Gardening With Grace

Oh, no, thera. And other beguiling jewels.

2010-07-30T23:43:00.001-07:00

Oenothera kunthiana 'Glowing Magenta.'

In June when I took the left column photos, I was admittedly mesmerized by the swelling Willamette River, [which, by the way is the only, or one of the few rivers in the US that flows south to north. Maybe I can blame my off-kilter personality on the off-kilter landscape.] On the right, you can see the river back to its normal flow. Yes, those are people standing at the edge in the top photo. What drama!

Pink is the theme…. Potentilla fruticosa 'Pink Beauty.'

'Starfire' Phlox paniculata.

Unlike the gorgeous Limerock series, Cosmos ‘Heaven’s Gate’ wintered just fine in my garden. What do you think, Lona?

‘Raspberry Wine’ Monarda didyma or Bee Balm. Fabulous show.

I believe this is Rudbekia ‘Cherry Ripe.’

The common bachelor button looking uncommonly stellar.

Hey Teza, this is Clematis texensis ‘Duchess of Albany.’ Did you get this or the
deeper rose colored ‘Princess Diana’?

One of the many hardy Fuchsias I’ve purchased from Fry Road Nursery this year.
I should keep better track of the names… Should, shmoud.

A rescue from Home Depot: A red, single Carpet Rose. Ooh, la, la.

And a little bully signage. Chipotle makes their point quite well, don’t you think?

Just a Quick Note...

2010-07-26T07:07:00.000-07:00

In case you're unaware, Fine Gardening Magazine has a Photo of the Day email blog. The photos are always garden related and always inspiring. It's easy to sign up. Today, author Michelle Gervais posted a photo I submitted! [Not the one on the left. It's just here because I like it.] If you feel so inclined, you can see it and sign up here.

http://www.finegardening.com/item/15996/reader-photo-star-gazer-blaze

Slightly Off-Subject

2010-07-24T22:52:00.001-07:00

Hi Everybody! I hope your gardens are providing moments of respite during these impending doggiest days of summer.

Wow I can sure tell a difference between photos of this year’s Hydrangea ‘Buttons & Bows’ and last year’s. I’m learning how to take advantage of my camera’s bells and whistles. Who’d a thunk?

I went to the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store this morning and thought I’d share a few highlights of my trip.

This is the garden section of the store. Conveniently, the building in the background is the local Goodwill Thrift Store.

Got pots?

Lots of garden baubles, even a Topsy-Turvy! More on this in a minute.

Local nurseries donate their “can’t sells” and I hate to say it but, um, they’re not exactly flying off these shelves either.

…In a five-gallon container. If I didn’t already have two, I might consider it, even if it needs copious TLC.

Interesting…. a bargain, huh?

If I didn’t already have two containerized bamboos….

Expanding my search, I thought this combo was eye-catching.

A ton of bricks, literally. I want to take them all home but I’m afraid they’d turn my Hyundai Accent into a not-at-all-cool “Low Rider.”

Lots of wood embellishments for…. embellishing.

Tempting… Back at home, my “swing arbor” built by my well-intentioned Hubby ten years ago, is still devoid of an actual swing. Maybe this cast-off will work. Nah…. He was relieved that it didn’t come home with me.

Very cool.

This drawer would make it a quirky planter…

Fueling my future [if only in my mind] greenhouse.

Stock tank: $30.00. Too pricy for my liking. Besides I had the Hyundai. Drop the price by, say $25.00 and I might run home and get the pickup.

I REALLY wanted this, regardless of the fact that I couldn’t begin to move it and didn’t know the price. Wouldn’t it look cool, standing sentinel in the midst of some leafy something, topped with, say, a container of grass gracefully cascading over? Okay so I’m a Little & Lewis wannabe, I admit. Where’s the forklift driver when you need him?

No purchases on this trip to the Re-Store. To tell you the truth my inspiration was a little worn out from the previous day’s neighboring city-wide garage sales. I’ll post more on that in an upcoming post. But how’s about a sneak peak?

These delightful baubles are the brainchild of affable Carol Rice. Don’t you love them? Garden buddy Carol and I were so impressed with her resourcefulness and ingenuity that I offered to give a shout-out here on my blog. These and many other artistic garden elements can be purchased by contacting her via email: sticksandstuff@msn.com.

The middle one here is my favorite.

And finally, as promised, the aforementioned Topsy Turvy. Now this is not exactly my cup o’ tea but some people get a real kick out of using the little hanging decorative “sacks” that contain soil and a tomato plant’s roots. Consider this successful rendition begging to be photographed. Copious amounts of water and Miracle Gro, states the grower and you’ve got yourself tonight’s salad. It wasn’t until I got a closer look, that I realized these cleverly attached red tomatoes were in fact just a fabrication of what’s to come. Ha, ha, a sense of humor. I like that!

Garage Sale-itis

2010-07-21T13:31:00.001-07:00

Grevillea rosmarinifolia is starting to bloom again. Lots of buds too.

Recently my mother-taxi driver itinerary has included a Saturday morning trip to get my daughter to work. Saturday morning, folks! Pass up all those Garage Sale signs smattered on every telephone pole at every street corner? No can do. The curiosity is like a powerful magnet with that “Lust for Rust” message. I’m not in the market for serious things, just more Junk-in-the-garden “art.” The rustier the better. Things like these:

A pseudo-pump.

A small candle holder on a rusty garden stake.

A rusted cafe-curtain rod. This was from a free pile.

This is a glass light fixture perched on a candle holder.

This was a magazine rack with identical wicker and wire sides. Admittedly it took some doing to unhinge but then it became a plant holder-backer plucked in front of a somewhat manic ‘Patricia’ hardy Geranium.

A free drive-by. Dirty but very charming, don’t you think?

This window was tucked behind a bunch of boxes at a garage sale. I asked the owner about it. $5.00. I’ll take it!

Honestly I’m not much of a wind chime person but couldn’t pass up this large, fully verdigris-ed gem. It needed to be restrung. Easy as pie with purchased 30 pound fishing line, which by the way, cost more than the $2.00 wind chime.

