × nigersmithii "Ivory Prince" 
Hellebore spring flowers 



Ivory Prince Hellebore Helleborus × nigersmithii at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
"Ivory Prince" Hellebore (Helleborus × nigersmithii
at the Toronto Botanical Garden 



Ivory Prince Hellebore spring blooms by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
"Ivory Prince" Hellebore spring blooms 



Ivory Prince Hellebore spring flowers by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
"Ivory Prince" Hellebore spring flowers 



Lenten Rose Hellebore flowers detail at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Lenten Rose/ Hellebore flowers detail 
at the Toronto Botanical Garden 



Lenten Rose Helleborus orientalis at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Lenten Rose (Helleborus orientalis
at the Toronto Botanical Garden 



Stinking Hellebore Helleborus foetidus at Toronto Botanical Garden by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Stinking Hellebore (Helleborus foetidus
at the Toronto Botanical Garden 



Toronto Botanical Garden Helleborus hellebore blooms by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Toronto Botanical Garden 
Helleborus (hellebore) blooms 



Toronto Botanical Garden Helleborus x hybridus Berry Swirl hellebore blooms by garden muses-not another Toronto gardening blog
Toronto Botanical Garden 
Helleborus x hybridus "Berry Swirl" 
hellebore blooms 




The sepals' veins and overall flower shape above remind me of the human heart!

If you're a hellebore lover like myself, you know how useful these "lower-maintenance" perennials are. If you haven't discovered them yet, well, now you know! 



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