Laurie's Garden Tour 2

I know this is late, but, everyone knows why there is air. There is air to blow up basketballs, volleyballs, etc. According to Bill Cosby.

Welcome James. You are our kind of gardener! The yard is a stunner.

Thanks to all for the good information on lilacs. I have one really old one that is in tree form and I do love that because I get the blooms, but I also get to underplant! More plants! However, I have another really old one that I moved to this house with me 9 years ago. I dug that plant up 16 years ago at an old house in Tacoma that was slated to be removed. So after transplanting, it lived for 7 years in my old yard in full sun with almost no blooms. I would get one here and there. Same thing at this house. Just a straggling of blooms here and there, whether I pruned or not. I've never pruned it such that I would be cutting off the buds before bloom time. Needless to say, this lilac and I have had several long discussions about the virtues of a non-blooming and otherwise mundane shrub taking up space in the garden. This is its last year. I said that last year to it and I had three blooms. I feel the threat is working. It knows that the only reason it is still using real estate is that I have a sentimental place in my heart for it, since digging it up caused me to go into labor with my son. Oh,, good times! It's had a nice cold snap in the garden this year with our nasty winter, so I hope it thinks long and hard about earning its keep.


Tours?? Of Jame's yard? We do need particulars. There is a thread with a calender for events. If you would please post your particulars on that thread we would be very beholden to you.

Steve and Katie, Joining the Open Gardens tours doesn't require any reservations. You simply need to be a member of the Northwest Perennial Alliance http://www.northwestperennialalliance.org/

Along with your membership, you'll receive a directory of open gardens around Puget Sound throughout the spring and summer. There are open gardens and small nurseries available to tour nearly every weekend. Openings are scheduled to focus on specific regions around the sound so that's it's easy to plan a day of touring, and all come with concise driving directions. Seattle gardens seem to be the focus about one weekend of each month.

I'm not quite sure of the schedule yet, but join up, and you'll get the directory with all the poop. It's a great way to see dozens of private gardens and to meet other enthusiastic gardeners.

Thanks for that info, and for the link, James! I've thought about joining them several times.

Well not me I live here in Montana and it won't work for me. Bummer. I like the idea of garden tours often during the year and speakers too.

You're welcome Pixy! My NPA membership is just about the best 35 bucks I spend each year. I can't think where I get better value for dollars spent.....and this is a 100% unsolicited recommendation. I've met so many nice people and seen so many wonderful gardens.

I noticed in a thread from last year that you wondered about the identity of a blue rhodendron. Someone subsequently suggested that it was Rhododendron augustinii, with which I concur. It's a fairly common species with a number of readily avilable cultivars (see the DG plant guide), so if you haven't obtained a specimen, you shouldn't have any trouble. It's also an easy and unfussy plant. I practically have to take loppers to mine to keep it in bounds. It puts on a reliable show every April.

Steve, Not sure when I might be in Kallispell, but if you show me yours....I'll show you mine...

On my list to join up this, year, too. I just joined the PNW Horticultural Society to do the tour of Windcliff this fall and decided that I should also be in the NPA. Thanks for the recommendation, James.

Wow, lots of info. to ponder and great pics. Going to take a big look at my Lilacs. They do need a change.

I love that Rhody, got to find me one LOL

Welcome Hoosier.

This is not a wild Rhody, but I let it go wild. It has small flowers and loves the water. it is planted along side the creek.

I've got about 8 or 9 French lilacs, I believe, at last count. Also, one Preston lilac (late-blooming) and a couple of 'Miss Kim' Korean lilacs. Over the years my property has gotten more shady, so some aren't doing as well, but I do get armfuls of blooms every May. Here's a photo of the Preston (can't remember the cultivar, but I think it is 'Donald Wyman'.

... and here's 'Miss Kim', a great bloomer starting at only a foot.