This weathered jar was too cool to ignore.

My son brought me this freebie broken lattice. I think I’m going to spray paint it.

This four-foot tall pedestal came from Goodwill Thrift Store. The bowl, a garage sale find that set me back 25 cents.

25 cents for this little candle holder. I attached it to one of my rustic arbors.

25 cents for this gem too.

This rusty, embellished shepherd’s hook was a freebie.

This small bell was also a freebie.

I’ve been in the midst of transforming this southernmost area of my backyard, right off the deck. From what Hubby and I can tell it was once a dog run, approximately 15 feet long by 5 feet wide. I’ve got a white [not blooming now] Banksia rose attached to the top of the fence. I found the vintage door at a sale for $7.00 a few weeks ago and spent another $7.00 for the umbrella. Next to the bench is a water bowl with two sweet gold fish. I’ve got a potted catnip plant which keeps my cat Zip close at hand.

* * *

And finally…. I couldn’t resist photographing this wall on a recent drive-by. Sony, Cher and Jimmy were easy to identify but who is the couple in the middle?

Nursery Jaunt: Gindhart Nursery

2010-07-16T11:07:00.001-07:00

I always forget that this “Orchid Glad” is planted until I see it faithfully
blooming. It’s the only one in the package that had the decency to show it’s face.

* * *

Not too far off the beaten path is another local nursery with decent prices and lots of
fun things to look at. I decided to document my third visit a few days ago.

Established in 1942, according to the sign, Mr. and Mrs. Gindhart live in a big yellow
house on the property.

This is what I would’ve smashed with my car if I didn’t know where
the brake pedal was. In other words, instant eye candy to whet the appetite…..

…if you’re in to this sort of thing.

I love Japanese Maples but I’ve already got several.

Oh good, they’re open. It would have been a disappointing drive
just to see a closed sign.

Oh, yeah…. I forgot, they’re like, never closed.

Pretty.

The first hoop house has the tenders or non-frost hardy plants. I don’t know
what this plant is but nice colors, don’t you think?

The largest Christmas Cactus I’ve seen.

Get ready, Loree!

Bougainvillea climbing the walls.

Don’t drink the water unless you want to sprout roots.

This is a wire-shaped alligator stuffed with moss and soil and planted
with sedums. Not a very good photo, but very cool.

Lots of cool stuff to look at on this working nursery.

I wanted this.

Lust for rust.

These Cyclamen were blooming during my first visit in mid-May so at $1.50
for a four-inch pot, it was a slam dunk.

Plants aren’t the only hybrids.

Passiflora ‘Lady Margaret Red’ was growing in a one gallon pot for $12.95.
If I could be assured it was cold-hardy it would have been safely tucked in my
garden by now but losing plants to winter-kill is depressing especially
something this gorgeous.

I think this milkweed [Asclepias ‘Silky Deep Red’] at $2.25 for a four-inch
pot should be in every hot-colored border.

This sedum “umbrella” needs a bit of TLC but the idea is pretty cool, don’t you think?

A soft, peachy Kniphofia. Tempting...

I wanted this too.

The best time to buy a daylily is when it's in bloom.

Nice array of annuals.

This Magnolia grandiflora was just on the border of the owners' private quarters
but I had to steal a photo. Luscious!

But they’ll take checks. The plethora of primitive signage cracks me up.

So what did I end up with on this visit?

The two aforementioned Cyclamen, an unnamed variegated running Bamboo
that will stay containerized and a Fig called ‘Oregon Prolific’ just because I love the
foliage. It’s hardy to Zone 6 but looks so tropical so it might have just won itself
a permanent location in my garden.

And finally, I had to capture the results of someone beating a dead horse. Poor thing.

More Showing, Less Telling---This Time

2010-07-11T22:25:00.001-07:00

Love this Daylily/Columbine combo. Hemerocallis ‘Rose Petticoats’
with accompanying foliage of Aquillegia ‘Woodside Gold’ that tagged
along as a wee baby in the daylily pot when I brought it home a few years
ago. How’s that for serendipity? What, you thought I could plan something
this good? LOL Don't you love it when Nature makes you look like you
know what you're doing?

A cluster of ‘Lauren’s Grape’ poppies.

This is a hybrid between ‘Lauren’s Grape’ and a hideously orange-red
monstrosity that, unfortunately was the bulk of the color of a seed mix that I
sprinkled around last year. Most were torn out but a few remained by a red
rosebush to set seed. I guess they knew they were going to have to get more
purple into the DNA mix if they wanted to live in my garden.

Agastache ‘Red Fortune,’ my favorite!

Veronica spicata ‘Red Fox’ in front of one of my many Fry Road Nursery
hardy fuchsia purchases.

Clematis ‘Ville de Lyon.’

A few garden photos……

And without further ado, July’s Tarp of The Month.

Yes, Tarpitis is alive and well for the jet set, er I mean the jet-ski set, or
whatever attempts to hide beneath this overworked tarp. Christine in
Alaska’s blog, Last Frontier Garden has the entire lowdown on Tarpitis.
Seen any tarps in your neighborhood?

Daryll’s Nursery Outing

2010-07-08T17:05:00.001-07:00

A sea of Achillea millefolium ‘Royal Tapestry.’

Just in the nick of time, a day before the heat wave began, Carol and I decided we
needed to get away from the toiling of our own gardens and take a road trip to Dallas,
Oregon. [Did you know there was a Dallas, Oregon? Yes indeed.] I’m sure there are
a lot of very cool things in Dallas, Oregon but Carol and I had one destination on our
minds, Daryll’s Nursery.

Daryll’s specialties are ornamental grasses and the Cistus. He used to have a bazillion
different Hydrangea cultivars too but after the dreaded root weevil got the upper
hand [and leaf], he stopped selling them. He's got lots of shrubs, perennials and
vines too. Don’t you love his aging red truck? I’m guessing that the newer one behind
it gets the bulk of his attention these days.

