Antidote to Lethargy…

…AKA, garden variety inactivity.

First of my 50 Lewisia cotyledon crosses to bloom.

First of my 50 Lewisia cotyledon crosses to bloom.

In January and February I hardly posted. I wish I could say that I spent hours pouring over seed catalogs and botany books, but that wasn’t case.

The local Northwest Flower & Garden extravaganza at the Washington State Convention Center in downtown Seattle inspired me to finally begin working in the garden regularly.

The show featured vendors selling plants, seeds and garden tools; inspiring lectures and the opportunity to network with fellow plantaholics; and a host of business, craftspeople and artists hawking their garden-related (at times a rather dubious connection) wares.

Among the plant vendors, blooming Hellebores seemed to dominate. Their popularity seems to be surging.  With a our mild winters in the northwest, it’s no surprise the Lenten Rose was everywhere. Growers are producing increasingly upright facing blooms, which is no mean feat since the plant has a drooping habit.

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And as promised to the Puyallup gardener and her husband at the dwarf conifer vendor. Here’s a picture of my Dwarf Hinoki Cypress ‘Chirimin’ (Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Chirimen’). It’s been in the ground about two-and-a-half years, is waist high when I stand next to it, which makes it a little less than three feet tall.

Hinoki cypress chirimen

When purchased four years ago  in a gallon pot it was just over a foot tall.  It’s habit is quite irregular and, so far, I haven’t pruned it at all. I hope that helps confirm your choice and helps you site your purchase.

“Shot on iPhone 6”

You’ve probably seen the adds on billboards, in magazines or in other media. Apple is promoting the iPhone 6 camera’s leap in quality.  In my case I was heading across the elevated highway that connects West Seattle to Seattle proper when I first saw this photo on a huge billboard.

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“Shot on iPhone 6”

I’m pretty sure this is the photo on the billboard — I lifted it from Apple’s own website. You can sample more of the photos from the add campaign’s website here.

As for me, for all the picture on this blog I’ve been shooting with my used (and slightly beat up) Cannon G10 camera.

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Note the crack in the upper left of the LCD viewfinder

It’s a great little point and shoot camera with lots of flexibility and options. But just this past week I decided to give the iPhone 5 in my pocket a shot at photographing my garden. That billboard on Seattle’s Spokane Street viaduct had the desired effect, percolating in my consciousness every time I drove into the city.

So while it’s not a “6,” my iPhone 5C produced all the following shots taken in the last few days of glorious May weather.

Iris tenax

Iris tenax “Oregon Iris”

melianthus leaf after a brief shower

Melianthus leaf after a brief shower

hardy geranium

Variegated Hardy Geranium ‘white cultivar with pale blue striation’

Why I love hardy geraniums? Find out more in this post.

Tight shot of Saxifrage flowers

Tight shot of Saxifrage flowers

Shady spot under our old apple tree

Shady spot under our old apple tree

Febrile February?

This month just might prove to be the warmest February on record for the Seattle area. And wetter too!  By February tenth we had already exceeded the average precipitation for the month (3.75″ vs 3.50″ average).  It’s 3 PM as I write and about 60° F. in my yard (time to mow the lawn); the temps in the city of Seattle are above 65° F., which to my mind is downright feverish.

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Primula allionii x pubescens hybrid ‘Wharfdale Ling’

I haven’t really paid close attention to the weather statistics until today, but some my plants have definitely been showing evidence they are ahead of schedule.  This little alpine primula cross was outside all winter under a bench, but still able to get a bit of moisture.  Two years ago it didn’t bloom heavily until mid-March.

A rosemary plant in a clay pot had the benefit of my greenhouse and is very happily blooming at the same time as the Hellebores.

rosemary

The dwarf red twig dogwood (below) is showing some nice red stems, which I believe is what it’s expected to do over the winter; perhaps it will leaf out earlier this year.

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Mexican feather grass, red twig dogwood, Hinoki cypress

The Mexican feather grass in the foreground doesn’t look bad, but probably should be trimmed back to get ready for the real spring.

I’m not sure if the Camellia japonica in my garden is that early, since these two blooms are just out while the rest of the plant is still in buds.

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This mature plant, about seven feet high is usually quite early, but right now it’s blooming at the same time as C. sasanqua, the winter blooming Camellia.

What’s blooming in your February garden?