Crazy Spring — Trying to Catch Up!

Such a crazy time in life and in the garden!  Seattle pretty much skipped spring and jumped right into summer.  We had multiple days in the 80’s in April, and it has been really dry, as well.  I will be putting the sprinkler out tomorrow.

DSC05982

I love this blackberry plant for its flowers and the promise they hold.  There were hardly any bees early on, but the last few days this plant has been abuzz with pollinators.

DSC05981

I’ve had this miniature rose since before we moved to this house 20 years ago.  It is finally getting some sun and a chance to flourish after the redo of the orchard garden last year.

DSC05980

The buds are deep yellow, but the flowers fade to a soft cream.

DSC05976

This lovely allium relative has the unfortunate name of Nectarscordum.

DSC05979

The flowers face down, so can  be tough to view…

DSC05978

Close-up.

DSC05975

The deep purple columbines contrast nicely with the bright raspberry foliage.  I keep cutting the raspberries back, but they are always one step ahead of me.  Tough to get mad at them during berry season, though.

DSC05974

The iris that were burned in Leon’s fire accident last year are blooming.  Only the really hardy, near-wild ones have flowers, but there are six spikes this year.  I love the look and the very distinctive fragrance.

DSC05973

The flowers are kind of wilty in all the hot sun, but the way they unfold and refold is interesting.  This was the iris that my Mom grew in her garden in Burien.

DSC05972

The species rose that I grew from a seed from the arboretum is blooming.  I love single roses.  These flowers are superficially similar to the blackberry blooms in the orchard bed.

 DSC05969

This rose gets lovely hips, too, but I will need to cut it back before it has a chance this year–it is planted in a bad spot at the end of the driveway and it encroaches on the driveway and the street.

DSC05905

Dame’s rockets under Leon’s Miracle Gro sculpture in the Douglas fir bed.

DSC05904

I love how the dames rockets have spread.  They have a nice spicy scent and if I cut them back, they’ll bloom again.

DSC05903

Rhodohypoxis baurii form Edelweiss blooming in the greenhouse.

DSC05902

A larger division of the same clone.

DSC05901

The masdevallias keep blooming…

DSC05900

Freesia laxa with the orchids behind.

DSC05899

Close up of the seed-grown freesias.

 DSC05897

The pitcher plant in bloom with a hatching of orb weavers behind.

DSC05896

A little more perspective on this interesting bloom.

DSC05895

Gorgeous Hippeatrum “Jade Dragon” in bloom in the greenhouse.

DSC05894

A different view.

DSC05892

The clivia show wasn’t as brilliant this year, but there were still some lovely flowers.

DSC05891

More clivia blooms.

DSC05890

These tiny seedlings of Geranium “Summer Snow” are tiny compared to the meadow cranesbill below that were started the same day.

DSC05889

DSC05887

Mountain bluets blooming in the Doug fir bed.

DSC05886

This is Brunnera “Alexander’s Great.”  So far, it seems okay with the dry, well drained soil of the Doug fir bed.

DSC05885

More pictures of the Miracle Gro with hesperis at its feet.

DSC05883

Close-up of the dame’s rockets (hesperis).  I grew the white ones from seed years ago and they persist as volunteers, with just a few lapsing into the more common lavender.

DSC05882

I love this little hosta in the Doug fir bed.  It has perfect foliage and a neat shape.

DSC05881

Another picture of the dame’s rockets.  I guess I really like them!

 DSC05879

Lilac “Miss Kim” is a little beauty in front of our living room window.  It stays so low and blooms for almost a month.

DSC05878

All of these flowers, and a fresh fragrance, too.

DSC05877

This happy pansy wintered over in a pot on the driveway.

DSC05876

Here is a flower from the blackberry “Wild Treasure.”  This plant is very happy on the trellis this year and has a lot of flowers.  I’m hopeful for berries this year.

DSC05873

You can see all the flowers on Wild Treasure here.  We should have berries in a couple of weeks.

DSC05875

The Apache blackberry cane that I tipped last year at 6 feet has hundreds of flowers this year.  I’m looking forward to some serious blackberry production this year.

DSC05874

Another photo of Apache flowers.   I love these delicate blooms.

 DSC05872

Here is one of the Jacob’s ladders I stated from seed last year.  It didn’t look like much all alone, but the photo makes it look pretty showy! this is the only one that bloomed of the 10 or so that I planted in the orchard bed last year.

DSC05871

Sweet woodruff flowers.  There is just a fringe of this ground cover near the arbor.

DSC05870

Detail of Solomon’s seal flowers and leaves.

DSC05869

More Solomon’s seals.

