Here is an interesting vegetable cross between kale and brussels sprouts. I purchased a plant three years ago and it is still leafing out nicely in one of the raised veggie beds. Novelty is the best way to describe it. I don’t ever get the “kalettes” harvested on time–tiny rosettes of kale leaves that are the plants claim to fame. However, when they fully leaf out, the plant has a multitude of edible kale-like leaves to harvest and add to smoothies and salads. In all honesty, I rarely remember to do that, but they are there when I want/need them.

My future plans for this plant are to remember it is there and harvest and freeze the best leaves for smoothies and soups. It wants to give me food! I just need to remember to grab some!

Pacific madronas are fantastic native trees. They have sturdy, shiny leaves, attractive flowers, bright berries, and artistic, muscular form. Their best attribute, however, is their remarkable bark. The bark is a brilliant orange-brown and it peels away to show yellowish inner bark.

Several madronas have started in our yard here, likely dropped by birds who have enjoyed the nutritious berries. One of the seedlings is now a bushy small tree growing in the raised bed under the Douglas fir. It is happy and heathy there and grows several feet a year.

With my native plant efforts, this tree fits in perfectly. You can see that leaf miners have found it already. And maybe some leafcutter bees, as well, as some leaves are missing edges. I’ve seen kinglet birds sheltering in this tree already, too–they seem to prefer it to other plants in the garden.

There are other Pacific madrona seedlings that come up occassionally and I plan to nurture them and move them if possible and warranted to places of honor in the garden.

At the same time the Algerian ivy landed, brother Tim also provided a start of this somewhat refined ivy clone.  I’m not sure which one it is.  I enjoyed it at first and it stayed in check, but in the last ten years it has tried to scramble up the Douglas fir and is also spreading out across the entire raised bed surrounding that tree. 

It isn’t hard to see why ivy is a popular garden plant.  It is very carefree and very attractive in leaf with no care whatsoever, even in the dry shade under this big evergreen. 

My future plans for this plan are to admit that it has overstayed its welcome and eliminate it entirely from the garden.  This is especially crucial now, as the vine is heading rapidly toward the new native plant garden and may have overtaken my Hemlock sapling already!  It must be stopped!