Oh, February
Oh, February, you tease me with pretend spring. Then you definately throw depressing chilly, moist climate, even snow showers, my means. High-quality. Time to camp out within the greenhouse, my blissful place I name my midway home. Midway between being inside on a winter’s day and outdoors on a dreamy, heat spring day. Not less than I can sow seeds and pot up rooted hebe cuttings right here, so there is a win for me. Reality be advised, late February into March is actually nearly my least favourite time of the 12 months within the backyard as a result of it is so fickle. It needs to be headed in the direction of spring nevertheless it by no means is and I ought to know this by now. However hope springs everlasting, and yearly I succumb to the temptation of faux spring pondering “That is the 12 months that winter finishes early.” Human nature is fairly humorous that means. However there’s stuff to do! I have a look at all perennials and grasses that want chopping again, a winter’s value of conifer and oak particles to be cleared from the gravel paths (effectively, not an entire winter’s value, I exaggerate), weeding, pruning, planting, spreading wooden chips and gravel and I wish to get on with it. So, this is what’s occurring within the backyard in late February. There are hints of magnificence on the market in addition to a second have a look at the January freeze harm (insert expletives). For a day or three it was within the mid to higher 50’s and oh, my, the bumble bees emerged. There have been many visiting this Arctostaphylos ‘Austin Griffiths’ as there have been on any blooming manzanitas. FM has been dutifully monitoring the daffodil progress within the orchard, fastidiously marking each clump that comes up with a yellow flag in order to not mow over them. It is his passion. Anyhow, he noticed the primary of the bloomers, Narcissus Tête à Tête. Let’s verify on Oscar the Agave parryi var. truncata since his transfer to a sunnier spot final April. He’s recovering effectively and has grown out of a lot of the rot. Throughout the freezing rain occasion las month FM put a plastic tarp over him and it appeared to do the trick.My new Agave ovatifolia ‘Frosty Blue’ bought a bucket over it for the chilly since it is so new within the floor. Seems to be okay however some decrease leaf rot.Agave parryi var neomexicana (I discovered it as merely Agave neomexicana) has been within the floor some 7 years now and appears to be totally hardy.The final of my agaves, Agave bracteosa additionally seems fairly good, no effort made to cowl it in any respect. It appears all of those are fairly darned hardy for me, however the A. ovatifolia will take just a few years within the floor earlier than I’m assured of its hardiness.Arctostaphylos ‘John Dourley’ on the left (can you notice the bumble bee?) and Brachyglottis greyi, each wanting unscathed. In actual fact, arctostaphylos have been so resilient in each freezing rain and warmth waves, I’d simply convert all my backyard over to them. Not likely nevertheless it’s good to have that choice.Arctostaphylos ‘Concord’ on the fitting and A. ‘Pacific Mist’ on the left. The latter is a prostrate, cascading type with particularly blue-ish foliage and tolerates shade higher than others.Arctostaphylos ‘Howard McMinn’ with, sure, one other bumble bee. I am telling you that that alone is sufficient cause to plant these hardy evergreen shrubs. Feeding the native pollinators in February? Examine.The foliage is a bit ratty proper now, however it’ll quickly be overgrown with recent new leaves and conceal the uglies. Plus, the pom poms! They make me blissful. Phlomis russelliana, one other extremely resilient plant I would not do with out.That is turning right into a “most resilient crops in my backyard” submit! Not likely, however I am simply on the market photographing what seems good after our relatively nasty January climate. Teucrium chamaedrys, one other plant I would not do with out. That is earlier than their annual late winter haircut to form them.Juniperis conferta ‘Blue Pacific’ lastly spilling down the sting of the retaining wall of the berm backyard.Indicators of life make me smile. Potentilla atrosanguinea ‘Pink’ simply barely rising.Spiraea thunbergii ‘Ogon’ has had the faintest of leaves for just a few weeks and now it is formally blooming.Saxifraga x geum ‘Dentata’ all the time wanting good within the shade backyard.Daphne odora ‘Aureomarginata’ got here via the winter chill with no seen harm. I planted two Daphne ‘Fragrance Princess’ final summer season and so they survived, although many leaves are sort of burned from the unhealthy climate, in any other case they give the impression of being surprisingly good for being unestablished.Shade backyard foliage that includes Dryopteris sieboldii.Polypodium glycyrrhiza, licorice fern, makes its look within the cooler, wetter months. Dormant in summer season, it is a enjoyable shock yearly when it emerges.Brunnera is developing, such a candy shade plant.To my absolute delight, Schefflera delavayi seems nice, no winter harm some 7 years in. Additionally, it hangs over the north fringe of our property via a deer fence and even the passing deer on the opposite facet depart it alone.Chiastophyllum oppositifolium ‘Jim’s Satisfaction’ is blissful in its tiny little shady world. Not a giant spreader however its allure makes it worthwhile.A second saxifrage this week – this one is S. ‘Primuloides’, one other powerful, evergreen spreader for shade.Mahonia ‘Mushy Caress’ in a pot close to our entrance door got here via the winter chilly unscathed, principally. I’m grateful as so many mates in Portland who develop