The Earth Laughs in Flowers

Hi guys. I hope you're all doing well. 

You know those times when you need to fix something but you're not sure how? Especially when it's a garden project, you don't want strictly utilitarian. You want it to serve its purpose, yes, but also be aestetic, eye candy. Well, after letting a garden-related dilemma percolate in my head all summer, not to mention for the past several years, I finally figured it out. Thanks to my gifted and talented son, the project is well underway and I'll be showing you all photos when it's all done. Teaser: It's rusty!

But for now, the bloomers:  

I thought it was kind of sweet how this Actaea ramosa 'Atropurpurea' blossom
decided to cozy up to a stem of  Leycesteria formosa 'Golden Lantern'

New to me this year is Tricyrtis ohsumiensis 'Lemon Twist'. Typically, I'm not a yellow flower
gardener and I bought it because of the spotted foliage but the flowers are sweet too.

I know I go on ad nauseum about the hardy Fuchsias but come on!
Tell me these aren't gorgeous.
Fuchsia 'Baby Ann'

Little 'Delta's Angelique' Fuchsia is blooming its head off.
The flowers are about two inches long. So cute.

Diascia integerrimus and 'Jolly Bee' Geranium look cute together.

This is the gorgeous Begonia fuschianoides that my gal pal
Mindy Northrop gave me. Another prolific bloomer!

Thank you, Mindy!

The fall-blooming Japanese Anemones have just started.
This one is Anemone japonica 'Prinz Heinrich'

I was pleased to see the Wine Cups make an encore presentation.
Callirhoe involucrata

Dahlia 'Fatima' one of my new favorites!

Allium spirale or Allium senescens var. 'Glaucum' ... I'm not sure which
but it hardly matters. The bees are happy and that's what matters.

Cyclamen hederafolium are blooming all over the place.

Shhh... someone is sleeping.

The only way I can catch a hummingbird photo.

I hope your waning gardening days are happy and fulfilling. 

It's Blooming!

My post this week is not just about a few of the bloomers in my garden. There is a Part Two below.

But first 

~~ Part One ~~

A new plant for me, Rehmannia elata or Chinese Foxglove.

I saw it blooming here at Sebright Gardens last summer and having it in my garden became an obsession. 

From a plant sale last year, Lychnis coronaria 'Angel's Blush'

Oenothera pallida or White Evening Primrose (and bee!)

Anemone 'Wild Swan' a newbie for me this year. I got it at Dancing Oaks.

Anemone 'Wild Swan' blooms from spring until fall!

Meadow Rue Thalictrum aquilegifolium -- such pretty fluffs. 

Mimulus and clashing Viola... oh well. 

I'm a bit in awe of  the many species of perennial Bachelor Buttons.
This one is new this year, Centaurea carnia 'Caramia'

Rosa 'Bonica'... her first bloom of 2015. 

~~ Now for Part Two ~~

Last Saturday, my gardening gal pal from Portland,  Mindy Northrup and her dear sweet mother, Donna Stanley drove down to Albany to go nursery s/hopping. Wow, did we have fun! I didn't take any photos until we got to Dancing Oaks--our final destination--and spied this fabulous Gas Plant Dictamnus albus 'Purpuresens'. And we're talking fab....u...lous...!

I've been aware of this plant for a long time but because I try to focus on summer-blooming plants as opposed to spring-bloomers, I've ignored it. But after seeing it in living color, ooh, la, la.... So, just when I thought I didn't "need" any more plants... my new obsession. Check it out. 

It's like a Gaura on steroids. 

Do you grow Gas Plant and if so, could you please share you experiences and/or tips for success? Thanks! I bought one at Dancing Oaks but it's very small and probably won't bloom for a few years. 

Lorquin's Admiral Butterfly also at Dancing Oaks. 

Finally, I have to share my gifts. Dear Mindy brought me this super healthy Begonia in this very cool, vintage pot. (She knows how I love vintage!)

This photo doesn't do it justice. It's big the leaves are perfection.
It's just getting ready to bloom.
And guess what color the flowers are. Yep. PINK!!!

And Donna, bless her heart, also gave me a plant. This Haworthia (pictured below) is affectionately called "The Grandma Porter Plant." Here's what Mindy told me about it: "That Haworthia has made the rounds. The mama plant belonged to my dad's grandma which is why we've always called it, "The Grandma Porter Plant." My mom got a piece of it a zillion years ago and I think everyone she knows has gotten a start of it given to them. I have a pot of it in my living room." 

