Corsican Mint

Corsican Mint/Mentha requienii

I love this little mint. It’s one of the tiniest and most delightful plants in our garden. It’s probably the smallest mint you can grow, and only gets a couple of inches tall, but it spreads indefinitely. It’s so wonderful to rub your fingers over it and inhale its sweet fresh scent. I’ll show you several places it’s growing, both where I planted it and where it decided to grow on its own. It’s all over the place now, and I didn’t plant a lot of it. I’ve never seen a flower or seed on it, but somehow it manages to jump all over and grows in the oddest places, often far from the main plants. (Ed. note –  Boy I thought I was more observant than this – I just saw dozens of little blue flowers all over these beauties. Must be where the seeds come from. Duh…) Interesting and wonderful!

I first planted a 2” pot of it here among the stones of the walk to the bird feeder in 2008. I’ve had to replant it a few times over the years because it tends to die back in winter, but not always completely. It still persists in coming up and spreading on its own, even when I don’t replant it. This photo is from 2016, and it’s still there today, as you can see in the next photo.

Most of this patch spread from the plants growing among the stones of the walkway, tho I planted a bit under the maple as well. This is the largest patch of it we have, and it’s been steadily expanding over the last several years. Bits of this clump have also jumped across the lawn to grow on the other side. How it does that I haven’t a clue!

These are the stepping stones that lead to the path along the north side of the house from the front to the back. I planted a dozen little 2” pots all among them in May, 2016. You can see how well they filled in over the next few months in the next couple of photos.

This is in June, after only a month of growth. It grew quite fast, probably because I mulched it well and watered it so often!

Sorry this one is so shady, but it’s the only photo I had of it at this stage. This was taken in September of the same year. It was totally full and lush and it was a delight to walk thru it on the stone path. It’s lovely when the smell wafts up to your nose as you bruise it. It won’t take walking on directly, but if you just brush gently against it it doesn’t hurt it. It looked so gorgeous. I had high hopes that it would be there forever after such an impressive start, but it died down almost completely over the following winter. Darn…

This is what that area looks like today. I haven’t planted any more of it since 2016, but somehow little pieces of it managed to stay alive and it’s now spread around the space. It has a nice naturalistic look to it that I find very attractive. I like the little “wild” areas we have here and there in the garden. They give it a cool energy.

This is an example of how this marvelous mint jumps from one place to another all on its own. The main clump has been here for about 4 or 5 years but the little spots coming up along the lawn edge have all developed and grown this year. As I’ve mentioned I don’t have a clue as to how it does this. It obviously puts on seeds of some sort, but I’ve never seen any of them, or any flowers to give rise to them either. Oh well, I think it’s a wonderful plant mystery, so I just enjoy it.

Here’s another example of this mint jumping around. I planted a small pot of it near the gate here in 2008, very early on in the history of this garden. Later on I planted some by the purple beech too. It mostly died out where I put it but now it’s coming up in the cracks of the pavement! The seeds must be very tiny to do that. But how do they get there? Who cares? I’m in thrall to this plant – it’s so magical!

These last photos are of small 2” pots I planted in February of this year. You can see how big they’ve grown in just 4 months. Lots of water, mulch and loving care, and tons of appreciation. I give all our plants a lot of appreciation. I think they thrive on it, but maybe I’m just pretending to hear their joy when I tell them how beautiful they are. Whatever – they sure do grow well!

OK, that’s the story of the Corsican Mint, from my perspective anyway. I assume you’ve guessed that it comes from Corsica, and the Mediterranean in general. Lots of our common culinary herbs come from that region of the world. I’ve never been there but I think I’d enjoy the plants that grow there very much. The hot dry climate is similar to where I grew up in central California. Herbs, and fruits like grapes and olives, do well in both locations. Of course we’re growing this mint in Seattle, and it does just fine here, as you’ve seen. It will probably grow well your garden too. Give it a try!

Fragrantly yours,

Steve

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Ginny Gee Rhododendron/Rhodendron “Ginny Gee” – March

This will be the last of my Random posts.  I could do many more I guess but this’ll be over 5 dozen, and that’s a lot of plants to profile.  This has been a fun exercise for me, and I hope for you too.  In the future I’ll try to keep up with the changes in the garden more as they happen, but I got so far behind this seemed the best way to try to catch us all up.  I don’t make any promises about how often I’ll post tho.  I go by my emotions and they change so often, and sometimes I just can’t bring myself to write anything clever or informative.  We’ll see how it goes as time goes along.  Here are the last Random plants.

This is such a cute little rhode.  It’s smothered in light pink blossoms, with some yellow shading to them.  It grows relatively slowly and will only get to be a 2-3′ ball.  It’s been in our garden for about 4 years and has grown a lot since then.  I had it in a shadier spot and it only put on a few blooms last year.  But I moved it to a sunnier spot and it loves it.  This year it rewarded us with zillions of blooms.  Again, it shows just how much difference the sun makes!

Sango-Kaku Japanese Maple/Acer palatum “Sango-kaku” – now

We planted this tree at the corner of the path to the front steps and the one into the garden.  It’s also known as a Coral Bark Maple.  Its red stems (supposedly) look like a tower of coral rising from the sea in spring when it puts on new growth.  You can’t really see that now because the trunk grays out with age, but it’s brilliant in spring.  It makes a wonderful archway with the Green pine as you walk under it into the garden.  It’s gotten this big in 10 years and will grow to 25′ or 30′ in time.

