It’s the official start to the gardening season here. While I (and most serious gardeners) started weeks ago – for people who just put in some bedding plants, or do up pots on their patios, or plant veg – now it considered the “safe-from-frost” date. So the long weekend is the biggest weekend for garden centres. I always think it’s a little funny because the garden is mostly just green this time of year.

The spring bulbs are pretty much done now.

These Poets Daffodils are always the last to bloom .They are also my favoute. They are mid-sized daffodil with a very short trumpet. I think they are just charming.

With the bulbs done, the summer perennials are filling in the spaces, though many are yet to bloom. There are a few exceptions.

One of the great in-betweeners is the iris. These dark purple dwarf variety are almost done.

But these two beauties are just getting started. I have many more colours to come too.

These little Spanish Thrift are blooming their hearts out on the driveway garden. The driveway garden is very dry and full of rocks, so these little alpines thrive there. So much so that I’ve just bought four more to add to the space (more on that another day)

Also in the driveway garden is this beautiful creeping Veronica. It blooms a couple times a year and it’s always a delight when it does.

Over in the Woodland Garden we have a little colour from the Leopard’s Bane and Lily-of-the-Valley. I moved the Lily-of-the-Valley there last year and it’s absolutely loving it. I found more in the original spot and moved it this spring so next years show should be even better.

This little Verbascum was planted last year so I was thrilled to see it come back. This one is out front, but I have a couple more out back. They don’t bloom for very long but they wonderful when they do.

The White Bleeding Heart is doing nicely.

As is the red.

Both of these could benefit from slightly better placement – which I’m hoping to make happen this week – I want to moderately expand a couple of the gardens.

We will also have an Allium explosion coming soon. This one is the first, but there are many, many more to follow!

And soon we will have Peonies!!!! Big beautiful Peonies!!!!