The Northwest Flower and Garden Festival - Ikebana Arrangements

February 28, 2019, 6:00 am

Ikebana (literally Living Flowers) is "a way of arranging flowers that was developed by the Japanese. It was introduced in Japan in the sixth century by Chinese Buddhist missionaries, who had formalized the ritual of offering flowers to Buddha. The art is based on the harmony of simple linear constructions and the appreciation fo the subtle beauty of flowers and natural material, such as branches and stems. There are several major Ikebana schools, with differing histories and theories of artistic style. In its highest form, this art form is spiritual and philosophical in nature, but in modern Japan, it is more often practiced as a sign of refinement by marriageable young women and older matrons." (Merriam-Webster)

Each year members of The Seattle Chapter of Ikebana International create arrangements for the Northwest Flower and Garden Festival. I admire the restraint and artistry of these arrangements. Come along and enjoy this year's offerings.

Simply elegant.

These stems were held together by a branch, partly split down the middle and wedged into the vase. Pretty amazing.

I love the movement of the broom, the tall thin vase. This was one of my favorites this year.

Do you have a favorite?

Can you believe that we've somehow made it to the end of February? We've lived through the warmest January and coldest February on record. Hopefully March will be kinder to gardens and gardeners in our part of the world.

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Meandering Through Molbak's

March 1, 2019, 6:00 am

≫ Next: In a Vase on Monday

≪ Previous: The Northwest Flower and Garden Festival - Ikebana Arrangements

Before winter decided to arrive in a big way and we in the Pacific Northwest were all thinking we'd sail through this season without a deep freeze, we Visited Molbaks. It's only 15 minutes from Flower World so visiting both nurseries on the same field trip just makes sense.

Bees were even out enjoying the warm weather.

Subtlety and good taste are for other times of the year. (Okay, never for me.) Right now, we're longing for riotous color awaken us from winter doldrums

I love the patterns on these bromeliads & bought a couple here in years past that have survived and grown quite large.

A little California greenhouse magic. Hydrangeas won't bloom in our gardens for months yet.

Good information.

This planter/vase reminded me of Danger's former car and one of them rode around in my cart for a while before going back onto the shelf.

Agave kichiokan

Aglaonema 'Lady Valentine' always catches my eye.

Echeveria 'Devotion'

Nepenthes

The cacti/succulent trend shows no signs of waning. Hooray!

One of these came home with me.

Gotta love nurseries with pianos, right?

Good bye February. Here's hoping that March is kind to you and your gardens! Saturday is supposed to be sunny and above freezing so I'm hoping to stay home and get some more garden clean-up done. Whatever you have planned, may your weekend be full of fun!

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In a Vase on Monday

March 4, 2019, 6:00 am

≫ Next: Tell the Truth Tuesday - Bring O ut your Dead Part the First

≪ Previous: Meandering Through Molbak's

Nothing original in today's vase, just a few hellebore blooms floating in a punchbowl.

One of the magnolia branches I brought in for last weeks arrangement has shedded the fuzzy bud cover and the tightly packed petals are visible. There were still a lot of fallen budded branches sitting in the garden so many were cut and are now filling vases all over the house. Finally the rest of the limbs are in the yard waste bins and the garden paths are walkable again, if a bit littered with sawdust and bamboo leaves. Anyway, a few twigs made it into the center of today's vase

Throw in a few hellebore blooms ant there you have it, one of my lazier offerings.

While we all love hellebores blooming in our gardens in the winer, many of the blooms shyly bow their heads toward the ground so we can't fully enjoy their pretty faces. Floating them is a wonderful way to enjoy them up close and to compare blooms.

It ended up on the dining room table before I got a different tablecloth on it. The reflections are sort of interesting.

The addictive meme, In a Vase on Monday, is hosted by the amazing and wonderful Cathy at Rambling in the Garden. Click here to take a look at what others have artistically arranged or casually plonked into a vase today.

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Tell the Truth Tuesday - Bring O ut your Dead Part the First

March 5, 2019, 6:00 am

≫ Next: Wednesday Vignette

≪ Previous: In a Vase on Monday

On Tuesdays, Alison at Bonney Lassie invites us to show parts of our gardens that are less than lovely. While plants are resilient and it's a bit too early to throw in the towel on many, there are others that have definitely called it quits during our cold February.