Ward’s Ruby Azalea/Azalea kurume “Ward’s Ruby” – May

This may be my all time favorite azalea.  I love the deep dark red and the intense effect it creates when it forms a mass of tiny blossoms.  By some wonderful chance I planted it where you can see it directly from the back door of the house straight thru the garden.  It’s so bright it shows up way back there.  It’s been here for 10 years and won’t get much bigger, just fuller.

Wissel’s Saguaro Lawson False Cypress/Chamaecyparis lawsoniana “Wissel’s Saguaro” – now

This is one strange looking plant.  It’s named for the Saguaro Cactus of the southwest area of the US because the arms spread out and up like the cactus does.  It’s grown great here – to over 8′ in just 5 years.  No one seems to know just how big it will eventually get.  15′, 20′, ??? – who knows?  I even cut a hole in the maple above it to allow it to grow thru it if it gets big enough to reach that high.  It’s a great plant to have at the front entry to the house.  It gives the impression that perhaps the folks who live here are just a bit eccentric.  Now why would they think that??  Ha ha…

Pacific Fire Vine Maple/Acer circinatum “Pacific Fire” – now

This is a cultivar of our native Vine Maple that grows abundantly all over the Pacific Northwest, and down into California.   In the forest the species of this tree will grow to 30′ as it grows up thru the surrounding trees like a vine.  In less shaded areas it’s only a bush 15 or 20′ tall and wide.  This variety is called Pacific Fire because the new growth is a brilliant red and the stems keep some orangish color in them as they age.  It’s been here for 3 years and has grown this big from a 5′ sapling.

Anna Rose Whitney Rhododendron/Rhododendron “Anna Rose Whitney” – May

The flowers on this rhodie come in trusses of 10 or 12 flowers, and are so abundant the whole plant is just covered in them in spring.  It’s gotten pretty big in the 10 years it’s been here, and will get bigger still.  The only fault I find with this plant is that the blooms only last for 2-3 weeks – not as long as some, and not as long as I’d like.  But they’re so beautiful when they bloom I’m just being picky.  And after all – photos are in bloom forever!

Howard McMinn Manzanita/Arctostaphyllos densiflora “Howard McMinn” – February

I lived in the Sierra Nevada mountains of central California for many years, and the Sierras were my “backyard” as I was growing up.  So manzanitas have been in my life for over 60 years.  Their mahogany brown bark is a defining characteristic of them.  They twist and turn and form amazing shapes as they grow.  Some are as big as small trees, but this one only gets about 6′ x 5′.  It’s been here 10 years.  The flowers are very fragrant and the bees love them.  A bee-keeper friend in the Sierras would bring us manzanita honey sometimes.  It was so fine it set up and crystalized almost immediately.  Yummy!

Underplanting of the Red Pygmy Maple – now

There’s no one plant to focus on here.  You can see the leaves of the Red Pygmy up above and the Treasure Island Cypress at the right.  In the center are 3 nice rhodies – on the left is a Ken Janeck with its new leaves such a soft light green.  Next to it is a Ramapo rhodie which has light purple flowers.  Barely seen behind them is an Impeditum that doesn’t get enough sun to bloom (remember what I said about enough sun??).  The Japanese Tassel fern is on the right and the Japanese Forest Grass is behind the maple’s trunk.  The ground cover is Redwood Sorrel, the plant that grows all under the trees in the Redwood groves on the California coast.  I love it but it’s also a terribly invasive pest.  Gotta go with the love I guess.

Irish Heath/Daboecia cantabrica – now

This is an unusual heath. Most heaths are Ericas, and heathers are Callunas, but this one is a whole different genus.  I got it 10 years ago at the Kruckerberg Botanical Garden in a 2″ pot.  I stuck it in between the heathers in this bed, which have since all frozen off.   I had to move it, but it’s survived all the rest.  It’s full of lush spring growth but I’ll show it off later when it’s in bloom.  It has lovely lavender bell shaped flowers (like all the Ericaceae) that bloom from midsummer to early fall.

Little Heath Lily of the Valley Shrub/Pieris japonica “Little Heath” – now

This got pretty crowded over the 10 years it’s been here, so last fall I decided to prune out the deadwood and open it up to see how it would look.  I was amazed.  A little hint – always take out the dead wood first.  You may find that’s all you need to do to make the plant look spectacular.  At least always start with deadwood before you prune the rest of it.  You can see the intricate form of the branches here now with a few flowers at the top (where it gets sun) and some new pinkish growth on the tips.  In front of it is a small growing Gemstone Hinoki False Cypress.  We just panted it over this last winter.  It’s a dwarf, only growing to about 24″ tall and 18″ wide.  It may take 20 years to get that big.  It’s truly a gem!

Cilpinense Pink Rhodendron/Rhododendron “Cilpinense Pink” – February

One of the earliest rhodies to bloom here.  It has delicate light lavender flowers that contrast nicely with the soft blue of the Snow White Lawson Cypress next to it.  It’s been here for 4 years and has tripled in size in that time.  It’s not super hardy tho and one year the entire set of blooms got hit by a late freeze just as they were blooming.  Since then we cover it with burlap sacks to keep them safe, and it’s worked well.  It also has very lustrous leaves that are a bit downy looking at the margins.

Stockholm Scotch Heather/Calluna vulgaris “Stockholm” – now

A most unusual Heather.  It only grows upright and doesn’t bloom at all, supposedly.  It had a few blossoms on it when we got it 2 years ago, but none since.  It turns a darker purple-brown in the winter.  It fits in well here with the Wild Ginger at the left and the Western Bleeding Heart above it.  To the right is a Nana Dwarf Hinoki Cypress – one of the smallest Hinokis.  I like how heathers and heaths have coniferous looking foliage.  I’ve planted some just for their foliage, knowing that they won’t get enough sun to bloom.  But that’s OK sometimes….

