How is it possible that the lawn needed to be mowed at the end of February?!  Usually, I get to wait until the end of March, but I should have mowed it this past weekend and decided to do other chores with my limited time, instead.

I pruned the heck out of a wild rose at the end of the driveway.  Grown from an arboretum seed, this rose is very vigorous and should have been planted a little farther into the yard, away from the driveway and the street.  Inevitably, it grows long canes that reach out and scratch cars and visitors alike.  I cut it way back to the main woody canes–about 4′ at the tallest.  It will spring back to life and get to 10+ feet again by the end of summer.  This rose gets elegant light pink, single flowers, and is festooned with elongated, scarlet hips all winter long–festive for holiday decorating and just adding lovely color to the garden in the gray months.

I planted the seedling sweet peas out near the berry trellises on Sunday, too.  I’m hopeful the slugs will leave them alone and the cold weather won’t bother them.  They were healthy starts and I didn’t want them to get pot bound, as that tends to slow them down or stop them growing altogether.  My hope is that the peas will bloom early and long and attract pollinators to the berry flowers as they appear, increasing the crops and adding interest and fragrance to that area of the garden.

I checked out the seed flats and the only noticeable growth is with the Lathyrus mix that I planted several weeks ago.  About nine different seedlings were showing through the soil.  I’ve left the wallflower seedlings out to harden off and they seem no worse for wear.  Likely, they will find a place in the garden next weekend.

In the greenhouse, the clivias are starting to spike, which means that I really need to reorganize next weekend and move these bold plants out where I can make sure they get watered and where their lovely flowers can be enjoyed.

I have started dozens of these amaryllis relatives from seed and many of them have never bloomed before, so I’m excited to see the colors and flower shapes.

Other plants that are getting flowers are the masdevallia orchids.  I divided one plant into four last year and all of them are healthy and setting flowers.  The flowers look like this:

The Veltheimia in the greenhouse is blooming, as well, all the way at the far end that I can only reach with great effort, moving some of the winter-stored plants out of the way.

I also spent some time tearing ivy off of the giant Douglas fir tree in the yard.  I like having ivy in the bed around the tree–it covers and drapes well.  But you have to manage it, or the tree will get devoured and the ivy will bloom and set seed, which isn’t fair to nature or neighbor.

I finished the Chatto/Lloyd gardening letter book I was reading.  It had a few good pieces of advice and mostly was inspiring in hearing older gardeners who had loved gardening their whole lives and their passion for it didn’t fade but got stronger.

My newest garden read, and one that I’m extremely excited about is local author Ann Lovejoy’s “Handbook of Northwest Gardening”.    So far, this book appears to be an extremely sensible and intelligent planning guide for transforming a house lot into a useful, beautiful garden space.  I like the way Ms. Lovejoy spells out the steps and the problem-solving techniques.  It doesn’t hurt that the book deals very specifically with the challenge I’m facing–recreating a garden from the lawn and old shrubs that exist here in my yard.

So, off to read more about what I might someday get to do when time and finances allow!

The glorious, amazing spring weather continues and I had the pleasure of visiting West Seattle yesterday and wandering around with my brother.  The plants there are even more advanced than here in north Seattle, thanks to the warming effects of the nearby Puget Sound.

Saucer magnolias against the blue sky.

Most books say that sunny days are bad for photography, and I certainly see the challenge.  But the bluest skies are irresistible!

Stunning saucer magnolia in full bloom and closer and closer up.

 
This rich purple magnolia was in someone’s yard and I couldn’t reach it, but the camera was able to capture some of the beautiful color.

I have a love/hate relationship with bergenias.  I hate the way the leaves get mangled by winter and sometimes just leave a mess.  But how can I not love the flowers?  West Seattle certainly seems to suit these plants better than my area, where they just look disastrous this year.

Early rhododendrons are everywhere, including the lovely white one above.

 

These delicate pink bells on a dwarf rhodie shrub were lovely to see.

