Friday, March 31, 2017

Counting the survivors--west beds

The real winners in this whole part of the garden were the damned weeds; I keep sort of forgetting that here in the temperate rainforest, the weeds grow ALL WINTER LONG.

Crocus Rose and The Generous Gardener appear to revving up for a vigorous year.  I was going to do a comprehensive pruning and trellising in February, per the video, but there really was not a day it wasn't raining, and also I realized I needed a much better (larger, stronger) trellis than any I had on hand or could readily acquire.  I bought a bundle of cedar 1x2s and will be building a trellis any day now (hah) but I think it's probably too late to do the comprehensive pruning this year. 

The hollies get a special round of applause for being the most durable and patient shrubs imaginable.  They do need some pruning, and I think if I stay on top of things (hah) I can keep them comfortably fitting in their space.

For the perennials, here's the win/loss columns:

 Yea ?? Nay
 All the herbs Acanthus Mollis  Artemesia Silver Mound
 Prof. Kippenburg  Gaura Gaudi Red  Penstemon Pocahantes and Blackbird and Thorn
 Jacobs Ladder  Moroccan Daisy
 Monarda  All the salvias (no surprise)
 Foxgloves (yay!)  Osteospermum Lavender Mist
 Sun roses (both ends)
 Coreopsis Daybreak
 Geranium Biokovo
 Potentilla William Rollison and Pikes Peak and Monarchs Velvet
 Echinacea Pow Wow
 Anemone Sept. Charm and Fantasy Cinderella and Honorine Jobert

Obvious takeaway is that the potentillas and anemones proved hardier than the penstemons.   Also, there is a LOT of empty real estate in this bed on the north side <gleefully rubbing hands>.

I will leave the catastrophe that is the north bed to another day and another post.

Also, the magnolia is dying of anthracnose blight.  Which will give me a chance to put a nice little crabapple in there. 

No comments: