Sometimes my brain thinks in botanical names and sometimes in common names – hence wallflower (Erysimum) with Heuchera (coral bells). Most of the colored leaf Heucheras don’t have coral bells (unlike the old-fashioned green-leaved versions you still see around here and there) so coral bells seems like a misnomer. As for the the wallflower, I find Erysimum a bit of a tongue twister, even in my head. As for the plants… Read more »
May 1, 2013
Aren’t the little pink cones adorable? Of course, they won’t stay pink, they’ll eventually turn brown but this would still be a nice plant to have in the garden. Dwarf conifers add great permanent texture; the needles act as a great foil to larger-leaved plants and contrary to popular belief, some conifers clearly display some great seasonal color. Read more »
4/20/2013
Okay Puget Sounders, if you are headed to Portland between now and Mother’s Day, plan on a brief detour in Woodland to see more lilacs in one place than you ever dreamed of – the Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens.
Hulda Klager, born in 1863, was a farmer’s wife and mother who fell in love with hybridizing lilacs. Around the turn of the century she ordered some nice Lemoine lilacs to work with; the cows stomped on all but 3. Read more »
Alright, I’m having a mental block. All my attempts to come up with a pithy yet evocative description of these plants falls short so today, I’ll just let the pic explain itself.
Koelreuteria paniculata showing the salmon-pink of new leaves. It would be easy to walk right past this tree without noticing anything, the leaves at the moment show up only as the slightest of hazes from a distance. Up close the intricate salmon-pink leaves are beautiful, although I have to say the leaves are stupendously photogenic. The reality definitely was cool, but not so striking as it seems in the photos. Read more »
Pine candies?
It’s easy to get caught up in the glory of big. blowsy flowers, especially this time of year when everything is blooming, but don’t forget some of the small delights that are out there. Sara Malone and Janice LeCocq of the Form and Foliage blog have some photos of glorious treats left by the Easter Bunny up on their website. Read more »
Pieris japonica 3/21/2013
I meant to write about Pieris japonica weeks ago, but never got around to it. Now there are the Daphnes, Viburnums, Osmanthus and Ribes in bloom not to mention the flowering cherries running amuck – the flowers filling the sightlines on every block – so why write about a plant that is just about done? Read more »
Confederate jasmine, 3/26/2013
A plain green vine cloaking a fence in March – ho hum. Confederate jasmine is ho hum most of the year but not a bad ho hum. A vine that hides ugly fences, comes through at least this mild winter well-clothed in pristine leaves (no ugly black spots) and flowers well in at least some shade is not a bad plant, but you don’t grow Trachelospermum jasminoides for its evergreen leaves. You grow it for its divine, carrying, summertime fragrance – anything else it give you is just gravy.
For more on Confederate jasmine, check out thispost – August, If only the internet was scratch and sniff.
Fences serve numerous purposes: keeping things in (or out), looking good in and of themselves, acting as screens, being a place to grow yet more plants. Read more »
Cass Turnbull, local pruning guru and founder of Plant Amnesty (whose mission is to end the senseless torture and mutilation of trees and shrubs) sent out an email to Plant Amnesty members about hydrangea pruning. With Plant Amnesty’s permission, I’ve included the content of the email here. When the results come out – I’ll pass those along too. Also, if you want a pruning book that is useful and actually an enjoyable read, get Cass Turnbull’s Guide to Pruning.
Cass Turnbull’s Hydrangea Test
