Spring is an exciting time of year in the garden and for nature lovers in general. After the experience of winter, the burst of buds and bright green leaves is rousing, and it is a welcome relief from the previous dark months of winter.
I often think that the contrast between the Canadian winters and the spring is what makes spring so popular, rather than the new growth on its own merits. I don’t personally like daffodils and tulips, for me the beautiful part of spring is the flowering fruit trees.
There always seems to be an awkward transition between spring and summer in the garden. The sea of daffodils and tulips are done and the greens are withering but the summer flowers are still in their bud phase. To help add some colour and vibrancy to counter the finishing spring flowers, I have a few plants that reach their flowering phase during the transition between spring and summer. The first being chamomile.
Every year I let some of the chamomile flowers go to seed so that they will self-seed for the next year.Although they are a bit unpredictable as to where they will start growing in the garden. My other favourite plant for this time of year is Lupines. In the spot where I have them placed, they do not start to flower until June. They have a nice variety of colours, and the fact that pollinators love them makes them a great addition to the garden.
To me, summer is more about abundance than flowers. The foliage on trees and vegetables is lush and thick. This is also the time when the early vegetables and herbs that were planted as seed in the spring can start to be harvested, such as radish, summer squash, and chamomile.
The vegetable garden really responds well to the hot and humid summer weather that Ottawa often gets. Although the ornamental plants in the garden can find the summers here challenging, I have found that it is best to stick to mostly native plants for my area.
Each season has something unique about it that makes it special, whether that is the beginning of new growth in spring after the dead of winter or the seeds planted in spring that are coming to fruition in summer before their decay in autumn. This is what makes the change of seasons never boring.
The Heron and Rose 