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Visiting the Rhododendron Gaden Nursery

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It's always a joy to visit the nurseries of independent growers.  The Rhododendron Garden Nursery in Federal way is a one woman show. A retired school teacher,  Diane Bell is living her dream of propagating and selling plants at her seven acre nursery in Federal Way.  Check out a previous visit here.

The main sales area of the nursery has interesting and healthy plants beautifully displayed.  This Rhododendron sinogande is gorgeous!

I love walking through the whole place as there are finds around every corner. For instance this group of Sanguinaria canadensis 'Multiplex' (double flowered bloodroot) in large pots.  These sell for 20 to 30 dollars in four inch pots at most nurseries; here they'e $20.00 for these lager than gallon pots.


Here are the two that are now in my garden.  I had one that I bought here a year or so ago and it's cheerful blooms and interesting foliage brighten the deep shade of the bamboo grove.  Can one really have too much of a good thing?

In bloom were Kalmia latifolia (Mountain Laurel)  an eastern U.S. native.  They were tempting but it's been a banner year for these in my own garden so I didn't feel the need to get any more even though they were so inexpensive.  An attractive evergreen shrub with these long lasting flowers ranging from white to deep purple.

The buds are as interesting as the flowers themselves!  Are those sweet or what?  I have one that has florescent pink buds that open to the lightest pink flowers.

White buds open to this maoon and white bicolor.  Did I mention that these can tolerate a little shade?   I leaned from Diane that it takes three years to create a one gallon blooming specimen of Kalmia as they're very slow growers.

Rhododendron occidentale, the western azalea  is one of two deciduous azaleas native to the western U.S.  This is one beautiful and fragrant native!


Not so great for year round interest, hostas sure look great and even tropical during the summer!  

Who wouldn't love a plant that does all this in the shade?

This one was added to my collection!


I love the maple leaf pattern of variegation on some hostas.

There were many areas like this one.  Here we see trillium growing.  How exciting to think that these will be available next year.

The bright colors and fun flower forms of tuberous begonias always catch my eye.  

As the name of the nursery states, Rhododendrons are a specialty and there are acres of them.  Diane has photo albums of what the blooms of all of them look like should you shop when they're out of bloom. Shopping after bloom time is a great way to evaluate foliage.

Another specialty is hydrangeas.  I happened by the nursery just after most of the rhodies were finished blooming and just before the hydrangeas started.  There will be quite an explosion of color here very soon.

A hydrangea that doesn't need flowers to charm is Hydrangea quercifolia 'Little Honey'

 More plants being grown on.  It's a pleasure to walk though this nursery because of the park-like setting.  

Rhododendron stenopetalum.

 Even more rhododendrons. 

What's the price for nice two to five gallon potted specimens?  

R. 'Az Flame' 

There was a heavenly fragrance that stopped me in my tracks.  Turns out it was coming from this Rhododendron polyandrum.  The specimens were too large to fit into my car and this isn't hardy here and would need to be brought in during coldest part of the winter. So sad to leave it behind as that fragrance is amazing, like a fine perfume.  The good news is that she has more started that are too small to sell this year but might be ready next year.


I so enjoyed chatting with Diane.  At the end of our visit, she snapped off a flower from R. polyandrum so that I could take the fragrance home without taking the whole bush.  How cool is that?  The plant mobile smelled great all the way home!


Weird Wednesday at Fred Meyer

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Fred Meyer has a little bit of everything, including plants.  On this visit, there were lots of these Celosia cristatas  on sale.  I can't decide if I like them or not but they certainly are interesting looking.


From Wikipedia - Celosia cristata [Celosia in Greek means burning] is a member of the genus Celosia, and is commonly known as cockscomb, since the flower looks like the head on a rooster (cock). It is called Chi Kuan in China. The plants are hardy and resistant to most diseases, and grow equally well indoors or out, though the perfect place is one with no shade and a well drained soil, as the plant is susceptible to fungal diseases. The plant is used frequently as an ornamental plant indoors. Their leaves and flowers can be used as vegetables.  They are often grown as foods in India, Western Africa, and South America.

