Three from the garden, three from the terrace this week — I have to actually choose things to include now instead of just grabbing everything in sight!
One: Feral Pear in Flower
Our wild pear is in flower again, though “wild” is generous. It’s more accurately a Pyrus communis rootstock that staged a coup after whatever was grafted onto it died. The tree is huge, prickly, and doesn’t produce a single fruit. Not that the fruit would be edible even if it did. I fully plan to have it removed in the next year or two.
However, even I have to admit that the flower display every spring is gorgeous. Big tree means tons of blossoms. The whole thing is abuzz with pollinators, which is sweet but ultimately pointless — there aren’t any other pear trees blooming anywhere nearby.
Two: Common Dog-Violet (Aho-orvokki)
A small patch of Viola riviniana grows under the trees behind our carpet drying rack. I only noticed it a few years ago, but now that I know what to look for, I enjoy seeing their little faces. They’re so much tinier and more delicate than the garden violas I have everywhere else.
Three: Siberian Corydalis (Jalokiurunkannus)
A few Corydalis nobilis grow beneath our giant spruce, and I’m happy to have them there, since few things like to grow under giant spruces. Lots of lovely green foliage and these snapdragon-looking flower heads — rather pleasant company for a difficult spot.
How it ended up in Finland is a fun story: Linnaeus apparently wanted dicentra seeds and asked his buddy to send him some. He got these instead. Then they got passed around to estates and manors as ornamentals, eventually escaped, and now exist as a fairly well-behaved spring ephemeral that most people just let do its thing in peace. An accidental immigrant that settled in nicely. I can relate.
Four: Front of House, Staged
Some shots from the front of the house, which I cleaned up and planted out for a photo shoot this past Monday. The results of that shoot will eventually be shared here as well.
I’m especially proud of the swan planters, filled with blue terrace hydrangea and white tuberous begonias. Terra cotta pots on the stairs, railing planters, and baskets all got stuffed with a rather odd mixture purely for show. Gardeners will notice if they squint.
Five: Costume vs Clothing
Actually, you don’t have to squint. Here’s the evidence.
Before: The side planters had white calibrachoa, purple angelonia, white verbena, and pink double impatiens. The middle planter held white angelonia, pink double pelargonium, a random rosemary plant, and violet double calibrachoa. All chilling in their nursery pots, propped up by ramekins underneath, looking lush. It was like one of those awkward family photos where you’re jammed on the sofa with five cousins you’ve never met, trying to look like you’re totally okay with it.
After: Side planters got purple angelonia, white calibrachoa, and English lavender. The middle now has that same appleblossom pelargonium flanked by the two white verbenas. Everybody was finally planted in actual soil and looked rather relieved to have space to spread out. The shade plants were thankful to be allowed to scurry back into the corners.
Six: Houseplants on Holiday
With nightly temps now mostly above 5°C, I brought out the first set of houseplants to their summer homes on the terrace. Most are getting repotted and divided as needed, like these clivia pups and cymbidiums. As you can tell from the root shots, they really needed it.
Thanks for visiting — see what the rest of the SoS crew is up to over at Jim’s page!