Planning Party at Outta's

trientalis borealis - boy, that is a fabulous looking plant Katie - I've never seen it before. Lucky you.

Rache - glad you have it. It is so cute. I have images of some bird migrating south from Canada and stopping to use the loo in my front yard. LOL I really have not had that plant here before, so it's thrilling to imagine how it got here. Laurie - if you promise to remind me to collect the seed in July, I'll send some to you.

Sheri, you are marvellous. I'll have to remember not to shoot my mouth off with the I wants when I'm around you. You have done a lot of work on my behalf. Thank you so much. I wonder if Dunn Gardens would be open (and have free spots) this weekend . . . it's rhody time and must look fabulous. Your DH would be excited about that.

Or we can meet in the middle some where. I don't think I'll be going to the Pt. Defiance F&G show. Mostly becuase it's just too many people in one place.

I stopped by the Green Elephant Church Memorial Garden yesterday on the way home. You guys should check it out next time you're in Redmond. It's very different that what we saw before, with dicentra, hosta, columbine. And there are two variegated dogwoods under there - I wonder if they're Cornus 'Wolfenii' like yours? Maybe I can get some pictures this weekend. I really did get a feel of your Grotto entrance when I was in there - on a smaller scale, of course.

I'd love to hit Dunn Gardens again, but can't this weekend because we'll be in Spokane with the Chile dog trying for his next level trailing title (wish us luck!). Maybe the following weekend? I don't think I'm going to Pt Defiance either but would have were the rest of you going. Personally, I'd rather do Dunn and the GE church again. DH was so smitten with Dunn the first time that I'm sure his jaw would drop now! And, if you're going to collect seeds from that cute little star flower, I'd be happy to relocate of few of them to my place!

Rachel...if you have an abundance of that star flower, perhaps I could find some little spot for it in my QAW? If not an abundance, perhaps some seeds later?

It would be fun to have a group go to the Pt Defiance Flower Show. I've never been to that one.

Sheri - star flower seeds it is. Just don't let me forget.

We'll find a time to get together, I'm sure. Good luck to Chile this coming weekend. Sounds like a long trip, but it'll be exciting to be there. Any Spokane members out there that would like to go cheer Chile along?

Wow, so much has been going on here in our garden-chat home while I have been dealing with the rest of LIFE (which has not been a bed of roses recently). I am so sorry I had to miss your get-together Sherri, though I'm sure, with my lack of garden planning capabilities, I could help you better with weeding. I'm going to try to talk my family into a car trip around the Olympic Peninsula this summer, and we could stop by. Anyway, I did promise you a list of deer resistant plants, which I will work on this week. One of my deer proof shrubs that blooms fabulously about this time is a Ceanothus (Dark Star). Here's a pic. Obviously I have a massive amount of weeding to do, but try to ignore that factor.

Wow. Holly, look at that. It's quite impressive!!!

Hope you are all okay - life is pretty challenging a good portion of the time. You'll let us know if you need an ear, right?

Holly that is just beautiful, Mine I think is to young yet, or its being slow like everything else around here.
This one usually blooms in April. bugs or not.

Hey Sheri - Meant to tell you that Pojar McKinnon Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast says that Fringecup was said to be eaten by woodland elves to improve night vision. So you must have quite a band of elves around there.

Such lovely fringecups! I do love those and they make such excellent groundcover. And the Star flower ! I moved some from the neighbor's yard last year and it came back, so maybe it will take off.

I am free and clear of 4 year old children just now!! I do love Reid, but he is certainly a reminder of why the baby days are well over for me! He finally went home today at around 4:00, just as I was heading off for work work. Although he does entertain himself, it's HOW he entertains himself that keeps me hopping. Needless to say, no gardening got accomplished over the weekend.

Love that ceanothus 'dark star'! It's divine!

I see reference to the Tacoma Flower and Garden show. I generally go to this one because it's fairly small, outside, and has good vendors. There is a group of master gardeners who band together to sell stuff from their yard every year. I've bought several cool things from them. Also, B and D lilies is always there and this is the time when they divide one of their fields of daylilies, so they sell them in bundles for wholesale prices. Very, Very good deals on lilies!

Last year it was pouring down rain for that show. I always like to see the display gardens, too. Last year one of the big vendors who sells extremely overpriced pots and hoity toity plants had a few pot gardens displayed that made me want to scream "Those things will never grow together! Who do you think you are kidding???" Alas, my good manners got in the way.

Still debating whether or not we will go to the Pt Defiance F&G. Gas is pushing 4 bucks a gallon here and we have to go to Spokane next weekend, so that may be our travel budget for the next few months!

Holly ~ Sorry to hear you're having a tough time and I hope life gives you a good turn soon. I love the 'Dark Star.' I've seen it around and have often wondered what it is. Love it and just may have to have it. How is it propagated? BTW...the strawberries I got from you are all doing great...flowers and buds on all of them. Can't thank you enough. My 'Strawberry Fields Forever' potager box is dedicated to you!

Pix ~ Glad you hear you are mini-human free. They are adorable but even cuter when they go home! My baby is 27 and I like it just fine!

Sheri-
I do have an abundance and I would be happy to dig up a patch of star flowers for your QAW. You have dmail :0)

Rachie ROCKS!

Tilly, what a brilliant rhodie, almost need sunglasses, but I bet it lights up your woodland area. Yeah, your ceanothus might just be awaiting warmer weather mine usually blooms earlier than this too.

