Saturday, April 8, 2017

Merry Christmas To Me

Patience with a Christmas gift card from a client is a good thing. If I wait until spring, some plant I covet is bound to present itself.

I have been coveting Cephalotaxus harringtonia 'Prostrata' since I first saw them. They were on the pricey side and not in my lack of a budget. I bought the cheaper and similar looking Taxus cuspitata 'Monloo' instead. They pouted. Then I discovered they like alkaline soil and added lime. They are happier now.

Last week I saw the Cephalotaxus in the big box for ten dollars less than normal. I ruminated for quite some time. Where could I put them?





















A decision was finally made before the recent snow. I knew I had to wait. Would they still be there and hydrated when spring returned? Yes they were.

Site B was selected so I would be able to see them in the winter. I had cleared this slope and begun sprigging in rooted stem pieces of the 'Streib's Findling' Cotonaeater as a groundcover. I still plan to do that. I think they will look good together.





















The prostrate yew will add to the winter Under Garden of low mounding evergreen texture and color along with the evergreen cotoneaster. It will be good and make a nice backdrop for the big foliage plants at the base of this slope.





















So I bought four. Planting them is tomorrow's garden project.





















Yesterday's snow revealed a glaring problem. The mustache/nose hairs of Creation was missing on the right hand side.





















I had enough time to fix that when I came home this afternoon with my new baby shrubberies.





















A little weeding and a little dividing/transplanting of more of the Louisiana Iris and a new patch of nose hairs will grow. It will be good.





















Except for the weeds in my lawn, the garden is getting more cultivated all the time. That white froth in the back is the Spring Beauty, Claytonia virginica. Half the garden is a blooming carpet of it right now. Those kind weeds I like.

The Phacelia purshii has established itself and is spreading. It will be a blue carpet in the garden in May in a few more years. I may have more cultivated now, but this will always be a half wild garden.


2 comments:

Lisa at Greenbow said...

I like your shrubies. I love spring beauties. I have them on the north side of my house. They are so cheerful this time of year. I am hoping the occasional flooding will scatter them on into the back garden.

Christopher C. NC said...

Lisa it never hurts to give things like the Claytonia a little push. Dig up little clump and move them. I've been tossing finished tops of the Phacelia around.