Wakey, Wakey!

The garden is starting to wake from its winter slumber and guess what that means. The gardener is responding accordingly. What a mess to tackle! 

Raise your hand if this looks familiar.

As I tackle the clean up nightmare, I'm moving plants. Several that got too big last year needed better placement. The soil is a bit muddier than I prefer for such an undertaking but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do, right? 

Here's a few plants that don't look too bad, all things considered.

Hebe 'Shamrock'

I wish it would keep that pretty pink blush all summer but alas this is its fleeting winter finery.

I finally got a halfway decent shot of an Edgeworthia blossom. Why is this plant so challenging to photograph? 

Edgeworthia crysantha 'Nanjing Gold'

Thanks to a very mild winter, we're headed for an early spring! I usually start seeing Honeysuckle buds in early May but there are actually a few already forming. 

Honeysuckle Lonicera japonica 'Halliana' 

And thanks to that mild winter, the foliage on Geranium palmatum is gorgeous! I'm really hoping it'll bloom for me, finally. I sowed the seed last winter and since it didn't bloom last summer it's going to be either a biennial or perennial. Time will tell.  

The older leaves are as flushed as the aforementioned Hebe, see?

Geranium palmatum foliage

But the new green foliage is equally captivating in its design and markings. I'm thinking that even if it doesn't ever bloom, it's an acceptable foliage plant. 

Geranium palmatum

And then with the Sobaria, we've also got a pink blush, but this time it's not on the older foliage but on the new foliage. 

Sobaria sobarifolia 

I love the bowing heads of the Euphorbias. They're fixing to bloom!

Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae

Euphorbia x martinii 'Red Martin' (I think)

Crocus 

A very rare "hooded" Crocus waving to the camera (Smile)

Pulmonaria 'Reginald Kaye'

Observing deciduous plants breaking dormancy can be so delightful. It's really quite miraculous when you think about it. 

Ribes sanguinium 'Pulsborough Scarlet'

Ribes sanguinium 'Pulsborough Scarlet'

Thanks to the mild winter, all but one of my Clematis vines are budding out on their stems. Even the vitacellas and texensis species clematis that typically die back to the ground. 

Clematis 'Ernest Markham'

Ditto for the hardy Fuchsias!

Fuchsia magellianica

And, the Berberis is so bright and cheery! I love those bazillion tiny yellow leaves.

Berberis thunbergii 'Aurea'

Berberis thunbergii 'Aurea'

Finally, my daughter Beth and I went to the woods and dug up a fresh clump of native grass to pot up for our indoor cats. They love it. The things we do for our furbabies. The pot is almost too heavy to lift. I think I went a little overboard. But that's how I roll. 

"Cat grass" Yummy!

Please tell me you're seeing signs of spring in your garden too!  

So Much To Do

I'm taking a break from the garden to eat dinner, watch the news and post my latest garden photos. But, on second thought, I'm going to mute the news. No explanation needed, right? Tomorrow my garden buddies are coming over so I'm trying to get things looking good but despite my all-day efforts, perfection is futile. There's always more to do than there is time or energy to do it. 

I zoomed-in for this photo of Clemmy 'Ville de Lyon' blooming up high on the arbor. 

My hens and chicks are apparently happy that it's spring.

My garden buddy Carol gave me this small 'Tri-Color' Beech.
Despite missing a third color, I love the bright pink edging. Silene 'Roly's Favorite' is equally smitten. 

Last year I almost lost my Ninebark 'Coppertina' because it was planted in a
really hot, dry location. I moved it early this spring.
It looks happy now but time will tell. 

My yellow/chartreuse and maroon foliage border is looking great this year. 

Looking down on Joe, 'Little Joy' Joe Pye, that is. I love the maroon centers. 

I love the mottled new foliage on 'Rose Glow' Berberis. 

My daughter Beth's lettuce. I can't recall the name of it. 

Sambucus 'Black Negligee' and Rosa 'Knock Out' are an oversize duo
thanks to my reluctant pruning earlier this spring. Oops. 

My new tree fern has a new frond untwirling!

I always love how the Mexican Feather Grass captures the light. 

I thought I'd share a photo of my weed. Just kidding. It's not marijuana.
It's a small Helleborus foetidus I got for a buck at a sale a few weeks ago. 

Well, as much as I'd like to take a shower and go to bed, there's still daylight and more work to do in the garden. So... 

I Had Raspberries For Dinner

YEP, IT'S TRUE. WITH CLEAR, blue sky to entice me and my workday behind me, I ventured into the garden and had my raspberry fill. Of course the evening was all the more pleasant thanks to a happy and adamant robin gracing the garden with birdsong.  

'Autumn Gold' produces fruit all summer and well into fall. 

And 'Autumn Bliss' is an equally prolific producer. 

The weather people have declared this June as the third wettest on record here in western Oregon. While the rain has been good for the garden, I can't help feel pangs of sadness over the horrific fires raging in Colorado. I sure wish I could magically send them our rains.  

Fireweed 

A few years ago, I dug up a single stem of a Fireweed plant among a modest clump on a roadside. I stuck it in a pot and forgot about it. Last year, I got a single flower panicle which solved the question I had about what mystery plant was growing in that pot. This year, there are two panicles so far and several more to come. I know this is a weed and all but I really love these flowers.  

Alstroemeria 

More June bloomers...

Bletilla striata or Hardy Orchid

A serendipitous combination: 'Belle Etoile' Philadelphis (Mock Orange)
 and Nepeta subsessilis  

Veronica longifolia 'Evelyn' or was it 'Sonja'? leans into the pathway.
Behind it is Phygelius 'Cherry Ripe.' They seem to be competing with each other
to see who can trip a passerby first. 

My Honeysuckle Lonicera japonica 'Purpurea' is blooming. It smells heavenly.

One of my deciduous ferns. Although it's a little late emerging, I love the color of the new foliage.

One of the corners where I keep a bunch of plants. 

Clemmy 'Julia Correvon' in full regalia. 

The Berberis foliage is a dead match for the splotchy chevron in the Persicaria 'Painter's Palette.' 

My Darmeria peltata is huge thanks to all the rain. The Callas are starting to bloom. 

And finally, the photo below is a drive-by. I had to capture these Eremurus or Foxtail Lilies growing at one of the entrances to the university campus. The school's colors are orange and black. I don't have any Eremurus in my garden which makes these all the more special.  

As always,

Chartreuse and Pink

I've had problems with my blog. I won't go into the why's and where-to-fores. Suffice it to say that I'm working on getting it up and running again. Thank you for those who continue to visit.