First up are a couple of agaves that were under cover of the back porch and given no water. Several of those hardy to zones six and seven were just fine but for this zone eight lovely, the temperatures were just too cold. Interestingly, those of similar hardiness inside the unheated stained glass greenhouse/round room seem to be fine with only a few degrees more warmth.

Two Agave salmiana, hardy to 15 degrees were placed a few feet apart, again under cover of the back porch. One looks fine while this one, not so much.

Elegia capensis was just sprouting new growth when the cold hit. I've learned that when winter keeps me very busy away from the garden, I'm not so good at pulling plants inside at the last minute. Even if this comes back from the roots (doubtful) it'll take it years to regain it's former glory. Rhodocoma capensis, a more reliably hardy restio in a different part of the garden is fine.

The last of the snow is melting slowly. Nights in the 20's don't really speed the process much.

Brassaiopsis dumicola or Trevesia aff. palmata isn't looking very promising.

Let's end on a more hopeful note, shall we? Fascicularia bicolor appears to have quite a bit of dieback but there may be one or two rosettes of foliage with green centers. Fingers crossed.

The biggest surprise is that Agave 'Mr. Ripple' seems to have handled being outside in a pot in in the cold weather with little damage. He'd become too large to cart inside the greenhouse so I saved a few pups for insurance. If March doesn't do him in, he'll get planted in the ground . By the way, the dead plant in the blue pot in the foreground is my third or forth try with the gorgeous Daphne × burkwoodii ‘Briggs Moonlight.' It's died both in the ground and in pots. I guess I'm just not meant to succeed with that plant. Although if another pops up at a sale...

Now it's your turn to tell the truth.

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Wednesday Vignette

March 6, 2019, 6:00 am

≫ Next: My Greenhouse in March - About the Same

≪ Previous: Tell the Truth Tuesday - Bring O ut your Dead Part the First

Gazing out a window of the Washington State Convention Center at a Seattle street scene with newer buildings abutting an older one.

I'm a fan of older, more ornate and individual-looking buildings but find the mixture of both quite interesting. How long will that older building stand? Will the plants growing in the interstices eventually take over? Seattle is a fast-growing city with new buildings being erected all over town

Which buildings are preserved, which demolished? It's the question we ask about our personal possessions as well. What do we keep for future generations, what do we let go? What sparks joy? What is necessary or used? Do things really matter at all? Yikes, so much thinking makes my head hurt so I'll just huddle amidst the hoard and look at pretty old stuff.

Wednesday Vignette is hosted by Anna at Flutter and Hum. Anna says you should go on over there to see more!

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My Greenhouse in March - About the Same

March 7, 2019, 6:00 am

≫ Next: In a Vase on Monday - Magnolia Update and Trying Something Different

≪ Previous: Wednesday Vignette

Last week, Chloris asked about a tour of my greenhouse. It's a rather crowded space in the winter and I often think of it as a place for plants to sit and do nothing until spring wakes them from their slumber. For the most part that's true but there are a few things that still happen during the winter.

Billbergia nutans 'Variegata' is sending up some flower spikes.

So are the Clivias

I admire the way these plants tolerate deep shade and neglect. Lots of buds on this one .

The last of the Christmas cacti but some of the others that bloom around Easter and Pentecost are starting to form tiny buds.

More of the plant hoard. The dark green lacy leaves in the upper right are Trevesia palmata.

Too. Many. Plants.

Every surface is covered with plants until they're allowed to go back outside for their summer vacation. Well, some of them will travel outside. For a better look at the greenhouse, look here.

Hurry up, Spring!

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In a Vase on Monday - Magnolia Update and Trying Something Different

March 11, 2019, 6:00 am

≫ Next: Random Shots from a Walk

≪ Previous: My Greenhouse in March - About the Same

For a couple of weeks now, my Monday vases have included budded branches of a deciduous, spring blooming Magnolia that had broken by February Snow. While I've appreciated the fuzzy buds on the tree, cutting them to bring indoors never crossed my mind as the blooming tree is such a joy. Many of us were wondering if the blooms would open indoors in water. Today I have an answer: Yes and no.

The fuzzy bud covering falls to the wood floor with a sweet little sound that makes you think that mice have invaded the house.

The buds do open but the flowers are not as large, robust, or as deeply colored as those left on the tree will be.

Nor do they last as long in the vase as they would on the tree but that's to be expected.

