Sunday, August 05, 2012

Zagreb

Photo taken Aug 4, 2012

Zagreb Coreopsis
Coreopsis verticillata "Zagreb"

Purchased at Lowe's Oregon City on clearance for $2.00. Planted August 4, 2012. Lowe's plant code L5684

Long flowering perennial
Blooms summer through fall
Mounding perennial
full sun
Arid dry watering needs
15"-18" tall
hardy to -30 degrees
divide in spring and fall

Lamium



Lamium
White Nancy

Purchased from Garden Fever last Summer (2011) Bought 2 plants and planted by the bergenia

 
Fairly tolerant of dry shade
Trim back in late winter
Stems will root into the ground where they touch, and any new plants that form can be easily moved in spring or fall. Also easily divided. Evergreen.
6-8" in height
12-23" wide
Can handle light foot traffic
Fast grower (true - these have tripled in size in one year( 


Freesia


photos taken July 22, 2012

Purchased on clearance from Home Depot in Oregon City for $3.50 each. Planted July 21, 2012 by patio door.

Native to South Africa.
Members of the iris family.
12-18" in height
zones 9-10

Once the foliage emerges, water the growing freesia plants often to keep the soil moist. Freesias need an abundance of moisture during the entire growing season, but you should allow the soil to dry out once the flowers fade.

You can also pick off faded flowers to keep the garden looking tidy, but allow the foliage to die back naturally.

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Veronica





Veronica "Speedwell"

Purchased from Home Depot in Oregon City July 21, 2012. Clearance plant $3.50. Planted by the patio doors.

roadside plant with masses of pretty flowers that "speed you well." In Ireland, a bit of the perennial plant was pinned onto clothes to keep travelers from accidents

Full sun or partial shade. Make sure the soil is not overly wet in the winter.

Propagate by division or from seed.

Good cut flowers.

Pumpkins

photo taken July 3, 2012

Our pumpkins are looking awfully cheery! Purchased from Garden Fever June 2012. Planted out back with the strawberries.

Begonia

photo taken July 3, 2012

Begonia

Something left over from last year that must have reseeded itself. I planted about five of these in the south round planter out back last year. When something started to grow this year the foliage looked nice so I didn't pull it. It's a begonia!

Upon doing some research, I guess they are perennials :) Only one came back. Maybe I dug up all the other ones...

Lupines

photo taken July 3, 2012

 Lupinus Polyphyllus



Planted from a packet of seeds from Wilco for $1.99. Pretty good deal. I just sprinkled the seeds and got three little seedlings. Not bad considering I spent $24 for two plants at Tony's Garden Center a month earlier and one of them died as soon as I planted it!

The lupine that lived!
Lupines are a member of the legume family.
The "Beans", like in the stalk in the center of the plant bove are edible and are quickly becoming an alternative to soy beans due to their high amino acids and ability to be grown in cooler climates.

Lupins make good companion plants for crops that need significant amounts of nitrogen in their soil and can be intercropped properly, like cucumbers, squash, broccoli, and spinach.

Lupines love sandy soil. Since they have long tap-roots they do not transplant well. Full sun to part shade is suitable. Lupines thrive with deep infrequent watering rather than shallow frequent watering.They also may like bi-weekly applications of seaweed meal to increase their nitrogen content. Lupines actually improve the soil they live in.

The commonest color of lupines found in the wild along roadsides are blues, purples and whites. The variety I have is "Gallery Red" which must be a "Russell" strain since it's a pink/red. The Russell Strain was originally developed through extensive selection and hybridization around 1935 by George Russell, a railroad crossing guard in Yorkshire, England.

Each blossom on a lupine flower spike is made up of two parts, which can be the same or different colors, allowing for a wide variety of color variations. Each plant will send up the same color flowers year after year. Flower spires of established plantings are over a foot long and after several years plants send up multiple flower spikes resulting in a longer blooming season. Individual plants usually live from five to twenty years, dropping seeds around them in early August after June flowering.

Do not mulch lupines for the winter! They do not require mulch as they are very winter hardy and mice may live in the mulch and gnaw your lupine roots. Hardy from zone 4 (central Maine) thru Zone 8 (Florida), Lupines thrive on ample moisture. In full sun lupines grow better and bloom earlier. A cold dormant season produces more prolific flowering.

