Maianthemum racemosum with unripe fruit

Maianthemum racemosum, known in English as "false Solomon's seal", "Solomon's plume", "false spikenard", "treacleberry", or "feathery false lily-of-the-valley", and in French as maïanthème à grappes or smilacine à grappes, is a perennial native to most of North America. The berries start out as tan; gradually they are covered by reddish speckles until they are solid red. In this they resemble their close relative, Maianthemum canadense, the lily-of-the-valley I recall so fondly from my childhood.

The Royal Horticultural Society awarded Maianthemum racemosum an Award of Garden Merit. It is grown in the RHS garden Harlow Carr, in the scented garden. I will have to smell its flowers next spring!

According to Plants for a Future, the fruit of Maianthemum racemosum is edible, with a "delicious bitter-sweet flavour, suggesting bitter molasses" and full of vitamins. I haven't tasted it myself (and I don't think "bitter molasses" sounds delicious either.)

I photographed this plant in High Park.

Erigeron annuus

Erigeron annuus, known in English as "eastern daisy fleabane" or "annual fleabane" and in French as érigéron annuelle or vergerette annuelle, is an annual native to most of North America. The small (about 2 cm) flowers smell like honey similar to alyssum (Lobularia maritima) but not as strong.

I think that the dainty daisy fleabane looks best en masse, forming a sweet-scented cloud of blossoms.

Rosmarinus officinalis: in bloom!

Rosmarinus officinalis, known in English as rosemary and in French as romarin, is a tender woody perennial native to the Mediterranean region. Its fragrant, greyish, thin, needle-like leaves are used as a culinary herb. The flowers are pale blue.

Rosemary is not hardy enough to survive Toronto winters. It can be grown in the garden as an annual, which I tried last year. It never got very large, 30 cm at best, and of course it's dead now. Rosemary can also be grown as a houseplant, though some find it a struggle. My first boyfriend managed to quickly kill the rosemary plant he tried growing in his dorm room for sentimental reasons, probably a combination of insufficient light and too much heat in the winter. (I married him anyway.)

The rosemary plant at my parents' house on the other hand lived for years. It too never got very big, about 30 cm, and never bloomed. My budgie enjoyed nibbling on it.

The rosemary in the photo is the biggest, most beautiful rosemary plant I have ever seen, and the first time I have seen rosemary in bloom in real life! It's growing in the Allan Garden's conservatory. I'm not sure if it's even possible to grow a rosemary plant this big (well over a metre) in Toronto without a greenhouse.

If you want to see it in person, after entering the centre greenhouse go through the door on the left to the next greenhouse (the one with the pool and the statue of Leda and the swan). The rosemary is in the centre bed.

Ambitious indoor gardeners in Toronto may be inspired by this goregous rosemary bonsai! If I had a sunny window I'd like to try this myself.

Rosa: bushes and berries in winter

Rosa spp., known in English and French as roses, are shrubs, most native to Asia, but some are native to Europe, North America, and north west Africa. While commonly grown for their beautiful, often fragrant flowers in shades of pink, red, white, or yellow, allowing them to set fruit ("rosehips") extends the shrubs appeal through the cold winter months.

Nepeta cataria: seeds

Nepeta cataria, known in English as catnip and in French as cataire, chataire, or herbe aux chats, is a fragrant perennial in the mint family, native to Europe, Asia, and Africa. Although it has spikes of small white flowers, it is most often grown for its foliage, which many cats enjoy as a recreational "drug".

This is my first year growing catnip. Since the seed packet says it may be sown in fall or spring, I assume it will be fine wintersown. The seeds are quite small and dark brown.

Monarda didyma: seeds

Monarda didyma, known in English as bee balm, bergamot, Oswego tea, or firecracker plant, and in French as monarde, thé d'Oswego, bergamote, or mélisse d'or is a perennial in the mint family native to much of eastern North America, and also the northwestern United States. Its flowers are very unusual and hard to describe—some say they look like jester's hats or fireworks; and are a lovely red.

I collected some of the seedheads from our plant in the fall; they look like prickly dark brown pompoms. They come apart into papery tubes about 1 cm long which are open at one end; at the closed end (closer to the centre of the pompom) of each tube is a tiny black seed; at least, I hope it is a seed.

