Mother's Day

For Mother's day my mom and I went to Joy Creek Nursery to listen to the Monnier's speak about fuschias. Very inspiring. They have a nursery in Woodburn and we plan to visit it at the end of summer when the blooms are really nice. I got a blue bloomed fuschia and a delightful yellow ground cover fuschia. I must now grow a rock garden for it to grow over. We also saw some wonderful things at the Joy Creek Nursery which I will share with you.
One is a Heuchera which I had to take home with me. The leaves look as though they were painted by my friend Kathleen. I think that must have been why I picked it up, it reminded me of her. The other was Hypericum called summer gold. I would love to have this in my front hell strip. I plan on ripping all the grass out and putting some fabulous hardy plants up there. Lets do away with lawn. Who needs it. I had to add one more, this Heuchera Monet. Look at the verigated bi colored leaves with those sweet little coral bell flowers. Sometimes Heuchera's flowers don't show up but these really pop with the background stage of the light leaves.

Tulip Fest

We went to the tulip festival a week and a half ago. It was quite wet but well worth it. It is free during the week. For once Danny and my indecision payed off. We kept putting going out to Woodburn for the festival because, well frankly, we can never make our minds up about what we are doing. At any rate by us waiting we went at the perfect time for the tulips to be blooming. We saw many that we liked and may order some. I have to say that I didn't see one quite like the one that is blooming in our yard. I am unsure of the name but it blooms from early April and is still blooming. It is very hardy. It is a dark wine red and goes nicely with the rose leaves that it is planted next to. If you haven't gone out to the tulip festival it is worth the trip.

Hello from the ladies

Clematis

I can't seem to get my photos to download properly so I am going to blog about my love of Clematis. I remember the day I fell in love. It was at my Aunt Cheryl's. She had one by her front door. I remember thinking that this is love at first site. Had I not payed attention before. Or was this the moment my eyes were opened to gardening at this wonderful plant. I had to have one. I have five in my yard and hope to add more. So many to choose from. It truly is a love affair I have with this plant. It climbs, it has big wonderful flowers and so hardy. One of my favorites, Asao is so happy to please. She is out there standing so proudly these days. Buds about to burst open with her crisp champagne pink flowers. She doesn't stop blooming either. My champion plant. And when the flowers fade they leave you with a wonderful straw colored fire work of a seed pod. What more could you ask for. If I weren't already married I'd marry this plant. Don't tell my fuschias. They might get jealous.

HPSS

Well I was able to protect my lovely finds from the Hardy Plant Society sale from the freeze. Thanks to my lovely greenhouse. I found some really fabulous things. I managed to get a few doubles due to a little mishap at the hold area. All turned out for the best though. I got a few white bleeding hearts, some lovely hellebores. (I am happy about those because my hellebore niger that I have is about the size of my pinky nail and is not going any where..hmm.) I got a lovely climbing hydrangea. I have planted this under my cherished mimosa. The leaves on this hydrangea are so yummy. They look like key lime pie. I got three wonderful clematises. Thank you Susan for the suggestions on these. I got three fuschias. They are hardy and they leaves are a lime green with red veins and stems. Real show stoppers. I planted one next to my persicaria (dragon's blood) It looks great.

spring freeze

Well Oregon does it again. Just as the spring Hardy Plant Society sale ends and I get some of those precious babies in the ground Matt Zafino tells us that it is going to freeze the next three nights. I did manage to cover my plants with some buckets and cardboard. Thankfully Pop called me to let me know so that I wouldn't plant the new Dahlias that just arrived in the mail. Well off to read about propagating. At least with the freeze maybe I will get some house work done.

Our new home, Hello?!

Here are the chickens in their new home. I think they like it.