Dirt Therapy

I have been admiring these tulips everyday as I leave the library. We have had a few that have come back year to year but generally, tulips are treated as annuals here and planted every year.    They are beautiful but I can't figure out why they only planted 1/4 of the bed? Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

A few weeks ago, Michael moved out of his salon (he sold it back in December but the new owner let him rent it until April 1). I had planted various shrubs and trees on the strip behind his salon that separates the salon from another parking lot. He kept telling me that I should dig up two large oakleaf hydrangeas because they were so pretty and who knows what will happen to the plants. In the meantime, a rather large Colorado Blue Spruce that I planted in our front garden the first year we moved into the house (1992) has continued to deterioate and several of the lower branches had died. I reluctantly decided to cut it down although this created a huge hole along our fence border. When the issue of the oakleaf hydrangeas came up, I thought that might be a good replacement for the spruce. Transplanting is one of my least favorite jobs and I always worry if the plant(s) will make it. Since these hydrangeas were large, I had my doubts but I decided to tackle the job and get it ...

I love this time of year when everything seems to pop out overnight. I've noticed a few losses from our tough winter - at least one rose bit the dust ("Felicia") and the rosemary also looks like a total loss. Some of the obviously tender plants like the Armandi clematis and Sweet Olive ( Osmanthus fragrans ) survived but there are lots of brown leaves. The jury is still out on the Confederate Jasmine ( Trachelosperum jasminoides) . I have cut it back severely but it looks like it is still alive. Ditto on the Carolina Jessamine ( Gelsemium sempervirens ). But, on to the brighter spots in the garden - The wickedly thorny Hardy Orange ( Poncirus trifoliata ) is covered with tiny white dainty blooms. In the fall, it will have lovely but inedible oranges. This results in seedlings popping up everywhere that have to be dealt with. I think it is worth it, it is definately a conversation piece. I'm going to try to get some potted up this year for the Master Gardener...