Tuesday, February 25, 2014

A cheerful sight...

Crocus Biflorus spring beauty the first of my Crocus to bloom  . These are the first I've planted in the garden.  They are the most charming and dainty blooms , no wonder gardeners become obsessed with discovering and collecting. I feel obsessed already , I'll be mass planting these in the gravel this autumn . Even if  wind and rain comes along and knocks you flat ….



Saturday, February 15, 2014

February Bloom-less day ...

I wasn't going out on this wet day to snap photos of the same blooms I've posted for the last months bloom day. Which is all I seem to have . But here are little magical packets of future blooms . This year I'm trying out: Dracocephlum tanguticum , Papaver paeoniflorum, Lavender , Glaucium coriculatum ' burnt orange' ,Bronze Fennel'smokey' and Digitalis obscura  …for starters . I've got another lot on order  . Happy bloom day  and for the real thing visit Carol at  May Dreams Gardens, 

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Nearly gone….

After the nine or so inches of snow last end . I'm surprised how fast it seems to be disappearing. Except for some of the North facing cold pockets in the garden. 

And what has been happening under that covering, the Rhubarb has sprung up. I wonder if I should  cover  it with a pot , or is it too late ?

My newly planted Stinking hellebore is just about to bloom, no smell yet.

Primulas looking awfully sweet framed in snow.

On the ugly side 

Robinia" twisty baby' which was only planted last summer seems to have made it so far. Tough 'twisty ' can take it to -40 F

The Euphorbias seem to have taken a beating , looking very  bruised.  Purple marked   Euphorbia rigid and Hedgehog grass 

Monday, February 10, 2014

Melt down….

The slow dribble has become a steady stream , so begins the melt down . I wonder what it will uncover. I fear for the back garden. With doggies running in all directions  

The little Australian mint bush surviving with it's  plastic  pot dome  .

Best of all I've got plenty of quilting done !

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Day two …freezing again

Yes, it is a freeze , not as bad as I thought , 20 F this morning , which is much better than 12F as predicted. I managed to throw some packing material over Pittoporum tenuifolium 'purpureum' which barely survived the big freeze of a few years ago.That's it in the background near the shed. 

Undercover two Citrus tress which I didn't cover last freeze ….

Last frost I gave Schfflera taiwaniana 'yuan shan'  a covering around the base , this time I didn't ….

Fatsia japonica looking a bit stressed 

Osmanihus armatus' jim porter' sitting along side the Fatsia, looks completely at home sitting in freezing rock hard soil …good winter plant choice 

And these two all bundled up ready for a freezing ball chase.

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Day one …a second round of freezing

Why, I thought we would get away with just one freeze in the Pacific Northwest… 

Pastic bucket in the ready , this one I'll plop over whats left of  the Australian mint bush Prostanthera cuneata …tonight




A sad sight , but some of the pups planted on dry protected slopes are faring much better.


Monday, February 3, 2014

A few good plants...

With so much in the garden looking, frankly not great, I'm pleased with a few new comers to the winter garden , Hebe 'Karo Golden Esk' planted last summer,  this whipcord Hebe looks beautifully fresh. I think a few more like this could be in my future.

Another lovely winter plant ozothamnus 'sussex silver' white white stems and silvery foliage  , may need a bit of a trim , it's looking a tad leggy , but still ,  a  wonderful one.

Lastly chamaecyparis thyroids 'heather bun' ,  is still quite small, but I love the feathery smokey  foliage ,  and it looks great planted with bonze Carex ….

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Little bits of spring...

Apparently we are in for another freeze … oh dear , I guess the plants that got whacked in the last freeze will  have to endure another blast. 

But for today, I'm just enjoying what little bits of spring I can find