Entrance to the Front Garden – now

This is where you come into the front garden.  You can just see the arch I created with the Japanese Maple on the left and the Oregon Green pine on the right.  The ground drops slightly as you go under the arch so it really feels like you’re walking down into a little glade in the forest.  It’s a charming garden to be in.  I did a post called A Hidden Gem awhile ago that shows it off much more fully.  You can see the Waterfall Maple at the back right, and the Silver Knight heather on the front left.  Our Wildlife Sanctuary sign is just under the Maple by the  heather.  This seems like a good photo to stop with, so I will.

For those of you who have been counting you’ll notice that this is actually the 13th photo in this post, as opposed to only 12 in the previous 4 Random posts.  I guess I had an extra one somewhere.  I decided it was more important to show you all of them than to cut one for the sake of continuity.  I think it was the right decision.  They’re all cool photos.

I’ve really enjoyed putting out all these photos in such quick succession.   I do prefer to do more informative posts, focused on certain plants or collections of plants, but this was cool to do because I didn’t have a focus.  Sometimes Random is the way to go, especially in this chaotic world we live in.  It just seemed natural.  I have no idea when I’ll post again, but I hope it’s not another 5 months like it was this last time.  As I’ve said, my moods determine when I post, and my life in general, so I just hope they give me the impetus to post more often again. Time will tell…

Randomly yours no more,

Steve

 

 

Silence=Complicity; Silence=Death

The lines above describe to me the current moment, the current Movement, in our country’s, our world’s, history. The first is from Agnes Callanard, UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Summary and Arbitrary Executions, recently. The second is from ACT UP (the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power), during the 1980’s AIDS epidemic. They both express the perspective that is needed so desperately at this time. Another way to put it is this: “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men (sic – People) to do nothing” – Attributed to Edmund Burke, Irish Statesman. It’s time to speak up.

The protests for Black equality have been going on all over the world for more than two weeks now. They may go on longer. I dearly hope so. We still have so far to go. I’ve rarely been more proud of Humanity than in these times when people of so many different cultures are finally standing up for the Movement for Black Lives. Lives that have been kept down and subjugated for hundreds of years. The only thing that is being asked of us is to listen to and support Black people in being able to live their lives unfettered and free. Maybe now the powers that be will listen too – and, more importantly – Act!

I live in Seattle. If you’ve been following the news you may have heard of the CHAZ – The Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone. I lived and worked on and around Capitol Hill for 30 years. It still feels like my home. The people, the stores, the streets, are all familiar to me. My former home and place of business are both right in the middle of the CHAZ. If I still lived there I’d be out in the streets too. People are calling the shots there now, not the police. I’m so proud of my fellow Seattleites for their willingness to stand up and act for freedom. The times call for civic action, not civic control, not mere words.

But all I have to offer now are my words, so I’m trying to speak them well. That’s why Louie and I painted the sign in the photo above. We put it right on the street so people can see it when they pass by. Because of the pandemic our street has been designated as a no car zone, reserved for pedestrians and non-motorized wheeled vehicle to get some fresh air, so we have a lot of people strolling along it. Our sign is a chance for us to speak our minds to all those who pass by. It’s not much, but it’s a start.

I totally agree with this movement and the protests in support of it. If not for my disabilities I’d be out marching myself. But I can’t, so I write letters and sign petitions, occasionally donate some money, and put up signs on our lawn. We all must do what we can. To do nothing is to shirk our responsibilities as citizens of this country, and of the world as a whole. To do nothing is to be complicit in perpetuating the racist system we live under.

Do you want to be a good person and Act, or to just sit in your easy chair and watch the world go by? It’s your choice – all our choices – to be on the right side of history here. How do you want to be remembered by your children and grandchildren when they ask what you did for the Movement for Equality? Which side do you want to be on?

Racism destroys souls, and not just those of Black and brown folk either. It tarnishes all of us, and makes us act in ways that are less than human. This plays out in so many ways in our daily lives, in ways we don’t even realize. It’s time to wake up and listen to the voices of the oppressed and help them in the ways they suggest to us, not just do what we think we should do. They know what is needed much better than those of us who “won the genetic lottery” and were born with lighter skin.

If you’re not on board with this kind of thinking maybe you should reflect on how racism would affect your own life if you were Black. Walk a mile in their shoes. Imagine how it would feel if you weren’t allowed to eat in certain places or ride on public transit, were cursed at in public and constantly made to feel that you were unworthy of consideration and kindness. Or maybe think about how it would feel if your little brother was shot by an out of control and racist cop, just because he pulled out a cellphone, or had a toy gun. We white folks don’t have a fucking clue.

Educate yourself on the Black Experience. There are tons of good books out there and many movies too. Netflix is showcasing a special Black Lives Matter collection of film right now. Watch some of them. You’ll learn a lot by looking inside lives so different than your own. Stories from real life can help you to understand how it feels to be someone else. Try to see the world from their eyes. It’s a whole ‘nother perspective and one we desperately need. We need to learn more, and do more. It’s not enough, but it’s a good start.

Black Lives Matter!

Steve

I know this is usually a Gardening blog.  But the times call out for more.  Do you hear me?