DSC05867

One of my favorite roses–this is Souvenir de St. Annes, I think.  It has the nicest fragrance and wonderful blooms.

DSC05866

The shrub isn’t doing well in a pot, so I  need to move it to the garden–I will look to doing that sometime soon before I lose  it altogether.

DSC05865

Jacob’s ladders of a softer shade.

DSC05864

And more.  These grow along the driveway.

DSC05863

Geranium macrorrhizum blooming all over the garden.  I like these.  They are less invasive than some, but spread enough to cover necessary ground.

DSC05862

Another amazing geranium.  This is a phaeum cultivar.  It grows up nicely through the big foots and blooms for a couple of weeks with these purple blooms.

DSC05861

DSC05860 DSC05859

More detail of the “Mourning Widow.”

Springtime in North Seattle

This post is several weeks overdue, as the photos were taken a while back.  They need to be shared, however, as there were/are some amazing things happening in the garden.

DSC05850

You can’t escape spring even from inside the house, as the three clematis outside the french doors are blooming.  A pair of juncos is nesting in this particular vine, as well, so not only does it look good, but it sounds like hungry chicks!

DSC05848

The more double of the spring clematis.

DSC05853

 

You can see all three flower types of the vines in this photo–the more dainty single one on the left, the double one in the middle, both alpina clones.  C. montana rubens is to the right.

DSC05844

Montana rubens blooming extraordinarily well this year.  Some years it hardly blooms at all, and other years it is smothered in these luscious blooms.  Their beauty is magnified by the sweet fragrance.

DSC05841 DSC05842 DSC05843

You can really see the perfection of the blooms here.  They last maybe ten days.  The vine is attractive, too, with its darker leaves and reddish stems.  It can be a bit boisterous, but easy to prune back after flowering.

DSC05846

Here is an interesting contrast in the garden.  Two red Japanese maples, one with deeply dissected leaves, the other with the fuller classic maple shape.

DSC05845

For color contrast, the red maple and the golden hop excel.  The hop is becoming a bit of a thug, so we have to guide and prune it to keep it from overwhelming more delicate neighbors.

DSC05839

We have two stands of old-fashioned lilacs in our yard.  They bloomed well this year and very early.

DSC05838

These are blueberry flowers.  I have a couple of these shrubs blooming, so should get some good berry set this year.

DSC05837

A few of the forget-me-not volunteers in the driveway bed.  I love these little guys!

DSC05835

Two sides to camellia ownership.  First, the gorgeous, giant blooms.

DSC05836

Second, the mess!  I inherited this camellia with the house.  I’m not sure I would ever plant one of these big-flowered hybrids myself, since they struggle in the rain, which makes the flowers messy on the trees.  The small flowered species are more to my liking as garden shrubs.

DSC05834

A volunteer golden chain tree grows along the orchard bed next to the camellia.  It makes a nice transition.  I’m finding seedlings all through the new bark I put down last year.  I’ll move some of them to pots for bonsai and potted specimens.

DSC05833

These aronia blooms are really lovely.  This berry shrub is covered with blooms and should provide an excellent amount of berries for smoothies this year.

DSC05832

Another view.

DSC05831

Goumi flowers abound on my one shrub this year.  I love goumis because they are self fertile and prolific and completely trouble free.  The one challenge is the pit in each ripe berry–but I eat them fresh, usually, so it is less of a problem.

DSC05828

Here is a photo of one of the “rounds” I created around the existing plants in the orchard garden.  These are alpine strawberries and Jacob’s ladders.

DSC05830

A close up of the alpine strawberry blooms.  Berries are already setting on these charming woodlanders.

DSC05827

I’m very sad about my apple trees this year.  One of them didn’t bloom at all, and since they require a pollinator, it seems unlikely that I’ll get apples.  I planted two new trees this year, so in the future this may not be as big of an issue.  I saw very few bees this year pollinating the apple and cherry trees, so I took a paintbrush out and tried to pollinate myself.

DSC05826

Cherries have set, for sure, and there are also a few plums on the plum tree and a few Asian pears (above) on the mixed Asian pear espalier.

DSC05825

The bleeding hearts continue to bloom nicely.  This is the golden-leaved sport from sister Cate.

DSC05824

The standard form has become a very robust plant–like a small shrub!

DSC05823

The wall flowers that I started from seed last year look pretty good and smell even better.

DSC05822

Weedy as they are, I love these bluebells.  When we moved to the house, there were hundreds of them.  They’ve dwindled down to a few now, and I look forward to their show.

DSC05821DSC05820

DSC05819

DSC05818

DSC05817

A few of the perennialized tulips along the driveway.

