Foliage Follow-Up November 2012

November 16, 2012, 11:46 am

≪ Previous: Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - November 2012

Unbelievably, I'm posting for Foliage Follow-Up on the correct day!!! I've realized that the reason I'm always late is because I want to be totally legit...so run around like a crazy person on the day of...trying to accurately catalog what's going on in my garden. Without my camera, I can breeze through the few photos I took over the past few weeks before it stopped working.

Of course, going through my photos, most of them were of grasses (this is Autumn, after all), but I decided to save most of those for a future, more expansive, post. This post will be a quick look at a few plants I'm particularly smitten at the moment. The Selinum wallichianum above was a great success this year. Planted late last summer, I wasn't sure what to expect. Needless to say, they've exceeded all my expectations. They grew big and fast this year...with amazingly delicate fern-like foliage. It really is a source of long-lasting and ever-changing interest. Spring and summer green with deep reddish-purple stems. Large, glowing white umbels of flowers in spring, and now, gorgeous golden foliage...which looks ever more smashing with those dark stems.

I couldn't help putting a few grasses in this post...so bear with me. Schizachyrium 'Blue Heaven' is such a stunner...gorgeously purple/pink on cloudy days, and a blazing mix of orange/red/pink/purple in sun...LOVE it!

Joe Pye Weed(Eutrochium) are similar to the previously mentioned Selinum in their very long season of interest. Again, the golden fall foliage is even more striking paired with merlot-tinted stems.

Is it bad of me to admit that I planted this Parthenocissus (Silver-Veined Virginia Creeper) solely because I love it's Autumn color? If so...yes, I'm a bad person. Luckily, it looks good in every other season too...and those blue berries are a definite bonus!

Another fabulous grass, Panicum 'Northwind' is a real winner...stuningly upright with blue-green foliage all summer...which turns a rich mix of yellows and oranges in fall...this looks so amazing with sun coming through it.

Our Parrotia persica trees are only a few years old...and are finally starting to feel like real trees. I'm amazed at how different it feels now when I walk past them...they make the house & garden feel far less exposed. Parrotias can be pretty varied when it comes to fall color. Last year, ours turned a glorious golden yellow before a hard rain kocked the leaves off. This year, they are very slowly turning a crazy mix of orange, red and yellow...every leaf it different.

Another leaf on the same tree...isn't it crazy how different they are?

While Pennisetum 'Vertigo' doesn't change color during Autumn, it's constant brooding coloring is a fabulous foil for it's bedmates. Seen here with Panicum 'Rostralbusch', I love how the more solid 'Vertigo' contrasts with the ephemeral blooms and golden hue of the Panicum.

I leave you with the stained glass spectacle that is Panicum 'Huron Solstice'. For more celbrations of Foliage around the world, head on over to Pam Penick's Digging!

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Red Heads To The Rescue!

November 20, 2012, 12:00 pm

≫ Next: Happy Thanksgiving!

≪ Previous: Foliage Follow-Up November 2012

I don't know about other gardeners, but for me, Autumn is when I generally take stock of what's going on in the garden...assessing its successes...as well as its shortcomings (which always seem to outnumber the successes, for some odd reason)!

Every year I garden in this location, I learn more and more about what does and doesn't work...so I'm constantly moving things around, whether it be a place that gets more water, less water, more light, less light, etc. While our mild climate here in Portland can be more forgiving than in many other places, "Right plant, right place," is definitely one of my gardening mantras!

Over the past few years, it has become more and more obvious that there were a few plants that, no matter what I did, no matter how many chances I gave them, were repeat offenders. They were floppers.

Pennisetum 'Karley Rose' was one of the first plants I planted in my garden...and I've seen them elsewhere looking stunning. Sadly, my garden doesn't have the sun she needs to keep upright. Here, in early summer, she is gorgeous...and I love the color and texture she contributes to the garden.

Here...probably in August or so, she's already flopped over and I've tried to prop her up...but she's obviously been partying too hard...and keeps falling down.

Ugh...and here she is in September...really, Karley, really??? I don't think this looks good to anyone. Luckily, I found a new home for Karley...one with the sun and good drainage that will make her a highlight of the garden...not an embarassment. Of course, I waited until it was about to pour rain on the day I removed her...so I got to make a huge, muddy mess...the sidewalk still has the muddy tracks from my shoes ot prove it.

I decided months ago to move Karley, but what to put in her place...hmmmm. For the longest time, I went through plant after plant in my mind...but in the end, realized that I really wanted something like 'Karley Rose'...but one that kept that gracefully arching form all season...without falling apart. Enter Pennisetum 'Red Head'.

'Red Head' is one of my new faves...it blooms far earlier than the similar 'Moudry' and maintains it's form much better than any of the Pennisetum orientale hybrids I've tried ('Red Head' is a Pennisetum alopecuroides hybride...which are much sturdier in my garden...for whatever reason). I love the full, cascading habit it acquires after a few years...and those nearly-black, fuzzy blooms...LOVE THEM!

I'm realistic with myself...this front slope has the worst soil and weirdest light in my garden...so time will tell if 'Red Head' fares any better than poor 'Karley Rose'.

Another plant that has tried my patience for the last time this year was Schizachyrium 'The Blues'. It looks great all summer until it starts to send up its long blooming stems...then FLOP. This is another plant that needs GREAT drainage and FULL sun...which isn't going to happen in my garden...like, ever. Luckily, Carolyn Kolb, of Wind Dancer Gardens, introduced me to the new cultivar 'Blue Heaven' this summer, which was completely upright in the same conditions...which means I FINALLY get to have Little Bluestem in my garden...and it's not just an exercise in pure masochism. Out came 'The Blues'...but what to put in its place?

More Pennisetum 'Red Head', of course! I pondered for a few weeks what to replace 'The Blues' with...but when I saw this 'Red Head' at Portland Nursery during their annual Apple Tasting that same weekend, I knew it was coming home with me. Having several of these in the front garden will also now help give the whole area a better feeling of unity, since there are several of the same plant repeated in the area.

What about all of you...have you made any revisions to the garden this fall...have any of you also been "editing" your garden?

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Happy Thanksgiving!

November 22, 2012, 10:09 am

≫ Next: A Visit to The Oregon Garden

≪ Previous: Red Heads To The Rescue!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my readers and fellow bloggers...I am thankful for each and every one of you!

I was out walking our cat, Gordon, when a small flock of Finches descended on the garden, not 10 feet from where we both stood. For a good 15 minutes, they moved from plant to plant, gorging on the seeds of Eutrochium, Echinacea and Rudbeckia. They perched on the pendant stems of the rain-laden Molinias and preened. They chattered busily, cheerfully. I stood there in the gentle drizzling rain, socks wet from stepping in a unseen puddle, and couldn't have been more content had I been ensconced in a cozy chair in front of a blazing fire.

It's those moments that I'm truly grateful to have a garden. So often, I get so busy with things, so obsessed with the gardens shortcomings, that I forget to enjoy it for what it is. Especially at this somewhat bittersweet time of year, when every moment is precious in a garden. Soon, frost will cut many things back to the ground, and we will start our patient vigils for spring to arrive.

A garden is many things to many people...hobby, art, vocation...and most importantly, perhaps, it is a metaphor for life. Throughout the course of a year, it grows, ages, and passes on...and perhaps this final part is, to me, the most significant. The death as winter arrives is pure catharsis. And yet, even as the garden dies back, and slumbers during winter, the cycle will continue next spring. In the end, each year in a garden is like a lifetime...and I'm thankful, as a gardener, to get to experience that.

From all of us on Rhone Street to all of you...
Happy Thanksgiving

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A Visit to The Oregon Garden

November 29, 2012, 5:41 am

≫ Next: We'll Miss You, High Country Gardens

≪ Previous: Happy Thanksgiving!

