Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Year in retrospect


Adonis amurensis

Nope, not blooming quite yet--but perhaps in a month it may poke up! this is another fond look back at my garden this past year (I know I did a sweep similar to this on Halloween--but missed so much!) like my beloved Adonis that always kicks off the year (and alphabet), starting in January.

Adonis amurensis
It's been fun to expand the group, dividing the largest clumps each year. If you aren't too greedy, the divisions can can look good the very next spring.

Allium carolinianum
High on my list of favorite onions--I saw this was being sold as a bulb (wish I'd bought some). Grew this from seed--which comes quickly and easily. Bold foliage like a daffodil.
Allium carolinianum

As luck would have it, I was scrolling through old pictures and found this Allium which I believe is the same species (or very close to it) only taken in the wild on July 10, 2009 on the Tian Shan mountains above Almaty.

Biarum tenuifolium
This bloomed for me the first time this year: hope it settles in (I've had it for quite a few years)
Corydalis solida forkms and seedlings
These are seeding and crossing--no two are the same!

Cyclamen purpurascens
The first year I've noticed Cyclamen popping up all over the place! Nice weed to have.
Eranthis hyemalis
Common I know: but who can live without it! I planted 100 more this fall! (I think they cost about $6.00 (about 6 cents apiece!) from Van Engelen's surplus sale--honestly Dutch bulbs are the world's biggest bargain!).

Galanthus nivalis 'Viridapice'
My most vigorous snowdrop. Love it!

Impatiens glandulosa
I know it's a weed in Maritime climates: for us it's a demure woodlander!

Lobelia cardinalis 'Chocolate Truffle'
You can never have enough of this! In fact, I a couple dozen!

Mukdenia rossii
A red letter day for me when I found this blooming. Of course, it's nothing compared to the yard wide masses I saw at the botanic garden in Copenhagen... Hope it continues to grow for me (my garden is dry dry dry--although I do water this bit of woodland).

Origanum dictamnus
Of Cretan descent, I'm obligated to grow dittany: and it's looking great so far this winter despite near zero temps and lots of cold!

Opuntia macrocentra in bloom (front) with Cylindropuntia viridflora behind
I like cacti--and you too should get stuck on them! Like I said, my garden is dry and they love it!

Cylindropuntia viridiflora and co.
In fact, I have a lot: hundreds!

View of the snowy Rockies in early summer


Just how eclectic! North African Salvia phlomoides, South African Bergeranthus jamesii (white form), Western American Eriogonum ovalifollium and Erigeron, Asperula gussonii, Turkish Dianthus anatolicus and Mediterranean Helianthemum numullarium. I am quite sure I'm the only one who's ever grown these together...

Senecio macroculmis and Saxifraga cotyledon
Another unlikely combo!

Onosma nanum
Turning out perennial this time...
White spires  (Aruncus dioica 'Zweiweldkind' left and Beta trigyna, right)
White is a color! No matter what Gwen said.

Samep plants, different vantage point--with Rumex 'Silvershield' and Lilium martagon 'Album' on far right
Sedum nevii
Endangered sedum from Tennessee is liking my garden (woo hoo!)

Lilium martagon 'Album'
I love all lilies!

Polygonatum "sibiricum'
I have a hunch Aaron Floden will have a different name for this!

West ridge (Western natives)
A lot of prickly things!


Orlaya grandiflora is welcome anywhere it chooses to grow! Ditto the dwarf Mongolian form of Clematis integrifolia (I added a dozen of these to this spot this fall! Thank you Keith Funk..)


The artemisia in the pot (cut silver foliage) came through for Mike K. Never got it in the ground dangit! Eriogonum umbellatum var. aureum behind in frothy chartreuse--one of the best plants ever. Foliage is deep maroon right now.


Love Oriental poppies--even if they bloom for so short a time...can't have enough of these!


Thunbergia alata, early it's bloom season (it gets a lot bigger!) and a few of the dozens of pots that take way too much time and effort to water in hot weather...


Top of East ridge-mostly Eurasian plants..and dormant bulbs this time of year.


My rock garden! Which gives me no end of pleasure in late spring...


Late summer color as well in the same spot more or less.


A path at garden's edge...


The enemy! They destroyed my mariposa lily planting, and nibble a few bulbs in spring--but mostly seem to just eat the lawn. They drive me crazy nonetheless.


I love silver saxifrages, and seem to have more every year. The Aeonium tabularis is just bedded out in the summer. Not hardy. But fun to stump visitors with it.


Early summer things quiet down a bit--but still some color


Once again the veggie garden is out of control....but pretty!

Polygonatum commutatum (biflorum) and Scilla (or whatever they're calling it now) hispanica

Rosularia (Sempervivella, Prometheum) sedoides
One of my favorite morsels hangin' in there...

Sagittaria latifolia
A gift from Jan's nephew Mike Panczak--love this thang!

Veratrum nigrum
And one of the most challenging plants I know--must sow seed and get more!

Thanks for joining me on a stroll through the garden!

6 comments:

  1. So many beautiful plants, so much inspiration for the garden. The dreaded enemy is also in my garden. They only discovered the lilies in my garden this past summer. Yes, they make me crazy too.

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  2. Thank you, Panayoti, for another sumptuous post. This Canadian is jealous of what you are able to grow to perfection. My zone 4 garden, with the dreaded winter wet and cycles of freezing/thawing, simply won't allow me to grow so many of your beauties.

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  3. Heidi from DenverDryGardenDecember 16, 2019 at 8:01 PM

    PK, you just need some cats, that will take care of your bunny problem!

    I love everything! Really nice to see the Eranthis hyemalis, I just planted several of them this fall. I'm afraid I may have chosen too shady of a location, but I will find out soon. I agree that bulbs are a great bang for the money, and they nicely fill early season voids for me.

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  4. That's more rabbits than I've ever seen at once in one garden! (Outside of one of the Wallace & Gromit movies 'Curse of the Wererabbit'). Here they munch tall sedums when they're tender, in spring and early summer, but hawks and a neighbor's barn cat keep the numbers down so that I rarely see more than one culprit at a time.

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  5. I could look at that white Martagon lily all day. So many fabulous plants. My favorite shot, though, is your worldwide eclectic ensemble! May it long flourish.

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  6. So many petite treasures. Your garden is a wonderful inspiration for what is possible in my similar Canadian Chinook zone garden.

    ReplyDelete

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