Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Survivors
A wicked snow and cold snuck in during the middle of the night. It was not precipitous. The gray days and rain had cooled things considerably the two days before. I was caught unprepared. For others, after millenia of adjustments, it was just another day on the mountain, with a cool drink.
The Stonecrop, Sedum ternatum looks best in more sun and spare conditions, forming a more compact and denser plant. The bloom is quite large for such a small plant.
Now what is this? It has four petals like the Dames Rocket, Hesperis matronalis, the flowers are more purple, the leaves are more linear, without the serrated edges and more pubescent than glossy. It was bowed under the coat of snow and ice this morning. By late this afternoon it had perked up as if nothing unusual had happened.
My first ever Japanese Maple seems unscathed. The resident gardeners JM still recovering from last years Great Easter Freeze had put out a vigorous flush of new growth. It is not looking so well. The next couple of days will tell more.
After the snow melted and the sun came out, we managed to finish the front windows on the last section of wall framing and redo one window frame that wasn't quite right. Other details were attended to and some figuring for the next steps of construction were discussed.
Through downpours and ice laden arctic blasts the cozy little cabin and stone walls are still there, inching ever closer to becoming a home.
The Stonecrop, Sedum ternatum looks best in more sun and spare conditions, forming a more compact and denser plant. The bloom is quite large for such a small plant.
Now what is this? It has four petals like the Dames Rocket, Hesperis matronalis, the flowers are more purple, the leaves are more linear, without the serrated edges and more pubescent than glossy. It was bowed under the coat of snow and ice this morning. By late this afternoon it had perked up as if nothing unusual had happened.
My first ever Japanese Maple seems unscathed. The resident gardeners JM still recovering from last years Great Easter Freeze had put out a vigorous flush of new growth. It is not looking so well. The next couple of days will tell more.
After the snow melted and the sun came out, we managed to finish the front windows on the last section of wall framing and redo one window frame that wasn't quite right. Other details were attended to and some figuring for the next steps of construction were discussed.
Through downpours and ice laden arctic blasts the cozy little cabin and stone walls are still there, inching ever closer to becoming a home.
Aaack!!
It was only supposed to go down to 36 degrees according to the weather diagnosis.
I didn't bring anything in.
I was going to do that tonight when the diagnosis called for patchy frost.
I'm not too worried about the gardens and all the plants in the ground. They have been through a lot and come out smiling.
But who will survive and who will die in my trays of sprouting seeds?
I didn't bring anything in.
I was going to do that tonight when the diagnosis called for patchy frost.
I'm not too worried about the gardens and all the plants in the ground. They have been through a lot and come out smiling.
But who will survive and who will die in my trays of sprouting seeds?
Monday, April 28, 2008
Sunday, April 27, 2008
A Hillside Tapestry Begins
A gray and rainy day was perfect for relocating some things that fell out of the ground at the resident gardeners place. No I did not dig up this pink Azalea.
The diffused light was good for taking pictures when I woke up quite late this morning. I must have needed the extra rest.
The Rhododendrons, Dogwoods, Cherry Trees and Azaleas now believe it is spring, and have started their own show.
The various un-named Azaleas go first. There are a lot of Rhododendrons to follow.
It was predicted to rain most of the day and the day was half over by the time I got moving. It seemed the perfect time and conditions to relocate some low mounding color and texture to the hill below my cabin.
This slope in the utility easement is south facing and gets full sun most of the day. Sun in the forest is a precious resource not to be wasted.
So far I have planted:
2 - Juniperus squamata 'Blue Star', received as a landscape consultation tip of sorts.
1 - Carex elata 'Aurea', I bought myself something.
8 - Iberis sempervirens, they germinate in the driveway at the resident gardeners. A lot of good stuff germinates in the gravel driveway.
5 - Bearded Iris, They are unknowns until they bloom and were crowding the path at their former home.
2 - Alyssum montanum 'Basket of Gold', they germinated in the gravel drive too.
3 - Daffodil groupings, the Hankodils are at the forest edge.
To the right of this shot, the other, lower half of this slope has had a few things planted as well. (not pictured)
6 - Spiraea japonica, transplanted out of the gravel driveway today.
1 - Andromeda polifolia 'Blue Bog'
1 - Erica x darleyensis 'Mediterranean Pink' and
1 - Kniphofia
The Chionodoxa and Ixiolirion bulbs from Elizabeth are on this lower portion of the slope too.
There is a lot of ground to cover, but this is a start that I will be able to propagate from. Walking paths and maintenance paths need to be formally dug into the hill. I'll add that chore to the list.
The diffused light was good for taking pictures when I woke up quite late this morning. I must have needed the extra rest.
The Rhododendrons, Dogwoods, Cherry Trees and Azaleas now believe it is spring, and have started their own show.