Hmmm...well, my camera is still in the shop...and I've been pondering on what to post about. Luckily, during the year, I usually stock up on a few ideas that I can use during the winter months, when not much else is going on in the garden.

Earlier this year, in early September, we decided to visit The Oregon Garden, down in Silverton, which is about an hour south of Portland. We've gone down before, but it's fun to go every year, just to see what has changed. I usually prefer going in late summer or early fall, as that's when my favorite plants are going strong.

As you pull into the parking lot, you are already greeted by some amazing plants, like these stunning Stipa gigantea...I wish mine were so rigidly upright!

The entrance garden beds are actually some of my favorites, with their huge, rust-colored boulders and mix of grasses & flowering plants.

I really love the pairing of purple & yellow...as here with Verbena bonariensis & Helianthus.

I was surprised at the entrance to the visitors' center to see this large Pennisetum 'Vertigo'...gorgeous, especially paired with this lovely Coleus with serrated leaves.

This is the garden just outside the visitors' center...love those Japanese Maples. For some reason, this area of the garden, which is usually bursting at the seams with plants, had quite a few bare spots. I wondered if our extremely long, dry summer this year claimed some victims.

On this day, the patch of Helenium was looking splendid...and was smothered in happy pollinators.

While a little past their prime, I still found the seed heads of this artichoke (or perhaps Cardoon) quite striking.

Here's a close-up of the seed heads...love how a few of the cottony seeds had been plucked free from the seed heads...possibly by a hungry bird?

This is a great early-autumn grouping, with Sedum, Artemisia & Miscanthus.

Don't you love the wonderful, papery seedheads of Eryngiums!

One of my favorite areas of the Garden is this pond/wetland area, which has not only fish, but HUGE frogs! There were some loud kids on the day we visited, sadly, which kept the frogs hiding in the middle of the pond :-(

Can you imagine having a pond...let alone waterlilies...a boy can dream, can't he?

I actually really love the "bridge" that crosses the wetland portion of the garden...such great details.

I'm not sure which Lobelia this is (perhaps 'Monet Moment'). I've always loved the red foliage of 'Queen Victoria', but I'm not crazy about the vivid red flowers...maybe these would work better in my garden. Then again...those flowers are a very HOT pink!

No matter what garden I'm in, my eyes go right for the grasses...look at that stand of Molinia 'Skyracer'!

Of course, I made my way over to them...their stems were coloring up far earlier than mine (which just started getting fall color in the past week or so). These were the most delicious mix of orange/gold/plum.

I'm a little obsessed with Cattails. I really would love to have some one day...of course, they come with Red-Wing Blackbirds, right?

You can hardly beat Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus carrota) for simple elegance, can you?

There were a few gravel paths in the wetland lined with various grasses, including these lovely little Pennisetum (probably 'Hameln').

Love their purplish plumes and that foliage that's just starting to morph from emerald green to a luminous gold.

I have no idea what these plants are...I just thought they were cool!

I'm thinking this was some form of Hibiscus.

A little ways beyond this more manicured and "garden-y" area was a part of the garden that felt almost like a real, wild wetland, full of blooming and post-blooming plants, including these fluffy seedheads.

I was transfixed by the wonderful, spherical quality of these.

Aren't these great...I love the hint at kinetic energy in the post-explosion look!

My favorite of the seedheads in this area, however, were these, which seemed to have burst open along spiraling seams along their length.

This one even has a fuzzy outer coat...love them!

Am I the only one who thinks that the variegated veination of squash vines is striking?

You can't have a fall garden without some Pumpkins.

More gorgeous Verbena bonariensis, this time paired with Rudbeckia & some form of Amaranth.

You know I love me some Echinacea & Rudbeckia!

I was charmed by their small collection of varied cultivars of Echinacea, paired with other composites like Gaillardia.

Speaking of Gaillardia...I can never decide which stage of their blooms is the most striking.

I love the mix of new and faded blooms here...especially with the forthy backing of Stipa tenuissima.

Yes another water garden...this one complete with rocky waterfall, flanked with gorgeous, late-summer perennials.

Sigh...more waterlilies.

Just past the waterfall, was a planting of 'Purple Majesty' Millet.

I'm sort of clueless about shrubs...I'm guessing Viburnum?

This one I know...Cotinus!

Ahhh...don't you love this little patch of Colchicum!

In the Children's Garden area, there is a wall of Clematis tangutica.

Luckily, at this time of year, it's a fluffy wall of seedheads...delightful!!!

And for you orange-lovers out there...here you go (Zauschneria, I think)?

A great late-summer stalwart, Solidago 'Fireworks'...I really need to find a spot for these in my own garden.

Every time I visit here, I'm reminded of what Pennisetum spatheolatum SHOULD look like...and reminded that I need to move mine somewhere sunnier.

Another great Pennisetum, Pennisetum massaicum ('Red Bunny Tails')...I love how it has red-tinged foliage during summer.

Who wouldn't be enchanted by this scrim of Molinia variegata stems?

As I turned a corner, heading back up to the Visitors' Center, I was confronted by this amazing stand of Molinia 'Skyracer'.

It took my breath away...now THIS is how to plant grasses!

There are quite a few areas of the garden I didn't explore (the old-growth Oak Grove, the Conifer Collection), but Norm & his mom were pretty tired of me taking thousands of pictures by this point...so we called it a day. I hope you enjoyed this little virtual trip to The Oregon Garden. If you're ever in the area, stop by, I think there's something there for everyone :-)

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We'll Miss You, High Country Gardens

December 11, 2012, 8:11 am

≫ Next: A Hidden Gem in the SE...

≪ Previous: A Visit to The Oregon Garden

Sadly, I think I'll remember 2012 mostly for the closing of two of my favorite garden resources, Wind Dancer down in Salem...and now, as I found out last week, High Country Gardens, which is based in New Mexico.

I'm sure most of you have heard of HCG...and I certainly talked about them quite a bit over the past few years. Getting their catalogs (above) has always been a treat...filled with colorful photos and ravishing descriptions...they always made me salivate a bit! Sadly, due to drought, wildfires, and a slumping economy, HCG was forced to close its doors, ending 19 years of selling amazing plants.

HCG grew many different plants, but their focus was in xeric, or water-wise, plants. I first discovered them years ago, back when I lived in Nebraska. The idea of Xeric gardening was still pretty new to me back then...and browsing the HCG web site was the first time I had seen Xeric applied to anything other than Cacti & Yuccas...it was amazing!

Of course, that was about the same time I moved to Portland. For the first few years I lived in Portland, I was a renter...and never did much gardening, since I never knew where my next home would be. I had a few small gardens...but nothing terribly involved. For a time, I forgot about HCG...I lived in Portland, OR, after all...what did we need drought-tolerant plants for!

After you live here for a year or two, however, you realize that it's only rainy during winter. During summer, it doesn't rain...like, AT ALL. It's a little freaky when the rain stops like someone threw a switch. Unless you really want to spend the entire summer watering constantly, having a few plants that are at least a little drought-tolerant is pretty beneficial.

After we finally bought our first house, and I started planting the garden, bit-by-bit, I remembered all the online nursery websites I used to spend time on...but couldn't order from, as I didn't actually have a garden. I re-discovered HCG...and ordered a few plants that first year. It was my first time EVER ordering plants online...and you all know that feeling...the first time you open up the box and are stunned to find scrappy, spindly plants!

I planted them, however, and they grew rapidly and were beautiful, even in their first year. It was also the first Agastache I ever purchased ('Desert Sunrise'). I had been convinced to try them because of the glowing praise and great photos on the website. As you all know by now...I was HOOKED! After seeing how healthy and vigorous the plants were, I was now a loyal customer.

Over the past few years, I've ordered a few more plants from them each winter, to be delivered in the spring...and it was always exciting to get off my bus after work and see that familiar box, full of plants, ready to be unpacked. It's sad to think my order this spring was also my last.