DSC05816

This beautiful shrub from brother Tim.  I let it grow up this year and tied it to the Jeff Tangen arbor.  It bloomed remarkably.  I will cut it back and hope for more flowers later in the year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More Desert Adventures

Here are some more pictures from our recent Arizona vacation.

DSC05690

I believe this was a cholla cactus–the flowers not quite open yet.

 

DSC05691

This opuntia pad and fruits looks suspiciously like a foot with six toes.

IDSC05692

Large opuntia with the foot-pad above to the left.

DSC05693

This saguaro had been damaged/broken and you can see the skeleton inside.  It was still growing and appeared well despite the huge loss of its entire top.

DSC05699

Open cholla flowers

DSC05700

Delicate petals and deadly spines

DSC05702

Not a plant you want to stumble upon in flip-flops!

DSC05703

More cactus flowers

DSC05704

And more…

DSC05705

And one more…

DSC05706

These are called fish hook barrel cactus–for obvious reason.  Beautiful plants, but somewhat unsociable.

DSC05707

Another view.  Spectacular plants!

DSC05708

The distant hills on one of my walks.  You can see the limestone cliffs at the tops, eroded by rain and wind into beautiful shapes.

DSC05709

Another spectacular cactus flower.

DSC05710

Amazing cactus plant with delicate blooms amid the deadly thorns.

DSC05711

We hear how Saguaros are endangered and getting rare.  And maybe all the Saguaro-like cactus we saw were not Saguaros at all.  But if they were, there were thousands and thousands of them.  Hard to imagine them endangered!

DSC05712

This poppy proved a bright spot in the desert.  This wasn’t a California poppy–possibly a Mexican poppy.

DSC05713

The rocks/stones/boulders are very impressive in the desert.

DSC05714

More impressive stones.

DSC05715

And more–the colors are amazing.

DSC05716

A typical view on a walk in the desert.

DSC05717

Amazing that plants, including cactus and Palos Verdes trees, find a way to grow in these extreme conditions.

DSC05718

I was pretty excited to find tamarisk along the roadside.  Later, I read that in Arizona, this is called “Salt Cedar” and it is extremely invasive.

DSC05719

A close up of the flowers.  This plant would be fine to grow in Seattle, likely, with no worries about it spreading.

DSC05720

Not sure exactly what the name of this daisy is, but it looked a bit like a tansy.  I only saw it in one place.

DSC05721

It can get tiresome to see all the dry, dry, dry and dusty.  So, I walked to the river and the views were fresher!

DSC05722

Near the river, these brave guys were heading straight up one of the steep  hills.

DSC05724

Arliss took us to Quartzite to see the sights.  This was one of the better/worse ones.

DSC05725

Someone had been using this plastic squirrel for target practice.  It was a strange thing to come upon in the desert.

DSC05726

Spectacular views on a walk near Arliss and Mike’s.

DSC05727

Another great view.  I was actually following the power lines so I wouldn’t get lost.

DSC05728

These hills were full of quartzite.

DSC05729

You can see the sparkling quartzite that the earth is spewing up here.

DSC05730

Another view.

DSC05731

And again…

DSC05735

My shadow against the parched earth.

DSC05736

Another fantastic vision.

DSC05737

A dwarf oenothera in the desert.

DSC05738

Close up of the flowers.

DSC05740

Not sure of these flowers, but they reminded me of layias, only one color.

DSC05741

Fantastic cloud formation.

 

Arizona Desert Vacation

Below are a bunch of captioned pictures from our recent trip to Phoenix and Parker, Arizona.

DSC05688

Arliss, Mike and yours truly–we were hiking in a wash out past Shea Road.  Mike and Arliss are fun to wander with–they know all about the geology and flora and fauna of the desert.

DSC05687

Every rock and every plant is a new treasure.

DSC05686

Desert plant patterns are spectacular.

DSC05684

The color of the cliffs is fascinating, too.

DSC05683

Water only fills the wash once or twice a year, but the force has created canyons all over the desert and it forces shrubs to marry stones, as seen here.

DSC05681 DSC05680

Mike called these elk horn cactus.  The flowers came in various colors, from reddish orange to pure greenish yellow.

DSC05679 DSC05677

There are some giant bees in Arizona, but they were tough for me to photograph.  You can see one in the first photo here just to the right of the Ocotillo blossoms.  It is that giant shiny black bug.  The bees were just a bit smaller than hummingbirds, and probably heavier.

Ocotillos were blooming beautifully all over the desert.

DSC05676

Mesquite trees were blooming everywhere, as well.

DSC05673

The Colorado River runs very close to Arliss and Mike’s place and there were people out enjoying the water on hot days.

