sprig to twig

The challenge in May is one of editing. You know what I mean: the garden is bursting with bloom. I’ll try to show you new things or especially photogenic things, so as not to bore you with a post that goes on and on…and on.

The last of my tulips to bloom is the dramatic ‘Orange Favorite’. When Linda came to the bloggers’ plant swap at my place last fall, she brought me two heirloom tulip bulbs. No way could I have anticipated how much pleasure would be derived from a pair of homely orbs. Thanks again, Linda.

A woodland ground cover planted for its foliage, Cornus canadensis is filling in and blooming (sparsely) for the first time. I like the way the pristine white flowers echo the shape of the leaves.

The subtle coloration of a columbine that came to me as a gift almost looks like it was airbrushed on, shading from pale yellow to light orange. I was weeding out the buttercups that keep trying to invade the woodland (I thought they were sun-lovers), only to discover that they were propping up this plant.

So I left a few around nearby Aguilegia ‘Swallowtail’. The long spurs on this columbine make it special. It was introduced by High Country Gardens, and is the one success story of my mail order dealings with them.

I don’t think I have ever noticed the flowers on Cranesbill ‘Philippe Vapelle’. They are dainty, charming and echo the color of surrounding sedums. Too bad for them they are upstaged by the shape and texture of their foliage.

White, scented bells peek through the lush foliage of Convallaria majalis. By next year I should have enough blooming stems to bring inside to perfume the air…and keep the ratio of blooms to leaves about where you see it here.

Happy to be liberated from life in a pot, Enkianthus campanulatus var sikokeanus didn’t even suffer from transplant shock. Guess it feels the love.

Queen for a Day (well, more like a week, but still a brief but glorious run) the tree peony ‘Chinese Dragon’ bears repeating. I lengthen her reign by cutting tight buds to force indoors, and keep cutting single blooms to enjoy as long as possible.

Those are the stars of this SRO show. But wait! There’s more! Just click HERE to see where Carol, our gracious host, will lead you.

I happen to be fond of white flowers, so there are lots of them in my garden. Perhaps the showiest is the Clematis armandii when it engulfs the front deck.

Just about the time snowdrops stop blooming, up pop the windflowers, Anemone blanda ‘Alba’.

As ‘Janet’ reaches full bloom, she loses her early blush to become pure white.

Pears, cherries and plums are blooming now.

I only just discovered that there are wild strawberries blooming under the front cedars.

Fragrant little Narcissus ‘Thalia’ is one of the last of the daffys to bloom.

I love this little bud vase, because I can bring a stem or two into the house to enjoy without seriously impacting the outdoor show.

Trilliums transplanted from our woods are finally settling in.

I understand why people with smaller gardens complain about these two vigorous spreaders (scilla and forget-me-not), but here they are welcome. They cover up all traces of the dying foliage of the tete a tete daffodils.

Not everything is white around here. The tiniest of the daffys is pale yellow ‘Haworthia’, here surrounded by Veronica peduncularis ‘Georgia Blue’.

Tulipa ‘Fire Queen’ comes along just as ‘Shakespeare’ finishes.

A favorite of mine is Fritillaria meleagris.

Ceanothus ‘Blue Jeans’ is just getting going, soon to result in clouds of blue.

Fragraria ‘Lipstick’ quickly spreads to form a ground cover dotted with bright pink blossoms.

Then there are the romantic, old-fashioned standbys like Dicentra spectabilis…

and lilacs. One whiff and I’m a child again, romping in my gram’s unkempt yard. I’ll draw the line here, even though I could go on and on. It is April, after all. For more, visit our gracious hostess, Carol, at May Dreams Gardens.

At last! A few of the blooms reached their peak on Mahonia ‘Arthur Menzies’, albeit only the few that were hidden away and protected by foliage. The big, showy one on the top of the plant fell victim to freezing weather, as in seasons past.

The first few Forsythia flowers have opened, with many to follow soon. I like it best right now, though the full display is admittedly more dramatic.