Daryll loves junk. And rust. And plants spilling out of rusty junk.

The high-summer sunshine made for challenging photo taking.

The gathering area. Lots more cool junk. Daryll's junk NFS!

Daryll’s office with ample, “No you can’t take my stuff!” signs.

See. [Ugly yellow signs ruin the effect, but whatever.] What do you think of the
bedpan? Now THIS is re-purposing at its finest.

Excuse me sir, is your refrigerator running? ….. I didn’t have the nerve to open it.

No matter how I tweaked this photo the sun and shadow disparities were just too
extreme to even it out. There was water in that little dish and a rubber frog’s backside
taking a dive.

Guy stuff, don’t you think? Except for the pulleys. Carol is nuts about vintage pulleys
but she knows better than to get too close. Daryll's watching.

Cool chair. The plant, a little worn out already and it's only early July.

Lots of concrete leaves. I love these.

It’s good for the kids to have something to do.

A “waterfall” of creeping Thyme.

Carol and I like how Daryll has made use of these vintage wooden crates.

Unfortunately I didn’t take very many photos of the plants. I guess I was too busy
looking, lusting and lamenting [my lack of funds]. However I did have the presence of
mind to photograph what impressed me the most: containerized single specimen
ornamental grasses.

My photos, unfortunately don’t do them justice. Above and below is a voluptuous Japanese Forest grass, easily three feet across.

A Carex species on a pedestal to allow for the long, draping foliage.

A grouping of three. The tall red one is Panicum ‘Shenandoah.’

And finally, Variegated Moor Grass. Molinia caerulea ‘Variegata.’ I just had to bring
home a one gallon of this. The tag says, “Green and yellow striped leaves on a plant
with mounding habit and purple flowers. Grows 24-30 inches tall by 12-24 inches
wide.” Unfortunately my photography skills fail to bring out the sheer coolness of this
grass. It looks similar to Japanese Forest grass only more diminutive in overall size.
The flowers fountain up several inches above the clump.

I also bought this little London Pride only to discover I already have it [albeit it in a
much less spotted version which is what threw me off]. Saxifraga x urbium
‘Aureopunctata.’ Hardy to –30 degrees, according to the tag. We shall see.

And finally,

I had to catch this drive-by sighting. Check out these retired PINK jalopies. Can’t
you just picture a bunch of Petunias snaking their way out of the windows?

This post is dedicated to Loree of Danger Garden. I had the privilege of meeting her
during her recent visit to my neck of the woods. You can read all about it here. One of
Loree's many talents is detailing her frequent nursery visits. Her blog is always a
pleasure to read.

I’m Still Looking Around For June…Where Did It Go???

2010-07-04T15:06:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone. Happy Independence Day to all US citizens and to everyone around the
world enjoying the civil liberties we all deserve just because we’re human beings. No
one should have to endure a hovering government, unless, of course you’re an outlaw,
but if you are, you’re probably not interested in gardening anyway.

I thought this display [above] was a fitting Red, White and Blue tribute.

Remember this Pepto Bismol setting I photographed a few months ago? On a recent
visit I was pleased to see a more calming influence, photographed below. Which do
you prefer?

Mind if I brag about my garage sale find? These two metal chairs [below] for $12.00.
They weigh about ten pounds each, very well made.

And they have this cool terra cotta inlay.

Below is my Japanese maple photographed a few weeks ago. Acer palmatum
‘Ukigumo’ or “Floating Cloud.”

Below is a close up of the mostly white foliage.

Below is a photo of the tree last year. Notice how much greener the foliage was?

And a close up….

I think it’s interesting how environmental fluctuations can alter the leaf color.

I took this photo a few months ago while leaving a garage sale. The shed [??] is
leaning precariously. Maybe the dead foundation foliage is holding it up. The “hair”
is dead English ivy. There’s a story here but I didn’t have the nerve to ask the
owners.

I’ve been busy trying to tame the jungle that the excessive rain brought about.
Wheel barrow loads to the yard debris can and lots of twine and sticks to prop things
up. It’s always something…

Your Input Please: Plants You’ve Grown to Regret

2010-06-29T23:14:00.001-07:00

This is Statice suworrowii. I saw it on sale dirt cheap [it’s an annual after all] at
one of my favorite, off the beaten path nurseries a few months ago. It’s a throwback
to my circa 1980 dried flower days. Remember those?

My happily rooted [and leafing and blooming and growing] cutting of Rosa ‘Rhapsody
in Blue’ which is really purple but you know those crazy, color blind plant-namers.

Cistus x purpurens is happily cavorting with a purple hardy Geranium.

‘Earliblue’ blueberry is true to its name. YUM!

Thanks to a bit of sunshine, my Mukdenia rossii ‘Crimson Fans’ is beginning its blushing metamorphosis.

You’re looking at the “after” shot of my mossy walk. The “before” look was too embarrassing to post. Clover, grass, alpine strawberries, creepy jenny and a few unknowns had taken up residence and horribly marred the scene. The new moss patches haven’t rooted yet but the walk already looks infinitely better. Which brings me to my subject. I’m taking a survey for my gardening column on plants we’ve grown to regret. We’re not talking weeds here but the purchased or pass-along plant(s) that initially impressed you but quickly became the over-zealous thug! I mentioned alpine strawberry and creepy jenny but I’ve also dealt with a certain spreading hardy Aster and blue perennial Bachelor Button, [Centaurea montana] to name a few. My question to you is, what plants have you grown to regret? Please, do tell….. thank you!

I caught these little guys on a recent drive-by. Aren’t they adorable? Better here than frolicking in our water feature, true?

So, how’s my hair?

2010-06-24T17:12:00.000-07:00

It was, I don’t know, maybe five years ago. I was browsing through a gardening

book and, surprise, surprise, an unfamiliar plant grabbed my attention.