So are the flowers the little thingies on the sides? 


They almost look like something that should be attached to a coral reef.

 
 
 All was not strangeness on this particular visit.  I quite liked this hibiscus.

So I brought it home.  Just one more plant to add to the fall migration into the house.  The pink/orange color combination proved irresistible.


Look, more Salvia 'Amistad'.  I'll always associate this with last year's fling as it was at Sunset headquarters where I first saw this growing.  Mine didn't make it through the winter but It was lovely while it lasted.

O.K. raise you hand if you DON'T have Digiplexis.  Anyone, anyone?

Sunset is growing them now as well. these were large (three stalks per pot) specimens.  Hmm, 'Amistad' looks delightful just behind it.  Perhaps they'd make a nice pairing. 
Gotta love Fred Meyer.  Where else can you do your grocery shopping, pick up a new shirt, shop for housewares,  have paint mixed, and visit a nursery all in one stop?

Puyallup's Answer to the Circle Pot

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You may be familiar the the very cool circle pot by Potted, indoor style for outdoor living.  This image is taken from their website which you should check out as they have all sorts of  great items.  

 The Circle Pot by Potted

Here's one looking fabulous in Loree's garden!

Not to be outdone, the folks at the Canyon Road, Puyallup location of McClendon Hardware (a great place to go plant shopping!)  came up with these.


Let's take a closer look, shall we?  


This is my favorite because you can see the word Goodyear on it although I'm not so fond of those three holes.  On the bright side the holes are beautifully round and evenly spaced.   I might go for more of a Little and Lewis bluey purple but that's just me.  

So, if you're looking for a stylish hanging pot and have some time on your hands, this may be just the thing for you.  Look, a petunia just for Ms Danger!







Time Flies When You're Having Fun!

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Two years ago today, I started  The Outlaw Gardener  with a post with  three pictures of the view from my back porch and some words.   I thought it would be interesting to take pictures from  the same spot and see what's changed in that time.
Some plants have grown and obscured the face covered column  from this angle, the bird feeder is gone and some metal flowers are present. Also you may notice a musa basjoo leaf in the top of the first image.  I think rodents ate a lot of the roots this winter as the poor thing which had been huge is now coming back more slowly than it ever has.  The trunks that are usually at least 10 feet tall by this time of year are only about a foot and a half tall.   Pretty much the same though.


Not a lot of change here either.  The Danger Gardenette visible in the distant left of the first picture has been moved.


The blue gate finally rotted away and Tom replaced it with this temporary fix until he builds a new one, some different plants and the meconopsis cambrica seems to have decided to finish blooming earlier this year.
So, in two years and 544 posts  little has changed in my garden (at least in the parts that I've shown here) but there has been a big change in the way I look at gardening.  While I've always gardened with my garden gurus and family in my heart, I now also potter in the yard with a wonderful community of  garden bloggers and readers guiding me.  I often think of what you might say about a certain plant or project, what you might do in a similar situation, what you've written about a plant, a color, a fragrance.   One of the best parts about garden blogging has been the many friendships that have resulted from this solitary endeavor.  My life is richer for the experience. Thank you friends, family, fellow bloggers, readers, and those who comment for enriching my passion for and practice of  gardening.  (O.K. some people call it enabling - You say tomato, I say tomahto.) 

Have a great weekend all! 

Tatyana's Secret Garden

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Tatyana writes the blog My Secret Garden which I've read and admired for quite some time.  Her garden and photographic skill are exceptional!  How exciting it was that her garden was one of the Northwest Perennial Alliance's open gardens and that we'd get to see it in person. 


Having been a fan of this garden via the blog, I was prepared for an elegant and structured garden tended by a gardener with impeccable taste.  What I didn't know was that both the garden and the gardener are full of playful energy and joy.

As soon as Alison's friend Annette, Alison, and I got out of the car, Tatyana almost ran down the drive to greet us.  It was like seeing an old friend.  Such is the phenomenon of the garden blogging community.