So, I thank you, Dave Salman and all the crew there in Albuquerque...I know I'm not alone in saying, you'll be sorely missed.

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A Hidden Gem in the SE...

December 13, 2012, 1:32 pm

≫ Next: Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - December 2012

≪ Previous: We'll Miss You, High Country Gardens

My "backlog" posts continues today with a little garden gem I discovered this spring. I have a bad habit of visiting nurseries almost every weekend during spring/summer/fall. The two closest to me are the Portland Nursery on Stark St. and the 7 Dees on Powell. Earlier this year, I discovered my own little shortcut between them. Ok...not really a "shortcut", but a preferred route.

One day, as I drove my "Nursery Route", I noticed a house I'd driven past countless times and not given a second glance.

Well...I noticed the garden...not the house! At that point, it was still spring...so the lush growth you see above was still small, but there was a massive mound of ferny foliage along their front walkway...which I guessed was Ferula communis...a plant I have tried...but just can't give the space or sun it wants. I made a mental note of the garden...and each time I drove by over the next few months, I'd check out the progress.

As it turned out, this garden had A LOT of wonderful plants...and I don't know how I never noticed it before now!

I'm not the biggest Rose fan...but these add just the right amount of "pop" to the corner of the garden...especially in contrast to the Anchusa and Barberry.

Right at the corner, there is this amazing, glowing Anchusa (I'm guessing). I guess I never realized how big they got, in most books, they looks so short...this was a large, bulky plant...and those electric blooms...wow!

Looking down the sidewalk, you can really see that these are gardeners after my own heart...this is a full, lush garden that wears its heart on its sleeve.

Such vigor and opulence...I love it!

One of the other plants that I absolutely adore in this garden is Cephalaria gigantea. I tried to grow these for a few years...but, again, they need more sun and ROOM than I can give them. I can't get enough of those fabulous, subtle blooms...that perfect shade of soft yellow...but on plants of RIDICULOUS proportions...these had to be at least 10' tall.

I can't help but love them...it's those long, sinuous stems and the simple, honest blooms...and judging from the hum in the air, they are just as popular with pollinators and all other scabious.

As I walked along the sidewalk, I noticed, for the first time, the picket fence. Honestly, I kind of love the lavender color. I never would have thought of it myself...but it's the perfect foil for the plants in this garden. Looking at the photos, I thought how the color was neutral enough that it didn't call attention to itself, like a white fence would have. Plus...it matches the Nepeta perfectly!

Another of my plant crushes that I don't even bother with is this Lobelia tupa. They really need a good amount of space to be happy (not to mention full sun). Look at those glorious velvety leaves...and those stunning blooms! The blooms are small enough that the red isn't overpowering...just the perfect amount to give a smoldering glamor to a garden.

I totally dig how the soft cloud of Ferula foliage frames the Lobelia here.

Speaking of the Ferula, the plant that drew my attention to this garden in the first place, here it is! By the time I took these photos, hey were blooming gloriously...but the folaige had already started to yellow. Sadly, Ferula is monocarpic, so dies after flowering.

Backing up, you get a better view of the garden from this angle...in the foreground, you can see part of a very large patch of Arundo donax. I've never been terribly fond of Arundo...feeling it seems a bit too "tropicalisimo" for my taste. Then again...that powdery blue mass of leaves is a nice contrast to the finer texture of the nearby Ferula, is it not?

Here is one of the few angles in which you can actually see the house! It's such a low-key, humble house...no wonder I never noticed it until now! To be honest...as much as I love the garden...it really isn't in-scale with the house...the house is dwarfed by the exuberance of the garden (not that I'm complaining). The house whispers...the garden shouts!

The house does have some nice touches...like this fancy-schmancy garage door, which probably costs enough to make me fall out of my chair. Love the Fragraria in the driveway. There was also a small sideyard, just in view, with that ubiquitous feature of every contemporary garden, the firepit.

So there you have it...and pretty amazing garden that was hiding in plain sight...do you have any "secret gardens" you've stumbled on lately?

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Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - December 2012

December 15, 2012, 10:01 am

≫ Next: Pheasant's Tails for Foliage Follow Up

≪ Previous: A Hidden Gem in the SE...

It's hard to believe it's the middle of December already, where did the month (heck, the YEAR) go? I never expect to have anything alive, much less blooming, in December...but here in Portland, we've had another crazy-mild fall so far. At least in my neighborhood, we haven't had a freeze yet, so many plants are still hanging on. They aren't exactly the picture of beauty, for the most part, but they are green.

The things that give me the most joy, right now, are the various seedheads and grasses. As a whole, the garden is pretty scrappy, however. The best blooms, at the moment, are coming from Geranium 'Rozanne'...even while most of its foliage is flushing bright red, it keeps blooming! There are also some lingering blooms on a few stubborn plants who just refuse to give up. Agastache 'Blue Boa' is still blooming a bit, as are various Knautias. Persicaria 'Inverleith' keeps blooming, even while most of it's foliage is a pile of mush!

The good news for today is that I got my camera back...yay! Sadly, I've not be home while it's actually light out...so don't have any pictures other than the Geranium above that I snapped one day last week when I ran home for lunch.

As I look out my office window right now, I see a flock of Goldfinches is happily perched in a patch of Agastache 'Golden Jubilee', gorging themselves on the bounty of seeds they provide. It's nice to see the garden providing food for wildlife, even during it's downtime.

For more Flowery Goodness, head over to May Dreams Gardens!

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Pheasant's Tails for Foliage Follow Up

December 18, 2012, 9:48 am

≫ Next: Merry Christmas!

≪ Previous: Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - December 2012

I'm so rarely on time for Foliage Follow-up...but if I get it done within a week of when I should, I still feel pretty proud of myself. Now, hold on to your seats, you're going to be shocked to hear that I'm going to talk about...yes...a GRASS!

For the moment, the name of this particular grass is Anemanthele lessoniana (which, sounds amusingly like a spell straight out of Harry Potter). Perhaps it is a spell, which, in Latin, means "Change colors all year long!", because that's certainly what it does. The plant above is planted in my north parking strip, and is partially shaded by our Persian Ironwood tree. At the moment, it's mostly green with hints of gold and orange.

This (somewhat sad) specimen, however, was growing in the dense shade of my Rhus typhina 'Tiger Eyes' all summer. Not only that, but it never received a drop of water (oops...my bad). I'm not sure what causes which colors to appear in these grasses, but the stress during the summer seems to have blushed the whole plant with tints of red and russet...quite fetching...particularly in the low light of winter.

Stress seems to bring out the best colors in this grass. Here, a seedling I got at a plant swap this spring is perpetually golden in color. Again, I think I maybe remembered to give it a drink 3 or 4 times this year...other than that, it's pretty much fended for itself.

This range of color variations throughout the year (dependent on conditions) is what gives this grass its common name, Pheasant's Tail Grass. While one common name is enough to keep in mind, to add to the confusion, I've also seen it listed as New Zealand Wind Grass...and it's often still listed under its previous Latin name, Stipa arundinacea...confusing, right?

This is the biggest and oldest clump of Anemanthele I have...the first one I planted...in the back yard 2 years ago. At first, it seemed like it was going to stay a tight little tussock of foliage forever, but this summer, it's really come into its own...even after being completely covered by the rambunctious perennials around it all summer. It's now a generously graceful fountain of foliage...and I really love it. This one stays mostly olive-green for most of the year...but is always shot-through with strands of gold and ochre. It does transition to a more colorful form during winter, but may be too sheltered to really develop the strong coloration in other parts of my garden.

Nonetheless, it's a beautiful (if subtle) grass...and I really dig it. A bonus, its evergreen (or ever-gold, -red, -orange) here in Portland...yet doesn't form thatch (at least not that I've found) like so many of the Sedges tend to do after winter.