The various un-named Azaleas go first. There are a lot of Rhododendrons to follow.
It was predicted to rain most of the day and the day was half over by the time I got moving. It seemed the perfect time and conditions to relocate some low mounding color and texture to the hill below my cabin.
This slope in the utility easement is south facing and gets full sun most of the day. Sun in the forest is a precious resource not to be wasted.
So far I have planted:
2 - Juniperus squamata 'Blue Star', received as a landscape consultation tip of sorts.
1 - Carex elata 'Aurea', I bought myself something.
8 - Iberis sempervirens, they germinate in the driveway at the resident gardeners. A lot of good stuff germinates in the gravel driveway.
5 - Bearded Iris, They are unknowns until they bloom and were crowding the path at their former home.
2 - Alyssum montanum 'Basket of Gold', they germinated in the gravel drive too.
3 - Daffodil groupings, the Hankodils are at the forest edge.
To the right of this shot, the other, lower half of this slope has had a few things planted as well. (not pictured)
6 - Spiraea japonica, transplanted out of the gravel driveway today.
1 - Andromeda polifolia 'Blue Bog'
1 - Erica x darleyensis 'Mediterranean Pink' and
1 - Kniphofia
The Chionodoxa and Ixiolirion bulbs from Elizabeth are on this lower portion of the slope too.
There is a lot of ground to cover, but this is a start that I will be able to propagate from. Walking paths and maintenance paths need to be formally dug into the hill. I'll add that chore to the list.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Three Trilliums And A Little Jack
Starting with pure white, both large and small, the Trilliums have begun to deviate.
A faint pink blush.
This is indeed pink. These may be shades of Trillium cernuum in the after glow.
Trillium erectum is decidedly red.
No need to worry about relocating the same Jack In The Pulpits, Arisaema triphyllum. They tend to grow alone, not in large colonies, but they are scattered all over. They must like their privacy. They stay discretely covered.
Another peak inside.
There's Jack.
A faint pink blush.
This is indeed pink. These may be shades of Trillium cernuum in the after glow.
Trillium erectum is decidedly red.
No need to worry about relocating the same Jack In The Pulpits, Arisaema triphyllum. They tend to grow alone, not in large colonies, but they are scattered all over. They must like their privacy. They stay discretely covered.
Another peak inside.
There's Jack.
By The Side Of The Road
Along a Scenic Highway
A few spare tires.
I added a few more to the pile.
I do what I can to keep our section scenic.
A few spare tires.
I added a few more to the pile.
I do what I can to keep our section scenic.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Larkspur and Dames Rocket
If I cross the highway or go over the hill into the Kingdom of Madison I tend to find different kinds of wild things. That little bit of variation in orientation on the mountain can change the character of the inhabitants. Yesterday I began the major chop for reclaiming a flower garden at Client #2's and found this along the wide trail headed into the woods.
It is Delphinium tricorne, Larkspur.
The convicts come up here regular to pick up trash along the side of the road. They come in a white van pulling a flat trailer with a port-o-let. It's a sight. Every once in a while they send the convicts way down the side of the mountain. They pull all the big stuff up to the road from the local roadside landfills. Today there was a stack of a least a dozen tires. It made sense to add the one I pulled out of my place to the new pile of tires and save myself a trip to the real dump.
The most gorgeous flowers were blooming down there in the roadside landfill.
A big drift of Dames Rocket, Hesperis matronalis was in full bloom down there all by itself. Seeing all the junk the convicts hauled out of there, it is amazing they were not squashed.
Just a couple of boards short. The windows in the front door wall don't have sills yet. I have done enough irrigation work in my life to know that missing a single piece needed for a job is typical.
There are a few details that still need to be done on the wall framing, some adjustments made to one window frame and a close inspection of each frame section to make sure things are good, but now you can actually stand Inside my house.
If you click on the picture to enlarge it, you can see the Hankodils blooming in the lower left at the base of the trees.
It is Delphinium tricorne, Larkspur.
The convicts come up here regular to pick up trash along the side of the road. They come in a white van pulling a flat trailer with a port-o-let. It's a sight. Every once in a while they send the convicts way down the side of the mountain. They pull all the big stuff up to the road from the local roadside landfills. Today there was a stack of a least a dozen tires. It made sense to add the one I pulled out of my place to the new pile of tires and save myself a trip to the real dump.
The most gorgeous flowers were blooming down there in the roadside landfill.
A big drift of Dames Rocket, Hesperis matronalis was in full bloom down there all by itself. Seeing all the junk the convicts hauled out of there, it is amazing they were not squashed.
Just a couple of boards short. The windows in the front door wall don't have sills yet. I have done enough irrigation work in my life to know that missing a single piece needed for a job is typical.