DSC05669

A dwarf form of Oenothera added a bright spot in the sand.

DSC05668

I haven’t identified this shrub with tubular flowers yet–it was in  a neighbor’s yard.

DSC05667

Opuntias take on a different kind of look in the spring.

DSC05666

Some other neighbors had a wonderful garden full of hybrid tea roses.  I couldn’t help but think of the water and chemicals they probably have to use to keep these beautiful flowers coming in the desert.

DSC05664

I’ve yet to identify this berry-sporting prickly shrub found in the washes near Parker.

DSC05663

I can’t imagine the berries last long if they are at all edible.

DSC05662

This hillside was regurgitating calcite in thin, translucent sheets.  I found several other hills like this in my hikes.

DSC05661

These shrubs turn lavender in the hot sun…and they blend in with the sand and rocks around them.

DSC05660

A smaller version of the above–its shadow gives it away.

DSC05659

Opuntias are hardcore survivors in the rocky desert.  Some have a lavender hue.

DSC05658

Close up of the same.

DSC05656

There isn’t a lot of wildlife out during the hot days, but these fence lizards scurried away frequently on my hikes.

DSC05653

This little guy had set up home right next to Arliss and Mike’s driveway.

DSC05649

Boat-tailed grackles take the place of crows in this environment.  Their vocalizations are more varied, but they have a similar sense of curiosity and boisterous charm.

DSC05648

Agave offsets–so tempting!

DSC05647

Lantana thrives in dooryards.

DSC05641

I found this boat in one of the washes.  The washes are used as garbage dumps by some and the water steals in own garbage when it really gets flowing, as well.

DSC05640

You can see the lines of different types of sediment/stone up the hillsides.

DSC05639 DSC05638

Views on some of my desert hikes.

DSC05637

Palos verde trees were in full bloom–this one was a  beacon at the top of a wash.

DSC05636

A large opuntia that had recently bloomed with fruit setting.

DSC05635

Barely hanging on a cliff.

DSC05634

This giant limestone-looking flat boulder was in the middle of a wash, having been excavated by recent floods.  It was probably six feet across, at least.

DSC05633

More views from a wash.  The sun and shadows are very different when you are walking in a canyon and I had to be very aware of the time so as not to get stuck trying to find my way out in the dark.

DSC05632

Much of the land looks like this.  It isn’t really dirt or sand–it is an aggregate of stone and sand pushed up from the earth.

DSC05631

Creosote bushes are amazing survivors.  They were the first and sometimes only settlers on barren ground.  They have a defense mechanism where they exude toxic chemicals that won’t let other plants grow nearby, including other creosote bushes.  So, they are spaced out quite a distance and the desert never really looks like a shrubbery.  It looks more like the bushes were planted by a machine on 12 foot axes.

DSC05630

Bougainvillea grow well in the desert, as well, but have to be watered.  I’m not fond of this, the most predominant hue, but it certainly stood out in a world where almost every flower is yellow.

DSC05629

I saw this hummer in a Mesquite–we were watching each other.

DSC05627

I’ve heard these called Mexican petunias–they are ruellias.

DSC05626

Very drought tolerant, apparently.

DSC05625

This beautiful Bauhinia tree is in the same garden as the tea roses mentioned earlier.  This yard is an oasis–lots of green plants and bright flowers and birds (they have multitudinous feeders).

DSC05623

You can see the great Orchid Tree leaves here, along with the graceful flowers.

I’ll post more pictures in the next day or two.

 

 

Busy Garden Day!

I had to postpone any garden work for a couple of weeks due to work conflicts, so I set today aside to get the bare minimum done, especially since the weather was perfect to get things done.

My order from Plant Delights landed on Thursday, so I potted up or planted out all of those treasures.  The more tender ones ended up in pots in the greenhouse until warmer weather.  The hardier ones went right outside.  I’m probably most excited about Iris ungicularis “Francis Wormsley”–a winter blooming fragrant iris!  I planted it near the plum tree along the fence in the orchard garden.

Two kiwi vines arrived from Burgess.  The female is pretty healthy looking, but the male looked like a dead stick.  I planted it anyway, but will watch it and get a replacement if needed.  I planted these on the trellises in the raised veggie beds.

Much of the day was spent cleaning up after the serious windstorm we had here last weekend.  There were hundreds of branches off the Douglas fir, and thousands of cones from that tree, as well.  I didn’t attempt to pick up the cones–something I’ll tackle another time.  But the branches got picked/raked up and readied for yard waste pick up.

I fertilized the cane berries today, too, with an organic food from Raintree Nursery.  The blackberries are looking really strong this year and I expect many more berries this year than last.

