2021 Magnolia Collection

by Susan | Apr 2, 2021 | Plants I Dig

I love magnolias. They are seductive and diverse little gems of the garden. I am eagerly awaiting this collection of Magnolias to make their appearance this spring!

Mactophylla has the largest bloom and is a dwarf form of the Bigleaf Magnolia and some botanists list Ashe as a subspecies of Bigleaf Magnolia (Magnolia macrophylla ssp. ashei). Ashe Magnolia trees are very similar to Bigleaf Magnolia trees except that they tend to grow much shorter and flower at a younger age. The flowers and leaves are still just as large, with the leaves growing up to two feet long and the flowers more than a foot in diameter!

I love the yellow flower with pink in the base, like the sun rise. 15-20 feet high

Magnolia Sunburst is a very floriferous tree and is regarded as excellent! The deep canary-yellow flowers have narrow tepals that open just as the foliage starts to open, making the tree look like it’s covered in glowing yellow candles. Heavy textured foliage begins a rich bronze-purple. Fast, upright grower to 30′.

mangnolia yellow bird plantswoman design

Magnolia ‘Yellow Bird’ boasts bright canary yellow flowers which appear more dependably since they emerge with the foliage late in the spring after the danger of frosts. Full Sun, up to 40 feet high with 3 1/2 inch flowers.

Magnolia Ann’s flowers range from deep pink to purple. It grows in shrub-like form instead of a tree. Up to 15 feet in height.

Laevifolia is a small structured tree covered in miniature magnolia blooms. Excellent small scale evergreen Magnolia with handsome rounded leaves touched with brown indumentum (fur). In mid spring masses of large 4″ ivory white intensely fragrant flowers explode all over tree. The flowers have a rich and penetrating lemon aroma. About 9 feet at mature height.

Maudiae is one of the easier winter blooming evergreen Magnolias to grow in mild climates. Large, 6 in., pure white flowers are very fragrant (lemon) and arranged along the branches, rather than at branch tips. A Maudiae will form small trees or work well as potted specimens. They do well on the West Coast and in the Southeast.

Read more about the Magnolias that have made appearances in my gardens over the years.

The Suductive Magnolia

Winter Blooms for the Bees

by Susan | Feb 3, 2021 | Plants I Dig, Plantswoman Design

picky bees plantswoman design insta stories

After the torrential rains of December and January, it is a wonder that anything is blooming. Thankfully there are great plants that survive the downpours and even flourish when everything else is a soggy mess. Along with the plants surviving, there are insects that winter over in the trees and they love to see the sunshine just like we do. As soon as the lukewarm sun starts hitting the trees the groggy bees stumble out looking for some food (kind of reminds me of teenagers). It is essential that we, as gardeners, provide early blooming plants for these very important members of our planet. Interestingly enough some bees are not at all particular about their food supply while others are. Our goal should be to provide both native food sources and ornamental garden food sources. Nature has a way of adapting to what is available but also searching for specifics.

I’m not a big native plant person. Growing up here I have seen the native plants in so many places, including open fields, forests, ditches, ponds, roadside edges, and yes, even parking lots. I probably should not go into my opinion of ferns and mahonia in parking lots, that’s another topic. I do, however, have native pollinating plants in my garden. The earliest blooming plants are fabulous Mahonias. The statuesque Mahonia x media ‘Charity’ (Zone 7-9, part shade, drought-tolerant), the mahonia repens (Zone 5-8, part sun, average moisture), and the newly popular Mahonia ‘Soft Caress’-Mahonia eurybracteata ’Soft Caress’ (Zone 4-7, Shade to part shade, acid soil). These three together are my favorite combination to attract bees that need native plants. The Mahonia Soft Caress blooms first in my garden from December through January. Charity starts after that and blooms until February. Then Mahonia Repens, with its soft, papery, red-purple leaves finishes the cycle in February and March. By the time these are finished there are many other native pollen sources blooming in the forest, and edges of the stream.

edgeworthia winter bloom plantswoman design

Non- native plants also start blooming in January and February. Many of these are also great for hummingbirds that have also not left the area. Edgeworthia chrysantha- Paper Bush ( Zone 5-9, filtered sun – part shade) has amazing hanging flower heads with yellow, waxy, tubular blooms and sweet scent that attract bees and hummingbirds in January and February. If you want to do a little more searching the rare, very cool, Edgeworthia akebono is striking with creamy outside and tangerine orange inside flowers and light scent.

