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March Treasures

Camellia 'Magnoliaflora' and Pieris 'Valley Rose' Buds are budding, flowers are emerging, and the garden is getting greener. Excitement builds! It seems like it is all happening too soon and that is probably the case since the winter has been so mild. There are also mutterings about a "false spring" which is certainly understandable. It is not uncommon here to get a big snow in April. It has happened many times since we've lived here.  Proceed with caution... I would not dream of putting any delicate plants out yet so they will remain in the garage. However, there is a flurry of activities that needs to be done. Rose pruning, cutting back perennials and grasses, transplanting, etc. etc.  It is all worth it - the garden rewards - Crocus Daffodils Anenome Hellebore Camellia 'Donation' Euphorbia wulfenii Tree Heath ( Erica arborea ) Hebe 'Pretty in Pink' Pieris 'Valley Rose' Pieris 'Passion Frost' And last, but certainly not le...
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Swapping Huckleberries

Himalayan Honeysuckle (Vaccinium glauco album) 


Himalayan Honeysuckle (Vaccinium glauco album) has been an attractive feature along our north-facing foundation since I planted it in 2016. You will have to take my word for it since I cannot locate a photo although I know one exists somewhere in the realm of the Internet or floating on a cloud somewhere. 

I did locate a photo of how it looked when it was first planted -



It took a few years to fill out but it did so nicely to an attractive mound about 2 feet high by 3 feet wide. 

Last year, it started to look bad.  I cut it back but it had not improved and this is how it looked a few weeks ago -



I decided to rip it out and plant another huckleberry - this time Vaccinium ovatum, more commonly known as the "Evergreen Huckleberry".  This is a plant that I've wanted for ages and kept putting off getting one because I could not find a good place for it. By most accounts, this is an amazing plant, a native one and excellent for wildlife. The white and pink bell-shaped flowers are appearing now and they are popular with pollinators.




Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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  1. Kris PetersonApril 12, 2024 at 9:36 PM

    It's too bad you Himalayan variety gave up - it was very pretty. I hope the evergreen variety proves to be more tolerant.

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  2. tz_gardenApril 15, 2024 at 9:24 AM

    It's hard to yank something when it's not doing well, but I bet it feels great to look and see your beautiful new evergreen Huckleberry thriving. Also, yum!

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  3. JH1961April 17, 2024 at 3:23 AM

    Lime bleed-off from your house's foundation may be the culprit. Azaleas often suffer the same fate when planted too close to a house.

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