 Tatyana says that she might not have chosen this exact fountain (gorgeous isn't it?) but that someone wanted to get rid of it and  she got it for next to nothing.  What a great find!

Tatyana's Fatsia japonica is heavy with fruit. Why don't mine do that?  So lovely.

On to the shade garden.  Isn't that rich green incredible?  sometimes we in the pacific northwest forget how lucky we are to experience this.

Tatyana has a gift for mixing natural and structured elements.  Several northwest natives surround this elegant column.

This is an actual work space which Tatyana spiffed up for the tour but I'll bet it's equally interesting when there's not a tour.  The doll on the lower left is her garden fairy.

A special hosta hybridized by "Hosta Jim" in a tall pot punctuates the curve to the back garden spaces. 


The gorgeous evergreen backdrop gives the garden a feeling of maturity.  I love them but don't envy the difficulty of growing plants beneath them!     


Here's one way that Tatyana deals with those thirsty evergreen roots.  Clever!



Here is the first Sphere that Jim made.  Unfortunately, due to his health, he's not making them any more but it's nice to know that this first one is in such a special place.


A creative way to deal with a septic tank!


Hey diddle, diddle, the cat and the fiddle! 


The cow jumped over thee moon. 

The little frog laughed to see such sport!

This beautiful seating area with potted palms and stunning perennial garden background seemed familiar from Tatyana's blog.


Tatyana's eye for detail shows everywhere.  Love this casual arrangement of artichokes and poppy seed heads!

It's difficult to chose a favorite bird bath as all of them in this garden are exquisite!

You never know what you'll find in this enchanted place.  Notice how the frog echoes the color and a bit of the texture of the tree bark.

Here's Tatyana being as playful as her garden!

Tatyana, Alison, and Annette posing for the camera.  Plant people always seem happiest when they're around plants and/or each other.  Am I the only one who is hearing "Three Little Maids From School" from The Mikado?


 A fabulous perennial border in the side garden. Swoon!

Another playful denizen of the garden.

While some of us were playing, this busy bee was hard at work on an Eremurus.

Poppy season! 



A moment in time.

Back around to the front, this mossy fellow greets us.  Another of Tatyana's thrifty finds, he seems to be saying "Don't cry over spilled milk."  Of course, he looks like he's pouring it out intentionally.  Is this a passive aggressive statue?

We bid a fond farewell to Tatyana and her splendid garden but long will linger in our memories the beauty of the garden and it's creator!  Thanks Tatyana for the warm welcome, the personal tour, and for your inspirational blog.  I hope you had a great time opening your garden!

They Grow 'em Big!

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My eldest sister lives in the Matanuska Valley in Alaska where the world's largest cabbages are grown. I recently received these images in my email.   It seems that this year, Dirce's peonies are rivaling the cabbages for size!  Because of their size and the recent rain there, the flowers were falling to the ground so they got rescued for the vase.  This one is posing on the seat of a chair.  That's got to be over a foot around. 


There's a reason that they call this peony flower type a bomb!  It took two large vases to accommodate these three blooms.

All of the peonies in my garden are but a memory.  It's nice to know gardeners in the north who are enjoying them still. 

Hope you enjoyed these giants from the north! 


Wordless Wednesday - Kind of.

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At Dragonfly Farms Nursery - Garden art with a message:  Time to do some pruning!


Jamie Durie Tilting at Windmills?

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Well, not quite.  Recently Mr. Durie made an appearance, sponsored in large part by Proven Winners, at Windmill Gardens in Sumner.


For those of you who don't know the name, Jamie is an Australian born, award-winning international horticulturist, landscape designer, and host of the HGTV show The Outdoor Room. Author of nine garden books, former host of the PBS series The Victory Garden, and as he spoke about himself at his Sumner appearance, a former member of the group Manpower Australia.  (Note: the link to Manpower Australia shows images of scantily clad men.  If you find that sort of thing distasteful, please do not follow the link.)

We arrived right at 1:00, the advertised start time and found a fairly long line waiting to get in.  