This is a fragrant viburnum, delicate scent and lovely flowers on a rambunctious shrub.

Rosemary was blooming remarkably well in the balmy weather, and the flowers looked particularly stunning against this brick wall.

 

The camellias were amazing around my brother’s neighborhood…and the flowers were pristine because of the dry weather.  Above is a gallery of some of them.

Red flowering currants in full bloom.

This gorgeous plum tree was showing off in the pea-patch garden in which my brother is a member.

This pasque flower was blooming brightly in the West Seattle Nursery.

This beautiful flower was opening in a 4″ pot at West Seattle nursery–a ginger of some sort.

Daphne, smelling like heaven and lovely, too.

A daffodil opening in the brilliant sun.

This pachysandra has an interesting bloom–not showy like most of the other flowers in this gallery, but with its own lovely charm.

Brilliant crocus shining through sedums.

I went running today and it was stunning how many plants are already in bloom.  Daffodils and crocus are in full bloom, much earlier than I ever remember.  Vinca minor is in full bloom and the bedraggled bergenias are trying to bloom, but being severely outclassed by pink heathers and white iberis.  Many plum, cherry, ornamental pear and apricot trees are also boisterously flaunting their flowers.  I saw scotch broom, that weedy invader, starting to bloom.  The early flowering rhododendrons are also in flower.

Today was so very spring-like, and it is obvious that the plant life here believes that spring is here, as well.  The buds on the Santa Rosa plum I purchased from Raintree are plumping up and near to blooming.  All the fruit trees and shrubs have expanding buds already.  The winter hazel is about to be in full bloom next to the blazing forsythia, and Osmanthus fragrans is days away from sweetly scenting the driveway.

Any severe frost or cold from now on could be devastating to crops, flowers and the plants themselves.

There has been an especially sweet smell in the garden when I leave in the morning and when I come home at night. I wasn’t sure what could be smelling so sweetly and fairly strong, as the only obvious things in flower have no scent.  I recently read for the first time that Daphne laureola, the spurge laurel, can be fragrant.  This handsome plant, now considered a noxious weed in our area, has sprouted a few places in our yard and is currently in full bloom, with yellow-green flowers.  I always let it grow, but try to cut it back before it has a chance to form ripe berries to keep it from spreading.  I had always been told that this plant’s flowers do not smell, but there is no doubt that some of those in our yard have a wonderful fragrance, and the Wikipedia link confirms that these flowers can have a strong scent.

One notices so many things while running 16 miles through the neighborhood.  Probably the most obvious thing I notice is how few people even try to maintain any type of garden nowadays.  Most of them are content with lawn and a few shrubs or perennials, poorly placed and even more poorly maintained.  Among these plain-Jane yards, I do see some gems mixed in.  Many of these have obviously been designed by professionals, but some appear to just be garden-crazy individuals with their home-style charm applied liberally to a city lot.

I checked the seeds today and, while none of the seeds planted last week are poking through yet, the seeds from the prior planting are up and growing well.  Several of the mixed lathyrus seedlings are up, some myositis, hundreds of campanula and the sweet peas.  In an earlier post, I mentioned the possibility of mold in the greenhouse, and I realized today that one of the fans had died, so I ordered a new one to be delivered in 10 days or so.

By moving the flat of wallflowers outside (under a clear plastic cover), I was able to make room for one more flat of seeds without having to rearrange the entire greenhouse.  So, I planted mixed Andean rarities, a salvia mix, a verbascum cottage mix, roemeria hybrida, along with some primula japonica in a soft pink.

The best things blooming in the greenhouse are the forced spring bulbs, a species crocus and mixed dwarf iris.  They are so lovely and graceful (and short-lived), that I took a few pictures to remember them:

 

Shopping filled some of my time today, as I was too tired after the run to tackle much!  I ordered from Gardens Alive, who now carry plants–one dwarf mulberry, a new type of blackberry and a goji berry vine.  I also ordered some fruit fertilizer.  Their products have always worked well for me and are designed with the environment in mind.

