Dirt Therapy

                                                                                                                                                                             I was not familiar at all with Boxleaf Azara ( Azara microphylla ) when we moved to the Pacific Northwest and it soon became one of my favorite small trees. I planted one five years ago and it has quickly grown into a pyramidal shape about 8 feet tall. The tree is native to Chile and Argentina.  In late winter, tiny yellow flowers appear although it took several years before ours began...

I haven't made homemade pretzels since we were in Alabama and I had forgotten how easy they are if not a little time consuming. I made these last week for Oscar night. They keep a long time in an airtight container. 1   (.25 ounce) package   active dry yeast 1 tablespoons   brown sugar 1  teaspoons   salt 1 ½   cups   warm water (110 degrees) 3   cups   all-purpose flour 1   cup   bread flour 2   cups   warm water (110 degrees) 2   tablespoons   baking soda 1-2   tablespoons   butter, melted 2   tablespoons  kosher salt Line two or three baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Place the yeast, brown sugar and salt in the 1.5 cups of warm water. Stir to dissolve. Stir in the flour. Knead for about 7-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl and cover. Let it rise for an hour (I place mine in the oven with the light on). Combine the two cups of warm water with the baking soda in a square shal...

Things are warming up. The daffodils and hellebores are blooming. The days seem to alternate between sunny and mild and cloudy and colder. I took advantage of a recent mild and sunny day and transplanted a rhododendron. This one ('Golden Gate') was previously located behind the pergola in the back garden and was pretty much being smothered by other plants - Unlike some other plants, like the buddleia in the previous post, young rhododendrons are easy to move and the root ball is small - I've moved it to the front border where it will hopefully be happier and bloom nicer than it did in the previous location. I don't know how many soaker hoses I have destroyed by digging into them. On this go-around, I managed to spot the hose before I plunged the shovel into the ground - I always place rhododendrons slightly higher than ground level - actually I do this with most plants. Mission accomplished! I am still in the process of pruning roses. I got all of the clematis pruned an...

First - I finally have some blooms (crocus) to share. Winter lingers and we've only seen a few days lately with temperatures above 50. Hopefully, next week it will be warmer but more heavy rain is on the way. I've started pruning roses and transplanting. I'm not finished with the roses but I got one of the largest finished - 'Lady of Shalott'. When I looked it up on my inventory list, I was flabbergasted to see that it is seven years old. That doesn't seem right but there it, planted in February of 2016. The growth has become quite dense so I thinned it out. I also made a video for my YouTube channel of how I prune it. This is the final result - There are several plants that I want to move this year. The first is Hypericum 'Pumpkin' (St. Johns Wort) that has attained massive proportions and much too large next to the pathway in front. The problem, of course, is where to move it to. I then got the idea of moving the buddleia, residing about six feet away...

On my recent report on the three amaryllis, you may recall there was one dud - "Red Peacock". I was ready to toss it in the garbage when I noticed that there was growth emerging. Sure enough, it continued to grow and now there is a big beautiful bloom and at least three more waiting to open. Apparently, some take more time than others. Or, perhaps it was the threat of eviction? I'm a firm believer of that. There are many plants in the garden that have improved after I threatened them with a shovel prune. Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Beatrix Farrand - Garden Artist, Landscape Architect   by Judith Tankard Monacelli Press, 2022 I got this book for Christmas but I wasn't aware that it is a reprint of a 2009 edition. However, I never read that one so all is good. This is a big, beautiful book on one of my favorite landscape designers. Farrand's career began around the turn of the century (1900). Not only was she the rare female professional but she hailed from a prominent family (she was Edith Wharton's niece) and the fact that she wanted to enter any profession was looked upon as odd. However, despite those challenges, she flourished and soon established a stellar reputation as a talented designer and consummate professional. Her initial assignments came from family friends which included such names as the Rockerfellers and Vanderbilts. She would design many gardens for estates in New York, Long Island, Maine and the Northeast. She would also work on college campuses and botanical gardens. Her most famou...

Winter continues its grip on our region and it needs to go bye-bye. Since returning from my trip to Alabama last week, I've been itching to get out and begin the garden clean-up but I hesitate. I think it is best to wait until temperatures are above 50 before cutting plants back for the sake of insects that are using the plants for shelter.  The rose pruning can begin and I will start that this week. However, the weather is just icky - wet and cold - and getting out there requires some willpower.  I did go ahead and cut back the ornamental grasses, which I felt guilty about, but it is done. I also got an interior job completed, something I've wanted to do for a long time - installing a tool rack on the garage wall and attaching brackets to hold our ladders. This blank area of wall has always irked me and the fact that we are constantly stumbling over tools on the floor begged that the space be used. The reason I kept putting the project off was because I could not drill a hole...