Sammy gets a haircut and other goings on in the garden…

This spring has been a joy, after several cold and wet springs in a row here in Portland we’ve finally been blessed with wonderful gardening weather to kick off the season. I’ve been moving so many projects forward that keep having to remind myself it’s only the first week in April, last year at this time I was still working on the Bishops Weed project. That project, a late start to the season and the unexpected Rhody removal meant I never got around to some of the mundane maintenance chores, like giving Sammy (my tall Yucca rostrata) a haircut.

I know there are many folks who wouldn't dream of trimming the old leaves off their trunking yucca; I’m not one of them. What’s the point of a trunk if you can’t see it? Isn’t this much better?

lil’ Sanford got a haircut too…

While it was an unpleasant job (spiders and earwigs love setting up home in those old leaves) I must say having the right tool for the task made it much easier than in the past. In prior years I’ve used my bypass pruners and the hook made it challenging to get in under the leaves flat up against the trunk. This year these snips from Corona Tools made quick work of the job (relatively speaking). No this isn’t a paid advertisement for Corona Tools, but I did receive them free in a swag bag at the NWFG Show “tweet-up”… and I’m telling you about them (and my gloves too it seems) because they might make your gardening work easier!

So did you notice that giant arm of the Echium trying to get in the photos above with Sammy? Well it and the main trunk (which in turn was just a tiny arm off last year’s blooming trunk) appear to be getting ready to flower (photo taken before Sammy’s haircut)…

The trunks (there are three) are all shooting up, turning dark burgundy, and starting to get little buds on them.

And what looks like a blooming tip is starting to emerge…

Can you imagine what three blooming spikes are going to look like? I’d better fabricate a brace to support the weight. (*update...I discovered that loopy arm on the right broken off this morning...perhaps the added weight of the rain yesterday was just too much for it?*)

In other developments…I can’t quite believe I managed to plant this ‘quicksilver’ Hebe right on top of my Eremurus without disturbing them. Not that I intended to create this frightful mess, I forgot they were there!

The ‘parrots beak’ (Clianthus puniceus) blooms are starting to open!

New foliage is always exciting to see, especially when accompanied by little flower buds like on this Podophyllum peltatum.

Aucuba japonica ‘Longifolia’

Metapanax (Nothopanax?) delavayi…isn’t this fabulous!?

And of course who doesn’t love Syneilesis aconitifolia?

I think this might be record growth for the Gunnera in first week of April.

And the mild winter has me a little afraid of the Acanthus mollis, it’s huge already!

Unfortunately not everything is experiencing happy new growth, the Blue Atlas Cedar continues its downward spiral. Knowing that I caused this is a knife in my heart every time I look at it!

How about some flowers to cheer us both up? This is my favorite stage with the Euphorbia rigida blooms, when the orange bits appear.

And the new growth pushes out all full and lush.

The Ceanothus ‘Dark Star’ blooms are starting to open…

And here’s a confession, a plant I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned having, lilac! I have a childhood fondness for these shrubs (Spokane, WA, where I grew up is the Lilac City). This poor plant was so shaded out by the big Rhododendron that it hadn’t bloomed forever, and I kind of forgot about it. Well since the Rhody’s gone it’s decided to show off…

The first (almost) flower on Euphorbia griffithii ‘Fireglow’...

And Disporum cantoniense ‘Green Giant’…

Its new growth looks a little like bamboo…

And finally Verbascum bombyciferum 'Arctic Summer'… I love it at this stage!

But I have a feeling it’s fixing to bloom and that will mean the end.

Ah well, change is good…especially in the garden.

All material © 2009-2013 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

I want!

How fabulous would it be to have a drinking fountain in your garden? Pretty fabulous I think. I’ve spotted this one outdoors at Portland Nursery before…

I love its industrial simplicity and the fact that it’s filled with moss.

It wasn’t until just last week that I realized they have another one indoors in the greenhouse.

How charming.

And I mean that in a good way.

