The Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibit in Seattle is beautiful and rare. The colors, the delicate lines and the immense size of some sculptures captivated me from the beginning. Dale Chihuly is a Northwest native and has created pieces of art on display worldwide. I especially liked the outdoor garden, with the complementary plantings and design. It showcased creative pairings of sculptures and plants. Who would have thought to put the lowly pansy, so common, next to a highly prized Chihuly glass sculpture? The colors of the plants created a harmonious effect next to the glass, so similar, yet so different. An unforgettable experience, I encourage everyone to go!
Category Archives: Plants
Rosemary
Rosemary is blooming true blue right now. Many flowers are described as blue, when they are actually purple, like the rose “Blue” Girl! There are a handful of beautiful blue blooms…meconopsis, delphinium and ceanothus…these have colors to match the sky on a clear summer day. But Rosemary is about the sea. The name is latin for ‘dew from the sea’ and brings to mind the azure waters of the ocean on a sparkling day.
Rosemary is native to the mediterranean region and wants little to moderate water. If over-watered or over-fertilized the plants will become woody and unattractive. Wet, poorly drained soils in winter can be fatal to this plant. When we think it was the cold, it possibly could be the clay soil and poor drainage that winter-kills this plant. The leaves of rosemary are intensely fragrant and a little bottle of these leaves is probably found in the majority of kitchens across America. It can be used to flavor butter and added to lamb, pork and chicken, as well as a variety of vegetables.
Just the Facts
Rosmarinus offincinalis Rosemary
Zones 8-10
Full Sun Little to Moderate Water
Attracts Flowers, hummingbirds and Bees
Evergreen, Culinary Uses
Height 1-8 feet (.3-2.5m)
Tolerates drought and deer
Choisya
Choisya Spring Bloom
Choisya ternata, an evergreen shrub with fragrant spring flowers, what’s not to like? Actually, the foliage has a pungent odor, which I find invigorating, but others are turned off by it. I knew someone who decided to buy this plant, but after purchasing it and putting it in their car, the scent was so unappealing to them in the enclosed space that they promptly returned their Choisya! I was shocked, but to each their own. What first attracted me to this plant however wasn’t the scent. It wasn’t the flower. It wasn’t the evergreen part. Not the size, or the shape, or the name. I love the color. It’s green! But it’s greener than green. Glowing green, deep green, bright green, living green. It’s hard to see in the photos here, you have to get out and stare intently at Choisya in the ‘wild’. A green to celebrate. Lustrous. Not faded or hairy, but with a bit of a gloss. Leaf gloss. Orange scented.
The name is interesting too. Choisya is named after Jacques Denis Choisy (1799-1859) a Swiss botanist. Ternata refers to the three leaflets and this plant is native to Mexico. ‘Sundance’ is a variety with bright yellow new growth, slowly fading to green. ‘Aztec Pearl’ is a compact hybrid with narrow leaves and white flowers opening from pink buds. Choisya grows rapidly and makes a good privacy hedge. However, I have seen this plant suffer from winter damage if temperatures dip too low. Fortunately, it grows back quickly and can be pruned back severely if necessary.
Just the Facts
Choisya ternata Mexican Orange
Height 6-8 feet tall and Wide (1.8-2.5 meters)
Zones 7-9 Sun to Partial Shade
Moderate water, good drainage, drought tolerant
Evergreen, fragrant white blossoms in early spring with a second flush in summer, leaves pungent
A Fine Evergreen Shrub
Mexican Orange
Sundance
Lustrous Mexican Orange
Aztec Pearl
Star Magnolia
Star Magnolia
To me, the star magnolia doesn’t look like twinkling stars, but rather a sea full of dancing jellyfish, slowly opening their petals to the sun. They appear static, yet they hint at movement. This plant is spring itself, flying into the garden, rushing before the April showers and lightly drifting into May. The sweet blossom has a most delicious scent. It does it’s job well as an attractor, pulling us busy-bees in close for a nose full of pollen. I love the way this deciduous tree blooms before the leaves appear, making the flowers even more striking as they last for 10-20 days. Some varieties of Magnolia stellata are pure white, like Royal Star, while others have shades of pink, such as Waterlily, Centennial Blush and Chysanthemiflora.
Just The Facts
Magnolia stellata or Star Magnolia
Height 15-20 feet (4.5-6m) Width 10-15′ (3-4.5m) Slow growing
Dense oval to rounded, large shrub or small tree
Grows best in full sun to light shade
Flowers in early spring, before Magnolia x soulangeana
Zones 4-8, extremely adaptable to temperature and soil type
Prune lightly or it will continually send up watersprouts
Star Magnolia
Scenes From Colombia, or, What Are These South American Plants???