There is also a strong fragrance. We'll see if leaves emerge as the flowers fade. While I wouldn't intentionally bring many of these inside to force, a few would be a nice breath of spring a few weeks early.

Trying something different - I'm mostly a cram-it-in-a-vase-and-hope-for-the-best participant in Cathy's meme In a Vase on Monday. Today, I decided to try my hand at something asymmetrical using only a few elements that had already fallen to the ground. First up was this camellia.

Moss fallen from the roof covers the round horizontal part of the usubata. Pretty sure that's against the rules of Ikebana but since I'm ignorant of the art form, we'll let it stay. It's harder than one might think to depart from a more-is-better arranging aesthetic.

It might be better without the moss and with a few parts of the contorted filbert branch cut off.

The arrangement should be left alone but it's always fun to throw in some things from the hoard. Here's a cute Japanese netsuke with a carved frog.

Also thought it would be fun to once again drag out one of my favorite thrift store finds, this japanese plate.

To see more Monday Vases, click here to go to Cathy's blog, Rambling in the Garden.

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Random Shots from a Walk

March 12, 2019, 6:00 am

≫ Next: Wednesday Vignette

≪ Previous: In a Vase on Monday - Magnolia Update and Trying Something Different

Construction crews have finished with our new sidewalk ramps but now the paving folks are out grinding and repaving the streets in front and on the side of the house. Thank goodness they don't work on weekends so we have a bit of a breather. Time to take a walk up the street. (There are countless infrastructure projects happening in our neighborhood presently. Seems like they've been fiddling with some areas for months already.)

This accidental color combination glowed in the sun.

Across the street, this rhododendron, usually in bloom for Valentine's Day is just beginning to open.

So peaceful looking even though during the day when the crews are working the noise and vibrations are so strong that the house shakes.

Hmmm...are these discarded? I wonder WWLD? (What Would Loree Do) She'd need a bit of help as these are pretty heavy.

There were several of these much-easier-to-carry steel pipes littering parking strips up and down the street. Seems like tidying them up would be the neighborly thing to do.

The walk did end at the Seymour conservatory but we'll save that for another day. Now, what do you think would look good planted in those rusty pipes?

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Wednesday Vignette

March 13, 2019, 6:00 am

≫ Next: Spring Arrived Early at the Seymour Conservatory

≪ Previous: Random Shots from a Walk

The upside of February being the coldest on record is that we still have snowdrops blooming and the crocus seem not to mind the cool temperatures. While I love warm summer weather, there is something special about the warm-up taking it's time to arrive. The flowers of late winter/spring are such a pleasure and it's a delight to revel in their presence for a while instead of barely noticing them as they fly by.

For years a few inherited crocus bloomed by the front door for just a day before the neighborhood squirrels would descend upon them and destroy the flowers. For the past couple of years, the squirrels have left the blooms alone but are usually busy digging and replanting the corms in the fall.

Wednesday Vignette is hosted by Anna at Flutter and Hum. Click on over there to join the fun.

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Spring Arrived Early at the Seymour Conservatory

March 14, 2019, 6:00 am

≫ Next: Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day March 2019

≪ Previous: Wednesday Vignette

Last Saturday was my first day off in a couple of weeks and I'd planned to go to a plant sale, hurry home, and do lots of work in my garden. The sky was clear and I woke up bright and early in plenty of time to get myself together and make the hour drive to the plant sale but just couldn't muster the energy to go to the sale when my garden is already packed with plants and various projects this year have been and will be causing plant trampling, cutting, etc. Instead I lay on the couch and played the "Just One More Show" game for most of the day, binge watching a series on Netflix. By three in the afternoon, I became disgusted with myself for wasting an entire day so decided that a walk was in order. The Seymour Conservatory is a short distance from my place and it's always nice to visit a garden that always looks good with no effort on my part.

There's always color here and while there is a permanent collection, color-starved eyes tend to gravitate to the rotating displays of blooming plants.

The blooming displays are always lovely but I'd also like to see wider use of more unusual plants.

However, the conservatory is partly dependent on contributions from visitors so planting schemes that appeal the largest number of people is wise. There is a current push to make the conservatory more of an event space and a whole swath of the tropical section was recently removed to make way for the addition of restrooms, the first phase of an expansion.

There are always orchids blooming.

Not sure which bromeliad this is but isn't the bloom gorgeous?

Tillandsias tucked in here and there.