From the Kelp4Less website, I ordered some rooting powder, some kelp meal (which I swear by), and some azomite powder, which is a natural mined substance that adds minerals to soil from A to Z (thus the name azomite).

We’ll be having a neighborhood studio tour in September and our house will be one of the stops.  I intend to have some plant stock saved up and ready to sell during the art sale.  I already have a bunch of cymbidiums and queen’s tears, and if any of the seeds I’m starting take off in any significant numbers, I should have some good-sized perennials to sell.  Also, I’ll take cuttings (once the rooting powder lands) of the clematis on the arbor in front (small, prolific, purple single flowers) as I cut it back for the season, and will also get cuttings of the Clematis alpine “Willy” on the back patio and the C. Montana rubens, as well.

Other plants that will be easy to divide are the campanula porscharskyana, and the big root geraniums are easy to root.  There are typically some Echinops in the veggie gardens seeded from the big parent plant nearby.  My goal would be to have plants in the $2.50 to $5.00 range ready to fly off the shelves.  That has never happened before, but I’m telling myself that if I have the RIGHT plants I can sell them.  Spring makes me optimistic!

The forsythia near the driveway is really coming into its own:

The street light shines on the top of this shrub, making it showy day AND night!

 

Mixed dwarf iris that were forced in the fridge–potted up in October:

I’m especially glad that there are hybrids in the mix, as most of these mixes only contain the species.

 

While it seems a bit early for seed starting, I have so many different kinds to start that I need to spread them out over then next three months.  And definitely the spring-like weather is motivating me to get as many in the ground early as possible.

The transplanted wallflowers are doing well–they haven’t grown too much, but appear healthy and should be ready to transplant mid-March after hardening them off.  I will water them with some compost tea today.

Some of the seeds planted in late January are up and growing.  Surprisingly, hundreds of the campanula mix seedlings have sprouted, all looking much the same.  The sweet peas are also up.  A few forget-me-nots and a few of the lathyrus mix are peaking through, as well.

I aired the flats out a bit yesterday, as mold is visible.  The flats are across from and under fans, as well, but might have just been a bit too moist.  I’ll keep an eye on them.

Decisions have been made on how to plant the orchard area north of the driveway and turn it into a better garden.  I’ve decided that going with floriferous, mostly low growing perennials that I can grow from seed with a few purchased plants thrown in (always nice to have treasures to shop for) makes the most sense.  I’ll plant it as if it is a border on its own, with lawn pathways (for now).  The seeds went into flats yesterday–three types of geranium, a dianthus mix and three types of penstemon. three types of non-vining lathyrus, and a good form of oregano.  Some of the campanulas will find their way here, too, and some creeping thyme will fill in.  With some reasonable planning and luck, I should end up with a bee/butterfly and hummingbird paradise with lots of pollination happening on the fruits and berries by next spring.

Other seeds found there way into flats and the ground yesterday, too.  I soaked some yellow-podded peas for half a day and then planted them in the veggie garden.  It was perfect weather for that, and I think the soil is warm enough that they should be up in a week or so.

The greenhouse is cramped for space for flats so I need to reorganize it.  This will likely be attempted next weekend, as the calendar is fairly open and the weather is supposed to cooperate.

Here is what it looks like now, with the wallflowers closest to the watering can:

I’m back from a week in the desert of Nevada and Arizona and it looks, feels and sounds an awful lot like spring here in Seattle.  In the eight days since I flew away, the forsythia bush at the end of the driveway burst into full bloom:

Other signs of spring are all the hellebores in full flight:

These two from Plant Delights about four years ago in the bed under the douglas fir.

Here is flower detail:

Below is still my favorite flower from brother Tim–likely 15 years ago.

This one is from sister Cate last year–prolific and coincidentally looks like a combo of the other two!

