Thanks to everyone who contributed so much valuable information in the comments section of the last post. I certainly learned a lot from all of you. And a special thanks to Donna who helped advertise the giveaway and chose our winner, Grace Peterson.
Gardeners are a very generous bunch, there is no doubt. Several people wrote in from other parts of the world; in particular climates somewhat like mine were well represented: Janet on the Anglesey Coast of Wales, Catherine in Ireland, Angie in Scotland, and Laura from London. Also, many of you on the East Coast are familiar with the conditions I have with the garden bed in question, so you knew what to recommend.
There is a long way to go yet—I want to see what comes up by itself in the shade bed as the weather warms—but I’ve already made a few purchases as you can see. Thankfully, these new plants are hunkered down in the garage during this wicked Portland weather we’ve been having.
The idea of camillias was perfect and I found a beauty, a spring cultivar called Fred Knudson, with a perfect deep red bloom. I was also excited to discover how much I liked the Skimmia Japonica, the male plant only, with its gorgeous tight clusters of flowers. The photo doesn’t do it justice. Now I’m on a tear to try and find that native red columbine that Tammy at Casa Mariposa wrote about. I’m also looking into a lacecap hydrangea called Hydrangea Serrata Blue Billow, a tough variety that was first discovered clinging to a wooded slope of a Korean mountain. This is said to account for its hardiness. I’d like to replace some of my mangy looking hydrangeas with this variety. (This is not for the new bed, just for the strip between lawns.) Anybody have any practical experience with it?
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I had a chuckle over the number of friends expressing worry about the dahlias. My explanation wasn’t clear enough, so thanks to all of you dahlia-lovers who were concerned. Here is a photo of my perennial bed where the dahlias are planted, and a few pictures of my favorites, just to help get us past the February blas. Spring WILL be here before we know it. Then full-on summer and our bright blowzy dahlias.
Be sure to click on the photos of the dahlias to enlarge them and really see their beauty.
So, forget how gray it is outside and just drink in these colors. See? You feel better already don’t you?
On another subject, the beginning of the year seems like a good time to go over a few of the details of the blog and how it is set-up. Since I put a lot of care into photographs, please note that all photos will enlarge if you double click on them. (By the way, this is especially fun if you go back to the article on barging in France because it ends up looking like 3-D, as though you were on the river navigating the barge yourself.
If you double click on the front of the boat, the image will fill the screen and you can go left, right…you can pretend you are piloting the barge. Ah, go ahead and play around–it’s fun.
The second thing to note is that I made a conscious choice to make comments easy for readers. Many blogs have a lot of hoops to jump through. Here, there are no special characters you need to type, no proof needed that you are a human and not a computer. There is only one thing, and it is minor. The first comment needs to be cleared by me as administrator; thereafter your comments will appear automatically.
Finally, please keep in mind that I am always interested in guest authors and if you have an idea to run by me, please write to me at: srtroccolo at gmail dot com with your idea.
Finally, we’ve had some hiccups with the link between the subscribe fields and the application that actually puts you on the list as a subscriber. If this has happened to you, please let me know at the above address and I’ll manually subscribe you until we get it fixed.
That’s all the news that’s fit to print today. I’ve been invited to join a collaboration of women creatives at Vision & Verb.com. This site has a great mission. Next time, I’ll tell you about it.
Until then, thanks again for your fabulous ideas. I’ll keep you in the loop as the garden grows.
I am so ready to hop onto that barge right now! Bluestone Perennials has the red columbine. :o) They have healthy, affordable plants. I love that little skimmia. I’ve heard its a tough plant. Love the camellia, too. I don’t have a good spot for either, unfortunately. I’m so glad other bloggers were able to help you with your design dilemma. It’s always good to have another perspective to consider.
I should have known that you would go and look at the barge photo and play around a bit! You are a playful, happy person and it’s always fun to have you visit and to check out Your blog too. So, Bluestone Perennials huh? Okay then, I’m off to google them now and place an order. I also think I might buy another Skimmia and make a triad of those mixed in with the white hellebores. I was so appreciative of the help, I can’t tell you. I learned a great deal thanks to all of you.