A fun fantasy garden and an early view of some of the blooms that will be gracing our own gardens in a few weeks.

I forgot to look up while inside but noticed this as I walked around behind the building. Is that a callistemon blooming way up there?

Hope you enjoyed this glimpse of "Crave: An Early Glimpse of Spring" To learn more about the rotating floral displays at the conservatory, click here.

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Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day March 2019

March 15, 2019, 6:00 am

≫ Next: In a Vase on Monday - Sidetracked and Spring Cheer

≪ Previous: Spring Arrived Early at the Seymour Conservatory

How can it be the fifteenth of March already, time for GBBD and only five days from the official start of spring in the northern hemisphere? It's the middle of the month already and Carol at May Dreams Gardens invites us all to post what's blooming in our gardens. Thanks, Carol, for continuing to host this fun meme! Click here to see more blooms from gardens all over the world.

What a winter it's been, warmest January, coldest and snowiest February, and colder than normal beginning of March. Looks like more normal temperatures will be returning later this week thanks to a warm air mass from California. (Are meteorologists implying that Californians are full of hot air?) There's even talk of a daytime high of 65 on Sunday. Swell!

Anyway, here's a bit of what's blooming in my zone 8 Western Washington state garden this month. (Everything from last bloom day is still going except Iris reticulata and ceanothus which was mostly cut off in preparation for the street paving machinery.)

It's surprising how the inherited galanthus have spread all over the garden both by accident and on purpose.

Most of the hellebores have recovered from the weight of the snow but some are still lying down on the job.

Here's a sampling of most of the varieties in my garden.

Camellia japonicas.

Cyclamen coum

Crocus

Sorry for the bad picture but I was vibrating with excitement to see daffodil blooms. 'Tête-à-tête' is always the first to open in my garden.

Stachyurus praecox

Orchids and a few other things are still going inside while in the greenhouse, Clivias are taking center stage.

What's blooming in your neck of the woods on this last GBBD of winter?

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In a Vase on Monday - Sidetracked and Spring Cheer

March 18, 2019, 6:00 am

≫ Next: Tell the Truth Tuesday - Garden Geek Card Revoked

≪ Previous: Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day March 2019

Spring-like weather has finally arrived in the Pacific Northwest in a big way. Just last week we had lows well below freezing and this week, highs in the 70's are predicted. Most of the time in the last few months, gathering something for Monday's vase has been a quick dash out into the rainy or frozen garden but this week it was a joy to be outside in the warmth. Got a little sidetracked and cut some Stachyurus praecox that was hanging over the greenhouse roof. Too pretty to throw away, the branches got put in a vase. I've learned that they dry nicely and still have some from last winter sitting around.

Maybe these will be part of an arrangement later but for now they're just hanging out alone.

One of the benefits of having such cold weather is that the Galanthus have lasted much longer than usual. They're joined by some crocus and a couple of blooms of Narcissus 'Tete-a-Tete' and some fronds of Adiantum venustum.

A few pussywillows make everything better.

A tiny bit of spring cheer to welcome the new season starting on Thursday. In a Vase on Monday is the brainchild of the amazing and dedicated Cathy at Rambling in the Garden. To see Cathy's vase and those of other participating bloggers, click here.

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Tell the Truth Tuesday - Garden Geek Card Revoked

March 19, 2019, 6:00 am

≫ Next: Wednesday Vignette - Low Maintenance

≪ Previous: In a Vase on Monday - Sidetracked and Spring Cheer

On Tuesdays, Alison at Bonney Lassie encourages us to post images of areas of our gardens that are looking not so great. For those of you with weak constitutions, please avert your eyes now. If you read/look further, it's at your own risk. You've been warned.

Out in one of the parking strips, I planted an Indian Horse Chestnut (Aesculus indica) years ago. I didn't realize until I removed the grass and underplanted the tree with other things that the leaves take years to deteriorate and like to get caught. Blowing them usually lodges them deeper into the branches of the euonymus beneath and raking pulls at those same hidden branches. They'll eventually bet pulled out by hand but it'd sure be swell if they'd simply rot in place.

Oh no, not lazy, just encouraging fallen leaves to insulate the beds for winter. Yeah, that's the story, organic mulch...