P.S. Thanks for letting me share this forum with all of you lucky PNW'ners. As you can probably tell, I'm really envious of your gardens and all that you can grow. I've vacationed in the PNW four times over the years, and the only reason my wife and I haven't moved to God's Country is because our two grown children still live in the Midwest, too. Example: We've got a snowstorm moving in this morning, while you're enjoying early spring flowers!

I have just come in from the garden, still light enough 'to see' at 6PM, and it was the first evening that had that growing season softness about it - no knit hat, only one pair of socks, and the neck zip on my fleece down! Now that is progressing towards spring - not there yet, but moving. Welcome Hoosier, I do appreciate that you are expecting snow - but just had to do a bit of a celebration. And thanks for all the interesting info on the alternative pruning. I use a similar method on a very old berberis - we've pruned it up like a multi-stem tree, its a nice look, clears the ground for underplanting and the older trunks don't have the vicious thorns that the young wood has - goodness that plant is a killer! I think it is a good use of older shrubs.

James, I am glad you kept the bird house, and why they don't roost - square or round? square or round? Traditional or post-modern, Eichler or neo-classical? Poor birds, what a decision. Have you ever checked to see if it is clean inside? I wonder if it has the remnants of an old nest - sofer would be able to answer this better than I can, but I don't think birds like taking over tenancy without a full cleaning. But it could be a real effort to check that one. Cute.

Maybe you could lasso that bird house in the sky and fix up a pulley line with a little basket of something to entice the winged creatures. It seems like it would be a place safe from cats and other nuisances. I wouldn't worry about it's style - in the words of Louis Sullivan:

It is the pervading law of all things organic and inorganic,
Of all things physical and metaphysical,
Of all things human and all things super-human,
Of all true manifestations of the head,
Of the heart, of the soul,
That the life is recognizable in its expression,
That form ever follows function. This is the law.

Laurie enjoy your warm weather. We have had a few days of the same but today is downright cold and rain will return this evening.

I have a wonderful book on pruning called 'The Pruner's Bible' by Steve Bradley. I haven't done a lot of pruning yet, but this is a soft cover book that I carry right into the garden with me and I don't mind getting it a little dirty. It has beautiful photos of each plant with a description, info on routine, formative and remedial pruning, tips, which tools to use, when to prune, and pruning diagrams of the plant. And of course it has made me long for a few plants that I just may have to acquire!

My lilac advice came from my grandmother, and hers were always fabulous. I brought starts of hers with me here to Washington from her garden in South Dakota many years ago. I have double French white ones and dark purple doubles and some just garden variety ones. When they were being stubborn about blooming here she told me to dig in a bucket of wood ash around the bottom in the fall, it worked like a charm and I had magnificent blooms the next year, so every time the bloom has petered out I've done it. Maybe an old wives tale but it sure works here.

Laurie, Alas, the pole is over about 20 feet tall, so I haven't felt inclined to shinny up. I suspect the birds ignore it because of it's deplorable condition. Even the birds aren't interested in living in Clampett-ville! If I ever replace it....I think I'll go for Eichler. That might attract a better class of birds.....or at least, cooler ones.

Judi, The basket on a rope might prove to be an irresistible mod-con....Mom and Dad could drop their fledglings to a lower altitude before attempting that first flight. But, I'd still have to get to the top of the pole to install the pulley. I guess I'll just have to be content to let the crows and flickers peck away at it. I enjoyed the words of wisdom from Louis Sullivan :-)

James, where is your spirit of adventure? Don't you have a friend with giant stilts? or a helicopter?

James you are always welcome here in Kalispell. We have lots of room to visit. The garden will start in early April and may is full of Columbines. Probably our largest grouping. It is an 8 hour drive at 78mph or 10 hours at 70mph with lots of stops.

Sofer is that photo Columbine? It is so beautiful - amazing color. I love it.

that is Delphinium.

Soferdig: That's 'Tiger Eyes' sumac behind the delphinium, right? Awesome plant.

You and your delphiniums. They sure are happy in your garden, Steve!! And that Tiger Eyes really sets them off!!

Really lovely sofer, I don't have much luck with delphiniums and I really like them.

