This is the famous Vanilla Strawberry hydrangea. Such a beautiful transition in colors from light cream to pretty pink. But the shape is like an octopus, reaching it’s tentacles out, searching for food. Maybe Vanilla Strawberry is looking for sun? Nitrogen? Hydration? Space? It doesn’t seem to have found what it needs. Not on this land. Not in this pot. I’ve had this plant for … Continue reading Octopus Hydrangea
I’m studying plants for the CPH exam (certified professional horticulturist) and am fearful of the ferns. They are long on Latin and difficult to memorize…so many syllables! Here are some of the meanings of these four feisty ferns. (From Dictionary of Plant Names by Timber Press) Blechnum spicant or Deer Fern. This is an evergreen native fern. Blechnum is a Greek name for fern. … Continue reading Four Feisty Ferns
A shrub for all seasons. A native of the Pacific Northwest. A plant with an edible berry. A landscape addition with leaves of green all year long. This is Vaccinium ovatum or the evergreen huckleberry. Included in this beloved group Vaccinium is the blueberry, red huckleberry and cranberry. This shrub will enhance any garden. It can reach 2-3 feet in sun and 8-10 feet in … Continue reading Evergreen Huckleberry
It begins in early spring when a wide variety of Blueberry plants arrive at the local nurseries. They are small, mostly one gallon, and appear reluctant. Holding on to that dormant state with only the fat buds as a promise of the harvest ahead. It ends in mid-summer with those once shy shrubs now producing handfuls of sweet blue berries. The branches are heavy with … Continue reading Blueberries….What’s the Difference?
Trouble was brewing this spring when it appeared that all of my roses were going down. Down the river of diseases to the spot called black. Treading dangerously through aphid alley. But a miracle has occurred. The leaves once thin and yellow now have become glossy and green. Showy. A beautiful backdrop for the 48 buds that are currently on my Julia Child Floribunda Rose. … Continue reading Roses Before and After Deathly Cold/Wet Spring
Rainyleaf 