It was an excellent day for photographs, as the sun was filtered by thin clouds.  I’m going to dump some here and will add captions some other time.

DSC05588

One of last year’s forced hyacinths–a gorgeous very light pink.  All over the garden and pots, many of the hyacinths have bent over, likely due to weather and weak stems.

DSC05587

This may be the third time I’ve photographed this potted hyacinth from last year’s forced bulbs, which means it has been in bloom for the better part of a month.

DSC05586

I couldn’t get a clear shot of the clivia buds that are coming on throughout the greenhouse–the space is stuffed to the gills.  But I took a blurry shot to show that the flowers are coming…

DSC05583

This mounted orchid has increased in size ten-fold since I got it at the flower and garden show maybe 4 years ago.  It has yet to bless me with its flowers.  I think it is an Aerangis, but I couldn’t reach it to read the tag!

DSC05581

Many of the cymbidiums that I assumed would not bloom are now spiking–probably 5 or six more spikes throughout the greenhouse.

DSC05580

This is a second spike on the “hooded” cymbidium.  Its first spike of flowers had bad viral spots and were ruined.  Hopefully, the second spike will fare better–I have adjusted the fan and will open the door frequently to ensure air circulation.

DSC05579

Fuchsia “Cardinal” tree is blooming.  I need to pinch it back, but couldn’t bear to take these lovely flowers off!

DSC05577

The form of this holiday cactus is spectacular.  This is one that I’m growing in a hanging basket in orchid bark.  The flower display has been less than impressive in quantity, but the blooms themselves are fascinating and beautiful.

DSC05576

The “classic” holiday cactus still has dozens of bright blooms.

DSC05575 ‘

At the front of the greenhouse, out of reach, the Veltheimia is blooming.DSC05573

I don’t think Freesia laxa plants exactly thrive in my care…but they bless me with flowers, anyway.  This is a seedling of the blue morph, and while the sparse flower show does not inspire awe, the delicate lavender color with distinctive spots are worth a spot in the greenhouse.

DSC05574

I appear to have a knack with Pleione, however.  I started with one bulb and now there are a dozen or so.  I’ll be able to try some outside when I divide them.  The clay pot they are in has 7 blooms this year.

DSC05571

For such short plants, the flowers are actually huge.

DSC05570

The bulbs have spread quickly in this terracotta rectangular pot.

DSC05569

Here are what the bulbs look like.  They are starting to pile up on top of each other, so I will pick a few out and share with family/friends, and plant some in the Douglas fir bed to see if they can survive there.

DSC05568

A slightly clearer picture of the pot.

DSC05565

This bloom is not quite open yet.

DSC05564

Another picture of the soon to be fully open Pleione formosana flower.  This flower was closest and I could reach it easiest, so that’s why I photographed it so much!

DSC05563

I spent part of the day going through potted plants on the shelves next to the house and repotting/topdressing (and composting) the contents there.  Above is a Japanese maple seedling that I put in a bonsai pot today.  It is not really a bonsai yet, but has some real potential.  I believe this is a five year old seedling from some arboretum seeds.

DSC05562

Here is the shelf mentioned above.  I got through the top three shelves.  There are two shelves to go–might get to it tomorrow.

DSC05559

Trillium aren’t huge fans of the Douglas fir bed, but they persist there after probably 15 years.  I think there are only two that will bloom this year.  I love these plants, but I suspect it is too dry under that giant forest tree to keep them truly happy.

DSC05558

Anemone blandas blooming in the Douglas fir bed.  I forgot I had planted these, along with some other fall-planted bulbs back in October.  They were happy to remind me, though.  They are fantastic–perfect woodland citizens.

DSC05557

A close up of the Anemone flower.

DSC05556

More Anemone flowers.

DSC05554

One narcissus that perennializes in my garden is the poeticus–you can see a healthy clump here that will have 7-10 flowers in the next week or so.

DSC05552

Very few tulips have survived, but this cream/white one will be wide open in a few days.  It has graceful form.

DSC05550

An absolute spring favorite–the sweet olive, Osmanthus fragrans.  As I worked in the orchard garden and front yard, this generous shrub rewarded me with its sweet scent.

DSC05549

Ferns around the garden are really coming into their own this month.

DSC05548

Fiddleheads.

DSC05547

More fiddleheads.

DSC05546

Strong new growth as the old fronds make way by laying on the ground.

DSC05545

This Heuchera is in the woodland “pond” garden.

DSC05544

Probably  my favorite picture of the day–this is a bleeding heart (Dicentra) in the woodland “pool” garden.

DSC05543

The same plant from a little distance.