 The quickest and easiest way to rapidly expand your lupine bed is to save your own seeds, a practice which will yield fifty to a hundred times more lupine seedlings than by letting nature take its course unaided.

An overview of the process: Gather seed pods, open them when dry, and plant the seeds in November or March in a nursery bed where they will remain their first year, then transplant them to their home.

In detail: Cut the entire seed stalk when the seed pods have turned black, but before they have begun to pop open and curl. Collect these seed stalks in a paper bag, and set them aside to dry for a month or so. When dry, break the seeds out of the pods, and plant them in a nursery garden in late fall or early spring. This nursery garden is where the lupines will grow for their first year, so it is alright if they are spaced closely, say two or three inches apart. First year lupines are tiny plants, so having many in a small area allows them to be easily watched over and taken care of. When their second spring arrives, dig each root as the leaves begin to sprout (late April thru mid May) and plant it where you want it to live. Check your nursery garden every few days for more roots that have awakened. The lupines will now grow to large plants and blossom every June.

lupines will benefit by spreading some lime, manure or compost around the plants in the spring.

Sunflowers

photo taken July 3, 2012

The little sunflowers that Ella brought home from Kindergarten! I planted them right out in front by the bamboo for all too see.

Dianthus

photo taken July 3, 2012


Ella picked this out from home depot last summer and planted it right in front of the crocosmia. It seems to be doing well with very little care.

Day Lillies

photo taken July 3, 2012

Alyssum

Photo taken July 3, 2012

Ella planted these by the front door from a package of 3 for a dollar seeds from Walgreens I picked up last fall. They've done well!

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Bamboo

Bamboo

I got this free clump off craigslist from a house in Milwaukie near the Goodwill Outlet store summer of 2010. I guess its the clumping kind. I remember when we loaded it into the van it was nearly 8' tall and we had branches sticking out every window on the drive home. Chris planted it, but it looked terrible so we cut it down to the ground that fall. It looks nice now!!


Red Prince Wegelia

Red Prince Weiglia
Wegela florida 'Red Prince'

Purchased from Karam Nursery in Oregon City on Redland Road May 19, 2012
deciduous flowering shrub
zones 4-8
needs weekly watering
attracts hummingbirds
blooms late spring through summer
prune after summer flowering
6-9' tall by 6-9' wide
needs no pruning
zones 4-8
full sun

 

Herb Robert

Herb Robert

I found some free plant pots at the end of the road and just set them by the pond. Turns out they are a weed, but kinda pretty, so I have left them contained in their pots.

Astilibe

Photo taken May 16, 2012

Astilbe "Fanal"

Purchased from Portland Nursery on Division last summer. Planted four. They have never done much. Planted in the shade on the side of the house between the ostrich ferns. They were moved from the west side of the pond last fall.

 


Meadow Rue

Photo taken May 16, 2012

Meadow Rue - Lavender Mist
Thalictrum rochebruneanum

Purchased from Portland Nursery on Division last summer. I moved them from by west side of the pond to the east side last fall. Planted two.
They belong to the large buttercup family (ranunculaceae), also home to other garden staples such as clematis, columbines, anemones, delphiniums, and hellebores. Botanists distinguish them from other closely related genuses by their flower characteristics: the lack of nectar and petals, the way they bear seeds in achenes. 

Provide shelter from afternoon sun
Needs moist soil 
blooms mid to late spring
Sow seed in a cold frame when fresh. Divide as new growth appears in spring.

Just one or a few flowering stalks extending about four feet up from a low-growing rosette. The stalks have an attractive purple cast. Although from a distance the flowering plant looks like a haze of purple, when you step closer it's much easier to see the individual flowers, much less densely spaced. Although it produces seed just as abundantly as columbine meadow rue, the seeds are in smaller husks, not so obvious when the plants are done blooming.

Grows 5+' in height

 

Dahlia

Photo Taken May 16, 2012
I think I bought this at the plant store in Woodburn. I planted it last year and i thought it died. I never saw it flower. I also thought they were annuals so I planted Gladys where they were and surprise! Here come the dahlia's!

Native to Mexico, Central America, and Colombia

Related species include the sunflower, daisy, chrysanthemum and zinnia

Flowers are not scented :(

In Europe and America, prior to the discovery of insulin in 1923, diabetics were often given a substance called Atlantic starch or diabetic sugar, derived from inulin, a naturally occurring form of fruit sugar, extracted from dahlia tubers. Inulin is still used in clinical tests for kidney functionality.


