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Found a new Canadian source for Geraniums, Rockwood Gardens They are part of Brecks Ltd. I bought my Alba Rugosa from them years ago. The hedge is still going strong.

Out of the five geraniums offered, four are on sale. One I’m considering for my own garden, Raspberry Star. The other, Espresso is only 6.99.  I use hardy geraniums at the front of my rose beds.

If you like the bloom in the header, you might like to know that the Double Jewel Hardy Geranium can be ordered online from Veseys. I just got my catalog and they have several others I’m considering for this growing season.

The Birch’s Double looks like a good companion for my roses and I can picture Crystal Lake at the base of Mme Hardy.

The Double Jewel is growing next to a Hunter rose. Bought it late in the season so it didn’t bloom that much yet. You won’t find the Hunter in the Rose Collection. It nearly died and I moved it. Sometimes I need to move plants a few times to find the right spot for it.

In the same bed, I have a Broad petaled Geranium (Platypetalum) and it did very well.

Now I placed the catalog aside for a few days. Or else I’ll be ordering more than I can handle again.

Links for this article: Double Jewel. Crystal Lake, Birch’s Double, Mme Hardy,
Rose Collection, Broad Petaled Geranium Platypetalum

Here is a product I needed last fall. Garden Dome No idea if there is a Canadian distributor. This company is based in Michigan. According to the site, the cover is made of lightweight canvas that freezes and forms a hard shell. They have drawings explaining how it works. I’d be more than happy to test it in my zone.

Spring may be a few months away but the catalogs are already started arriving. If you are not on Richters Herb’s mailing list, you can visit their site.

In the plant section, you will find the classic roses. I ordered Mme Hardy last winter and it arrived at the right time for my zone. In the same order I also got a Rose de Rescht and a Maxima. All of them bloomed. I’m getting 3 more this year.

They also have a large variety of scented geraniums.  I overwinter mine as houseplants. You can see photos in the Geranium and Pelargonium section.

The botanical name of the rose above is Rosa Gallica ‘Officinalis” Common name is the Apothecary rose.  It is also available from Richters Of all my roses, this one needs the least care and blooms every late spring.

In my zone, composting outdoors is impossible during winter months. Vermicomposting works differently. Some worm bin systems can be used year round and work both indoors and out. All you need is a well ventilated spot that doesn’t get colder than 4°C ( 40F) or hotter than 26°C (80F).
You can order worms or eggs from: Gardener’s Supply Company

There is an excellent video on Fine Gardening about Worm composting

Worms Eat My Garbage: 2nd Edition

Mme Hardy

Made a small change on the Mme Hardy page on Garden Images Richters Herbs are sold out for now, but they will be available from Hortico by 14 October, 2009. According to them they are hardy to zone 3.

The link to Richters Herbs will return when they are available again. They are a good reliable source. The roses must be ordered early for next spring shipment. They arrive bare root at the right time for your zone.

On Hortico roses can be searched by section, hybridizer, collection or recommendations. If you live in the UK, Mme Hardy is available from Peter Beales roses

If you are planning on adding this classic rose to your own garden, you will need to place your order early. Richters Herbs ships worldwide.

Caroline Schmidt pelargonium

Original name of the Wilhelm Langguth sold today in America. Caroline Schmidt was created in Germany in 1898. Mrs Parker is a sport of this pelargonium. A photo with leaves is in the Geranium & Pelargonium section. In this photo you can see that a small part of the bloom is in a different shade. According to my research, this is how Mrs Parker first appeared. In Wikipedia, Sports are described as prone to reverse to its original form.
So far my Mrs Parker still blooms pink.

Pelargonium Postcard

Rosa Rugosa var. Alba

This is my first bought rose. Ordered it from a mail order nursery over 15 years ago. At the time I wanted to create a rose hedge. They were moved when changes to the terrain were made. Now they grow as specimen plants. Rugosas can survive our cold winters and strong spring winds without protection. Pest is not much of a problem either. I did find Japanese beetles this year munching on the petals. They seemed to prefer white blooms. I kept the population down by dropping them in a bucket of soapy water.

Never saw mildew or black spot on any of them. I did have to cut down some older canes. They grew back and bloomed the following season. They also spread which makes them poor companions in flower beds. Using thick gloves that covers your forearms will also save your skin.

If you stop cutting the faded blooms in August, they will produce plenty of hips that will help the local wildlife survive winter.

And one more thing, they smell great.

Rainbow Sorbet

Bought this rose from a nursery in Plantagenet, Ontario, called Quenneville. I only visit once a year, in June. They also have a stall at the Ottawa Farmer’s Market during the summer months.

Normally, I would bypass a floribunda. I prefer old fashion looking roses. The shades of this one caught my attention. It was planted in a raise bed with plenty of aged compost and the base was covered with a cedar mulch to prevent mud from splashing the leaves. Turned out to be a good idea, got more rain than usual in July. Rainbow Sorbet also showed a good resistance to blackspot, even now with the cooler weather. Still blooming this late in the season, also earned it a few more points.

You can read more about this rose on Garden Images

Pachypodium Lamerei

Often sold as Madagascar Palm, the Pachypodium Lamerei is a stem succulent from the Apocynaceae (Dogbane) family.
An easy care houseplant but a bit tricky to repot. Making a band with folded newspaper can be a great help. Mine is in a clay pot by an east facing window. Pests and dust can be easily removed with a soft spay.

They are widely available in the cactus section of most large stores. But you can also start them from seeds. You can order them online from: Rare Seed Source or Amazon.com

Another reason for growing a Pachypodium is that they can bloom. Something I look forward to seeing myself. I did find a close up of one in bloom on Wikimedia Comons. The photo was submitted by Gürkan Sengün.

You can read more about the preservation and cultivation of the Pachypodium species by visiting the Pachypodium org. site.

Complete Book of Cacti & Succulents