There are a few details that still need to be done on the wall framing, some adjustments made to one window frame and a close inspection of each frame section to make sure things are good, but now you can actually stand Inside my house.
If you click on the picture to enlarge it, you can see the Hankodils blooming in the lower left at the base of the trees.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
A Garden In New Earth
Ten months ago a bulldozer and a trackhoe were grading a new road and creating a wide level spot on the point of a narrow ridge in the wilderness. Today the walls of a small cabin are going up on the post and pier foundation and the floor that was built last fall. Two small flower beds have been cleared, mulched and planted. Other new plants have been placed in various spots around what will become a full garden over time. A vegetable garden has been cleaned and prepped. The first lettuces and radishes have germinated. The spinach and sugar snap peas look like they may have been duds. Two four foot tall, thirty five foot long, dry stacked stone walls are near completion. A general tidying up of the forest's messy deadfall is ongoing. I try to be helpful in my borrowed garden next door.
Yet, the pace of things confuses me. Shouldn't this tiny cabin be done by now? Shouldn't a garden have been fully planted?
I arrived here with more determination than money. There is no budget to have Mario "Put it over there." My labor is a cost saving measure and the only source of labor. I want things done, but I can only do so much without wearing myself out. They have winter here you know and it rains quite often.
The trees are slow to leaf out. They take their sweet time. Other processes come first for many of them.
My own garden is expanding slowly as well. A big chunk of that is due to the kindness of virtual strangers, cyberspace friends, who have sent me gardening care packages. These are treasures that I could not justify affording right now.
The Hankodils arrived last fall and were planted below the cabin at the forest edge, along what I expect to be a path into the gardens. Narcissus 'Golden Ducat' blooms now, well after Bulbarella's main show next door.
This one from the County Clerk was supposed to be Narcissus poeticus 'Green Pearl'. It isn't. It doesn't matter. I like it.
The care package also included Narcissus triandrus 'Lemon Drop'. Narcissus odorus 'Linnaeus' bloomed first and was past its prime. It was no longer ready for a closeup. Puschkinia libanotica also put on a very good bloom in its new home. Four flats of seeds from the care package are germinating on the deck. Once our last frost date, around May 15th, has passed they can all be safely planted in the ground.
The Tulizabeths turned out to be the Mama Mia from ColorBlends. They came from Elizabeth of GardenRant and Gardening While Intoxicated. She also sent me Scilla siberica, and Chionodoxa forbesii, both of which came up and bloomed nicely. By the time my new fall planted ones had bloomed, I had posted so many photos of Bulbarella's same bulbs that it seemed redundant to show you mine. The repeated bulbs will give these two gardens some cohesion and continuity. One will flow seamlessly into the next.
Elizabeth did send me something that Bulbarella might not have, if that is possible, some Ixiolirion tartaricum, Lavender Mountain Lilies. They are early summer bloomers. They have come up, but are looking rather meek at this point.
Mama Mia at the top of my driveway with Daylilies to grow and hide their foliage.
Another wall was built and added to the cabin. Tomorrow the front door wall should get built and stood up.
The kitchen/dining nook windows. I think they are about a quarter to half inch different in the framing. They are on separate wall panels. I'll have to make sure the windows are set even. Of course the walls themselves need to be checked for level and plum too.
A cabin grows, a garden expands, at the pace at which it is happening, one thing at a time.
The first of many Iris has bloomed in my borrowed garden next door. I have been offered many plants, many times. The garden is a huge resource of free material, but digging and transplanting things takes time. The time to do that has to be found.
The miniature Daffodils, barely eight inches tall are one of the last to bloom. If I don't take the time to meander through the gardens and the forest on a regular basis I might miss out on something on miss learning something new.
Meandering outside is good for the soul after a day of hard work. It rejuvenates my aching muscles and helps me go on.
Having the option to meander is a goal of all this hard work, but it seems you have to meander to reach that goal.
Yet, the pace of things confuses me. Shouldn't this tiny cabin be done by now? Shouldn't a garden have been fully planted?
I arrived here with more determination than money. There is no budget to have Mario "Put it over there." My labor is a cost saving measure and the only source of labor. I want things done, but I can only do so much without wearing myself out. They have winter here you know and it rains quite often.
The trees are slow to leaf out. They take their sweet time. Other processes come first for many of them.
My own garden is expanding slowly as well. A big chunk of that is due to the kindness of virtual strangers, cyberspace friends, who have sent me gardening care packages. These are treasures that I could not justify affording right now.
The Hankodils arrived last fall and were planted below the cabin at the forest edge, along what I expect to be a path into the gardens. Narcissus 'Golden Ducat' blooms now, well after Bulbarella's main show next door.
This one from the County Clerk was supposed to be Narcissus poeticus 'Green Pearl'. It isn't. It doesn't matter. I like it.
