How About a Primrose Bouquet Today?

The Primroses are really hitting their stride right about now, and with the still fairly cool weather and nights, they should continue to bloom for a few more weeks at least. I think we've finally seen the full range of the colors we currently have, so when I'm looking for more to plant, I'll know what others I want to include. I think we have red pretty well covered at this point, don't you think? I already think I want more yellows and some of the lovely blues as well, though I wouldn't turn down another nice mix of 5 or 6 like this either!

I'm so pleased with how they have settled in and started to multiply in a mere three years, so I can't quite resist the urge to just fill this small bed with them and just add a few annuals for summer and call it quits. There's already some Meadow Sage, Lavender, Bee Balm in this small bed, and we grow morning glories on a trellis there as well, so there's a lot going on in the summer!

I guess once you've tasted success with these little beauties, it turns into a mild obsession ... kind of like what happened with me and Toad Lilies!

Bleeding Hearts

These 'Old Fashioned Bleeding Heart' (Dicentra spectabilis) have quite happily established themselves on the north, Woodland side of the house and represent some of the very first plants we put in that particular area of the garden. (In 1999, hard to believe!) They've since been joined by a lot of other shade lovers, namely ferns of all sorts, Ligularia, Polygonatum (Solomon's Seal), Hellebores, Lungwort and a few others, so this particular area is pretty full, as you can see in the second shot! And if you look way back in the photo, you can see the peonies already up about 3 ft and putting on buds (just in front of the fence to the right ... click for full sized image).

People ask us every year what we do to make these grow so huge, but that's always been entirely up to them! By a happy confluence of circumstances, of light and consistently moist, well drained soil they have almost become garden punks, spreading out a bit further every year, and we often have to dig new plants (from seeds and/or natural spreading) to keep them from taking over entirely. So usually a few people are the lucky recipients of the unwanted offspring each year ... well except for last year when they too were severely zapped by that cold spell. Well, they're back with a vengeance this year and have just flown out of the ground the past couple of weeks, hardly waiting for the leaves to open fully before they started blooming. There is a white one that hasn't been doing as well so far this year, but I'm pretty confident that it will eventually hit its stride soon, and I'll be sure to post it here. But in the interim, just enjoy these first few shots ...

Photos taken by Fernymoss on 6 May, 2008.

Mad about Muscari ...

Here's another early spring favorite in many gardens, the common "Grape Hyacinth" (Muscari armeniacum). They look (and grow) great in many different areas of the garden, but really excel when planted in a mass as a companion bulb to more fire colored Tulips ... in fact, until this year we had a couple such plantings, but as the tulips went, so did many of the Muscari with them, so even though we still have a lot of them around and naturalizing, they're not as numerous as they once were.

And for naturalizing purposes in a bulb garden (or even your lawn or flower beds), they're hard to beat. They're quick about colonizing a small area for themselves in just a matter of two to three years, which for naturalizing bulbs represents a really nice feature of the Muscari. They are now sold in a wide range of colors from the standard blue/purple to white and even some newer varieties that have been bred into bicolors, though I have to say the latter aren't quite my cup of tea because they just lack the natural look of the basic species. Exceptionally hard, (from zones 4-8), once established successfully, they're pretty tenacious little guys as the first picture shows ... this particular specimen was probably one of the very first bulbs we planted originally back in 1999. When we built the boulder bed in 2003, a lot of the bulbs we had along the sidewalk were dislodged or buried completely, and this is one of two who faithfully emerge from the rocks each spring to grace the gap for the length of their bloom period. Ever since we first noticed them, we've been really pleased at how intent they are on delivering a colorful performance each spring. They're especially attractive planted in masses, as the second and third shots demonstrate ... and there's an amusing (at least for me) tale behind how they ended up planted in this particular grouping. After the first exhausting round of planting bulbs in 1999, I happened to find about six bulbs on the porch that we had forgotten to plant. Even though it was well after frost and there was a bit of snow on the ground, I figured well, if I don't plant them they'll rot over the winter, so I might as well just stick them in somewhere and see what happens ... so out I went into the snow with a trowel and dug a hole for them very near the sidewalk where they have continued to grow ever since ... They look pretty cool for an afterthought planting, don't you think?

