Weather warning

The garden has been progressing by leaps and bounds, and I think the revelation recently has been the many alliums, purchased at the Veseys sale, and now showing themselves to be some of the loveliest of the breed, and ones that I have been wishing for, for ages.

The spiky stars on this one are especially glorious. I have to say, though, that the white ones are a bit of a disappointment. From the distance they look a lot like giant dandelions gone to seed.
We are having a wild weather day today (remnants of a tropical storm, I believe) with plenty of rain, though luckily not so much wind. The lupines and other tall things just couldn't stand it. I am especially appreciative of my sturdy hoop house in weather like this, as many of the more delicate things are safely indoors at the moment.
My Cornus kousa 'Satomi', planted late in October and fretted about all through the long, long winter, is doing well. Its leader was bent away over by the snow, so I have it in a splint and many soft wraps, and it seems to be coming out just as well on the top (above the bend) as the rest of the plant. I have to say I was worried when it went in - it was balled and burlapped (and then stuffed into a large pot) and the soil around it was pure Holland Marsh (the area near Toronto, On., where such things are grown) - heavy dark grey clay, in a solid mass and almost baked from its long summer on the pavement at the store. I soaked it but didn't dare hack at it too much for fear of breaking off all those valuable rootlets. Anyway, its bloom cycle is fascinating! When it started out, there were tiny green leaflets surrounding small globes - some bright green, some darker. The leaflets - bracts, I now know - have gotten brighter green, tinged with pink, and they are lifting themselves daily above the leaves. Today, in the rain, the bracts are starting to really look like flowers.

Splint!

blooms and bracts

lifting

becoming more colourful

I can't wait for further developments. Gardening is so exciting!
Summer is no time for knitting, I know, but I have been working on a lacy skirt - pattern in the latest Drops catalogue - made with some Patons Grace I bought at the Spinrite factory two summers ago. How quickly I have come to use it! Things usually marinade in the stash for much, much longer before they decide what they're to become. It's quite a nice pattern, and I have bought some lining as it is quite lacy.Now to finish the top part and figure out how to line it.

Should be a good dancing skirt!