Euphorbia myrsinites flowering & Hosta 'June'

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This opened a few days ago.

It's actually the only thing that bridges the flower gap between Daffodils and Dwarf Iris.



Euphorbia myrsinites

The blues and yellows play off beautifully with my Hosta 'June' while the sharp texture of the Euphorbia is a nice contrast to the larger leaves of the Hosta.



Hosta 'June'

Consider this a bonus post for the previous wall of text. I have my computer hooked up to my mom's monitor/keyboard/mouse/speakers etc. and it's working well enough right now (I did clean it out a little while it was on the move and that may have helped). I'm going to try to get lots of pictures taken and cleaned up while at the same time backing up a lot of files onto an external drive. I have all day off tomorrow (last day off on a weekend probably until mid to late June) so I should be able to get a lot done. It sounds like it'll be a really nice day so we'll see...

So...

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My computer may or may not be dead again. I imagine I'll replace it this time just because it's doing this all the time now and I don't want to wait until it finally dies for good and I lose everything I have on it.

I was extremely lucky today to get to go on a growers tour with a number of store managers and department supervisors (I guess if I have a title it would be assistant supervisor at best, that's the description anyway whether there's a title or not. Everyone else there outranked me) and corporate higher ups.

It was a fun day that started at 7:15 AM (the drive started at 6:00) and ended at 5:00 PM (home at 6:00). Ok other than being very long and starting very early it was a fun day...

Long story short:

Cappuccino Petunias. Everyone is divided one whether we like them or not now that we've seen them grown out and in person. They seem fairly variable. Sometimes more pink, sometimes more white. I think they're interesting up close but have little impact from a distance. I think using these as filler rather than the focus would be a good approach with these. I saw them in a container with pink... verbena? (I'm not up with my annuals but I think that was it) and bacopa. It was a nice blend but a little subdued. I think I prefer them more on the white side as well. The pink look muddy.

BBQ skewers. There is an alternative to making our plants boring. One supplier has solved the question of how to make Ivy Geraniums look good on the bench in pots by sticking a skewer in the pot and clipping off the top. That's it. 4.5" pot = 1 skewer, bigger pot and plant = more. You can't see the skewer and the plant looks fantastic. Fantastic idea. (None of our growers are moving towards these plants. We like 'em big and floppy as long as they still look full. We also deal primarily with local growers so ship-ability is not a huge concern and in some cases (Passion Flower, Mandevilla, Bougainvillea etc.) with specialists who are growing the plants they love because they love them, not so they can ship them across North America.

Sideshow (TM) Osteospermum and some Pelargoniums (I don't recall the name). Similar to the usual only more round and full rather than upright. In the case of the Osteospermums this leads to plants able to form a ball shape, the Pelargoniums apparently trail a bit like an Ivy Geranium but look like a Zonal Geranium? I need to look up more information on these... And any grower who carries hanging baskets of only Sweet Potato Vine... You can be pretty sure that's the one that's going to trail.

Hosta 'White Feather' & 'London Fog.' So cool.

Heuchera 'Plum Royal' & 'Sugar Plum.' Very nice. Both seem to be purple with a silver overlay on the leaf.

Senecio vitalis 'Chalky Blue Fingers' & Aeonium 'Kiwi.' I should be able to get both of these easily. Prefer the Aeonium but thoughts on each?

I have a small number of pictures but they'll have to wait because I'm blogging on my mom's computer.

New Plant: Iris 'Marksman'

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The second of my new plant purchases for this year. Nice yellow colour with an orange beard that really pops.



Iris 'Marksman'

Grows to around a foot or so tall. This will likely end up planted under my Hydrangea 'Kyushu' standard in my front yard.

Perennial Container for Shade

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I made up a shade container today using mostly perennials to put in our shade perennial area to showcase some of the options for colour and texture in a shady (in this case moist) area. If someone wants to buy it good for them (it's $130) but otherwise I'm happy enough to keep this as a display piece.



The container. Heucherella 'Spotlight' in the background, Tiarella sp. behind that.

I used:

Hakonechloa macra 'All Gold'

Hosta 'Earth Angel'

Astilbe 'Fireberry' (in bud but absolutely loaded with buds)

Chasmanthium latifolium

Heuchera x Bressingham (at the back, barely visible but the hot pink flowers will really show in a few days when they open)

Hedra helix cv.

The best part about this (in my opinion) is that you could take all these plants properly spaced and in larger numbers with a few extras here or there and have a pretty good plant list for an interesting shade garden. I'd personally substitute Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola' (we haven't been able to keep it on the shelves this year and barely had any of the 'All Gold' still around) and possibly go for a larger growing Astilbe, and probably add in an Actea 'Hillside Black Beauty' for later season interest and even more fun with foliage. Odds are when the Astilbe finishes I'll replace it with Actea 'Hillside Black Beauty' in the container anyway.