Of course, once early summer rolls around, I'll also get to enjoy its lovely flowers, which emerge as sikly tassels and soon explode into a pinkish-purple veil, obscuring the plant for months in forthy goodness. Anemanthele is hardy in Zones 8-10, so if you fall in that range, give it a try!

For more Foliage-y goodness, head over to Pam Penick's Digging!

Oh...NEWS FLASH! We got a little bit of snow this morning in PDX...it didn't stick in my area...but it sure was purdy while it lasted :-)

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Merry Christmas!

December 25, 2012, 11:50 am

≫ Next: A seedy situation...

≪ Previous: Pheasant's Tails for Foliage Follow Up

Just a quick post today, as there's Christmas Dinner to finish up (ah, the smell of turkey is filling the house...divine)! I hope all of you out there are having a pleasant holiday, hopefully with friends & family.

And here's a reminder that even in the darkest days of winter, there is light and beauty...if you only look for it :-)

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

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A seedy situation...

December 28, 2012, 10:35 am

≫ Next: A look back...

≪ Previous: Merry Christmas!

Well, Christmas has come and gone yet again...and now, free from distractions of the holidays, I turn my attentions to the garden. Amazingly, here in Portland, we are still waiting for frost (although some outlying areas have had frosts already).

While quite a few gardeners would rejoice at a winter without a hard freeze, I always view them with a degree of suspicion. While no one can say that mounds of collapsed, blackened foliage are pleasing to the eye, frosts bring a finality to a chapter of the gardening year. They mark the end of one year...and make way for the next by clearing away the previous years' growth.

It's been so warm (and wet) in fact, that the seed heads of a few plants have actually sprouted...in situ! I first noticed it on the Echinops above. Most of these get stripped by Finches during the winter...but the few that escaped notice have started their own little air born colony!

There are also loads of Echinacea seed heads that have sprouted...perhaps I'll lob these over the fences of a few neighbors in my own version of "seed bombing"!

Of course, the dark side of all this is the proliferation of weed seedlings. I'm going to guess that every Portlander currently has a large, healthy crop of Popweed "popping" up around their gardens. I learned the hard way that these need to be eradicated before they flower...or they'll fling their seed everywhere. Luckily, they are pretty easy to weed out when they are small.

The exceedingly fertile Impatiens balfourii have also started appearing already in the back garden. I swear, every single seed must germinate...and they are tougher than you think. I always think of Impatiens as being delicate, shade and moisture-loving things. I had self-sown seedlings growing in paving sand, between pavers in half-day sun all summer...and while they wilted during the hottest part of the day...they looked fine otherwise.

Naughty, naughty Knautia! Seeing this mini forest of Knautia seedlings, I'm struck at how hard they were to get to germinate when I winter-sowed them a few year ago. I think maybe 1 in 24 seeds germinated...here, in the garden, they self-sow with abandon! I will definitely have to cull these out this spring...and will likely give them away to others as well! This is one of those plants that whose positives far outweigh its negatives...at least in my mind ;-)

As I was taking stock of the back yard (trying to ascertain if a certain Lily was close enough to dormancy that I could risk moving it) I noticed something in the seat of this chair. At fist, I thought it was merely leaf litter...but a closer inspection revealed more Knautia seedlings...growing right in the frame of the chair itself!

While you'd never be fooled into thinking it's summer right now, with all the green about, it certainly doesn't feel like winter!

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A look back...

January 7, 2013, 8:18 am

≫ Next: Quest for your Holy Grail

≪ Previous: A seedy situation...

It always feels like it takes me a while to really accept that it's a new year. Perhaps it's because it's right on the heels of Christmas...perhaps it's because I don't really "celebrate" New Year's Eve. For whatever, reason, I'm a bit late in my END OF YEAR review...but what the heck...here we go!

I wonder what most gardeners will remember 2012 most for. Here in PDX, it was the year without a winter, and then of the summer that wouldn't end. In spite of the unpredictable weather, it was actually a pretty good year in my garden.

January, as usual, was a quiet time for the garden. I know many gardeners loathe winter, but here it Portland, they are blessedly short and mild. Even so, I enjoy the down time it provides. There's something very satisfying about seeing the garden contract inwards and slumber during the darkest days of winter.

I wonder how long I'll have to live in Portland before I won't still be shocked that spring starts in February! It's always thrilling to watch the signs of the garden waking up. Bulbs start to push their way through dark, damp soil...the days grow longer and the season of local Garden Shows arrives!

Sometimes as early as late February, but generally during the first days of March, the first Daffodils and Parrotia will bloom in my garden. This past fall, I actually planted Crocus for the first time...can't wait to see how they do this spring. Every year I rejoice in the Daffodils along our front steps...and every year, after the flowers fade and the foliage flops onto everything, I swear I'm going to move them. Perhaps 2013 will be the year I actually do it.

When April rolled through this year, it felt like we were well and truly in the middle of a lovely spring. It's always nice to know that the wet, muddy hours I spent wedging bulbs into the ground were worth it when hundreds of Tulips start to burst open.

As usual in Portland, May continues our long, leisurely spring. Rain is still ample, but most days have decent periods of sun as well. The garden grew tall and lush. In the middle of May, it's hard to imagine that in a few months I'll be wishing it would rain again!

As is usually the case in my garden, June feels like the month when everything starts to really come together. The plants have filled in most of the bare spots and are still growing at an amazing rate. We can usually still count on pleasantly cool weather and moisture until the end of this month. I do remember that there was a doozy of a rainstorm in June, which snapped many of the blooming stems of my Calamagrostis 'Karl Foerster'. I still have them in a vase in our kitchen. Let's hope I don't have that many broken stems to use as decorations in 2013.

It's a bit of a local saying in Portland that Summer starts on the 5th of July...and as funny as it sounds, it's almost always right. It's very strange, but the weather really seems to change overnight. The rain stops and the sun holds court for several months. Powered by the heat and light, and still drawing on the remaining moisture in the soil, my garden surges with growth...heading towards its zenith.

Which brings us to August. While each year is different, if I had to choose a month in which my garden peaks (if there is such a thing), it'd be August. Not only are many of my favorite plants blooming (Eutrochium, Echinacea and Agastache), but the grasses are really making themselves known. 2012 was no exception, most of the plants were at their full size by August...and it feels so different than it did just a few months earlier. Whereas in June you could see clear from one end to the next by looking over the plants, in August, several of the large, bulky plants now divide the space more. I love, at this time of year, that it feels as if I'm passing "through" the garden, rather than just "past" it.

While the first part of September is still quite summer-y, the end is generally the start of fall. This past year, however, Summer refused to give up it's grip on us here in Portland. We had some of our hottest weather all year, trying my patience. In spite of that, the light in September was some of the best of the year. There were quite a few spectacular sunsets...due, in no small part, to all the dust in the atmosphere.

Around the middle of October, Portland finally received its first rainfall in months. In the end, it was the longest period without rain since they started keeping records. I'm sure part of it was me projecting my own relief, but the whole garden (indeed, every plant in Portland) seemed to breathe a contented sigh at the returning moisture. Fall progressed at a leisurely pace...which was fine with me, as its my absolute favorite time of year.

November continued a streak of pleasant weather. While many plants start to decline as winter approaches, the grasses are arguably at the finest. Autumn rains returned in force, but any time the sun would break through, the garden sparkled as if encrusted with millions of diamonds. I try to spend as much time outside, enjoying the garden, as I can...before winter frosts cut it down.

Even as the holidays approached, however, December was decidedly mild. Indeed, only recently did we have a few days that were quite chilly. Amazingly, there are still quite a few plants that haven't gone dormant yet. Will we have a repeat of last winter, with no real cold to speak of? Time will tell, I suppose, as January can still hold a few chilly surprises. I know I'm in the minority, but during winter, I look forward to those killing frosts to cut everything down and sweep the garden clean...they give closure to a year in the garden, well, for me :-)

So there you have it, 2012 in a nutshell. I think most gardeners will agree it was a doozy of a year...and with our weather (and, indeed ALL weather) become less and less predictable, who knows what the next few years will bring. Ah...but that's for another post, isn't it ;-)

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Quest for your Holy Grail

January 10, 2013, 10:38 am

≫ Next: A Visit to Dancing Oaks

≪ Previous: A look back...

