Blue Macro Monday, Garden Blogger's Bloom Day, February 17, 2014

Welcome to my Monday post.  Today I am linking with-

Blue Monday hosted by Smiling Sally

Macro Monday 2 hosted by Gemma Wiseman

I Heart Macro hosted by Laura

I'm late but Garden Blogger's Bloom Day still seems open, join Carol to see what's blooming in other gardens at May Dreams Gardens.

Borage, favored by bees and capable of reseeding every year, not currently blooming,

I finally had some time to look around outside and didn't expect to find hellebores blooming because the ones in my front yard only have buds.   These include my old H. niger and orientalis, and my new last year fancy new varieties from Winter Gardens- Winter Moonbeam only showed a few stems lying rootless on the ground,  and Hellebore Gold Collection Pink Beauty and Pink Frost had only a few buds, as did Pink Marble from Skagit Gardens, but in the back Skagit Gardens Winter Jewels Apricot Blush was blooming-

As were Winter Jewels Cherry Blossom-

And the tall purple Royal Heritage-

So, in addition the Hazelnut trees are blooming.    I saw a few little buds so far on the Snowdrops, they were just planted last year so I hope over time they will make nice patches.

The spring countdown is at 31 days, so I hope especially for those on the East Coast, that winter will graciously bow out and allow us to get back to our usual weather.  -Hannah

or cameras are macro

Blue Macro Mellow Yellow Monday, February 10, 2014

Welcome to my Monday post.  This comes right after a heavy winter snowstorm, more than 9" of snow.  Linking today with-

Blue Monday hosted by Smiling Sally

Macro Monday 2 hosted by Gemma Wiseman

I Heart Macro hosted by Laura

Monday Mellow Yellows hosted by Gemma Wiseman

First something to warm you up, a quilted Betta from last summer's fair-

Glowing peach rose from last fall's visit to the Portland Rose Garden-

Now those snow photos you have been waiting for, my house surrounded by foreboding sentinels, Western Red Cedar-

And the view to the southeast-

The plants that keep the winter green, Rhododendrons looking elegant in the snow with twisty branches-

Leaves pointed downward in the cold-

The tangle of apple and plum trees too large to prune easily, these are Semi-Dwarf that apparently do not know what that means!!!  Moving here from California I pictured a nice row of around 6' tall trees-

And to make up for all the deciduous drabness, the wonderful Phyllostachys nuda bamboo-

That concludes my snow photos for this week, I hope the snow will go soon, as transportation has been very affected, and my new phone and sim card are delayed on their way.  Stay warm!

Hannah

Sasa kurilensis, Favorite Plant Pick of the Week, February 7, 2014

My favorite plant pick this week is another bamboo, a dainty slow grower that doesn't make an inpenetrable jungle like my last pick Phyllostachys nuda.   Sasa kurilensis shimofuri variegata is known as the most northern-growing bamboo and comes from the Kurile Islands of Japan and the Sakhalin Island of Russia.   It has large leaves with fine white lines, lengthwise.   It likes shade to keep the leaves from burning.

I have dug some of the outlying canes and transplanted them elsewhere, I hope they will start to do well but get more sun and probably were not watered enough last year when trying to establish.

Here it is in the current snow storm-

Hopefully it will spring back up.  You can see the canes are not very thick, so not a bamboo you would grow for stakes.

To see other people's favorite plant picks, visit hostess Loree's Danger Garden blog, and see the comments section for links.

Think snow (melting)!   -Hannah