A more common, yet still lovely, plants are the winter-blooming Camellias. Camellia sasanquas are blooming in gardens all around me. The best ones for pollinating are the single blossoms like Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’ – Yuletide Camellia (Zone 7-10, part sun). The brilliant red blooms have a yellow center with prominent stamens. Sometimes blooming as early as December. Camellia sasanqua ‘Setsugekka’ is a clear, brilliant white that is a semi-double. The golden yellow center calls out to any passing bee.

Camellia winter bloom plantswoman design

I’ll leave you with one more picture of a low growing crocus. Don’t forget these little puddles of sunshine in your garden, the bees will also enjoy them.

Stipa Gigantea

by Susan | Sep 21, 2020 | Plants I Dig, Plantswoman Design

Fabulous Grass

Did you know grass flowers are called inflorescences? Sometimes they are barely noticeable, but other times they are pretty fantastic. Stipa gigantea is one of my favorite grasses, and I have them planted along the hedge of my ‘Feathers’ garden. It is evergreen, and the stems of the inflorescence come out early in the summer and last through the winter. The structure in the winter stays about 3 feet high without the long waving stems of seed heads. I leave the seed heads on during the winter for bird forage.

posts about grasses

WISPY

WILD

WONDERFUL

posts about grasses

DESIGN

TIPS

Hamamelis Shopping In The Snow

by Susan | Jan 23, 2020 | Plants I Dig, Plantswoman Design

What to do when it is a snow day? There are many answers to that, but when you work from home, you usually just go to work. This snowy day I had an appointment with a new client. Since the roads were more than passable, I got there with a little extra time on my hands. Of course, being close to one of my favorite nurseries was opportune. The staff laughed at me when I walked in and started asking about the witch hazels. They were not surprised to see me shopping.

I posted a few pictures of the new Hamamelis I ordered online last week. While shopping today, I had a hard time deciding which one to buy. It might surprise most people to know how many different varieties are available. Usually, you will find “Jelena’, ‘Arnolds promise’ and ‘Diane’ for sale. These were there but also ‘Birgit’, ‘Strawberries and Cream’, ‘Angelly’, and ‘Sunburst’ were flowering amidst all the snow-packed displays. This time of year is a great time to be able to pick the colors and fragrances. Different growing habits are also available for smaller gardens or a perfect narrow space with a good background.

‘Birgit’ came home with me tucked into the back of the SUV that was necessary because of the snow. Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Birgit’ is its botanical name. It is blooming now with fragrant, showy purplish-red flowers, with upright-spreading branching. It is noted for being perhaps the darkest red of the cultivars available today. Each flower has four narrow, ribbon-like, curled and slightly crinkled petals. Axillary clusters of these flowers bloom along the stems from late January to March. Flowers are mildly fragrant. Fabulous textured dark green leaves (to 4″ long) turn yellow-orange-red in fall.

Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Birgit’

Zone: 5 to 8

Height: 8.00 to 12.00 feet

Spread: 12.00 to 15.00 feet

Bloom Time: January to March

Bloom Description: Purplish-red

Sun: Full sun to part shade

Water: Medium

Existing in the garden already are Hamamelis Jelena, Diane, and ‘Little Suzie’. ‘Little Suzie’ is a small hybrid of Hamamelis virginiana, a native of the east coast. Flowering at an early age with branches that are densely covered with fragrant soft yellow flowers. It was flowering in December here. Its leaves turn a butter-yellow in fall.

‘Little Suzie’

Zone: 3 to 8

Height: 4.00 to 5.00 feet

Spread: 4.00 to 5.00 feet

Bloom Time: October to December

Bloom Description: Yellow

Sun: Full sun to part shade

Water: Medium

Just planted from my mail-order delivery is Hamamelis mollis, Chinese witch hazel. It is one of the most fragrant of all witch hazels and one of the first collected in China in 1879. It is pretty small at this point (only 1 gallon) but is placed where it can really grow and be amazing.

Hamamelis mollis

Zone: 5 to 8

Height: 10.00 to 15.00 feet

Spread: 10.00 to 15.00 feet

Bloom Time: January to March

Bloom Description: yellow with reddish-brown calyx cups

Sun: Full sun to part shade

Water: Medium

Hamamelis vernalis ‘Purpurea’ is bigger in a 2-gallon root ball; it is already showing good structure and flowering now. It is covered with burgundy flowers, and they are very cool. They have a two-toned effect with the ends of the ribbon-like petals lighter colored. I am looking forward to seeing that as they mature. The snow will have to go away first.