Since this is a native plant, I am assuming it needs to go through a Canadian winter, or at least part of it, to germinate, so I am wintersowing it.

Lobularia maritima: seeds

Lobularia maritima, known in English as sweet alyssum or sweet Allison and in French as alysson maritime, alysse odorante, or corbeille d'argent, is a hardy annual native to southern Europe, covered in tiny, four-petalled flowers, usually white or purple but there are pink, pale yellow, pale blue, and peach cultivars available.

Last year I grew alyssum from seed direct-sown in the garden in early spring; but since we also had a number of self-sown volunteers come up (clearly distinguishable since they were a different colour!), clearly this is a great candidate for winter-sowing. The seeds are about 1 long and light to medium brown, not too difficult to handle.

Heliotropium arborescens: flowers

Heliotropium arborescens, known in English as garden heliotrope or cherry pie and in French as héliotrope du Pérou or herbe de St Fiacre, is a tender perennial native to Peru, bearing clusters of small, dark purple flowers with a strong vanilla-like fragrance.

Here in Toronto, heliotrope is usually treated like an annual although it can also be grown as a houseplant. I bought a couple of small plants in the spring; they did not grow very much in the short Toronto summer, staying under 30 cm rather than the range of 60-150 cm often reported. It is just as well that they stay small since then they can be at the front of the border where their fragrance can be enjoyed best!

Matricaria recutita: flowers

Matricaria recutita, known in English as German chamomile, garden chamomile, or wild chamomile, and in French as camomille vraie, camomille sauvage, camomille allemande, or matricaire, is an annual native to Eurasia. The flowers are like tiny white daisies with spherical yellow centres, and have a lovely scent, like pineapple.

I got the seeds whence these plants grew from Florabunda Seeds, an Ontario nursury specializing in heirloom seeds.

Monarda didyma 'Jacob Cline': flower

Monarda didyma, known in English as bee balm, bergamot, Oswego tea, or firecracker plant, and in French as monarde, thé d'Oswego, bergamote, or mélisse d'or is a perennial in the mint family native to much of eastern North America, and also the northwestern United States. Its flowers are very unusual and hard to describe—some say they look like jester's hats or fireworks; and are a lovely red. They are said to attract hummingbirds, though I haven't witnessed that myself.

The plant photographed originally came from the local Valumart, and was grown by President's Choice. PC called it a "really easy perennial" (or something like that) and it certainly was; I just planted it and it grew rapidly and was covered with long-lasting blooms.

The leaves smell like Earl Grey tea.

Lavandula angustifolia: flowers

Lavandula angustifolia, known in English as true lavender or English lavender and in French as lavande vraie is a small (in Toronto, at least) perennial shrub native to the western Mediterranean, especially northern Spain. It is famous for its fragrant greyish-green foliage and small light purple flowers.

Although lavender can grow to be 1 or 2 metres high, here in Toronto I find that it dies back quite a bit each year and is seldom as tall as 50 cm. It is considered evergreen but in Toronto the foliage, while it stays on all winter, dies and turns grey.

Lobularia maritima: flowers

Lobularia maritima, known in English as sweet alyssum or sweet Allison and in French as alysson maritime, alysse odorante, or corbeille d'argent, is a hardy annual native to southern Europe. Alyssum grows rapidly from seed sown directly in the garden in early spring (or even in the fall: it will self-sow) and is soon covered in tiny, four-petalled flowers, usually white or purple but there are pink, pale yellow, pale blue, and peach cultivars available. In our yard alyssum was still blooming well into autumn; it was the last flower to disappear.

Alyssum makes a nice flowering groundcover for sunny areas with a lovely honey fragrance.

Matthiola incana 'Midget Lavender'

Matthiola incana, known in English as "stock", "common stock", or "hoary stock" and in French as matthiole, giroflée quarantaine, giroflée des jardins, giroflée rouge, quarantaine, or violier, is a tender biennial (grown as an annual in Toronto gardens) native to Eurasia, with spikes of delicously fragrant flowers in a variety of colours. The 'Midget' series of cultivars are about 30 cm tall.