Muscari armeniacum in various positions in and around the front boulder bed. The first two shots were taken on 5/06/08 and the third taken on 4/26/08 when they had just emerged and taking on color. Photos taken by Fernymoss, with the S700 of course ...

More Tulip Textures

You may well recognize the second shot in this post, because a slightly different version appeared on Urban Oasis just a few days ago. In fact, both these shots (from 5/06) have been "tinkered" with using photo editing software. They're my first experiments with the new software I was finally forced into downloading last night ... see, I got a trial period copy of Paint Shop Pro with my new computer last fall, and when it expired, there went a lot of the editing functions I used a lot.

So I checked out their upgrade offer, which is now called Corel Photo Album 6 (apparently PSP is no more?). I took a quick spin with some of the features on their website and I quickly concluded for $39 I could do much worse in terms of the features that really matter to me in working with my photos. So out came the credit card and I set down to work ... and work is just what it was in terms of a download! In one of the more complicated downloads I've done in a while, I had to first register an account at Corel, then choose the upgrade download, provide the usual purchase information and then wait for an email with further instructions on how to proceed ... about 15 minutes later the email arrived with my serial number/activation code in it. Then I had to go to another page for detailed step by step instructions on how to download and install it. Then I went to the next step, which involved downloading and installing three installation files ... once that was done, I was told that I had only downloaded a trial version with some features disabled, but in order to "activate it," I had to go to another web page (link provided), enter my activation code and submit it, which took all of about 30 seconds once I clicked the 'continue' button. Then I was informed that now I should launch the program, and it would prompt me (yet again) for the activation code so that it could verify with their website that it was a legit copy. Whew, once accomplished, I was finally able to begin using it! Now I'm sure this was all an anti-piracy method, and I really don't have much of a problem with most of those schemes, but jeez folks, there's got to be a less complicated way to go about it!

After playing with it a bit and getting all my photos catalogued, I discovered the enhancement editing features, which include adjusting for exposure, color, brightness, contrast and other useful functions. It even let me instantly compare what I was doing with the original, which is a nice touch I thought. So ... these are the first two crude experiments that came out of that little session with the new software ... I thought they turned out fairly well, considering I really didn't know entirely what I was doing, but I was happy with the results. Sure, it's no Photoshop, but honestly, that program is too expensive and still way beyond my basic editing skill set. I need something that I can use quickly to perform basic editing (resizing, cropping, etc.) so I can get them uploaded. Though the interface is a bit different from what I was used to in PSP, in terms of its intuitive feel, it's very similar ... so far I'm liking it! And when I can get my skill set upgraded, I'll probably try to do more complicated stuff in GIMP, once I can get used to and figure out how that beast operates ... the little I've done with it so far was very confusing, though in the open source world of software, it's reputed to be on the par with Photoshop. The worst thing for me in the trial run was the fact that you have to have multiple windows open to do anything and have to switch back and forth between them to accomplish even a basic task. Just resizing a photo was too much effort than what I was going to endure at that frustrating point, so I put it aside for a while. Fernymoss has used it for several years and likes it, and says that it's very powerful once you learn it. At this point though, that's for another day! He took a look at the new program I downloaded last night and thought it was pretty good overall. He was especially impressed with how easy it is to perform those enhancement functions I was talking about. Now, I'll just say that 99+% (at this point) of the photos I use here are basically untouched except for resizing and some cropping in certain cases. Call me a curmudgeon, but I still have a fair amount of resistance to drastically altered images for the most part, so if/when I do do something to a photo, I'll be sure to make a note of that. So, the majority of the photos you see here are reproduced au naturel.

Consider the lowly Wood Violet ...

