Some flowers. 4.25.2021

 Some nice Spring flowers are blooming.  In addition to lilacs, there are the apples of course.  And this Prairie Fire crabapple, that I planted about 8 years ago.

Someone on the old GardenWeb site said it wouldn't grow here.  Obviously wrong.  I don't believe everything I read.

An Iris germanica and some Camassia.

I like the Camassia because they are native, and because deer and rabbits don't eat them.

Some Hyacinthoides.  In town, these are invasive.  Here at my country place, they have a hard time establishing.  I think herbivores eat them.  A few clumps survive.

An Iris florentina, in the woods border.  It gets almost no care - no watering and only weeding when I can.  These, and the I. germanica, are much earlier than most bearded iris.

 

Lilacs and Camassia. 4.27.19

Lilacs that I moved to my country place a few years ago, from town. Deer sometimes munch on the lower branches but the flowers on top they are lovely and fragrant. Last photo is camassia, which do very well here and should, given that they are native.  Each bunch started as a single bulb, planted in fall.  Each year the clumps have more bulbs and more flowers than the year before.

Puttering. 4.25.14

Honeybees settling in.

Vancouver Brunswick Fig.  Spring growth.

 Honeybees are lying around the hives.  It look like they are starting to settle in.  Not much going on with foraging.

Vancouver Brunswick fig is making nice growth with little brebas.  This tree spent 2013 recovering from having been moved Dec 2012.  Then new growth was frost killed early 2013.  Then hard freeze late 2013.  But looking good now.  Of the older trees I moved to Battleground, Brunswick and Sal's fig are looking the best.  Petite negri may be dead.  Of the new starts from last year, all were top-killed.  Tiger and Champagne are making new growth from the base.  These may not be as freeze-tolerant as the others, or it might be they were young and I grew them too lush.  So no fertilizing this year.  I will give them more time, but so far Atreano, Smith and Carini look dead.  I have replacements for all of them.

Camassia looking nice.  Why don't more people grow it?  I bought this as one potted plant last spring.  When the  foliage died down, I divided it and replanted.  Now each has 4 new growths.

Potatoes growing lush in the tree-ring wishing wells.   Soon will need to add more soil.

Strawberries in bloom.  Protected from deer and rabbits.  I hope.  Last year they were all eaten off when blooming.

Snowpeas growing fast too.  If not caged, they would also be eaten off.

Camassia.

Potatoes in tree ring wishing well.

Strawberries in bloom.

Champagne fig.  Sprouts from base.

Snowpeas

Spring Bulbs, Flowers and Irises. Progress Report. 3.7.14

Sedum sarmentosum in iris bed

Allium spring growth

Unknown bulb sprouting.

 With the warm days, many bulbs are growing rapidly.  A few daffodils are blooming.

Sedum sarmentosum ("Cemetery moss") survives the winter and growing nicely in the bearded iris raised bed.  I planted this fro starts taken from my previous garden.   Sedum sarmentosum grows easily.  I've seen some web information that it's invasive.  I've grown it for many years.  It grows and spreads easily, but also pulls out easily and does not self seed.  This plant is not invasive.  One reviewer didn't like this plant because they observed it attracts bees.  To me that's a plus.

Ornamental alliums are several inches tall.  Fortunately I labeled a couple, so I knew they were alliums.

A few will have to bloom so I know what they are.  One especially large sprouting bulb could be an allium.  I'm guessing it's a Camassia.

 Anemone blanda is blooming around the yard.  They are only a few inches tall.  Nice cheerful flowers.  Rabbits ate most of the De Caen anemones, although there is a chance some might bloom.  I planted them specifically  because they are described as rabbit and deer resistant.

I bought some hollyhock starts.  Hollyhocks are considered a short lived perennial.  If they survive and grow, they should bloom this year.  They are a long shot.  The roots don't look like much, and the root ends were ragged.  I trimmed them more cleanly and planted in a somewhat protected spot.  Hollyhocks are considered deer susceptible.  The spot is close to the house, surrounded by other plants.

I plated seeds for Four O'Clocks in containers.

Irises and bulbs.  Early Spring Growth.

Anemone blanda

Hollyhock Starts

And a few more....

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I forgot I bought the anemones and found them in the garage.  All of the others are also considered deer resistant and possibly rabbit resistant. 

Bulb season is about over.  Spring should look like spring....

The Camassia quamash was a good find.  I've been wanting to add them.  Native to Pacific NW, considered OK bee forage, and tolerant of conditions here.

The Hyacinthoides wasn't necessary.  I can move some from the yard in Vancouver, and probably will.  This looked like a colorful mix.

All are planted.  That took about 15 minutes.  Then it rained.