Speaking mostly about plant combinations using Proven Winners plants (lots of petunais)  and creating outdoor living spaces with a bit about his new books The Outdoor Room andm Jaie Durie's Edible Garden Design, his talk was lively and entertaining.  This was the last stop on his U.S. book tour and his voice sounded a little tired.  After an hour, he stopped and went inside to sign books.

These gals seemed very happy to see Jamie!  

One of the best things about the event which cost $20.00 is that the program came with a $20.00 gift certificate to the nursery!  Since Tom doesn't really care much about plants, I got his as well and we were off to shop!  Here's some of what we saw.

Tender Clerodendrum thomsoniae 'Variegata' was wearing his foliar and floral finery.

'Peter's Wonder' is one of my favorite coleus color wise but it never grows as vigorously as many others for me.

This hot colored vignette screamed sunny summer days!

Galvanized metal gutters make great display racks for hanging basket stuffers.  I can see these filled with succulents in Ms. Danger's garden.


I love the way nurseries display their plants in color groupings this time of year.  On a recent visit at Valley Nursery, Debbie Teashon explained that at this point in the season, many customers are looking for interesting combinations to create or refresh container gardens.  There are some great suggestions here!

This yellow and gray combination seems very peaceful. 

This clever lady dressed to match this combination!

A modern looking black pot would be perfect with planted with these..  Of course, I'd think of orange or red because I love bright colors.


Sedum 'Thunder Cloud' has great texture.

 These simple sempervivum combination bowls are fantastic.

Cistus 'Little Miss Sunshine' had neither a tag nor a price so it stayed at the nursery.  

What did come home with us was a two gallon Kalanchoe thrysiflora and a beautiful Brugmansia 'Snowbank' which I love as much  for the variegated foliage as the euphorically evening scented blooms.   All in all a fun way to spend an afternoon!

Happy Independence Day!

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Here are some floral fireworks from the Gig Harbor Farmers' Market grown by  independent family-owned local growers.



 Happy Fourth of July to my friends in the U.S.







 The Rose is from Raft Island Roses in Gig Harbor; all the other flowers are from Fresh Flower Farm in Kent.

The Garden of Peggy and Bill Fox

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Meanwhile, back on the Northwest Perennial Alliance Gig Harbor garden tour with Alison and Annette...

I'll let Peggy's words guide you through the garden. " We have lived here for 26 years, but didn't start creating the garden until 13 years ago.  Our long narrow piece of land slopes down to the water in a series of separate garden areas.  The upper area is mostly undeveloped but has a greenhouse,  a few fruit trees and a vegetable garden."

In the "mostly undeveloped" upper area, not far from the large greenhouse, we came across this pot ghetto.

Alison and I smiled at each other and I exclaimed, "She's one of us!" 

We all admired the red new growth on this filbert-looking small tree. 

There was a nice paved driveway but we chose to take this interesting path downward. 
And arrived at this lawn in front of the house. 

"You'll see a small lawn with Japanese forest grass and other shade lovers hugging its uphill side, and roses and other cottage-garden favorites filling the sunny bed opposite."

"On the right, a pond lends some movement and the sound of water.  

The way the stones were imbedded in the pavement and continued  down to line the pond was especially pleasing to my eye.


 "On the far side of the house, the garden continues its way down to the water with paths, decks and steps, terraces, and a rockery." When Peggy and Bill's children were small, they asked what this ash door on the outside of the chimney was and they told them that it was a door for (the borrowers, tiny people, or garden fairies, I don't remember)  anyhow they made a small garden for the inhabitants and it remains even though the children are older now.

I admired these pebble mosaic pots!



Alison making another friend. 





So many paths to explore.

A grand staircase with berberis newel posts and hakonechloa cascading down one side.  

We wend our way closer to the water.  This was the lowest tide of the year but most of the time the water is much higher and has even done damage to the lower garden during winter storms.

"A seating area with a fire pit is tucked in just up from the bulkhead.  Planted with grasses and salt-tolerant rosa rugosa and cistus purpura, it makes a wonderful place to watch the waterfront activity and the sunsets."



"Be sure to walk out onto the dock pier to get a great overview of the rockery and terraces."

