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Backyardnotes

~ All things botanical in photos and words—in my West Seattle garden and elsewhere; seeing and creating art and assorted musings.

Backyardnotes

Category Archives: March flowers

THE PERSISTENCE OF PLANTS

31 Thursday Mar 2011

Posted by backyardnotes in March flowers, Spring

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clematis, Gardening, hostas, tomatoes, trillium

I HAVE BEEN ROLLING THIS POST AROUND IN MY HEAD for some time now. About three weeks ago I spotted a little slip of a clematis. I nearly pulled it out while weeding and adding some new plants that I purchased the garden show. I remember planting it here several years ago under an aging lilac thinking it would be a great support for a clematis. It didn’t seem to do well and I was sure that it had died or that maybe I had moved it. I have a vague memory of moving it, but apparently did not get all of the rootstock; what a surprise! How has it managed to survive?

THIS kind of plant behavior always amazes me – I know it shouldn’t – but it does. Plants getting a foothold in the tiniest crack in a rock wall (and turning into large trees), the crotch of a tree, a little hole at the edge of pavement. The will to grow and reproduce is paramount and seems to take place against great odds. And this clematis is a case in point since I broke off a six inch piece of it when weeding – what a klutz! But, the roots are strong and there is new growth as seen in the photo above. Now I will baby it and see what happens this year. With luck it might bloom and then I will know which one it is.

I think that one of the most lovely forms in early spring are emerging hostas. They seem elegant and the color is so fresh. This is a new one, June Fever, from Naylor Creek Nursery, one of four hosta varieties that I purchased from them at the garden show in late February; the others are ‘UFO’, ‘Clear Fork River Valley’, and ‘Blue Angel’.

Speaking of the garden show, the display gardens were big! And showy of course, with fancy hardscape details, and lots of large specimen plantings. For me, there were few new ideas to incorporate into my garden; but that is not the reason I went. I went for the plant vendors. I was not disappointed and this year I made up for what I did not purchase through all of last year. I bought three daylilies: ‘Seal of Approval’, ‘Night Embers’ and ‘China Bride’ (Naylor Creek-great hosta selections); hachonechloa macra ‘Beni-kaze’, crocosmia x pottsii ‘Culzean Pink’, paeonia mascula ssp. russoi (tree  peony), echinacea ‘Sunrise’, and aruncus ‘Guinea Fowl’ (dwarf goat’s beard) from Far Reaches Farm (they have some very cool plants); lilies from my favorite source, B&D Lilies: ‘Rexona’, Belladona’, and ‘Yelloween’; ligularia ‘Osiris’ from Woodland Gardens of Port Orchard (no website), to add to my collection; and a small waterlily type dahlia, ‘Lauren Michele’ (I am partial to simple dahlia blooms) from Swan Island Dahlias in Oregon.  Every plant has a home in the garden except for the daylilies and dahlias which are in pots until I figure out their final locations in the garden.

Aquilegia ‘Lime Frost’

Signs of spring are everywhere and it is such a delight after a very dreary and rainy winter. We have of late, had enough fair days to accommodate general cleanup and weeding. Why is it that weeds don’t seem to have a season and grow the year ’round?

Trillium grandiflorum are in peak form with some are still emerging.

And the beautiful, but briefly appearing sanguinaria canadensis.

It is nice to have a camera available and in working order. The biggest challenge is in learning how this one works. I think the macro is pretty good, but I need to study up. Tomorrow it’s time to start tomatoes and peppers. Hooray, summer is on the way!

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THE PLEASURES OF HOME

25 Thursday Mar 2010

Posted by backyardnotes in Home, March flowers, Spring flowers, tulips

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dinner, Home, routines, yard

THERE IS NOTHING QUITE LIKE THE PLEASURE OF SLEEPING IN YOUR OWN BED, rising in the morning and resuming some of the rhythms and routines of daily life. There is a measure of comfort in doing those little things that have gone undone for ten days. I always experience a certain amount of expectancy when returning home after an extended absence. What is new in the garden? Are all of the houseplants okay? What will the weather be? What do we yearn for after 25+ meals not eaten in the comfort of our own kitchen? This last question is always the first one we ask ourselves–what’s for dinner?

Rain began overnight and continued into the early morning, so yard work is out for today. But, there are many surprises and we hope for a break in the afternoon for the ceremony of a yard tour. Between showers I went into the vegetable garden to gather some escarole, endive and the red oakleaf that comes up without much help after all these years. So, part of the dinner question is solved. Add a simple pasta with garlic, oil, herbs, parsley, and maybe some anchovies–it sounds right. Only thing missing is the bread! Not enough time to refresh the sourdough starter and still have bread tonight, but I think I can turn out some kind of foccacia type bread.

Hoping that tomorrow there will be a little less rain so I can snap some photos and we can take that tour to see what’s happened while we were away.

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FAREWELL SAVANNAH,GREETINGS FROM FLORIDA & ALABAMA

20 Saturday Mar 2010

Posted by backyardnotes in March flowers, Travel

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JUST A FEW PARTING NOTES FROM SAVANNAH. I wanted to include a few more photos from Savannah, some flowers and two of my favorite photos before closing out this chapter of the trip.

