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

Blue Macro Ruby Monday, January 27, 2014

Welcome to my Monday post.   I didn't manage to post last week, still waiting for a new camera and also bogged down trying to decide on a smartphone plan and phones.   If anyone wants to mention their favorite phone that would be fun.   Today I am linking with-

Blue Monday hosted by Smiling Sally

Macro Monday 2 hosted by Gemma Wiseman

I Heart Macro hosted by Laura

Ruby Tuesday Too hosted by Gemma Wiseman

It turned out that Mandarin Orange Monday is taking a break but I forgot to change my title before I posted so I couldn't change it.

Still dreaming of Spring, some irascible but dainty and colorful blue flowers that never fail to return,  aptly named Forget-Me-Nots,

But indoors I have a little orchid blooming, Maxillaria sanguinea, the flowers are only 1" across-

 My plants that I started Nov. 15 are now getting quite large, challenging my ability to keep them in good shape until they can  be planted out to hopefully bloom much earlier, Coreopsis 'Sunburst', Monarda citriodora, and Browallia speciosa-

Grass Side Oats Grama, Monarda punctata, and Echinacea 'Bravado', with one tiny Phygelius, second from the right on the bottom row-

And I will wrap up with a couple of shots of my energetic cat Celeste, who wouldn't be still for a good shot but kept walking back and forth, we were both enjoying some nice sunny weather outdoors-

So, my Spring countdown is now at 52 days, and I need to be deciding on my tomato line-up this year and get the seeds sprouting in some zip-lock bags.  I got some 60-day stratified seeds out of the refrigerator today and found Eupatorium maculatum had a couple of tiny sprouts coming up, so I'm glad I got them out!    Hannah

or cameras are macro

Phyllostachys nuda, Favorite Plant Pick of the Week, January 26, 2014

My favorite plant pick of the week is Phyllostachys nuda.   It is a running bamboo, and as such is suitable for large areas or grown in a barrier in a neighborhood.   I find that without getting any supplemental water in the summer, it does not run far for me, but has increased over the years, probably around 10, to quite a clump.   It yields all the stakes I could want and more.   It is very cheery in the winter to look out on all the desolation of the brownness of the deciduous fruit trees and see the sprightly green of the bamboo.

Closer

Culms

Leaves

To view other people's favorite plant picks of the week also, go to hostess Loree's Danger Garden blog and also see the entries in the comments section.

Hannah

Blue Macro Mandarin Orange Monday, January 13, 2014

Welcome to my Monday post, I still have not received my camera on order so I have to use existing photos.   I am linking with-

Blue Monday hosted by Smiling Sally

Macro Monday 2 hosted by Gemma Wiseman

Mandarin Orange Monday hosted by Lorik

I Heart Macro hosted by Laura

Continuing with my Dreams of Spring, Anchusa azureum-

Cooky Geum-

Tulip Praestans unicum variegata, which is my longest lasting species tulip, coming back every year and looking smashing, but not seeming to multiply.

My favorite venue for shopping plant bargains from a lot of nurseries, the Home and Garden Fair, here an exhibit with typical Pacific Northwest landscaping and a nice cozy fire ring that would feel good right now.   I saw people building these on YouTube but also read that concrete could break down or explode from the moisture in the bricks getting hot, so don't know if this design really works long-term, though it is very neat looking-

And pursuing another winter pastime, another hat I knitted, with random stitches-

I hope you are keeping warm and toasty this winter, my spring countdown is at 66 days, can't wait.

-Hannah

or cameras are macro

Blue Macro Monday January 6, 2014

Welcome to my first Monday post of the new year, today I am linking with-

Blue Monday hosted by Smiling Sally

Macro Monday 2 hosted by Gemma Wiseman

I Heart Macro hosted by Laura

Mandarin Orange Monday hosted by Lorik

Monday Mellow Yellows hosted by Gemma Wiseman

Tonight it will be below freezing again, but then we are supposed to be due some of that Pacific Northwest mild winter weather consisting of rain with clouds that insulate the ground and raise the temperatures above freezing.   Winter has not taken long to be tiresome so I am going to indulge in some Dreams of Spring, visions of some flowers that I am awaiting.

Primroses-

Hellebores, whose down-facing flowers hide interesting interiors-

Tahiti-

I am temporarily without a camera but expect a new one soon, it will be fun to see what develops!

Happy New Year, Hannah

or cameras are macro