Dark purple leaves emerging from a papery lifeless "stump"...
Felty wrinkled fists...
With furry pink undersides.
As I photographed the rheum I became distracted by the Fatsia japonica's new growth.
Then I noticed the bright yellow-green spring foliage on the Ponciris trifoliata.
Then I realized there are a few blooms! We might see fruit this year!
You know where this post is going right? How can I be expected to write about a favorite or two when the entire garden is springing to life? So let's just say I've got a lot of favorites this month, deal?
Remember the echium rescue last August? Sadly the ones I planted in the ground didn't survive winter (21F is just touch too cold). Out of the original haul of 16 there are 6 that made it. They were in planted up in nursery pots and sunk into the soil in one of the stock-tank planters in the drive way. When the coldest temperatures were predicted I lifted them and brought them indoors.
They were planted out in the garden a couple weeks ago. Will they bloom this year, or will they provide those big silver/green rosettes I love so? Only time will tell.
The plastic looking foliage of Podophyllum 'Red Panda' continues to expand.
The Podophyllum pleianthum are catching up quickly.
The are one of the "funnest" plants to watch emerge.
The very funnest has got to be the Syneilesis aconitifolia, I know I just shared an image of these last week but they're bigger and there's more of them!
The best pleated foliage in the garden belongs to the Veratrum Californicum.
The Podophyllum peltatum is spreading like mad. That's not a bad thing, yet.
I forgot how green the new foliage on Melianthus major 'Antonow's Blue' is.
Ditto for the new foliage of Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Atropurpureum'...
It's more of a yellow with hints of brown for the Mahonia eurybracteata 'Soft Caress'.
Hosta 'Samual Blue' emerge with purple tips.
I'm glad to see the Geranium phaeum 'Samobor' coming back so healthy. Last summers heat and dry conditions kind of did a number on it.
New foliage on Leptospermum lanigerum.
And the blooms are opening on the Magnolia laevifolia!
I love the new growth on Eriobotrya japonica, both it's light green color and upright stance.
Especially exciting this year is that it's up over the fence, yay! (the metal containers are upside down to keep the rain out).
The hunk of Persicaria runcinata 'Purple Majesty' that Scott shared with me last year has really taken off!
And what a happy accident that I planted it near the Rhododendron 'Ebony Pearl', they flatter each other don't you think?
This one has me very happy! Acanthus syriacus, a purchase from Joy Creek during the GB Fling, I thought summers heat had killed it before it had a chance to take hold.
I can't remember if this is Pittosporum illiciodes 'Fine Green' or Pittosporum illicioides 'Strappy', whichever it's going to bloom!
Daphniphyllum macropodum v. humile
Daphniphyllum himalaense ssp macropodum 'Variegated'
And we'll end here, with the Macleaya cordata. I planted a couple near the fence last summer, looks like it's already spreading. That little bit in the lower left corner is new. I should probably warn my neighbor that she might see some on her side soon! As always with the monthly favorites wrap-up please share links (below in the comments) to any posts you've done on plants you're appreciating in your garden this month. Or if you're not a blogger just tell us about them!
All material © 2009-2015 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.
So exuberant these plants shown are. I'd take anything dark-leaved home with me if I could.
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way Jane, especially dark leaved "evergreen" plants.
DeleteI really need to get a few Magnolia laevifolia. It's so good to see all these great plants and their spring growth. This could be an interesting year for plants like Tetrapanax and others that usually don't get quite long enough or enough heat to flower and fruit
ReplyDeleteMy M. laevifolia have produced seeds, if I get some this year would you like a few? I will be SO EXCITED if my tetrapanax get to bloom, so so so.
DeleteI'd definitely love some magnolia seeds! Thanks!
DeleteSuch an exciting time of the year! With so many things going on in the garden it's difficult to choose just only one.
ReplyDeleteSeriously! This post could have been 5x as long...
DeleteIn California at least, Acanthus are summer dormant, so it's possible your's may be doing the same thing.
ReplyDeleteAh, that's a great point! My Acanthus mollis goes dormant when it gets to hot, I should have thought of that for this one to.
DeleteYou seem way ahead of my English garden. Everything looks so healthy too, great choices.
ReplyDeleteThanks! And I was feeling really lame this morning for not re-doing this post. These photos are a week old and so much has changed!
