Dirt Therapy

It was a beautiful day to work in the garden - sunny and in the upper 40s. I was motivated to get out and move after stepping on the scales this morning and facing the grim reality of having gained 6 pounds. So I went for a long walk around the neighborhood. Upon returning home, I received a message from a lady who had posted that she had horse manure available.  It turns out that she wasn't that far from me. The manure is absolutely beautiful and it was still smoking when I got home with it. I managed to spread almost all of it. I've had pain in my upper arm and shoulder for almost 3 months now but I didn't let that deter me and surprisingly, it is not bothering me at the moment. However, it hurts mostly after I go to bed. There is still some beauty to behold in the late November garden. This is the last Japanese maple to have most of its leaves. I planted two of these right off our deck shortly after we moved in. These were labeled as "seedling" maples. I guess ...

With the Covid-19 crisis getting worse, I'm guessing a lot of people will do their holiday shopping from the comfort of their hibernation holes this year. For me, that isn't much of a stretch as I don't enjoy shopping.  After moving to a huge, bustling city, I find that I generally don't like to go out at all. I'm becoming a hermit! The stress of battling crowds and the traffic always puts me in a bad mood. I've learned to go to the grocery store either very early in the morning or late at night.  Fortunately for people like this, there is online shopping. I love online shopping! If there is a gardener in your family that you want to buy a gift for, I'm certain that books are a terrific gift. I can't think of a gardener that doesn't like a good book and winter time is the best time to enjoy them. And I know that digital books are becoming the norm now (actually I would guess that they are already the norm), but for me, gardening books are enjoyed bet...

Appropriately, the Thanksgiving Cactus (Schlumbergera truncata) is blooming for Thanksgiving. Not to be confused with the Christmas Cactus ( Schlumbergera x buckleyi ) which is easy to do. They are very similar with some minor differences. (And for good measure, there is also an Easter Cactus ( Hatiora gaertneri ). The difference lies in the leaf shape (although to be correct, these are not leaves, they are "stems"). If you look closely at the at the point where two stems meet, you will see that there are pointy segments or "teeth". The Christmas cactus has smooth segments without the pointed teeth.  The Thanksgiving cactus blooms a bit earlier than the Christmas cactus. It typically begins to bloom in November and the Christmas cactus in December. Flowering is triggered by temperature and light changes. When nighttime temps fall between 55 and 60, buds will begin to form. I take my plant outdoors for the summer and bring it inside in September. The change in temper...

 Barberry 'Orange Rocket' and Spirea 'Ogon' Wednesday Vignette is hosted by Anna at Flutter and Hum .   Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Camellia 'Marge Miller' This is a short and sweet bloom day post because, frankly, there ain't a whole lot blooming. There are several roses hanging on so I will begin with those. 'Gold Medal' is one robust rose. No matter how much or how many times I cut it back, it springs right back. This one grows along the back of our house. I wish I had planted it somewhere else but I can't seem to come with a new location. 'Gold Medal'   Some more roses -   'Golden Celebration'   'Olivia Rose' 'Mary Rose'   'Chinatown' My favorite bloom at the moment is this beautiful camellia ('Marge Miller'). This is a weeping camellia. I have it growing in a pot. Fatsia japonica Fuchsia 'Lady Boothby' - the only fuchsia left. The others have long shriveled after the frost.  Lonicera americana I'm not sure if berries count as blooms but I want to include the Beautyberry (Callicarpa 'Profusion'). Thanks to Carol at May D...

  The temperatures are hovering in the 40s and the rains have started. A windstorm is predicted on Friday. All of these factors will likely bring an end to the leaves and the fall color. It is all too brief! I was fortunate to get a fall color fix by visiting Shari MacDonald and John Hembroff's stunning garden in Portland a few weeks ago. Before entering the front gate, there is lots to see right on the curb with cherry trees and Japanese maples bursting with color -   Acer palmatum 'Beni Otake' An impressive feature in Shari and John's garden is the magnificent rock work. Huge boulders on raised berms encompass a waterfall and stream that make a dramatic feature in the courtyard entryway. It is all beautifully landscaped with Japanese maples, conifers, rhododendron, hosta, ferns and grasses -     Acer japonicum 'Aconitifolim'   Acer japonicum 'Aconitifolim'   Phyllostachys vivax 'Huangwenzhu Inversa'   Rhododendron 'Blattgold'  Tower...