We do not have a heated greenhouse. The hoop house gives a little advance on the season and a nice working environment on sunny days, but nights are still pretty cold. We are grateful for small indications of spring. Last year, spring was so dismal through April, even tiny Arctic flowers such as the little yellow Drabas seem impressive to us now.
I saw this lovely little alpine Jacob’s Ladder from the Rocky Mountains in the Alpine Garden of the Montreal Botanical Garden and was happy to acquire some seed from the Ontario Rock Garden Society Seed Exchange. I now have three in our Rock Garden – they seem to have come through the winter – and three in the hoop house. They are not that easy to keep in pots through the summer as they don’t want to be too wet but you mustn’t let them get too dry either. I lost a few last August. They seem sturdier once they are planted into a well-drained site in the rock garden. I am going to build up stock of this little charmer and will probably be able to offer it for sale August of 2021.
Our Shooting Stars are looking great this year. I’ll post lots more pictures when they are in full glorious bloom. This species goes dormant by August. I hope you won’t forget about them ’cause we may not be able to deliver to Ottawa until some time in the summer.
Beaux Arbres Plantes Indigènes / Native Plants 