this had practically complete defoliation.Hebe buxifolia, wanting tremendous within the labyrinth backyard. Nevertheless, nearly three toes away is that this:Hebe diosmifolia, by no means appeared worse. This plant has been on this spot for at the very least 7 years and all the time got here via winter occasions till now. I feel it simply bought too chilly after an up-to-that-point delicate winter. There may be inexperienced on it and it’ll possible recuperate, however ouch. It might come out all collectively. It’s value noting that solely a pair hebes in my backyard suffered. This, a ‘Nice Orme’, in all probability ‘Patty’s Purple’ and a second H. diosmifolia are terrible. The remaining, together with the next, all look utterly unscathed and have confirmed to be completely hardy for me: H. buxifolia, H. cupressoides, H. cupressoides ‘Boughton Dome’, H. glaucophylla, H. purpurea nana, H. ‘Sutherlandii’, H. ‘Karo Golden Esk’, H. recurva ‘Boughton Silver’, H. odora ‘New Zealand Gold’, H. ‘Quicksilver’, H. ‘Pink Edge’, H. rupicola, H. ‘Western Hills’, H. vernicosa, H ‘Wingletye’, H. salicornioides, and H. ‘Hinuera’. And sure, I do know that they’re now reclassified as Veronica. And, sure, I propagated all of them for future plant gross sales. Hooray!Now for extra winter harm:Extra ugly bits. There are just a few phygelius on this space that had been utterly inexperienced earlier than the freeze. Whereas they may actually recuperate (you possibly can’t kill these items), it is disagreeable to take a look at them now.Muhlenbergia rigens is often an evergreen to semi-evergreen grass. They’ve by no means utterly died like this however I’m hopeful they may rebound this spring, in actual fact I might wager on it.Phormium tenax does this yearly. This 12 months it’ll get in the reduction of onerous to start out recent. I totally count on it to recuperate.All my Diplacus aurantiacus appear to be this. There are inexperienced bits, particularly on the base, so they may too possible regrow as they do practically yearly. It is solely in a light winter that they continue to be evergreen in my backyard.Baccharis pilularis has accomplished this for the previous few winters and rebounds utterly. I discover a pair within the gardens at Cistus Nursery the place I work that did the identical factor which, to that time, that they had not. Eucalyptus p. ssp. niphophila, snow gum, was planted in February 2020. Not the very best {photograph} of it however you possibly can see the leaves turned buff coloration, it is by no means accomplished this earlier than. It needs to be hardy to very low temps and has been up till now. I’ve hope for it, nevertheless.Acca sellowiana (syn. Feijoa sellowiana), pineapple guava, did this early in its profession right here at Chickadee Gardens when it was not but established, so this defoliation is not an enormous alarm. I am going to watch it, although, crossing all fingers. It took a few weeks post-winter storm to do that, in different phrases proof of harm was delayed.Ending this submit with one thing a bit extra cheerful, spreading of wooden chips. We bought bored with ready for Chip Drop so FM had just a few yards delivered and he has been faithfully spreading them to newly created backyard beds and refreshing some outdated ones. I’m so appreciative of this as I have not been capable of do a lot with a shoulder harm. Shoulder harm, what? Oh, sure. I believed my practically two-year-old, over-use-because-of-drought-related-hand-watering harm (that I’ve had bodily remedy for) kicked up its nasty heels. One tremendous day a few weeks in the past, excruciating ache emanated from my shoulder and I couldn’t use my proper arm. In any respect. Visions of now not having the ability to backyard scared me. Pressing care, x-rays and most glorious care from The Portland Clinic final week gave me solutions – seems I’ve calcific tendonitis. Who knew it was even a factor? Calcium crystals type within the tendon which might trigger 10 on a scale of 1 – 10 ache. The physician stated I in all probability have had this for some time (would clarify previous shoulder ache) however I did one thing that brought on this Almond Roca-sized crystal to scrape towards my clavicle whereby alternative expletives spewed. However the excellent news isn’t any surgical procedure, and it’ll possible resolve by itself in time. It’s not actually identified why this occurs – not from weight loss plan, for instance. Now I am on the mend, shoulder has improved to virtually full vary of movement, so I’m extremely grateful. Now you already know – crystals can type in your tendons. I solely share this story as a result of one thing tells me I’m not the primary gardener to expertise this and data is energy. I am simply glad this occurred in February; I might be a reasonably feisty complainer had it been prime spring gardening climate. Oh, February, I suppose I forgive you.And now that I am on the mend, I suppose I might higher get on the market and shovel up some wooden chips, rain or no. I am unable to let FM have all of the enjoyable! Oh, gravel, too. Possibly I am going to depart that one to him this go-around.That is a wrap for this week at Chickadee Gardens. As all the time, thanks a lot for studying and commenting, we do love listening to from you and figuring out what you’re as much as in your backyard!
Supply hyperlink
Oh, February, you tease me with pretend spring. Then you definately throw depressing chilly, moist climate, even snow showers, my means. High-quality. Time to camp out within the greenhouse, my blissful place I name my midway home. Midway between being inside on a winter’s day and outdoors on a dreamy,…