We all have them, right? Those plants that we long for...that seem to be just out of reach, if not completely unavailable? Like most gardeners, I always seem to have one plant that I'm OBSESSED with finding. For years, after visiting the Montreal Botanical Garden, I hunted for a source of Pennisetum macrourum (above). I desperately wanted to have those tall, glowing wands in my garden. Luckily, a few years later, I did find them, at a local nursery (Wind Dancer), no less! Was I sated...hardly!

Iris Gerald Darby and Knautia Melton Pastels v

It seems every time I turn around, there's some new plant for me to become enamoured of. Take the Teucrium on the left...I saw it on Nan Ondra's amazing blog, Hayefield, a year or two ago, and became convinced that it was the perfect plant for me! I found it a last autumn (at what was our last Fall HPSO plant sale) at the Far Reaches booth. I couldn't believe my luck...and snatched up all three of the plants they had on the table! To my delight, they've proven to be amazingly beautiful (and tough) plants.

On the right, are two other plants that I searched for...Iris 'Gerald Darby', which I also discovered on Hayefield. If you haven't noticed by now, Nan's blog is a dangerous place for the plant-obsessed! I fell in love with the purple-flushed new foliage...the almost-black flowering stems...and, of course, those simple, elegant purple blooms. Planted around it, yet another plant I became obsessed with, Knautia 'Melton Pastels', which I first saw a few years ago in an issue of Gardens Illustrated, which is, perhaps, my #1 source of pure GARDEN PORN.

Of course, then there are the plants that we WANT to grow...but just can't, for whatever reason, or that just don't do particularly well in our gardens. For the past few years, I tried and tried to find a Schizachyrium (Little Bluestem) that would stay upright in my garden. In general, many of the prairie grasses will grow well here, but our cool-ish summers (these are plants adapted to blazing-hot, full-sun conditions, after all) produce weak growth that tends to lodge (flop over) as the plants get taller. Imagine my delight last winter when the owner of Wind Dancer, Carolyn Kolb, told me the new cultivar, 'Blue Heaven' (above) was supposed to be very upright...and not prone to flopping here in the PNW!

Of course, it was practically all I could think about all that winter and spring...and when I drove down last summer to get a few of them from Wind Dancer, I practically skipped home with sheer delight. I'm happy to report that they were not only stunningly beautiful, but NONE of them flopped...not in the slightest!

Of course, as soon as I find one thing I've wanted...I move on to another thing. Last fall, Adam Woodruff, a friend and AMAZING designer (seriously, check out his website...it's gorgeous) emailed me the photo above. Intrinsic Perennials had sent him a few plans to trial...and the one that immediately grabbed my attention was the reddish grass in back. It was Andropogon 'Red October'...a new introduction. I was in immediate, complete love! Much like Little Bluestem, Andropogon (Big Bluestem) is a plant I've wanted to grow in my garden for years...but like Little Bluestem, is prone to flopping here in the PNW. Needless to say, however, that visions of this burgundy beauty have been in the back of my little mind all winter.

Then, last week, I got an email from Klehms Song Sparrow Nursery about their new 2013 listings...and I popped over for a look. Lo and behold...they had not one, but TWO new Andropogon varieties for sale! I've read that 'Indian Warrior' is supposed to be more upright (not as prone to lodging) as other Andropogon...so it might just solve my Big Bluestem Dilemma...but oh, the color of 'Red October' makes me weak in the knees. I'll probably get one of each, because I'm a glutton for punishment!

How about you, what is the plant (or plants) that you are on the hunt for? Is there a plant that you want to grow so desperately that you plant it (and kill it) over and over?

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A Visit to Dancing Oaks

January 18, 2013, 2:49 pm

≫ Next: Of Fog & Frost

≪ Previous: Quest for your Holy Grail

Well, I must admit, I've been a negligent blogger lately. Since I don't get home until after dark, I have to take enough photos during the weekend to have anything to blog about...and sometimes that just doesn't happen! Luckily, I still have a backlog of things from last year to fill in the gaps.

As I blogged about last October, Heather (of Just A Girl With A Hammer) and I made a trip down to Wind Dancer to indulge in some plant-shopping. Since we were so close, we decided to hit up Dancing Oaks as well.

Sadly, by the time we made it to the nursery (enduring the Trail of Tears that Dancing Oaks calls their road), we only had 30-40 minutes to look around the garden, let alone shop for plants...so this will be a very brief tour!

The sun was perpetually in front of me, so every photo in this post will be DRAMATIC! This is Colutea x media (aka, Bladder Senna)...which was utterly jaw-dropping in the late afternoon light.

Just look at those cool seed pods! If it had to guess, I'd say this small shrub was fairly innocuous for most of the year...but WOW...if I had room, I'd definitely get one of these!

Of course, my eye always goes for the gorgeous grasses, like this Stipa gigantea...like beaten gold, this one.

As lovely as the blooms of Nigella damasca are, the seed pods are even better (IMHO). There is something fabulous about them...and that feathery, finely-dissected foliage is so nice.

At first, I thought the burgundy foliage in this shot was a Hibiscus...but in looking at it now, it is probably some form of Acer...what unbelievably saturated color...so perfect during autumn.

I've never been a huge fall of Moluccella Laevis (Bells of Ireland), finding them more of a novelty than anything else. The dried seed heads, however, are gorgeous...don't you love how those papery bracts catch and diffuse the setting sun?!?

Another gorgeous plant that demands a bigger space than I could give it, Lobelia tupa...I can't put my finger on what it is that I love about this plant...probably because it's EVERYTHING!

Another long-time love of my, Echinops (Globe Thistle). Again, I just love how the backlighting gleams off every surface of these.

I stopped in my tracks at the sight of this large patch of Catananche caerulea (Cupid's Dart)...the silvery seed heads seemed to glow from within...utterly stunning!

Yup...another shot...so gorgeous!

At this point, an employee reminded us they were closing soon...so we rushed about, looking at the plants for sale. I'm sad to say, we didn't have nearly enough time to search through them nearly as well as I would have liked...but I guess now there's even more reason to return this year :-)

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Of Fog & Frost

February 7, 2013, 7:46 am

≫ Next: Fire & Ice

≪ Previous: A Visit to Dancing Oaks

Hello everyone...I hope you're all faring well so far this winter! I have to apologize for my lack of posts these past few weeks. We've had a huge surge of projects all wrapping up at the same time...so the past few weeks (and the upcoming several weeks) are pretty hectic at work. As a result, I've been getting home late...and kind of just want to collapse into my bed and veg out a bit.

Overall, it's been a very mild winter again here in Portland. The weekend before last, however, we got our first real frost (at least in my 'hood)! Not only did we get frost...but it was really foggy in the early morning hours. I was surprised how many people bemoaned the fog. While it's not exactly fun to drive in, I LOVE fog. There's nothing quite like that surreal quality that a dense fog imparts onto the world. Your own neighborhood suddenly feels mysterious...even a little foreboding...I love it!

As soon as I realized we'd had frost, I dashed out in my PJs to get some pics. I love how quiet and still the neighborhood felt, as if the whole world was holding its breath for that moment.

Scenes which just the day before had seemed drab were suddenly thrown into relief.

The tiered spires of Agastache suddenly reminded me of a Pagoda.

Allium seed heads seemed like earthbound snowflakes.

The multihued ribbons of Anementhale had gained lace trim.

Even the wonderfully sinister-looking seed heads of Echinacea received their dollop of icing.

