Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Old photos send me reminiscing…

Looking for an old photo the other day I ended up spending a little time reminiscing about “the good old days”… maybe you know the ones? I’m talking about pre- winter 2008 when Portland gardeners could grow huge Phormiums and Cordylines and expect them to live through the winter. Just thinking about it I get all melancholy. The front garden looked so good…

11 comments:

  1. Enviable photos, Loree. Seriously gorgeous garden!

    It seems so unfair, doesn't it? We either need more mild winters or more winter-hardy plants. Or both!

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  2. sob...it was so beautiful...but I trust you to find new ways to create a masterpiece.

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  3. I missed the party, now phormiums are just expensive annuals. The yard looks great, and cheer up, those Eucomis and Canna look great and we can still grow those.

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  4. It looked beautiful! And it will look beautiful again, and maybe be even more satisfying if you don't have to worry about all the marginally hardy plants.

    I feel the same way when I come across lush pictures of the running bamboo we took out last summer - the replacement clumping bamboo is growing, but slowly and it's hard to wait...

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  5. I was reminiscing with old photos as well, and I'm melancholy too. So sad and, darn, it means needing to get more new plants!

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  6. I was lamenting my garden photos recently too and I didn't even lose any plants during the snowpocalypse.

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  7. Among other things... I grew Acacia dealbata var. subalpina to 60' tall between 1999-2009. It barely survived December 2008, but the 2009 freeze was more than it could handle.

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  8. i see why you feel nostalgic! but it's time for a come-back!! come on spring!

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  9. Hey, I'm confident we'll have a redux of warm winters. Yep. It's gonna happen! And then we'll get all daring again. Besides, those phormium last the winter *much* better if they just get some summer water. It's worth trying! (Gives you a reason to try again, don't you think?)

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  10. We had milder winters pre-2008 too. I'm now less adventurous with the tender Aussie plants that were so hot here for a while, acacias (wattles) in particular. Phormiums never caught on here, probably because our summer heat and drought are so intense.

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  11. Grace, I'll take the milder winters please Grace.

    ricki, I appreciate your confidence. I hope my neighbors have some too.

    Ryan, you are right about the Canna. Although I lost 2 of the 3 clumps of Eucomis last winter. I replanted them last spring and I'm looking every day in hopes of seeing them return.

    MulchMaid, yes! You know exactly what I'm talking about. It kind of makes you gasp doesn't it? Of course I kept telling myself the reason that I had those particular pictures was because that very moment was the best it looked...it wasn't like it was always that fabulous.

    Aerie-el, yes you do have a point. I wonder what I would be doing if the old plants were still here?

    Ficurinia, so you just liked the look better when your garden was younger?

    Ian, I am sorry! You haven't lived in Sequim all that long right? Were you in Olympia before that? Or am I crazy?

    Laguna, god yes, please....spring!

    kate, I hope you are right! And I did water...not a ton but some...to no avail.

    Pam, so have you experienced any difference in the summers? Or just winters.

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