All material © 2009-2013 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

Euphorbia stygiana; my favorite plant in the garden this week…

Why is Euphorbia stygiana my favorite this week? Well, besides the fact it’s just a darn good looking plant, I stopped the other day and really looked at it, realizing just how substantial it’s become.

Planted from a 4” container a little less than a year ago its leaves are now almost as long as the entire plant was tall back then.

And its tiny stem has become a trunk!

Wait…what’s that wrapping around the trunk?

Wire vine (Muehlenbeckia axillaris)! I thought I pulled all of that thug, turns out a missed a few pieces and this one had worked its way to the top of the Euphorbia.

No longer.

The stats:

• Evergreen shrub to 5ft tall, 6ft wide
• Said to grow in zones 8a – 10b although I had one die in a more exposed site at 18F
• Likes sun to partial shade and is drought tolerant once established
• Wants well drained soil

I’ll be curious to see if it blooms this summer, the flowers aren’t all that showy but I’d still like to see them. I've never met a Euphorbia bloom that I don't love.

All material © 2009-2013 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

On second thought…

As it turned out my concern was unfounded, Andrew willingly agreed to the laborious chore of digging out the Sasa bamboo. All he asked was that I cut back the culms first, so he had easy access to the soil and roots. No problem! As I chopped I noticed all the new growth.

Twenty-five new shoots!

And those big leaves, they sure are pretty…

Then I got to looking at the patterns on the culms as I cut them down, and I remembered Mark and Gaz commenting about the striped effect this bamboo is known for…

And then I looked even closer…wow! Beautiful…

So my friends this is the story of how I had a change of heart and the bamboo will be given a second chance. I really had no intention of keeping it, as evidenced by my purchasing the replacement plant already! I figure by the time we're regularly occupying the patio those new shoots will have grown up and there will be leaves...

Now I have a nice 5-gallon Ceanothus ‘Dark Star’ that I need to find a place for...

All material © 2009-2013 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

Garden World, finally

I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve driven past Garden World on I-5 about 30 miles south of Portland. It’s one of those unfortunate locations that you can see from the Interstate but there is no easy way to get to. That meant in order for me to finally visit it needed to be a destination.

Remember how I was leaning towards a Ceanothus ‘Dark Star’ to replace the U.G.L.Y. bamboo? I was very tempted by many of the other suggestions, especially Garrya elliptica, but in the end decided to go with the ceanothus and bump it up a bit with a couple of purple leafed Ricinus communis in the same container for the first summer (thanks Deanne for that idea). As it happens Garden World has a handy online inventory system, so I knew they had a 5-gallon of said plant for only $23.95, looks like I had a reason to make the trip (and it's really not that hard to get to after all)...

I picked a great day to visit, my drive down was sunny but as I pulled into the parking lot the sky got dark and everything became a little mysterious, which of course made this huge Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar even creepier!

Then the sky opened and the downpour started. I ran for a covered greenhouse.

If you’ve ever been in a greenhouse when it’s raining then you’re familiar with how the sound is magnified. Even gentle raindrop makes a powerful thud.

Luckily I had plenty to look at undercover.

Agave 'Mateo' was on that cart of new arrivals...

And a couple of old stock agaves were 50% off!

This beauty was new to me, Dianella prunina Rainbow Twist...

Naturally I had to buy one.

Phormium...I was tempted, but no.

Beautiful!

For only $130 this huge (20 gallon) Gunnera could be yours!

Eventually the rain let up so I ventured out from under cover...

I like the metal work, but not as a $700 arbor.

Pediestals built from comon cement blocks, I like it.

Cunninghamia lanceolata 'Glauca'

Moss on Blue Atlas Cedar!

This place is huge...

Kerria japonica 'Pleniflora'

Finally it was time to track down what I came for!

This one looks suitably deformed to join my garden of misfits, what is that? A handle?

There was a gorgeous Poncirus trifoliata up by the cash-stand.

And more half price agaves, but I passed on the spikes*.

I've got my Ceanothus...and I couldn't be happier!

(*okay I lie...I'm regretting not buying every single one of those half price agaves, what was I thinking???)

All material © 2009-2013 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.