Poppyless in Seattle (well, Woodinville, really)

lol - he knows what i like !! looking at plant catalogs in bed

Poor guy!! LOL!! Yes, I think Plant Porn is an appropriate term in some ways!

Humm... maybe we should recommend a lovely Morning Glory loin cloth for him to wear to bed to get your attention??? LOL

haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! that gave me a good laugh.... I am NOT going to tell him your suggestion, tho!

PLANT PORN!!!!!!!! That's it exactly! I have a stack on the window sill next to the bath tub where I hot up the tub AT LEAST twice thumbing through them - (I never thought about the fact that I generally read my catalogues in the buff). And there is always at least one hanging off the side of the bathroom sink that partially slipped into the bath while I was marking a must-have. Do you know that pencils don't work as well after they have fallen in a hot bath. They take a while to get going again - I keep two.

psychw2 - your life sounds definately multi-tasking. I think a good dose of magazining is prescribed, maybe you could work it into your mood management group work - then it could be a work expense - surely a bit of anger management could be 'find some me time', and there you go, what could be more me-ish than a good magazine.

Pix, I'm really surprised that your grocery stores have such sparse literary offerings. Shall I have a word with them and tell them that they just are not pulling their weight? Surely it is a public service to offer us a good choice of reading matter while we wait - when were you ever in a dentist's office without a selection of magazines? Although I do know what you mean about the tabloids - fascinating - and I have exactly that thought "how did they come up with this" - sadly I have that same thought with most journalism - but the tabloids are the real format! At least they are wild enough to make me laugh. Now off to look up Fine Gardening and Garden Design - I like the idea of a tool man article ( I stumbled on a web site the other day, Rob's garden - or was it Bob's garden? oh well, one of those guy names - and he had the funniest section on being in love with his shredder, this guy was utterly besotted to the point of giving it a pet name!), and I want to see the words that Hinkley uses - I find his mood article on his website a bit flimsy. But I do like his book.

Laurie - excellent suggestion, I need a stack next to the tub! I always take showers, but that sounds very relaxing - I'll bring 2 pencils :)

RTP - use a pen!

I have a magazine rack on the back of the bathroom door. It is filled with gardening mags, books, and catalogs plus paper and writing utensils. I do garden notes in the bathroom. No one dares interrupt me. The problem I have in the bath is when my glasses get steamed up by the hot water. That is really annoying!
Laurie, I think that mr. Hinkely doesn't spend much time on his website. No wonder. He is one busy guy with all his other writing and speaking engagements, not to mention his new position for Monrovia plants as their 'plant hunter'. His last article was on the downside of tissue culture as a way to reproduce plants cheaply, quickly, and easily. He was mourning the demise of the small, independant nursery due to the competition of the 'big box' stores, at least in the U.S. He has a rather personal interest in this since his Heronswood was closed down. He made some good points about how plants are put on the market before they are well tested in different growing conditions,etc. He uses lots of big words and complicated grammar. I think he just talks that way. I have to think just to understand what he is saying, even if the points he is making are fairly simple. That takes writing talent to be sure! LOL!
Regarding the local Safeway, they have more magazines, but they are not at the checkout counter.

Wasn't today glorious???

Glorious, indeed & hopefully tomorrow will be gloriouser!
My body aches from digging, moving, removing "rock potatoes", and my brain hurts from trying to remember all that I was going to do. I think I changed my plans at least 4 times today, and when i did finish one area - decided that it will stay that way, come hell or high water.
I had to laugh about all the Crocosmia i have.
I was dumbfounded at the speed of growth regarding the &#%@@* peppercress & buttercups: they just move in & take over.
But i loved the sun & warm & the smell of mown grass. My dogs looked as though they were drunk & passed out, sprawling on the lawn.
Yes - it was all glorious, and so good to be able to enjoy.

I do soooooooo agree - I was in Seattle overnight, but headed out this morning, stopping at a little park in Lake Forest Park to take some pictures before I headed to the ferry. I got home before 1:00 and had plans to be outside for hours and hours, but only managed to mow the lawn, do some edging, and fill the bird feeders. But I was gloriously happy just to be outside in the sun!!!