Indeed! Since my childhood I've loved the spring wood violets and I still do, but with a sometimes less favorable eye than when I was younger. This somewhat endemic species, Viola sororia, as most midwesterners know, can be an outright rogue in the lawn and gardens, where it multiplies so quickly that it can threaten overtaking some of our more desirable perennials in the border. But honestly, isn't it hard to resist any of the Viola species? At least it is for me ... so we've come to a basically tolerant compromise with the hundreds of Violets that spread through our gardening areas and lawn. We can't eliminate them, they're so pretty we feel guilty about digging them and sending them to the compost, but where they intrude too far, we have no compunction about discarding them ... it's not like we'll ever go lacking in spring violets! And I should say that when we go at them in one area and dig up a lot of them, we usually take them to the back yard and plant them around the base of the old maple out there ... not all of them make it, due to the heavy dog traffic, but we're appreciative of those who do. After all, no matter how much of a pest they can become, they are a native species that deserves some respect!

As I was writing this post, I thought about where you find them in urban areas ... and I came to a not entirely empirical conclusion that one finds them mostly in older, established areas these days, and not so very much in the newly developed sub-divisions ... to my mind that's a sad observation. I've never been much a fan of the seemingly inevitable, overly developed suburban building, and it just confirms why I feel so much more comfortable in an old house in an older part of the city. Yes, we have our common weedy herbaceous species in abundance ("Creeping Charlie" aka "Ground Ivy," purple and white clover, garden nightshade vine --you know, the kind of vine that produces red berries your mother always told you never to eat?-- not to mention others), but I like to think of them as parts of a more complete ecosystem that has established itself over many years. As inconvenient as they may seem at times, they're ultimately (at least usually! I do not have any fondness for poison ivy!) beneficial to the soil and the garden at large. Besides, how can you resist them? I can't, so we just live with them peacefully now.

Today was pretty rainy off and on, so our plans to get more clean up done in the beds were postponed (again) so we went plant shopping instead. We came home with some nice finds (though some things we were looking for weren't in yet, alas), including a new hibiscus variety Luna Red, three new peonies (they were on sale for a great price of $9.95!) called Paeonia lactiflora 'Karl Rosenfield' that looks very promising, and the plants are large and healthy ... some more Artemisia "Silver Mound" (to replace the ones who didn't make it), and a fancy Martha Washington type geranium, a few more Delphinium 'Blue Elf' since it seems the ones I planted last year didn't make it, so I'll give them one more try ... we even got some Petunias this year (mostly for the color and the hummingbird potential)! Unfortunately we didn't find (at this particular place, which we like a lot) the Trilliums or Jack in the Pulpits we really wanted, but we did put in a request that they order them, so we'll see if they come through. Anyway, it's enough to keep us busy planting for the next week or so ... with any luck they'll come through and we can add those as well. At this point, it feels like we're so behind this year, but given the winter we had, I guess that many are feeling this way ... so much to do, so little time! The perpetual gardener's conundrum ... but we'll get there yet soon, I hope!

Not Quite the Primrose Path, but It's a Start!

I've definitely become a fan of Primula polyanthus because it's truly proven itself to be quite adaptive to our notably fickle springs the past couple of years. The red one in the second shot was the first to bloom this year, though the others have been joining the show in rapid succession. I've been trying for years to get a nice little mound of these brilliantly coloured flowers going in various spots, and it seems like I finally hit the magic spot when I planted these in the little bed to the left of our front steps. They're protected by the porch overhang from the blazing sun of summer, which along with dry conditions and heat are the two mortal enemies of Primulas. Ever since I planted my first five here I've been pretty compulsive about making sure they get at least some water every day throughout the season and it seems to be working so far.

How am I sure they're happy now (despite the blooms)? Well, I mentioned that I started with five, but if you look closely, you'll see at least seven in this shot, and there is at least one more that was out of field of the lens here. In fact, there may even be nine at this point as I think I saw another small one out there the other day ... after they've finished their first blush of flowers, I plan to give them a good feeding, keep watering frequently and hope that they rest a bit, grow some more and perhaps bloom again this year. If not, as long as I can keep them happy and well watered over the summer, they should be back again next year bigger and better than ever. My dream would be to have them colonize this entire bed in time ... wouldn't that be stunning? And if I happen to find any more nice plants (at a good price) this spring, I'll snap them up and put them in with the others.

Ever since I first encountered Primulas planted in huge masses in France many moons ago (in 1978 to be exact), I've been in love with them and am of the mind that you can never have enough!

