…AKA, garden variety inactivity.
First of my 50 Lewisia cotyledon crosses to bloom.
In January and February I hardly posted. I wish I could say that I spent hours pouring over seed catalogs and botany books, but that wasn’t case.
The local Northwest Flower & Garden extravaganza at the Washington State Convention Center in downtown Seattle inspired me to finally begin working in the garden regularly.
The show featured vendors selling plants, seeds and garden tools; inspiring lectures and the opportunity to network with fellow plantaholics; and a host of business, craftspeople and artists hawking their garden-related (at times a rather dubious connection) wares.
Among the plant vendors, blooming Hellebores seemed to dominate. Their popularity seems to be surging. With a our mild winters in the northwest, it’s no surprise the Lenten Rose was everywhere. Growers are producing increasingly upright facing blooms, which is no mean feat since the plant has a drooping habit.
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And as promised to the Puyallup gardener and her husband at the dwarf conifer vendor. Here’s a picture of my Dwarf Hinoki Cypress ‘Chirimin’ (Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Chirimen’). It’s been in the ground about two-and-a-half years, is waist high when I stand next to it, which makes it a little less than three feet tall.
When purchased four years ago in a gallon pot it was just over a foot tall. It’s habit is quite irregular and, so far, I haven’t pruned it at all. I hope that helps confirm your choice and helps you site your purchase.
That Lewisia is exquisite.
I was so pleased that the first flowers of about 45 self-pollinated crosses turned out a peach color. In reality it is brighter, less grey. My photograph doesn’t do it justice. If you click on the picture, the bigger view seems better, but still doesn’t quite capture the color. Anyway, I think it’s a Lewisia worth propagating by offsets or other vegetative methods.
The NWFGS is a great antidote to the winter blahs! Now, if the weather would become a bit more conducive to playing outside, we’d be very happy!