[Does this ever happen to you? Ha,ha!] Research ensued, including a quick

browse through my mail order plant and seed catalogs. Thompson & Morgan

had seed but I hesitated due to the “difficult to germinate” inclusion. However,

without another source, I opted for the risk. Despite a two-year,

set-the-pot-aside-in-a-safe-place wait, the outcome was merely a spongy,

verdant moss. No Tropaeolum speciosum seedings were to be seen. Boo hoo.

Poor me. I kept the plant on my wish list and found a gazillion other plants to

make me happy with their ensuing growth to elate me and death to devastate me.

Fast forward, but not very fast. I’m at Dancing Oaks nursery. They’ve got a

few flats of hands-off-plants that look more like hands-on-grab-them-and-run-plants

to me. I ask and am told that the Tropaeolum speciosum is a new purchase and

will be propagated for future sale. Oh good. I only have to wait one more year. Try

three. As we all know, plants don’t give a hoot about our feelings. Like a snail on

Ambian, my future plant “hurried” right along but eventually I got the call. It

was ready. Home. There must be Ambian in the soil. Successful winter survival.

Whew! With the arrival of spring, the Ambian was somehow replaced with Ritalin

giving rise to the third stage of the sleeps,creeps and leaps adage. To make a

long story, uh long, I FINALLY, I mean, FINALLY present to you my gardening

friends, my first hardyNasturtium blossom.

And here are three of the five. They’re about the size of a quarter and
the vine easily wraps itself around any available trelliage. I like the accompanying
small, palmate leaves.

So there you have it. Some things refuse to be hurried. What do you think?

My ‘Whitewater’ Bear’s Breeches [Acanthus mollis] is very happy.

It seems like every year I’ve got a really tenacious weed to contend with.
I always blame a mean pilot, dumping seed in my garden on a flyover mission.
I’m weird. I’d rather blame some unseen enemy than admit to my own lethargy
that resulted in seed spewing last summer. Anyway, the two this year are, on the
left, an unfamiliar small grass [excuse the blurry photo] and on the right, Plantain.
Time for a load of compost to smother the offenders. Do you ever get any weird
new weeds in your yard and/or an inordinate amount of them?

Above and below are photos of our native grasses. All the rain this year has meant
they look exceptionally robust and colorful. And, they really pack a mean pollen
punch too, I might add. But I’m trying to keep things positive.

This field is a few blocks from my house which is behind those trees on the left. During
the more lucrative years it was slated for development. It remains vacant which just
proves that not all of the recession’s tentacles are stinging nightmares. Can you imagine
forty or so houses occupying this land? Sickening.

Dragonflies are good bugs, I know. Still their size and flight habits scare me.
Check out the hooks on the tips of his wings on the far ~~right~~ LEFT side of the photo. Are
those designed to seize and devour their prey? Wait. Why am I asking this?
I don’t want to know.

And finally, I had to grab my camera for this. I love a sense of humor and this woman’s got it.

Like so many these days, I’m behind on my blog reading. I usually set aside my
evenings but now that the sun doesn’t set until, like 9:15, I’ve got to seize the outdoor
time. I hope you all understand.

Welcome, Lauren!

2010-06-20T17:03:00.000-07:00

The venerable Lauren Springer’s namesake ['Lauren's Grape'] is making her annual debut, despite being slightly crestfallen with the recent [ahem…more like pervasive] rains.

The rosy-red rose on the left is ‘Cinco de Mayo’ definitely a favorite of mine. To its right,
I’ve been toying with what to plant in the red repurposed fertilizer spreader… not like
me to be so indecisive. I’m blaming the weather.

The purple vine is Clematis viticella ‘Venosa Violacea.’

Still an awful lot of green in my garden. Okay by me. It’s a summer garden, after all. And summer is far, far away.

L @ Sage Patch is a local friend who has a penchant for gardening and collecting vintage treasures. Her blog is always a fun and interesting read. Right now she’s co-hosting a
garden art contest so I thought I’d pass the word along to all you savvy and talented gardeners. Easy to enter, simply write “about an area in your garden where you
re-purposed a vintage or found object in a unique way.” Then leave a comment on her
blog linking back to your blog. Admittedly I’m not the most gifted in terms of decorating
and crafting. My entry is the above rusty woodstove, recently purchased at the Habitat
Re-Store and put to good use as the center for a plant gathering. Good luck!

While on a recent outing with my garden buddies Carol and Lynda, designated driver
Carol took us on a must-see drive-by. I was ready with my camera. Check it out.

As you can see, the house and garden are not crazy colorful or completely consumed by plants. Instead the onlooker senses an esoteric [for me anyway] restraint in the color
palette, plantings and embellishments. I think this is what makes the whole scene so appealing.

Of course one can never underestimate the importance of good bones. The house, patio, picket fence, pottery and walkway provide the nicest canvas, wouldn’t you say?

And of course there are the well-positioned trees and trellige. The sign above the arbor says
“Heartland.” Just on the other side of this border…

…is the garage with room for a few more embellishments.

* * *

And finally…. I had to capture this poor school bus.

I sure hope it has learned its lesson. Tell me, what do you think? What kind of horrid crime did it engage in to warrant such inhumane punishment?

Random Observations

2010-06-15T22:19:00.000-07:00

Salvia 'La Trinidad Pink'
* * *

Hi Everybody! I was looking at photos from a long time ago, like April. When was that?
Like two months ago? Sheesh. Well, it seems like a lot longer when comparing the
sparseness of then with the lushness of now. Know what I mean?

Phuopsis stylosia [above] is one of those plants I saw in catalogs and magazines for years before spotting it for sale at Dancing Oaks Nursery. It's a mildly spreading ground cover

that reminds me of Sweet Woodruff until June when it erupts in these ping pong

ball-sized purple inflorescences. Cool, huh?

With all the rain we've had this year, I've got the single most prolific raspberry crop I can ever recall. And early too. Being of "everbearing" lineage, my bushes typically don't begin producing berries until mid-July then go through November. Nice. But you know how it goes. Where there's food there's a hungry mouth. Or in this case an entire flock of raspberry robbing Cedar Waxwings. Cute little devils, aren't they? I don't have the heart to shoo them away. [Please excuse the crappy photo quality. All that zooming and cropping...]