The care package also included Narcissus triandrus 'Lemon Drop'. Narcissus odorus 'Linnaeus' bloomed first and was past its prime. It was no longer ready for a closeup. Puschkinia libanotica also put on a very good bloom in its new home. Four flats of seeds from the care package are germinating on the deck. Once our last frost date, around May 15th, has passed they can all be safely planted in the ground.
The Tulizabeths turned out to be the Mama Mia from ColorBlends. They came from Elizabeth of GardenRant and Gardening While Intoxicated. She also sent me Scilla siberica, and Chionodoxa forbesii, both of which came up and bloomed nicely. By the time my new fall planted ones had bloomed, I had posted so many photos of Bulbarella's same bulbs that it seemed redundant to show you mine. The repeated bulbs will give these two gardens some cohesion and continuity. One will flow seamlessly into the next.
Elizabeth did send me something that Bulbarella might not have, if that is possible, some Ixiolirion tartaricum, Lavender Mountain Lilies. They are early summer bloomers. They have come up, but are looking rather meek at this point.
Mama Mia at the top of my driveway with Daylilies to grow and hide their foliage.
Another wall was built and added to the cabin. Tomorrow the front door wall should get built and stood up.
The kitchen/dining nook windows. I think they are about a quarter to half inch different in the framing. They are on separate wall panels. I'll have to make sure the windows are set even. Of course the walls themselves need to be checked for level and plum too.
A cabin grows, a garden expands, at the pace at which it is happening, one thing at a time.
The first of many Iris has bloomed in my borrowed garden next door. I have been offered many plants, many times. The garden is a huge resource of free material, but digging and transplanting things takes time. The time to do that has to be found.
The miniature Daffodils, barely eight inches tall are one of the last to bloom. If I don't take the time to meander through the gardens and the forest on a regular basis I might miss out on something on miss learning something new.
Meandering outside is good for the soul after a day of hard work. It rejuvenates my aching muscles and helps me go on.
Having the option to meander is a goal of all this hard work, but it seems you have to meander to reach that goal.
Monday, April 21, 2008
The Walls Standing
My cozy little cabin is budding out.
Two more sections of wall framing were raised today.
Now that there is room on the floor, the next two sections can be built and raised.
There is a lot of rubber necking as people drive by on the highway. Soon the trees will leaf out and I will be screened from view once more.
By next spring this should be part of the view from my kitchen window.
From inside my cozy little cabin outside of Clyde.
Two more sections of wall framing were raised today.
Now that there is room on the floor, the next two sections can be built and raised.
There is a lot of rubber necking as people drive by on the highway. Soon the trees will leaf out and I will be screened from view once more.
By next spring this should be part of the view from my kitchen window.
From inside my cozy little cabin outside of Clyde.
The Trilliums
Trillium grandiflorum was the first to bloom.
Followed by Trillium catesbaei that was located in another patch a bit further down the stream.
Now there are three Trillium species. So far. I had seen this group before. It looked like it had no flower buds and was not going to bloom. Looking closer today I saw some buds and then found the flowers hiding under the leaves.
I pulled the flowers up to the top of the leaves to get their picture.
Trillium number three, Trillium cernuum, the Nodding Trillium.
Followed by Trillium catesbaei that was located in another patch a bit further down the stream.
Now there are three Trillium species. So far. I had seen this group before. It looked like it had no flower buds and was not going to bloom. Looking closer today I saw some buds and then found the flowers hiding under the leaves.
I pulled the flowers up to the top of the leaves to get their picture.
Trillium number three, Trillium cernuum, the Nodding Trillium.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
What's New In The Forest
I do believe I have found a second Trillium here, Trillium catesbaei, Catesby's Trillium, but the flowers were not open yet. These Trillium grandiflorum will have to stand in for a few days. About the only difference is the size of the flower, much smaller, and a possibly longer pedicel the flower grows from. On a short trip to the Kingdom of Madison I saw Trillium erectum, Wake Robin. It has red petals. There were plenty of the Trillium catesbaei and either a hybrid between the two with pink petals and prominent veins or another species altogether.
I was so busy botanizing I forgot to take pictures.
This may be Ranunculus hispidus, one of the Buttercups.
Another Violet has been discovered. This one has white flowers half the size of the Purple Violet and the same heart shaped leaf. It is also smaller and looks a bit different than the other white Viola canadensis. I need a more extensive ID book.
Tiarella cordifolia or Foamflower. This patch had nice big leaves with red coloring. The others have a plain dark green leaf. I think some of this will need to be moved into the tamed garden areas in the future.
It's an Arisaema. I have spotted a couple of them so far. Finding them again in the forest is another matter. Most likely Arisaema triphyllum.
