Friday, April 28, 2017

Month-end Favs, for April: the surprise survivors

Here were are again, it's the last Friday of the month, and that means a chance to look at a few of my favorite plants in the garden. This month I'm not focusing on things because they're looking especially good, in fact many of those featured are just hanging on, but they're survivors. Each of them made it through a winter that, by all accounts, should have done them in, and certainly did take away several of their neighbors.

Salvia clevelandii 'Alpine Form' — I've lost this plant in lesser winters, so I was thrilled to see those sticks pushing out new growth. While this plant does send up small purple flowers that's not why I love it, instead it's the "powerfully fragrant" leaves. On a sunny morning brushing up against them releases scent that sends me to warmer climates...

Another plant I grow for the fragrant leaves, Salvia apiana. In close-quarters (think a car on a warm day) this can be too much of a good thing, but in the garden it's heavenly. The big white leaves are dramatic, and if it blooms it's rumored to be quiet the bee attractor. It is also very picky about drainage, so the fact it's pushing on despite our record breaking rains is quite amazing.

While worrying about my Agaves this winter I didn't even stop to thing about the Echinocereus triglochidiatus v. gonacanthus hybrid. Amazingly it's still solid. It's not the most beautiful Cactus ever, well...

...until it does this...(bloom from last summer)...dare I hope for more this summer?

Having lost one of these in the winter of 2013/14 I never would have believed my Banksia marginata would make it through.

Especially since this one is in front of the house, where the cold east wind whips through and completely defoliated my Pineapple Guava (Acca sellowiana, which by the way are showing signs of new growth)...

Grevillea rivularis, why isn't this plant more popular?

It's proven itself in my garden. Through heat and lack of water, and now cold and too much water.

There are buds forming too!

Another Grevillea, G. x gaudichaudii. This is one of those plants that seasoned local gardeners have all grown and lost. I thought for sure my plants were doomed. Yet all three are still alive, this one in the front garden...

And this and another in the back.

Hopefully those great leaves will be joined by bright magenta and purple tooth-brush shaped flowers this summer.

Rounding up the Grevillea surprises is G. juniperina ‘Molonglo’...

I thought for sure this one was a gonner, I lost multiple plants the last time we had a cold winter. Nope. Didn't even phase it. Right plant right place? It's more protected here, than the ones I previously grew in the front garden.

A pretty picture this is not. The upper stems of my Correa backhouseana were fried, but the foliage remains on the lower parts. I am hopeful this means there will be new sprouts as our weather warms.

Lupinus albifrons lives on!

Well one of them does anyway. This one broke off during one of the ice storms, and hasn't sprouted any new growth. Another lost most of it's leaves from the ice and was bent at an awkward angle, I cut it back too, and that seems to have been the end of it.

But at least one of them is still happy.

With lots of new growth.

Back in 2015, when I excitedly announced my first plant purchase of the year was Ceanothus griseus horizontalis 'Diamond Heights', it seemed every Portland gardener on Facebook piped up to let me know they'd lost it after a bad winter. So imagine my surprise when I saw not one...

But both of my plants pushing out new leaves. I love that green on green (or gold, to some) foliage...

That bit of happiness was just the push I needed to yank out my (disliked and deformed) Ceanothus impressus ‘Victoria’ and replace it with Ceanothus thyrsiflorus 'Zanzibar'. Hopefully it has years of happy-bee blooms ahead of it!

So those are my month-end favorites, a few happy surprises after a lot of garden sadness. What's making you happy in your garden at the end of April?

Weather Diary, April 27: Hi 56, Low 42/ Precip .08"

All material © 2009-2017 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

19 comments:

  1. You must be magic! The fragrance of Salvia clevelandii 'Alpine Form' always makes me think of you. I dragged mine into the greenhouse for the winter as another was lost one winter. I've also loved and lost that grevellia and ceanothus in lesser winters. Must be these plants know how much you love them and they obviously feel the same way about you!

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    1. If only it were about love...then my Agaves would be okay!

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  2. Wow, many survivors of your tough winter, and choice ones at that. Congratulations--you must be doing more than one thing right! I too love the fragrance of S. clevelandii--to me that and suntan lotion are the iconic scents of California.

    Favorites for me for April have to be--surprise--roses and Leucospermums.

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    1. Yours are good solid favorites, and I like your iconic California scents. I might add Eucalyptus.

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  3. How can people not accept the reality of climate change just looking at your area? Last night it was down to 30 degrees here and my woodland peonies came through like troupers. So hard to have a year like yours with serious plant losses.

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    1. Thanks Linda, and yes...it is baffling how people can still deny climate change.

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  4. Congratulations! Your success with the Grevilleas makes me more optimistic about mine... I need to track down the one you have with the cool leaves!

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    1. Thanks Renee, do track down that Grevillea, it's a good one!

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  5. It's great to see these survivors, Loree! And so pleasant to see your Salvias - smelling the screen is not much use though... ;-) Can you tell me why I never see Grevilleas here? Surely some would be worth a try like so many other Australian plants?!

    Roses from me while they last! Along with a few other things: https://www.smallsunnygarden.com/2017/04/28/a-celebration-of-roses/

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    1. It's a good question, about the Grevillea. I guess I've always thought they're popular here because we can't grow so many of the other Protea family plants that you (and parts of California) can.

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  6. i am happy to hear your Salvia apiana made it. how long has it been planted? It is on my xera plants list where i will be visiting next week. Today the first blooms i have ever seen on my Clematis x avalanche are making me happy, and much much more. Only lost some rosemary and it is a cinch to replace.

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    1. That Salvia apiana was in a container last winter (15/16) and lived on just fine, although it was a mild winter. It went in the ground last spring. Parts of my Rosemary died, but just parts. Weird.

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  7. I'm happy to see that there are pleasant surprises right along the disappointments. That's what keep us going, eternally optimistic creatures that we are. That little unassuming cactus... what a display of blooms!. Absolutely dare to hope for more, I'm right there with you!

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    1. So true, give a gardener just a little success and we're ready to blast on through another few (hundred) failures....

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  8. I'm glad your survivors are advertising their presence. I love Grevillea rivularis, which I've never seen here. I lost some of the plants among your survivors, like Ceanothus 'Diamond Heights' to drought here. Grevillea 'Molonglo' was never happy and I signed its death warrant when I moved it several months ago. Lupinus albifrons was hanging on by a thread the last time I checked and, as I can't remember seeing it recently, it may have finally given up the ghost. Gardening isn't for sissies, is it?

    I'd lost track of time this month but I put together a quick collection of my own April favorites today: https://krispgarden.blogspot.com/2017/04/fabulous-april-favorites.html

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  9. Wow, I love the orange/red flowers on the Echinocereus. Any chance you will see them this year?

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  10. I know you've had a lot of losses after this winter, but these are some pretty gratifying successes. I'm really impressed with that Banksia. It doesn't even look damaged. If I knew where I'd put one, I'd be tempted to try one in my garden. My gaudichaudii came through winter with a few flower buds, though I'm still waiting to see if they will bloom or not. Maybe the heat next week will wake them up!

    I was a little indiscriminate with my favorites this month... http://practicalplantgeek.blogspot.com/2017/04/end-of-april-favorites.html

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  11. Good point on Salvia clevelandii, and its fragrance reminding you of a warmer clime...amazing your Echinocereus made it.

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  12. To the victor the spoils! Congrats on the survivors.

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