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Strawberry Tree

Since moving to Washington, I have discovered a great number of new trees. One of my favorites is the Strawberry Tree ( Arbutus unedo ). It is a four-season tree with semi-glossy evergreen leaves and lovely mahogany bark. In autumn, clusters of white flowers appear, bearing a resemblance to Lily-of-the-Valley flowers. And then there are the little fruits, which resemble strawberries that appear at the same time as the flowers. I am not sure why, but I have only seen a few fruits on ours. I don't know if birds are getting them before I see them or what happens. The fruits are said to be edible but not very tasty (to humans). This year, our tree is loaded with flowers, the most I've ever seen. Bees absolutely love it and so do the hummingbirds. The flowers usually continue to appear straight through winter, and it can be blooming even during the coldest periods of winter. Aside from the fact that I have not seen much of the colorful fruits, the major negative note is the fact tha

Before the rain

We have rain and thunderstorms on the way so I took some photos this evening in case the blooms are ruined. We desperately need the rain and I could gripe about it coming on the weekend but I'm not going to.


First, the iris have started to bloom. This is my favorite, a variety that I've lost the name of - that is the rose "Carefree Wonder" in the background.
Another unknown iris




An old-fashioned blue iris
Siberian Iris

Beauty Bush ((Kolkwitzia amabilis)





Azalea "Gibraltar"




Clematis "Josephine"






The early roses have already started. This is "Fortune's Double Yellow". Notice how it is growing up into the Rose of Sharon.


The David Austin rose "Tradescant"

"Lady Banks" is still going strong


"Mutabalis" is an interesting and beautiful China rose (and one of my favorites)


Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Comments

  1. Looking good! We could use some rain here too. Even if it does rain you can get some nice shots of water droplets on the flowers.

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  2. Gorgeous! I hope the rain is deep but not destructive Phillip.

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  3. Just beautiful! It's amazing to me that your garden is at least a week ahead of Atlanta!

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  4. Your roses are very nice and I see we have the same culitvar of iris, 'Unknown'. Some rain here will be welcome, strong storms will not be.

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  5. Philip,
    Wow on the clematis and the Lady Banks roses! Things are really looking great there! We are expecting peonies blooms today!

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  6. Gibralter is a doozey, love the orange color. Lady Banks is a stunner. She looks so elegant spread out there. I hope youget some much needed rain. We need rain too.

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  7. I've been hemming and hawing about what new variety of clematis I'd like to get. Now I don't have to hem or haw anymore. I want 'Josephine'. I saw it on one website, but I was leery about how the blooms would compare in real life to a catalogue picture. Now I see they're just as awesome :D Thanks!

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  8. Beautiful blooms, all. I hope you are getting rain. It moved in here during the night, much appreciated.

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  9. You have so much going on in your garden this time of the year. I'm jealous :). All your Iris are great I really like the first one with the two shades of purple. I bet the rose that is creeping into the rose of Sharon looks great when they are both blooming ? If they bloom at the same time that is... You have a great collection of roses. I have none in my garden yet but have been intimidated as to where to start... and which ones looks like what etc when full grown.

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  10. Phillip, your garden is stunning! Lush, bright, bursting with gorgeous blooms....fantastic! You should be very proud of it! And you are a great photographer!

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  11. Raining here in Tupelo which is much needed! Your garden is beautiful. Are you having a garden tour this summer as you have had before? I would love to see be there.

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  12. I can't believe how many gorgeous flowers you have! I love pretty much everything. At least you didn't get a late frost. We had one yesterday morning and 50% of all Magnolia flowers are now brown mush.

    Love the beauty bushes but they really look awful after they've finished blooming. Those clematis are really nice. I've never seen one like that before.

    PS. Done university... YEAH!

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  13. So very glad you captured these beautiful views before the rains arrived! I felt the same way Phillip, eager for rain to wash the pollen away and nourish the plants, but sorry to see the blooms disappear...We don't have gentle rains in the south! It's pouring now!
    gail

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  14. your garden looks great! i hope the weather was kind to you today.

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  15. A sigh of contentment. My Cl. Old Blush has started blooming, but no other roses yet. They have buds. My iris are starting too. I don't have any as beautiful as yours though. That first one takes my breath away.~~Dee

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  16. Absolutely stunning! Love that orangey azalea - how unusual!

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  17. The irises are gorgeous!!!! The clematis is definitely doing its job, and doing it well! It rained here all day today! Severe thunderstorms and wind! Hope it didn't get to rough up your way

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  18. Good luck with getting some rain, Phillip - nothing like scattered showers to drive one nuts! Some parts of Austin racked up a couple of inches recently but my corner has had 3/10 in two weeks - hope you do better!
    Everything is still beautiful in your garden - heard 'Fortune's Double Yellow' is super thorny, but what a cool, buffy-peach color!

    Annie at the Transplantable Rose

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  19. You have the loveliest garden. Always a delight.

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  20. I want to tour your garden! Amazing place you have there.

    The rain is starting here and we really need it, too. The ground was so dry. I mulched the garden with compost and sowed zinnias and cosmos seeds to take advantage of the rain.

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  21. Beautiful, beautiful pictures. The iris, the Beautybush, Clematis and the roses are all gorgeous.

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  22. I found myself looking at each photo thinking "wow, I should comment on that one". Then another great one would come along! Those irises, and everything else, are so pretty. I do hope the horrid rain and wind didn't cause any damage. For us it was a very strong storm yet mercifully brief. The only plants affected here were the irises which were laying down after the storm. I've now propped them up with stakes but I don't have as many as you do.

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  23. Lovely Irises and roses! Of course, I should be partial towards the Clematis - she's extra lovely.

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  24. Your pictures are always so clear and bright. I can't believe how far ahead your garden is. It'll be June before many of the same flowers are blooming here.
    'Josephine' has buds on it, but the vine is not looking so great. I hope it eventually looks as good as yours.
    I love all your varieties of iris.

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  25. As ever, perfect photos.

    I've thought about buying rosa mutablis. I think 'mutablis' is given as a name to flowers that go through a number of changes in colour. I'm growing nicotiana mutablis which opens white, fades through to dark pink.

    The beauty bush is exactly that; a beauty.

    If I get over to the states, I'm knocking your door for a garden tour.

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  26. I love looking at your pics! They remind me of what I'll see here in a few weeks.

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  27. Mutabilis is indeed stunning. As a lover of orange, I find joy in Azalea "Gibraltar" -- we're pushing the zone for azaleas here and don't get as many cool colors as you do!

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  28. Hi Phillip, we got a little rain too but not nearly enough.

    Love your clematis. My motto is "no such thing as too may petals and ruffles, more is better." Doesn't it interfere with the dish's reception? It must not our you wouldn't be growing it there:)
    Marnie

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  29. Love the photos. Your favorite iris is also mine! I am getting just as into iris as I am into roses. I think I have to have one of each kind!

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  30. Nice, I just took a shot of my iris, just minutes before the down pour!

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  31. 'Fortune's Double Yellow' looks pink to me. I gotta stop smoking that stuff.

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