Hamamelis vernalis ‘Purpurea’

Zone: 4 to 8

Height: 6.00 to 10.00 feet

Spread: 8.00 to 12.00 feet

Bloom Time: January to March

Bloom Description: Burgundy

Sun: Full sun to part shade

Water: Medium

In the back of the white garden at the edge of the snowdrop meadow is Hamamelis ‘Amethyst’. Very small at planting, probably a hybrid of H. vernalis, it has only one tiny bloom. The reddish-purple flowers come out in mid-winter with cool gray/green foliage in spring before the signature red and orange fall color.

Hamamelis ‘Amethyst’

Zone: 5 to 8

Height: 10.00 to 15.00 feet

Spread: 10.00 to 15.00 feet

Bloom Time: January to March

Bloom Description: purple with reddish-brown calyx cups

Sun: Full sun to part shade

Water: Medium

Hamamelis cultivars typically bloom early in the winter before the leaves come out. There is one that blooms in fall that might be fun to track down. They are usually easy to grow with very few pests. Deer resistant in most areas, they have a second season of interest with fabulous fall color. It is essential to keep suckers cut off of all Hamamelis. Some can spread into forests invasively. Suckers below the graft on grafted ones can overwhelm the graft.

Now to get my journal out to record these new plants and make tags for them. Part of my goals for the new year, to make sure to keep better records. Hopefully, these new purchases will stave off the lust for new plants. Oh wait, the seed catalogs are stacked up on the table….

Footnote: Thanks to the Missouri Botanical Garden Website for information about these cultivars.

Check out plantlust.com online for fabulous plants that are usually not available in nurseries. Thanks to Bay Hay and Feed on Bainbridge Island for continually providing unusual varieties of many plants.

Nerine Obsession (again)

by Susan | Sep 27, 2019 | Plants I Dig

Hello friends, I sure hope you enjoy this re-post from last year. Nerines are a fabulous fall bulb that don’t get their fair shake during bulb season. Read up and go out and grab some nerines for your garden! — Susan

I’m not sure how being curious about something turns into an interest which, in turn, becomes a collection. I’m also not sure how that collection suddenly, overnight, turns into an obsession. Enter the Nerine. This obsession snuck up on me.

My first experiment with a Nerine was with a couple of bulbs purchased online simply because I wanted to push the hardiness envelope. After meeting the sweet little bulbs, I proceeded to keep them in a pot, moving them in and out of the greenhouse, rather than put them in the ground and risk freezing. My second dabble at the edge of the rabbit hole of interest was a pot of bulbs from Dan Hinkley. I tucked them into a bed that didn’t get a lot of love, water or care, under a Pittisporum ‘Formosa fingers’ no less! I didn’t think about them again until fall. And suddenly, there they were, pushing through the foliage, intermingling with geranium, ceanothus, and pittisporum ‘county park’. They arrested my interest with their subtle scent and their bold (although pink) flowers opening as I walked by.

From there it was a free fall… A pot of bulbs from Ravenna Gardens, a few more from Dan Hinkley, and yes, more online purchases. This year I hit the mother lode. One of my suppliers had also fallen victim to the same obsession. On their availability list, there were several Nerines listed. At this point, most of mine were Nerine bowdenii, the straight species. The hard to find ones were, well, hard to find. Many available in the UK and their native South Africa, but not here.

At this point, my collection hit obsession status.

Nerines Mr. John, Anastasia, Elegance, Isabel, Early Red, Aphrodite, Patricia joined the family this year. I discovered Nerine Edelweiss, a stunning white Nerine, blooming in my garden, as was Nerine Isabel, a shorter structured pink/white Nerine. (Yes, I may have forgotten where I planted them) What I call my Nerine bowdenii dwarf is still in a pot. Its beautiful ruffled petals with white stripes and dark stamens are different than the other species I have. I even succumbed to two salmon-colored, and an orange-colored unnamed, not hardy, cultivars from Dan Hinkley’s greenhouse. They are still in a pot. They may be going in and out of the greenhouse for a while.

Also called Guernsey Lilies, Nerines bloom after their foliage has died down, giving them the common name of naked ladies. Unexpectedly, the bulbs last for years under cultivation. They prefer dry soil with lots of sun. With our arid year in the PNW, they are blooming spectacularly. Endemic to South Africa they are part of the amaryllis family.

Here is a link to Nerines from the Pacific Bulb Society. https://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/Nerine Very knowledgeable about growing Nerines, they can offer more information about starting a collection of your own.

Let me share the plant portraits of the ladies.