And speaking of berries, my honeyberries (Lonicera caerula edulis) are on schedule.
I'm still trying to figure out exactly when they're ripe enough to eat. They look great
but they're still awfully sour. For perspective, they're about the size of a pinky fingernail.

This is Carpenteria californica. I bought this plant years ago during my fragrance phase.
Despite the research to the contrary, I can detect no scent whatsoever. But it's an
evergreen shrub that, thankfully wasn't phased by the colder than normal December.

This is what remains of a container of Clerodendrum bungei that I was sure was dead.
Lazy gardening has its benefits because rather than remove its carcass from the
container, I simply tucked plants around it. A few days, ago I noticed this. It's alive,
by jove! [See it in flower on my sidebar.]

Charlotte has taken up residence in my gardening work area. Silly girl. [Sorry about the
crappy photos.]

These bugs crack me up. I call them the GAR-Bugs. [GAR stands for Get-a-Room.]

Major score! May I brag? I've been wanting a heat mat, like forever, but didn't really
want to put out the required $35.00 to have one. So when I saw this at the St. Vincent
De Paul thrift store, still in the box, never been used, for $7.95, I had to stifle an elated
scream that could have reached Teza-land.

And finally, it's that time again.....

A serious case of Tarpitis happening here, evidenced by what has to have been a
direct-from-the-tarp factory delivery of fancy silver with sky-blue trim. There must be something mighty important going on under there. [Tarpitis courtesy of Christine
of Alaska. Thanks, Christine.]

Surprises!

2010-06-10T16:58:00.000-07:00

I'm a pessimist. Can you blame me? After watching the annihilation of many
supposed winter hardy and semi-tender inhabitants this past winter, some of which
had been in place for years, [Azara microphylla, Euonymous japonica 'Microphylla',
Escallonia x exoniensis 'Pink Princess'] I had pretty much given up hope on that pile
of potted sticks. Most were dumped into the compost area. However, there are
surprises to report. A few posts back I made mention of my surviving Tatting Fern
[Athyrium frizelliae]. I'm happy to report a few more surprises. It looks like most, if
not all of my Dahlias are coming back. In my Zone 8 garden, it's never been necessary
to dig the tubers but last December's extended cold period had me convinced I'd
need to begin a new Dahlia collection. The photo above is one of my favorites, happy
as a clam just like its curator.

And here is my latest discovery. Convinced that last year's Pink Angel Wing Begonia was
deader than a door nail, I held on to the remaining tuft of Lamium, figuring I'd
transplant it at some point. This morning, I was stopped dead in my tracks when I
discovered two distinctly Begonia-looking leaves emerging from last year's sticks.
The photo on the left is how it looked at its peak last summer.

Unfortunately, my Phormiums really are dead. Can't have everything....

I LOVE this Honeysuckle! Lonicera japonica 'Purpurea' has a shorter bloom time than
its cousin 'Halls' but still worth growing for these triple-toned flowers and yummy lemon
fragrance.

I'm finally getting a few blooms on my Achillea. I'm not sure what variety this is,
possibly A. millefolium 'Summerwine.'

My Ceanothus 'Victoria' is going gang busters right now, much to the delight of
the resident bee population.

This last shot was a lucky one for me since I have little patience for capturing wildlife.
My neighbors had a few visitors.

Just when I thought it was safe...

2010-06-06T09:29:00.000-07:00

...to go outside, the rain is back with a, well, not exactly a vengeance since it's not
windybut let's just say that the drizzle ensues. This after yesterday's stellar day for
puttering.And, if you're like me the more you putter the more you WANT to putter.
It's like asnowball-effect. One more thing to do, then one more, then one more...
until, well, in this case, until the rain returns and renders the snowball a muddy mess.

'William Baffin' in one of his better moods. He really isn't partial to water-soaked
petals.

Yesterday I had to drive to my neighboring town of Corvallis, about seven miles away.
I took the above and below photos last evening, hence the darkness, on the lower
photo which I opted to leave rather than edit. I wanted the image to appear as
somber as my state of mind. [Not really. Well okay maybe a little...]
I checked the stats this morning and the Willamette River is at
fifteen feet. Twenty feet is flood stage and we may see that yet.

This is so NOT the norm for this time of year.

I took this photo this morning. It's of the river-front park in Albany taken from the
opposite shore. It's not uncommon to see high water during the winter months but
this is crazy. A few years ago my daughter's birthday party was held under that
pavilion roof. Her birthday is in the middle of July! In fact the area in front of the
pavilion is where we put our lawn chairs to watch fireworks on the fourth of July.

Okay, enough weather bickering....

This bumblebee found my Veronica longifolia 'Eveline' [or is it 'Sonja'? One or the
other.] too delectable to leave so he spent the night.

This is the border on the other side of my patio pond. The native vine maple [which
is not even close to a vine, by the way] acts as a barrier. And all the more this year
with all the rain to nudge it along. It will be getting a haircut soon. The closeup Heuchera
is 'Crimson Curls' and the one in the pot in the background is 'Georgia Peach.'

This photo is from about three weeks ago. 'Knock Out' rose is making me very happy.
The street side plantings in the aforementioned Corvallis feature Knock Outs and...
well I'm going to have to get photos. [Pussy Willow pretends to be shy.]

Somebody's getting sleepy....

And finally, another irresistible local installment of Loree's WWTT? Brace yourself.
This one is WEIRD!

My question is, besides What Were They Thinking, who the hell would want to trespass?
Beware of the dog? How about beware of the, um, creator of this monstrosity? Okay,
okay, creativity is subjective and some people might really like puce-colored foam
covering and entire building, made to look like...well, you tell me.

Weather Anomalies

2010-06-01T22:54:00.000-07:00

For all of you gardening gurus looking forward to a sunny day tomorrow with
adequate time to putter and preen and take in the sights, scents and sounds, I'm
not jealous. Really. I'm not.