New Plant: Sedum album 'Faro Form'

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We've been getting a ton of perennials in over the past little while and that means lots of things that are really nice that I think I need to buy.

Fortunately these are all hardy plants that I can keep outside year round and not have to worry about at all winter and even better most are $5 or less.

First of these I'll write about is Sedum album 'Faro Form,' an adorable tiny Sedum I fell in love with at first sight.



Sedum album 'Faro Form.' That's a 4" pot.


Sedum album 'Faro Form,' closeup.

It's supposed to be the red colour in winter and summer (but green in spring and fall?) and stay less than 1" tall at maturity.

Plants like this will make up the bulk of my purchases this year as they're cheap, interesting and can fill small spaces between larger plants I already have.

Kalanchoe 'Pearl Bells'

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This most recent succulent was a gift. It's a Kalanchoe 'Pearl Bells' and my first Kalanchoe. I can't say I've ever been seriously tempted by a Kalanchoe before and I'm not generally one to buy a plant for the flowers but I'm not one to turn down a free plant so here we are.



Kalanchoe 'Pearl Bells'

It's nice enough I guess. It'll take a lot from it to make it a favourite of mine though. The leaves are boring but the flowers are a nice colour and it looks like it should keep flowering for a while from the size of some of the buds so that's a plus. Wonder how easy it'll be to re-bloom though?

New succulents

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I've recently gotten a few new succulents.



Echeveria cv.

One new Echeveria. It's a touch etiolated but I imagine that's fixable. It's fairly compact at the tip, it's just got a long stem leading up to the good parts. Just pot it deeper into the soil? Cut it off and re-root and see if the stem will re-sprout? It's got some nice colour to it. The lower leaves were badly wilted when I got it but I gave it a good soak and they've plumped almost right up. The soil it's in right now is really bad though because of the way it pulls together when dry.



Haworthia sp.

Another new Haworthia. No ID on it and I haven't really gone looking yet. It's nice though. All the conversation starting ability of its windowed leaves with none of the difficulty of Lithops etc.

I've read that Echeveria and Haworthia both prefer some shade during mid afternoon but otherwise like lots of sun? Would that be a fair assessment? Water when dry for both as well?

I've also gotten a small offset from a nice blue Echeveria that seems to grow to about 4" across and offsets readily. Also about 3 small stem cuttings from a Sedum morganianum and a good sized piece of Sedum burrito that fell off a hanging basket when it was being unpacked. Even if they root quickly it will be a long time before I've got anything of note out of them. I've got time though. And I'd rather not pay $35 for a 6-8" hanging basket. Especially when there's an agave geminiflora that I'd much rather pay well to get a good sized specimen than something like a Sedum.

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, April 2010

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Honestly I would have expected a little more for April's Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day this month. It was apparently not meant to be.



Daffodils. You've seen this picture here before. You've seen Daffodils before. Nothing overly exciting here.

There are many things still flowering that were flowering in March and actually everything I posted in February is either still flowering or is flowering again.



Pansy. I've got the tag somewhere still with the name. Not overly important though I'd say. I do like this one though and it will probably end up in my summer containers too.

My Paphiopedilum and both Phalaenopsis and that have been flowering for the past two months have not changed even a little bit. Each and every flower is still holding on, still looking as perfect as they did when they had just opened.

I've fallen a little bit out of love with Saintpaulia 'Ma's Crime Scene.' The flowers are a fantastic colour and the leaves are perfect but they flowers are thick, and heavy. Individual flowers last over three weeks but they are not held strongly over the plant and that ruins the overall effect.



Another Pansy.

Daffodils and Pansies are all that are blooming outside. Crocus came and went, too late for March, too early for April. My Euphorbia myrsinites is so close to flowering, some stems are just starting to open up at the tips but it will likely be another week before it's putting on its best show. By May there should be a few more things, a very large patch of Dwarf Iris that will be shrinking this summer should be flowering. Can't say there will actually be too much more than that, I think I've got my garden geared towards a strong June that doesn't let up until snow falls rather than have too much space devoted to spring plants.

Trillium cvv.

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Last year I brought home some interesting Trilliums from work (Along with a Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Arisaema sp., though I suspect a squirrel got it as I've seen no signs of life from that spot and there's been a lot of digging in that area) after they went dormant and were starting to look a little like empty pots of soil (not usually fast sellers at that point!).

They seem to have made it through the winter and a spring of being uncovered by squirrels and reburied by me as I found holes all over the place. I now have three different varieties in my shade garden.



This is my oldest, I believe it may be Trillium erectum, though I've lost the tag long ago. This picture is from last spring.