James, my sis had a bat house that got invaded by bees, the exterminator suggested a pulley system for theirs so it wouldn't be so hard to get to.^_^

Now that's a good idea. I'd love a bat house and I know where I'd put it. But I'm not sure how to get it up there. ^_^

Kathy, ask KaperC, that's my sis. I'm sure she would tell you how BIL did theirs.

Okay, I will. I just figured that you had to have a very tall ladder or a very tall person. ^_^

Yes I just wanted to entice James to visit. Yes Delphinium 'Abe Lincoln' and early summer tiger eye sumac. Delphs are made for here they do excellent no matter what you do.
Do you think bats would go up there. I bet they would.

Steve, Many thanks for the kind invitation. Not sure when I'll get over that way, but I'll let you know if we're headed that way. Perhaps not to impose your hospitality, but we'd love to check out your garden. The blue and chartreuse combination of the delphinium and sumac is wonderful. I love that color combination!

I had good intentions of getting out in the garden today while the weather was good to finish the late winter clean-up, but we decided to to go curling instead. Not something we do every weekend, so I'm sure we'll be aching tomorrow -- but great fun. Hopefully, the aches won't prevent me from getting out there tomorrow.

Sally, Odd that you should mention bats. The other day while at the Seattle Flower and Garden Show I had a long conversation with a lady from Bats Northwest http://www.batsnorthwest.org/ She convinced me that I should think about installing a bat house. Trouble was, a bat house needs to be fairly high above the ground, so I couldn't think of a place to put one. Maybe that silly pole is the answer!

Your Abe Lincoln is matched by none.

I ran across a site that actually showed at what angle the bat house should be placed on the tree to get it the right heat for the bats. I live just above a wetland and have more than my share of mosquitos at dusk. Bats would be most welcome.

And I can just see little miss Sahara barking at them and chasing them. She's speed and catches squirrels and rabbits. And she stares up in the trees trying to mesmerize the birds to come down close.

We have many bats every night screaching around with the bug feed. I have no idea where in the house or around they hang out. You can hear their high frequency sound when they are echo-sounding.

http://www.batworld.org/bcs/bat_houses.html

http://www.nwf.org/backyard/bathouse.cfm

http://www.eparks.org/wildlife_protection/wildlife_facts/bats/bat_house.asp

http://www.batmanagement.com/Batcentral/boxbuild/build1.html

Bats - eeek! I'm not sure I would like them hanging around. But then I don't really like birds of any kind. I also like the color combo of the delphiniums and the tiger eye. So striking.

I think bats get a bad rap. They are great for controlling insects, which just love me for some reason. Besides I think they're fascinating creatures. Kinda cute too^_^

Okay, You do know that bats are not birds, right Portland? That was just putting them in the same category with 'flying creatures', right?

I am all for bat houses. My husband and I make a ritual every spring of watching for the first bat to return. In the summer we enjoy laying in the hammock out in the garden as the sun starts to go down, watching the bats come out of the trees and fly around. I do love them. I installed a bat house a few years ago after doing extensive research on the kind of bat we have, the size of house they need, etc. Much of the info I got was from Bats Northwest. I built the house myself according to plans from, I think, their website. If it wasn't their site, it was another bat oriented site. No bats. Nada. Not even bat guano. Possibly they have enough roosting places around here, but we continue to be disappointed. Maybe this year. The house is hung in full sun on the side of a large fir tree, really far up off the ground. Maybe they just hate us! WAAAHHHHH!

James, I have a weakness for nice rhododendrons. I have yet to purchase one of the blue rhodies, but it's still on my list for the yard. I have 3/4 acre and it's one garden space at a time. I love to prune rhodies and especially love salvaging old rhodies that people have let go. There is something so satisfying about it. Here is one of my favorite red rhododendrons. It was here when we moved in and although i generally would not choose red, I like it because it's in the forested part of the yard and really shows up that area.

Tills, your rhody seems to love where it is planted! That's going to be glorious when the blooms burst open.

