It's been a very hot summer in Niagara. And this has meant the desert garden is doing well. This past spring we added a Caesalpinia that started blooming late August and is still blooming beautifully. I have my doubts about its hardiness, but we'll see next spring.


















In my own yard the Clerodendron has also been in bloom since mid-August. Here it is flanked by Magnolia g. Victoria on the right and a Fargesia robusta on the left.























In the front of the house Magnolia g. DD Blanchard has added about two feet this summer. Although while Edith Bogue and Victoria both bloomed in the back yard, the east facing DD Blanchard did not produce any flowers.


















It was a different story in a friends garden. His DD Blanchard faces south and did produce flowers. The southern exposure might also explain why the Crape Myrtle is doing so well.

















Note the size of the DD Blanchard blooms compared to the beer bottle.

















A few weeks ago I stopped by Gregs in Grimsby to see the Trachycarpus he moved last fall. It had been in his garden for three years but needed to be moved for some construction. I suspected it wouldn`t last through the winter, but Gregs protection methods (outlined in an earlier post) paid off. While the original Trachy (foreground) looks a little weathered compared to the new palm added this spring, I have no doubt it will continue to grow in this Canadian garden.