Here's the part that will certainly test your ability to hold down lunch. (To be fair, this was taken a while ago.) Each spring swaths of crocus bloom near the front of this bed. While there are some grasses that fill in a bit, there are still holes here and there where potted specimens get plonked for the summer. They're hidden by other foliage but if they're not removed, the ugly truth becomes evident. Thank goodness for the warm weather as these have been moved back to the pot ghetto to allow the crocus to shine and the tan grasses have been trimmed to the ground. BTW, the brown bits on the lawn are fallen buds of Tetrapanax, cut down bu February's cold temperatures.

As if being messy weren't enough, here's a confession that will cause the revocation of my plant geek card (Thank goodness, spewing botanical Latin was becoming exhausting.) I paid money for a pot of this noxious weed, Vinca minor 'Illumination' Forgive me, I'm weak and, well, gold foliage... True to it's name, it brightens up this corner. In a few weeks, it'll be replaced by the staghorn fern currently in the greenhouse.

So, there it is the ugly truth from my garden. Is there anything looking particularly heinous at your place this Tuesday? Come on, tell the truth.

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Wednesday Vignette - Low Maintenance

March 20, 2019, 6:00 am

≫ Next: Time for a Sunny Saturday Nursery Field Trip: Bremerton City Nursery

≪ Previous: Tell the Truth Tuesday - Garden Geek Card Revoked

Wednesday Vignette is hosted by Anna at Flutter and Hum. Be sure to click over to her blog to join the party.

Seems that many folks these days desire gardens that have low maintenance requirements. The joy for some is not the act of gardening but the possession of a garden. It should be, some may recon, installed in a timely manner and take care of itself for years to come, much like decorating a room in one's home. Even a home requires a bit of cleaning on a fairly regular basis I've been told. (We live in rooms coated with a mixture of dust bunnies, dog hair, and cobwebs as I've totally embraced the low-maintenance zeitgeist indoors.) However, for me, the joy of my garden comes from the process of gardening - hauling heavy pots around and dropping them on one's toe, snapping plants off while dragging the hose, swearing at passersby throwing their beverage cans, bottles, and all manner of refuse into the plants, becoming infuriated by the brilliant aural tapestry of urban living. Oh yes, it's the process, not the product that makes my heart skip a beat. (Should have that arrhythmia checked out.) However, there are times when I think it would be nice to simplify things a bit.

The cacti/succulent fad shows no sign of waning as people discover the joys of these plants that require very little attention to thrive. On a recent visit to Valley Nursery in Poulsbo, these extremely low-maintenance plants caught my eye.

Concrete, it's the new plastic...

So there you have it, the lowest maintenance garden ever.

I'm imagining that they're dishwasher safe to boot.

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Time for a Sunny Saturday Nursery Field Trip: Bremerton City Nursery

March 21, 2019, 6:00 am

≫ Next: In a Vase on Monday - Spring on our Minds

≪ Previous: Wednesday Vignette - Low Maintenance

To avoid actually working in my garden on Saturday, I jumped in the car and drove west to visit a couple of nurseries on the Kitsap Peninsula. Today, let's stroll around Bremerton City Nursery.

The colorful Euphrobia 'Ascot Rainbow' is at it's best this time of year.

Tiny Narcissus 'Tet a tete Boucle' is kind of sweet.

Anemones always look so good in nurseries but someone usually forgets to include them in his fall bulb orders.

Some people have tidy lists of plants they'd like to try, even nice pages on their blogs. Someone you may know has random-sized and colored post-it notes stuck to the side of his computer desk. These are mixed with notes containing the botanical names of a few plants that I already have but can never recall. Anyway, a few years ago I read some author's work about fragrant plants. Cistus 'Blanche' was a favorite for the ressionous fragrance of the leaves. I made a note and added it to the collage. What a nice surprise to find the very Cistus I'd searched for so many years ago. The leaves did have a pleasant fragrance but where would I put another shrub? I may regret not bringing one home but there were quite a few still at the nursery so who knows.

Primula vulgaris delivers a good dose of riotous warm color that's just the thing for some spring zing.

The perennial area will have filled out quite a bit with our recent few days with temperatures near 80 degrees.

Pink new growth of Thymus vulgaris 'Silver Posie'

No nursery is complete without a friendly greeter!

Ah, citrus in bloom.

Time to stock up on tender succulents if you didn't winter them over inside.

"There's always an Agave."

Did I remember to take a picture of the tag so I'd be able to tell you which Alocasia this is? Nope but it's visually stunning even without a name.

