Dirt Therapy

It is the last day of March and this past week has felt more like May here in southwestern Washington. I started my seasonal job at the nursery last week and the greenhouse was stifling at times. I kept wishing I had wore my shorts. The weather has just been fantastic and we had a full day in the garden on Sunday. Exhausted but got a lot accomplished. Assessing the situation, the plants look like they survived the winter with flying colors. Of course, there was some winter damage, like the Hebe, but all is not lost. It is exciting to see how things are growing. This Goshiki Osmanthus looks like it has at least a foot of new growth that shot up seemingly overnight. Osmanthus heterophyllus 'Goshiki' And I really did not think that Camellia 'Nuccio Bella Rossa' has grown that much but when comparing to it last year's photo, it is at least twice the size. April 2018 Camellia 'Nuccio Bella Rossa' today Other early bloomers - ...

  Last year's March Bloom Day was a lot more active than this year's. We had the coldest February in 30 years and a few snowfalls although nothing major on that front and certainly not matching the 11 inches we got the second winter we were here. Things are warming up fast and next week promises to see temperatures reaching near the 70 mark. I'm sure that will perk things up. The little Iris reticulata is blooming and another patch of it bloomed much earlier and got trampled by snow and ice. I'm still not sure why one patch bloomed before the other as they are close to each other. I posted this photo of the pretty yellow iris that is blooming by the entrance to the driveway - Last fall, I planted more crocus and they are beginning to emerge and some are starting to display blooms.  The one is right outside our front door. I love the purple and orange combination. One hellebore is also blooming and has been for a month now. This one is ...

I have been looking forward to today all week with the promise of sunshine, 50 degrees, and no wind or rain! Yipee for gardeners!  Signs of life are apparent everywhere. The crocus is starting to bloom (the little bunch above is right near the entrance to the driveway, underneath a Dwarf Red-Twig Dogwood ( Cornus sericea 'Kelseyi').  Other newly planted bulbs are also coming up and of course, I don't remember what they are - I got a lot of tasks accomplished today. I pruned a few roses, more ornamental grasses and the hellebore foliage. I planted some new things, including this Fringe Tree ( Chionanthus virginicus ), which was a favorite in the Alabama garden. And five new roses arrived from Antique Rose Emporium ('Cl. Pinkie', 'Lamarque', 'Red Cascade', 'Sea Foam' and 'Veilchenblau'). I planted 'Climbing Pinkie' today on the new pergola. And, last but not least, I got 2 more loads of pea gravel sp...

We woke up to a winter wonderland this morning despite the weather forecasters predicting that Clark County would get little to none. That seems to be the norm now and I've learned not to rely on their forecasts. There are so many variances and elevations here that it is extremely hard to predict. Most of the snow had melted by the afternoon but snow flurries are falling again as I write this. Last night was Oscar night and we had a nice spread of snacks and desserts. We had some friends over and they brought some goodies as well. This is a cheese ball recipe that is one of our favorites. Pineapple Cheese Ball 2  8 oz. packages of cream cheese, softened 1 cup minced celery (optional! We don't include this) 1/2 cup chopped green pepper 1 tsp. minced onion 1 tsp. seasoned salt 1  20 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained 1 cup chopped pecans First, make sure the pineapple is well drained. I put it in a strainer and press the juice out. I then p...

While the pots await their new occupants, the mid-February garden is sleeping soundly. It has been cold and wet during the past weeks but we've had two days in a row with no rain and even some sun. Although it is cold out (low 40s for the highs), once you get moving about, I don't notice it unless the wind is blowing. Fortunately, it has not been windy either so I've been doing some winter pruning and transplanting. Looking around the garden, there are some nice things to see - Viburnum 'Spring Bouquet' (above) is an all-season beauty but it is especially stunning during the dead of winter. Mugo Pine 'Aurea', one of our favorites, and we are a bit perturbed that Ceanothus 'Julia Phelps' in encroaching upon it. (On the other side of the fence is Viburnum 'Spring Bouquet', mentioned previously. The pine 'Golden Ghost' ( Pinus densiflora ) continues to stun. I have to say this is one of the most beautiful plants I h...

We woke up to a bit of snow this morning. Not much but pretty... Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

I love the winter season because it gives me a chance to wind down and really think about plans for the garden. In particular, it is a good time for me to accomplish hardscape projects. The weather is always a deterring factor, however, but so far we are experiencing a very mild season and a noticeable decrease in rainfall. I do not like to work in cold, wet conditions so I have to be really motivated to get outside the comfort of a warm, cozy house this time of year. My big project at the moment is transforming the former vegetable garden into a courtyard area with a deck and pergola to anchor it in. We enjoyed the vegetable garden but they were a lot of work and locally grown produce is so plentiful here. I wasn't really pleased with the location of it - right in the middle of the back garden. I felt that a more dominant focal point was needed. That, coupled with the fact that we also desire more shade, resulted in a courtyard idea.  The plan is for a large deck with a per...