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Oregon Green Pine/Pinus nigra “Oregon Green” – now

I just came in from my usual morning stroll thru the garden.  It was a bit damp with a slight drizzle.  I particularly like to walk in the garden when it’s all wet.  The plants feel incredibly alive!  The rainfall is so nourishing.  It seems like all the plants are rejoicing.  Walking in the garden got me all excited about it so I thought it was a good time to do my next post of miscellaneous photos.  Most are very recent but a few are from Fall or Winter.  I’ll tell you.

I already showed you a photo of this pine from the front so you could see the candles on the outside.  This is the inside.  I pruned it out in February.  My main goal was to open up the center for both sight and air circulation.  I also just felt it was a little crowded inside.  It felt like the energy wasn’t moving thru it properly.   I tried to bring out the inner “flow” to it.   It all radiates out from the main trunk now.  The tree has done most of this itself.   I pruned out the inner part but the tree itself created the sinuous form.  You can’t see it in the photo but it continues to twist and turn as it reaches the top.

3 Fabulous Ferns – now

This is the west end of the fern bed that runs along the north side of the garage.  The 3 ferns here are, from left to right, a Hard Shied Fern (Polystichum aculeatum), and Mackino’s Holly Fern (Polystichum mackinoi” and a Remote Wood Fern (Dryopteris remota).  Underneath them all is a wonderful patch of Baby Tears (Soleirolia soleirolii).  I’ve loved this little plant since we had it growing at my parent’s home in the first landscape I ever did for them.  It brings back good memories.

 

Tomato Seedlings In the Greenhouse – April

I started 9 seeds each of 3 different heirloom varieties.  2 I bought form the Seed Saver’s Exchange, a seed bank/seller I recommend highly.  The other one I planted with seeds I grew last year.  Beam’s Yellow Pears.  Small sweet pear shape yellow fruits kids eat like candy, and so do adults… These were so well developed we could plant them in early May.  They’re good sized now.  I had way too many of course – I only planted 2 of each variety for us.  So I put the others out on the front parking strip and people took them almost immediately.  I love sharing the plants I grow.

Silver Knight Scotch Heather/Calluna vulgaris “Silver Knight” – now

This lovely little heather is at the foot of our front steps.  In late summer it’s covered with light lavender blooms, but I planted it more for the foliage and form than the flower, since that’s what we see most of the year.  We planted it about 5 years ago.

Tenzan Sugi/Cryptomeria japonica “Tenzan” – now

This is the one plant in the garden that I can say with surety is a truly rare plant.  The nursery where I bought it labeled it as such and my reading confirms this to be true.  It’s the smallest form of Cryptomeria there is and valued as such.  Brand new here.  It only grows about 1/4″ a year.  It’s supposed to get about a foot big.  It’s only 8″ now.  It’ll take it years to do that.

Charity Mahonia/Mahonia media “Charity” – now

This one has been here about 9 years.  In that time it’s grown to 12′ x 10′, give or take.  It’s a prickly thing so I had to prune it back quite a bit from the path at its foot.  I pruned up the branches but this year it’s putting back all the foliage I cut off!   Only it’s further back from the front so I won’t have to mess with it, and it won’t mess with us.  I did a post awhile back called Hummer Heaven that shows this in full bloom, covered with brilliant yellow flowers that the bees and hummers love.  On the left below it is a Soft Shield Fern (Polystichum setiferum), also known as Alaska Fern, tho it’s native to Europe.  Go figure.

Graciosa Hinoki False Cypress/Chamaecyparis obtusa “Graciosa” – now

I took this photo from the porch above this plant so you could see the delicate tracery on its branches.  We planted this tree just last year after the snow destroyed the big Arborvitae we had here.  It grows slowly at less than a foot a year.  It’ll get 10′ tall and 8′ wide.  It fits nicely among the rhododendrons, azaleas and kinnickinnick, under the Japanese maple at the right.

Waterfall Dissected Japanese Maple/Acer palmatum dissectum “Waterfall” – now

It does look a bit like a waterfall doesn’t it. The way the leaves overlap one another resembles water flowing down over it.  This tree has been growing here since 2013.  It’s grown from 2′ across to over 8′.  It’s supposed to get even bigger, so I have to prune it back from the lawn every spring.  It puts on 2′ of growth a year so it’s a bit of a job.  It gets harder every year.

Firefly Scotch Heather/Calluna vulgaris “Firefly” – Fall

This is one of the most colorful heathers there is.  In summer it’s orangish green, but the real show is in fall and winter when it turns this deep brick red.  We planted a line of them along the North side of our veggie garden.  It was too weird to watch the South side of the plants turn this great red color, but from the North side, where we stand to look at them, you can’t even tell the South side is red.  Shows you how important it is for plants to get sun, and at the right time, to turn color in fall.

Lady Fern/Athyrium filix-femina – now

This lovely fern is a native of the Pacific Northwest.  We never plant them but they come up all over the garden, often in perfect places like this one.  It’s a deciduous fern so it dies back to the ground in fall.  This one is over 5′ tall and got that way because it was growing behind a large Arborvitae that supported it.  Now it tends to flop on the rhodies in front of it.

Bloodgood Japanese Maple/Acer palmatum atropurpureum “Bloodgood” – now

This maple is in the middle of the garden.  When you look at it all from the back deck it really stands out.  It’s been here for 8 years, and is now 14 1/2′ x 11′.  It will eventually get large enough to fill the space it inhabits now. I’ll have to do some pruning as the years go by to encourage the trees to all fit together, as I do so often.  In fall this tree gets much darker red, almost black and burgundy and is truly stunning.  It’s big enough now to feel like it’s a real tree when you’re underneath it.