The weather "system" riding the jet stream to my neck of the woods, is
literally blanketing an entire stretch of the Pacific Ocean. The weather guy
is calling it the "Java Express" or something because it originates in, get this, the
Philippines! One to two inches of rain tomorrow alone. November weather in June,
who'd a thunk?

The upside is that the temperatures are mild and although humans get bummed
by the constant drizzle, the plants LOVE it. The tall, pink spike is the best of my
Verbascums. I counted EIGHT flower spikes from this one plant and it's almost as
tall as I am. Granted I'm only five feet, but still, my pride swells making me a little
bit taller.

Both my red and gold raspberries are looking really healthy this year. It was a
pleasant surprise when my camera caught sight of this first red berry sneaking out
from under the foliage.

Note to self: Don't be too hasty when tossing the seemingly winter-killed contenders.
Guess what I found on the compost heap. It's alive, Yes, I rescued it. Athyrium frizelliae,
Tatting Fern

Leycesteria formosa 'Golden Lantern'

Calla lily

Gail's PPPP. I brought a few in the house and I swear the scent reminds me of cinnamon Dentyne gum.

And finally, another installment in Loree's WWTT. This photo was taken at the nearby
community college. Across the parking lot is a rose garden and from the looks of it,

some crafty person took roses and grass clippings and made a.... well, what would you
call it?

Hail to the Leaf , Part III

2010-05-30T12:38:00.000-07:00

Hi Co-Horts! One of my favorite Dianthus is blooming. Don't has me the name because
in my garden Dianthus are like Heuchera and hardy Fuchsia in that I've lost track
of which is planted where and they all look so similar and my mind gets dizzy trying
to keep them all straight.

Hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to garden we go...
[Except maybe to toggle to the garden.]

Little Ducking...

2010-05-24T20:34:00.000-07:00

Hi Co-Horts, May weather--it's a rude reminder of why, years ago, I chose to focus
on creating a summer garden. Still, thanks to my weak resolve there are many
spring-bloomers strutting their stuff, wooing me to the garden
until the skies spit hail down my shirt and I painfully regret wearing open-toed
shoes to tiptoe through the near knee-length swamp of a lawn.

Good thing my camera can take a few drops, raindrops that is... and keep on clicking.
This is a newbie Clematis. Bred for container culture, 'Little Duckling' tops out at
six feet and flaunts these sweet, two-toned semi-doubles.

....The simplicity of Santa Barbara Daisy [Erigeron karvinskianus 'Profusion']. Mild
winters will render it a winter over-er but when it succumbs to winter kill, like it did
this year, the plethora of seedlings make for a bountiful legacy. I tuck them into
containers and where ever there is a "bald spot" at a bed's edge. I love how the flowers
take on PINK hues as they age.

Lupine 'Gallery Pink.' Last year I was a diligent deadheader and this plant thanked
me with another bloom cycle. My fingers are crossed for a repeat performance but
if not, the foliage seems to be resistant to all those foliar nasties that plague its cousins.

...A strikingly red Sempervivum. Last year it, and its cronies reverted to green during the
summer months. I hope this will not be a repeat performance.

This is the 'Fourth of July' rose, a shrubby floribunda in my garden. It's supposed to be a
climber but... plants have minds of their own.

I found this chair at a garage sale a few years ago. It was already painted green, just for me.
I'm using it to hold up a floppy pink flowered Gaura. It's still too short to see in this
photo but the opportunistic Lavatera behind it is making up for it.

Remember a few posts back when I queried you all about which I should buy, the
Pennisetum or the Cordyline? I bought both... [Budget be damned.]

And finally, this is a total coincidence, I promise. When I gathered the photos for this post, I
thought I'd include the one duckling photo [out of like, a hundred] that I deemed fit
for public consumption. It's been zoomed and cropped so it's not the best quality. I had completely forgotten that the Clematis was called 'Little Duckling.' So much to my own
chagrin, I begin and end with "Little Duckling," one flora, one fauna. How's about that?

When Pigs Fly, I mean Dance

2010-05-20T20:46:00.000-07:00

GREETINGS, ONCE AGAIN, FELLOW CO-HORTS!

I took this photo on a recent nursery visit. The adjoining tag states that it's called
"Crimson Cloud Hawthorn" (Crataegus laevigata 'Crimson Cloud.') My neighbor
has a similar red-flowered Hawthorn tree in her backyard. When it's in full bloom,
there is nothing quite so magnificent.

Question: Are you like me? You've got more photos than time? More to do in the
garden than time to write about it? Well, this is my excuse for a post that is a bit
more random than normal. Due to my current state I'm rather indecisive about
which photos to include and admittedly I'm suffering a bit of writer's block.

This is my dear friend Carol's Cordyline 'Cherry Sensation.' That white thing is an
8oz. yogurt container, placed there to give you an idea of the massive size of this
beauty, purchased in a four-inch container a year ago. Carol wisely kept it indoors
during the winter months. A right, nice Cordy, wouldn't you say?

'William Baffin' rose went from nothing to SOMETHING literally overnight. And with a

trillion or so buds, the best is yet to come. Spotted in the midst of it all is the purple

flowered 'The President' Clematis.

Solanum crispum 'Glasnevin' is a towering 8 year-old figure in my garden. You can see

it in the top, left corner of the aforementioned 'William Baffin' photo. With so many of

my Zone 8 plants falling victim to two consecutive harsh winters, this plant, although

equally vulnerable, surprised me and sailed through.

Can you all bear with me while I boast about my latest garden-related bargains? Okay,
thanks. This cupboard and the wood stove [below] came from the Habitat For Humanity Re-store for a small donation. The cupboard houses spray bottles and all that garden
stuff that has a tendency to sully an otherwise pristine environment....ha, ha, had you
going there for a minute, didn't I? I'm going to be on the lookout for vintage handles
and I'll likely paint it sometime this summer.