Trillium sessile 'Red Toad' - Love those leaves! I have three four (One has a tiny offset growing beside it. If I remember right it was there last year too when it was planted.)of these growing.


Trillium recurvatum 'Purple Prairie' - Nice leaf but more green than 'Red Toad.' I have two of these, by the looks of things. I'll replace this picture once it's open more, and maybe the second one will be bigger? It's still curled up. (There's also a vigorous Turtle Head (Chelone obliqua) that's asking to be trimmed back a little right beside it.)

My experience from the first I planted (remaining of three planted) is that if they are not dug up in their first year (as the other two were) they'll be left alone from then onwards. They're also very slow to start spreading.

And Always buy your Trilliums from reputable growers who have not dug up wild Trilliums from forests. They are slow to spread and damage from harvesting may take several years for the patch to fully recover (when left alone) and also never pick a Trillium flower or cut back the foliage prematurely.

New cactus - Opuntia sp.

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Opuntia sp.

It looks like the supplier we get our hardy cactus from grows them from seed or something. We got two flats in sometime over the last two days and there was some big variation between the plants! A lot of them looked very similar to the one I already have but I did find one with nice big spines (some in excess of an inch) and some fantastic purple winter colour. Of course I have nowhere to put it. So? It's joining my succulent bowl until I can figure something out. Also joining the group was a tiny bit of Delosperma nubigenum that I'm not sure if I want to unleash on my garden.

I'll be finding somewhere to plant most of these well before winter. Cutting of most of them but the cactus in full. Unless there's some easy way to winter them like "toss the whole thing dry in an unheated garage and forget about it until the temperatures rise." That would be nice.

Succulent bowls

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I found two 12" shallow clay pots in my garage I'm planting up with succulents this summer. So far costs are staying low by using donated cuttings and found scraps.

Here are the early parts of the first bowl, with a Sempervivum cultivar that's been shared around and around on the street - it's a large growing type that is extremely prolific. A decent sized patch will end up with several blooming plants each year but will fill in before you notice a hole once they're done flowering. The whole plant turns dark red over the winter (you can still see some of the colour at the tips) and keeps some of the colour over the summer. I also have a few cuttings off an unknown Sedum (Sedum rupestre? It does look very much like a blue form of 'Angelina' - maybe 'Blue Spruce?'). I'll probably be planting some of this around the base of my Clematis alongside my Hosta 'June' - the blues can play off each other well and the textures will contrast beautifully.



Sedum rupestre 'Blue Spruce'

I think I'll be picking up a bag of Pea Gravel for a top dressing. I'm thinking about adding in a little pot of ice plant (Delosperma sp.) and a different looking 'Sempervivum' as well ('Oddity' or 'Cobweb' or something like that). Either the same or a different Sedum will round things out on the other side of the pot. I guess I could include a non-succulent drought tolerant plant like Woolly Thyme as well. It's good practice I guess because I'll be doing up containers like this with hardy succulents at work. I can try different combinations there too (and price is really no big deal). It's nice having succulents that would typically be low ground covers in a container where they can be appreciated up close.



Sempervivum cv. Click to view larger to see the adorable little spines along the leaves and another picture here.

I'm thinking of going more tropical with the second container with Echeveria, Sedum, and maybe a Kalanchoe thyrsiflora. Maybe some random unlabeled succulents I can get for something like $4 each plus cuttings to fill.

Pretty Euphorbia myrsinites picture

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Euphorbia myrsinites

Even though I decided I would be getting rid of this plant it's been looking better by the day since the weather warmed up. I'm now undecided again.

I have been doing some reading though and this is apparently a pretty bad one for the intensely irritating and potentially dangerous latex. I should get rid of this plant for the nephew I guess. He's getting old enough and curious enough about things it could be a problem. I've been pruning mine with care but without gloves for the past 5 years and apparently I've been lucky and never come into direct contact with the latex.

Maybe I'll solve all my problems by getting rid of the Euphorbia and replacing it with a Sedum morganianum instead of the cactus or orchid... plus I'll be freeing up about a 3' diameter patch of my garden in full sun...

Ok, decided again, this has to go, but after it finishes flowering.

Cornus mas 'Golden Glory'

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Attractive yellow flowers in April lead to relatively large red fruit in the fall giving this Dogwood the common name "Cornelian Cherry."



Cornus mas 'Golden Glory'

These don't seem overly popular and I'm not sure why. I haven't seen a large specimen of this so it's a little hard for me to judge how it performs but it can't be much worse than a Forsythia and those things are everywhere!

Hakonechloa macra 'Fubuki'

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Joseph posted a link to a page about Hakonechloa macra 'Fubuki' (Japanese for "Snow Storm") and wow I need it. I'm not sure if any of our suppliers will be growing it (this year at least) because none of them mentioned it but I guess I could get lucky.

