Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - June 2021 - Astoria Edition

Welcome to my very first Garden Bloggers Bloom Day post from Astoria! No, we haven't moved here permanently, but the garden (at least the south slope I have been slowly converting) is finally flowering enough that I can put together a post for Bloom Day. It's been an arduous process with many lessons learned about deer-resistance, weather surprises, and an infuriating, entrenched population of new-to-me weed species. There's still so much left to do, but let's get to the successes!

Some of the first plants I put into the Astoria garden were multiple rosemary and lavender. I knew herbs would grow fast and be more tolerant of not getting watered regularly, and that they were deer-resistant. I love the unassuming straight species (Lavandula angustifolia and Rosemarinus officinalis) and they have rewarded me by growing robustly.

Here's another simple, happy and deer-resistant small shrub that grows in multiple places in this garden. Santolina chamaecyparissus, or Lavender-Cotton, sports these cheerful yellow button flowers in early summer. They came from Skyler of Tangly Cottage Garden and I learned from her that they should be sheared hard in late winter to keep their shape and prevent sprawl.

I added several Verbena bonariensis this spring after seeing how well one did last year. So far the deer are leaving them mostly alone.

Three Penstemon heterophyllis 'Electric Blue' planted in spring of 2020 came out of winter happier than they went in. They hung on last year after being cropped by deer but so far are avoiding that fate this year. It's great to finally have those intense blue flowers! The hover fly thinks so too.

Penstemon 'Margarita BOP' fared slightly better last year and is coming back with even more flowers this year.

Many of the plants I try in Astoria are courtesy of our twice-yearly Oregon Garden Bloggers plant swap. This Salvia 'Skyscraper Orange' came from Lance of GardenRiots this spring, and the color is fantastic. I hope it likes life in Astoria.

I visited Mary DeNoyer's beautiful open garden last weekend, via my membership in the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon (it’s such a deal, people!) After admiring Digitalis parviflora 'Milk Chocolate' in her garden, I was delighted to check my records and confirm I had the very same cultivar in my Astoria garden.

Cistus obtusifolius is in its third spring here in the garden. Sometimes the deer eat the flowers, and sometimes they don't.

I brought several Libertia peregrinans 'Bronze Sword' out from my Portland garden. They grow well and color up nicely, and the deer seem completely uninterested in them. Win!!

 

I brought all my Kniphofia 'Timothy' plants out to Astoria last spring, because they needed more sun than they were getting in my increasingly shady garden. I guess they like Astoria!

Digitalis purpurea 'Alba', another Blogger plant swap selection, has a nice view of the bay to help it flower.

This Grevillea 'Poorinda Leane' was one of the earliest shrubs I put in. Despite some "pruning" by local deer, it has outpaced their ability to eat it and has been flowering non-stop since November. Such a rewarding addition to the garden!

Lastly, two more lovely bloomers courtesy of Tangly Cottage Garden. Libertia grandiflora is happily thriving and defying the deer.

And Allium christophii provides a big pink punch of color and form near the front door. I need many more of these in Astoria.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day is hosted monthly by the lovely Carol at May Dreams Gardens.

Happy Bloom Day from Astoria, all!

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - May 2021

Dry, dry, dry - that's what most of April and the first half of May has been at Longview Ranch. Never have I had to irrigate as much or as early as this year. And I think the garden is showing the drought already; blooms are fading earlier than usual, too.

But we still have some bright and springlike flowers for this May Bloom Day, starting with the hardest to photograph, Podophyllum ssp. Form A. (the spotted leaves drifting through are actually on Aspidistra lurida 'Ginga'.)

 

Rosa 'Sally Holmes' is in her first, beautiful flush of bloom.

 

Ceanothus 'Victoria' will probably put on more growth now, after removal of the eucalypt that partially shaded her. She's delighting visiting bumblebees.

 

Scilla peruviana is at the apex of bloom.

Luzula nivea is having a very good year. My earliest plants lived in a hotter, drier location and didn't bloom much. These, planted in a shadier spot, are much happier.

Persicaria 'Purple Fantasy'. Who knew it had these cute little flowers?

Eschscholzia californica with the surprise of a particularly nice deep orange version (possibly 'Mikado' from Botanical Interests.)

Loropetalum chinense 'Fire Dance' is coming out of its shell after removal of some cedars that shaded it.

The blooms of Trachycarpus fortunei make a mess every year, but I still love the way they look.

Lewisia columbiana var rupicola (with a few spent dogwood petals as a reality check.)

Iris tenax in the Northwest Territory.

Iris x pacifica 'Simply Wild', with a side of Iris x pacifica 'Meadow Pastels' in a rare white form.

Lastly, Rosa 'Perle d'Or' in all stages of bloom.

As usual, I'm joining the Bloom Day celebration of flowers hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens. You can check out lots more May flowers by visiting her there.

Happy Bloom Day, all!

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - April 2021

I'm celebrating Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day a day late, but with all the color and excitement of a lush spring. After weeks of really cold (for Portland) nights and barely warmer days, we are now into multiple days of warm, dry, sunny weather - not a moment too soon for me. (Permit me to apologize for the burned-out exposures in today's post: it's that very welcome sunshine, but almost impossible to avoid this week. Oh, too bad!)