Is this one just a baby? They may need to be a bit bigger for a more dramatic effect.
I was so busy botanizing I forgot to take pictures.
This may be Ranunculus hispidus, one of the Buttercups.
Another Violet has been discovered. This one has white flowers half the size of the Purple Violet and the same heart shaped leaf. It is also smaller and looks a bit different than the other white Viola canadensis. I need a more extensive ID book.
Tiarella cordifolia or Foamflower. This patch had nice big leaves with red coloring. The others have a plain dark green leaf. I think some of this will need to be moved into the tamed garden areas in the future.
It's an Arisaema. I have spotted a couple of them so far. Finding them again in the forest is another matter. Most likely Arisaema triphyllum.
Is this one just a baby? They may need to be a bit bigger for a more dramatic effect.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Moving Along
More new plants are appearing and blooming everyday, but Daffodil season isn't finished yet. There are still some that have not bloomed. They just have a lot more competition for attention now.
The first hint of the tidal wave that will be the Wood Hyacinth, Hyacinthoides hispanica is lapping to shore. Guess what, there are three colors, white, pink and blue.
I was only expecting blue.
Down in the forest, Stellaria pubera, Giant Chickweed, I think, is blooming, taking over where the Hepatica left off.
The first few of thousands of Trilliums has bloomed. So far there only seems to be this one species Trillium grandiflorum, the Large-Flowered Trillium. So far.
As thick as a carpet in spots, Mayapple, Podophyllum peltatum is sprouting up from the forest floor at my place.
Wooden walls have begun to sprout on my cabin's floor. Hallelujah!! This is the loft end of the cabin above the kitchen and bath.
Stone walls and framing walls.
The Viola sororia, Purple Violet grows in big sweeps on the forested slope behind the cabin. While admiring them today I spotted this very different one. The flower is much larger and a pale violet color. Is it a new species or a variation on a theme?
Spring in the trees is like a mini-fall. The subtle color variations in the emerging leaves and flowers of all the different species is very pronounced in the right light.
I must remind myself to enjoy the pace of things.
The first hint of the tidal wave that will be the Wood Hyacinth, Hyacinthoides hispanica is lapping to shore. Guess what, there are three colors, white, pink and blue.
I was only expecting blue.
Down in the forest, Stellaria pubera, Giant Chickweed, I think, is blooming, taking over where the Hepatica left off.
The first few of thousands of Trilliums has bloomed. So far there only seems to be this one species Trillium grandiflorum, the Large-Flowered Trillium. So far.
As thick as a carpet in spots, Mayapple, Podophyllum peltatum is sprouting up from the forest floor at my place.
Wooden walls have begun to sprout on my cabin's floor. Hallelujah!! This is the loft end of the cabin above the kitchen and bath.
Stone walls and framing walls.
The Viola sororia, Purple Violet grows in big sweeps on the forested slope behind the cabin. While admiring them today I spotted this very different one. The flower is much larger and a pale violet color. Is it a new species or a variation on a theme?
Spring in the trees is like a mini-fall. The subtle color variations in the emerging leaves and flowers of all the different species is very pronounced in the right light.
I must remind myself to enjoy the pace of things.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Bulbarella Clears New Ground
A massive cleanup in the sunny utility meadow of last year's tree butchering is underway. The large piles of rubbish that were stacked along the edges to gain access to the garden are being burned up, one pile at a time. The lower center section has been cleared.
This is what we are dealing with, stacks of tree branches and tree trunks that had been chopped and dropped on the garden by the utility company. Last summer I organized them into piles.
Back at the ridge top garden what I thought would be a lily is turning into Fritillaria pallidiflora.
A white Fritillaria meleagris adds to the Fritillaria collection.
A closer look.
Tulipa bakeri 'Lilac Wonder' early in the morning.
Fully open at the end of the day. The ridge top garden is packed full of wonders.
So full, that more room is needed for expansion. Another 40 x 40 section of slope was cleared of all the fallen branches and logs and made ready for planting. That's it, just pick up and burn the big stuff and it is ready for planting. The new stuff is planted right in with the natives.
Down at my place slow progress is being made on the cabin. We are about ready to raise the walls, making sure we had everything we needed.
The Tulips at the top of my drive survived the weekend snow and are looking fine. Yes somebody will live here one day.
The wild Viola sororia is looking nice.
Serviceberry, Amalanchier arborea, a nice small native tree is blooming in my own sunny utility valley.
Blogging has become a bit of a chore. It seems that live time stock trading programs suck up our allotted bandwidth. By bedtime when I get on the computer, Hughes Network satellite internet has put the hex on us and the computer slows to a dysfunctional, lost connection crawl. It takes hours to load photos. Reading other blogs and websites while I wait is just as painful when the pages do not fully load. Aggravation is something I like to avoid.