I'm always mesmerized by the whimsical-looking spherical baubles that are the Anemone's seed heads.

Again with Rudbeckia and Echinacea...I was glad the ravenous Finches had left a few seeds intact to catch the frost.

I always imagine the recurved seed heads of Calamagrostis 'Karl Foerster' look somewhat like claws.

As I snapped hundreds (ok, thousands) of photos in my pajamas, a neighborhood couple strolled by, on their way to the bus stop. I think they probably rolled their eyes as they approached, but as they approached the corner, I actually heard them gasp, "It's a winter wonderland!" They came back to tell me that I should make sure to take pictures of the front too ;-)

How amazing is it...the way frost highlights the structure of things...making me see them in a new light!

I'm enamored at its ability to edge such delicate structures into elegant traceries.

On some plants, the layer of frost was almost a dusting of snow.

I hadn't noticed until now how the red coloring in the stems of Sedum 'Matrona' was still so visible. They were a warm counterpoint to the cooler tones surrounding them.

Spider webs, which had been invisible, are suddenly strung like garlands between branches.

This Pennisetum was especially spectacular, each individual awn delineated with white.

Believe it or not, this is just some weedy grass that escaped my watchful eye during the growing season. At this moment, however, I'm grateful I did...it's the perfect bit of filigree to contrast to the red stems of the variegated Willow.

Another group of grasses that are particularly handsome after a frost are the Panicums. Truth be told, there isn't really a time when they aren't lovely...but after being drenched with rain for the past few months, the frost transformed them into gossamer.

The structural, candelabra bloom stalks of Veronicastrum always seem wonderfully sombre to me...even when festooned with frosty banners.

While it's a somewhat unpopular sentiment...over the years, I've really come to value winter.

True...for us gardeners, it's not full of the non-stop excitement of spring, the lustiness of summer, or the abundance of fall. Still, there is a special value to the quietness of winter that I find appealing.

After a busy year in the garden, I need a break...and, if nothing else, winter forces me to take a few months off. The break in activity isn't just physical, but mental. I appreciate the perspective it gives me. When I'm in the midst of planting, watering, moving things around, etc., it's harder to see the big picture at times.

Truth be told, for me, part of the joy of gardening (a large part) is marking the season, and celebrating each of them in their turn. Without fail, I tire of them at some point, and feel the urge to move on to the next. I could never live somewhere without clearly-defined seasons...I think I'd go mad!

Winter also gives me my first real moment to ENJOY my summer garden...as ludicrous as it sounds. During the growing season, I'm all to often distracted with the things that aren't working...the things that bother me. Looking back at photos of the summer garden now, I can't believe I was so worked up about things. While far from perfect (and what garden is ever perfect), the garden looked pretty good last year!

As I grow older and older (not by choice, I guarantee you), I also find that I appreciate the winter garden for it's own charms. There is something visceral about winter...as we move inside to snuggle up in blankets to watch re-runs of The Wonder Years and pour over seed catalogs, outside my window the garden contracts. It withdraws too.

We are not so different...and I feel a sort of kinship with the garden in winter. There's a sort of unspoken agreement that we'll wait this out...and meet up again in a few months.

I always think of the gardening year as a symphony. Without tempo changes or crescendos and decrescendos, it wouldn't be nearly as dynamic or entertaining

There is a truth in the withered forms and blackened seed heads in the winter garden...an honesty. This is life. It's a cycle, with beginnings and endings in continuous motion.

I hope you're making the most of winter wherever you are...

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Fire & Ice

February 9, 2013, 4:24 am

≫ Next: A Visit to the Yard, Garden & Patio Show

≪ Previous: Of Fog & Frost

My last post focused on one aspect of winter...the moody, somber, introspective side of the season. I had only to wait for the sun to peek out from behind the clouds, however, to reveal the flip-side.

The bright winter sun transformed the frosty garden in an instant...suddenly I was surrounded by glowing beacons of light.

How utterly delightful...to have each bit of frost capturing and reflecting the sun.

Calamagrostis, which had earlier seemed almost menacing was now giddily gleaming.

Beneath its icy veneer, the leaves of Panicum 'Northwind glowed like blades of amber.

Panicum 'Huron Solstice' burned with shots of crimson, edged in diamond filigree.

Pennisetum 'Desert Plains' has never looked more becoming.

The light caught in the grasses at this moment...almost blindingly so.

I love how the frosted edges enhance the elegantly recurving blades of Panicum 'Huron Solstice' here.

Deschampsia are never more magical than when they are lit from behind...especially when covered in rain or frost.

I'm always amazed at how long Allium blooms contribute something valuable to my garden...even in the dead of winter.

Schizachyrium 'Blue Heaven' has bleached to a pinky-beige by this point in the winter...but whenever they are dry for a day or so, they fluff right up and delight with their seed heads. Plus, all it takes is a little light to ignite their foliage once again.

I'm not sure what it is about them...but the shapes of the leaves on 'Blue Heaven' fascinate me to no end.

The once-somber seed heads of Echinacea look resplendent in their shimmery veil of Panicum, don't they?

Of course, I wasn't the only one who was enjoying the morning...although Boots seemed more impressed by the sun that the frost.

Another Panicum (can you tell I love Panicums yet?) 'Blood Brothers'showing off it's graceful winter foliage. I love how this one and 'Huron Solstice' maintain their red-tinted foliage all winter. 'Shenandoah' turns blond after the first freezes, but these other two seque into muted maroon, umber and burdundy.

Sadly, I'll soon be cutting all these grasses back...perhaps even starting this weekend if I'm so inclined. They've provided interest in the garden all winter...but it's almost time for them to be cleared away for the growth of spring.

Here's the Northeast corner of our property...which goes several months during winter without seeing much sun at all. At this moment, however, that seemed to change. Our days are getting longer and longer...and this particular morning seemed a watershed for the season. One last gift from winter before we move on to spring.

As funny as it sounds to many, February is the gateway month here in the PNW. True, we can still have frosts for the next month or two (perhaps even snow), but Spring is fast approaching. Many plants are already waking up...and I'm glad to turn my face to the sun and start dreaming of spring now.

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A Visit to the Yard, Garden & Patio Show

February 13, 2013, 5:56 pm

≫ Next: Odds & Ends

≪ Previous: Fire & Ice

Ahhh, it's garden show season once more, and kicking things off, as usual, is the Portland Yard, Garden & Patio Show. I have to admit, I was REALLY tired (and maybe even a little cranky) at the time...so I probably missed a lot of details.

Right at the entrance to the show was a small display featuring this cool sculpture made of old gears. I don't know what it is I love so much about such things...I guess it's the contrast such things have when placed in a garden of soft, green plants.

All of the display gardens are named...but I usually don't pay any attention. I wasn't entirely sure what made this garden "autumnal".

Of course, it's not a garden show without some silly (and some downright dubious) design elements. Even if just inspiration...the grill fountain seems silly.

I did, however, like the swing in the background...although you'd need a pretty big yard for it to not seem overwhelming in scale.

While not something I'd be tempted to replicate, the tapestry of plants here is very effective.

While I generally try to be open-minded, I couldn't help but feel pretty pessimistic about this garden, in particular. One of the weakness of these shows is that plants take a back-seat to the design/hardscape. No where was it more evident than here.

While I kept thinking I should like this fountain...I think the material wasn't quite right...it looked sort of cheap (which I'm sure it wasn't)!

This sculpture, in person, was cool up-close, but from a distance, looked a bit awkward...and unstable...especially since it spun on it's base like a demented ballerina.

Plain trees are such a bore...you really need color-changing LED lights to make them bearable.

I thought this tree was lit with blue light...but it turns out, it was painted this color...what the what!?! As we left this particular garden, I noticed this figure...which, honestly, reminds me of the photos you see of the people buried in ash at Pompeii.

I think it would be so cool to have a stock-tank pond...but I don't know why they didn't have any water plants in it...it seemed very barren.