Spring is such a yellow season. The Tete a Tete daffys are the first of the Narcissi to bloom. There they are, off to the side. I’m partial to the paler, creamier yellow of the dangling blossoms sparsly adorning the bare branches of Stachyrus praecox. Tiny matching butterflies hover around them, then disappear as the flowers fade.

The greenish yellow of Euphorbia wulfenii is in that early stage where it looks like the large congregation is bowing its heads in prayer.

Not all is yellow. I planted lots of Muscari latifolia scattered about, hoping that they would multiply, as advertised. So far, no colonizing tendencies, but I do love that little dot of blue peeking through the tapestry of ground covers.

These, however, are increasing at a satisfying rate. The first of the Tulipa kaufmania ‘Shakespeare’ will soon be joined by dozens more. Cloudy days leave them closed up like this, but all it takes is a few stray rays of sunshine for them to open fully and show their hidden beauty.

A fragrant ground cover of common violets has the sense to bloom early, when there is little competition. A few stems in a tiny vase can scent an entire room.

People always seem to be seeking blue flowers, so I leave this rampant weed to flower wherever it will not out-compete things I’m trying to baby along. Anyone know what it’s called?

I’ve never been fond of the screaming salmon color of the quince we have, but if I cut a few branches just when the buds are beginning to swell, they bloom indoors in lovely pale, blushing shades.

And I love the pale orange sherbet shade of the Kalanchloi fedtschenkoi, which just illustrates how quirky and opinionated one’s color sense can be, with the fine line between “screaming salmon” and “pale orange sherbet”. Speaking of which, a new (to me) blogger, Anna Kullgren, has an entertaining essay on the subject, poking fun at Pantone’s color of the year.

I’m impressed how so many of you can keep up your blogging and commenting even with spring springing and garden chores beckoning. I’ve been overwhelmed, with two gardens to clean up, spruce up and prune into shape. Sooo…I’m rolling blooms and foliage into one post, and if I have failed to comment on your recent posts, please know that I love you still and will be back in the saddle as soon as the rains return.

Out here at the R&R Ranch, it’s slim pickins in the bloom department. The Hamamelis with the split personality is having its ‘Diane’ moment. Earlier (sometime in January) that middle tall part bloomed yellow. The plant I purchased was meant to be ‘Diane’ so your guess is as good as mine about what’s going on here.

‘Diane’ was ready for her close-up, with the sun catching her against a background in shadow. The only other things blooming here are snowdrops and slug-tattered primroses.

In town, we are getting ready for new tenants to take over. They say they will maintain the garden, but we have heard that song before. At any rate, it seems only fair to get them off to a good start. The garden here has a southern exposure, is surrounded by concrete and gets reflected light from the house. The Bergenias are in full flower,

With those around the corner, in the shade, fattening up their buds, ready to star in the second act..

I can’t recall having planted this low-growing charmer (i know…I sound like I’m testifying before congress) . Anyone know what it is? This just in from The Mulchmaid: the plant in question is Lesser celadine, and is on the invasive species list. Jane included a link to Kim Pokorny telling us all about it. Sorry, Linda…I guess I won’t be passing this one along.

I’ve never been big on crocuses (they seem to bloom for about five seconds, tops), but these cheerful little fellows emerging through the duff make their case pretty convincingly.

Since Bloom Day fell the day after St Valentines Day, I think it only fair to include this mixed bouquet from my Valentine. Some of these flowers will go out early in a blaze of glory and the nature of the arrangement will morph over time…just as relationships do.

And now for the Foliage Follow-up. Melianthus Major was one of the first plants I ever spent serious money on (well, $20 seemed like a lot at the time). It was my first (and, so far, only) visit to Gossler Farms in Springfield OR. The plant was in a one gallon pot, with three or four leaves…but what leaves! They were a very pale green with a bluish cast and deep serrations. Lightly brushing the leaves produced the scent of peanut butter. It was love at first sight.