Here's what hitched a ride with me. The oxalis and some of the primroses are to give to the paraeducators in my program but the succulents are for me.

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In a Vase on Monday - Spring on our Minds

March 25, 2019, 6:00 am

≫ Next: Tell the Truth Tuesday

≪ Previous: Time for a Sunny Saturday Nursery Field Trip: Bremerton City Nursery

In a Vase on Monday is hosted by the creative and dedicated Cathy at Rambling in the Garden. Click here to see her arrangement this week and to find links to those of other participating bloggers.

The main trunks of the 20 foot inherited camellia bent low in February's heavy snow and some even snapped. The bush does this every few years when we get really heavy snow and always grows back. The Choisya ternata 'Sundance' was also splayed out all over the place requiring it to be cut back.

We all have to prune back perfectly healthy plants sometimes but this spring it seems that as soon as I cut back one thing damaged by the snow, I find several more. It's enough to make one feel a bit blue, like the face on this mug made by Cindy Jenkins.

Fortunately, my dog friends don't seem to mind and are just excited to be able to play outside in the sun occasionally. This particular puppy is wearing a stray euphorbia bloom that was blocking the walkway.

Can you believe it's the last week of March already?

Happy new week all!

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Tell the Truth Tuesday

March 26, 2019, 6:00 am

≫ Next: Wednesday Vignette - Signs of spring

≪ Previous: In a Vase on Monday - Spring on our Minds

On Tuesdays, Alison at Bonney Lassie encourages us to tell the truth about our gardens by showing areas of them that are not looking great at the moment. Since my entire garden all looks great between 1:00 and 1:15 a.m. on August 12 when it's dark outside, it's always easy for me to find material for TtTT posts. It gives the phrase point and shoot an additional meaning.

The oldest camellia, previously entirely upright, now has splayed trunks. The one on the far right must have partially broken off to be hanging that low and it'll need to be cut off but why not wait until the blooms are gone?

The Camellia flames in the fire pit aren't looking particularly nice at the moment.

The topiary was severely cut back to reduce it's size and now is throwing a fuss by wearing brown splotches. Schefflera delavayi in the foreground is also pouting for some unknown reason.

My love of Narcissus 'Tete-a tete' caused me to buy a few bulbs in the fall. They're easy to fit in just about anywhere but must be there were some extras that got planted in a pot, thrown in a corner and forgotten until this flash of gold caught my eye. One must admire the stunning way the black plastic pot doesn't really fit in the ceramic one but is stuffed there anyway. It's so hard to get good help, isn't it...

What's offending your senses in your garden this week?

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Wednesday Vignette - Signs of spring

March 27, 2019, 6:00 am

≫ Next: A Sunny Saturday Nursery Hop Part Two: Valley Nursery

≪ Previous: Tell the Truth Tuesday

Wednesday Vignette is hosted by Anna at Flutter and Hum. Click here to join the fun.

There will come soft rains and the smell of the ground,

And swallows circling with their shimmering sound;

And frogs singing in the pools at night,

And wild plum-trees in tremulous white;

Robins will wear their feathery fire

Whistling their whims on a low fence-wire;

And not one will know of the war, not one

Will care at last when it is done.

Not one would mind, neither bird nor tree

If mankind perished utterly;

And Spring herself, when she woke at dawn,

Would scarcely know that we were gone.

- Sara Teasdale

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A Sunny Saturday Nursery Hop Part Two: Valley Nursery

March 28, 2019, 6:00 am

≫ Next: Random Spring Stuff from My Garden

≪ Previous: Wednesday Vignette - Signs of spring

Have you ever been so overwhelmed by all the spring tasks that need doing in your garden that you simply run away from it? What better place to run than a nursery?

I have this in my garden but it hasn't achieved this grand size.

You may recall a post last week featuring this noxious weed in a hanging pot in my garden. What can I say, that golden color seduced my eye.

Lots of gorgeous hellebores but I already have enough.

Some cool plants for inside as well.

Been there, have that but isn't it beautiful.

Fabulous Agave 'Blue Glow' and planter combination.

Gold variegation was speaking to me for some reason and Rhododendron 'Blattgold' also came home with me.

Edgeworthia chrysantha 'Akebono'

Ranunculus flowers always appeal to me as they remind me of one of my early garden mentors in Alaska who grew these in her garden. They never last long in my garden here but make a nice splash in seasonal pots.

