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.

Heidi

Heidi
Aquilegia vulgaris heidi

Purchased from Garden Fever summer 2010

planted up front by the fence

Full sun to partial shade

hardy perennial

hardy zones 3-9

blooms in early spring

tall columbine specimen from Europe

blue green foliage w/ large delicate pink flowers

strong stems make great boquets

also called "Granny's Bonnet"

Hydrengea

Photo taken May 2012

Photo taken June 20, 2012

 Hydrengea
Hydrangea macrophylla

Purchased from Al's Garden Center in Woodburn. I don't remember it being this color when I bought it summer of 2011.

Planted by the back fence.

For hydrengea's to bloom in oink, no aluminum can be present in the soil. To change the blooms from pink to blue: add aluminum sulfate to the soil in a solution of 1 tsp per gallon of water throughout the growing season. Soil pH must be low (5.2 - 5.5). An easy method to lower the soil pH is coffee grounds and other organic materials (such as grass clippings). A fertilizer low in potassium and high in phosphorus helps blooms tend toward the bluer shades.

Hydrangeas never NEED to be pruned and take caution in doing so.

To propagate, take cuttings about 5-6" long; remove the lower leaves. Cut the largest leaves to about half their size. Dip cuttings in rooting hormone and put into sterile medium such as damp vermiculite. Keep soil moist but not wet. Cover with plastic. Cuttings will form roots in 2-3 weeks. Start new cuttings early in the summer.

photo taken July 3, 2012

These just keep changing colors! And I thought it was a goner...

Spearmint

Spearmint
Mint Julep

I love this plant. I have bought one and can't wait for it to multiply. I think I can keep up with it by making tea! I use five crushed leaves (crushed with my fingers) and a pinch of the corsician mint in my tea ball and pour hot water over it. Delicious! Way more flavorful than store bought "mint" tea.

Purchased from Garden Fever in May 2012. Planted by the downspout by the back door.

Medicinal uses: Leaves when eaten calm upset stomachs and stop vomiting in pregnancy. Anti-androgenic properties help remove unwanted hair on women by reducing the level of free testosterone in the blood.

partial shade

1-3' tall

plant 36-48" apart

perennial (recommended to be replanted every 3-4 years)

spearmint seeds are poisonous if ingested

plant must flower for seeds to develop

press seeds into the soil - they will germinate 10-15 days later

pH of 5.6-7.5 is preferred

mint likes iron. Poke a large nail near the base of the plant.

susceptible to aphiods, white fly, spidermites, meal bug and rust

once established, freely pick the leaves. It grows faster with frequent cuttings.

Just before the flowers bloom cut plant 1/2 to 3/4 of the way down. If it blooms the plant will loose its aroma and flavor.

Creeping Jenny

Creeping Jenny

purchased from a home nursery in Boring/Damascus area in summer 2010. Planted two small plants by the pond. They are blooming today!

Family: Primulaceae
Genus: Lysimachia
Species: nummularia

Perennial

6-12" high by 24" wide

sun to part shade

blooms late spring to early summer

requires constantly moist soil  - don't allow it to dry out!

considered "invasive"

propogate by dividing rootballs in spring or autumn

allow seeds to dry on the plant then remove and collect seeds

also called "moneywurt"

hardy to -20 degrees F
native to Europe
Was used for healing wounds. Traditional Chinese medicine uses this plant to treat gout and gall stones.

Slugs and snails don't care about it! Hooray!

photo taken June 20, 2012

Butterflies

Butterfly facts:

How to distinguish a moth from a butterfly:

1. Butterflies have slender antenna while moths have "feathery" antennae.
2. Butterflies hold their wings together and upright over their backs while moths hold their like a tent over their furry bodies.

How long do butterflies live?
Average is 2-4 weeks. A swallowtail lives 6-14 days and a monarch butterfly lives 7-9 months.

Butterflies do not sleep. They rest in quiet and dark.

Butterflies "taste" with their feet.

The minimum temperature for a butterfly to be able to fly is 60 degrees F. They are most active at 80 degrees.

There are 750 species of butterflies in North America.