It's a fantastic alternative to the more common yellow and green forms or (shudder) the all gold type. In other pictures it seems to be more of a soft cream colour rather than a pure white. I think I like that better.

If I am able to get my hands on it you'll definitely be seeing some pictures.

Now where to put it...

Epipremnum 'Pearls and Jade'

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When I first saw this at work I thought it was probably 'N'Joy' - saw today it is actually a cultivar called 'Pearls and Jade.'



Epipremnum 'Pearls and Jade'

Edit: someone found this page by Googling "Are pothos n' joy and pothos pearls and jade the same?" and if you're here for the same reason - the short answer is no, they are different.

'N'Joy' seems to have solid patches of colour while 'Pearls and Jade' more closely resembles 'Marble Queen' with splotches of colour marking a leaf with the same texture as 'N'Joy.' They are similar due to their texture but different in their markings.

What's Going On & Garden Decisions (& More!)

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Sorry for not posting as much as I might have wanted to. (Edit - apparently I tried to make up for it today? Sorry for the wall of text!) I had three days off from work while the weather was absolutely fantastic and I spent it outside, getting my yard clean and tidy. Beds edged, lawn leveled, newly leveled areas seeded, training my cat* and so on.

* She will run out of the house at the slightest opportunity. Rather than try to keep her from doing this at all I'm going to teach her that she's allowed to go outside and stay on the patio and will not get in trouble. So far it's working, when she gets out she'll lie down and roll over a few times instead of bolting for the fence. This is excellent for all involved. She's an indoor cat but she hates that so much. This is a good compromise. The other cat is not sure what to make of outside. Hasn't tried it and we're 100% keeping it that way.

I have a flower outside! A Daffodil was the first thing to open this year. Many more to come. It beat our 3 crocuses (getting moved to warmer ground) and a bunch of long past their prime Tulips which I don't think have flowered in years and are getting tossed very soon.



Daffodils flowering. This is not the patch that's flowering. And that was last year. Gets the point across. This particular patch looks like it'll be spectacular this year when it finally does open.

My Clematis 'Rebecca' is sending up many new shoots from ground level and starting to leaf out from the lowest part of the stems. There are smaller buds further up but they're not doing much yet. I thinned it down to a few main branches up high though I suppose I could have cut it back much further, it blooms on new growth though I'll be able to get good height from it this year by letting it grow off last years branches.

Speaking of vines I also gave my Hall's Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica its first major haircut in 5 years. It looks pretty sparse right now but it's leafing out fast and I know it'll recover in no time. I left a few thick branches on the trellis - by the time it's flowering I'm not sure if this pruning will even be noticeable.

My favourite Rose (NOID Red, as I call it) is growing. There was apparently zero dieback on it. It's growing all the way to the tips. I will have to cut it back though unfortunately. Not enough room to let it take over. (Did I mention that is still has last years dried leaves and flowers on it from last December when it was still flowering and had not shown a hint of mildew, black spot or yellowing leaves? If I knew its name I'd be telling you all to go out and buy 5 but right now I do not.)

Oh, and I guess we had Tarragon overwinter. Yay I suppose? It's in a pot I'd rather be growing Tomatoes in but I guess I can't complain. I guess I've missed prime Tomato sowing time? I guess I'll do that tomorrow. Tomatoes have got to be my favourite easy to grow "vegetable."

I guess we're at a lot of What's Going On but not many Decisions? Well Artemisia abrotanum is first on my list



Artemisia abrotanum. Not my plant.
(Photo by Kurt Stueber used under CC license).

It has been taking up a lot of space where it is. The idea had been to screen the air conditioner with it but long story saved for its own post not happening. It will be moved to two very tricky spots and likely ultimately thinned to just one (probably).

Euphorbia myrsinites has to go I think. I will miss it greatly but it doesn't justify the space it takes up. I might try to squeeze it in somewhere else but... we'll see. It's hard enough giving up a plant I don't like, and I actually like this one.

And in other news... 11 hour shift, spring must be here. Fantastic weather recently has brought people out in huge numbers. I spent today doing up containers. I will continue tomorrow. There are only so many ways to combine Pansies and Primulas. Ah well. It's better than some things I could be doing.

Oh, as for the theme it will stay as is for now. I've updated the header to include the variety that was in the older header and lets me keep the colours I love. It's still likely to change soon but I can live with the current theme a lot longer.

But wait there's more! The storm that I think was supposed to hit on Tuesday is here now and it came on fast and suddenly there's wind (and a wind warning!), and cool air, and a bit of rain (there's that full on rain smell in the air though and it's fantastic. I know it's not that hot yet but it's too hot too fast. Lets enjoy spring first.