Bogota, Colombia
Bucaramanga, Colombia
Could this be a Norfolk Pine?
Reminds me of a Hebe…
Leaf Cutter Ants
My son is serving a two year mission in Colombia, South America, and I have succeeded in having a few plant pictures sent my way. The first scene is a view of Bogota, maybe that’s a trumpet vine in the foreground? A broadleaf tree with big pendulous red flowers. Any ideas? The next is a view of Bucaramanga, I especially like the leaves framing the scene and that lovely cow waiting patiently beneath…good shot Zander! Finally, the big mystery, and I’m dying to find out, what are these interesting conifers growing in front of the apartment building? They have a distinctive appearance, with somewhat upturned needles near the top. The reddish tree reminds me of a Hebe and the last shot is of leaf cutter ants carrying away those tasty little leaves. Is anyone knowledgeable of the flora of South America? I’m hoping to become better acquainted with this tropical botany, but until then, I need help!
Flower and Garden Show Wrap Up
Colorful Dogwood
Audrey’s Roman Holiday
Japanese Cedar
Chief Joseph Pine
Black and White
Magical Rose
Pretty Pillars
Wildlife!
Fireplace Planting
Fireplace Flax
Orchid
Orchids
Alien Invasion
Bright Pine
Disco Lights
Mini Lawn
The Flower and Garden Show is becoming a distant memory, especially now that spring has arrived. Here are some last looks at some of the display gardens. I especially liked the flax planted in a fireplace to resemble a burning fire. I also liked the bright color in the conifers and the delicate petals of the orchids. The best part of the disco exhibit was listening to the Bee Gees, not the plants, they just didn’t compete with those flashing lights in the pavers. But now those cold winter days are gone and spring has arrived with an endless cycle of sun and showers. Blossoms are bursting and everybody notices this season for the flowers, which sneak open in the blink of an eye.
Fritillaria
Fritillaria or the checkered lily doesn’t seem very plant-like. It hasn’t the natural swirls and twirls of many things organic, but rather a geometric pattern, like someone has placed a stencil over the petals and shaded in those little squares. Squares??? Where else in the botanical world do we see squares? There are lots of dots and spots, splashes and dashes, solids and stripes, but I can’t think of another square. Please comment if you know of one! This intriguing flower blooms in the spring from a bulb and forms a nice clump over time, as seen in the photo above. Our native fritillarias are also known as rice root. The Native Americans ate the bulblets steamed. They were said to be tender and delicate, resembling rice and having a slightly bitter after taste. (Plants of the Pacific Northwest by Pojar and MacKinnon)
Just The Facts
Fritillaria meleagris Checkered Lily
USDA Zones 3-8
Native to Western Europe
Grows up to one foot (.3m)
Blooms in April; brown, purple or white
Full Sun to Part Shade, Keep moist during growing season
Deer Resistant, Will naturalize
Spring Snow
This was an April Fools joke on me. I took this video in the middle of March, saved it, and somehow it published itself on April 1st!
Make Moles Disappear With Ferrets!
When I heard that ferret poop was being passed around by my friends, I was very curious. And then I heard that it was being used as a mole control and I thought…brilliant! Scare away those pesky little mammals with a natural predator. Moles don’t eat plants, they eat insects and worms, but they can create a big mess when they dig up mounds of dirt on the lawn and in the garden. Apparently, putting ferret poop down the tunnels and/or letting the ferrets enter the tunnels on a leash is a big deterrent. After this ferret intervention, my friend’s mole problem disappeared like magic! We have a ferret rescue shelter in our area which would be a great resource for this precious commodity. Thanks Cindy for this creative solution!
Ferret in Hoodie
Ferret in the Garden
Cute Mammal
Pillow Talk
This was a fun garden to drink in at the Flower and Garden show, looking at all the contrasts and realizing there was a story. Here’s the theme created by Wight’s Home and Garden: These two neighboring gardens portray how opposites attract. She lives in a 50′s style ultra feminine environment surrounded by a colorful garden. He relishes their lively telephone repartee while ensconced in his favorite chair. His garden is simple and the perfect backdrop for an evening cocktail. The two are separated by only a white picket fence, so you can assume there’s a sequel in the works. Do you think men and women need their own separate gardens?
Her Side
His Side
Yellow Doodle Dandy Peony
Roses and Daffodils
Rhododendrons and Flamingos
Black and White Containers
