Possible planning (nonwork) party?

And the cream separator pan, which needs a better planting combination. Right now theres a prostrate rosemary, a hen and chicks (that is unhappy), and a sad little Helianthemum that just never took off.

You have such beautiful flowers, Carla. That's a good milk can idea, too.

Oh thanks so much, I just can't wait until they look like that again, don't we wish there were flowers blooming outside all year long. I guess that is what we have cameras for, maybe if they were always there we would take them for granted...not.... it would just mean we could have more!

Your cream separator pan would be wonderful on top of your milk can!

I just bought some "Rustoleum" spray paint for mine and still am having a hard time deciding to paint or not to paint.
I bought a yellow and a green paint. I am painting the adirondack lime green and the bench bright orange, but I am still pondering the cans being painted?

I like the specked rusty look, but it will be a sad day when they become too full of rust holes to hold plants. Maybe if you painted geometric designs or something on top of the base coat, so it would be artistic in a different way.

I am afraid of them getting rusted beyond hope, maybe I will think of something....I could paint flowers on them, you know the big bold 60's hippie flowers...lol now that might be the way to go...

That would be kind of fun, and provide year round bloom :o)

This message was edited Mar 11, 2008 8:12 PM

Good point and that is the generation I am from.... So it would be appropriate...My DH will die, he already says I am a hippie...

Boy, those antiques look great in your gardens, both!!

Holly, please include me in your lottery trip. And I'll start buying tickets again, too, with the same thought. Wouldn't that be cool?

Sheri - idea for the entrance to your QAW:

Check out Colocasia, one called Black Magic. They are tubers and are now being sold in the box stores/nurseries. They are commonly known as elephants Ears - they get sizable, depending on the particular one you select. You could purchase 2 sets & plant in 2 large pots, one for each side of the entrance. They are a purplish green & look fantastic with reds /oranges/golden yellow/chartreuse. Plants of this color could be positioned in the ground around & in front of the large pots.
Another thing to check out is Phormium. Tall to short & spiky. Again - they come in a variety of striped to plain green/plain bronzy red, and would look good with the aforementioned colours. Just a thought.

http://www.parkseed.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StoreCatalogDisplay?storeId=10101&catalogId=10101&langId=-1&mainPage=prod2working&ItemId=41251&cid=ppp000920

http://www.easytogrowbulbs.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=75

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://plants.thompson-morgan.com/pix/m/plants/4/4941.jpg&imgrefurl=http://plants.thompson-morgan.com/uk/en/product/4941/1%3FSA%3D1303&h=114&w=114&sz=19&tbnid=58Bx3ZPSCnoJ:&tbnh=114&tbnw=114&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=1&ct=image&cd=2

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://plants.thompson-morgan.com/pix/m/plants/5/5448.jpg&imgrefurl=http://plants.thompson-morgan.com/product/5448/1&h=114&w=114&sz=24&tbnid=TzleUR-5eHYJ:&tbnh=114&tbnw=114&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=1&ct=image&cd=3

http://www.rainyside.com/features/plant_gallery/perennials/Phormium_tenax.html

Today in Snohomish I saw a milk can for $15!! I am still kicking myself for not buying it!! Even had the lid off! But did get yummy apple crumb pie from the bakery! I hope it is there tommorow, I'll have three then, two to trade!!

I have one as well - but the lid is on tight, and it was painted green . . . DH used it as an ash tray on the deck. Now that he's not smoking, I'd sure like to get that lid off and use it properly . . . in the garden, as surely they were intended to be used!

http://woodedpaths.blogspot.com/2007/04/cornus-mas-cornelian-cherry.html

Here's another of my favorite spring-bloomers - cornus mas. Firevicar (the Green Elephant guy) might be able to get you one of those, if you're interested.

I have two with the lids on and if anyone knows a good way of getting one off gets one!

The only problem I have with phormium is that they take a lickin' when we have extreme rain and freeze. Mine imploded and took a couple of years to come back. Otherwise, they're coold and give you nice contrasting leaf and growth shape.

I need to research the Internet and see what I can find to get those milk can lids off. Has anybody tried the regular old WD-40?

Hey remember I want a shade area!! I see podphyllums and arisaemas popping up with heucheralla and ferns. And a few alocasia wentiis for contrast.I would like to plant a field of erynglum planum just to see what it would look like! Gotta find a cool spot for some wow color!

Gordon - make sure you get more apple crumb pie when you go back...
I went to Wells Medina today, totally on the spur of the moment. Glad I did, because i am now the proud owner of Acanthus 'Tasmanian Angel' (whoa - $eriou$), a Dodecathion I've been looking for the past few years, Primula beesiana, Corydalis 'ensign', and a stunning sky-blue Pulmonaria. I found some smaller Pinus strobus 'blue shag', but at $75 for a 2 gallon pot decided to leave it there. No Edgeworthia - the other one sold!
So nice to see my favourite Nursery filling up & everything budding out.
There are some gorgeous Enkianthus & a beautiful Cornus mas (more $$$).
Yep - they stayed, too...

You left the Blue Shag? You've been pining over that (pun intended) for awhle. I'm impressed.