Primo Eastern Arborvitae/Thuja occidentalis “Isl/Prm Primo” – now

We just got this cute little thing this last winter.  When we bought it it was a darkish brown color.  Now it’s this lovely dark green.  I love how the branches grow upward like some stone formations I’ve seen in the terrain of the inner mountain west. But this is actually from the east coast and has the same parent as the ubiquitous Pyrimidal Arborviate, the columnar tree grown so frequently as a tall fast growing hedge.  By contrast “Primo” only grows an inch a year, if that.

OK, that’s another batch.  I may only have one more set, but I have to count them to see.  I may add a few more too, if I see some more I like.  I keep taking photos so you never know.  I’m really enjoying this casual flowing show of photos.  It’s so much easier to just post them and write a bit about them.  I don’t have to have an overarching theme to follow.  But I imagine I’ll get back to that format now that I’m feeling somewhat caught up.

This blog is partly a chronicle of the timeline of the plants in this garden, so I have to keep posting their pictures as they grow up.  I’ve taken over 9,000 photos of this garden so I never lack for subjects to post.  It’s so interesting to me to show them as they’ve grown.  It’s very educational, and lots of fun.  I’ve learned a lot growing this garden.  Skills I use in my daily life – Patience being the biggest one I suppose.  You absolutely have to be patient to be a gardener (and I have to work at it).  Plants grow on their own schedules, not ours.  The same is true of life.

Acceptance that it is what it is, is the key.

Steve

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Jade Butterflies Ginkgo/Ginkgo biloba “Jade Butterflies” – now

Back again with another dozen photos.  As I mentioned in my previous 2 posts these are all miscellaneous photos I’ve taken, mostly in the last few days, with a few from Winter or Fall.  I’m labelling them and telling you a bit about each one, but not in great detail.  I have no theme or rationale for what I’m putting out here.  I just think they’re all cool plants and I want to show them off.  They’ve grown so much since I last put them out here.  It felt like time I posted again.

This is a dwarf form of the incredible Ginkgo, sometimes called the Maidenhair tree, because the leaves look a bit like Maidenhair ferns.  The common name suggests the leaves look like butterflies on the branches.  Ginkgos are unique trees, the only member of both their genus and family.  They’re millions of years old.  We have a National Monument here in Washington state called the Ginkgo Petrified Forest.  We’ve been there and seen tons of fossils of very old Ginkgos.  This little tree is now about 11′ tall, with an expectation it will grow to be 20′ or so.  It grows pretty fast so it’ll get there soon.

Robust Male Fern/Dryopteris fillix-mas “Robusta” – now

We planted this about 5 years ago and man has it grown.  I thought it would be a 3′ – 4′ ball, which is pretty big already.  But this one is over 5′ across.   We have to dodge it to walk on the path here.  But it’s no problem.  It’s such a lovely vibrant fern.

Ghost Fern/Athyrium X Ghost – now

This one is deciduous.  It loses all its fronds in fall.  In spring it bursts forth with these wonderful light green fronds.  I can see why they called it Ghost.  It’s still putting on new growth as I write this, which is pretty late for a fern.  It gets up to 3′ across.

Tuscan Blue Rosemary/Rosmarinus officinalis “Tuscan Blue” – early spring

I’m so amazed at this rosemary.  True, it’s been here for 10 years, but it’s Huge.  Here it’s covered with light blue flowers, a super bee magnet.  They love to swarm it and it literally buzzes when you walk by it.  It must be 8′ across and 4′ deep and 6′ tall.  We get lots of good seasoning from this plant.  I love to cook with it.   It works well in so many dishes.

Snow Sawara False Cypress/Chamaecyparis pisifera “Snow” – now

When I planted this 9 years ago I was guided by the American Conifer Society’s website that said it would become a 16″ x 16″ box.  Hmmm.  Not such a good estimate.  It’s 4′ tall and 5′ wide now.  I have to carefully prune it back every year to keep it in this space.  It’s called Snow because it has these lovely white tips in spring, as you can hopefully see here.

Floating Coud Japanese Maple/Acer palmatum “Ukigumo”

This was supposed  to be a 20′ tree but in 10 years it’s still a bushy little thing, tho it’s started to put on longer shoots the last couple of years.  You can see why it’s called Floating Cloud.   The light green foliage is suffused with lots of white and pink so it looks like a cloud, especially when seen against the darker foliage at the back of the garden.  It does seem to float.

Pacific Trillium/Trillium ovatum – now

In early spring the first flowers are pure white.  As they age they turn this lovely light pink.  I took this photo when I did just to show off this difference.  I collected this plant with my pocket knife in the woods in the Cascades one day on our way back from Eastern WA.  That was 9  years ago.  It’s done well here since then, putting on more flowers each year.

Himalayan Maidenhair fern/Adiantum venustum – now

This dainty looking little fern is actually very hardy.  It keeps this delicate foliage all thru the winter.  In spring it puts on light pink fiddleheads of new growth.  This is only its second year of growth here and it’s spreading well.  It’ll fill the area in time.

Inverleith Scots Pine & Nootka Rose/Pinus sylvestris “Inverleith” & Rosa nutkana – now

The Pine has grown here for 10 years.  Last year it had the creamy tips it’s supposed to have, but we’d never seen them before.  Very nice – we’ll see if it does it again this year.  It was found in the Royal Botanical Garden in Edinburgh, Scotland.  It was only supposed to get to be a 10′ a 3′ tree.  Labels are so deceiving.  I collected the rose on my land in eastern WA.