Sounds kind of like my afternoon. I got things done in the yard that I hadn't even thought of when I started the day.

Katye, A plant from my neighbors's yard has just invaded and I think I like it, but I don't know what it is. Do you know of a grassy, small-bulbed plant with pink flowers that look a fair amount like a crocosmia? It's blooming now. (Is there a pink crocosmia?) It's around a foot tall and I think it's in partial shade. (Hard to figure what the light would be like on the other side of the 6' fence).

Susy, I think it's Schizostylis - I absolutely love it . . . it is a bit like Crocosmia, but I don't think it's as invasive, although certainly friendly!!

Murmur, you are absolutely right! I just looked it up in PF and that's definitely it! I hope it does as well on my side of the fence. I just learned that it needs consistently moist soil, so I think I'll have to move them. (I thought they were grass until they came up too easily and I looked more closely and then saw the clump with blooms through the fence) and then I re-planted them elsewhere.

This message was edited Oct 13, 2007 11:49 PM

Susy, they're pretty resilient - I think if you can keep them well watered the first year, they'll be okay.

Somebody please tell me why I'm still up? If I have huge bags under my eyes tomorrow, it's because I'm tired . . . not for any other reason (like age - LOL!!)

Crocosmias come in yellows through gold/orange & into reds with some bicolours. I have never seen pink, but I believe Murmur got it right. the Schiz are blooming now, not invasive - perhaps it is an escapee, seeking refuge in your welcoming garden?
When Crocosmia likes its space, it can really ramp up, but easy to get rid of it: Dig up & give to your friends!

Or have a plant sale and make a dollar or two!!! (Honestly, my girlfriend that I had the sale with this last summer sold a gaillion of them . . . she had some in pots and some just bulbs in bags . . . cracked me up!!!)

Murmur - you are still up because i am still up.
My bones ache & so does my pea-brain!
My eyes are too tired to think about why they're still open...
My dogs are passed out. The canine members, not my feet.

and you keep posting! that's why you're still up!

too much trouble to sell them - I like to share instead.
Divide & deliver. that way, everybody is happy. LOL


This message was edited Oct 13, 2007 11:49 PM

Okay - last post . . . I'm heading to bed!!!

Sleep tight, everyone.

Just skipping back to bathtub reading - katye, I used a pen, my fountain pen (love it) and dropped it in the bath - and turned the bath water a rather odd tone of greyiepurple. Pencils don't do that. I know, a fountain pen is not a great choice - but I am a stickler about what I right with. Pencils are next favoured.

Pix, the trick to glasses in the bath is dip them in the water and then dry them off. won't steam up again. (long experienced bath reader).

I like the idea of a rack on the back of the door - I can reach that. Hmmm,

ha ha ha ! Well, I started a stack next to the tub - took a bath ater planting a bunch of bulbs yesterday. Oh glorious sunshine! what a gorgeous day - hopeully today will be "gloriouser" as Kayte said and I will mow the lawn.

My dh is taking his last long run before the marathon today - then we will hit the Apple Festival at Portland Nursery, I love going there, and haven't been in a while. plus, the apples and pears OH MY!

Missed you all today on the nursery hopping trip! What a load of fun and a load of plants!
Laurie, I will take your advice and dip my glasses next time. I usually spit on them, but it doesn't seem to work. Hmmm.

This weather is fabulous!

Oh, Pix! We are alike - I spit in my swimming goggles, and my DH thinks I am disgusting - his steam up. Prissy.

So, what plants?

We had the same weather as you - excellent. I have started the great leaf grab, raking everything in the lane, I kept getting praise from all who walked by "community spirited", 'if the whole neighbourhood did it...', I just smiled and said, no no, I'm quite enjoying myself - all the time smirking "they're mine, all mine!" - and this is where I came in last year, drawn to the PNW because of the hilarious photo (now who was it) posted of the little hatch back stuffed to the gunnels with leaves.

OOh, I think that photo was jburesh, if I recall correctly. Smart girl, that one.

