Saturday, April 25, 2009

Dogwood is blooming pink!

The pink flowering dogwood tree bloomed...another one I thought would wait a few years to bloom. A darker pink than I have seen on this tree type before.


I planted three Iberis in the front yard this morning. Their white flowers will be fantastic with the spring bloomers next year. I may be able to get these to bloom this fall if I shear them soon. Then they will contrast with dark red peonies and floating purple alliums.

I did some planting in the north walkway; a pussy willow tree I found on a free table at the flower show last summer and a maidenhair fern from my neighbor Betty. The Salmonberry tree in the pot will have to wait until I have energy for the back yard, it wants a wetter spot than this walkway.

Friday, April 24, 2009

From a street-side plant sale!

The hatch back full of newly aquired beauties.

Counter clock wise from top right, three kinds of colored foliage Heuchera Coral Bells: bronze, marmalade and neon yellow. Two Sweet Woodruff ground covers, bridal wreath spirea, orange oriental poppy, mexican feather grass and two peach & cream daffodils.

The peach daffodil bloom...nice!

Seven purple Ajuga bugleweed ground covers, a sword fern, three kinds of sedum and a hen & chick.

Three garlic plants, a native Northwest Swordfern and two Iberis Candytuft plants. The Iberis are going to make a great spring show with the front yard tulips and snowflakes.

Two giant autumn joy sedums, pink lilac, maidenhair fern and a sword fern.

Iberis, will definitely need some shearing to keep a nicer shape & make more blooms.

A native swordfern...my shade garden is beckoning.

A Salmonberry Tree! Another northwest native...I remember eating the clear orange berries in the forest near my home growing up. So magical.

The most open tulips so far...






Our flowering pear tree, lookin good for year #1.

The coral bark maple was suddenly in full leaf this week.

A twisted twig cage for the fairies to play with.

Some ceramic garden art...trying to keep out the kitsch but I think these pass.

Leucothoe...I planted three in a row & today discovered they get 5' wide and tall! Will move them this fall to a roomier spot.

Alliums

The pear tree we planted in back is looking good.

This maple is begging to be pruned...I told her I need to read up on this first.

A newly placed rock! Jon came across this big rock when digging a home for the pear tree in back. What a great find. The creeping jenny will fill in around it in this bed.

The apple green sedums made it through a very wet & cold winter.

A water catch for a drippy spot in the garden. I use this to water new plantings & hope the birds will visit too. My northwest native plantings, flowers & lack of pestisides should make it pretty easy for them to visit me & call this garden home.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Spring things

Our first Tulip opened today! In person, it's a much stronger orange-red, fantastic against the purple heather.

Some more about to go...

Green tips of hosta emerging.

Purple tips of hosta emerging.

garden toes.

What the plants are doing now...

Cheery Narcissis, peach & yellow centers surrounded with white. Tulips on the verge of blooming.

An ornamental onion looks tiny next to the leaves, but will be a bib pom pon in no time.

The Peonies seem happy with their new spot.

A few even have flower blooms, which I was told would not happen for a few years.

Sedums

The backyard rock garden has a patch of mini Narcissis and snowflakes.

Coral Bells about to bloom, I just read these prefer shade, so I may move them out of the sunny rose garden.

Autumn Joy sedum, a gift from my mom...I thought I saw this rotting last winter, but it lives!

Lots of room to plant here still, I think a tree may go right into the middle.

Bleeding hearts.

An Azalea in the shade garden...I'm waiting to see the bloom color.

A beginning of a compost pile, one of my favorite parts of gardening.

Front yard showing alliums, rhodies and emerald green arborvitae.

New Rose plantings.

Newly barked moon bed. Awaiting planting ideas.

The fern fronds are just starting to emerge.

Can't get enough of these.

Interesting light reflections on the fence each sunny afternoon.

A daffodil didn't quite get out of the ground before blooming. I wonder what happened.