Helping you was a joy! I’ve added Barge Around France to my mental list of Stuff I Want To Do. 🙂 I will be at the Bloggers Fling in July. I hope to meet you!
How lovely to hear you all excited about the new planting, that is a wonderfully deep red colour on the camellia. Enjoy!
Hi Janet, yes it is a gorgeous camellia. I think I may get another to create more mass in the space where I need the height. Thanks much for stopping by and enjoying my adventure–I sure enjoy following you on the Angelsey Coast. It transports me to another world and reminds me of many happy travels in the UK. There is so much more to see though–I’ve never been to Wales.
It will be fun watching the shade bed evolve. I’ve got columbine on my list too. I just love the delicacy of that little flower.
Hi Susan, I’m going to try ordering from Bluestone, but there must be a place closer to us. I’ll let you know the results of my search. I must have five different columbine–some very large and prolific–including a pure white one that is gorgeous, but the idea that this one is a true native pleases me. Now that I’m thinking about it though, Columbine is the state flower of Colorado and their “native” is a deep blue and white variety I think. Must be lots of natives relative to native of WHAT?!? -:))
Susie, the dahlia queen! Now I want your readers to go to http://www.lightheartedtravel.com and search for “Swan Island Dahlias” so they can see your post about the wonderful festival and the great photos. Anyone who sees that picture of you with the dahlias will be charmed.
The camellia and skimmia look lovely. I have male and female skimmia japonica, so the female produces beautiful red berries, as well as white flowers. You might try that too. Happy gardening around the world.
Yes indeed, happy gardening around the world. Honestly, I had no idea Marilyn. The following is passionate and it’s really fun. I just encouraged one gal below, KL in New Jersey, to check out your link and I hope she does. That story is a favorite of mine because it really shares the wonderful way dahlias have of blooming their little hearts out for you until the very end. I love that in a flower, it’s a treasure. I did see the Skimmia berries, but just chickened out because they are really poisonous. I doubt any self-respecting bird would eat a berry that would hurt it, but we have a few neighborhood dogs who are lacking in the neuron department.
Susie, maybe you know that I am not a gardener, so, no suggestions from me. But had to try the dahlia effect, as I clicked the first one becoming huge on my screen I could not help but feel my breathing deepen and a soft smile spreading in my being, a few seconds of simple and immediate bliss. Thank you!
I’m so glad you did that Marisol! I know you only view the blog on your Phone and I’m glad to hear that the app is scalable enough to work the way it should. Yes, it is totally those reds and oranges that I love in the middle of the summer and then the dahlias have the additional benefit of blooming through the fall, giving me such great autumn bouquets.
I love your perennial garden with the Dahlias. Please post more pictures of it, from various angles, telling us what all the plants are there and how you designed it. I have already copied down that picture to study it more. The camellias and skimmia look beautiful. Can’t wait to see more of your photos.
Hi KL, For a few more photos of my perennial bed earlier in the spring, check out: http://www.life-change-compost.com/whats-growing-now-spring-in-one-portland-garden/ That is when all the iris and many peonies are out. In the photo, the peonies are just beginning. To be honest, I didn’t do a “garden plan” of that perennial bed per se. I just began to add perennials that I liked, then one day I went out to the dahlia beds in Canby and fell in love. As you see, for summer, I go with the “hot” colors of the dahlias. The Rudbeckia has also naturalized and provides a major background for all that color. Then, I use English cottage garden flowers like low mounding Dianthus in the front. Also Coreopsis and lots of Lavender. There are two colors of delphinium–deep blue and a lighter blue that will bloom twice if I cut them to the ground after the first growth. And roses, lots of roses. Sometime I’ll post a large scale shot of the back yard, but please do check out Marilyn’s link (above) for my story about dahlias. I love them and you’ll read why.
The Bloggers Fling will be in Portland this July!! I’m going! Go to http://www.rhonestreetgardens.com.
I tried to sign up, but the list appears to be closed! Anyway, I wrote to the guy who manages the site and said, “Hey”, I’m already here in Portland….just a newbie to blogging, and I just found out about your fling thing. Maybe he’ll take pity on me -:)
maybe Pam @ Digging can help to find a place for you?