Sheri, I'm glad the strawberries are doing well. The ones I transplanted into a different bed are beginning to flower, and I am debating whether or not to pick off all the blooms the first year so they will put energy into the roots instead of making berries. That is what many books advise, but it seems the poor things just keep trying to do their thing and pump out more flowers. Am I frustrating them or helping them in the long run?
Don't know how to propagate ceanothus, but if it can be done by cuttings I will have plenty when I prune and any and all are more than welcome to some of it.

Pixy, Is the Point Defiance F & G the same thing as the Tacoma F & G, or are these 2 separate events? I would love to get some daylilies.

My immediate family is fine in all the most important ways, generally decent health and a roof over our heads. My DH's father is not doing so well and had to go into a nursing home last week, so he left to go visit him for a week. Of course all types of mechanical problems cropped up at his work the day before he was trying to leave, so it's been rather chaotic. Then I find out that my teenage son is close to failing his English class and hasn't asked for help. Arghhhh.

Hang in there Holly, go out and smell some of your flowers, it always makes me feel better.

Holly. I hope all is well. so missed you.
Annie gave me so many Lily's, but I think its to late to divide them now.
would love to share them with you, I think some where met for you anyway. I have them, but now they are in the ground, I didn't have any big pots to plant them in they where all in bags had to plant them, LOL easy to dig up. But you are going to have to come visit me to get them, LOL
I may have some other babies you might want.

Another place. They are around the Montbretia. thats the big one in the middle.

I think it's the same show. It's the one in June, which is later than most. B and D lilies sent out an email yesterday. They are having their landscaping bundle sale. This may be the same thing they sell at the show, but i'm not sure:
http://www.bdlilies.com/2008daysale.html

Holly - So sorry that life is knocking you around. Hang in there.

Holly, hang in there. This too will pass. Sorry to hear about your father in law. Know how you feel about teenage sons who don't ask for help! Some of them never out grow it! I'll bet he can turn the grade around, though. Now that you know about it, that is!!

Sheri - check out this skunk cabbage in England posted by someone to the PlantID forum:

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=5030922

I'm passing on any gifts of that plant. No, thank you , no.

Kathy ~ That's awesome! I'm going to have to trek down to the swamp and see how ours is doing!

Okay...went there, and ours it about as high as that one. They are higher toward the middle of the swamp, but for some reason DH didn't want to trek out to the middle! Anyway, here he is with a near one.

And here's the latest panorama. The astilbe-type plant is really taking over the whole area.

I think those are the largest skunk cabbage I have ever seen. You must have an ideal location for them.

Grandpa is doing better, still has muscle (back) pain after a fall, but an MRI indicated no broken vertebrae, which was apparently one of the concerns. DH got there in time for a review of treatment plan with his care team, stayed to keep him company for the week and visited with several other relatives as well. Son is doing better as well, checking in with me on a regular basis for the next few weeks. THANKS for all the kindness and concern. You are a great bunch of people.

I am going to list deer resistant plants in another thread so that it will be easily accessible to anyone interested.

Awesome Holly ~ Did you see the strawberry plants you gave me on the "what's blooming in your backyard, part 2" thread? They're doing great. The wooly thyme, on the other hand, did not fare as well. =:::(

Oops ~ forgot to add the pic here! Didn't want you to have to dig through the thread!

Holly, please let you dh know I'm so glad that things with his father are going well. Great news about the MRI.

And it sounds like you and your son have worked out a great deal - lesson learned there for him, I suppose. Parents are always hard on you. Sometimes they can actually help, if you give them half a chance. LOL

Sheri, awesome photo again. I just love that scene. You'll have to get seasonal pictures of Tim with the skunk cabbage - you can call it his skunk cabbage series . . . mine is hanging in there. I keep it wet, but I think it's lonely for more skunk cabbage. Or maybe for that Astilbe-like plant. Does anybody out there know what it is?

Sheri, you might post one of your panoramas to the plant id forum and see if anybody there has an idea.

Berries look great! I kind of got behind on all these threads lately, and they are overwhelming with volume. That is a nice size bed for reaching all the berries when they ripen. I have plenty more wooly thyme. You are welcome to more any time.Maybe I need to start some in a pot so they can put out greater root mass before landing in a new home. I just gave some to another friend. I hope she has better luck.

Mauryhill, that's excellent news on both counts. I knew your son would come through.

Sheri,, are you sure you are not married to a gnome? The perspective in that photo is very cool. It makes him look quite munchkin-like. That is clearly the largest skunk cabbage on the planet. I'm growing one in my bog, but I think the Ph is too high for it and it's just struggling along. It comes back each year, but it's not big, and it doesn't flower. Too bad. I love those plants.

Aw PIx ~ you caught me! Truth is the cabbage is only 6" high! I make him wear a little bell when we go somewhere so I don't lose him. Always have to watch where others are walking, too. Quite exhausting.

LOL - I needed that!

The Astilbe-looking plant may be Aruncus.

can you get a closer shot of it, Sheri?

lol!!! It's nice you've avoided stomping on him, especially taking the dogs through their paces. That would be the dangerous time!!

But just think how convenient that must be on searches-he just rides Chile and tugs on an ear now and then to change directions.

I'm with Katye on the Aruncus, too.

I'm with you guys and the aruncus - I can't see any other native that looks similar. I didn't know it would thrive in wet areas. Sheri - we have to see it all when it blooms - that will be incredible.

So I guess the truth about Tim is out. LOL

I have one from a few weeks ago... took this on 18 May. Plant is not much different now except taller. Looking at plant files, the aruncus don't seem to have the serrated edge on the leaf that this plant does, but I'm certainly no expert!

This message was edited Jun 1, 2008 5:42 PM

And yeah...Tim is a gnome. *sigh* The times you guys have met him and he appeared normal size was all done with smoke and mirrors, and a skosh of magic!

hey, I like small husbands.