Mail-Order Wish List: Gaillardia Arizona Red Shades

Arizona Red Shades Gaillardia, perennial that is a close relative of Gaillardia aristata which is a native flower in our area.

Mail-Order Wish List: Flowering Kale

Peacock White Flowering Kale

Peacock Red Flowering Kale

These require a little more effort to grow from seed, it is recommended to grow in a greenhouse and install in the fall when the kale is at it's best after the first frost.  An extra plus is that these are edible and can be used for garnish.

Be warned though that if we can eat these, so can the deer.

Weekend Recipe: Coconut Chiffon Cake

I warned you that I might find something food related to share.  My birthday is coming up soon and I saw this recipe and thought that perhaps I would consider this… but I am thinking of another one with peanut butter.

In any event, this comes from a great blog on cooking.  If anyone tries this recipe out, let me know

Coconut Chiffon Cake

Mail-Order Wish List: Monarda fistulosa

Monarda fistulosa - is a taller perennial that is native to our area and attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.  This link goes to a website of a company that is probably 20 minutes from my house.  You can bet that I will be wanting to go by there sometime this summer!

Mail-Order Wish List: Cherokee Sunset Rudbeckia

Rudbeckia - Cherokee Sunset, considered a hardy annual, I might consider this a biennial and count myself lucky if it comes back the next year. 

Weston's Mail-Order Wish List (does not include Ryan Gosling)

My sister posted this pic on my Facebook wall and for some reason my wife liked it.  I didn’t know that she liked Ryan Gosling…..

In any event, I love poring over the spring catalogues and picking what I want to order.  

Stay tuned as I will be posting my favorites here shortly!

Dunster Castle Library, not sure where it is but its perfect.  The only thing I would change is the size of the actual fireplace to fill the whole mantle.

Plant of the Week: Yucca filamentosa - Adam's Needle Yucca

What I love about Yucca filamentosa is the the interest that the foliage creates in a landscape.  Although its leaves are quite narrow, I would definately say that it creates a focal point in the garden.  Actually, I take that back, its more of an exclamation point!

This plant is one of my faves because it does not require a lot of maintenance or water once it gets established.  It is a perennial (meaning it comes back year after year) and like other plants posted here is hardy to zone 3, which is what zone we are here in the Calgary region.

It will take a couple of years to bloom, but once it gets there, you will want to invite everyone over to enjoy it (not unlike the character Gladys in The Unsinkable Molly Brown who throws a party just because her roses are in bloom).  The only downside to the flowers is that though they look like they should be fragrant, they are not.  :(

One last thing I want to mention: be careful when you plant this for as the name warns, you could poke your eye out if you are not careful!