First, Loropetalum chinense var rubrum 'Sizzling Pink' is taking up the slack from the recently removed Eucalyptus (RIP, E. pauciflora ssp debeuzevilli.)

At the feet of the Loropetalum is this little Rhododendron williamsianum. I bought it for its distinctive leaf shape, but this time of year, it blooms with a few simple pale pink flowers.

Ribes sanguineum is in full flower in the Northwest Territory, delighting us, the bees and the hummingbirds.

Dodecatheon hendersonii is the most welcome spring ephemeral. It's great to see it returning amongst the grand upheavals that have transformed the NW Territory this spring. But that's another post.

Another sweet spring flower is Ipheon uniflorum 'Alberto Castillo'. Compared to a neighbor's vast bank of Ipheon, my one little bloom is underwhelming, but I hope it settles in and reproduces.

 

Three compact Pieris japonica 'Prelude' are in full pure-white flower.

Tricyrtis is a plant I have never had good luck growing. This picture documents my excitement at the first bloom on one little flower head. I hope it's another success this year.

It's Grevillea australis time! You need smell-o-vision for this shrub. I have even had passersby ask me what the scent is, it's so pervasive and lovely. The blossoms are small, but powerful.

Near the Grevillea on my hell strip, poor little Ceanothus 'Valley Violet' struggles on and sports about four blossom heads this year. I love this poor little mite, but I wonder if I shouldn't start over with a new one in a more protected spot; dog and foot traffic have not been kind to it.

Also in the hell strip, my favorite small manzanita hybrid, Arctostaphylos x media 'Martha Ewan', with her surprisingly late-blooming flowers.

 Stop - in the name of Rosemary!

And now the primulas: this is P. seboldii 'Late Snow'.

 Primula 'Hose-in-Hose Yellow'.

And a happy mix of Primula veris and cultivars, mostly courtesy of garden blogger friends.

 In the same shady garden bed, Beesia deltophylla sports its fun, frothy flower stalks.

 Camellia 'April Kiss' is nearly finished, but has been a delight this spring.

One of many impossible-to-photograph Epimedium.

Last, the huckleberries (Vaccinium ovatum) in the front garden enjoyed the late, cool spring. I see huckleberry pancakes in my future later this year.

And that completes the sun-washed survey of blooms for this month. Check out May Dreams Gardens for lots more April flowers from all over.

A belated happy Bloom Day all!

 

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - March 2021

It's Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day at Longview Ranch in my zone 8b, Portland, Oregon garden. Let's see what's out there on this chilly, early spring morning.

My mostly fair-weather garden has had so few blooms recently that I didn't post in January or February. But amazingly, three months after I featured Camellia sasanqua 'Yuletide' in December, it is still blooming - a lot!

 

I have grown a few Hellebores for years, but I finally got smart and planted some seedlings from a Garden Bloggers Swap in a place where I could readily enjoy them from my breakfast room. In this, their third spring, they are coming into beautiful maturity.

We took out a big vine maple (Acer circinatum) a year ago, and I moved Camellia transnokoensis just a few feet into its place. It was still young, and seems to have responded well to the move. I love its airy form and small, delicate blossoms.

 

The grand effort to establish Vinca minor around three big trees in the front garden is at an end. I admit defeat 12 years after I originally planted starts, then 4" and gallon pots over the years. They proved impossible to keep happy or moist enough in summer, and the hundreds of dogs walking past leave their pee-mail all over them on the sidewalk side. I'm just letting it go back to the weedy grass that survives around the trees. Everything can just get mowed and they can duke it out among themselves. This time of year, there's a lovely flush of Vinca bloom on the street side, but it's considered invasive here in Portland (my garden didn't get the memo) and I am done worrying about it. So there!

A NOID Epimedium just coming into bloom in the dust dry shade near my foundation.

Sarcococca hookeriana var. humilis is almost done blooming. It's one of multiple varieties of teeny blossoms at this time of year.

Azara microphylla is another tiny early spring flower. I can barely smell its slight vanilla scent, but the Mulch Man finds it very strong and says it's like smelling vanilla dryer sheets!

My young Acacia pravissima made it through our short arctic event in late February. It's not growing as fast as the last one I lost a few years back, but at least it's trying to bloom.

Daphne 'Eternal Fragrance' is back with blooms this month. She did take a breather in January and February.

Here are a few "almost" blooms in the Northwest Territory. First,  Ozmanthus x. burkwoodii.

 

And Ribes sanguineum is covered in pink buds that will be magnificent in about two weeks.

Euphorbia myrsinites is juicing up the hell strip.

A couple of recent purchases are brightening up the garden as well. Here's Erisimum 'Winter Orchid' - I hope it re-seeds prolifically.

And yes, another Lewisia cotyledon 'Sunset Strain'. I just cannot get enough of this beautiful Northwest native cultivar that features on my blog header. It comes in shades of violet, pink, apricot, salmon, and apparently this wonderfully intense red-orange.

I'll leave you with a super indoor bloom: Clivia miniata 'Belgian Hybrid Orange' is fabulous on a dark early spring day.

Bloom Day is sponsored monthly by Carol at May Dreams Gardens. Pop over there for a little spring pick-me-up!

Happy Bloom Day, all!