Friday, February 3, 2023

Spring is drawing oh so slowly closer...

I usually start seeing signs of spring in the offing as early as February.  It's been colder than usual here this winter (if nothing close to as cold as other areas of the Northern Hemisphere) and I expected that the early spring blooms might be delayed but that doesn't seem to be the case.  Of course, all the rain we got in January has probably given most SoCal gardens a boost.

The ornamental pear tree (Pyrus calleryana) burst into bloom seemingly overnight as it does every year - and because it's been so cold, the funky scent that accompanies the flowers isn't even noticeable at present

One of our neighbors has a whole row of these trees, also in full bloom

I hadn't expected much from my Camellia williamsii 'Taylor's Perfection' this year but it's more floriferous than I'd imagined it'd be this year

I even spotted this Lachenalia in bloom in one of my succulent beds.  I think this is probably Lachenalia quadricolor, although that wasn't one of the bulb varieties I ordered years ago.

The street-side bed of another of my neighbors also burst into bloom recently, flaunting Polygala grandiflora (a larger version of the sweet pea shrubs I have in my own garden), masses of paperwhite Narcissus, and the pretty flowers of a small noID Magnolia tree.


But a garden blog can't all be pretty pictures.  I made progress this week in addressing last week's "should it stay or should it go?" list, with help from my spouse.  The project that required the most effort on my part involved removing the woody lavender plants in my cutting garden and replanting the area under the faux birdbath with divisions of Didelta 'Silver Strand'.

Digging out the lavender was more troublesome than expected in part due to gravel and other materials that were dumped into the bed as a result of last September's water pipe replacement project.  I supplemented the soil before returning the faux birdbath and planting 3 divisions of Didelta 'Silver Strand'.  I'm giving the divisions a 60-40 chance of taking.

Given its size, I knew I was going to have to cut back the mass of Didelta in my back garden bed in order to move it.  However, the plant proved to be such a tangle of "strands," it was impossible to transplant it even after reducing its size.  Noticing that many of the strands had sprouted roots, I decided to try pulling pieces of it apart.  I ended up cutting these back severely before transplanting the segments with the best root systems.

The rooted strands provide clues as to how this plant (shown above on the left) spread as vigorously as it did in my back garden.  I'm counting on that vigor to spur the growth of the divisions.  What's left in the back garden is another empty space (above, right).

I could have taken dozens of Didelta cuttings but I made do with 9 (plus one other rooted division, not shown).  Only 2 of the cuttings I planted directly in the ground several months ago survived but I treated them with benign neglect as I do other succulent cuttings and I suspect that these actually require more water to get established.  At the same time, I also took cuttings of Echium candicans 'Star of Madeira' as I expect to pull the woody parent plant out after this year's bloom season.

 

My husband stepped in to address removal of the white bower vines (Pandorea jasminoides 'Alba') growing up both sides of the arbor at the front of the house.  I'd intended to cut the vines to the ground and get his help if necessary to dig the roots out but he jumped in and had the job nearly done before I even got rolling.  Apparently, he was even more perturbed by those sad vines than I was.

Before (left, north side only) and after (right, both sides) photos are shown above.  The arbor looks a lot better without the vines.  I'm not sure I'll plant new vines to cover the posts.  Star jasmines (Trachelospermum jasminoides) are already in place as groundcovers behind the 2 front benches and will probably soon fill the bare spaces left by the bower vines.

 

I took care of the pruning the dwarf Jacaranda 'Bonsai Blue' and removed the smaller of the two shrubs sold to me as Duranta repens 'Gold Mound'.

I decided to cut back 3 stems of the Jacaranda instead of just one.  They've sprouted new foliage in the past but, if they don't this time, that'll just settle the dwarf tree's fate once and for all.  The yellow-green color of the tree's current foliage doesn't signify illness - the full-sized trees here also turn that sickly color each year as they shed and replace their old foliage.

The smaller Duranta planted alongside the front driveway was spindly and looked out of place in the middle of a group of Iris douglasiana (left photo).  The area looks cleaner without it (right photo).  Three Iris bulbs were pulled up in the process of digging out the shrub but I replanted them.

 

When it came to removing the overly large Duranta, I didn't even try to handle the job.  I left that to my husband and, with power tools in hand, he made a relatively quick job of it.

Before and after shots are shown above.  Without the 7 foot Duranta, you can see the Calliandra haematocephala planted against the house.  The Grevillea 'Superb' should get more sun now too.  A few Agapanthus were dislodged in the process of digging out the Duranta's root system.  They came with the house and, as far as I can remember, they never bloomed in that spot so a sunnier location may be a better choice.

 

My next garden project is the boring job of digging out the Sesleria 'Greenlee Hybrid' but I'm taking a break to see a friend today.  I'll offer one further update in the interim.

We finally got in to see Pipig's regular vet this week.  She discounted 2 of the scarier theories posed by the urgent care veterinarians I consulted the week before last.  Pipig may be showing the early stages of kidney disease but that's common in elderly cats and treatable.  We're still waiting on some recent test results to determine if there's anything else to worry about.  Meanwhile, she's gained some weight, is eating regularly, and behaving far more normally.

 

Best wishes for an enjoyable weekend.


All material © 2012-2023 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

26 comments:

  1. You guys have been busy! That Didelta 'Silver Strand' is an interesting plant. I'll be curious to see how the strand sticks do, please share an update.