The wood stove was missing its top so I stuck a rusty cookie sheet on it. I could fill the
entire thing with dirt but I think I'd rather set containerized plants on the cookie sheet
or taller ones inside the body of the stove. In front of the newly placed stove are a few
rusty pitch forks, re-purposed for holding plants up, or whatever.

And finally, to tickle your funny bone and because the human race is so gosh darn
entertaining, I present my first installment of Loree's WWTT or
"What Were They Thinking"?

Standing at I'm guessing, 8 feet tall, this giant "mushroom" is a real head scratcher.
I captured it on a recent drive-by. So, WWTT maybe rhetorical, but care to surmise?
Get inside their heads, if you will. What they were thinking?

Carol's Garden

2010-05-16T12:18:00.000-07:00

GREETINGS, LOYAL CO-HORTS~~~
How's about a little peak at one of the most awesome-est gardens on
the planet?

But first, check out one of my favorite of Carol's thousands of garden inhabitants.
Hebe albicans 'Pink Elephant' is a smaller-leaved, hardier plant than its cousin
'Tri Color.' I'm not sure about flower color but who cares?

And now, may I present, Carol's Garden.

Indecisive as I often am, I couldn't choose The Best photos so I opted for the
all-seeing collage method which I'm now thinking isn't doing her fabulous
garden any justice.

Having a generous garden buddy like Carol means MPFM or More Plants For Me
given her finesse for dividing and propagating. Her greenhouse is put to good use.
Lucky me!

Carol is a fellow-foliage-fanatic, obviously. She's also an avid avian. And,
along with mutual garden buddy Lynda is an equally avid rock collector. Inspiring,
I always, without fail, come home and copy one of her design tableaus.

And once again, for your viewing entertainment [thanks to Christine in Alaska]
it's time for TARP OF THE MONTH. Drum roll please,

This month's selection comes from dear, cyber garden-buddy Wendy and begs the
question, "Wuh duh fuh?"

What's Bugging Me...

2010-05-10T21:11:00.000-07:00

Greetings, Fellow Gardeners~~

It's a Karen Carpenter, God rest her soul, kind of Monday. Not an interminable
downpour. It just feels that way after a weekend of glorious sunshine. See my
happy Verbascum, above?

This is year-three for my red-flowered Scotch Broom. [Cystisus scoparius 'Burkwoodii']
It will develop those ugly, gray-black, bug-like seed pods after the blooms fade so I'll
cut the whole plant back.

Speaking of bug-like, I discovered a little family...no wait, a LARGE family of little
spiders on one of my Miscanthus plants [ornamental grass].

Spiders are good guys and kinda cute when they're tiny. Scale, not so much. It ain't
cute and some of them ain't so tiny neither. Ick! Looks like a freaking mini-monster,
doesn't it?

I'll be cutting back my variegated Porcelain Vine [Ampelopsis brevipedunculata
'Elegans'] rather than painstakingly manhandle each individual scale-critter. Don't
quite have the patience nor the stomach for such strategic maneuvers.
[Addendum: Sharon Loveyjoy says to treat scale with canola oil. Thanks, Sharon!]

There are the creepy ones and then there are the endearing ones, like the venerable
Mason bees. Although I've constructed two more hollow bamboo clusters, one little
fellow or missy discovered the hollow handle of a basket. The will and skill to carry
on the species is pretty dang amazing, don't you think?

And finally, keeping with the bug theme, meet this big guy, parked at the edge of a
nursery I visited last week. What do you think we should call him?

Monet would be proud!

2010-05-06T08:05:00.000-07:00

Hi Everybody~~

I hope the sun is shining where you are and all weather extremes have come and
gone. This has sure been the year for them, don't you think? I'm not sure which
has taken the greater beating, the garden or the gardener's spirit. But we shall
sally forth...

On my recent trip to Fry Road Nursery [see footer] my friend Lynda and I both spotted
this princess at the same moment. Our collective "Ooh..." could probably be heard by anyone nervy enough to plant their ear in our direction, although why they would want to do that,
God only knows. Two women, nearly completing the journey to the top and looking over
the hill towards the descent and our demise, if we're not careful with our downward steps. Gardening keeps us young, wouldn't you agree?

Anyway, the above photo is not a depiction of a 'Double Delight' rose blossom but a
pelargonium. We were both too distracted by her beauty to get details on her moniker--an exemplary feat considering my propensity to shy away from this genus.

Garden buddy Carol, bless her heart, rewarded me with a hefty division of her
burgeoning Bergenia cordifolia 'Tubby Andrews.' Variegated foliage at its finest,
don't you think?

And speaking of variegated foliage, check out my two-year old Heuchera 'Monet.' It is
definitely an improvement over 'Snowfire,' a plant that always bitched and moaned about
having to live in my garden. Maybe, unbeknownst to me, it had root weevils. 'Monet'
thrives, although has that typical old-school propensity to grow a spine then climb it,
like ladder rungs. I'm thinking I'll need to break it off and start over before it top-heavies
itself to death. [Flowers are pink, by the way.]

Physocarpus opufolius 'Coppertina' [Ninebark] is still a wee one in my garden, planted
last year as a large plug. I'm sure enjoying that deep colored foliage. What do you think?

And speaking of Heucheras and deeply colored foliage, here is a montage of some of my potted Heucheras. See, it sure helps having an equally Heuchera-obsessed garden buddy.

And finally, I had to photograph these little rascals since I wouldn't be bringing any
home with me. Sedums and Sempervivums RULE!

SPRING: What's not to love?

2010-05-01T22:07:00.000-07:00

This is one of the way cool Fuchsias I got at Fry Road Nursery [see footer] a few weeks ago. I just adore these tiny pink petals.

And, introducing, PPPP! Practically Perfect Pink Phlox [pilosa]. This little jewel is progeny from Gail's, GOBN or Garden of Benign Neglect. Thank you again, dear Gail!

I am so very partial to the foliage of Persicaria 'Painter's Palette.' Granted, it has its issues but heck, look at that foliage!

