Taking it all in stride

I am not going to complain today about this never ending stretch of horrendous weather and the nasty impending storm that will turn my backyard into one big bowl of pea soup.

I am not going to talk about being frustrated that the ground is still frozen solid and that the crunching sound I hear when I walk in the grass makes me want to heave my shovel on to the roof of the house.

I am not going to show you my jealousy over the fact that you have crocuses or daffodils blooming or have deciduous shrubs that have leafed out. I'm OK with taking photos of microscopic green growth while you gather bundles of hyacinth blooms.

Nope, I have matured and I will take it all in stride.

I won't even mention that the deer and/or rabbits have strategically found a way to devour all of the new growth on my plants. It's just so darn cute, yeah nature!

And finally, you will never hear me utter the words "poor drainage" or "heavy clay". Seriously, it's like totally not even in my vocabulary any more.  

Nope, I'll keep it simple and to the point - I just want to get my hands dirty some time soon.

Wishing you and yours happy bloom watching and be careful not to over indulge in the exciting hoopla of Spring Fever.

John

Wordless Wednesday

Signs of new plant growth

I knew the question would be asked at some point.

All those days of laying in the dirt with my camera at all sorts of odd angles did not go unnoticed. In the middle of spring or in the summer, sure, you can see why I'd be taking those photos. But now, not so much.

My neighbor finally approached me and asked "What the hell are you taking photos of all the time? Are you like way into dirt and rocks?" Well Mr. Neighbor, that would be a "no". I am looking for any signs of green (sometimes red) growth, signs that indicate a plant survived the winter. You may say "boring" but I say "signs of things to come."

And to prove my point to Nosy Neighbor Guy (who doesn't read this blog but maybe should start now) I give you new growth shots and ... what they will eventually turn into. You feelin me now dawg?          

Sedum 'Matrona'

Malus (Crabapple) 'Prairie Fire'

Phlox 'David'

Peony 'Bowl of Beauty' 

Summer Snowflake

Weeping Cherry

Asclepias Incarnata (Swamp Milkweed)

Lobelia 'Siphilitica'

Daylily 'Little Grapette'

How you like me now?
ONG

For the love of red foliage

I've rambled on in previous posts, about my love of foliage and today I want to take it a step further.

I am enthralled by the sight of flowers when I visit a nursery/garden center, but nothing grabs my attention more than the sight of a shrub, perennial or grass that is some shade of red. And when I say "red" I mean maroon, scarlet, reddish/black ... you get the point.

Red foliaged plants play a large role in my landscape as they contrast so well with all shades of green or even yellow/chartreuse. Here are some photos of these beauties.

Some plants that stand on their own:

Sedum 'Matrona'

Sambucus 'Black Lace'

Hibiscus 'Kopper King'



Prunus Cistena (Sandcherry) attempting to hide the utility boxes 



But, these gems truly shine when located next to plants of contrasting color:

Physocarpus (Ninebark) 'Diablo' and Hydrangea 'Endless Summer' 

Eupatorium (Joe Pye Weed) 'Chocolate' and Rudbeckia (Blackeyed Susan)

Physocarpus (Ninebark) 'Diablo', Spirea 'Goldmound', Feather Reed Grass 'Karl Foerster' and Lobelia Siphilitica (Blue Cardinal Flower)  

Some sort of Coleus combo taken at the Dallas Arboretum

Autumn shot of Viburnum 'Shoshoni', Nepeta (Catmint) 'Walker's Low', Yucca 'Golden Sword'

Finally, there are others that have multi-colored foliage that give you that contrast on the same plant:  

Hypericum 'Albury Purple'

Newly divided Panicum 'Rotstrahlbusch'





Plant shopping at lunch

Today kicked off the regular routine of plant shopping during my lunch break at work. It may have been 30 degrees and it may have only been at one of the "big box stores", but it kicked some major booty.

Today's highlights include:

$14.99 for giant redtwig dogwoods are a dream come true. Winter interest like no other.

Magnolias have never been on my short list, but the early blooms are way appealing this time of year and for only $19.99, why not give it a shot.

I was drawn to the bark on these crabapples and at $49.99, one can dream right?

If you see a Honda Civic with a giant goofball driving and a bunch of large plants stuffed in the back, make sure to say "Hi".

Have a great weekend.  

Time Traveling Thursday

I recently managed to get my flux capacitor fixed in my '82 DeLorean and as a result, was able to to "go back in time" (cue the Huey Lewis music).

I didn't going back very far actually; only back to September of last year. But what was unique about this time travel is that John 2011 was able to speak directly with John 2010. There were severe risks though, the slightest change to John 2010's actions could have a dramatic, if not lethal effect on the world (although telling him to bet heavily on the Packers to win the Super Bowl was innocent enough, right?).

All kidding aside, I had only one message for John 2010 - "Plant more bulbs you friggin dope!".

Sure I get a few random Camassia blooms in mid Spring:

And the Summer Snowflake blooms are nice and one of the few Spring bulbs that seems to be OK with wet feet in the Winter:

And the few Daffodils that mysteriously appeared in one bed are "cute" and all:

Even the tulips planted in containers are a nice touch in mid April:

But, more is needed. Here is a sampling of the conversation between John's that will hopefully get us there:

John 2011 - Dude, you can do better than what you have planted right now. You should see the photos so many others are taking of their crocuses and their many different cultivars of daffodils in Spring. It is awe inspiring. 

John 2010 - I know, I know, but is it worth the effort in the Fall to dig through this clay soil just to get a brief display of blooms in Spring?   

John 2011 - Are you kidding me? You complain all the time about hating winter and the cold but all you would need are these blooms to make you forget the nasty weather.

John 2010 - You're right, but what about all the ratty foliage after the bloom? Doesn't that detract from all else going on in the garden? It's not like you can just cut it off since the bulbs need it to produce the following year. 

John 2011 - When have you ever backed off of a challenge when it comes to garden design? You just need to be strategic and plant around the decaying foliage so it can be hidden. Think perennials. I ain't buying that excuse dummy. 

John 2010 - Fine, you win. I'll get on that right now. Let me know what you think when you get back to the Spring.

John 2011 - Way to go my man! One last thing, be sure to check out the movie The King's Speech, I'm smelling an Oscar winner. 

Back to the present - if this time travel thing works, I'm expecting quite the bulb display to appear overnight. I'll be sure to pass along the results.

ONG