DSC05542

Yellow is not my favorite flower color, but this Epimedium x versicolor “Sulphureum” in the pool garden has earned my appreciation.  It is tough as nails and blooms brightly in earliest spring.

DSC05541

Not fully in focus, but this is Brazen Hussy, the best-named plant in the pool garden, a selection of Ranunculus.  It is a runner, for sure, but hasn’t proven thuggish, since it disappears in late spring.

DSC05540

The Goumi (Elaeagnus multiflora) in the orchard garden is budding up better than ever–looks like it will have a bumper crop this year!

DSC05539

This aronia shrub has flowers coming.   It looks like it may have fewer berries than last year.   The plant is growing well, though, so I imagine it’ll produce a lot more berries next year.

DSC05538

Corylopsis still blooming.  The flowers fade to a soft lemon yellow and elongate into this graceful form.

DSC05537

Again, with the past-its-best Forsythia in the background.

DSC05536

Another Corylopsis branch.

DSC05535

Squirrels help spread the grape hyacinths (Muscari), or at least I assume that’s how they end up in places they were never planted.  This stand is in the raspberry bed.

DSC05534

Throught the raspberry canes.

DSC05533

I need to fertilize this poor camellia, but it is blooming beautifully.

DSC05532

Many more flowers on the Asian pear espalier–I am hopeful that we’ll actually get fruit this year.  Last year, despite quite a few flowers, not fruit appeared.

DSC05530

Here is sister Cate’s Hellebore–I couldn’t resist another picture in the perfect lighting today.

DSC05529

Dicentra in the orchard garden–this also from sister Cate.

DSC05528

Close up of the sister Cate bleeding heart.

DSC05527

The plum tree is blooming well this year, too.  Hopefully we’ll get a few plums.  I believe this is Santa Rosa.

DSC05526

Close up of the flowers.

DSC05525

And more plum flowers.

DSC05524

Here is the start of Iris unguicularis “Francis Wormsley” from Plant Delights.  The plants were all great starts and packed extremely well.

DSC05523

Started very early from seed last year, these wall flowers are just now blooming.  I absolutely love this rich burgundy color!

DSC05522

Coronilla (emerus?) blooming near the front door.  This came as a start from brother Tim at least 15 years ago.  It has done really well for me.  My only challenge is how to keep it pruned and yet let it bloom–it has grand aspirations in a limited space.

DSC05521

More Coronilla flowers.  This shrub is just starting to bloom now–it will stay cheerful for about a month, and will rebloom if I cut it way back.

 

Amazing March Weather Madness

We had rain squalls, sun bursts and then a thunder storm at the beginning of the evening–all of the weather March can bring in one busy day.

I didn’t let the weather slow me down, as I had a rare garden day set aside and I got quite a bit done.

My Raintree Nursery order arrived this week and I had to get the trees and brambles in the ground.  There was a dwarf Morello cherry:

A dwarf Vandalay cherry:

Two urban columnar apples:

One Royalty raspberry, planted in a raised bed:

Royalty Purple raspberry-4 Inch Pot [SPRING]

Chester blackberry, planted between the espalier Asian pear and the plum tree:

Chester Blackberry-4 in pot [SPRING]

Here are some pictures from the greenhouse and around:

DSC05443

Old-fashioned holiday cactus blooming in the greenhouse.  I inherited this from some neighbors that moved away, and begrudgingly found room for it.  And of course, it makes me feel guilty every year by blooming beautifully!

DSC05445

Very soft pink hyacinths blooming for the second year in a pot on the potting bench.

DSC05446

I like this starry blue one, too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Annual West Seattle Adventure

 

I visited West Seattle today for Brother Tim’s birthday celebration.  We walked all over and saw some amazing things.

First, on the way out, I saw this blooming in the pot with the Osmanthus:

DSC05388

Corydalis solida, which gets forgotten every year because it goes dormant so early, comes back with a lot of fanfare in early spring!

DSC05387

This seems happy in the pot, even though the soil is full of Osmanthus root.

DSC05389

Also on the way out, I noticed raindrops and sunshine on the primroses in the pot near the porch.

DSC05391

DSC05392

I wasn’t sure about flower colors, but I think springtime allows for brighter combinations without worrying about too much brightness or contrast.

DSC05393

Below are more crocus pics–they are just so photogenic!

DSC05394DSC05395

DSC05396

Here is a foliage standout–Persicaria “Red Dragon” in the Douglas fir bed.  This was a big, robust grower at first, but I think it is unhappy now and it just throws a few stems each year.  This is probably an okay thing, as I gave starts to my friend Jeff and they turned into monsters in his yard–tall and wide thugs that had to be tamed!