Lamium

Photo taken May 16, 2012

Lamium maculatum
variety unknown

Purchased from Garden Fever Summer 2011. Planted with the Bergenia.

Common name: deadnettle
Can be invasive
trim back in winter
Easily divided
Everegreen
Stems will root into the ground where they touch, and any new plants that form can be easily moved in spring or fall
Partial to full shade
6-8 inches tall by 12-23" wide
 


Saturday, July 07, 2012

Hostas



Patriot

Hostas

Purchased from Fred Meyer on 148th and Division Summer of 2010

1' tall x 2' wide
zones 3-9
lavender flowers in the summer
shade plant
loves soil rich in compost or animal manure
perennial
Hostas originally came from Japan, China, and Korea. They were first introduced to Europe in the late 1700s and then came to the United States in the middle 1800s.
Reaches maturity in 4-8 years

Blue leaved hostas require more shade than green and gold varieties, which can tolerate more sun

A balanced granular fertilizer such as 10-10-10 or 5-10-5 can be applied early in the spring, followed by an application six weeks later, followed by a midsummer application. Timing of these applications would typically be early April, mid- to late May, and mid-July.

Extended release fertilizer is applied early in the spring. Extended release fertilizers such as Osmocote® or Sierra Blend® are rated for three, six, or nine months release times. However, heat and moisture may shorten the longevity of release. An early spring application of three or six months extended release fertilizer can be followed by an application of regular granular fertilizer in midsummer.

Liquid fertilizer is used for both soil and foliar application. It is applied every 7 to 10 days according to the fertilizer label instructions.

A minimum of an inch of water each week is recommended

Propagation of hostas is easily achieved by dividing existing plants. Division should be done when no shoots are growing from the center of the mature clump and this bare area detracts from the appearance of the plant. Division of the clump will improve the plant's appearance. Lift the entire hosta clump and wash the soil from the roots, if possible, to make it easier to see where to cut to divide the clump. Cut with a sharp knife to make the divisions. Spring is the easiest time to divide plants because new shoots are only a few inches high and the leaves have not expanded. Be careful not to over divide hostas in spring; divide only the fast growing hostas then.

Very susceptible to slugs!  One method to try: laying wet newspapers on the ground overnight. Check beneath these the next day to find slugs that have taken refuge from heat and sun. Kill the slugs by dropping them into a 10-20% solution of ammonia and water. Salt will also kill slugs if applied directly to them. Slug bait helps control them.

Leaves and flowers are edible.


photo taken June 2012


Petunias

 Petunias - Grandiflora

Planted in the old dresser drawer on the back patio June 2012
Bloom spring until frost
5-6 hours of sunlight to full sun
remove faded flowers, including the portion below each flower where seeds will develop
closely related to tobacco, cape gooseberries, tomatoes, deadly nightshades, potatoes and chili peppers; in the family Solanaceae.


Sword Fern


Sword Fern
Polystichum munitum

Came with the house. The one under the bathroom window was where the pond is now. Chris dug it up and moved it the first year we were here (summer 2010). It was never really "planted". The root ball is above the ground.

Kingof NW ferns. Adapts to nearly any condition. Native.
Spores have medicinal uses, such as relieving pain from stinging nettles. Spores are on the undersides of the leaves and are released in late summer.
Underground rootstock is called the rhizome. Young fronds that have not unfurled are called fiddleheads.
May be divided in the spring if the clump is large and the roots are well developed.

Shake the fronds into a paper bag in July or late August to collect the seeds. Sprinkle the seeds into a bed of moist peat moss. Cover and place in a shady location (about 59-86 degrees F). Do not let them dry out or mold. Wipe away condensation to prevent mold. After several weeks, flat heart shaped discs appear, called gametophytes. Mist with water to keep moist. A few weeks later fern fronds will sprout which with wither and die as it establishes itself. The ferns can be transplanted to individual containers a few weeks after fronds appear.

Violas

Violas

These pansies aren't pansies. These are last years blooms plants!