Backing up a bit here, you can see that my one little plant has colonized an entire area (it goes on some ways beyond the left of the picture frame, but I wanted to include the bright red dogwood twigs encroaching from the right). I have tried several times to divide and move it to our current digs, but it will have none of it. I will keep trying, because this is one of my all-time favorite plants. In the meantime, I hope our new tenants give it the love and attention it deserves.

You could do worse than to shower your love and attention upon May Dreams Gardens for Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day and Digging for Foliage Follow-up.

The only blooming thing around here is this Aloe ‘Carmine’. It is indoors. Everything out of doors is frozen stiff. I am sure if you visit May Dreams Gardens there will be links to more blooms, especially in sunnier climes. In the meantime, I will dream of spring and be satisfied with my lone bloom for now.

I got this winter jasmine from Janet’s sale a couple of years ago. It has been growing lickity split, but this is the first blossom, and at a totally unexpected time of year.

With more to come, I have visions of a fence smothered in bloom in the not too distant future.

I’ve never before been able to capture the color of Ceanothus impressus ‘Victoria’. Next I must figure out how to get it in focus. Blue blossoms in December? I’ll take them, blurry or not.

Passalong plants often travel incognito, but can star in the garden all the same.

When I stopped by a plant/garage sale and asked if they had any ‘Heavy Metal’, I got some strange looks…guess I don’t seem the type. Then I explained that I was looking for grass. Oops…another opportunity for miscasting. See why we should stick to Latin names when seeking out plants?

Cheating here, but gotta act fast, before these promising buds get slammed by frost. I have bubble wrap at the ready, but you never know. Oh, it’s Mahonia ‘Arthur Menzies’, and it gets about this far every year, but no further. You can see how the tips are already beginning to blacken.

Do berries count? My neighbor planted one of these upright Cotoneasters years ago and they crop up here and there compliments of the birds.

Raindrops are almost as decorative as the berries on Berberis thunbergii purpurea

I was surprised to find so much happening despite the monsoons. For more surprises go to May Dreams Gardens.

Other than the few fuchsias hanging on, Mom Nature has provided me with nothing to show you for Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day. But when I’m not sowing flowers I am sewing them, so here are a couple of the floral series of Spinnakers standing in for the flowers of the horticultural kind. I call them Spinnakers because they flap in the wind and make that wonderful sound referred to in sailing circles as “luffing”.

This one is called ‘Pistil’. I started out by doing a series of four abstract flower banners on commission. They were a more typical banner shape to attach to a wall or post. I actually like the Spinnaker format because it can be free-standing and really takes advantage of any whiff of wind that comes along. I adapted two of the floral designs for my own use. The original designs are available in my Etsy Shop.

I call this one ‘Budding’. If you visit May Dreams Gardens, I’m sure Carol can point you to many gardens where the plants provide the flowers.

I’ll keep the chit chat to a minimum here, and let the flowers do the talking.

Red dahlia, about 3″ across

‘Love-Lies-Bleeding’

Fuchsia ‘Golden Gate’…feast for hummers

Gaura lindenhamerii, munched by dear in early spring, came roaring back. The tallest flower spike is 8′.

I think it rates a close-up.

Speaking of tall things, here’s Joe Pye as I stand looking up at him, silhouetted against blue sky.

…and a similar shot of Helenium maximilianii.

Chasmantium latiforium or ‘Northern Sea Oats’

Lecesteria formosa

Rose of Sharon

Sweet Pea

Oxydendrum arboreum, or Sourwood, or Lily-of-the-Valley tree (you can see why).

Lots of material out there for bouquets…here Anemone ‘Honorine de Jobert’ stakes out the high ground, with a supporting cast of Solidago ‘Fireworks’ and Lonicera nitida ‘Baggsen’s Gold’.