Unfortunately, the bulbs I forced in the cold frame have been pretty warm, so they are all getting ready to bloom at once and not on my schedule, but on their own. Some of the hyacinths look pretty good:

You can see that these are ready to go, so I’ve uncovered them to get a bit of the wonderful sun today.  I’ll be moving them out to the greenhouse or house soon.  The tulips are the only ones that aren’t really doing much–not sure if they will bloom or not.

Bulbs in the garden are actually ahead of the forced bulbs, including the crocus and one lonely, early daffodil:

Other blooms and buds in the garden:

I spent a week in Nevada/Arizona and just got back yesterday.  Temperatures there saw highs in the 80’s and lows in the 50’s–very mild/warm.   Parker, Arizona was my home base for most of that time.  There had been significant rains over the weeks prior, and the desert was starting to green up and bloom.

At a visit to Springs Preserve outside of Las Vegas, I saw a bunch of interesting plants.  The above agave was about to bloom, looking like a huge, blue asparagus.

The amazing agave above had bloomed earlier and the top of the flower stalk was covered with dozens of new plants!

One of my favorite plant families–Bauhinia, the orchid trees.  The leaves are wonderful and the flowers just add to the beauty.  Sadly, I’ve yet to find one that is hardy/happy in Seattle.  But seeing the beautiful leaves above will keep me looking!

I got seeds off this legume–didn’t get the name, so it will be a surprise.  It had typical pea-family leaves, but the new ones had a  blue/gray bloom to them.  The seeds are big and super hard, so I’ll need to boil them or something to get them started.

The structure of agaves is irresistible, and yet I need to resist it.  Christopher Lloyd put this in perspective in one of his books.  He warned against adopting plants that require too much effort for your region–he felt the work involved is rarely worthwhile and the effect is less than natural or effective.  I tend to agree.  While I would love an arid looking xeric garden with agaves, yuccas and cactus, it likely would be impossible and not worth the failed efforts.

Palms are a similar story–delectable color and form, and yet there are only a few that thrive in Seattle and they are tough to work effectively into a landscape.  I have grown palms from seed for the house and greenhouse.  Talk about slow growing!  I have a seven year old seedling of a similar looking palm to the above, and it is only a foot tall and has only a few strap-like leaves and no hint of a trunk.  The poor thing probably just wants some sun and warmth.

I am assuming this is a salvia, but I didn’t see a nametag.  The bees were out and loving it, and the color was the perfect foil for all the yellow flowers that seem to predominate the desert flora.

Close up of the same salvia showing interesting flower form and brilliant blue color.

Here is an Ocotillo near Parker, growing with a gray Brittlebush.  These are amazing shrubs–the Ocotillo with striking, vase-shaped form and loads of spines, while the Brittlebush is bright gray and displays prolific yellow daisies.  The Ocotillos were just leafing out while I was there and I’m told the flowers are brilliant hummingbird magnets.  I look forward to seeing that some day.

I golfed on a gorgeous county course in Parker and the scenery was inspiring.  These palms caught my eye in the morning light.  Often palms are manicured to the point of obsession, so it was nice to see some that still held their ruff of old leaves.

The friends who live there and who generously hosted us are trying to grow native plants on a very steep slope at the back of their property.  I gathered Palo Verde seeds for them and ordered seeds online of Brittlebush and Honey Mesquite.  I’ll try to start some in the greenhouse and I’ll pass the rest of the seeds on to them to direct sow.  I’m also going to try some evening primrose seeds and sand verbena to share with them.  Pictures below of these found blooming in the desert in one special place.

It certainly doesn’t feel like January right now–temperatures in the sixties and blue skies.  Warm and dry, more like summer than we have in June in Seattle some years!  Hard to imagine all the cold and snow in the East, when all is so calm and cozy here!

Yesterday morning I planted four more types of seeds in six packs in the greenhouse.  For seed starting, I’m using about 2/5 Black Gold seed starting mix, 2/5 Fox Farm organic potting mix and 1/5 coarse sand.

Myosotis arvensis–I’ve always loved forget-me-nots, and the Field Forget-me-Not promises to aggressively fill in blank spaces–just the type of plant that might survive and spread some color around the garden and create some self-sown surprises.

