Vohann - Blooming!

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In summer of 2007 I ordered some plants from a local daylily nursery, Eclectic Gardens, out in Hillsboro, Oregon. Having just recently transitioned from being more of a plant collector to think more along the lines of landscape design and grouping plants for a larger effect, I had ordered three of their 'Vohann' daylilies. In 2008, they were still getting established and they didn't bloom.

This year, however, I was well rewarded with their tall 36" flower scapes with regal red velvety blooms. They look great. Here's a few pictures from my yard:



Eclectic Gardens is a good local retailer for daylilies, I got several fans of daylilies, plus a bonus cultivar that they offered. Check them out- they have a lot of beautiful selections. Back out to the patio to enjoy some time with my daughter and some fresh iced tea!

Orange!

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Steve Silk posted a great article on the color orange in the garden at Gardening Gone Wild. Check it out- orange is such a great color, its the party animal of the color spectrum and it livens up the areas it's featured in.

Here is a picture of one of my favorite daylilies, 'Caprician Fiesta' with its beautiful orange blooms.


Another picture following is of a yellow/orange-gold floribunda rose, called 'Strike it Rich' I love the way it lights up my yard and the fragrance is just delicious!

The virtues of Echinacea

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Here in the Pacific Northwest, we have hot dry summers and unless you are a committed waterer, it's best to find plants that once established, can tolerate some heat and drought. One of my favorite plants to fit this bill is Echinacea, or coneflower. Echinacea is a wonderful plant that has beautiful blooms, most often pink or magenta. Recently, new hybrids offer other colors in oranges or reds and yellows.

Echinaceas are hardy flowers and have a nice fall and winter interest as the seed cones will stay on the plant stem long after the bloom has faded. Birds and butterflies enjoy them as well. Some of the cultivars I have been successful with are E. 'White Swan' and E. 'Magnus'. A couple of years ago I planted one of the Echinacea hybrids from the Big Sky Series, "Sundown' it struggled to get established, but mainly I think because it only got part sun. I have since relocated it to a sunnier location in my yard and am looking forward to its beautiful tangerine blooms. Here's a pic:

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Echinacea "Sundown'

I am excited too about a couple new offerings from Terra Nova Nurseries. One is Mac N Cheese and the second is Tomato Soup. Both of these are brilliant new cultivars. I can't wait to get my hands on some. My love for echinacea is beginning to rival my love for daylilies!

You really can't go wrong with these hardy perennials, just give them plenty of sun and care for them well their first year with fertilizer and water until established. They will return for many years to bring beauty to your yard.

Fun Plant Combination

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The longer I garden, the more I realize that having a nice landscape is not about having tons of perennials or shrubs that bloom. You can actually create beauty with fun textures and plant foliage combinations like the one below:
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In this picture, we have the spring growth of Hosta "Aureomarginata' with Heuchera 'Palace Purple' and the foliage of a peony. You can see the how the contrast in the hostas variegated leaf contrasts in a pleasing way with the dark purplish foliage of the Heuchera. The peony provides some height and a lacy texture to complete the scene.

Do you have any favorite plant combinations? Please feel free to share in a comment!

Spring in my Garden

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Springtime is here and all my perennials are putting forth fresh growth. Some are blooming, others like my echinacea, are leafing out to be ready for our sunny Pacific Northwest summers.

I was surprised this year by my bleeding heart. It gets morning sun and afternoon shade, and it has grown absolutely enormous! It is almost 3' x 3' and is loaded with blooms. Here it is next to my rhododendron:

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Here is a close up- you can see all the beautiful blooms:
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The bleeding heart has always been one of my favorite plants, the pink blossoms opening to white are so delicate. I have always thought of them as a living analogy of the shed blood of Christ making atonement for our sins. Every spring this plant bring joy to me. It also happens to bloom right around Easter, which is fun too.

One of the things I love about spring is the brilliant color that emerges. Sometimes new growth has a color unlike any other. Take for example, this acer palmatum, "Sango Kaku', or coral bark maple:

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Its delicate fingered leaves remind me of the wet feathers of a baby bird just coming out of the egg. They are such a brilliant green tinged with red- and very striking against the red branches of the tree. This tree really has all season interest, and a nice form as well. You can see it a bit farther away here:

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One of my other spring showstoppers is Spiraea Japonica "Magic Carpet'. This japanese spirea positively glows in the spring and not only does it bloom in the early summer, it will rebloom if sheared and has beautiful fall color. It looks great massed together and provides a nice impact for the plant border. Here is a close up of the foliage. So amazing!

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Another plant that has some beautiful foliage is this variegated andromeda:
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Its creamy white variegation and reddish pink new foliage really brightens up the shady corner of my yard. It is a slow grower, but well worth the wait. It is also evergreen, which is a nice feature as it provides some interest in the winter when all my perennials are slumbering in the earth.

Spring is such a beautiful time of year -- fresh blooms, the fragrance of lilacs in bloom, brilliant dogwoods lighting up the landscape with their white and pink blooms. How can one not be inspired? Its going to be a beautiful weekend- and a good one to get your hands dirty. Have fun!