I am weighing possible options.
This is what we are dealing with, stacks of tree branches and tree trunks that had been chopped and dropped on the garden by the utility company. Last summer I organized them into piles.
Back at the ridge top garden what I thought would be a lily is turning into Fritillaria pallidiflora.
A white Fritillaria meleagris adds to the Fritillaria collection.
A closer look.
Tulipa bakeri 'Lilac Wonder' early in the morning.
Fully open at the end of the day. The ridge top garden is packed full of wonders.
So full, that more room is needed for expansion. Another 40 x 40 section of slope was cleared of all the fallen branches and logs and made ready for planting. That's it, just pick up and burn the big stuff and it is ready for planting. The new stuff is planted right in with the natives.
Down at my place slow progress is being made on the cabin. We are about ready to raise the walls, making sure we had everything we needed.
The Tulips at the top of my drive survived the weekend snow and are looking fine. Yes somebody will live here one day.
The wild Viola sororia is looking nice.
Serviceberry, Amalanchier arborea, a nice small native tree is blooming in my own sunny utility valley.
Blogging has become a bit of a chore. It seems that live time stock trading programs suck up our allotted bandwidth. By bedtime when I get on the computer, Hughes Network satellite internet has put the hex on us and the computer slows to a dysfunctional, lost connection crawl. It takes hours to load photos. Reading other blogs and websites while I wait is just as painful when the pages do not fully load. Aggravation is something I like to avoid.
I am weighing possible options.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
A Taxing Bloom Day
The Tulips at Client #1's were exceedingly lovely today. Alas I am there during the height of full on sun, which is not a good time for pictures. I am getting used to the notion that even if there is an inch of snow on the ground up here, things down there in Clyde will be very different. I needed to get in a day of work before turning my focus on the cabin for the next few days.
By the time I got home late this afternoon the snow was long gone. The snow white radial dishes of the Candytuft, Iberis sempervirens don't seem to cause any snow angst. Against the brown and greening backdrop, it is captivating and vibrant. White is the new yellow.
The late blooming Daffodils look to have a lot of nodders. The flowers point down on many of them. The backside of this one is quite nice. Can you imagine breeding for the backside of a flower?
The heavy snow burst yesterday did a number on many of the remaining Daffodils. They don't look like they will be standing all the way up again. The wet snow bent many of the flower stalks. There are still plenty left and some that have not bloomed yet.
The few larger Tulips up here have produced some blooms. A patch of the smaller "naturalizing" Tulips will be opening shortly.
A yellow Primrose, a Primula species, down in the sunny utility meadow.
Then the camera's battery died and it was getting to dark to put in the other one and go back out again.
Soon I will have access to more flowers for Bloom Days. Mrs Client #2 has hired me to restore this once very nice and tidy flower garden. They seem a bit hesitant to give me free range on the property. After listening to my parent's tribulations trying to find reliable help for their Florida garden, and being that I am the neighbor across the street, I can understand some hesitancy on Client #2's part. I'll just have to work my magic on them.
And look what I found in there, a Lupine. A lot of Lupine.
I was told it has a blue flower. I can't wait to collect some seed from a Lupine that is totally acclimated to this mountain.
Don't forget to visit Garden Bloggers Bloom Day headquarters at May Dreams Gardens.
By the time I got home late this afternoon the snow was long gone. The snow white radial dishes of the Candytuft, Iberis sempervirens don't seem to cause any snow angst. Against the brown and greening backdrop, it is captivating and vibrant. White is the new yellow.
The late blooming Daffodils look to have a lot of nodders. The flowers point down on many of them. The backside of this one is quite nice. Can you imagine breeding for the backside of a flower?
The heavy snow burst yesterday did a number on many of the remaining Daffodils. They don't look like they will be standing all the way up again. The wet snow bent many of the flower stalks. There are still plenty left and some that have not bloomed yet.
The few larger Tulips up here have produced some blooms. A patch of the smaller "naturalizing" Tulips will be opening shortly.
A yellow Primrose, a Primula species, down in the sunny utility meadow.
Then the camera's battery died and it was getting to dark to put in the other one and go back out again.
Soon I will have access to more flowers for Bloom Days. Mrs Client #2 has hired me to restore this once very nice and tidy flower garden. They seem a bit hesitant to give me free range on the property. After listening to my parent's tribulations trying to find reliable help for their Florida garden, and being that I am the neighbor across the street, I can understand some hesitancy on Client #2's part. I'll just have to work my magic on them.
And look what I found in there, a Lupine. A lot of Lupine.
I was told it has a blue flower. I can't wait to collect some seed from a Lupine that is totally acclimated to this mountain.
Don't forget to visit Garden Bloggers Bloom Day headquarters at May Dreams Gardens.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Under A Winter Sky
An indecisive snow has fallen upon us. It can not decide if it should stick around.