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    1. I will - I pass that area daily so I'll be tracking it closely.The cuttings look altogether sad at present but hopefully those roots will give the plants a fighting start.

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  2. The pear tree is really beautiful. Do you prune it? -Phillip

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    1. That ornamental pear and the all our strawberry trees get pruned annually by an expert crew. The rest of my trees are pruned on a more flexible schedule.

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  3. Looks like spring to me. Love your faux birdbath.

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    1. The concrete birdbath didn't hold water all that well but it's fine at holding marbles ;)

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  4. Spring is definitely on it's way, even in wet and cloudy Seattle. I can always count on my hellebores to keep me excited for things to come.
    I often been surprised at how little I miss a plant after removing it. Not only because sometimes less is more, but also because the planting area feels more harmonious without it. Maybe once a planting bed is mature, some of its elements outgrow their usefulness, or become obsolete.
    Pipig's photo made my day!
    Chavli

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    1. I knowingly cram a lot of plants into many areas of my garden, always operating on the principle that I can remove anything that doesn't fit if it overgrows its space. But then, I tend to hesitate about removing them when they do just that ;)

      Pipig and I are both much better after the visit to her regular vet, a no-nonsense, plain-speaking, and very well educated expert on feline health. I'd slacked off on Pipig's regular schedule of vet visits during the pandemic following her extended cancer treatments but I'll be sure to have her seen regularly from here on.

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  5. Go Pipig go! Was thinking about all the pruning of the jacaranda...maybe wood needs to be older to flower?

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    1. Interesting theory. I'd never heard that about Jacarandas so I looked it up. Here's what www.gardeningknowhow.com had to say:

      The tree flowers on new wood and trimming in late winter stimulates vigorous new growth for the maximum number and size of blossoms. Strong new growth also encourages flowering earlier in the season. Jacaranda pruning can cause poor flowering if you wait until after spring growth begins.

      Based on that, I'm hoping I've done the right thing pruning it now, late January being "late winter" here ;) I don't recall the timing of my prior pruning effort but maybe that was done later than was ideal.

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  6. Oh it is so lovely seeing your pre-spring blooms. As the wind blows with 10 degree temperatures just yesterday, I admire from afar what you have flowering. My Hellebores are blooming this month, and they are gorgeous, but it’s too cold right now to go look at them! Be well!

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    1. Yikes, 10 degrees! We may feel it's cold, Lee, but we don't come anywhere close to that. Even so, my hellebores never bloom this early. The only explanation I have for that is that it either has something to do with the varieties I've selected, or the plants want more rain.

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  7. You're soooo much further along than we are. Because of the rain and cold, our plants are stuck in late December. I'm so ready for spring--any sign of spring.

    Sorry the Didelta was such a challenge. Hoover Boo gave me a piece of hers, roots and all, but it didn't make it either.

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    1. Oh no, if your Didelta from HB came with roots and didn't take, that doesn't bode well for my rooted divisions. I did take some cuttings, which I'm trying to root prior to planting as a back-up strategy. I stuck some cuttings in the ground without rooting them and most failed.

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  8. The garden is looking lovely after all the rain. I too think the pergola looks better without the vines. Not sure why we always want to cover up lovely structures with vines. I am fighting the urge not to add a ton of vines to a newly erected, and very lovely, pergola my husband built last summer. Glad Pipig is perking up.

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    1. If there's an opportunity to plant something somewhere, I usually go for it but I'm trying to resist in this case and, with so many other priorities (and more obvious holes that need filling), I'm in no hurry to even consider vines for the front arbor. Our vet prescribed an additional medication to help Pipig's joints, in the interest of encouraging her to move more, which may also help prevent a relapse.

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  9. Wow, you have been busy. No grass growing under your feet! :) Thanks for the update about Pipig. I'll continue to keep my fingers crossed. She is such a sweetie. 💕 Eliza

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    1. I think the current hurdle with Pipig may be encouraging her to be more active. She's been wedded to her heating pad for months now. Our vet gave us a medication to help her joints. I'm wondering if it helps humans too, although the label clearly states that it's for dogs and cats only ;)

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  10. I put my Didelta cuttings in shade to root and then move to sun. That worked well here. Also frequent light watering to establish.

    Great news about Pipig! Happy for you all.

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    1. I'd wondered if my prior failure with my Didelta cuttings was too little moisture so I've been watering them - and the divisions - more routinely. Your experience makes me feel I'm on the right road.

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  11. I was very interested to see the flowers of Polygala grandiflora, which is presumably a first cousin to the little native Polygala paucifolia that blooms in early spring along the sides of my dirt road.

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    1. Your Polygala paucifolia is new to me, Jean. It's even smaller than the Polygala myrtifolia I grow in my own garden. Mine is an exceptionally vigorous self-seeder and, based on what you say about your Polygala growing along sides of the road, I'm guessing that may be a family trait.

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  12. Good news on the Pipig front. Keep us posted. Exciting changes in your garden. I look forward to seeing how it all works out.

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    1. The Sesleria is out (thanks to an assist from my spouse). Now I'm working on filling the bare space left behind ;) Pipig is tolerating her meds better than expected and generally doing well.

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    2. Encouraging to hear that Pipig is making progress. (From another creaky old lady)

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    3. She had me worried again last night but she was fine again this morning. The vet thinks she's in the very early stages of kidney disease and I'm scheduled to bring her in again in 6 months (5 now) for another round of tests.

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