Forget Me Nots

 

Forget Me Nots
Myosotis arvensis

State flower of Alaska

There are over 50 species

photo taken May 2012

these have finished blooming June 2012

This appeared this spring by the pond. I thought it was a weed but I didn't pull it out of curiousity to see what it would do. It turned out to have pretty little blue flowers with yellow centers. It grew out of two clumps of ground cover I planted by the pond the summer of 2010. I got the ground cover from a home nursery in the Boring/Sandy area. Turns out it blooms the second year. It was there the whole time!

under 1' tall

attracts butterflies

perennial

early spring bloomer

indigenous to Europe and Asia

zones 3-9

plant in full sun to full shade, but not under evergreens

use all purpose fertilizer once or twice a season

insect and disease problems are uncommon

Seeds can be collected by putting a piece of paper under the stems and shaking them

Legend: In 15th-century Germany, it was supposed that the wearers of the flower would not be forgotten by their lovers. Legend has it that in medieval times, a knight and his lady were walking along the side of a river. He picked a posy of flowers, but because of the weight of his armour he fell into the river. As he was drowning he threw the posy to his loved one and shouted "Forget-me-not." It was often worn by ladies as a sign of faithfulness and enduring love. 

Freemasons began using the flower in 1926 as a symbol well known in Germany as message not to forget the poor and desperate. Many other German charities were also using it at this time. In later years, by a handful of Masons, it was a means of recognition in place of the square and compass design. This was done across Nazi occupied Europe to avoid any danger of being singled out and persecuted. The symbol of the forget-me-not in modern Masonry has become more prevalent and exaggerated claims about the use of the symbol are often made in order to promote sales of bumper stickers of the symbol. Today it is an interchangeable symbol with Freemasonry and some also use the Forget-me-not to remember those masons who were victimized by the Nazi regime.In English Freemasonry it is more commonly now worn to remember those that have died as a symbol that you may be gone but not forgotten.

Banana Tree

 

Japanese Fiber Banana
Musa basjoo

aka Hardy banana

12-15' tall

full sun

keep soil moist

propogated by dividing the rootballs

hardy to -20 degrees F

after frost, cut to 2' and mulch with 6-12" of straw around the trunk in the winter. Wrap in burlap or wrap with christmas lights to keep it warm

Native to southern China

A one-gallon Musa basjoo will grow to about 5 feet in the first year and produce many off sets (pups). A large clump reaching to 10 feet can be expected in the second year and mature height in the third. With plenty of food and water a Musa basjoo can produce a new leaf in 7-10 days.

I planted this last spring. It has been slow to start but is now starting to take off. I did nothing to overwinter it, but we had a very mild winter with minimal snow and few below freezing days. 

The above photo taken May 2012

 

Hellebore

 

Corsican Hellebore
Helleborus argutifolius

purchased at Tony's Garden Center on Holgate May 2012

late winter blooms

remove old flowering stems to make room for new growth

evergreen
perennial

3' tall x 5' wide
zones 7-10
full sun to shade
drought tolerant
use minimal fertilizer to keep plants from "flopping"
Native to the Italian islands of Corsica and Sardinia
Can be staked to prevent heavy snow from collapsing them
A very unfussy plant!

Euphorbia

 

 Euphorbia
Euphorbia characis ssp. wulferri

Purchased at Tony's Garden Center May 2012

The plant family Euphorbia is the largest in the plant kingdom with over 2000 species. Poinsettas belong to this family. Also known as "spurges".

Tough perennial with tolerance to drought.

Commonly known as Mediterranean Spurge

Sticky white toxic sap has medicinal uses in treating skin conditions, but some people are allergic to it

Flowers late winter - early spring

Divide clumps in April or May

Remove flowering stalks once the blooms are spent, but be careful not to remove the shoots that will provide flowers the next year

Clumps should be replaced every 5 or 6 years

perennial

decidious

zones 7-10

difficult to propogate from seed - propogate from cuttings. The best time is in the spring.

