Thursday, March 31, 2016

Not just surviving, but thriving!

You probably remember my gushing over the Passiflora 'Sunburst' with it's fabulous orange flowers and interesting foliage.

It's not hardy here in Portland so I dug it up and over-wintered it in the basement during the winter of 2014/15. That was a success so naturally I did it again last fall. That's it in the black container...

I knew it was still alive because there was this green leaf.

And if you follow the long stem (with that single green leaf) out further – beginning at the orange circle on the left and ending at the orange circle on the right – you can see there are even more green leaves.

Blurry, but you can clearly see...leaves! Happy plant.

But! Holy heck! What's that...up there above the lights?!

When did this happen? An entirely new branch has been creeping along the ceiling and I didn't even notice.

Clearly this plant can't wait to get back outside and start growing. Yay!

All material © 2009-2016 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Wednesday Vignette, L.A. Street Art


Visit Flutter & Hum for more Wednesday Vignettes.

All material © 2009-2016 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

What's new at Marbott's?

You know how you're just driving down the road, headed home and all of a sudden you find yourself in a nursery parking lot? Ya, I love when that happens. Today's unexpected visit is a stop at Marbott's Nursery in NE Portland. Old school, family owned, and wonderful.

Euphorbia polychroma 'Bonfire'

Has anyone had success with this plant? I was thrilled a couple of years ago when I first discovered it. Then a blog commenter said something like "ya, good luck, mine disappeared after the first year" – I thought "whadda spoil-sport!" But you know what, they were right.

This on the other hand is a perfect little plant, season after season. Saxifraga macnabiana...

Lots-o-Colocasia!

Summer!

I'm still in the midst of major Abutilon lust, but this one?

I just don't like how busy the leaves are.

Cordyline banksii Electric Star

The variegation is so fabulous on this plant. I bought the last gallon sized plant they had in spring of 2015, might have to go back for a couple of these 4" plants (still hefty at $9.95)

More summer! Love the colors...

Papyrus. I had to laugh when I saw these, remembering the times old Mr. Marbott told me he wouldn't sell me one because it was too early, still to cold...

I got a similar warning this time when I walked in: "Don't even look at the tomatoes, still too early..." Yes sir, I won't even look at the tomatoes.

Thank goodness for signage. I thought this looked pretty sweet.

But ugh, look at what it turns into! (pardon me if you think that's attractive)...

WOW and double WOW!

I seriously considered the purchase...

I mean look at all those flowers! The plant however, it really wasn't that attractive. But the flowers!

Lewisia! Love the plant and the flowers.

And who says color has to come from flowers?

Finally this guy...isn't he just cute in his fuzzy green robe?

All material © 2009-2016 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

Monday, March 28, 2016

In a Vase on Monday, just a quickie

This weeks vase is a simple one...

Flowers, and a little foliage, from Aucuba himalaica var. dolichophylla..

Just the lightest of yellow dots on the foliage, unlike the more boldly splotched Aucuba which I can't stand.

And a few pieces of bronze fennel, picked from the neighbors patch across the street – she said it was okay!

The bathroom shelf needed something new, this was just right.

Those little flowers are perfection.

And I'd love to grow the fennel but lordy that stuff can take over!

"In a Vase..." is hosted by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden. She, and I, encourage you to bring a little of your garden inside to enjoy...

All material © 2009-2016 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

Friday, March 25, 2016

Favorite plants that aren’t showing signs of life, in March

It's the last Friday of the month and you know what that means...favorites! Well they were favorites, last year. Now I just don't know...this month I'm featuring a few things that I fear may not be returning to grace my garden for another summer. Sure there are plants that are late to leaf out, like the Albizia julibrissin ‘Summer Chocolate’ shown below. It seems to take forever. But the rest of these, well, tell me what you think...

That stick belongs to a Colutea, whether it's Colutea x media (as I bought it labeled) or Colutea arborescens as I suspect it is (based on the flower color) I don't care...I just want to see some sign of life!

This is what it looked like on April 4th last year when I bought it. Now granted it was in a greenhouse...

But shouldn't there be something?

I want these great seed pods again this summer!

My Paulownia tomentosa is just sticks too. I cut it back (I'm not sure if enough to technically qualify as pollarding, but close) early in the month. I'm out there every day looking for some sign of life.

I want big leaves again!

This group of sticks is a Teucridium parvifolium...

There were lots more, prettier, sticks last summer.

And tiny leaves. The Cistus Nursery description says: "...Evergreen in USDA zone 9 and upper zone 8; resprouts from the bottom of zone 8." We saw 24F, but there was snow and ice. Surely it will return?

This one really bums me out - Begonia Pedatifida. Should the rhizomes be that exposed? I don't know. They were in the container when I bought it, but I piled mulch over them for winter. There are no signs of life!

None here either.

This is what the first one looked like when I bought it last April, and I've seen images from others around town who have fully leafed out plants.

Oh the sadness!

There's a Gunnera perpensa in there. Somewhere. Hopefully.

Will I see gorgeous leaves like these again?

Finally, Passiflora lutea, which I'm sweating a bit simply because you don't find it in these parts, although it seems to be all over in the Eastern US. I mail-ordered two plants last year, and left those squiggly stems in pace to remind me where this one was planted (the other is near the base of my Trachycarpus fortunei, where there's no chance of my accidently digging it up).

Last years leaves. So is there anything you're worried might not be returning in your garden?

All material © 2009-2016 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.