Resolution

Yesterday,  while walking in a West Seattle neighborhood admiring the small front-yard gardens I made a new year’s resolution (albeit rather late) to write more blog posts. In the world of digital photography “resolution” has other meanings, including the camera’s ability to print a larger size photograph or poster by delivering more pixels per inch.

Euphorbia escaping from a bunch of crocuses

Euphorbia branch flees crocus colony

Since my last post was January 1st and today is February 28th, this may prove to be yet another new year’s resolution that comes to naught. We will see.  As a self-described plant geek, you would think I could make time to write more about plants.

Here’s my plan to succeed. Five weekly posts will be in a new category (not yet named-suggestions welcomed), which I define as simply walking about my garden, my neighborhood, Vashon Island and the greater Seattle area with my iPhone or Cannon G-10 in hand.

Two garden blogger memes:  In a Vase on Monday and Wordless Wednesdays will round out the week’s remaining two posts.  Wish me luck. Better yet wish me the discipline and resolve required to post regularly.

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Clematis armandii blossom opens amid buds on a spring-like day in February

Definitely an early or even a false spring in the city of Seattle

Evidence of a February spring in the city of Seattle

Walking around West Seattle made it clear to me that all the concrete, asphalt, and buildings of a city retain heat and make for an even earlier spring than my Vashon garden enjoys at 350 feet above Puget Sound.

 

Happy New Year and a Nod to 2015

(This post was originally published on January 1st 2016).

           After a wet and mostly warm December, the last few days have been crisp, cold and cloudless. The first morning of 2016 proved perfect for grabbing pictures of new snow on the Cascade and Olympics. The garden didn’t disappoint either.

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Morning view of the Olympic Mountains

Later on the morning I decided to sort through my 2015 pictures and post a few favorites in the garden. Now in 2023 the photos bring back the beauty of a well tended plants. An oasis of memories in the warmer months of spring, summer, and fall.

 
Hellebore: January 1, 2016

Hellebore: January 1, 2016

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Frosty Fragaria chiloensis and Kinnikinick : December, 31, 2015

 

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Buds of Pink Crimson Flag enjoying the rain, November, 2015

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Olive: Olea europaea ‘Arbequina,’ September, 2015

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Rosa ‘Hansa’ July, 2015

 

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June 2015

 

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Campanula cultivar May, 2015

 

New buds on branch of red twig dogwood cultivar, Jan, 2015

New buds on branch of red twig dogwood cultivar Jan, 2015

Stumped?

My seven year old Wisteria had me, well, stumped!  Why?  Because co-existing happily with lichen, which I’ve never minded on the trunk and branches, are these rather unsightly protuberances.

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March, 2014: Growth at near base of Wisteria trunk

Almost two years ago I planned to write a post to see if any fellow gardeners had a similar experience. But I forgot all about it and this post languished in my drafts folder.

Different portions of its trunk seem to have succumbed to this slowly metastasizing invader. It’s as if a symbiotic tumor is colonizing the trunk and branches.

The growths began sometime ago (2011?) and continued to make progress. At first I thought it was contained to the base of the Wisteria, where perhaps the cultivar was grafted to a different root stock. This cultivar, Wisteria sinensis ‘Cookes Purple,’ was touted as a Wisteria that requires no support and would be happy to make a freestanding focal point. I had always planned to plant it somewhere in the garden, but it still languishes in a large pot

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March 2014

I hardly paid any attention to these bumps, since it didn’t seem to effect the health of the plant in any discernible way. The predominant and larger outbreaks were on the base of the trunk. I totally ignored them, in fact, forgot about them until today.

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Same trunk today

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December 30, 2015: soggy and now without its host.

That’s when after weeks of heavy rain I was inspired by today’s cold sunny weather to finally start some badly needed winter clean up.

I was picking out the cilantro that’s volunteered in the base of the wisteria’s pot, when I grabbed one of the now soggy protuberances and lo and behold it came off easily in my hand!

I removed a few others to have a closer look. Here’s a good example:

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I haven’t a clue as to why or how these aliens got a foothold on my wisteria. If you know, please leave a comment.