"Look for 'color vignettes' that have been tucked into different parts of the garden to punctuate or define certain areas.


 Treasures tucked between the cracks of the rocks as the steps lead onto the beach. 

Looking up another path.

Exquisite pot and plant combination!

Echoed here by more lavender.



"Our north-facing Puget Sound site, with its microclimates and slope, can be a challenge, but it's also a rewarding and very pleasant place to garden!"

I'll say!  The thought of moving those heavy pots, huge bags of compost, potting soil, etc. up and down the many steps had us all tired just thinking about it!  Peggy told us that at one point, one of the beds had been washed away and was rebuilt, requiring yards of soil to be brought in. Yikes!  The garden is breathtaking and certainly worth every sore muscle!   Thank you Peggy and Bill for opening your garden and being such nice hosts!

All too soon it was time to head on up that gorgeous staircase and be off to the next garden.  

Fun From My Garden

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With working seven days a week during most of the year, it's been a treat to have a couple of free weeks to play in my garden!  Lots of little projects got done with a lot more that need to be done.  Here are some of the things in my garden that  made me smile while I was working.

I got the lower head planter on a visit to Rosedale Gardens (post to come later) with my garden blogging pal, Alison, who also bought one.  Wonder where she put hers?

The kalmia on the right has never been covered with so many flowers and the dead-looking bamboo on the left is actually putting out more leaves.  So glad I listened to Alison's advice and didn't get another!

I got this cool amber "seed pod" last time I visited Judi Hook.  It glows when the sun hits it!

Meanwhile, the one she made for me, delivered, and helped install this March is looking much more integrated now that the plants have filled in a bit.

The naked gardener came out of the garage and now has a place in the garden again. 

This dragon by Blackwaters metal never made it onto my car as a hood ornament but I like it here preparing to eat the severed head of a cherub!

The everlasting alliums that I first saw in Linda and Tom Reeder's garden and purchased from Gardener's Supply last fall are finally out of their box.


This beautiful Italian bench, a Christmas gift from my pal Florence, had been sitting around in pieces and is now  together and in a permanent place. 


Fiddleheads from the lovely and talented Barbara Saunderson of Glass Gardens Northwest finally came out of their bubble wrap and into the garden.  Looking forward to adding more.  Blue next?

Glass flowers are blooming!

Is there anything quite as cute as a new hatchling? 

Now it's time to do more tidying and clean up of beds and brickwork.  There's always something to do in the garden isn't there?

Wordless (right) Wednesday

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Poppies from Heidi's Garden at Dragonfly Farms Nursery in Kingston.  I never get tired of looking at these interesting plants.  Good things come in small packages!  


How did all that fit in such a small bud?  

Beautiful!

Crazy Critters at Rosedale Gardens

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On our tour of Gig Harbor Gardens,  Alison, Annette and I stopped at Rosedale Gardens.  They always have a nice selection of plants but their large collection of statuary is also a draw!  You never who you'll come across in this silly menagerie where the blue trees grow.



Adorable

Or majestic.  (Loree, I thought they took your visitor somewhere in Oregon!) 

Ludicrous


Or lost, they're all here. 


This kitty's head moves around 180 degrees so you can change his expression.

Even the furniture

makes you look twice. 

Desfontainia fulgens is my favorite plant...this week.

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It's also known as Desfontainia spinosa and Chilean Holly.  When I first saw this large specimen at Far Reaches Farm (full post about the visit soon) I asked Sue how she glued those flowers to her holly.
Although she said that she alternated between super glue and a hot glue gun, the truth is that it's supposed to do that!




Although they've taken cuttings, this plant is not yet ready for sale.  It's also not hardy here so must be taken inside during the winter.  Kelly was kind enough to let me have one of the cuttings which I'll try my darndest not to kill!


Isn't it sweet?  

This grows slowly to five feet (about the size of the specimen at Far Reaches)  in 10 to 20 years.  It's the journey, right?   This week, I'm pleased as punch with this little cutie!

For more information, see the interesting article here.  To see other gardeners' favorites this week click on over to Danger Garden!