Korean Butterfly Maple/Acer tschonoskii ssp Koreanum – February

A relatively uncommon maple.  This is from North Korea.  It’s  the first maple to leaf out in spring, and the first to lose its leaves in fall.  It was a 10′ tree when we planted it in 3/14.  It must be well over 25′ tall by now but I dunno how to measure it with a transit, yet.  As the trees get bigger I’ll need to do it that way.  This turns wonderful shades of reddish orange in fall.

Red Dragon Dissected Japanese Maple/Acer palmatum dissectum “Red Dragon” – now

This delicate tree was getting far too large to keep on the deck, so I had a brainstorm and decided to put in on a stand so it could grow out over the steps and path.  It’s high enough that no one will run into it.  It’s really cool to look up thru it at the sky.  You can see the fine tracery of the dissected leaves really well.  It’s a deep red now and turns even darker red in fall.

Treasure Island Lawson False Cypress/Chamaecyparis lawsoniana “Treasure Island” – now

This is a new addition to the garden.  We had a small globe blue spruce here that wanted to get way bigger than there was room for.  So I took it out and replaced it with this golden cypress.  It really stands out in the garden where it is.  I used to dislike yellow plants but I think it was because I lived in central CA and they looked washed out in the hot sun.  Here in grey sky Seattle they’re stunning, and I have a few of them.  They make a superb contrast with all the shades of green we have.

Gee, that went fast, and my back is still in OK shape.  Maybe it’s because I just spent 2 1/2 hours touring the garden and even did my PT stretches out there in the sun.  I must have examined all the plants 10 times in that time.  It felt so good to be out there I wanted to stay outside longer.  But I decided to come in and do this post.  This makes 3 dozen photos I’ve shown you so far.  I have many more.  I don’t want to pin myself down to a specific number but there’s a lot.  I hope to do them all soon.  I love all these plants so much it’s a real treat to be able to share them with others who might also enjoy them.

I hope you’ve had fun looking at them!

Steve

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Oregon Green Pine/Pinus nigra “Oregon Green” – March

As I said in my last post I’m doing a few posts on how various plants have grown lately.  Most of the photos are from this year  – just a couple of days ago in fact.  A few are from over the winter.  They’re in no particular order.  Off we go….

This tree is right on the edge of the driveway and provides a significant break between it and the garden within.  This is a photo from a few months ago when the candles were still white.  It’s one of the attractions of this tree.  It’s called an Oregon Green pine, but it’s actually an Austrian/European Black pine.  It was found or created at a nursery in Oregon so it got that name too.  It’s a strong grower with very muscular branches.  I pruned out the center to display the amazing structure of this tree.  There will be  photo of that later on in this series of random photos.

Maupin Glow Incense Cedar/Calocedrus decurrens “Maupin Glow” – now

This tree was found near the town of Maupin, Oregon, thus its name.  A man was hiking and saw a brilliant flash of gold and found this tree.  The new foliage is this brilliant striking yellow/gold.  As the foliage grows it turns green, as you can see on the inside.  It has luscious dark reddish bark and the wood smells wonderful, as do the crushed needles.  Too bad it’s sited next to the dilapidated garage next door.  It was the only place I could plant it.

All the websites say this will only get 15′ x 5′ (10 year size).  This tree is about 18′ x 15′ after 7 1/2 years in this spot and 2 years in a pot on the deck before that – just under 10 years.  I don’t really know how big it will get, but there is one old nurseryman who says it will eventually get 40′ or  50 ‘ tall.  I suspect, and hope, he’s right!  It can get that tall where it is without any interference.  I hope I live to see it!

I grew up near the Sierra Nevada mountains in California, and the species of this tree is a major element of the forests there.  I’ve been in love with this tree most of my life.  It’s really wonderful for me to have it here in our garden.  Reminds me of my youth running free in the woods.  I was a real nature boy, living in the mountains and forests.  I learned much wisdom there.

Green Jewel Dragon Sugi/Cryptomeria japonica “Ryokogu coyokyu” – now

One of the several Cryptomeria, or Sugi in Japanese, in the garden. The species of this tree is a large forest tree and is the national tree of Japan.   The wood is prized for building temples and shrines, like the Hinoki.  There are literally hundreds of cultivars of it.  This is one of the smaller ones.  It’s only about 18″ tall x 14″ wide, after 6 growing season here.  It grows very slowly, only 1/8th of an inch a year, maybe. It looks like a craggy little mountain to me, but apparently someone thought it looked like a Dragon, thus its common name in Japan.  Whatever, I love the little conifers like this.

Louie –  the most wonderful man in the world! – Last fall

Ours is an inspirational love story.  We didn’t meet until we were both 57 years old – proving it’s never too late to find your true love, and that’s what we did.  We’ve been living lovingly together for over 12 years now and are quite sure we’ll be together for the rest of our lives.  We plan to live into our 90’s – we have to be able to watch the garden grow after all…!!

Sappho Rhododendron/Rhododendron “Sappho” – 3 weeks ago

This is one of the few plants Louie planted some 30 or more years ago.  It’s an old time favorite of mine from 40 years ago.  It has beautiful lavender buds that open to pure white flowers with deep purple hearts to them.  That’s my study window above the shrub, so I get a wonderful view of it when it’s in bloom.  Named for the ancient Greek poet Sappho, who lived on the island of Lesbos, from which Lesbians get their name.

Dwarf or Reticulated Iris/Iris reticulata – early February

This is a very dwarf form of the well known Iris.  As you can see they bloom very early in the year, which is pleasant when not much else is in bloom.  They’re so dainty, with such deep vibrant colors.  They’re well established after only 3 years here.