DeleteYowsa! So much beautiful stuff happening in your garden this time of year! Must go check my Magnolia laevifolia to see if the buds have started opening. So exciting!
ReplyDeleteI bet they have!
DeleteOh, you have some really wonderful foliage there! I'd say "felty folded fists" instead. (I Love a little alliteration!) Is that two patches of shredded umbrella plant? Looks like another in the background of that photo... I have to try that one this year!
ReplyDeleteTo each their own...(ha, Andrew thinks I already use to much alliteration). Yes - I do have two patches. One under the magnolia and one over against the garage in schefflera land. I'd offer to dig a little and share but I tried that with a few for my mom last year and they don't transplant well. If you can't find them locally I know Cistus has them.
DeleteYou have some amazing foliage in your garden. The photos of the plants emerging from the ground displaying their new growth are wonderful!
ReplyDeleteThanks Lee!
DeleteOMG that loquat! Spectacular! I think I may need to find some room for that one. But all looks great & fantastically other-wordly.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think you do. It is a fabulous tree, fabulous! I actually have two, one with a tall trunk and this one that branches close to the ground. I love them both.
DeleteSo much perfection and activity in your garden right now!!
ReplyDeletePerfection...it is that lovely time of the year when everything is fresh and hasn't been attacked by creatures!
DeleteIn case you didn't already know this, Loree, I ADORE your garden. So much.
ReplyDeleteAh, Kylee!!! Thank you, I really appreciate your sharing that.
DeleteMany cool plants. The whole emerging thing, we don't have so much of that here--maybe just the Amaryllis flowers that emerge in August from bone-dry ground. It's fun to see it elsewhere, in so much abundance.
ReplyDeleteIn my own garden this month, the roses have been the stars.
Last fall I told someone I would give up spring if I didn't have winter. They looked at me like I was crazy, but I was serious then and I would say it again now...
DeleteYour roses looked pretty wonderful in your last post...
We'll forgive you for having many favorites this month! The Rheum emergence reminds me of how it happens with Rhubarb--a curled up, wrinkly bit coming out of a brown stump. Love it when the Podphyllums emerge--I think that's my favorite part of their life cycle. I have a hill covered with them, and when they emerge it looks like the soil is full of tiny umbrellas. :)
ReplyDeleteThey're related, this one's purely ornamental. I love your description, a hill covered with tiny umbrellas, wonderful.
DeleteThose are some of my faves, too, and many more than I don't have - yet. I enjoyed your photos, especially the little fists and other odd shapes emerging. I love this time of year!
ReplyDelete"yet"...spoken like a true gardener!
DeleteOh lord. What a gorgeous post. I want every single thing I see here--except the things I need to baby along and bring inside, which in the case of the Echiums, I did not. Turns out, I'm not very good at that. You so deserve your every success.
ReplyDeleteSo...are your echiums all kaput?
DeleteKinda hard to stay on point when so much is happening out there, isn't it? Instead, why not just celebrate?
ReplyDeleteIndeed!
DeleteThe only really exciting emergence going on here is bizarre eruptions of mushrooms near the stump of the smoke tree. I love Scott's persicaria, very nice with the rhodie. That same acanthus looked promising all winter but has recently shriveled away, no leaves left. I've got a marker on it tho in case it changes its mind...
ReplyDeleteMushrooms! I've had a bountiful crop this year too, freakishly so! Do you want to try some of that persicaria?
DeleteI'd find it impossible to pick a single favorite in your circumstances too, although I do really love that Veratrum californicum - it looks as though it may be a bit too warm for it here but I may try it anyway. Here's my belated favorites post: http://krispgarden.blogspot.com/2015/03/favorite-plants-this-march.html
ReplyDeleteYa, I think it's a native to these parts which seems to suggest it might not be terribly happy in your part of the world. Sorry!
DeleteYou're a couple of weeks ahead of me for sure! Love those rheums, just one more plant you can grow that i can't....
ReplyDeleteReally? Perhaps you need to move to this side of the country?
DeleteSo many great plants this time of year! Brilliant move pairing the Rhodie with the Persicaria. And moving the Echiums in and out over the winter was pretty smart too.
ReplyDeleteWhat a joy it must be to see everything springing to life. That Rheum palmatum is so weird! As are all of the plants that emerge from the ground looking like mushrooms!
ReplyDeleteThat Rheum is one sexy plant, and I mean that only in the nicest way.
ReplyDelete