Clematis 'Etoile Violette' Not just a lot of rain--rain at the right time seems as important as the amount. This year we got our deepest soaking in February, just as plants began to start growing again. The roses in particular seemed to benefit.
'Easy Spirit':
'Tamora':'The Ambridge Rose':'Snowbird':'Snowbird':'Easy Spirit', somewhat nibbled:
'South Africa':'Darcey Bussell':
Foliage too looks wonderful this year.Acer 'Oshio Bene':
Geranium 'Rozanne' is wandering through the wrinkly-wooly foliage of Ballota pseudodictamnus:Emerging new growth from Peony 'Bartzella':And from Peony 'Misaka':Hakonechloa macra 'All Gold' with flowering Sedum 'Angelina' and Dichondra argentea:Little things noticed. Geranium 'Orion' has flowers very similar to 'Rozanne's:
But the foliage is more--what's the word, fimbriated?
First Agapanthus stem already--with the individual flowers venturing forth like baby foxes from their den:
Clematis 'Wisley' gets going:
Eriocapitella re-emerging--must get the shovel! (And be able to use it.)
This blue Iris will look great with the orange Geum:
Foxglove flowers soon from seeds planted last year! Yes!
Still in a pot, Leucadendron 'Ebony' has done better than any of the ones planted in the ground:
The tiny paralell lines of Cuphea 'Blackberry Sparkler' flowers create an unusual effect, like hyphens blowing off a page. Stock flowers have all flopped over, but their lavender contrasts nicely with the Callendula. A Felicia 'Tight and Tidy' barely visible, actually overwintered. Pelargonium flowers in the jumble, and blue fescue is at its springtime best.
A month now since the surgery. A friend who is six weeks ahead of me knee surgery-wise is mostly walking cane free and may be gardening again. Patience, patience...
Geranium 'Rozanne' actually looks better with Ballota foliage than its own! What a wonderful combination.
ReplyDeleteYou featured awesome foliage combinations. I dare say all are aided by Dichondra argentea: the contrast is amazing.
We learn patience in our gardens and I hope it helps with your knee recovery. Either way, such ordeals have a way of making us more appreciative once we get our body back to normal. (A lesson learned from a hyper extended knee!).
Chavli
I want to get more 'Rozanne's wandering through their neighbor's foliage. Beautiful effect.
DeleteThe Dichondra has been great--just need to be careful where it goes. Nothing as bad as the Eriocapitella, though!
My goodness, your garden is the epitome of spring! Easy Spirit is beautiful, and the Tamora has a lovely blushiness to it. The peony foliage is fantastic. Yes on the foxgloves! I purchase 4" pots most years, but you're right on - I'm going to try seeds. I can't find a Leucadendron 'Ebony' after I planted it, lol it's gone missing. Ok, it's dead. I'm so glad you are getting closer to the end of your knee healing, that's great news!
ReplyDeleteThe seeds were super super easy. I planted the entire package and they all grew. I saved 10 plants to bed out and sadly must confess composted the remaining 990. Package of seeds was about $2.
DeleteI would think Leucadendron would be somewhat difficult in your area since your summers are extremely hot. They seem happiest right by the SF bay, not quite so good but still pretty good here. They seem to handle pot living for quite a while if the grower used a sandy mix.
What a wonderful post! So many beautiful things blooming!
ReplyDeleteThe rain this winter was extra magical.
DeleteYour garden looks incredible. Your roses - and those of my neighbor up the street - make me wish I hadn't mostly washed my hands of them. Surprisingly, in this of all years, my Itoh peony, which has never bloomed but has reliably produced fresh foliage every year, has entirely disappeared but maybe that's another thing to blame on the gophers as the repulsive creatures were active in that area earlier this year.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the foxglove blooms in process! I love the imagery you used - Agapanthus flowers "venturing forth like baby foxes from their den" and Cuphea flowers like "hyphens blowing off the page."
I'm cheering on your progress in recovering from the knee surgery! After all, your present is my future.
Blankety-blank gophers! Grrrr! Where's that newspaper-stealing coyote when you need him?
DeleteThere was a Nature on Ospreys Wednesday night and one scene showed baby foxes pouring out of their den. So cute! I keep looking at the Cuphea flowers--interesting how flowers so tiny are so eye catching. They are maybe 1/10 the size of the ones on 'Vermillionaire'.
The worst part (besides the inability to garden) has been the insomnia. It just hasn't ever hurt that much. It hurt much worse when I fell on it back in January, though that healed faster. Also be very careful of your wrists using a walker and then a cane--mine got sore (better now). Should have used my old brace for support. Everyone is different, though. Some find it hurts a lot.
Spring has arrived with a bang. The roses are looking particularly luscious. Moisture at the right time seems to determine the course of the season. We are getting lots right now so hoping it translates to a good growing season.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes for great growing this year!
DeleteSeem to be having issues with publishing my comments hence only the name showing. Spring has arrived with a bang and everything is looking so good. My great grandfather was a farmer and he always said that if you got the Spring rains it would be a good growing season.
ReplyDeleteI had a lot of trouble for a while getting a post with my google acct. Seems to have cleared up lately (bug fix?) but every once in a while... Here we're grateful for rain no matter when it comes, but the plants are a little choosier, and with good reason.
DeleteFoxes from dens and hyphens blowing from the page of your garden. I appreciated the word imagery. Agreed on that most excellent combination of Ballota and Rozanne.
ReplyDeleteIt was late, and I was tired!
DeleteIt's funny how the state of our mind affects the way we write. On a second pass through this post (I forget what I've read from the week before), I am struck by how much I like the yellow-greens of Hakonekloa and Sedum combined with the silvery Dichondra.
DeleteAn accidental good combo--I like that a lot, too. I finally at long last found a spot where the Hakonechloa could be happy, if not magnificent, as it can be in the PNW. Nearly killed it several times. Such an elegant grass.
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