Nerine Anastasia

Nerine Bowdenii Dwarf

Nerine Elegance

Nerine Isabel

Nerine Mr John

Nerine Patricia

Nerine Edelweiss

Nerine Patricia

Agapanthus

by Susan | Sep 6, 2019 | Plants I Dig

Growing up in the Northwest, I spent lots of time outdoors. With a Grandma who loved gardening and a mom who spent time in the woods, I learned lots about the plants around me. I knew many plants, even though in the early stages of my life, I wasn’t interested in cultivating them. Knowing what to pick (huckleberries and blackberries), and what to leave alone (poison oak, stinging nettle) were the essential aspects of plants around me. Now, delving deeply into growing things, and traveling to exotic places, I’ve cultivated an interest in more unusual plants. Now always pushing the envelope and expanding my knowledge along with my plant palette has led me down the rabbit hole of lush tropical foliage and flowers.

Now you are probably wondering when I’m going to get to the point. The point is Agapanthus. Unbelievably varied, colorful, lush, and most importantly, hardy. In many areas of the world, Agapanthus is overused and spreads everywhere. Never seen in the Pacific Northwest before, it is now becoming more common. Hard to imagine the excitement it causes in my garden when they start to bloom. Starting with just one and afraid to believe that it survived the first winter, I had to have another. And another, and another. You get the picture. When I think I have enough, I make the mistake of visiting Dan Hinkley’s Windcliff garden and see many many more to add to the collection.
He’s been busy cultivating and naming, acquiring and planting varieties all over the property. The high bank where his garden sits is a perfect place to showcase his everchanging collection. Meanwhile, my collection of Blue Leap, Two Times Blue, Storm Cloud, Xera Hybrids, Summer Skies, Silver Baby and Graskop, are doing well and continuing to increase in bulk. Agapanthus arendsii ‘White Form’ has developed well and is impressive with a planting of Stipa gigantea. I’ve had ‘Queen Mum’ in a container for the last two years but will probably add it to the garden to see if it can take a sheltered spot. It is zone 8, but I have had some good luck with similar zone 8 plants if sited carefully.

Agapanthus Twister

Agapanthus Phantom

Agapanthus Xera

Agapanthus Storm Cloud

Agapanthus Quink Drops

Agapanthus Blue Moon

Agapanthus Summer Sky

Agapanthus Blue Leap

Agapanthus Graskop

Agapanthus Arendsii

Agapanthus Graskop

Agapanthus Queen Mum

This year I’m adding a few more. The planting bed is under construction (black Plastic), and purchased plants are in a holding bed until it is ready.

Agapanthus’ Twister’ is a new variety with dark blue at the base and white at the edges of the flowers. So far it seems to be growing well and blooming well.

Agapanthus ’Blue Moon’ is a soft purple-blue with an overall wash of color. I’m thinking to plant it near some darker foliage to give it a good contrast. This is a Dan Hinkley find ***

There are two new ‘Drops’ from Dan as well Quink Drops which is the smaller cultivar, and Kwink Drops is the larger cultivar.

Agapanthus ’Phantom’ has a ghostly cast of lilac over the entire blossom, abundant and lush.

I’ll keep you posted on the success of these lovely blooms. Until then, be sure to take a look at my previous post about Agapanthus.

Agapanthus (another lily by another name)

I’m not quite done with my lily theme. Enter Agapanthus…

Lily of the Nile, Agapanthus, is another wonderful summer plant. Many new cultivars are proving more and more hardy which is good for us who live in zone 7 on the edge of zone 8. Nothing says summer quite like Agapanthus…

Foxtail Lily

by Susan | Aug 26, 2019 | Plants I Dig, Plantswoman Design

The eremurus robustus, or Foxtail lily, is a stunning plant. I have tried many times to grow a group of foxtails in my garden, but it has been a challenge. A wonderful gardener I know has grown these fabulous plants in the main bed of her driveway. It’s so impressive to see fifty or so Foxtails growing en masse in a circular plant bed. I’m surprised more people didn’t crash their cars while driving by such a spectacular sight.

This particular lily has been growing in my garden for three years now. I originally planted three groups, but this is the only one that survived. I cleaned out some unsuccessful plants from underneath them, which I think helped this one thrive. They seem to like the soil a little dryer, which is great for where they grow. I will purchase more lilies this year to see if I can establish a larger group.

In addition to playing with plants, it is fun to play with art in the garden. Using glass in the garden can be difficult if not correctly placed. However, using a plant with contrasting foliage or duplicating another form from the garden are two ways to help your art stand out. In this case, the swirling shapes of these glass sculptures echo the structure of the foxtail lily. You can move these beautiful glass pieces around the garden, but I think this is the place for them. Even the darker orange at the bottom looks like the lily as the blooms start to fade out.