Lathyrus hardy species mixed–I’ve never met a lathyrus I didn’t love, and this mix is said to include:

Lathyrus aureus        Lathyrus chloranthus      Lathyrus laxiflorus     Lathyrus latifolius     Lathyrus pubescens     Lathyrus rotundifolius     Lathyrus tingitanus     Lathyrus tuberosus     Lathyrus vernus

Note:  I did not soak these seeds prior to sowing, but am hoping that by sowing them in good, moist compost in a cool greenhouse, that natural stratification will get them to germinate.  I may order another packet of these seeds from Plant World to start in late spring if these don’t germinate well.

Campanula Cottage Mix–another mixed packet which I’m hoping will get me some plants that I’ve never grown before, and in some quantity.  The packet was loaded with seed, and I didn’t plant them all–I’ll save some for late spring.  Plant World says this includes all of their upright types from their catalog and a few rarities that they don’t have quantities enough to list separately.

Sweet Peas–I plan to train sweet peas on the same trellises that my berries grow on to attract pollinators and give me something to distract me from my bad habit of picking the berries too early!

The wallflowers transplanted last weekend have transitioned well–they look pretty happy in their greenhouse within a greenhouse.  I was tempted to move them outside, but I reminded myself that it is JANUARY–it could freeze or snow any time and even tough wallflower seedlings couldn’t handle that!

While inspecting the yard and garden over the weekend, I saw that the Hellebores are doing well and either blooming or near to bloom.  The warm days have really moved this process along.  We have a big, tall forsythia near the driveway and its buds are swelling–should start to bloom in two weeks, given all this warm weather.  The winter hazel next to it is significantly behind, but then it always is–it extends the brilliant yellow early show.

A fairly windy storm hit Seattle Saturday night.  We have a big Douglas Fir tree in our yard that worries me–I expect it to become an uninvited bedroom visitor one day.  Luckily, that didn’t happen yet, but I spent some time picking up more twigs and branches off the street and lawn that had snapped off.  A new neighbor was out at the same time performing the same chore…I’m sure it was a scene repeated all down our street since these giant forest trees are quite common in this neighborhood.

We had warm weather yesterday, so I took some time to pot on some wallflower seedlings that I’d started in November.  I hadn’t expected all the seeds to germinate so quickly and well, so I had three 4 inch pots full of seedlings.  I moved two pots worth to six-packs in a tray with a humidity cover.  That will give me 48 plants to set out in early spring, assuming all survive.  I hedged my bets by putting two seedlings in each cell since I had so many.

Since this potting on provided more space on the heat mat, I sowed a few other types of seed:

Agastache nepetoides–the idea of a 6-foot hyssop is appealing to me, and should be great for bees and butterflies.

Freesia laxa Joan Evans–the standard form does well in the greenhouse for me, and I have seedlings of the standard and the blue form that will likely bloom in 2015;  I’ve read that this is possibly winter hardy in Seattle, so I’ll plant some out this year to see what happens!

Andean climbers mixed–very excited about these and hoping to get more than the Eccremocarpus to sprout–mixed seed in a packet said to include:

Leontochir ovallei          Luzuriaga radicans         Lapageria rosea

Bomarea salsilla          Mitraria coccinea           Boquila trifoliata

Tropaeolum ciliatum         Schyphanthus stenocarpus        

Eccremocarpus scaber         Herreria stelata          Tropaeolum tricolor

Tropaeolum polyphyllum          Aristolochia chilensis

Dierama species mixed–I’ve had luck with these from seed, so thought I’d try a bunch more.  I’ve read it takes at least three years from seed to flower, so best to get started now.

Polemonium yezoense “Purple Rain”–I’ve done well with Polemoniums (specifically Apricot Delight) from seed before and they are hardy and long-lived here, so it makes sense to try a new type.  This dark version appears to have gorgeous flower color offset nicely by the purple foliage.