Saturday, April 23, 2011

Time for some random springtime joy…

As I mentioned in yesterdays post we’ve actually had some sunshine this week, for a few hours here and there it really felt like April. When this happens everything else becomes secondary in importance to being outside, which of course means checking in on the progress of the plants in the garden. Here’s the first real Plume Poppy (Macleaya cordata) leaf this year… Rodgersia pinnata 'Chocolate Wings' just coming out of the ground and it looks like it’s finally multiplying! The Rodgersia podophylla 'Rotlaub' is slightly ahead of this one, at about an inch tall. A couple more photos of the lovely Syneilesis (shredded umbrella plant) as they lose their fuzz and start to become shiny. I never tire of watching the Maidenhair ferns this time of year. The same goes for the Solomon’s Seal. The Hostas all seem to emerge on wildly different schedules. This one is the furthest along, others are just starting to shove their tips out of the soil. I’ve been empting out the shade pavilion! Plants that can handle water have been moved to the patio and others have been planted in the garden. It’s time to start transitioning others up from the basement, that’s on the list for this weekend. I’m giving Horseradish another go this year, I love the look of the leaves and the taste of the root. Having survived another winter the tree fern (Dicksonia antarctica) should hopefully start pushing out new fronds soon. Sunlight does wonderful things to the Saxifraga x Geum 'Dentata. And finally a few pictures detailing the progression of the Podophyllum peltatum, once I figured out that’s what it is. When it first started coming up I thought it was my Astilboides tabularis (which unfortunately there is still no sign of). Funny I forgot all about having bought the Podophyllum! I hope you are experiencing at least a few moments of random spring joy too, Happy Easter!

12 comments:

  1. I'm so glad the shade pavilion is getting emptied out! I'm on the lookout for any and all podophyllums too, but I think they're probably happier in the PNW. Happy Easter to you, and have a great time shuffling pots around!

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  2. I love to see all the signs of emergence. Somehow it's nice to get your plants' reassurance that, yes, it's spring after all.

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  3. It's such a wonderful time of year with the garden changing practically every day! My variegated hosta is the furthest along by miles also. This is its first spring in my garden and I started to worry when it came up and rest lingered in the soil, but I see it's just an early bird (relatively.) My Syneilesis are looking happy, too. Your Dicksonia antarctica looks beautiful!

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  4. You have no weeds. This is what I notice when I see your plants. No weeds. You must be very diligent. :)

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  5. I REALLY LOVE that st real Macleaya cordata, AND I've never heard of it. Now I need to find out how soon I can get some.

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  6. Denise, it's filling up fast...so many basement prisoners just waiting to be released! I do suppose you're right about the PNW being especially Podophyllum friendly. Now if they can just survive the house being painted.

    James, yes! Even if the weather hasn't been terribly spring like there are plants to still alert us to the changes.

    MulchMaid, it is! I feel like if I miss a day of "taking attendance" I'll miss something really important. Can you imagine being able to grow Dicksonia antarctica in the ground!? Wouldn't that be amazing?

    Grace, I am really lucky. I think my mulching every spring helps...and I pull weeds as I see them but I think the way our backyard is contained really helps too. With the back of our house, our garage, our neighbors garage, and tall trees I think it's harder for weeds to find a foot hold.

    Ryan, I had never heard of it until I got to know Megan. She gave me some seedlings last year...that's where these came from. Since she turned me on to them I've seen them in the borders at Cistus but never for sale. I'll ask her if she has any seedlings coming up that she can gift to you. Oh and that's the issue with these guys...I guess if you let them go to seed they can be quite invasive. Still interested?

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  7. Such gorgeous close-up photos. I love to look at them, especially as was out of town and missed these precious moments of first emergence in my own garden and have been feeling very nostalgic indeed about it!

    Plume poppy (Macleaya) has been quite invasive in my two gardens and sadly, I have had to grub it all out. It just colonized a bit too enthusiastically for my tastes... but it is lovely, especially when those clouds of smoky pink flowers appear...

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  8. Happy Easter!

    Your shade garden looks well kept. Have you started using a blower as well? :-)

    Your plants are looking good, especially your ferns. What do you plan to do when your tree ferns gets bigger?

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  9. I love the Podophyllum peltatum. Growing up in the midwest, they were everywhere back in the forest behind our house....I put some in a couple years ago, and it's beginning to feel like they're really established.

    Gorgeous pictures, as usual!!

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  10. Joy indeed! Love seeing everything growing for real now...it seems that during the past week, things for all of us have just exploded! Love Macleaya...hoping my little plant will start bulking up this year and be fabulous next year! The scalloped edges of that Saxifraga are so adorable...I'm still crossing my fingers for your Astilboides!

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  11. Great post! We have plume poppies in common and we love ours also.

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  12. oh my gosh! you've got some really cool plants! as i newbie i'm in awe! love your shade garden! so exciting to see all the things coming to life. really loving the fern and other uncurling plant, so cool! =]

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