Falling thinly, yet steadily it covers ground, then recedes and disappears. By evening it gathered force for a downpour that stuck.
Cleaning in the wildflower meadow during an afternoon lull, an ornamental Rhubarb, Rheum palmatum is revealed.
A native Sedum, possibly Sedum ternatum, clings to the top of the schoolbus sized boulder and blooms.
No clue.
The snow burst at the end of the day covered the ridge top garden in a protective blanket for the night.
The Dogwoods wait for another day.
The Azaleas good days may have been cut short.
Falling thinly, yet steadily it covers ground, then recedes and disappears. By evening it gathered force for a downpour that stuck.
Cleaning in the wildflower meadow during an afternoon lull, an ornamental Rhubarb, Rheum palmatum is revealed.
A native Sedum, possibly Sedum ternatum, clings to the top of the schoolbus sized boulder and blooms.
No clue.
The snow burst at the end of the day covered the ridge top garden in a protective blanket for the night.
The Dogwoods wait for another day.
The Azaleas good days may have been cut short.
What Will It Be?
Winter has returned. A quarter inch of snow is on the ground and it continues to lightly fall. These scenes were captured yesterday before it turned white and cold again.
Alyssum montanum is beginning to bloom. Its low growing, mounding habit would make it a good choice for my own sunny utility hillside garden.
The Tulips at the top of my drive from Elizabeth at GardenRant are approaching full bloom. What will this cold do to Tulips? I'm thinking things will be fine since it is staying right around freezing and not dropping into arctic temperatures. Will the Daylilies have to start over from scratch?
This thing will have to develop a bit more before a determination as to its identity is made. An initial guess is Squaw-Root, Conopholis americana.
The first of the wild Geraniums has produced a flower. Geranium maculatum is scattered all over this mountain.
The Kingdom of Madison lies on the other side of the fence. Now that hunting season is over it is safer to take a stroll into its territories. A thick patch of the Viola soroia lined a section of the foot path.
The Bloodroots in the Kingdom are twice as big as ours. The flowers, the plants, the groupings were double in size.
The computer time is shared now and the stupid satellite Hughes Network has been particularly ornery and slow of late. Like with the weather, I can only adjust to the circumstances and wait to see how things will be.
Alyssum montanum is beginning to bloom. Its low growing, mounding habit would make it a good choice for my own sunny utility hillside garden.
The Tulips at the top of my drive from Elizabeth at GardenRant are approaching full bloom. What will this cold do to Tulips? I'm thinking things will be fine since it is staying right around freezing and not dropping into arctic temperatures. Will the Daylilies have to start over from scratch?
This thing will have to develop a bit more before a determination as to its identity is made. An initial guess is Squaw-Root, Conopholis americana.
The first of the wild Geraniums has produced a flower. Geranium maculatum is scattered all over this mountain.
The Kingdom of Madison lies on the other side of the fence. Now that hunting season is over it is safer to take a stroll into its territories. A thick patch of the Viola soroia lined a section of the foot path.
The Bloodroots in the Kingdom are twice as big as ours. The flowers, the plants, the groupings were double in size.
The computer time is shared now and the stupid satellite Hughes Network has been particularly ornery and slow of late. Like with the weather, I can only adjust to the circumstances and wait to see how things will be.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
A Violet Resistance
How could a person look at this boldness of yellow and not covet some of their own? By the time the Forsythia blooms, the thousands of Daffodils have been blooming for a good month, mostly the early yellow ones, I may have been yellowed out.
There is something too about the Forsythia in its solid coverage that reminds me of the vile and overused Bougainvillea in Hawaii. I never coveted any of that either. Instead I enjoyed it in other people's gardens and let them suffer the consequences.
The violets are proving to be the most difficult flower to capture in pixels. They resist a clear closeup.
Viola canadensis is the fourth Violet species to bloom in the forest, just in time for the return of winter. Snow and freezing temperatures are diagnosed for the next two days. How will all the tender shoots and blooms fare?
While photographing the resistant violet, I saw a new addition to the wakening forest floor. Asarum canadense, the Wild Ginger is up and blooming. I knew they were in this general location from last year and had been watching for them.
The unique flowers bloom beneath the leaves and are visible only by making an effort to find them. This Ginger is a member of the Aristolochiaceae family.
I walk through the forest almost daily, so it is a surprise of sorts when one day something appears that was not there yesterday.
Viola pubescens or Viola pensylvanica, there is some debate, whatever, it is a different yellow Violet than the Viola rotundifolia. The leaves are different. Except for a few more brown etching marks in the V. pensylvanica, the flowers are nearly identical.
Spring has been put on hold for a few days. Winter is resisting.