Karen Mashburn's Garden

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The next garden that Alison, Annette, and I visited on the Northwest Perennial Alliance Gig Harbor Garden Tour was that of Karen Mashburn.  Karen is obviously a lover of plants and whimsy!
 
 

The Mashburns, Karen and Al, began gardening here 15 years ago.  Al makes metal art and wooden garden pieces including this beautiful garden arch.

Glass flowers needn't always be colorful to attract attention. 

Wine cabinet cleverly repurposed as a potting bench. One more thing to look for at yard sales!

An imaginative way to bring color to a window box!

Karen enjoys working with Portland cement; her leaf castings and other hypertufa creations appear throughout the garden.

Al also built this Tom Torrens structure, the deck of which hangs over the pond.  Sliding glass doors and huge windows make this a great place to sit and enjoy watching the wildlife that visits the pond.  the pond is natural and fed by ground water.  The Mashburns decided to keep it and simply surrounded it with Lynch Creek rock and add flower beds around.

Fab plant stand.  I bet Karen made this as well.

Love this combination!

Speaking of combinations,  isn't this combination of blues and yellows delightful?  A great way to brighten up a shady spot.

In the Mashburn garden, one never knows what he'll find!

Silly mermaid, the pond is the other way!

Elevated moss path through the moist woods.

The variety of paving materials adds interest to the garden!


Because of the natural setting and the wild creatures, including Mallard ducks, owls and many other kinds of birds, the Mashburns garden organically.  There's not a deer problem probably because coyotes and an occasional bear have visited.  Hope the pets stay inside!

I wondered if these snags were the result of a forest fire but Karen said that when the land was logged in the 1930's  they burned off some trees.  These have been standing since that time.  One would think that they would have rotted by now.

Several of them exist around the property and make lovely natural sculpture.

Lots of running water features exist throughout the property and I thought that they'd done a lot of wiring.  Seems that all one has to do in the lower part of the place is drive a pipe into the ground and water runs out.  I'm betting that irrigation of this garden is not much of an issue.

Loving the huge pond.  Notice the large eucalyptus. 

Another view.

Another of Karen's leaf castings.

Another beautiful garden with that spectacular Pacific Northwest evergreen backdrop.  The garden blends seamlessly into the woods where the shade gardens exist blending cultivated with native plants. 
A big thank you to the Mashburns for opening their creative, fun, and beautiful space for the tour!  We have a great deal of fun visiting open gardens!

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day July 2014

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July is such a floriferous month that there are too many things in bloom to post pictures of them all.  Here are a few of this months blooms in my garden.
 
Fremontodendron

Mitraria coccinea

The summer blooming clematis are putting on a nice show!

I've tried killing this one many times as thee blooms are a little pale and subtle for me but since it keeps coming back stronger and more covered with bloom, I'll let it stay.
 
 Begonias are in full swing!


 
As are the pelargoniums.
 
 
Calothamnus villosus AKA Silky Net Bush, another of those beautiful Australians that I love.

The once-blooming roses are finished for the year but the continual bloomers are in their glory.  Don Juan has lived in my garden for years and has excellent disease resistance!

Lily time is here again.  The flower form is delightful, colors to go with any scheme, and the fragrance of the Oriental group wafts over the warm garden mingling, in the evening with that of brugmansia and honeysuckle. The memory of these warm fragrant evenings in July is what carries me through the gray days of winter when I will  inevitably bring home a few more lily bulbs.  Somehow the sweet promise packed inside each bulb brightens my winter weary soul.  Sorry I don't remember the name of this beautiful Asiatic lily.

Or this gorgeous golden siren.


Hemerocallis 'Hyperion' is extremely fragrant and the largest of my daylilies with blooms eight inches across!

Another NOID Oriental that has formed quite an impressive clump for me.  Unfortunately, I never stake them until some have collapsed.  Bad Gardener!

Mystery daylily inherited with the house.

Looking pretty in red!
 
Grevillia 'Ned Kelly' makes my heart sing!