DSC05390

Another hyacinth picture, with the light and raindrops–love these white ones.

And then on to West Seattle.

DSC05397

These were some amazing pots we passed outside a business.  I’m not sure what these gray leaved beauties were–tried to find them online (centarea, senecio?), but couldn’t find them.  They were brilliant!

DSC05398

A close-up of a particularly attractive Hellebore in one of these pots.

DSC05399

DSC05400

I photographed this same Rhodie last year around the same time.  It is extremely beautiful.

DSC05401

DSC05402

DSC05403

Camellias are a mixed blessing.  Lots of pretty flowers and a giant mess underneath!  I had a gardening job years ago in a job with HUMONGOUS camellia shrubs and I spent hours and hours picking up the dropped flowers from the ground/lawn.  They were heavy.  I filled whole garbage bags with them every spring!

DSC05404

Like last year, we had a gorgeous day to explore and the magnolia flowers looked great against the blue sky.

DSC05407

On the same gardening job, I had to pick up saucer magnolia flowers after they dropped–they were even worse than camellias!  They stuck to the lawn and had to be raked out of it.

DSC05408

Aubrietas growing in a rock wall.  The flowers don’t last long, but they are fun.

DSC05409

Some amazing grasses were still looking good after winter.

DSC05411

Red-flowered currants were blooming.  I love them for maybe two weeks, but not enough to add any to my yard.  Brother Tim says they are worth it for the hummers they attract.

DSC05410

I’m not a fan of bergenias normally, but the below white one (possibly Bressingham White) was very pretty.

DSC05412

And here’s a close-up.

DSC05413

Below are the catkins on a contorted Colylus avellana

DSC05414

I love Magnolia stellate, and there were some stunning ones in West Seattle today, perfectly pristine.

DSC05415

DSC05417

Next, we went to Schmidt’s Preserve, where we walked through some great wilderness, including some old-growth trees.  Only the plant-geek Petersons would be mostly impressed by all the skunk cabbage plants throughout the area!

DSC05418

DSC05420 DSC05422 DSC05427

DSC05426

The leaves on these smelly water plants will extend out to 3 feet or more.

And there were some salmon berries blooming (Rubus spectabilis)

DSC05424

DSC05425

The forest was really wet and I saw these mushrooms growing on a nurse log:

DSC05428

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the beach, this amazing log covered with ivy vines was laying on the sand.

DSC05431

DSC05430

And a bird sighting–these appear to be Barrow’s goldeneyes!  So amazing!

DSC05432

DSC05433

And the other amazing this was to see how WARM it is in West Seattle vs. my house, just 12 miles away!  This acacia was growing outside in a sheltered corner:

DSC05434

DSC05435

All in all, it was a fantastic day, celebrating my big brother’s 58th birthday outside in a beautiful world!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Frosty morning, brilliant day

 

I was stuck inside most of the day, but noticed there was significant frost on the grass when I ventured out to get the paper this morning.

Sunny weather is a mixed blessing, as it seems ripe for garden photography, but the truth is that better pictures are typically had on overcast days.  Still, living in Seattle, I think sunshine means more to me–it definitely alters all moods for the better!

Here is a Hellebore given to us by friends Bonnie and Pam probably 15 years ago.  The plant is a bit less vigorous this year, with fewer flowers, but it has a grace and beauty that some of the more floriferous Lenten roses lack.

DSC05288

DSC05287

One of Leon’s early stone sculptures.  This one is called Aquarius and it sits near the pond in the fenced pond garden.  The above Hellebore lives there, too.

DSC05286

Below are some bonsai starts–seedling that I started years ago.  The center plant is a Japanese larch that is leafing out–such a cheerful, graceful tree.

DSC05281

The larch buds just bursting with life:

DSC05280

I love the light through the garlic chives.  I grew these from seeds, as well.  It has taken a few years for them to get enough size on them so I feel okay harvesting them!

DSC05279

Standard chives are below–popping up like crazy.  I will take some off the edges and pot them up for brother Tim’s plant sale in the spring.

DSC05278

I’m not really sure why hyacinths are my favorite spring bulb–it must be the fragrance.  These white beauties from the cold frame are more graceful than most of the giant hybrids…and the scent doesn’t disappoint.

DSC05277

Our cheerful bulb/primrose display.  The pot needs to be washed, as rain has washed mud all the way up the sides!  Such a Seattle problem.

DSC05276

Corylopsis is blooming.  I struggle to get flowers of this shrub that do justice to its graceful, bright flowers.