There is something too about the Forsythia in its solid coverage that reminds me of the vile and overused Bougainvillea in Hawaii. I never coveted any of that either. Instead I enjoyed it in other people's gardens and let them suffer the consequences.
The violets are proving to be the most difficult flower to capture in pixels. They resist a clear closeup.
Viola canadensis is the fourth Violet species to bloom in the forest, just in time for the return of winter. Snow and freezing temperatures are diagnosed for the next two days. How will all the tender shoots and blooms fare?
While photographing the resistant violet, I saw a new addition to the wakening forest floor. Asarum canadense, the Wild Ginger is up and blooming. I knew they were in this general location from last year and had been watching for them.
The unique flowers bloom beneath the leaves and are visible only by making an effort to find them. This Ginger is a member of the Aristolochiaceae family.
I walk through the forest almost daily, so it is a surprise of sorts when one day something appears that was not there yesterday.
Viola pubescens or Viola pensylvanica, there is some debate, whatever, it is a different yellow Violet than the Viola rotundifolia. The leaves are different. Except for a few more brown etching marks in the V. pensylvanica, the flowers are nearly identical.
Spring has been put on hold for a few days. Winter is resisting.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Back To Work
Bulbarella and my building contractor will be arriving for the season very shortly. It means I will be getting help in the garden and starting back to work on the construction of my own cozy little cabin, right after the diagnosed snow storm this weekend.
The shorter end of the second dry stacked stone wall beneath the cabin is taking form. The wall will rise with the slope from here. I do not want to bury the footing and post for the back stoop.
It has grown a little higher.
The wall may become an inbetween things, time filler project now. I want a roof over my head ASAP.
There is a floor, four of six wall sections and front and back decks done. There is a whole lot left to go.
While not building a cabin or working in the roadside vegetable garden or clearing and planting areas of my own garden, I will be working for my two clients.
Mrs. Client #2 called to request a meeting to discuss more work. You can't find a job closer than across the street and they own the whole mountain. This could be a very good thing.
The shorter end of the second dry stacked stone wall beneath the cabin is taking form. The wall will rise with the slope from here. I do not want to bury the footing and post for the back stoop.
It has grown a little higher.
The wall may become an inbetween things, time filler project now. I want a roof over my head ASAP.
There is a floor, four of six wall sections and front and back decks done. There is a whole lot left to go.
While not building a cabin or working in the roadside vegetable garden or clearing and planting areas of my own garden, I will be working for my two clients.
Mrs. Client #2 called to request a meeting to discuss more work. You can't find a job closer than across the street and they own the whole mountain. This could be a very good thing.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
The Wildling
It is difficult to capture the essence of this borrowed garden where I am learning so much. The space is too big. The land undulates preventing a long view that encompasses the whole thing. The forest still lives here with many of its original smaller inhabitants now sharing the space beneath the trees.
A garden was planted in the wild. It was the plants that mattered more than the idea of "garden" and a wildling was born. It's not quite civilized, but you can see that it has the same form in many respects as a garden.
Every so often the wildling can use a good scrubbing and a comb run through its hair. You want to try and teach it some manners, to see if it can become a full member of its tribe.
Temporarily it may be possible. For less time than a civilized garden perhaps, but they too have the wildling in their genes.
The Bloodroot, Sanguinaria canadensis tries to get more garden worthy in the wildling, massing itself for maximum effect. In the wild forest they are more often solitary.
Dicentra canadensis, Squirrel Corn is a relative of the common garden variety Bleeding Heart, Dicentra spectabilis.
Dicentra cucullaria, Dutchman's Breeches is subtly different. A third native, Dicentra eximia might be found here yet.
A Tulip opened today.
It appears quite comfortable in this setting, like how it used to be for Tulips.
A garden was planted in the wild. It was the plants that mattered more than the idea of "garden" and a wildling was born. It's not quite civilized, but you can see that it has the same form in many respects as a garden.
Every so often the wildling can use a good scrubbing and a comb run through its hair. You want to try and teach it some manners, to see if it can become a full member of its tribe.
Temporarily it may be possible. For less time than a civilized garden perhaps, but they too have the wildling in their genes.
The Bloodroot, Sanguinaria canadensis tries to get more garden worthy in the wildling, massing itself for maximum effect. In the wild forest they are more often solitary.
Dicentra canadensis, Squirrel Corn is a relative of the common garden variety Bleeding Heart, Dicentra spectabilis.
Dicentra cucullaria, Dutchman's Breeches is subtly different. A third native, Dicentra eximia might be found here yet.
A Tulip opened today.
It appears quite comfortable in this setting, like how it used to be for Tulips.
Intermission
It is getting more gorgeous here by the day. I sure hope the snow and cold diagnosed for this weekend don't mess it up.