Full sun

Attracts hummingbirds and butterflies

3' tall x 3' wide

Coral Bells

Coral Bells
Huchera "Firefly"

purchased from Garden Fever Summer 2011

plant 14" apart

hummingbirds love these flowers!

foliage grows 6-8" tall, flowers grow 18-24" tall

flowers last 6-8 weeks on the plant and two weeks cut

full sun to partial shade

does not do well in heavy soil - mix in compost and manure

few insect or disease problems

deadhead to prolong bloom time

perennial

pH 7 (neutral)

fertilize every four months with slow release osmocote or every few weeks with Miracle Grow

remove dead foliage in the spring

zones 3-9

divide every 3-4 years as needed

Mexican Heather

Mexican Heather
"Caribbean Sunset" from Proven Winners

purchased from Garden Fever 3433 NE 24th Ave Portland, OR

$3.99 

planted May 12, 2012 in cement planter out back

Heat tolerant

no need to deadhead

attracts humminbirds

18-24" tall

part sun - sun

Hardy to zones 9-11

annual

average water needs

blooms spring - summer

hardy to 35 degrees F

Family: Lythraceae
Genus: Cuphea
Species: varia

Bearded Iris

 

Bearded Iris

Clump out back from Wendy (this photo) and another clump by the pond and the North side of the house from Don transplanted Spring 2010 - first blooms seen May 15, 2012

They are already done blooming (June 2012)

Care:

requires a thin layer of compost in the fall

leave the "fleshy" part of the tuber exposed

deadhead

In autumn, trim away dead foliage and prune healthy foliage to 4-5" from the ground

after frost, apply a layer of mulch

divide every 3-4 years in late summer (each division should have 1-2 leaf fans

plant in full sun with well drained soil

Hardy in zones 3-9

soil pH should be slightly less than 7 (neutral)

granular fertilizer early spring and just after bloom

water only if very dry

plant 16-18" apart

Everything you ever wanted to know about Iris': The American Iris Society http://www.irises.org/ 

Spanish Lavender

 

Spanish Lavender

purchased from Al's Garden World Summer 2011
blooms profusely in the spring
native to Mediterranean and North Africa
also called "French Lavender"
18-24" tall (3' in bloom)
perennial
zones 8-11
avoid fall pruning

We use this with clipping wrapped in scarves and put in the bath tub for a yummy smelling bath. The smell of lavender has always reminded me of freshly washed babies in their bath towels.

Penstemon

Penstemon "Electric Blue"
Penstemon x mexacali

zones 6-9

western US native

prefers hot sunny locations

aka Beardtongue

1-3' tall

good for cut flowers

attracts hummingbirds

tolerates dry soil

doesn't like to be crowded

apply compost thinly each spring and 2" mulch to retain moisture and control weeds

purchased at Garden Fever Summer 2011

needs 1" water per week

after frost, cut stems down to 1-2" above the ground

dig up and divide rhizomes every 3-5 years

prone to root rot in the winter

New ones are easily started from cuttings taken in autumn, rooted indoors, & put out in spring to supplant exhausted clumps. Although they may self-seed to remain in the garden without attention, seedlings do not ordinarily grow to be exactly like the parent plant

Bergenia

Bergenia crassifolia
Saxifragacae

aka "Pigsqueak" because of the sounds it makes when the leaves are rubbed together

Native to central Asia

perennial

hardy to -35 degrees F

prefers sun but does well in shade

24" tall x 24" wide

zones 3-8

purchased at Garden Fever Summer 2011

blooms April-May

remove spent flowers and blooms

easily grown from seed; propogates by rhizomes

allow seedheads to dry on the plant; remove and collect

They spread overground by thick stolons. If new specimens are desired, a mature clutch of leaves can be separated along the stolons to plant elsewhere.

Mine have been ravaged by slugs!! I have tried beer and Cory's Slug and Snail bait to not avail! I've even hunted them at night with a flashlight...

Bergenias have sundry traditional uses, the leaves having provided a "poor man's tea," & the high tannin content of the roots & stems having made it a useful ingredient in leather-tanning agents, wine preservative, tonic, or astringent. Root extracts have been used in Indian & Chinese medicine for treatment of kidney & gallstones, pulmonary infections, topically for blisters & hemorrhoids, & many other purported values. The active ingredients of extracts include bergenin & gallic acid, which at the very least have analgesic & astringent value so should indeed help hemorrhoids, though its value as an internal medication lacks such clear evidence.