That Tasmanian Angel seems to be popular and sounds beautiful. Ooooooh, Corydalis and Pulmonaria - I've been waiting for them to take off here. They are so nice when they've spread.

Sounds like good stuff, Kate!!

OOh I want the Cornus mas!! How much was it Katye? I can't go this week but Tues. next would be good. Time to dump $100 somewhere, I have a horrible addiction going on!!

You'll need a bit more for the Cornus, Gordon. The one i looked at was a beaut - about 5' tall. But, you could always drop some uber-dollars on one of the Manolia grandiflora at $895.
Makes the Pinus strobus look pretty cheap!
Hey Gordon, i will try hard to meet up with you next Tuesday. My problem is meetings: I don't always know when they will be. It looks good right now - so, digits crossed.

Well I haven't been there in awhile and heard they have gotten new plants in. I will be there a good hour looking around pulling my cart, hopefuly without the umbrella! Hope to see you!

Kate,
A Corydalis that I have never seen, yummy! I'm looking in the plant files and only finding Blue Ensign Pulmonaria which is gorgeous and I have added it to my "want list" but there is no listing for a Corydalis "ensign." I also did a google and dogpile search with no avail! Help I'm dying to see what it looks like!

Katye and Kathy ~ Thanks for the links. Katye...I LOVE the Colocasia "black magic" ~ way cool. Couple of things for me, though. I am not interested in grasses (maybe in a small bed or two for texture), nor any kind of palm or yucca looking things. I grew up in coastal southern California and then lived 8 years in Arizona. If I never see another palm or yucca it will be far too soon! Kathy ~ The cornus mas is really nice. How do you think it would look interspersed with the flowering currant? I see really light splashes of yellow and red together.

This message was edited Mar 12, 2008 6:16 AM

I don't have a milk jug, but with all the talk about them, I have a not realy sure what it is, it has a square glass container, with a screw on lid that has a grear handle with two wooden pattles that go into the container, need to find where I put it and take a pic, always wonder what it was.
Maybe one of you do.

Sounds like a butter churn, Tils. Ewww, they are lovely.

I agree with Laurie sounds like a butter churn. Way to pretty to put outside in my opinion but then again my entire kitchen is decorated in old kitchen utensils!

My kitchen in Lynnwood was old kitchen utensils, they are in the attic now waiting for a new kitchen. This kitchen is too small for all my goodies, I put in my pitchers and chickens here. One of my milk cans was in the kitchen in Lynnwood too.
Maybe when we move to AZ I will have room for them!

A butter Churn, I thought so, no I would never put it out side. but can't find it I think I stored it when I redid the kitchen and its out in the barn.

Rach - this is what happens when you get old - you hurry because your days are numbered. Caffeine does not improve the situation. Youu are right-o.
Corydalis 'Elata' and Pulmonaria 'Blue Ensign'.
Sorry for the confusion.....but I AM confusing.

That's why we love you so darn much Kate! Thanks for clearing it up. Now I have to go and have a look Elata :0)

Just quickly checking in to say the 17th sounds good to me and I think the idea is Fab! We can check in w/Laurie and Murmur on line during the day.

NWGordon, don't give up on that abutilon. The cultivars will generally die back to the roots over the winter, but they will come back. Only thing is they don't get very big that way. If yours comes back I recommend you dig it up next fall and pot it for over the winter. Then it will stay nice and large and blooming size.

Ummm, you do remember that I am in a different time zone? I may be a tad sleepy when you ask "whaddaya' think?" For instance, while it is 8 a.m. here, and I am about to go out to dig, you, my friends are tucked up warm and toasty and dreaming about plants - this could be interesting though.

Laurie ~ some of my best and most creative ideas have come when I am a tad bit sleepy or, even more so, in my dreams. So, my dear, that's no excuse! {= )

Oh yes, I remember! But I thought maybe there might be an hour or so of overlap. Or we could at least post interim comments like we did at my house.

We could do all three, sleepy hour overlaps with interim updates sounds good to me! Stamp approve!

I'm concerned that your DH will fear for your sanity if you are getting up to check on gardening progress in the PNW US. You are a dedicated friend, that's for sure, Laurie.

He snores, he'll never noticed. (And besides, a bit of madness in an analyst always makes interesting moments - I will be in good company).

True - madness is not far from brilliance, they say. I did hear something on NPR about an energy analyst's predictions the other day. Puts it in a different context, knowing one (even if there are a couple of degrees of separation).

I will tell him that you thought of him.

I fully intend to get over there and meet both of you one day. Just so you know . . .

P.S. Always imagine these messages as little sparks zipping through the cables underneath the states and then the Atlantic and then through the English Channel. I'm just old enough to appreciate the magic of the technology. Zowie.

And the technical terms: Zowie. Perfect.

I do love the image of that boat they used to lay the first transatlantic cable - but what I have always wanted to know, who was responsible for splicing the cable when it came to the end of the spool - don't you think he/she (probably a he) was one of the great unsung heroes? It wasn't as if they could go back along the line and find the lose wire if it hadn't worked.

Marvellous, bloomin' marvellous.

Katie, you would be very welcome.

It is now 8p.m., and I am going to have some dinner and, as you so elegantly put it, an adult beverage of choice.