I feel so honored to also have a piece of Grandma Porter's plant. I bet she was a great gardener. 

Haworthia: The Grandma Porter Plant

A huge major THANK YOU to Mindy and Donna! 

Mindy took photos of my garden. You can see them on Mindy's delightful and entertaining blog. Click here.

Yard Crasher: My Sister's Garden

My online, talented friend Mindy Northrup uses the term "Yard Crasher" to identify her blog posts about other people's gardens. I don't want to steal her term, but I kind of am anyway. Sorry Mindy. 

This is my sister Laura's brand new garden in Woodburn, Oregon. Purchased just this last April, Laura has already created a cute and whimsical cottage garden in her postage stamp-sized backyard. 

Here are some photos I took (rather hastily) last Saturday when I finally had a chance to drive up and visit her. 

This sign hangs on what is now the skeleton of a wrongly-placed, oversized Alberta spruce. 

Yes, the love of pink runs in the family.
Laura said she'll be removing the plant tags after she finishes making her map. 

A mature Butterfly Bush growing in the corner protected a vulnerable Star Jasmine from the
ravages of our record-cold winter. It has new leaves but hasn't started blooming quite yet.

Laura's property abuts a golf course. Nice to see all that complementary green.
There is a nicely sized, thick conifer not too far from the fence. We could hear birds chirping away in it.

This island bed in the center, just off the patio, is chock full of plant goodies. 

Here it is from another angle. 

Don't you love this rusty old stove? The stories it could tell. 

I have one in my garden too but it isn't nearly this cool. 

My sister is really good at placing her garden art. 

Why is it my Red-Veined Sorrel has never looked this good? 

Happy little faces. 

Terra cotta love. 

Here is a thriving Daphne 'Summer Ice.' 

Geranium phaeum blossoms

Verbascum

White Delphinium 

Foxglove,  Digitalis cv. 

More Digitalis and a pink clemmy neighbor.

Geranium 'Midnight Reiter' and Viola 'Hearthrob' working their magic. 

Simple, common Alyssum looks fabulous in this vintage container.

What I think are the chocolate leaves of Geranium 'Orkney Cherry'
contrast beautifully with  Golden Feverfew foliage. (Tanacetum parthenium 'Aureum') 

Pink Argyranthemum always makes me smile. 

I love these Sedum compositions. 

Rusty, vintage pots work so beautifully for housing Sedums, don't you think? 

My sister wasn't sure of this plant's identity. I did a Google search and I think it's Silene pendula
Do I need to have this plant? YES!

One of the plants on my wish list is Astrantia maxima.
This would be the fault of Scott of Rhone Street Gardens and his inspiring photos.
My sister has beat me to it. 

Laura used to own a farm in Baker City where live chickens roamed and ranged.
Now a city girl, she has these more appropriate cuties. 

And this sweet family too. 

And then there's Ma and Pa with the Portulaca hairdos. 

I'm a sucker for a cool vintage lantern. So is my sister. 

I wanted to steal this cool plant stand. 

This one looked a little too heavy to lift so I just drooled. 

I love this! 

Laura's Cerinthe major is blooming. I might have
to ask her for a few seeds. 

I love Gaura in any form but this variety,
'Passionate Rainbow' doesn't need to bloom.

Love this bench. 

Oops... an empty pot. But not for long, I bet.

See the photo of green lettuce on my sidebar? It is a link to my sister's awesome vegetable growing website. If you're looking for information or just feel like browsing, please feel free to click on it.

This past weekend was the open house for the five nurseries on the Cascade Nursery Trail so Laura and I decided we'd go exploring! However, we only made it to two of the five nurseries, Out in the Garden Nursery in Molalla and Secret Garden Growers outside of Canby, (Oregon). Part of the reason for that is because we got sidetracked by other nurseries that weren't on this "trail." Below are the few photos I took of Secret Garden Growers. I was too distracted to get any photos at the other nurseries. 

I love Horse Chestnut or Red Buckeye. I think this is Aesculus pavia
which is a smaller species--a large shrub rather than the more common 40 foot tall tree. 

My Podophyllum pleianthum was a no-show this year
which made me covet this one all the more. 

A gorgeous clump of Impatiens omeiana. 

I don't know what this is. It was growing in the grass.
Nicely sculptured isn't it? 

I hope you're not only enjoying your own garden, 

but having fun crashing other yards too.