The yellow flower required a little investigative work on the USDA plant site and I am still not positive about the identity; I think it is Allamanda. It was growing at the edge of a sidewalk fence in the Victorian district. The magenta colored Fringe flower, Loropetalum chinense is a smallish shrub, maybe to ten feet or so and I have seen it from Savannah to Appalachicola, and will grow in the northwest.

Next two photos are from the Colonial Park Cemetery (no longer accepting interments) and a wrought iron detail that caught my eye.

After leaving Savannah on Thursday morning we drove southwest towards Valdosta, Georgia and then south to the Florida panhandle city of Appalachicola on the Gulf of Mexico, where we stayed for the night at the Gibson Inn; charming with one haunted room. Jood opted for that one. This portion of the Florida coast is low key and not overly developed as the cities of Panama City and Pensacola are. We had incredibly fresh oysters and shrimp that most probably came from a boat like this one.

We ate the shrimp and oysters at this busy restaurant, Boss Oyster.

And, since this blog is supposed to be about things botanical, this clever planter on a sidewalk.

We left Appalachicola about 11:00 a.m. and drove west to Mobile, Alabama where we stayed for the night. We are leaving this morning for New Orleans and some great food is ahead!

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GOOD PLANT, BAD PLANT

08 Monday Mar 2010

Posted by backyardnotes in March flowers, Problem plants

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Bad plants, clematis, hostas, weeds

TIME TO BE FRANK THAT ALL IS NOT ALWAYS WELL IN THE GARDEN. A weeding session on Saturday prompted this meditation about what constitutes a bad plant. A bad plant is one that does not respect its neighbors by encroaching and runs rampant without invitation. It is a thug, invader, pest, and a bane to good riddance. The particular plant that brought this to mind is campanula persicifolia. While the white and blue flowers are charming, it seeds with abandon and travels where it is unwanted by dense, underground root runs; it is most difficult to pull them out roots and all, because I can never get out all the roots. A good plant on the other hand is one that spreads slowly or stays put where planted, gives its’ neighbors plenty of space and is easily divided or easy to pull like a weed when there are too many. This is of course, highly subjective and subject to local conditions and tastes! I unknowingly accepted a small piece of this plant from a friend who had received it from her neighbor and now it shows up everywhere and far from the original location.

I noticed that the first hosta is shooting up and there is oxalis oregana (wood sorrel) around it and for me, oxalis is a pernicious pest so, it too, became part this screed. The roots probably came along with a small native iris from Grandma T’s garden. It looks great in a large shady area under tall trees or rhododendrons, but I have a relatively small garden. Luckily it is largely confined to one area of the garden and every year I rip out as many of its’ roots as I can find as soon as the leaves start to appear; the fleshy roots can be up to eight inches deep. Another univited plant is a rampant alstromeria that came along with polygonatum hirtum (Solomon’s seal) from another friend’s garden. The Solomon’s Seal is stately and elegant with lovely white, late spring flowers is pretty well mannered in a shady dry spot with no supplemental irrigation, but it too can spread unchecked in more favorable conditions.

So what this all comes down to is be alert and if possible do a little homework before you take home that ‘have to have it’ or friendship plant. We all become enamored of some plant(s) that we just have to have, and on occasion experience a lapse in good judgment. Even if when we know better we bring it home anyway and plant it because we know that it will behave in my garden. Be vigilant and look for the unwanted hitch hiker when unpotting plants you receive from friends. If possible read about your plant and the conditions it likes, before planting! This is especially true with ground cover plants; there are lots of great ground covers, most are well behaved and spread slowly and are easy to control, but others, while quite attractive, are very invasive and need containment. Right plant, right location–easier said than done sometimes!

The first hosta to emerge is hosta ‘Lancifolia’,  (also from Grandma T’s garden). I love the funnel shaped leaves as they push up skyward through the earth and slowly unfurl and lay outward. The leaves are a medium green, lightly ribbed and  shiny. (It’s sharing a a somewhat isolated spot with oxalis)

Glorious on a warm, sunny afternoon is clematis armandii, with an abundance of fragrant flowers. It is evergreen and will grow fifteen-twenty feet in a season. We have two that run along the edge of our L-shaped covered porch, one planted at each end. They are severely pruned back every other year and require some frequent tidying since they run along the roof edge just under the gutters.

As the erythronium continue to bloom the dainty blue flowers of brunnera macrophylla ‘Hadspen Cream’ on the other side make a nice contrast to the bright yellow flowers.

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COUNTING CAMELIAS

05 Friday Mar 2010

Posted by backyardnotes in March flowers

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THERE ARE THREE CAMELIAS IN AND AROUND THE GARDEN. One camelia is along the property line border and is quite old (guess is sixty + years old). It blooms last here. Freedom Bell, the small pink one that we planted os nearby blooms first. A very beautiful white one is on the north side of the property and is probably fifty+and one of the many trees and shrubs we were able to preserve when we built the house, blooms next; so, it too is a legacy plant. I have no idea what variety this one is, but would sure like to know. We have kept it in has a umbrella shape and it is pruned high up to expose the form. But,  like all camelias it has a vigorous growth habit, so annual pruning after flowering is in order. The petals are very white, feel like thick silk and are susceptible to rain, turning brown at the first drops. It blooms over a very long period, usually from late February into April. The morning light was just right for this photo.

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