This was apparently the year of the wood wall...they showed up in various incarnations at a few displays.

I really loved the effect this one gave, of the window into the garden. Again, I know this is really just meant to be inspirational...but this seemed especially impractical...it wouldn't take long for the wood to start settling, and/or breaking down...and then would look kinda sad, right?

I just called this one the ribbon garden...it wasn't bad, a little plain...but had some nice elements.

It's not a garden show if there aren't flames leaping out from every possible object!

I couldn't figure out if this sculpture was part of any particular display, but I kind of loved it!

While I think the 7 Dees people have done basically the same design for the past few years I've gone to this show, it's always very well done...and I'm kind of a sucker for the red-stemmed Dogwoods and Maples. Also, it's the only display garden that feels like it could actually be part of a real (albeit very expensive) garden.

I thought this particular garden (the Urban Edibles Garden) has some of the best ideas for gardeners to take away and use.

I kind of loved this shed!

I was totally digging these raised beds (as long as I get to change the plants, of course).

I can't imagine ever replicating this, but it did look cool.

I have to admit, I sort of find the whole vertical wall gardens a bit of a gimmick...but I loved this iteration of the concept. I keep trying to figure out where I could do something like this. A bonus, it's nice to see people using something other than just succulents for once (although, admittedly, with such a small amount of soil...they would be the most likely to survive in such a setting).

Here we see yet another wood-wall...and I love the pavers on the right.

There were a few nurseries on site selling plants...I didn't see anything tempting. Ok...the Alliums were tempting...but I planted about a million of them last fall...so I should probably see what comes up before adding more!

Since most of the plants didn't trip my trigger, I decided to get another piece of metal art for the garden...as leaving empty-handed would have seemed a bit sad. Luckily, I actually really like this piece...and here it is, already in my garden.

I hope you enjoyed our little romp around the YGP show...if you were in the Portland Area, did you go...what were your most/least favorite aspects of the show? Most importantly, what did I miss (or wrongly dismiss) in my report???

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Odds & Ends

February 18, 2013, 8:47 pm

≫ Next: Periodical Inspiration

≪ Previous: A Visit to the Yard, Garden & Patio Show

Well...I was a bit of a slacker last week, and totally missed both Bloom Day AND Foliage Follow-up. Oh well...there really isn't much blooming to speak of, at the moment. Honestly, I didn't think there was anything blooming...especially since my Parrotia decided not to bloom this year. I'm not sure if it was our protracted summer heat...or lack of winter chill that's to blame...or if it's just a fluke.

Surprisingly, as I was starting to clean up the garden this weekend, I noticed that the Erysimum 'Bowles Mauve' is STILL flowering. I think it flowered continuously, all year long, this year. I guess it likes its new spot.

For the most part, however, it's all about things ABOUT to bloom right now. The Daffodils are all forming buds (although they all seem really short this year). I removed the Euonymus that grew along our front walkway last summer, and, apparently, there were dozens of Daffodils growing under it, which never saw the light of day. Well, they are rejoicing in their new-found place in the sun this year.

On the foliage front, I give you Arctostaphylos 'Greensphere'. Generally, I don't really care much for evergreen plants...but the Manzanitas have found a spot in my cold little heart...and this one fits perfectly in my small garden. To that end, it has the distinction of being the only evergreen shrub in my garden (well, that I planted, anyway).

While I was cleaning out the debris from last year in the front parking strip, I came upon these fat, happy little buds of Eryngium yuccifolium...which has the awesome common name 'Rattlesnake Master'. I'm pretty excited to see this one clump up over the next few years.

While they are eclipsed by other plants during most of the year, the small, prostrate Sedums, like 'Angelina', above, offer a splash of color during winter. It's common as dirt, but I still love it.

Another short, spreading Sedum, 'Blue Spruce'. I love it's contrasting form...while 'Angelina' is almost pendulous, and hugs the ground, 'Blue Spruce' raises it's little arms to the sky.

As for color, however, this un-named variety of Sedum rupestre I got at a plant sale last spring, beats all. When the weather gets colder, the foliage flushes with bright red. It never really got that cold this winter, so, unfortunately, the color isn't as bright as it could be.

Of course, the upright Sedums are waking up too. Sedum 'Matrona' is a mainstay of my garden...and the cheerful buds are already jostling for their place in the sun.

This is one Sedum I planted last year, 'Hab Gray'. My luck with the upright Sedums is spotty, so was thrilled that this one seems to have pulled through winter just fine.

Sedum 'Red Cauli' was one of the more temperamental Sedums I tried last year. Of the 3 that I planted in various places around the garden, only one made it. Stragely, it wasn't winter that posed a problem, but our long, hot summer. I always imagine that Sedums didn't flinch at heat and sun, but 2 of the 3 'Red Cauli' plants just crisped and died within a few days after planting...even with regular water. I think, in the future, if I plant more of these, I'll try to do it in the spring, rather than the heat of summer.

While I had similar bad luck with Sedums 'Vera Jameson' and 'Bertram Anderson', luckily, 'October Daphne' was a tough old bird. She bloomed beautifully and had gorgeous fall foliage color. I'm glad to see them return.

So, that's a little bit of random goings-on from my garden this past weekend...I hope all of you are having a decent run of weather (we had great "working-in-the-garden" weather this weekend). I'm hoping to make it up to the NW Flower & Garden Show this weekend...and it seems like Spring is well and truly underway :-)

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Periodical Inspiration

February 21, 2013, 9:06 pm

≫ Next: Taking on the Parking Strips: Part 1

≪ Previous: Odds & Ends

Where do we gardeners get our inspiration, our motivation, our information? Of course, there are many sources; designers, books, other gardeners (and, of course, bloggers).

When I was a kid, my grandmother gave me a dozen or so back issues of Horticulture and Organic Gardening. I can't tell you how many hours I spent looking through those magazines...imagining a time when I'd have a place (and garden) of my own. In short, they were a huge source of inspiration for a budding young gardener. Oh, and yes, I still have them ;-)

Over the past few years, I've sort of settled into buying 3 gardening magazines fairly regularly; Gardens Illustrated, The English Garden and Fine Gardening. Each serves is own purpose, and rarely do I feel let down by their content. I've dabbled in the past with other Mags (Horticulture, Organic Gardening, etc), but never felt I got much out of them...and Garden Design (which recently closed down) always left me cold.

First up is what I consider the "Gold Standard" of gardening magazines, Gardens Illustrated. It seems only fitting that it's a British publication, after all, the Brits seems to live and breathe gardens. GI is always beautiful to behold. It's slightly oversized and always feels luxurious. When I pick one up, I feel like I'm treating myself to something special.

One of the regular sections that I look forward to each month is the "plant picks" section. One or several gardeners/garden designers picks around a dozen or so plants that they think are particularly worthy...and they are usually appropriate for whatever month the magazine is published in. So, in February, you can all but guarantee they will gush over Snowdrops...and in June there will likely be at least one Rose. Still, they usually feature new (or slightly unusual) varieties of whatever plant they are promoting. I doubt a month goes by that I don't add at least one of their recommendations to my wish list. I especially love when they add a few old-fashioned plants to the list...so often, gardeners seem to focus on the newer, bigger, more unusual, and we forget about older varieties, which are often supremely garden-worthy.

Of course, the "meat" of gardening magazines will always be the garden profiles...and GI rarely disappoints. I can almost always guarantee that I'll spend a while gazing at the gorgeous photos of amazing gardens. In this way, GI is equal parts aspiration and inspiration.

Over the past year or so, GI has started featuring a spread of various vignettes within the featured garden, breaking them down. I love this new approach, as before, sometimes I had a hard time guessing exactly which variety of Allium a certain garden was using. Also, while few of us could hope to replicate the grand estates that are regularly featured, we can easily take these smaller designs and modify them to fit our gardens.