Umpqua River Kalmiopsis/Kalmiopsis leachiana “Umpqua form”

This may actually be one of the truly rare plants I have.  Most are either unique and unusual or semi rare.  But this is considered to be the very first member of the Ercaceae family – the Heath and Heather family, that contains everything from Rhododendrons and Azaleas to Blueberries, Cranberries and Huckleberries, and so many more.  It was found in 1930 in high mountains in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness in the Umpqua National Forest in Southern Oregon.  It has lovely little bell shaped flowers, a hallmark of the Ericaceae.  It’s grown well here since I planted it in 8/18.  I feel lucky to have it here in the garden.

Carstens Wintergold Mugo Pine/Pinus mugo “Carstens Wintergold” – Last fall

We saw this little mugo in the winter when it was this glorious golden color.  That’s only two years ago.  I’ve found that many plants that color up in the winter need sun to do that, tho not all of them.  To be sure it would change I set this pot up on this bench last fall where it can get the most sun possible on the deck.   It worked perfectly and you can see the result.

Red Fox Katsura/Cercidiphyllum japonicum “Rot Fuchs” – now

We planted this as a 12′ tree in February 2015.  It’s the tallest tree we’ve ever brought home, and it stuck out the back of the VW van about 2 feet.  In the time it’s been here it’s gotten too tall to measure, and I can go to 21 -1/2 ft with my bamboo measuring sticks.  I pruned back the lower side branches a year ago and last year it put out a few new branches, but not many.  But this year it’s literally covered with new growth.   There are little branches all over it – some 5″ long and some 18″. All this beautiful purple red, which are especially lovely when you see them against the sun.

The name red fox, or rot fuchs in German, comes from a fanciful idea that the foliage looks like a fox’s tail as the branches grow upward on the tree.  Ours isn’t doing that yet, but it looks like it’s going to over the next few years.  I’ve seen photos of it doing that and it looks nice.  But I like this one too.  It’s got a nice gangly look to it that I find attractive.  I love the leaf colors too.  In summer they turn a deep blueish green.  And in fall it turns a golden color.  A very unusual tree.

The Back Garden – now

This is what it looks like from the deck right now.  There is still new growth on the conifers but most of the other plants have already put on their new spring growth.  It’s been an exciting time!  So many things to look at when I take my morning stroll thru the garden.  It’s been warm enough that I’ve been able to do them naked, as I did last year.  (See World Naked Gardening Day last spring).  The Weeping Giant Sequoia on the right has finally gotten taller than the plum tree that’s been here for 50 years.  A few others are getting closer to its size as well.  It really does feel like a little forest when you’re in the middle of it now.  After 10 or 11 years the trees and shrubs really do feel sorta mature.  It’s a nice place to spend time.

Naselle Rhododendron/Rhododendron “Naselle” – May

I’m so psyched by this rhodie.  I had it where it didn’t get much sun and it bloomed poorly.  So when I cleared out this space I moved it here and look at the results!  It’s covered with these magnificent creamy salmon flowers in huge trusses of 8 or 9 flowers.  I’m so happy with it.   It shows why sunlight is good for plants.  It’s in short supply in our garden, so I use it carefully.

PJM Regal Rhododendron/Rhododendron “PJM Regal” – February

This is one of the earliest plants to bloom every year, as you can see.  I moved it to this location a couple of years ago but we’ve been growing it since March 2015. It grows slowly but is always covered with these beautiful magenta blossoms.  This is another one I can see clearly from my study window.  I’m lucky to have such a nice view of the front garden.

OK, I’ve reached the point where my back once again says I’ve done enough for today.  Time to go water the garden.  I have several more of these to do so I don’t wanna abuse myself too much.  I hope you’ve enjoyed this random look at more plants in our garden.  I hope you come back for the next ones too.

Happy (almost) Summer!

Steve

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Our Back Deck –  Now

I haven’t posted in here in some time, so in the next few posts I’m attempting to catch up on what’s been happening in the garden since then.  I’m making no attempt to organize or categorize these.  I may not even say very much about some of them.  But I’ll label them and try to date them somewhat closely.  Many of them were taken yesterday, including this one here.  This is what we see when we go out our back door and look to our left.  You can see the stairs on the right and the garage door.

The plants include, from the left: bay laurel tree, beanpole yew, red dragon dissected Japanese maple, carstens wintergold mugho pine, hino white kurume azalea and a primo arborvitae.  Above the roof of the garage by the door is a nandina, or heavenly bamboo.  They get much taller than I’d imagined.  I’ve heard that when they grow higher than the door they bring good luck on the household.  So far so good…

Rhododendron racemosum “Rock Rose” – February

This poor plant has been thru the wringer.  After I first planted it a family of racoons moved in under the garage here.  They trampled the poor thing.  It was well over 3′ tall and they broke the whole center out.  I had to stake it up and put re-bar stakes all around it to keep it safe.  But in the last 2 years it’s come back wonderfully.  It blooms like crazy!

Snow White Lawson Cypress/Chamaecyparis lawsoniana “Snow White” – now

This beautiful cultivar of the Port Orford Cedar is a light blue all year.  Then in spring it’s supposed to put on white edges.  But this is growing in no sun so it only gets this soft yellowish blush to it.  I still find it very beautiful, and it’s so soft to the touch.  It has also gotten quite a bit larger than the 6′ it was going to grow.  It’s 8 1/2′ tall after 8 years.

