Wow, that's a shame. I used to have some columnar dwarf junipers but invariably they'd get bowed over by ice or snow or something, so I pretty much have given up on them. Between weather & wildlife, gardening can be brutal.
It refuses to warm up around here. High yesterday just low 40's. In a few weeks, it'll be summer & I'll have missed spring completely.
winter 2018
Well it isn't even spring yet so hopefully not. It is cold here too. Yet yesterday, there was a butterfly or very large moth flying by. I'm not sure what kind but I think I disturbed it when I started pulling fallen limbs out of the bushes.
The petasites didn't do too well blooming under the snow.
HI and goodbye all
I have advised Admin (should they happen to read it) that I no longer wish to maintain my membership. I have requested that they divide my 6 remaining years of membership amongst 6 members of this and the Propagation Forum. So if you see extra time added to your membership this could be where it came from. It has been a pleasure.
Keith
Sorry to see you go, Keith. I'll miss seeing pictures of your beautiful yard. Happy gardening! (if spring ever gets here) ...
I understand. It has been very quiet here. Maybe I'll catch you on the flip side. That's where I've been going.
Not sure how many are still around but I'm going to keep posting at least for now. I don't have any other gardening home...
Here are some pictures from today. It remains ridiculously cold.
High today in low 40's and another freeze tonight.
Seems spring will never get here.
But amazingly enough, some hardy stalwarts are blooming.
#1 is Corydalis kusnetzovii x C. solida Vanessa. Lavender band around the lip.
#2 is Hepatica japonica.
#3 is another corydalis, C shanginii ssp ainii. Bright yellow contrasting with purple nose.
#4 is a pulmonaria, not sure which one.
#5 is the only primula I've had success with. It's in it's 3rd year, already starting to bloom. Primula vulgaris Belarina Amethyst Ice. Based on it's success I bought a different cultivar of the same species called Nectarine with yellow/gold flowers. It's still sitting in a pot in my garage waiting for spring to eventually show up. We'll see how it does.
I have been trying for 2 days to post another set of pictures, but a DG glitch apparently won't let me. I'm about ready to give up. I'll try again in a day or two.
Well I'm still looking. I guess we are the last holdouts. As usual, you have an interesting, beautiful selection with great photos! I really enjoy your corydalis collection. I don't have enough consistent moisture for them.
Here are my first blooms from Japan. I'm going to pick up some more native hepatica from Well Sweep this spring. In the third pick, I compare them to chinadoxia. The hepatica does have a similar landscape impact as the cheaper and much easier to get minor bulbs but I am hoping the leaves are a good show. I know the american species have a livery texture. I'm hoping these do too.
I see you have them planted in the ground?
Hi, Loretta. I was getting kind of lonely. Wow, I love the 2nd picture - such an interesting mix of colors. I first planted hepaticas on a fairly shady slope but they gradually migrated down the hill. Now I have an area right outside the window of our kitchen seating area which is nearly full shade. They've done well there and stay put. Mine are just coming up now, only a few in bloom yet.
Migrated like slid down or reseeded?
It has gotten increasingly more and more quiet around here. Just about everyone has moved over to NGA. Even GW has more posters. Looks like the owners are more concerned with their Facebook page. They post a picture with a link to an article and I guess they make money on ads? Not sure how it works or if it works.
1. My favorite hellebore because I grew it from seed. It does a neat thing as the flower ages. The markings stay and the light pink goes whitish.
2. Checker lilies - already found my first scarlet lily beetle as soon as they peaked out of the ground.
3. Purchased Dicentra 'King of Hearts'
4. Corylopsis spicata
5. Pachysandra procumbens
Gorgeous pics Loretta.
Well I guess you could say , the cat came back. Never thought it would happen but out of the blue on Wednesday night I got an E-mail from a dude by the name of Tyson Yen, who is the new Community Manager for DG. Apparently he introduced himself on a thread a while back and someone suggested he contact me. After a couple messages back and forth and a long telephone conversation yesterday he has me convinced that he is genuinely on a mission to make Admin readily accessible to the members like it should be so I have returned to give it another try. He is Johnny on the spot for returning messages so if anyone has outstanding issues contact me by D-mail and I will share his E-mail address.
Keith
Hmmm - obviously not much traffic at this point. I have always enjoyed DG and sharing pics/experiences with others with similar interests, so I hope it can be resurrected. But it's depressing to check the site regularly and find no new posts. I've checked some other sites, which are a little livelier, but frankly not that active either. I'll try to keep an open mind and check regularly to see if there's any sign of resurgent life. For now, welcome back, Keith!
Hi Keith, did you ever get your calendar? I have mostly turned my attention to another site since this one is mostly dead. I still check here and there, especially since I am a member for the next 30 months. Glad to hear they are working on the site. Hopefully it isn't too late.
Beautiful as usual Loretta.
It will be a bit, but Tyson is working on getting me my calendar. Hope you can hang in here. I believe he is going to make a difference.
Spring is finally happening here. These are native marsh marigolds by small back
pond
That is bright and cheery! Hawkweed is blooming here. Roses, iris, columbine, clematis all the go-to's starting up. Notice my columbine has chartreuse leaves. It usually comes true from seed but this year there is a green leaf seedling.
Boy, that chartreuse leaf looks stunning against the purple bloom
I think that bloom looks darker than real life. It is more blue than that.