Oh, I’m so glad you found a camellia to go in this area! The red is lovely. And I love the skimmia japonica! Your dahlias are fabulous. That entire bed looks like a wonderful display of cheerful color and beautiful blooms. And yes, I do feel better after seeing that delightful display. 🙂
Hi Holley–I’m so glad. That’s what that bed does for me too. I wanted a cutting garden and it’s pretty much worked out that way. Wasn’t it you who suggested the camillia? I can’t tell you what a great idea it was. When I went to our top nursery, the sheer volume of camillias knocked my socks off. I had a hard time choosing between spring and fall cultivars. But the spring won me over because we really need it then (we have a lot of color into the fall here.) It is a great red, isn’t it?
I checked out the swan island link and I am now searching the farm for Dahlia. I originally come from India and there Dahlia can grow like weed. I remember gigantic Dahlia — which I am yet to see here — blooming here and there. So, your all these posts have now reminded me of home and I am going to search the internet and Swan Lake farm for huge dahlias :-). Thanks for the inspiration and information.
KL, you will be very happy working with Swan Island Dahlias. They are very reputable people and will offer guarantees on their dahlias to some extent. When we had a bad storm here in 2008, Swan Island replaced all my dahlias that I had purchased from them that year. And you should see the grounds! Really an amazing place, they ship dahlias around the world. I didn’t realize that dahlias grew so large in India, but it makes perfect sense. You will be feeding something special in your heritage by growing them in your own garden here, it sounds wonderful.
Love the choices so far Susie…glad Tammy got you hooked up with Bluestone. Great place to find the columbine. I was so happy to be part of this project. Can’t wait to see how your garden grows as spring warmth comes. I fear we are in for a long winter with little thaw and color except white….another 1.5 feet on top of the 2 feet…the white snow walls are closing in. 🙁
Thanks Donna–the whole thing worked out very well didn’t it? I did check out the Bluestone site and I liked it very much. Boy, I hope the east coast gets some good weather soon–you have really been in the bulls eye all winter long. I’ll be hoping for a nice spring for you, you deserve it.
Yes we need a break soon….at least in the Southern states it warms up and melts…here it stays cold and piles up…
My experience is that gardeners are very generous with their knowledge and so are birders…. Hmmm… People who love nature want to share the love. Thank you the kind comments on my blog… And I am going to think toward my garden…. Michelle
Hi Michelle, thanks for writing in. It is sure true in my experience as well–people who love nature DO seem to want to share their knowledge, experiences, lessons learned. There is a clear sense that if we don’t take care of it, there is no guarantee that it will always be there as we’ve known it.
I bet those Skimmia blossoms are blooming now, aren’t they? Have you taken a whiff of that scent? It’s so divine! I always snip a sprig to bring indoors. Between it, the hyacinths and Daphne my bedroom smells like sweet dreams.
I hope to finally put the heat mat to work this weekend with seed starting. Thank you again for your generosity. I am really looking forward to watching your spade bed come to life. Have a great weekend.
Hi Grace–thanks so much for stopping by. After I got your message, I went out to snip a bit of the Skimmia, but it isn’t doing much yet. I think it will take a little time for it to adapt to its new home. But…yes….the hyacinths and daffs; the fragrance is sweet dreams for sure. Hope you started some seeds this weekend, the perfect weather really makes you want to work outside too doesn’t it?
How could Grace NOT win. Ha! Someday, I will tour her garden in person.
I’ve had fun poking around your blog. I’m in Portland, as well, and blog at Rindy Mae. This time of year, the posts tend toward the garden. I can’t help it, I’m a wee bit obsessed. But I throw in the occasion kid photos (three of the little monsters reside here), and my other obsession, food.
I’m adding your blog to my reader – looking forward to following along.
Welcome Mindy! It’s great to see another Portland gardener visiting the blog. I will repay the favor for sure! I can relate to the love of gardens and food; you will find a few humorous pieces on food. Here is one to get you started:
http://www.culinate.com/articles/first_person/when_an_oeuf_is_enough
Plus I’ll throw your name in the hat for winning Grace’s book.