Skip to main content

Featured

The Spirited Garden - a book review

The Spirited Garden: Creative Private Retreats Photography by Doreen L. Wynga Written with Lorene Edwards Forkner This sumptuous book features sixteen gardens in the Pacific Northwest region. Wynga has worked as a photographer for over thirty years. She has worked for Monrovia Nursery since 2004 and her photography has been featured in several books (including one of my personal favorites, The Tapestry Garden ).  The gardens included in this book cover a wide range from woodland sanctuaries to lakeside retreats. Each garden is covered in a 14-20 page spread with a brief description followed by gorgeous photos. This is a book to get lost in! There are several gardens in the Portland area and many which are located in northern Washington. (I could not find any promotional photos from the book so these shots will have to suffice). The Spirited Garden is available in book stores.  You can also find a copy on Amazon. Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Rizzoli ...

Signs of Spring and Transplanting a Rhododendron


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 and I hope to get them fertilized tomorrow.

Many perennials are beginning to emerge and need last year's dead growth removed. Case in point - this euphorbia -



I think I heard the plant cheering after I did that.

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Comments

  1. I'm sure you felt cheerful as well after completing those tasks, Phillip. That's a great way to celebrate the start of the spring season!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Transferring your Rhodi encourages me to move mine, a compact PJM. The big question, as always, is where to...
    Which Euphorbia is featured in the photos above?
    Chavli

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular Posts