Sunday, May 6, 2018

Potting and Planting

With the winter clean up and spring pruning done, it is planting time in the garden. 

Tom had a greenhouse full of his geranium cuttings, and tomato and flower seedlings, plus tender plants being wintered over. Now the greenhouse is almost empty. 

The geranium cuttings have been grown on into plants that have been potted and placed for the summer.

 Tom collects fancy leaf geraniums (pelargoniums) and wants at least one big pot of each variety to display. These will stay in a bright spot in front of the gate, where the golden hop is in training to soon shoot up the wire trellis and cover the gate. We took four pots to our friend who just moved into senior  housing and can have pots on her balcony. 

The big pots, on the right below, are going to the Whidbey cabin deck. The rest, still in nursery pots, will be given away. 
 Some are along the front steps. 

Others are on the front porch. 

The tender echeverias grown on from pups from last year's plants are now planted along the front walk. 

The rest of the tender plants have taken their places in the display on the patio. All of the pots have been cleaned up and refreshed, mostly with starts out of our greenhouse. 


You may remember this little wire rack, that was Tom's impulse buy at the NW Flower and Garden Show in February, and the ceramic pots we bought for it in March. 

We have contemplated what we would do with it, and last week we finalized the plan and put it into place.

I had to find just the right metal arbor, not too heavy, not too big or small, and not too expensive. I found it last week at Fred Meyer.




Now it all acts as a "window" to delineate the patio as a room in the garden. The pot at the base of the trellis was also a find at Fred Meyer, at 25% off and only $18, and in the perfect colors, it will likely get planted with an annual vine for the summer. 
We laugh at all of the effort and expense generated by that $6 wire rack, but it was a fun process, and we are happy with the results. 

Fred Meyer is also where I found my flat of brightly colored impatiens, which I got planted under the cedar tree at the edge of the patio, along with the plectranthus that Tom grew as cuttings. 



 Tom's bonsai are out from winter cover and back on their benches. 


The hanging pot for the patio is out of the greenhouse, rehabbed with a few additions and back on its hook. 
The stag horn fern Tom bought in March doubled in the greenhouse, and is now outside for the summer. 
 His May Apples (Podophyllum) live in pots and are out from under winter cover. One of them is blooming. 

The shed is just a shed now that Irene has outgrown her playhouse and garden shop days. 
 I bought an Edelweiss, just because, and planted it in the gravel by the shed. And yes, it makes me sing.  
Tom's tomato and flower seedlings did not thrive, but he still has enough for us and some to give away to family. The tomatoes will be planted this evening, when it's cooler, since it is now 75 degrees, and warmer in the hot spot on the west side of the house where the tomatoes will grow. 
 I got the flower starts planted in the raised beds this morning, where the radishes, lettuce starts, and cilantro are up. 

 Dahlias are planted here. Under the cloche are chard and beets, protected from leaf miner bugs. 
 Sweet peas and annual flowers are in the fronts of three of the beds. I planted flower seeds as well. 
 The raspberry starts are coming along in the refreshed raspberry patch. 
We have put out the "yard art", except for the glass flowers, which will come next. 

Tulip time is nearing an end.

 But the ground covers are covering the ground, and it's columbine time!




 And the wonderful thing about doing all of this work is that we get to look up and see all of this. What a beautiful time of the year May is!






And down on the garden deck, the wisteria is about to bloom, just in time for Mother's Day!


Well, that was a long post. But then we've been doing lots of work. This doesn't show all the work Tom has put in getting the watering systems patched up and running. With that done, we can take off, which is just what we're doing.

We'll be spending a few days on island time. 

17 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness, when I started reading and looking at the photos in your post, my first thought was that we were on the same page. I've been clearing the greenhouse and planting in the garden. Then I went on into the depths of your post and could see that you truly out shine me. Your gardens are amazing . . . and your thumb is much greener than mine, LOL.
    Happy Gardening!
    Connie :)

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  2. Your garden is a very special place. A real gem.

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  3. Thank you so much for sharing this with us, Linda. Wow! I mean, WOW! I know how much work this takes, but what a good feeling to look out at all this beauty. And we get to see it without the hard work.

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  4. I’ve never known anyone who enjoyed their garden as much as the two of you. What a wonderful interest for the two of you to share.

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  5. You have both been working hard to get everything looking so lovely. I like what you've done with that wire rack and the new trellis where it hangs.

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  6. what a gorgeous yard, every little corner...just beautiful-thanks for sharing!

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  7. Your garden is so lush. It is fun to see the results of your and Tom's hard work. Well worth the effort. Your little greenhouse sure gets a workout.

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  8. I never tire of seeing your garden. Lots of work, but so obviously a labor of love.

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  9. All of this is so lovely and makes me envious. You have an eye for design along with your green thumb.

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  10. You have a plethora of beautiful plants. Lovely garden!

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  11. Your garden is splendid. You could easily charge admission to your garden but lucky us, we get to view it for free. I really liked your arbor as a home for the rack.

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  12. Oh! The wisteria!!! What a magical patch of shade.

    Your "tender" plants had me chuckling. Those are plants that are stuck in pots and spread without hardly any care here in Hawaii. The are the "hardy" for us.

    Such a wonderful garden. No wonder my daughter who has transplanted herself to Seattle (she and her fiance just bought a place in the Ballard Locks (?) area and her garden is blooming and thriving. In the summer she has fruits. And she said no weeds! I was surprised, since I love to weed and offered to do that when I come to visit her one of these days.

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  13. Just stopping by....your flowers and grounds look beautiful! I hope to blog again soon. All is well!

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  14. Just wonderful! I am always amazed at how much you two manage to accomplish in such a short time. Thank you for all the pictures. :-)

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  15. So much to do in the garden and what a pleasure to have such a beautiful garden in which to work and play! Everything is looking exquisite as always. Just put most of my begonias outside for the season. Oh that time could go slower at this time of year.

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  16. Such a beautiful yard!! I love that Fancy leaved Pelargonium in the wire plant holder near your step, that foliage is breathtaking, not to mention a bright red bloom!! Have a good time on the island!

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  17. Oh my, the work you and Tom have put in over the years, including this one, is so evident! If you notice in your stats that someone has been staying on your site for some time, that would be me. I keep looking and looking at all the pictures. They are so lovely. You've got your own slice of heaven right there. Thanks for sharing!

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