Wow, I missed some action!
Here are some shots from my place this past weekend.
First is a strange perennial Phyteuma scheuchzeri - it's related to campanula.
Close up of the flowers show a fascinating structure.
I've been nurturing a cypripedium for several years.
It's still a small plant and puts out a single bloom each year,
but it refuses to grow. Ah, well.
Delosperma don't do well for me either - usually not quite hardy enough,
or maybe they can't deal with our humidity.
This is a small plant which has survived a year, so I'm cautiously optimistic.
Finally I've always been fond of anemonella thalictroides
(now Thalictrum thalictroides, I guess).
It's a woodland ephemeral blooming in early spring.
But this guy has been blooming nonstop since march.
Still looking good last weekend.
Those are some exquisite blooms Wee. I always enjoy your spring blooms. There is nothing to compare with them here
1) euphoŕbia polychroma, cushion splurge
2) Virginia bluebells
Phyteuma scheuchzeri is a new one to me. Interesting bloom. I can't keep ice plant alive through winter either. Even if I get it through, it losses vigor.
Looks like something is starting for you, Keith. You have a nice patch of bluebells. Mine are lonely singles and not nearly as full as yours.
I've been lazy about taking pictures in the garden. A lot is blooming. Irises are peaking. Something ate most of my vegetable seedlings.
Oxdrift is slowly waking up.
1) only chunk of rock garden the deer stayed away from this winter. Putting chicken wire down used to work but not any more
2) a few healthy Hosta starts
3) Karl Forrester Grass wintered well
4) a chunk of wlid arum that Wendy found in a creek on one of our ATV excursions last spring. Adapting well to our little frog pond out back
5) dense patch of thyme in foreground not yet flowering
Glad to see things are thawing out up north, Keith.
I have a bunch of thyme growing over a sandstone ridge in my yard.
Alas, I don't find a decent picture.
I found one from years ago before it filled in more densely.
It looks great when full bloom.
My favorite grass is Hakonechloa macra All Gold - looks great all summer long.
I don't know if it's hardy for you. In my climate, likes afternoon shade.
I cringe when I hear the word Arum, since I spend so much energy trying to dig out Arum italicum volunteers. They're almost impossible to dig out.
We missed out on most of spring because we had repeated frosts until about a month ago, then suddenly humid 90's. Bummer.
Your thyme looks so good cascading over that large rock. Sòund like the little pine may be the best place to leave the arum. It can't really do much damage there
Hakonechloa is my favorite grass too, both All Gold and Aureola. So far this year, I've only taken pictures of the weeds that grow through it. That's only in the shady spots. It is too dense for weeds in sunnier positions. A few more chartreuse plants in the garden Rainbow Ascot euphorbia, Axminster Gold comfrey and Little Honey hydrangea.
I can keep thyme alive a couple of years only. I would love to have one of those wooly thyme patios but it has never worked out. You both have beautiful specimens.
Carex 'Golden Bowles' stays wispy in shade.
Fescue 'Isaiah Blue' has been a hard plant to establish.
Weigela 'Rubidor'
Salvia argentea bud
Japanese Painted Fern. Do you love it or hate it? A lot of people hate it but I love it.
Beautiful shots Loretta. I'm with you on the Japanese painted fern. I just bought one. The variety is Goliath
You mean Godzilla? That will look great in your landscape. I see your log splices have made it to another season.
Yes I definitely mean Godzilla. I have to pay more attention to what spell check is changing or maybe I was just having a senior moment??? LOL
Fern leaf peony in Japanese garden. Tree peonies had a rough winter but at least all 3 survived. The yellow one started right from the ground with all new shoots. The purple one had live buds right to the tip but will only have 7 blooms compared to 18 last year. Not sure the red one is going to bloom but plant is healthy
I'm totally jealous of that fernleaf peony, Keith. I blame my failures with it on our humidity, though I don't know if that's really true. I know they need sharp drainage but they still failed.
I can't grow blue fescue either - I grew up with it as a kid in southern California - was easy as pie out there. Such a nice contrasting blue color. I'm going to blame humidity again.
And I've got to say, you guys are good photographers!
Thanks, WR! You too!
I am also jealous of Keith's fernleaf peony. They don't get more beautiful than that. I have a wimpy fernleaf and it hasn't bloomed in a while. The leaves aren't that delicate either.
Thanks guys. I believe the fern leafs prefer our brutal winters. A good friend of mine in Windsor Ontario really loved mine when he saw it in bloom one year so the next time I visited him I gave him one. I think it lasted maybe 2 seasons and then never came back. I believe they are Zone 6. Tgey are super easy here
For your amusement, this is the one I got closest to blooming.
It had been in the ground 3 seasons and was still a runt of a plant.
It had this tantalizing bud for weeks, but it never opened.
The plant petered out completely in a year or two.
I've tried others before & after with even worse results.
I have now given up on the species.
WOW, that is amusing
Lost a lot of lupins over winter but the ones we had were nice. Almost done now. I seeded a new crop this year. Package each of red and yellow. I can't remember if I can expect late blooms this year or if I have a year to wait??
Beautiful. Can't grow them here.
I'll enjoy yours.
Thanks Wee. Definitely goes both ways. I enjoy a lot of things you post that I can't grow here