This season will be remembered as the wait and see year. I'm not sure how many of the plants will fare considering everything that has been moved, replaced or dumped on by what seems to be an unusually frigid winter. Some flowers like the daffodils are taking longer than those I've spotted on other blogs ... or even around the neighborhood. These are well established so I'm guessing they're just slow out of the gate.
Last month I divided a Shasta daisy that was a mass of roots and grass. I've spread the individual plants throughout the front beds, hoping they'll take root and fill in many of the gaps out there. This is one of my favorite flowers and it will be much appreciated if it holds steady.
Pachysandra was uprooted during the backyard renovation. It seems to be maintaining, but I'm not sure if it's thriving. This can be an overused plant but I like its large glossy evergreen leaves. The flowers aren't anything spectacular, but it's in a dog-accessible area so the pooches wouldn't be marring any beauty queens.
Hebe 'Mrs. Windsor' displays a bit of her old self after suffering quite a blow this winter. Like most of my larger leafed Hebe, this one is showing severe stress and "burn" I guess. That spot of burgundy flesh gives me hope, however, that this may just make it after all.
The latest addition to my garden is Indian Plum, thanks to King County's Native Plant Salvage Program. Its already leafing out, which is promising. The female plants will berry, but I've read you need a male nearby. Anyone out there know if this is in fact true? And if so, does it need to be a live-in or can it just be some acquaintance down the street?
13 comments:
I like your comment about the plum, maybe it (she?) can just have a casual romance and you will be the beneficiary! :) What to do about those poor hebes? I am so sick of looking at mine, I may just give up and rip them out. I'll try to restrain myself at least until after Sunday - I'll try to remember to ask if anyone knows what to do.
I hear ya' but expert advice is to give them a year. Ugh! Maybe I'll pick up some large garden art and strategically place it to mask the sad plants.
Every spring seems like the year of wait and see around here! I've lost more plants than I care to mention since moving here and dealing with our silver-maple-root infested garden. It's taken awhile to figure out what will thrive in our dry shade, and I'm still experimenting.
The last two years have been much more promising as even plants that stayed dormant for a year or more - plants I assumed were dead, have come back. Now I take a wait and see attitude about perennials I've assumed were dead. We even have some hostas that have reappeared after at least four years of dormancy.
Wait and see that is the name of the game isn't it? Looks like your plants are going to recover just fine. Hope your winter is coming to an end.
I'm really looking forward to seeing all your plants in bloom. You have so many things growing I have never seen.
Linda: That's amazing about your hostas! I've been watching mine closely because they aren't yet peeking up. I need to take another look at some of your previous posts in search of those dry shade plants. I could use more ideas for the woodland area.
Darla: Rain today but it's already 45 degrees, which is promising.
Susie: I'll definitely do follow-up posts. I'm so desperate for some real blooms I'll be able to run time lapse shots.
Hopefully that warmer spring air will be coming your way! It is funny you want warmer weather and I am excited we are going back into the 60's tomorrow and through the weekend(more like spring temps that I am use to).
Jake
Haha, Jake. It's almost 50 here today, but it's been sprinkling. I find that kind of "rain" very annoying to work in!
I've been through a backyard renovation and was pleasantly surprised at how well things held up. In fact, one poor rose spent another year in a pot before getting planted and it's doing just great. So hang in there. Most of them will probably make it.
Interesting to read about your hebe - sometimes I've cut mine back to get out the dead bits and they've been fine and come back vigorously - other times I gently trim them and they don't really recover!
Jean: Thanks for the reassurance. One thing about gardening, there's always an up side. Either it lives and is a success or it dies and you get to go plant shopping!
Phoenix C: I had some variegated hebes I was able to prune back with success. They eventually died though, a combination of neglect and dog abuse maybe. I've never tried it with Orme or Amy, though. We'll see.
You know, there are so many Indian Plums around here in the Northwest (any greenbelt or large park will probably have some) that you might not need to have both sexes in your own garden for the female to fruit. Just a thought. I love your photos!
How interesting the plum looks (and sounds!).
I have pachysandra on part of one side of my house, under some tall bushes; they are a nice filler and not invasive at all, like some ground covers (vince major, for example...I wish I'd never planted that one...) I think that even if some of the pachysandra survived it will eventually spread and be fine...at least I hope so!
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