Friday, January 23, 2009

Bosque (Cascadia Garden)

 Chamaecyparis lawsoniana December 2008

Sorbus gonggashanica September 2008


Mahonia aquifolium January 2010

Helleborus x hybridus January 2010

The bosque evolved over more than 40 years. Trees, shrubs & perennials were slowly added. The bosque is now composed of 5 large evergreen trees; 4 Chamaecyparis lawsoniana & 1 Thuja plicata. Acer circinatum & Sorbus gonggashanica grow at the edges. 4 hybrid Rhododendron cast additional shade. The bosque is located at the southwest corner of the property where land slopes to the west. It had been a very dry site. Plants for dry shade have been most successful there. The ground is covered mostly by Washington native forest plants & Helleborus x hybridus.

Bosque Plant List
Trees
Acer circinatum (Vine Maple)
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana (Port Orford Cedar)
Sorbus gonggashanica (Mountain Ash)
Thuja plicata (Western Red Cedar)

Shrubs
Holodiscus discolor (Ocean spray)
Mahonia aquifolium (Oregon grape)
Philadelphus lewisii (Mock Orange)
Ribes sanguineum ‘Pokey’s Pink’ (Flowering Currant)

Perennials & Groundcovers
Achlys triphylla (Vanilla Leaf)
Campanula poscharskyana (Serbian Bellflower)
Dicentra formosa (Bleeding Heart)
Liriope spicata (Lily Turf)
Maianthemum dilatatum (False Lily of the Valley)
Oxalis oregana (Redwood Sorrel)
Polystichum munitum (Sword Fern)
Smilacina racemosa (False Solomon’s Seal)
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Sunday, January 18, 2009

Mixed Border (Cascadia Garden)

 Agapanthus africanus August 2008



Kniphofia thompsonii thompsonii June 2009

Eryngium amethystinum August 2008

The mixed border is 5 feet wide x 38 feet long. It began in 1993 with plants that had blue (gray) foliage, or blue or yellow flowers. Eventually I felt that lacked depth. Purple & orange flowers added richness. The mixed border runs along house for half its length, then past the deck, across a path, & along the south edge of the vegetable garden. It borders a brick walk (also 5 feet wide) leading to the front porch & door. The paving pattern is a series of squares within squares. The bricks are set in a bed of sand flanked by railroad ties. A mixed border is a long, narrow bed planted with both shrubs & perennials.

Early in January Euphorbia rigida blooms yellow against blue foliage. The effect is repeated by Euphorbia myrsinites & Narcissus some weeks later.  In June Hypericum 'Hidcote' shows bright yellow flowers against the thick & fluffy blue blossoms of Ceanothus, with dark purple Geranium phaeum behind. In summer blue Agapanthus, orange Crocosmia, yellow Hemerocallis & yellow + orange = bicolor Kniphofia bloom together. All are tempered & enriched by the ever-blue foliage of Eucalyptus moorei, Hebe, Juniperus chinensis ‘Blue Point’. A blot of red Lobelia tupa gives a modern art effect in late summer. In the small section fronting the vegetable garden, decorative vegetables grow (Chinese Lanterns, Leeks, Rhubard, Sea Kale) along with Narcissus & Tulipa.

Blue & Yellow Mixed Border Plant List
Trees

Shrubs
Ceanothus ‘Victoria’ (California Lilac)
Hypericum ‘Hidcote’ (St John’s Wort)
Juniperus squamata ‘Loden’

Perennials
Agapanthus ‘Storm Cloud’ (Lily of the Nile)
Crambe maritima (Sea Kale)
Digitalis trojana (Trojan Foxglove)
Geranium phaeum (Mourning Widow)
Lobelia tupa (Tupa)
Narcissus (Daffodil)
Rheum x cultorum (Rhubarb)

Groundcovers
Euphorbia myrsinites (Myrtle Spurge)
Pratia pedunculata (Blue Star Creeper)
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