Interesting use on a broken pot.

There's always an agave!

Oh those double primroses are so sweet.

Camellia japonicas are in full swing now and will be producing flowers for quite some time for us to enjoy.

So, I got away with only two plants this time and only one of those required planting.

My spring break is next week and I'm hoping for great gardening weather. I promise to actually work in my garden rather than trying to escape the horror of it all.

It's time for the semi-annual plant migration to begin.

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Random Spring Stuff from My Garden

March 29, 2019, 6:00 am

≫ Next: In a Vase on Monday - April Foolishness

≪ Previous: A Sunny Saturday Nursery Hop Part Two: Valley Nursery

Snowdrops and crocus are finished, hellebores continue and, with the advent of warmer weather, new leaves are popping up everywhere. Now, if I could only remember where I planted those tulips last fall. Oh well, if they lived, they'll bloom one of these days. Let's take an after-work stroll around to see what's new.

Impatiens omeiana 'Silver Pink'

Podophyllum 'Red Panda'

Magnolia time!

Begonia pedatifida

Acer palmatum

Yellow violets

Peony 'Coral Charm'

In the greenhouse, clivias are putting on a nice show.

I have several rhipsalis that are all different but were all sold with a label reading simply Rhipsalis. It's a step above "assorted succulents." Anyway, this one, which I think is rhipsalis salicornioides, has yellow blooms that perfume the entire greenhouse for a couple of weeks.

There are various echeverias and aloes blooming in the greenhouse as well but some of the flowers are hiding behind other plants at the moment.

Tillandsias did well this winter.

Back outside - Tree peony.

Some rhododendron purchased years ago at Heronswood for it's interesting foliage. It's finally decided to bloom. Since it's grown too large for the space, seeing this will make it easier to cut back nearly to the ground.

The vibrant pink color of these Acer palmatum leaves lingers until mid summer.

The main trunk broke under the snow load and I just noticed it. Hope it'll survive.

Sinopanax formosanus looking unfazed by the strange winter weather.

Agave 'Mr. Ripple' looking a bit battered but the center is still firm so hopefully it'll be okay.

Daphne odora makes everything better, right?

I hope spring is bringing you lots of happy surprises!

Happy weekend all!

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In a Vase on Monday - April Foolishness

April 1, 2019, 5:35 am

≫ Next: Wednesday Vignette - Magnolia Time

≪ Previous: Random Spring Stuff from My Garden

In a Vase on Monday is hosted by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden. Do click over to her blog to see her arrangement this week and to find link to those of other participating bloggers.

It's April Fools' Day so what better way to celebrate than with a bit of whimsy in the form of a couple of cat containers made by Cindy Jenkins?

Tall kitty got a couple of Dianthus, some Primroses, a Tillandsia, and a few branches from the Coral Bark Maple.

Short kitty got some pansies and foliage from Dicentra formosa.

Now, what should we name these little kitties?

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Wednesday Vignette - Magnolia Time

April 3, 2019, 6:00 am

≫ Next: What Next?

≪ Previous: In a Vase on Monday - April Foolishness

It's spring break and for the first two days, we had blue sky and temperatures in the sixties. Perfect weather for playing in the garden but I spent far too much of it inside doing nothing. The clouds predicted for the rest of the week will motivate me to go out and play.

Wednesday Vignette is hosted by Anna at Flutter and Hum. Click here to join the party.

The garden is waking up for the year so I'd better get out there and tidy up a bit! How is your spring gardening going so far?

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What Next?

April 9, 2019, 9:12 pm

≫ Next: A Favorite Christmas Surprise

≪ Previous: Wednesday Vignette - Magnolia Time

At the top of a back staircase in our house this variegated sansevieria has lived for the last five years, requiring little care and growing happily.

A year or two ago, I decided to let it have a vacation outside.

However, it got placed in a spot with a little too much light and wasn't acclimated properly so it suffered. I brought it in after only a few days, mad at myself for such foolishness. During the last year or so it's struggled a bit and something that found the pot outside ate a few dents in the sides of a couple of leaves. Maybe it got over watered but recently it decided to fall apart.

What to do? Is it time to call it quits and compost the whole thing or should the fallen bits be rooted, fresh soil provided and hope that the fun continues? I've pondered this for a while.