DSC05274 DSC05271

Crocus, on the other hand, are almost impossible NOT to photograph well.  The photography rule of avoiding sunny days doesn’t always apply.  For example, crocus just don’t ever look this happy on a cloudy day.

DSC05268

I went a little crazy with the crocus pics, but can you blame me?  They are infinitely graceful.

DSC05267

I love the deep golden hearts to the white crocus below.

DSC05266

And here again.

DSC05265

These are new for me and I’m really pleased with them–I’ll get more to plant in the Doug fir bed and around this fall.  Another advantage to crocus is the price–so I can afford to be generous with them.

DSC05264

And last…

DSC05263

I’ve already photographed this iris reticulate hybrid, but can’t resist a few more pictures in the sun.

DSC05262

I’ve not had luck with these in the garden, so forcing them in pots has been my only way to enjoy success with them.  I splurged last year and got some nice hybrids rather than the usual mix.  The mixes often don’t have the better cultivars–I think they are tough to propagate and they command a high price.

DSC05261

More leftover forced hyacinths from last year.

DSC05260In the greenhouse, Mom’s cymbidium is still blooming beautifully.  The flowers lose some of their green and turn a buff-beige that is stunning.

DSC05259

Here is an inherited cymbidium blooming for the first time.  I am not opposed to the cup shaped flowers, and the color and size are nice.  Unfortunately, the flowers are spotted on the outside and that ruins the picture when the flowers don’t open all the way!

DSC05258

The Masdevallias continue to shine, as well, so I took a few pictures in the bright light.

DSC05257

Superb form and garish color.

DSC05256

You can really see the intricate interior in this picture.

DSC05154

 

Rainy President’s Day

The day has wavered from drizzly to rainy all morning, but I didn’t let that stop me from getting things done in the garden.  Days off are too precious to waste just because Seattle is being Seattle!

You can see the wet in these flower pictures:

DSC05237 DSC05238 DSC05240

The forced iris in the windowsill continue to impress;

DSC05235

I’ll pull more bulbs out of the fridge and put them out on the porch and in the greenhouse later today.

The main focus today was clean-up of the shrubs around the orchard garden.  This is what I removed:

DSC05241

It will take a few weeks to get all of this into yard waste!  Most of the branches are from the climbing rose, the Lonicera tatarica, buddlejas, rhodies that have crept over from the neighbors yard and raspberries.

Here is the cleaned up raspberry bed:

DSC05248

The canes are noticeably weaker this year.  I really need to fertilize them well and I have some fertilizer coming from Raintree Nursery.

The forsythia and winter hazel are opening up despite the rain–should be in full bloom by next weekend.

DSC05250

I planted a bunch of seeds today, too–lettuce and endive, parsley and peas, Tiny Tim tomatoes and kale.

DSC05239

All signs are pointing to spring just around the corner

There were a few garden chores on the list today, and of course many more for the coming weeks.  Today, I pruned the climbing rose that had been on the trellis and growing up the recently removed bitter cherry tree.  I easily removed half the plant, but I’m sure it will grow right back.  This is a start from the arboretum, and it has deliciously fragrant apricot/cream flowers.

DSC05225Signs of spring include all of the following and the above narcissus that I set out today from the cold frame.

DSC05215

This pot had a hummingbird visitor today!

The camellia in our yard has one giant open flower…a bit weather worn now, but amazing in its size and shape, regardless.

DSC05226

The buds on the winter hazel and the forsythia are very close to bursting:

DSC05227

DSC05228

Crocus are up and blooming, including these in the Douglas fir bed:

DSC05220 DSC05219 DSC05218 DSC05217 DSC05216

The Hellebore from Brother Tim is blooming:

DSC05221 DSC05224More seedlings are up in the greenhouse–verbascums, campanulas and others:

DSC05229

The Masdevallias continue to be the bright lights in the greenhouse–nothing subtle here, but their shape is cheering and the color cannot be ignored.

DSC05231

Below are some of the forced iris reticulates that came out of the fridge about a month ago.  They have taken a long time to bloom, but I love the flower shape, color and Leon enjoys the scent (I can’t smell it due to nose blindness).  The container is a homemade pot from my school friend Lisa Ostgard-Murray–close to 40 years old!

DSC05213

Other garden chores today–I pruned the Madrona trees in the Doug fir bed and the mint plant there, as well.  Cleaned out some stems from the Aruncus, too.

In the orchard garden, I did some clean-up of the brambles, cutting out dead canes and securing the live ones with twine on the trellises to be sure they are up and out of trouble and ready to produce a million berries.

There are many other chores–hope to get to more tomorrow and Monday, as the holiday will give me some much needed free time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In honor of great gardeners of the past