Spring Happenings

I am constantly adding plants to my seemingly already full two-acre garden. There's always room for one more. Always. So I do, I add one per day, on average, I'd say. It made me think that I rarely photograph most of these, so I pulled out the camera last weekend and looked for a few interesting finds. Here's what's happening in early spring at Chickadee Gardens:


The fire pit has been uncovered for the season, the beds are being composted and the deck is clean. Spring must be in the air.



First up is an Eriogonum or buckwheat. This is E. umbellatum, although I have a tag saying it's E. ovalifolium. Based on its flower, I'd say it's a form of E. umbellatum. In any event, it's a stunning yellow-flowered evergreen small shrub native to the West Coast. The buckwheats are ideally suited for the drier parts of the West Coast (and beyond) and make fine garden plants and enrich insect habitat. This is definitely a favorite of mine.


I only show this crazy thing because it's a SEDUM. It's Sedum senanense in apparent small tree form. It was a "I don't know what to do with this" at work, so I got it, naturally. I'm sure it will look much better in several months. We'll check back on it then.

Melianthus major from Alison of Bonnie Lassie. It was a small start last year, I think it's poised to take over the Himalayan mounds.



Small moments of victory. This is a tiny corner of the labyrinth/meadow garden with tinges of orange from Anemanthele lessoniana or pheasant tail's grass combined with Lavandula stoechas 'Van Gogh', a couple of throw away plants from work that have rebounded nicely. 'Van Gogh' is such a lovely lavender, it's a stoechas form and has pale yellow top bracts on the flower heads. Very soft and catches the light brilliantly. I'll post photos if and when it blooms.



The very corner of the meadow is awash in bright greens of wildflower seedlings. They seeded around heavily last year, I think it will be lovely combined with the grasses, alliums and poppies tucked in there already. These are all native wildflowers including Gilia capitata, Gilia tricolor, Nemophila maculata, and Phacelia campanularia. Weeding here has been especially challenging, but I'm hoping the wildflowers will out-compete the weeds and, by the looks of it, that may be possible.


Our neighbor's fruit trees are so cheerful, they greet us every day.



Emerging foliage of Leucothoe fontanesiana 'Rainbow' is quite bright. This shrub for shade has been slow growing for me, but is bright and evergreen, so it stays.




Podophyllum 'Spotty Dotty' comes to life in the shade garden. I think this is one of Facilities Manager's favorites.



Osmanthus delavayi or sweet olive from Xera Plants a few years back. It is a most versatile evergreen shrub, happy in either sun or shade. The fragrant white blooms are about to open, and it can be clipped to form a hedge if needed. I intend to let it grow in a natural form in the far northwest corner of our property.



This is one of the coolest salix or willows I've ever come across. I got it at Joy Creek Nursery where I work, of course. It is Salix nakamurana yezo alpina, a slow-spreading groundcover type. The fuzzy leaves are just coming on, this is followed by typical salix flowers. 



Another find from work, a typical Pulmonaria, which I have fallen for. This one is Pulmonaria 'Benediction' - a true blue lovely thing for a shade garden. From our website at work: 

Lungworts offer long-term interest. In early spring they brighten up the garden with bright, long-lasting flowers, many of which change color as they age. They are a favorite of early spring hummingbirds. After the lovely display of flowers in spring, remove the old flower stems. Lush summer foliage.

I have found they sort of go through a decline after flowering but then put on great new energy and fresh leaves thereafter until frost. 



Beesia deltophyla is an evergreen clumping groundcover for shade. The new growth is the darker bronze color, and the slugs seem to leave it alone. It blooms with spikes of white flowers in summer, too. Although my clump hasn't grown a lot, I really like this plant and definitely recommend it.



Another shade lover, Cardamine trifolia is also an evergreen ground cover. I have it at the edge of a path, it is starting to put on bright new growth. It flowers now as you can see, and although it's a simple little thing, it tolerates dry shade once established and is very tidy looking to boot.



The path through the shade garden grows! We began expanding last fall with gravel and the temporarily placed logs which shall be placed more permanently and dug into the ground a bit later this spring. I have not waited for it to be finished to start planting, however. You can see the little compost bombs on all of the new plants. There are a lot in there, you will just have to wait a while for them to mature to find out what they all are . . . oh the suspense!



Speaking of compost, my 2+ units (over 15 cubic yards) are about 2/3 gone. I've been busy with:



The Himalayas got a fair share.



So did the bed around the fire pit.



It looks much better than the bleached out soil. Plus, it will smother existing weed seeds and improve the soil. In this bed I also cut back my beloved deer grass or Muhlenbergia rigens. The spikes will regrow, it is nice to know they can stand all winter long and still look fantastic. Cutting them back simply refreshes them, I don't think I had to do it but they were definitely dry and spent.



In other chores news, we had a near summer-like day this weekend so I, of course, mopped the deck and got out all the deck furniture. It poured rain the next day and has been frozen every morning since. Bad timing on my part, but it looks better.



And in turkey news . . . WAIT! . . . what? Yes, this sweet little gal has been roaming our neighborhood for a month gobbling away, a little lost.



She wandered into our property and was obviously very hungry and thirsty, so I gave her some chicken feed and fresh water, both of which she devoured. She chose to go hang out and eventually live with the hens. I think she was lonely. She makes the sweetest cooing noises, especially when we give her treats, and is seemingly very happy with all of her hen buddies. They enjoy each other's company. When I call the chickens to come for a treat, she comes running along with them. She roosts on the edge of the chicken fence, completely able to fly away, but she stays by choice. She must like it here. I guess since Facilities Manager bought some turkey food today that means we're keeping her. Unless you lost a sweet turkey and are looking for it, that is. We call her Sweet Pea.