This spring, I was feeling a little blah and wasn't really enjoying being in the garden or even going to nurseries. The amount of plants in my possession and the care they require seemed overwhelming. Everything that I thought of to blog about seemed old - yes, there are new shoots, blooms, foliage but what haven't I already shared in previous years? Blogging and being part of that community have been a true joy for me but recently, the thought of what to do next on the blog has been crossing my mind every time I look at that sansevieria.

I now know that a totally blocked vessel in my heart may have had something to do with my feeling of ennui. The signs were fairly subtle and I dismissed the pain as being caused by moving too many pots out of the greenhouse. Finally on Saturday evening, we walked to the emergency room of the hospital just up the street. I got a lovely private room in the coronary care unit with a view of the park. A couple of days being pampered and a nice surgery were just what the doctor ordered, literally. I'm back home now and feeling much better than before but will be taking a break from blogging for a short time. Until then, happy spring and happy gardening!

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A Favorite Christmas Surprise

January 9, 2021, 12:56 pm

≫ Next: Wednesday Vignette - A Hole in the Wall

≪ Previous: What Next?

Hello all, I think of you often and hope you're doing well. It's been a while since I posted and there have been some changes in all of our lives. Coming back to Blogger after all this time, I wondered if I'd remember how to do this. The tools here have changed a bit. If you're reading this, I somehow figured it out.

Sometimes, in the midst of turmoil, there comes a ray of light that lightens one's spirit. Just before Christmas, one such ray of light came in the form of a mystery in my mailbox. I didn't recognize the name or address of the sender listed on the slip of paper left by the postal carrier saying that I had a parcel to pick up at the post office. Could it be dangerous seeds from China? Random gift from a family member sent directly to me from a supplier? A google search didn't prove helpful. I'd just have to wait until the next day to head over to the post office and find out. There was a sense of fun and comradery among the pre-holiday throng at the post office the next day. (All wearing masks and spaced 6 feet apart and spilling out onto the street.) It was almost like a holiday party. When the package was finally in my hands, it was obviously a book. What book could it be?

Books are awfully decorative don't you think?

I'd already ordered a copy of Fearless Gardening to be delivered after the release date in January so it was a delightful surprise to receive this early copy directly from the printer. That it fit so well with my color scheme was an added bonus.

I've been a fan of Loree Bohl's Danger Garden Blog for years. In fact, nine years ago, as a surprise for a significant birthday, I actually got to meet Loree and visit her garden. That meeting was the first of many as we visit each others gardens every so often and have become friends through the wonderful world of garden blogging.

I wonder if the Bohl household looked anything like this recently?

So, how's the book? you might ask. Well, as someone who has read a fair number of garden books, I think this one is stellar and not just because there's a picture of my garden in there. (Very humbling to have my tackiness in such a fabulous book.) Loree's excellent design skills and love of plants shines through every page of the book just as in her garden. The book is like a key to freedom for gardeners who seem bound by the garden commandments, a celebration of gardening as an adventure, not a destination, a process, not a product. I started skimming through a few pages here and there and decided that this is a book that I want to savor for a long time so I'm limiting myself to a few pages each day. It's a book chock full of beautiful word images, gorgeous photographs, and wonderful advice about doing what makes you happy with your garden space. While it's filled with great information, it reads like a visit with a wise old (as in long term, not elderly) friend and will join some of my perennial favorite garden books that are reread frequently.

If this book isn't in your hands yet, you should remedy that soon. If you're looking for a gift for a gardening friend, you can't go wrong with this one.

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Wednesday Vignette - A Hole in the Wall

February 27, 2019, 6:00 am

≪ Previous: A Favorite Christmas Surprise

Once again, I'm using (with permission) one of Michael Jardeen's photos for my Wednesday Vignette Post. He's titled this image "A Hole in the Wall" and it could also function as a Tell the Truth Tuesday post as this Hedera helix-covered, rotting and leaning fence is on one side of my back garden. Who knew that such an eyesore could be so photogenic? It's a tribute to Michael's skill.

Tell the Truth Tuesday is hosted by Alison at Bonney Lassie and Wednesday Vignette is hosted by Anna at Flutter and Hum. Click on the links to see more.

I won't be opening my garden this summer as we're hoping to have this fence replaced and I want to re-work the koi pond, two rather time-consuming projects which will have parts of the garden looking pretty battered for a while. On the bright side, removing the fence will save me a lot of ivy -removing time.

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