Canada display will flower all summer, well into fall
It took a while, but I finally did manage a modest display of horticultural patriotism to celebrate Canada 150. My idea was to plant a row of red and white geraniums behind a line of lavenders in a bed alongside the driveway, but by the time I was ready to choose plants, the shelving that just a week earlier was crowded with geraniums had become close to bare. The only celebratory plant I cold find was a beautiful Dianthus with white-edged, cherry-red double flowers called “With Glowing Hearts.”
I had just about given up on the geranium idea by the time I dropped into a Buckerfield’s store to replenish a few garden supplies. When I walked into the plant area, the first thing I saw was a small, slightly bedraggled group of geraniums in bright, clear red and pure white — on sale, two plants for the price of one. I brought six home, cleaned them up, and installed them behind the lavenders.
Why behind the lavenders and not in front? Clumps of cheddar pinks already occupy that space. Another reason is tree roots. The area is close to a side fence and neighbouring forest trees with wandering roots. Behind the lavenders, I need to plant annuals to have the space free for removing roots and replenishing the soil before planting in the spring.
The geraniums will grow to around 30 cm tall and wide and bear their red and white flower heads all summer and well into autumn. The flower-filled “With Glowing Hearts” plant resides at the top, house end of the row.
I’m interested in hearing what other home gardeners have done to adorn their landscapes with displays of living red and white. Salad days. I wasn’t thinking at all of deer when I overseeded the boulevard with microclover early in the spring, but now that its luscious plumpness has improved the appeal of the area, I have a regular visitor coming to share in the results of my efforts. A young deer is here early in the evening to nibble at the clover.
It’s a good thing this one is a gentle, shy creature, not like the cheeky adventurer a few years back who was determined to storm the not fully deer-proof gate and fence. Maybe the clover is a good ploy after all. I’ve heard of gardeners setting out buckets of water and planting patches of juicy greens along the outside edges of their gardens in hopes of keeping deer satisfied there. (I can hear you laughing).
Meanwhile, I expect the clover to keep the boulevard looking green and fairly presentable while it does double duty as a fertilizing agent for the lawn. Clover, like all legumes, attracts nitrogen-fixing soil bacteria to its roots. The nitrogen benefits the clover’s companion grass plants.