Perennial
 
Violas are an early blooming plant.  
These perennials are often grown as an annual. 
They are early bloomers in late spring to early summer. Then, shrivel in the mid summer heat.
They are native to the southern hemisphere.
Viola is generally more winter-hardy than the larger-flowered pansy. 
Grown from seed
Full to partial sun
Remove spent blooms to promote additional blooms, and extend the blooming period
Viola and violetta are terms used by gardeners and generally in horticulture for neat, small-flowered hybrid plants intermediate in size between pansies and violets.
The flowers, leaves and roots of various Viola species are used for medicinal purposes, being rich in vitamins A and C. They also contain a type of antioxidant called an anthocyanin. Viola flowers are also used to make an herbal tea that is used in Chinese herbal medicine.Most violas (all tested) and many plants of the Violaceae plant family contain cyclotides, which have a diverse range of in vitro biological activities when isolated from the plant, including uterotonic, anti-HIV, antimicrobial, and insecticidal activities.

Friday, July 06, 2012

Grape Hyacinth

Grape Hyacinth
Muscari spp. and cvs.

These are about the first thing to bloom each year. They make me so cheerful when I see them. It means spring is near. These were the only thing in bloom when we first looked at the house and I loved them then.

originated mostly in Italy, Greece, North Africa, Turkey, Armenia, and the Caucasus

aka "Lent Flowers"or "Church Steeples". More popularly known as Muscari.

Not members of the hyacinth family. They are actually lilies.

10" tall

have a "musky/grassy" smell
zones 3-9
full sun to part shade
any soil, except poorly drained areas
plant bulbs in the fall
can be invasive






Creeping Phlox

Creeping Phlox - Purple Beauty
Phlox subulata

Purchased from home depot Summer 2011?
Planted by the front fence

Perennial
spreads
attracts hummingbirds and butterflies
fertilize in the spring; shear foliage back halfway after bloom to promote denser foliage and rebloom
4-6" tall, spreads to 24"
zones 2-8
no winter protection required
likes full sun (6+ hours)
propagate by diving the rootball or from herbaceous stem cuttings

 Creeping Phlox

Another variety planted beside the pond. Photo taken May 16, 2012.

Tuesday, July 03, 2012

Partridge Feather

Partridge Feather
Tanacetum densum ssp. amani

Purchased from Garden Fever June 2012 $2.99 for a 4" pot
hardy to -10 degrees F
perennial
1' x 1'
yellow shaped flowers in the summer
5" tall
well drained soil
thrives on neglect
zones 4a-11
Introduced from Southeastern Turkey in the 1950's by Peter Davis

Dracaena Spikes

Dracaena Spikes
Dracaena indivia

Purchased from Garden Fever Summer 2010 - bought and planted two
plant 10-18" apart
grows 18-24" tall
Supposed to be an annual. I guess with our mild winter they survived and are thriving!
sun or part sun
heat tolerant
keep moist but avoid overwatering
zones 7-11

Corsican Mint

Mentha requienii
Corsican Mint

Combined with the spearmint leaves, this makes a wonderful tea!
Purchased at Garden Fever May 2012 for $2.99 for a 4" pot
Planted by back door downspout May 15, 2012
Small purple flowers appeared mid June
Very fragrant!
zones 6-9
partial sun - prefers late afternoon shade
water every 7-10 days if there is no rainfall
non invasive
tolerates light foot traffic
divide in spring or autumn - space about 10" apart

Crcosamia lucifer

First bloom of 2012: June 28





Crocosmia "Lucifer"


Cousin to the Gladiola
Makes great cut flowers
clumps should be divided every 3-5 years (I divided Fall 2011)
They were on of the few plants here when we moved in
Full sun
Blooms mid summer to early fall
zones 5-9
2-4' tall
plant corms 2-3" deep in the fall
attracts hummingbirds
not native to North America

Photo taken July 3, 2012


Saturday, June 30, 2012

Asiatic Lilies

Photo taken April 2012





      
Photo taken June 20, 2012






Asiatic hybrids (Division I)

 Purchased as bulbs in the fall 2011. Placed in various spots in the yard. This is the first year I have seen them thrive. Asiatic lilies are not very aromatic. If I had known that when I bought them I would have gotten something else. I will dig them up in the fall and put them together in the side yard to make room for tiger lilies!

Propogate by dividing the bulbs or seed. Dig up and divide every 3-5 years.
grows 1-5'
very hardy
early blooming
Do not cut the stems when flowering is over. The stems provide the plant nutrients for next years blooms.

After the first frost, cut the stems back to about an inch and carefully dig up the tubers making sure not to damage them.Move them to their new home but do not overwater them.