Entrance to the front garden – now

I planted the Oregon green pine and the Sango Kaku Japanese maple with the intention that they would form an arch to walk under to go into the garden someday.  It’s working perfectly!  I’ve done some pruning to encourage them but mostly they’ve grown just the way I’d planned and hoped for.  You drop slightly in elevation as you enter, so the whole effect is to draw you gently down into the unique little space inside.  I did a post awhile back called A Hidden Gem about this place then.  It’s only gotten better as it’s grown.

The major components of this garden, front and back, are 10 or 11 years old, (or 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 – I keep finding spaces for new plants – somehow.  But I digress…)   According to nursery tag labels, which tell you the 10 year height of the tree, and describe that as “mature”, this garden is now mature – and it actually kinda feels like it.  The tallest tree is over 35′ tall and some others are over 20′ or 25′ even. That isn’t tall for a tree, or even these particular trees, but it already feels like you’re in a young forest inside it.  This entire forest resides on a 35′ x 35′ space of land, on our 1/8 of an acre lot.  There are over 150 trees and shrubs in here, and 260 in the entire front and back gardens!  It’s quite a unique collection…

Japanese Tassel Fern – Polystichum polyblepharum – March

This is such a perfect little fern.  The fronds come out so exactly and are so carefully arranged in a whorl out from the center.  I cut it back in late winter.  The new fronds are so delicate and soft, but then they harden off nicely.  It stays lovely and full all year.

Veggie Garden – now

As you can tell we like carrots and onions.  We grow a lot of each.  They both keep wonderfully well. The carrots we store in sand in buckets.  Works great.  The onions in loose open bins in the garage.  We’re still eating the last 15#’s of the  onions now.  The carrots ran out a month and 1/2 ago.  You can also see we like mustard greens, in the right back corner.  I’ve harvested three cuttings so far this year, and there should be many more.  At the left corner is some  over grown Lacinnato Kale, a luscious green.  It’s kinda tough – I’ve found I need to cook it long enough so it melts in your mouth.

Kelly’s Prostrate Coast Redwood – Sequoia sempervirens “Kelly’s Prostrate” – now

We planted this beauty 10 years ago this month.  It was in a 10 gallon can and was obscenely expensive.  But you don’t see many around, so we grabbed it.  At that time it was about 1-1/2′ x 2′ x 6-8″ high.  Now it’s 6′ x 8′ x 3′ tall!  Wow.  It’s got its spring coat on now and is just gorgeous to touch.  So soft.  This is a sport of the tallest tree in the world.  Again – wow.

Pink Icicle Camellia – Camellia hybrid “Pink Icicle”

Not only does this cammelia grow fast, it blooms from February until May.  It has large pink flowers with an orange center.  It’s lovely, but trying to keep the dead ones off of it is a pain.  It looks so much better but I have to bend the tall ones as far as I can to reach them.  So far I haven’t broken a branch.  I hope I never do.  Time for the grabby tool…

Soft Shield Fern – Polystichum setiferum

This fern was only supposed to be a 3′ ball.  It’s over 6′ now, tho it is 3′ tall.  I cut this back to a ball bigger than a soccer ball every winter just before the new fiddleheads appear.  Gotta do it at the right time – not too early so it looks bare for too long.  But not too late or you might cut off the new growth.  I’ve learned this by experience.

Looking into the Garden from the South side – Now

There are a lot of plants here.  Not sure I’ll hit all of them.  But: On the left is a Jade Butterflies Ginkgo/Ginkgo biloba “Jade Butterflies”.  Below it is an Irish Heath.  More on it later.  Then a Baby Blue Sawara False Cypress/Chamaecyparis pisifera “Baby Blue”.  Then the Sequoia I showed you already.  Above it is a nice Howard McMinn Manzanita/Arcostaphyllos densiflora “Howard McMinn”.

The main plant I wanted to show off in this photo tho is the large tree in the middle.  It’s a Vanessa Persian Ironwood Tree/Parrotia persica “Vanessa”.   It grows in a large vase shape.  The new growth droops way down as it grows, but in time pulls the whole tree back up tighter together.   You have to be very patient and not try to prune off something that’s in your way, because it may not be when it pulls back up.  Again – experience is the teacher.

Dwarf Alberta Spruce – Picea glauca var. albertiana f. glauca – now

I put these in for 2 reasons.  One is simply that they’re beautiful plants, especially with their new growth on them.  The second reason is that I wanted to show just how big these little trees get.  They sell them at the Holiday Season at the big box stores as 2ft tall tiny trees.   They actually get this big, over 20-30 years anyway.  The tall one is 11′ tall, and the “short” one is 8′.  And they’re each at least 6′ across at the bottom.  Not quite a table to tree in time.

Weeping Purple Copper Beech/Fagus sylvatica “pendular purpurea”

I planted this 10 years ago to commemorate my brother, who died of AIDS in 2009.  I buried some of his ashes underneath it. I think of him every time I see it here.  I expected a tree with a central leader, which this had at first.  But then it fell over and I had to stake it up to this height.  On the right side I trained the big branch over that side a few years ago.  It’s done so well I did it again last year at the top and I’m doing the new top for next year.  It has very supple new branches that you can direct where you want them with a stick like I’ve done.  No stress on the tree at all, but it holds it where I want it.  This new top will now come down over the front of the tree next year and for many years to come.

OK, that’s all I’m doing today.  My back is killing me from sitting at this computer for too long.  I need to go garden and pull weeds or something.  I’m not sure when I’ll do the next set but I’ll do another dozen sometime soon.  I hope you enjoyed this random look at the garden, and that you come back for the next ones!

Thanks for going along for the ride,

Steve