Anagallis monellii is a nice true blue. This one blooms beneath an orange and yellow Abutilon megapotamicum 'Sunset'

Here she is - Abutilon megapotamicum.  We had a bit of a freeze this winter so these were slow to recover but have now come back nicely, loving the warm weather we're experiencing!

A surprise survivor of the wither is this abutilon, a Dan Hinkley introduction.

Alstromeria.  Really, I want strong orange and red ones but these pale pink ones want to grow instead.  They must be in cahoots with that  pastel purple clematis!

One time many years ago, I planted a silybum marianum (Milk Thistle) for it's gorgeous foliage.  Each year since then, a single plant has emerged in a different part of my garden.  Usually they show up in places where they get stomped by accident and I think that game is sadly over.  This year one has come up in a perfectly safe place in a bed.  I'm hoping that perhaps there'll be more next year!

Poppies

Romneya coulteri AKA Matilija Poppy loves the heat in the hellstrip and has thrown runners under the sidewalk to emerge in the lawn.  They don't like to be mowed so they don't live there long.  Say, that lawn is mostly moss all winter & these would be much nicer than grass that has to be mowed all summer...Anyone know how to organically kill lots of grass but keep the moss, violets, clover and Romneya coulteri in place?

The hummingbirds are fighting over the bee balm as usual.

Fortunately the Agastache 'Acapulco' is another nearby favorite of the little winged jewels.

The Clerodendrum trichotomum is more full of bloom this year than in any past summer. Hope this bodes well for a large crop of those beautiful metallic turquoise berries this fall!   Forgot to get a picture but it'll still be blooming next month. 
 
Thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting GBBD on the 15th of each month!  To see what's blooming in gardens all over the world, click on over to her site and enjoy!
 


Foliage Follow Up July 2014

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On the day after Bloom Day each month, Pam Penick hosts foliage follow up to help us remember the importance of foliage in our gardens.   Here's what caught my eye today.

Arenaria tetraquetra  is that cute foliage or what?


Brugmansia 'Snowbank'


Brugmansia 'Miner's Claim'

Rhododendron 'Everred'  I'm looking forward to someday seeing this form a nice little round bush of gorgeous dark foliage!

Coleus provide such a nice splash of color!  If only they were evergreen...

 
I admired Begonia 'Gene Daniels' at Annie's Annuals last year but didn't bring one home.  Imagine how happy I was to find this one at Hortlandia this spring!

NOID hosta echoes the colors of Hydrangea 'Lemon Wave' growing in a carpet of Oxalis oregano
 
 Love the leaf shape of this x syneilesis (maybe between palmata and aconitifolia.)

A fun foliage combination.  Wouldn't it be nice if  you could tell where one plant ends and another begins? 

Manihot grahamii died during the cold weather in the only slightly heated glass room.  If I were a better gardener I would have disposed of the thing but since sloth is my middle name, the pot of dirt lingered and started growing.  Now that the heat of summer has arrived, this thing will take off like nobody's business.  Time to break out the fish fertilizer!
 
 
Fatsia japonica 'Spider's Web' glows in a shady spot. 

Dew and morning sun gilded the Cotinus.  Someone really should remove those dead branches - tomorrow.

A new Soleirolia soleirolii (A.K.A. Baby's Tears) coiffure for this guy.  He needs a name.  Do you have any ideas?  Harry?  Jerome?  Thad? Stone? Rocky?

Babies should NOT run with scissors; it leads to baby's tears!

 New leaves unfurling on Sonchus canariensis.  Neat, an eight foot tall dandelion.  Since it's not hardy here, it gets dragged inside during the coldest part of winter.  You just know that somewhere on the Canary Islands, they're laughing at us!
 
I hope you're enjoying your summer foliage as much as I am mine!  Click on over to Digging to see terrific foliage from gardens hither and yon!
 


Visiting Valley Nursery - You Never Know Who You'll Run Into.

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Last month, Evan Bean, plant geek, Vicki Haushild, plant nut, and I went on a day trip to visit Valley Nursery, Windcliff, Dragonfly Farms, Celestial Dream Gardens, and Far Reaches Farm.  At our first stop, this fellow greeted us.