That's a wrap for this week at Chickadee Gardens. As always, thank you so much for reading and commenting. We hope spring has arrived where you are, we are sure enjoying ours so far. Happy gardening, everybody!

Comments

  1. Your hard work shows from every view and in every direction. It is becoming more beautiful with time and that is because you are so dedicated to making it a paradise. I love that because you are planting so many different plants and that it will be lovely in all seasons.
    I have a nephew that bought 5 acres that was a nursery and tree farm when we were children. Now he has a log cabin right in the middle of that property. It is glorious with all the many variety of plant life.
    You are creating an amazing garden, Bravo!!!
    Connie :)

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    1. Aw, thank you Connie! That's very kind of you. Thank you for the encouragement, I can use all I can find! Great about your nephew, it sounds like paradise indeed. Cheers and thanks again! :)

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  2. Looking lovely already! And we still see so much space there, plenty of room for more plants!

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    1. Thanks Guys! Exactly my sentiment. Always room for one more. "It's wafer thin...just one more!"

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  3. Ahh, your green and growing things are like a feast for my winter weary soul. There's still snow on the ground in my Minnesota gardens, a fresh batch in fact, and more on the way this weekend. Your Sweet Pea made me smile too.

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    1. I'm glad we can give you some kind of color relief...it must be very challenging to have snow this late in the game. I hope it all goes away for you very soon!

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  4. I'm so happy to see that Melianthus thriving there. It kept getting knocked back by our winters here and would never put on any real growth, so it seems to like your conditions much better. Your garden is looking so good with all that fresh compost, I really should do that too. I just never seem to get around to it. Looking forward to photos of that lavender, they sell that at Joy Creek?

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    1. Oh, yes, Alison - it is definitely thriving. The compost thing - it's a chore, but I notice everything seems healthier soon after I apply it. I also notice a lot more robins bobbing around looking for worms in areas that are composted. I guess it's working! Also, the lavender, yes we have it at Joy Creek. It's a beauty!

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  5. I have read your blog for a long time. It is one of my favorites. I check every Thursday for new posts and am sad when there is a skipped week. I had a Grandmother Chickadee( yes, I called her always by that full name!) because she would sing a song about the birds. All my cousins just called her Nana. I love your home and garden and that you want to share it with everyone. Very cute turkey. She is lucky to have found you and FM!

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    1. Hi Bergamot Villa, thank you so much for your kind words! I'm so thrilled you enjoy the blog, I enjoy bringing it to life every week. That's sweet about your Grandmother Chickadee. I love it! I have to skip a week from time to time when life gets too intensely busy and I have no time to photograph the gardens, but I'll try to keep it up weekly, especially now that spring is here and there is so much more to photograph.

      Sweet Pea the turkey says "gobble gobble coo coo" - happy spring to you!

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  6. I so enjoy your posts. For many years I said I wanted 2 acres of land and, as that's not easy to find in Los Angeles without mega-bucks, I of course didn't get it but your journey gives me a chance to enjoy that dream in surrogate form. I love that Salix and your Sweet Pea.

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    1. I bet it's not easy to find two acres in LA - wow, I bet it would be in the multi-millions if you did find it. How much do you think it would be? You are most welcome to enjoy the dream along with us and if you are ever up this way, you can come visit first hand.

      I too love that Salix - it is SO unusual and gorgeous. People with drier climates can grow it in a pot and keep it watered, it will eventually spill down the sides.

      I also love Sweet Pea, she's such a gentle creature. We got lucky.

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  7. Planting fever has certainly been spiking in these parts, at least, between frosts and bouts of rain. It was a great winter for the native annuals. I have sheets of Gilia capitata and Collomia grandiflora that have done a great job of competing with the weeds. Yay! Extending the shade garden! Aw, poor Sweet Pea looks like she had a spot of trouble before she found sanctuary at Chickadee Gardens. Hopefully her tail feathers grow in now that she's found a safe haven.

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    1. Woo hoo - here's to planting like crazy! Glad to hear about your native annuals, I'd love to get my hands on some of that Limnanthes douglasii 'Alba' or whatever the white one is called.

      I don't know what's up with Sweet Pea's feathers - she could have encountered any number of dangers out here. I'm glad she's safe with us, now. Facilities Manager is going to build her a proper turkey perch and hopefully some kind of shelter. She's too big to fit in the green chicken coop, so she may need something special.

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  8. I am absolutely lusting after that huge pile of compost. Everything looks so good. I enjoy seeing all the plants you can grow that I can't. You and FM are certainly taming those two acres. The wildlife also appreciates it obviously.

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    1. Ooooh, doesn't a HUGE pile of compost turn your crank? I LOVE it. It just feels like putting band-aids all over the poor soil and instantly boosts the health of all around it. The wildlife around here is so abundant, it's amazing! The birds...oh, you should hear the birds! We are so very very lucky.

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  9. You adopted a turkey! How fabulous. I love the new path, complete with the haphazardly placed logs.

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    1. Yay! Yes...we have a turkey. And David just picked up our honey bees yesterday. I suppose that makes it official, we're farmers of some kind or another. The new path - oh yes, that's nearly the last frontier to tackle. I'm in shade plant buying mode right now.

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