Tag Archives: Gardens

nature, Photography

November 21’s Friday Fleurday

56 Comments

Well, it’s that time of year when outdoor flowers have become very hard to find. So as a seasonal goodbye, I’m going to do a couple of retrospective posts showcasing some of my favourites from this year’s bloomers.

First up is March, April and May. These are wonderful months for many reasons but not least of which is that the blooms are everywhere and quickly bring us out of our winter blahs.

Lovely March daffodils, always a classic …

… were closely followed by another classic, April tulips, and so many, many other beautiful bloomers.

Cherry blossoms …

… plums …

… and apples … with us and then gone again so quickly.

Magnolias thriving in the April sun …

… a flower feast.

And then there was the heady scent of the lilacs, an old-fashioned flower that’s never really gone out of style.

Early May brought the rhododendrons …

… and dogwoods, British Columbia’s provincial flower.

Irises …

… and peonies …

… and hydrangeas completed a smorgasbord of gorgeous sights and scents.

And, no snow here, just lots of petals!

Although the southern hemisphere is heading into spring right now, for us northerners, I think that a little glimpse of what will be arriving again in March is a good thing.

Happy Friday.

nature, Photography

Lace Leaf Maples

28 Comments

Lace leaf, weeping or red dragon maples (acer palmatum dissectum) are native to Korea, China, Japan, Mongolia and southeast Russia; however, they are now grown all over the world and prized for their lovely shape, delicate lacy or feathery leaves and beautiful colours.

They only grow to about 2-3 metres (6-9 ft) or less (the ones pictured are only about half that height), so they really are more shrub-like than tree-like. They take on a dome shape when they reach full maturity which makes them appear to be “weeping.”

In autumn they turn the most glorious crimson red which will gradually fade into pink or rusty red before they drop their leaves in December.

The colour is so intense that they almost seem to glow, especially when the sun shines on them.

Red is my favourite colour, so I find myself particularly drawn to them.

An April 15, 2025, lace leaf maple.

After their dormant winter period, they re-emerge in late March or April with brownish-red leaves that eventually turn quite red before morphing into green for summer.

A transitioning lace leaf; June 5, 2025.

Lace leaf maples are not only beautiful, they are also quite compact and will work well in small gardens. They’re winter tolerant to zones 5a and 5b.

For most of the year they add so much visual interest and stunning colour to a garden. Isn’t nature grand?

A lace leaf shifts from early autumn to late autumn dress; November 4, 2025.

Happy Thursday.

nature, Photography

November 7’s Friday Fleurday

28 Comments

It’s the first fleurday of November but I’ve luckily found some bloomers that seem to have not noticed that we’re edging toward winter!

These fairy roses are still very pretty in pink …

… while these tiny beach sunflowers are retaining their bright, happy faces.

Here’s a last look at these wonderful hydrangeas, who after providing us with beautiful colour variations since June are now deservedly fading into their winter rest.

And finally, a matador rose. They usually last well into December, providing pops of welcome colour on grey, rainy days.

Happy Friday.

nature, Photography

Japanese Garden Tour

53 Comments

Not far from my home is a lovely Japanese friendship garden; Penticton has been a sister city with Ikeda, Japan – located in the Nakagawa District of Tokachi in Hokkaido – since 1977 and this garden is in honour of that relationship. I frequently walk through it as I like to see ongoing seasonal changes and it’s also a very comforting, peaceful place.

There are tranquil paths …

… a koi pond with a fountain …

… and best of all, it was painstakingly and artistically planned to ensure that it would be visually appealing all through the seasons.

Spring petals decorating the pond’s surface …

… and autumn leaves doing the same.

The garden abuts Okanagan Lake which even in summer can be seen through the trees and contributes further to the soothing atmosphere.

In winter, this garden is still serene and relaxing. If it’s warm enough, a little time on one of the benches can be a lovely way to decompress.

Right now however it’s displaying the best of autumn, including the fiery red lace leaf maple bushes that are at their most beautiful.

Happy Tuesday.

nature, Photography

October 31’s Friday Fleurday, Halloween Edition

40 Comments

So fleurday and Halloween are on the same day! If you celebrate Halloween I wish you a monstrously good one …

… and if not, I hope you enjoy these autumnal flowers.

Flowers are beginning to be a bit difficult to find now that we’re almost into November, but this lovely sunflower still looked beautifully sunny.

I’m not entirely sure what these are although I think they might be a type of carnation. Does anyone know? No matter what they are, they’re a very pretty addition to the late autumn bloomers club.

I found this very attractive pot marigold, clearly not yet affected by our changing calendar.

Happy fleurday; happy Halloween. 🎃 🌼

nature, Photography

October 24’s Friday Fleurday

14 Comments

Although the flowers are of course dwindling now I am still discovering a few here and there.

The matador roses are really hardy and in some protected corners I see them blooming even into December.

The crane’s bill flowers are almost all gone now, though.

Asters are quite tolerant and I may also find some of them well into November or December.

Chrysanthemums are the stars of course and will tolerate a light frost; I’ve even seen them survive a freezing rain. The fact is, however, that time is running out for our garden lovelies. It’s time to enjoy the last of them!

Happy Friday.

nature, Photography

Colours

39 Comments

There are so many beautiful colours at this time of year, and not just the gorgeous leaves.

I’ve been watching these bigleaf hydrangeas since May and have seen their glorious transformations throughout late spring, summer and autumn. They’re fading now, but what a beautiful gift they have been!

And then there are the vanilla fraise (strawberry vanilla) hydrangeas. Not nearly as dramatic as the bigleaf hydrangeas, but their beautiful metamorphosis from white to pink is equally glorious. The picture below from early September shows how they have changed.

Happy Saturday.

nature, Photography

October Third’s Friday Fleurday

30 Comments

Over the course of the last four months, I’ve been watching an hydrangea shrub growing in one of the city’s parks that’s morphing from a variegated dark pink and white to blue and purplish-blue and lastly, to red. I first posted about it here.

June 23

As I indicated in my previous post about this hydrangea, one that shifts from red to purple, blue or purplish-blue and back to pink or red again is a “Bigleaf” hydrangea (hydrangea macrophylla) that is reacting to soil ph levels. This one has been putting on a particularly magnificent colour show all summer long that is now extending into autumn.

July 3
July 18
July 22
August 22
August 28

By the middle of September this shrub was well on its way to turning a dark, autumnal red as you can see below.

September 15
September 15

And as of October 2, those dark red hues were very predominant.

October 2
October 2
October 2

It’s amazing how beautifully this hydrangea shrub has changed and transformed and provided colourful blooms for months.

Happy Friday.