Neither, mud, rain, or hail can dampen my spirits (For very long.)

The past week has been the quintessential run-out-and-do-something-quickly-because-torrent-number-[insert four-digits]-is-imminent weather. And believe it or not it's actually kind of comforting. It's typical, predictable. I remember about two decades ago a seasoned gardener said to me. "It wouldn't be May without hail." And if I'm not mistaken, every May since has seen at least one hail storm. Despite the fact that western Oregon's hailstones are rarely larger than a BB, I'm still reluctant to plant my warm season annuals and perennials. With accumulated knowledge (from the school of hard knocks) I've learned to wait until nighttime temperatures are above 50 degrees, usually around the beginning of June.

A humble assemblage of the color pink: Mimulus x hybridus, colorful Coleus and two Perky Primroses with a heavenly scent.

I've been taking advantage of the fickle weather to dig and divide perennials. The Euonymous japonica 'Microphylla' hedge I so lovingly tended for nearly a decade pretty much bit the dust this past winter. If I were a patient gardener I could wait it out, preen and primp and slowly the plants, maybe, might, return to their former splendor. I'm not a patient gardener. Out they go. And you know what this means: SPACE--available dirt, rife with possibility. What gardener can resist this?

This is a photo of the area. On the far right is Ilex crenata fastigiata 'Sky Sentry' surrounded by Japanese Forest Grass Hakonechloa macra 'Albo Striata.' I divided a second clump of this splendid grass and planted part of it on the far left of this border. An unnamed Hosta now resides in the center with a second potental resident, Hosta 'Golden Tiara' awaiting my decision. There is a Fuchsia magellianica within the mix but has yet to acquire enough girth to be visible. This small border is under the canopy of a moss and lichen encrusted pear tree that received a merciless pruning from me a few months ago. The lawn in the foreground has been sprayed twice and still remains green and is pissing me off. My plan is to reseed this area due to an infestation of a rather uncomely grass that has the annoying propensity to spread, turn brown and remain that way until October's rain.
And finally I just had to get a picture of this dazzling field of Camas. (Camassia leichtlinii or C. quamash I'm not sure.) This is on the campus of our community college. Kudos to the groundskeepers for lovingly leaving this area alone. :)

I love all of your comments, guys, really. Thanks for visiting and if you have any suggestions for the remaining empty spots in the above evolving border, speak up. :)