So did this one even though he as pretty well camouflaged.  The human staff here is also very friendly and it was delightful to see them especially my pal, Debbie Teashon who introduced me to Richie Steffen, curator of the Elizabeth Miller Botanical Garden, who happened to be shopping at Valley as well.

Tentacle pots made me laugh out loud!

When I see cool planters like these, I want to grab some clay and create some of my own! 

I enjoy seeing miniature gardens even though I don't feel the urge to have one in my own space.

Tiny worlds in broken pots.



Albany Wooly Bush, Adenanthos sericeus,  caught my eye with its soft foliage and red new growth. 

The jury's still out on this crested aeonium.  What do you think, is it fabulous in its weirdness or just sort of sickly looking?
 
 The sea bed of succulents is coming along nicely.

Kniphofia 'Mango Popsicle' looks good enough to eat!

Color grouped plants, a great idea for those looking to create nice combinations in their pots or beds.

One can just get a slice of one of these groupings and have a stunning display!
 
While the bright colors in the first group appealed to me, this group of deeper shades and white is also gorgeous! 
 
 
Having never met Evan in Person before and only reconnecting with Vicky a month or so before the trip, I though that we might run out of things to discuss.  Was I ever wrong!  We gabbed about gardening all day like old friends - the magic of the garden blogosphere!  Here are Evan and Vicki smiling just before we put our purchases in the plant mobile to head over to Windcliff.   
 
I had a great time and am looking forward to more plant adventures with these characters!

X Didrangea 'Sandy Reed' is My Favorite Plant...This Week.

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On a recent trip to Windcliff (Martha can post pictures!)  with Evan and Vicki, I acquired a lovely plant that looks very much like Dichroa febrifuga, which I grow for it's amazing blue berries.

 Dichroa febrifuga in bloom.
 
And Berry


X Didrangea 'Sandy Reed' in bud.

"Sandy" opening a flower.

"Sandy" after petal drop.

Here's the description from the tag, "First time offering of National arboretum introduction possessing breeder rights, with best attributes of both Hydrangea macrophylla and Dichroa febrifuga.  Flowers of this selection will be as vibrant in color at Christmas as in June.  No fooling. A wonderful new addition to woody plants. Vegetative propagation is prohibited. Don't do it."

Flowers "as vibrant in color at Christmas as in June" was too much of a temptation, it had to come home with me.  I've found no information online about this plant and have no idea about hardiness although I'm guessing it's at least as hardy as it's more tender parent,  Dichroa febrifuga, which has been perfectly happy in my garden for several years.  (Did loose one during the phormium killing winters but the others made it through.)  I'm wondering if this will also produce berries.

Click on over to Danger Garden to see the weekly favorites of garden bloggers from around the world.  

A Strange Garden Visitor

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The other day as I was pulling weeds (it sometimes happens!) I found this little fellow (well, fellow may be insulting as, "...in case of the terrestrial pulmonates, generally are hermaphrodites, it may also happen in some species that the sex changes during the lifetime.") on some decaying plant material.



Slugs chew ugly holes in my hostas, brugmansias, etc. and I have no problem dispatching them with haste.  However, there's something beautiful about the shells of snails that won't allow me to hurt them.  (No satisfying crunch underfoot.)  It probably helps that I see very few snails in my garden while armies of slugs have drawn battle lines along with a horrible infestation of weevils (I've sprayed expensive nematodes several times a year for the last three and they don't seem to be cutting the population back at all.  Any suggestions?
 
The strange part of this wildlife encounter is that I've never seen a snail with this yellow and black striping before.  The interweb says that these are banded snails and they come in a few colors.  I am more familiar with flora than fauna so I'm not sure about the identification of this one but am hoping that it's not a Mediterranean white snail that is an invasive and harmful species here as after it's time on the patio table for it's photo op.  it was set free where I found it. 
 
Neither as interesting or scary as Loree's  visitor, but hers probably wouldn't take so kindly to being put on a table for a photo shoot.  Just guessing.
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