A promise yet to be fulfilled [06/25]

I’m Nathan Langley and this is A promise yet to be fulfilled, a seasonal weekly newsletter on my garden developments at home in Sudbury, Ontario!

Lots of planting this week! I took measurements of the garden bed extension I finished preparing last week and came up with the following:

I kept the rhythm mostly the same from the other side, but changed up a few things. I planted more Salvia nemorosa, but this time it is the more compact ‘East Friesland’ cultivar (the flower colour is almost identical to 'May Night'). I also added the last Aster laevis (Smooth aster) I had in stock, and planted Stachys monieri ‘Hummelo’ (Alpine betony) in between the two clumps of smooth aster. The Stachys has a similar leaf and flower form to the Salvia, but is obviously different when you look closer.

I also added Perovskia atriplicifolia ‘Blue Jean Baby’ (Russian sage) next to the Eupatorium I planted earlier. It continues the idea of similar leaf and flower forms, but being slightly different from what is already planted. I like doing this because it keeps the garden “easy” to understand visually at a quick glance. But when you stop and look a little closer, you begin to notice that there are subtle differences throughout the space.

Finally, I stumbled upon a “happy little accident” when I was planting out this new section. There was some volunteer Rudbeckia (black-eyed Susan) that was growing in between the planting of Eupatorium. I liked the flowers (some were double flowers!) and decided to leave them while I prepared the rest of the bed.

This week the temperatures turned quite cool for this time of year (yesterday morning was 5 degrees). While the garden will have more colour next year after everything establishes, it is lacking in warmth right now. The little patch of yellow flowers added that warm feeling that was missing.

The Rudbeckia that I had brought in for my perennial store did not sell at all. So I decided to use up the Rudbeckia hirta ‘Indian Summer’ I had in stock, and planted them in among the Eupatorium like the volunteer Rudbeckia.

These new Rudbeckia will be in this spot for maybe two years max, as they are more biennials than a true perennial. But the fun part is that I will let it seed freely. This should add a dynamic energy to the garden, as the yellow flowers will move around each year throughout the garden. I can live with having to thin out a few volunteers growing in places I don’t want them to.

I’m on the road this coming week, so I’m not sure how much time I will get in the gardens at home. I am hoping to finish off the swale that cuts between the new perennial garden and my trial garden, but it is a lot of tedious work moving rocks, so we will see how far I get…