Love Bats (they roost in our barn in the summer), hate Rhodos. Where does that leave me? And now to make those of you who love birds envious - we have a barn owl in the woods - new arrival, we are all hoping s/he is bringing dear nesting partner with. Landscape man is making us a pair of barn owl boxes to go in the big oaks. The plan is (shhh, don't talk too loudly, they like to think it is their own idea, apparently) if they take up residence in one box, we will move t'other to a nearby field. You know how it is, once the neighbourhood is on the up, other like minded's move in. Fingers really crossed on this. Oh how I would love to have barn owls in residence. This bird is magnificent. Makes the Tawny's seem small.

Melissa I think that bats would love your place but they like to fly in open spaces and eat. They don't want to have to worry about all of those fir trees you have. Just cut them all down and the bats would love your place. Mine feed in the open spaces and hang out in the trees.
A spring moment.

Steve that red and white columbine is so gorgeous. I remember lots of yellows and purples at Flathead when I was a kid but none that color. Wow!@!
Linda

Pixy, I always think Rhodies look their most splendid in a wooded setting. Your red one amongst the trees is lovely.

Laurie, you'll find a lot to hate in Seattle....Rhododendrons are as common as rain in these parts. Fortunately, I like them, especially yellow ones (oddly, though, I feel the same about Forsythia as you do about Rhodies). When I bought my house here, it came with 47 Rhodies scattered around the yard. I have a pal, with sentiments similar to yours, who volunteered to bring his chain saw over (offer politely declined!).

I found new homes for several in the back garden, moved some around, but still have quite a few of them back there. When I revamp the front garden this autumn, I'll probably have to find new homes for a few more, but I have to say, big shrubs, even if they have to be moved around, make it much simpler to get a mature looking garden much quicker.

Here's a snap of my favorite, just to the west of of the driveway, under an enormous old cherry.

I know that bats are not birds but I don't like things flying around, zooming past my head. Now a nice barn owl - that I would like! And I like the bald eagles I saw in Alaska - majestic. Will columbine grow in Portland???

I like rhodys a lot and have a few in my tiny yard. One blooms right outside my dining room window and it is spectacular!

This message was edited Feb 22, 2009 8:52 AM

My neighbors have 20 acres and a barn that each year is host to an endangered Indiana Little Brown Bat colony of over 200 bats. We never have any mosquitoes over the summer. We can host evening garden parties without a worry about uninvited blood-sucking pests. It's very enjoyable to watch the bats fly out of the hayloft door at sunset. It's especially rewarding when the baby bats take their first flight. The parent bats, rather than just exiting and taking off for the night, go back into the barn and keep coaxing the young out. Eventually, the little ones start flying out. They are noticeable smaller... and what a thrill. Of course, there are casualties when some just don't survive the first flight, falling to the ground. We've helped some try again, with success, if the barn cats don't get them first. Bats are really fascinating creatures.

We had a get-together last summer, and one of the guests commented on the absence of mosquitoes (which were in record numbers due to the wet spring and early summer). We credited the bats from next door. It was dusk and no sooner than we had said the word "bats", when the usual contingent started circling over the open yard where we were talking. It seemed more than a coincidence that just a moment later, a moth fluttered over the lady and, just like that, a bat swooped down, snatching up the moth within inches of the woman's hair. You could hear the snap of its teeth! It couldn't have been choreographed better! It freaked out the woman a little, but she had to admit it was pretty cool.

Laurie: We don't have any barn owls in the neighbor's barn, but we do have a nesting pair of Great Horned Owls in the pine woods in back. They have been hooting up a storm recently, which signals mating season. It's my first sign of spring!

Columbine will grow great in Portland. We get leaf-miners but they really don't seem to do much damage other than mottling the leaves.
Columbines tend to cross with each other and reseed nicely so you never know what you'll get in a few years time.
I don't see signs of the leaf-miners on Sofers maybe the drier climate.

If I were that woman with the moth I would have fainted dead away.

Are leaf miners easy to control?

This message was edited Feb 22, 2009 8:56 AM