Here's a question for you botany-buffs. Have you ever seen this? For reasons that I can't recall, okay laziness, I didn't clip the dead stem from last year's Oriental lily and now a new stock is emerging from the old, about two feet from the ground. Is this an anomaly or typical behavior? I'm curious to see if it will bloom.

Here are a few of my latest plant purchases. I couldn't resist buying a replacement Melianthus when I spotted a row of them at Dancing Oaks Nursery. I'm going to take much
better care of this one, and I mean it. Winter-kill sucks!

Were you aware that Pitcher Plant will bloom? I wasn't. What do you make of these blossoms and buds I spotted in one of the hoop houses at Dancing Oaks? Pretty cool, aren't they?

Dancing Oaks on May 1. I'm guess the gardens are about a month behind mine. Daffs were still in bloom and Euphorbia c. wulfenii was dancing with the still-barren oaks.

Forgive me, AGAIN, please... for being behind on blog reading. I'm thinking of you and hope sunny spring weather is warming your shoulders and that you're blessed with ample time to putter in the garden. It's sooo good for the soul, don't you think?

FIRSTS and If you had your druthers....

2010-04-26T20:55:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody! I hope all is well with you and your garden.
Check out this very cool Aquilegia I spotted while at Home Depot.

I always enjoy the little plant races that occur among my garden inhabitants. You know,
like, which plant will be the first to emerge or bloom. Well, this year I'm happy to report
that my first Clematis blossom award goes to 'Nellie Moser.' She must know somehow
that she's my least favorite and this is her attempt to gain access to my heart. She does
look better since being moved to a location where the sun doesn't bleach her petals.

The other "first" is my white Banksia rose. The blossoms emit a fragrance
deliciously reminiscent of the sweet violet and look cute in a small vase.

So, here's my question. If you had your druthers, which of these two [above] pink accents
would you choose to bedazzle your favorite container? I grew the Pennisetum last year. Wintering it was a success if you call brown straw a success. In other words, consider it an annual in climates colder than Zone 9, just as the tag states. The Cordyline might winter
over if I'm careful. My friend Carol kept hers in her heated greenhouse. Although similar
in form, the Cordyline is more formal and statuesque while the Pennisetum, more relaxed.
Your thoughts?

Bloomers!

The garden swathed in spring green.

My neighbor's tarpitis is alive and well.

The south lawn with the aforementioned 'Nellie Moser' at bud stage in the foreground.

What do you think of my latest garage sale find? $5.00.

Question.... Got spit?

2010-04-20T21:34:00.000-07:00

I've got a question for you all, but first, a closeup of Spiraea vanhoutei 'Pink Ice' in bud. Cool, huh?

It wouldn't be April without the Spittle Bug-times-a-thousand. They suck up nutrients from my poor babies, leaving deformed tips, leaves and buds. I'm curious. Do you find these evil creatures in your garden and if so, are you passively ignoring or aggressively eradicating them and if so, how? Spray or squish?

Another nursery jaunt and lookie what I found!! Although I love this, I didn't buy it...
yet. What do you think? Reminds me of an ornamental Oregano. I pasted a closeup
of the flowers in the top, left corner.

Tags were MIA so I'm clueless as to this plant's identity but I'm swooning over that
color.

These are a few of my favorite things....

Finally, the nursery's resident guard cat.

Apparently she stations herself here by the door and
from the looks of her girth, rarely moves.
Check out her head compared to her body.

* * *
I hope you're all enjoying your waking gardens.
I'm off to visit, yet another nursery tomorrow.
Not that I need anything...

Daphne, oh Daphne...

2010-04-15T23:12:00.000-07:00

Remember my trip to the aforementioned "posh nursery"? Well, somehow this little
persnickety gem didn't make into the nursery's preamble pink display. I'm baffled.
When you've already coated your eyeballs with Pepto Bismol what's a little more?
Surely it would have been a fabulous complement to the statuesque [a stretch]
flamingos. Well, far be it from me to shun a perfectly pristine member of the beloved
PINK community, even if I have killed this Daphne variety [twice] in my own gardens.
So, while meandering the shrub section of said nursery, a brief eye and nose treat. Sigh...
This was as far as I could allow myself to go, given my history. Why shell out the twenty-something dollars to reinforce my shamefully, well-honed neuroses? The "third time"
would likely NOT be the charm and it's that telltale image of a gnarled tuft lying on a
gurney in a cold, dark plant morgue that holds me in check, further reinforced by
the echoes of my stupidity bouncing off its steely walls in concert with my equally
cavernous pocketbook begging for padding. Sorry Miss Ruby, your cousin, 'Summer Ice' although not endowed with your girly-girl looks sports the constitution to survive my
gardening methods.

See for yourself. Virtually year-round blooms of pristine white fragrant-enriched blossoms.

Onward and downward... A few of you mentioned a curiosity about my frog population
so I thought I'd offer a frog's life photo-chronicle. The above photo is a small cluster of eggs sprinkled with the brown remnants of a Bt mosquito dunk, not to mention the life-giving [necessary evil] algae.

Brother and sister tadpole sunning themselves on a submerged, wayward Acorus frond.

This photo was taken last spring. These babies are no larger than a human's small fingernail. Just so gosh darn cute!!

Admittedly my area of interest leans precariously in the direction of the flora so it is a
mystery to me why some tree frogs [aka Pacific Chorus Frog] sport markings while others remain as verdant as a golf course in May. Maybe it has something to do with the whole camouflage thing.... Sharon?

I was thrilled when my garden buddy Carol positively IDed this scary creature as the endangered Western Red-Legged frog. His clan has been in attendance for several years, coexisting seemingly without malice with the tree frog. Note the under-turned
[deformed?] front "arm."

And now, thanks to Christine in Alaska,
it's time for...

~~~Tarp of the Month~~~
So tell me what you want to do: a) peak underneath, b) run!?

Finally, congratulations to Amy @ Go Away, I'm Gardening! Mrs. Greenthumbs is on her
way. To the rest of you, I've got a few more giveaways in the works, but for now, thank
you for entering and for being such loyal friends.