Rhododendrons, Ho Hum?

by Susan | Jun 7, 2019 | Plants I Dig

Do you remember my post, Hydrangeas HO HUM? (click HERE to read). My feelings about hydrangeas at the time were pretty meh. Until I spent some time observing and photographing them when I quickly changed my mind. I discovered amazing flowers, with texture, color, and interest far beyond my expectations. I’m currently having the same experience with Rhododendrons. They have about 2 weeks of bloom then – boom – it is over, and you get 50 weeks of blah. BUT this year, after a disgusting, rainy April, I enjoyed discovering a new outlook on these mundane, often overused plants.

The deluge of rain this spring has produced amazing, huge flowers and a lushness we rarely expect of our Rhododendrons. I discovered a ‘new to me’ large cultivar blooming for the first time.

The giant white/pink trusses (how the flowers of Rhododendrons are held on the plant) had lovely open faces.

Shocking pink pistils alongside soft pink anthers (sexual organs of flowers) and the flourish of re-curved petals (turned backward). Although I’m not normally a fan of pink, this beautiful plant stopped me in my tracks. Then I looked around and noticed the rhododendron I have looking far better than ever before. Bright colors of orange, red, purple and white were vibrant and full.

Here are some pictures of the amazing rhododendrons that grow in my garden. I use many of these species in the designs I create because they have great color, are easy to grow, and have an unusual leaf or fragrance. Many Rhododendrons that I love are from the azalea family and have brilliant fall color as well.

Yellow Petticoats

Unknown

Honey Butter

Fragrantissima

Ebony Pearl

Azalea Golden Flare

Azalea Cannons Double

Calendulaceum (flame)

Unknown

Honey Butter

Azalea Red Sunset

Ebony Pearl

Azalea Golden Flare

Azalea Cannons Double

Rhododendron White

September Song

Honey Butter

Azalea Red Sunset

Ebony Pearl

Azalea Golden Flare

Azalea Yellow Lights

Winter Plants

by Susan | Feb 19, 2019 | Plants I Dig

Now that Christmas is in the past and decorations are down, I can start thinking about the new year. As a grower and Garden Designer I have the advantage of having plants in stock for placing in client gardens that I can play with before they go to their forever home. I place plants that are blooming by my office door and enjoy them even when they aren’t in the ground. Even before Christmas was over the Sarcococca started blooming in my entryway. My favorites right now by the front door are:

Edgeworthia chrysantha or the paper bush plant is just coming into bloom with some of the drooping flowers still tightly budded. The creamy flower clusters with the edges in soft yellow brighten up even the grayest day in the Pacific Northwest. Hardy to zone 7, in sun or part shade, it is also a very fragrant addition to the garden. It makes me think of far off summer breezes.

Camellia ‘Buttermint’: Pale small buttery yellow flower covers this smaller Camellia early in the year. This is the one that blooms just after ‘Yuletide’ in my garden. It is covered with blooms and when the wind really blows the petals will scatter across the lawn like confetti. It averages 4 – 6 feet and should be in filtered sun in the garden.

Hammelis ‘Jelena’: A beautiful orange witch hazel in full bloom right now. Hardy to Zone 5 it will eventually reach a height of 8 – 12 feet. It blooms in full sun to part shade and has showy Fragrant flowers. Of course, it won’t get that height at the front door, but it will be at just the right height to enjoy the flowers and fragrance as you walk by.

Remember these guys are available in your local nursery now and can be planted after you are done enjoying the up-close view of them. I sometimes drop them into a more decorative pot or tuck them beside another planted pot until I’m ready to put them in the ground. Add a few white fairy lights to keep it bright when you walk up to the doorway in the evening.

The Suductive Magnolia

Fabulous Grass

posts about grasses

WISPY

WILD

WONDERFUL

posts about grasses

DESIGN

TIPS

Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Birgit’

‘Little Suzie’

Hamamelis mollis

Hamamelis vernalis ‘Purpurea’

Hamamelis ‘Amethyst’

Agapanthus (another lily by another name)

Read more about the plants I dig...

Yellow Petticoats

Unknown

Honey Butter

Fragrantissima

Ebony Pearl

Azalea Golden Flare

Azalea Cannons Double

Calendulaceum (flame)

Unknown

Honey Butter

Azalea Red Sunset

Ebony Pearl

Azalea Golden Flare

Azalea Cannons Double

Rhododendron White

September Song

Honey Butter

Azalea Red Sunset

Ebony Pearl

Azalea Golden Flare

Azalea Yellow Lights