2012-04-14 Around the Yard

The yard is getting planted right now. It's taking a great number of hours just to put everything in the ground, then mulch and then sod! I hope to have everything on that list done in no more than 3 weeks. We'll see.

In the GH, several Leucadendron sessile are blooming. This is a male plant. The female has cones. I find it very strange that the three plants that are blooming are all male... are the male seedlings more vigorous in my climate (which is different than in South Africa)? Are they just the first to bloom? Anyhow, they actually have quite a nice sweet fragrance! Somewhat musty as an aftertaste, though. I also had Ld microcephalum blooming, which looks quite similar.


My little 2yr old Leucadendron modestum bloomed with half a dozen flowers. It's a boy.


Also in the greenhouse, a new Grevillea.


My Tulipa vvedenskyi. It would be great if I could get this thing planted...


I have two Calochortus blooming now. First is Calochortus albus, a little fairy lantern.


Second is Calochortus uniflorus, which has a nice color.


A thingy from Southern Oregon from seed... Arabis aculeolata I think. Someday it will be big enough to be noticed by people, not just me. Also had Arabis koehleri blooming.


The Drosera have started to bloom. I've planted all of these out in the bog, where they will be annuals... I have too many and they reproduce like weeds.


I have several Protea which are just about open! Protea nana. This plant is only 9 inches tall from seed started in Fall 2009.


Protea compacta.


Protea burchellii is opening! It has 3 flowers and is about a meter tall.


A nice little maroon Pulsatilla vulgaris I got at the hardy plant sale at the Expo center a week ago.


Corydalis "Blue Heron" is quite blue!


Kalmiopsis leachiana "Umpqua Form". I hope I can keep this one alive.


I just got a Rhododendron edgeworthii and planted it in a very protected site. Hopefully it will be enough to keep it alive. Incredibly fragrant! BTW, since we have dense clay soil, I planted this thing essentially on top of the ground and then just mounded mulch around it. Since this is an epiphytic species, the clay would probably kill it. It's also planted partially under an eve which reduces the winter water anyhow. I also have Rhododendron 'Coastal Spice', a hyrbid of edgeworthii, which isn't blooming this year, planted under the eve and close to the house. I don't know if I should treat this in a similar way, but it's just behind the drip line of the eve, so it should only be kept evenly moist and not wet over the winter. These two Rhodies are only hardy to +10F or so.


My two Lewisia tweedyi are open with dozens of flowers/buds. I never noticed, but one is light pink and one is peach. This is the pinker of the two.


The bog got planted, after I divided my Sarracenias. There are also a couple species of orchid (soon to be more) and a Lilium pardalinum in there too. I sprinkled the surface with Mimulus douglasii seeds. Pretty cool. Sorry for the bad photo... It's just an iPhone shot.