Purple Heart

Purple Heart
Setcreasea pollida

purchased from Garden Fever in April 2012
planted in "crooked pots" by the front door
aka "Wandering Jew?"
Native of Mexico
leaves reach 7" long by 1" wide; covered with "purple hairs"
blooms midsummer to early fall; 1/2" purple flowers will appear at the end of the stems (haven't seen it yet)
full sun to light shade
2 parts peat moss to 2 parts loam to one part sand or perlite recommended
water 2xs per week
fertilize monthly with a balanced fertilizer
after flowering, cut back so it doesn't become "spindly"
water once a week in the winter - no fertilizer until spring

handling the plant may cause skin irritation or allergic reaction
plant does not seed; flowers are sterile
to propagate: cover part of the stem with an attached leaf node with dirt and it will root - just keep it moist

It flowers!!

Photo taken July 3, 2012

Leptinella

Platt's Black Brass Buttons
Leptinella squalida

Purchased from garden Fever May 10, 2012

planted in "crooked pots" by the front door

Perennial

Full sun - part shade

1-2" high x 10-12" wide

low carpeting

easily divided by tearing clumps in spring/early fall

evergreen

low water requirements

zones 4-10

yellow blooms June-July (I haven't seen any blooms yet)

prefers acidic soils

native to New Zealand

looks like a fern, but isn't. It's closest relative is the sunflower

Local variety - became popular because it was found in Jane Platt's garden

dislikes compacted soil and needs frequent fertilization due to it's shallow roots

Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus "Silverdrop"
Eucalyptus E. species

Purchased from Garden Fever April 2012

Planted out front in the "crooked pots"

zones 7-11

full sun

blooms late spring - early summer (hasn't yet - no real change)

sometimes called "Cider Gum"

24-36" tall

considered an "herb" - grown for it's essential oil

direct seeding not recommended - start indoors

Rhododendron

 

Rhododendron

located by the front door

came with the house

Rhododendrons have shallow roots - even large rhodies roots are no deeper than a shovel depth

Pinch off spent blooms to encourage growth. This works! Just snap the blooms off in the center of the cluster, but wear gloves because they are sticky!

There was a pair of bumblebees that worked on this plant exclusively for nearly two weeks. First there was just one, but he brought a friend a few days later! Early June 2012.

Sundance Mexican Orange

Sundance Mexican Orange
Choisya temata

(Choy-see-uh ter-NAY-tuh)
Purchased from Tony's Garden Center on Holgate March 2012

planted by fence by front door

$6.99 x 3

Shrub

6-8' tall x 6-8' wide

full sun

blooms mid spring with white flowers (hasn't bloomed as of yet, but has grown several inches taller with offshoots)

propagation from hard wood cuttings

flowers are hermaphrodite and are pollenated by bees

 

Silver Sage

Silver Sage
Salvia argenta

aka "Ugly Fuzzy Plant"

spikes of yellow flowers are supposed to appear after the second year, but I read this plant only lives two years...

"short lived" perennial

needs excellent drainage

full sun biennial

"Hobbit's Foot"

If shoots appear on the sides they can be removed with roots to produce another generation of plants. Can also be allowed to flower and set seeds which will result in new seedlings.

Planted summer 2010 by the deck

heat and drought tolerant

grows 18-24" tall

First photo taken May 2012 - second photo taken June 2012

photo taken June 29, 2012

Photo taken July 03, 2012

photo taken July 22, 2012

I "staked" this plant up last night and put

Diatomaceous earth around it to keep the slugs at bay. We'll see!

Sweet Alyssum

Sweet Alyssum

Lobularia maritima

Planted by the front door by Ella from seeds last summer. This is the first year we've seen them. Worth the 33 cents from a packet of seeds from Wal-Greens.

With sweet alyssum flowers give the plants a good "haircut" with a pair of scissors when they start to get leggy (remove about 1/2 of the growth): not only will this care promote further flowering, but it will also keep the plants optimally compact. Sweet alyssum sometimes re-seeds.

Annual

Attracts butterflies

Photo taken June 2012

Alyssum was used in folk medicine -- where they were regarded as antidotes to rabies. 

Propogates by seed

Early spring bloomer

Plant in full sun to partial shade

Zones 4-10

Hardy to 32 degrees F

Creeping Bellflower

Creeping Bellflower
Campanula rapunculoides


Shade tolerant
Perennial
Was not planted - it is a weed!
May have came from a seed in wild bird food
Photo taken June 2012