Another regular feature in GI is the plant profile, wherein a single plant family is explored. Even when they feature a plant I don't care much about, I usually read these, since the person who is writing about them is usually quite passionate, and I'm fascinated by the things that attract people to certain plants.

Of course, the biggest drawback to reading a British magazine is that they mention a lot of "Must-See" things that are in England. It can be a bit frustrating when they mention they are holding a seminar with Tom Stuart-Smith or Noel Kingsbury in June...so hurry and sign up...sigh.

Next up in my magazine love-fest is Fine Gardening. FG is a great hybrid of the flash and glamor of Gardens Illustrated, and the more practically-minded Organic Gardening.

Fine Gardening's strength is the mix of these two qualities. Yes, they are going to show some beautifully designed gardens...but they'll help you realize those ideas yourself too. Above, was a cool feature they did on creating an allee using Oakleaf Hydrangeas...sign me up!

The article has fairly detailed instructions on how a regular gardener, with a little know-how and elbow grease, can pull off the look on their own. They also dedicate a portion of the article to maintenance, something which is obviously necessary, but often overlooked.

Another feature of FG that I look forward to each month is their "Regional Picks" feature. I love it any time someone has ideas that are sensitive to the regions we live in...especially since America is such a vast country...with far more climatic differences that England...we have a vastly different array of conditions we must take into account.

Of course, it wouldn't be a gardening magazine without some serious eye-candy.

Luckily, with Fine Gardening, again, we get a breakdown of exactly what plants are featured...so helpful, especially for novice gardeners.

Rounding out this trio, we have The English Garden. Now, while I enjoy it quite a bit, I have to say, at least to me, it's probably the weakest of the bunch. It doesn't have quite the polish of Gardens Illustrated, nor the practicality of Fine Gardening. What it does have, without fail, are tours of gorgeous gardens. This is pure garden porn...and I really think of it as visual stimulus. Especially in those dark days before Pinterest, it was a source of inspirational images.

The English Garden's specialty is, well, features on various gardens...again, I think it's great for getting ideas for different plants to try, interesting combinations, and just general inspiration.

Aside from the tours, there are also a slew of regular (and sporadic) features...like this article by Carol Klein (who I absolutely adore...if you have a chance, look for her Life In a Cottage Garden on YouTube...it's fabulous).

So, there you have it, a trio of magazines I always look forward to each month. Do you have any favorite gardneing mags...if so, what...do you have any recommendations, have I been missing out on any great ones?

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Taking on the Parking Strips: Part 1

March 1, 2013, 9:06 am

≫ Next: Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - March 2013

≪ Previous: Periodical Inspiration

Why is it that I always seem to wait to do posts on my big projects until the following year? Perhaps, it's because I like the drama of the big reveal, rather than spreading it out over a year. Regardless, I finally decided to do a few posts on our front parking strip, which we tore up and planted last spring.

Like pretty much every American house, ours has these strips of grass between the street and sidewalk. Affectionately dubbed "hell strips" and "parking strips", they are usually left mostly to their own devices, largely ignored by most homeowners. Here in Portland, like everywhere else, they are usually weedy grass, weedy gravel, or weedy rocks (do you see a common link?)

Of course, like most gardeners, I can't leave any amount of ground bare for long...and as I've filled up the rest of our tiny plot with plants, it was only a matter of time before the parking strips fell under my ravening gaze.

So, beginning last winter (in January or February) I started, bit by bit, digging up the hard, compacted sod from the strip. Every weekend, I'd go out and dig up 3 square feet of sod, break it up and cart it to the "holding area" in the back.

By the end of February or beginning of March, I had dug up almost the entire thing! While the soil in the strip wasn't great, it was still far better than the horrible, heavy clay that makes up the front garden...not fair!

So close to being done with the digging!

Once I had the sod removed from the entire strip, we framed out the borders, using the same method we'd used for the rest of the garden, using hinge joints and 2x6 pressure-treated boards. No, it's not going to last forever, but hopefully by the time they wear out, I'll be able to afford something a bit more long-term...or I'll have moved to my country estate ;-)

The nice thing about having the entire area dug up at once was that we could lay our irrigation hoses underneath the new paver pathway, linking the two beds. I can't tell you how nice it is to just attach a hose and let it run for an hour, knowing that everything is getting watered...and none of that water is going to waste.

Here is the new paver path, and the irrigation hose, which is buried underneath.

Now, all that winter, I had spent hours and hours coming up with plans for the parking strips...literally. Dozens and dozens of ideas...whenever I was bored, I'd turn my attention to the design. Of course, when it was time for planting, the plant went out the window, to a degree. Still, I stuck to my planned palette of plants, except for a few impulse purchases last spring (we all have to wedge those in, right)? For the most part, I knew I wanted to have mostly grasses, punctuated with perennials that are tough and drought-tolerant. I didn't want the parking strips to just be "better than lawn", I wanted them to feel like a real extension of the rest of the garden.

Gordon looks pretty delighted at the work.

Boots also shows his approval.

Here the strip is, mostly planted up except for a few plants I hadn't managed to procure at that moment (that's what the beautiful bamboo stakes represent).

And here it is from the other direction. You can see in this shot the narrow paver "path" we left along the curb side of the garden...hoping it was enough to allow people to get in and our of their cars...and avoid trampling the garden, if possible. One thing is for sure, parking strip gardens are TOTALLY at the mercy of your neighbors (and their pets).

Even though I still plan on editing the strip (well, and the rest of the garden), it makes the whole garden feel more "together" somehow, now that that ridiculous strip of ratty grass is gone!

Here the garden is last Memorial Day, in the next post, I'll show you how it progressed throughout the rest of the year :-) Sadly, this was the last BIG PROJECT we had on the slate...and now it's mostly editing. What about y'all...do you have any big projects you are planning for this year?

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Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - March 2013

March 17, 2013, 10:43 am

≫ Next: Taking on the Parking Strips : Part 2

≪ Previous: Taking on the Parking Strips: Part 1

Wow, it's the middle of March...how did that happen! It seems like just the other day we were taking down our Christmas lights! Spring is officially here in Portland, and I can't tell you how nice it is to get out of work and still have it be light out! It's still a bit early for much to be blooming in my garden, but a quick look around yesterday morning found a few surprises.

The most noticeable blooms at the moment are the Daffodils. Amusingly, I actually didn't plant any of these...they are remnants of the previous owner's plants. This is the first time these doubles have bloomed since we've lived here. They were previously covered up by a Euonymous shrub that I removed last summer.

As with most plants, however, I prefer the singles.

I was surprised by this vibrant pink Oxalis bloom the other day.

Why, oh why, have I waited so long to plant Crocus? They take up no room, bloom brilliantly, and then disappear just as the rest of the plants take over.

I think I like this white/purple Crocus best...sadly, so do the slugs. The Forsythia on the right is one of the other shrubs that came with the house. The Forsythia in our neighborhood right now are a riot of golden color. Sadly, I'm awful at pruning (seriously, my least favorite thing EVER) so this poor shrub is in a constant state of "bad haircut".

While this is more of an "almost" bloom, I'm so excited to see the Mukdenia 'Karasuba' I planted last year looking so happy. I'm hoping it likes the spot it's in.

I'm not entirely sure what variety of Clematis this is, it belongs to our neighbor, but is covering the fence between our properties. It's a dull, boring thicket for 11 months of the year...an then a glorious, glowing mass of blooms for a few weeks in early spring.

And now, for a pre-emptive Foliage Follow-Up! One of the constants in my garden, Anementhele lessoniana. I just love it's ever-shifting colors during the year...and it's graceful form.

I leave you with some of my favorite new foliage at the moment, Persicaria 'Purple Fantasy'...love it!

For more blooming goodness around the world, visit Carol at May Dreams Garden. For more Foliage finery, visit Pam at Digging!

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