Dragon Arum Countdown

Since Fernymoss was out and about with the camera the other day, I thought I'd post another update on the Dragon Arum before it gets much bigger! He took this shot on Tuesday 6 May as the leaves were starting to unfurl in earnest, and wow it's moving fast to put on size this year! All four of the new shoots are leafing out (even the smallest one, which is rather hard to see in this shot), and at the rate it has been growing, it might well bloom about the same time this year (with any luck).

Tradition has it that Peonies should bloom on Memorial Day Weekend and last year they were right on time ... along with the Dragon Arum! What an odd combo to have in bloom, near each other at the same time ... the wonderful fragrance of Peonies, and the well, not so pretty stench of the Dragon Arum. Come to think of it though, aside from the first couple of days, we didn't really notice the smell too much ... or maybe the Peonies just overcompensated and overpowered it! In any case, I'll keep popping the occasional update here in anticipation of the big day ... so if you're interested, do come back!

Here's something fun (I hope) you can do with this photo ... there are four clearly visible other plants (not counting the sickly tulips in the foreground) in the proximity of the Arum, toward the back. See if you can identify some of them and let me know what you find!

A short note on posting this week ... I'm currently finishing up a big project for work, and may miss a day or so, but I've got lots more saved up to post when I have a little more time again. I've got a few drafts saved, so depending on how tired I am the next few days, I may still end up making some quick posts.

Tulip Textures

This shot is from a large set of photos that Fernymoss took on 26 April. I wish I could claim this one as my own because I really love the angle and degree of textures he was able to get in this shot. And though I had tried to get a shot of this one last weekend, it was too windy and I didn't end up with anything I liked ... but then I wasn't going for this angle either! The colour is very true to the actual flower, which boasts a delicious shading of pinks, salmon and orange. (It too, fortunately, is a survivor!)

And since Boran2 liked the previous (closed up) shot of this Olympic Flame, the last of these favorites still around ... We will definitely be planting more of these in the Fall, along with the others. Actually as I recall, this particular variety isn't terribly expensive (but I think any decent Darwin type tulip under $1 is a good price), and it's pretty hardy and reliable, except when you have a spring like last year's around here ... Anyway, let's enjoy it while it lasts!

Stick a Fork in Her, She's Well Overdone ...

When the likes of Chuck Todd (MSNBC electoral numbers guru extraordinaire) and Potato Head Russert say it's over, it's over. The mainstream media has now turned on you. (Whether that's fair or not is a good subject for debate.) Go away, Hillary. Your entitlement has evaporated, not that it was ever there to begin with ... not to mention that you campaigned arrogantly on your "inevitability" in Iowa.

You should have taken the hint on January 3, and in subsequent races, say those runs of wins for Obama in February? Give it up. Quit trying to foment civil war in the Democratic party and surrender your ego gracefully. You and Bill have turned former Clinton defenders and supporters (like myself) into people who absolutely loathe you both now. That's quite a legacy you leave behind. I went from being "Ok, if she gets the nomination, I'll hold my nose to vote for her," to "There's no way I can vote for her because we might as well elect a Republican, since she's one in every way but name." My current position rests that should she manage to steal the nomination from Obama, I will still vote. Not for her, not for McSame, but for Obama as a write-in. Then I'll proceed to vote for the down ticket races, trying to ignore the devastating damage she has (as presumed a Democrat as Joe LIEberman) wrought upon the Democratic party. When you have the likes of Rush Limbaugh urging people to vote for you, that says a lot. Sure, the Republicans want to run against her, but the fact remains that she is closer to their thinking than traditional Democratic values. That she's willing to appropriate a John (MSM teflon) McSame talking point vis-à-vis this stupid "gas tax holiday" is just shameful. Just change your party affiliation, Hillary and join LIEberman on the endangered species list. You and Bill are not fooling us anymore, you seek power for the sake of power, and consider yourselves entitled to swap the Bush-Clinton dynasty now and then. Enough already. Take your Crown Royal, go home, drink up and leave it to Obama to steer this country out of the morass in which we currently find ourselves. Hell, here are four aspirins and a piece of cheese to alleviate the hangover. That's as generous as I can be to you at this point.