What plants? Really, the appropriate question is what plants did I NOT get?? I got a stunning Euonymous 'Red ace' that has brilliant scarlet leaves and little purple seed pods with orange seeds (LOVE it!!), two smoke trees - one called Champagne Pink, one called Grace. Both have good fall color on right now. I got a hardy Aristolochia vine, an ornamental grape with bright red leaves, a japanese maple from heronswood (still had the heronswood tag - lots of Heidi's stuff comes from there), Phlox 'david lavender', a japanese hydrangea 'pretty maiden', Euphorbia 'jessie', Mimosa 'summer chocolate' (also from Heronswood), and the plant I really went after: Tetrapanax 'steroidal giant'. Plus Heidi was gracious enough to allow me to cut leaves from her Tetrapanax so I can cast them. If only I didn't have to work all day today and tomorrow!!

mmmmm i'm wiping the drool with my sleeve. I love the Mimosa 'summer chocolate' - have to look up Euonymous 'red ace' that sounds truly amazing !! What a successful trip

Oh and I have continus coggygyria Grace - it is breathtaking this year - it has turned bronzed gold with pink tones! One of my favourites through all its leaf colours (a bit dull on the stem side - but worth waiting for). Excellent choices.

So this is the one year scientific experiment. I know that these shrubs have glorious fall color because I chose them due to the color that they are showing right now. I will plant them and make sure they have good soil. I will water them well during their first year getting their roots established. They will have full sun. Next year if they do not show good fall color, I will know that there is something about the soil that is causing it. I have asked people at every nursery, plus asked the good folks at the Washington State Extension service. Everyone says they do not know the answer. No one thinks that soil nutrients have anything to do with it. But I'm not sure how that can be true since it is the soil nutrients that determine the amount of nutrients in the leaves. Given that, it would seem like my trees would show some signs of ill health if they didn't have adequate nutrition. The other factor is water. We do have dry summers and I have many big douglass fir trees. This year I will choose a few shrubs in the full sun area of the yard and supplement their water supply during the summer months. This year I believe they had more summer water than usual since I never did get brown grass this year. First time ever that I can remember that the grass stayed green all summer long.
I will also drag out my little testing kit and test the soil around a couple of shrubs that do not color up well. If anything is amiss, I will supplement the soil with that nutrient until it tests correctly. Then we shall see.

They're no match for you!! I can just see it, your paper on the seasonal color changes dictated by genes _ and _ in trees and shrubs. You'll be famous.

I'd like a copy.

Hey Pix
I read a article in one of my mags. that states the color of the tree has to do with sugars trapped in the leaves, sunny days and cool nights makes for good fall color, a corky layer develops at the base of leaf stalks shutting down water movement and photosynthesis. could it be they haven't got that? my flame bush which has always turn red at this time of the year has not turn yet. even those around you has, Maybe they got least water than yours did, I'm just guessing!

Tilly, the fall colors here, ESPECIALLY the burning bush, is just beautiful. I keep telling hubby I gotta have one of those burning bushes! And some day with when we have more room outside, a Sweet Gum tree, they are SO beautiful, such wonderful fall color!

My burning bush color is minimal at best - doesnt get enough sun (it used too lol) I tried to move it last spring, but the darn thing is "impacted" in the ground. It was like digging cement.... oh well, I enjoy everyone else's!

Psychw2 - I love the colors of sweet gum, too. They do tend to grow fast and, hence, shear off in the wind, so you'll want to keep it somewhat protected. My parents had a few in the house they used to live in and I'd feel so bad for the trees after a windstorm. They seemed to recover okay, but they looked a little rocky for awhile.

You are right, Tillysrat. It's the sugars that make the leaves turn. And since nutrition determines the quality and amount of sugars (at least I'm guessing that it would), it makes sense to me that it would have something to do with the quality of leaf color.
Since you are all so interested in my little experiment (hey, I was a wildlife ecology major w/emphasis in research in my undergrad work - I spend my life asking questions) I'll take photos of the trees tomorrow and put them on their own special thread. Then next year you can follow along!

Oh, and i was planning on asking the fairies in my yard to help out, too. Do you think that will throw off the research project???

I re-reading the rules: enlisting fairies is totally okay. Just get their names to include in your final paper . . .

Excellent! I will reference them!

...and make sure they put in a good word for us regarding the frequent & necessary sun/blue skies this winter, please & thank you!

Funny.

Oh beautiful picture Kayte!