Gladiolus

We are deep into winter here in Ottawa, no denying that. So, since there is no gardening to be done, I will post the pics I never managed to post last year. 

Let's start with gladiolus.

I didn't have gladiolus in my garden growing up. My grandfather did grow it in his garden, though, notably, in his vegetable patch! And so, I associate gladiolus with vegetables. Alas, my vegetable garden is smaller than his was, so I planted my gladiolus in the rose garden. Or, more accurately, in the patch of land painstakingly reclaimed from the voracious goutweed. But one day it will be a rose garden, so there we go. 

Very cheerful, these blossoms were, and I really enjoyed looking out the kitchen window and seeing them. It made all my efforts worthwhile! I also had a purple gladiolus, which was fun.

Also in this garden, fluffy pink and yellow double holllyhocks! That was a surprise - I bought them as seedlings and they were supposed to just be single hollyhocks. That's okay, I'll take 'em!

I also transplanted over a hollyhock seedling that I put beside the house (a shady spot, I realise, so it wasn't growing so well). But I heard the plant's taproot snap! I don't think it survived the journey...we will see next year!

And, as for that rose garden idea....it's coming along! Here we have a sweet pink "Carefree Beauty" rose, living up to its name. Beside it is a glorious blue butterfly larkspur. I love that deep blue! 

I also put in a red "Canadian Shield" rose, and I do hope it is as tough as its name implies! Given the severe winters we have, and my general lack of knowledge of roses, it will need to be. But I will give it lots of admiring glances and encouraging murmurs, which as we all know, is what really helps plants flourish!