The silver and black theme was lifted from Loree here, and carried out using Lamb’s Ears, Stachys ‘Helen Von Stein’ as a base with sprigs of Calluna vulgaris adding just a hint of color.

Thanks, as always, go to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for dreaming up Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.

My favorite plant at the moment is Ricinus communis ‘Impala’ grown from seed. Several others in better locations (in my opinion, obviously not the plant’s) are taking longer to get going. Highly poisonous, but no one or thing has tried to eat it yet, not even the targeted gophers.

Salvia ‘Black and Blue’

The flowers on the Dorotheanthus ‘Trailing Red Mezoo’ are coy little things.

‘Casa Blanca’ lilies light up the shade and perfume the air.

This is a bit of a cheat, as the drumstick Alliums are well past their prime, but I like the way they have come up through the long swooping branches of the Physocarpus.

This was a surprise. Aloe ‘Carmine’ usually blooms during the indoor months.

Echinops banaticus ‘Blue Glow’ is best loved here in its bud stage, but once it fluffs up the bees go crazy.

For the hummingbirds, Fuchsia ‘Golden Gate’ is the entree of choice.

I’m having to start over with Dahlias. I only dig them every three years or so to divide, so those rough winters wiped me out. This one is ‘Cotton Candy’, picked up for half price on the sale counter at Portland Nursery and nursed back to health. It is now way ahead of the others I planted as rhizomes.

At last! A bloom on Eucomis ‘Sparkling Burgundy’.

Not a very good shot of the lone water lily, but since one of the fish showed up for his close-up, I thought I would include it. Oops! Just noticed there are two fish. Can you see them?

The Hydrangeas are the workhorses of the late summer garden. This one is ‘Preziosa’.

‘Limelight’

Don’t you just love it when something reblooms unexpectedly? The ‘Orange Ball Tree’ is putting out a few of these fragrant bright orange balls right now. That’s it for me…well, not really, but you don’t want to see pictures of all 111 plants in bloom here. Instead, join the party at May Dreams Gardens for a floral celebration of August.

Of the three plants from seed generously given to me by Linda, this is the only Eryngium giganteum blooming for me. One plant was pulled into his tunnel by a gopher as I looked on. The other is thriving, but I will need to wait for next year to see it flower. If you click on the link to Linda’s post, you will see what happens once Miss Wilmott finds a place to her liking and decides to start her family there.

I love the fuzzy stem and large flowers on the only Verbascum that I have ever laid out cash to procure (it’s other name is ariaphaenum), but it failed to get a grip and toppled over into the V. chaixii surrounding it.

The volunteer Verbascums that pop up here and there are made of sturdier stuff. The architecture of the plant is stunning, though the flowers are nothing to write home about.

After two years of struggle, the Romneya coulterii is beginning to hit its stride.

Flowers are mostly an afterthought in this garden, but not in this case. Here’s a close-up to show you why.

The early stages are best when the Sempervivums decide to bloom. Here they are in bud…

…and again as the flowers begin to unfold.

This is the first time the Rhus has produced these fuzzball flowers. Maybe it’s a keeper after all.

In sunny spots, the flowers of Creeping Charlie are exactly the same color as the foliage, but in shade it’s a different story.

When I showed off the foliage of Lychnis coronaria, I promised to show it in flower, so here it is.

The Clary sage is another windfall from Linda.

Fillipendula rubra will erupt into a froth of pink, but I like it best in bud (guess I say that a lot).

Verbena bonariensis is one of those peek-a-boo plants that allows us to see what’s behind it. Good thing, too, because it has a habit of popping up everywhere. The other players in this combo are Stachys ‘Helen Von Styne’, an orange geum and Acanthus spinosus.

Speaking of playing peek-a-boo, the sunlight is having some fun here as it plays off of the flowers and foliage of Heucheras, Astrantia, Persicaria ‘Purple Shield’ and Hydrangea ‘Limelight’.

Finally, here are a couple of flowers you will not find in nature…part of my floral series of banners.

That’s it for me…more here.