Skip to main content

Featured

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
1 comment
Read more

Out With The Liriope


There are plants that grow really well here in the Pacific Northwest and then there are plants that grow really, really well. I've tried to be careful about the plants I've put into this garden but there are always those that you don't suspect will create a problem. In the case of liriope (also known as lilyturf or monkey grass), we used it to border the boxwood hedge in front of our house. There it increased in size pretty rapidly but it wasn't infringing on anything and I would just mow it down every spring.  

I brought home a few pots from the nursery last year and planted them along the border of the sidewalk in front of house. It is a northern exposure with tricky lighting - it is generally shady but begins to get sunnier as summer progresses. It is also a fairly damp area. A downspout from the gutters deposits rainwater here. I catch some of it in a shallow dish for the birds but there is a lot of runoff.

I noticed that the liriope has spread a significant amount in one year and when Michael suggested taking it out, I reluctantly agreed. He is a neat freak but I have to say our borders are weed free because of him. He relishes jobs like this and eagerly volunteered to do the deed. 

Just look at the roots!


Now there is room for more plants, which is exciting. I'm not sure what yet - maybe some Japanese Forest Grass since there is some near the front door and I love it. There is room though for some other plants as well.




Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
Email Post

Comments

  1. Lisa at GreenbowJune 6, 2020 at 8:21 AM

    Way to go Michael! It is always fun to discover new territory to plant. I have a few lirope but they haven't done much over the years. This variety is variegated clumper. It doesn't get any love it just exists. I like the way it isn't fussy about soil etc. The rabbits eat it down every winter. I don't have to cut it back.

    ReplyDelete
  2. chavlinessJune 7, 2020 at 6:52 PM

    It's fabulous that someone else volunteers to do the hard work, and you are left with the fun task of picking new plant . Lucky you!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular Posts