Today we’re back to Keith in chilly Zone 3 in Canada.
Today I would like to share photos of the latest evolution in my garden that I didn’t have room for in my earlier post (Keith’s Zone 3 Garden) and some other random photos of annuals and perennials.
This area was probably the most eye-catching vignette in the garden up until 2021. In the spring of 2022 the ground-level deck, tiered plant stands, and pebblestone slabs all had to be removed because the wood on the plant stands was rotted to the point it was unsafe to climb up there for watering.
Not only is this garden challenged by the cold Zone 3 climate, but water is also an issue. Since we live in the country, our water comes from a well with limited supply, and it is ice cold. We collect up to 450 gallons of rainwater in four barrels. The vegetable garden raised beds and all the many containers are hand-watered with 2-gallon water cans. In-ground beds are in Mother Nature’s hands for watering.
After much discussion a decision was made to replace the tiered structure with a simple ground-level composite deck, which cut back our annual planting and daily watering tremendously.
This photo is taken from a different angle but gives you a peak at the new composite deck.
I mentioned this container in my original post, but there wasn’t room for a photo. This was my grandmother’s cast-iron maple syrup cauldron. Here it is planted with a red canna (Canna hybrid, Zones 8–10 or as a tender bulb), Inferno and Wasabi coleus (Coleus scutellarioides, Zones 10–12 or as annuals), impatiens (Impatiens walleriana, Zones 10–12 or as an annual), and Zinnia ‘Zahara Sunburst’ (annual).
Mexican firecracker vine (Ipomoea lobata, Zones 10–12 or as an annual) adorns a five-plex birdhouse that was a winter project.
It is amazing how large Amaranthus ‘Tricolor’ (annual) gets in a large pot. It is sharing its home here with lime sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas, Zones 10–12 or as an annual) and Mexican firecracker vine.
Here is a typical annual bed since we changed our color scheme to red, yellow, and orange. Any blues, purples, etc., are perennials from before the change. Featured here are Rudbeckia ‘Cherokee Sunset’ (Zones 3–8, usually grown as an annual), ‘Love Lies Bleeding’ amaranthus (Amaranthus caudatus, annual), and Zinnia ‘Zahara Sunset’.
Canna ‘Cleopatra’ in bloom
One of three tree peonies (Paeonia hybrid, Zones 3–8) we have. There is also a red one and a yellow one. These are pushing the hardiness zone, but most years I cover them with Styrofoam boxes in the winter. I don’t get mortality if they don’t get covered, but they either don’t bloom or the blooms are sparse.
My favorite lily, Lilium ‘Hotel California’ (Zones 3–9)
I think this is Clematis integrifolia (Zones 3–8). It is a nonclimbing clematis, only about 3 feet tall. I have never had any luck overwintering a regular clematis.
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Comments
Wow! This is incredible. Curious, I checked Thunder Bay weather for today: a high of 36. That’s probably mind blowing for many readers! You’re really making it work for you, though.
I’m curious about the maple syrup cauldron, which must be very special to you. Do you drill for drainage holes or just insert pots? Your paint choice was interesting too; I would have chosen a basic black, but I like your color.
Thank you Rosebud. We talk temperature in Celcius. Right now as I sit here in Oxdrift with my morning coffee it is minus 17.5, which I believe is about 0° F.
Yes, I did have to drill drainage holes in the cauldron. Funny story about that cauldron. There are no sugar maples in this area. My paternal grandmother moved here as young girl from much warmer southern Ontario and brought it with her. I had no idea that it was a maple syrup cauldron until I acquired it when my parents were selling the farm in 2014. When I was a child we hung it over a large fire and heated water in it for scalding pigs to remove the hair when we butchered them.
Very nice ! That's a good amount of hand-watering but we all know ,,, once must do what one must do . One of the best complimentary growths in your gardens is the backdrop of the pines . I always try to have nice backdrops for the foreground of colors . Keep up the good "work" ... Peace .
Thank you Mohawk. The backdrop you are seeing is actually white and black spruce. We have been here since 1977. When we first carved it out it was much heavier to poplar but over the years as the poplar overmatured we have thinned it out and used it as firewood in the house and greenhouse. Nothing goes to waste
All that color is amazing!
Thank you
My garden is mostly red/orange/yellow so I really enjoyed the colors in your photos, especially the rudebekia and zinnias photo. Something to look at again and again while waiting for warmer weather. I'm curious to know how long your growing season actually is, how long to you get to enjoy such beautiful color.
It is usually mid June before we get it all out. In the earlier years we quite often got a frost in late August. Now it is usually mid to late September and occasionally beginning of October before we get a killer frost
Wow! This garden is impressive and stunning.
Thank you
Your annuals are amazing! Love the colors!
I love doing containers and use lots of red and yellow too, including Cleopatra Canna and amaranthus.
Do you grow any of the plants from seed?
I love coleus, and grow Kong Coleus from seed every year.
How did you get your coleus in the planters in front of the deck into that lovely tall mounted shape?
So impressive! 🥰 🌺🌻🌸
Most of my plants that are not started by cuttings, tubers or bulbs I start from seed. I buy very little from greenhouses.
Those tall mounds of coleus that you are asking about are in large plastic bag planters with near 50 seedlings inserted in slits per each mound. They are from pelleted seed that has multiple seeds of 2 different colors of Vista, sun loving coleus in each pellet. I transplanted them into the traditional 6 packs with smaller size cells to make them easy to squeeze into the slits in the plastic
I will never complain about the limitations of my Zone 5 location. Stunning!
LOL. Thank you
Stunning garden and I love the use of your grandma's syrup cauldron - it's beautiful.
Thank you
You have such healthy gorgeous plants! I love your container garden of Coleous- so lush and healthy! Your clematis is also fabulous! You have also inspired me to get serious about getting a rain barrel.
Thank you
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