April foliage follow-up!!! (That deserves at least three exclamation marks). I love this time of year. Everything feels like a frenzy. Garden centres change by the day, people are re-united with the great outdoors. And while it's still in relatively short supply, I get to soak up the sunshine!
The schefflera is starting to flush new growth. It's one of those plants that makes me grin from ear to ear
Similarly fatsia japonica invokes feelings of warmth and joy! So lush and tropical and sooo hardy!
Yucca gloriosa shines in the glow of this april foliage follow-up. This plant is severely under used in the PNW in my opinion. It's one of those happy go lucky plants with no care no mess and no fuss.
Another plant on the sharp side of things is this opuntia... I backed my bum into it the other day - ouch!
It's neighbour yucca rostrata looks much gentler but don't let appearances deceive you.
Most know of my love for purple cordylines, and this year two have made it into the ground - so far.
I had to step back for this one... the bed needs some definite cleaning up... not quite photo ready.
When choosing plants to smile for the camera on foliage follow-up days, it usually comes down to who is glowing in the sunshine. Like this graceful bamboo. (I like to pretend the camellia in the background is a bougainvillea and that I'm somewhere in SoCal or the Mediterranean)
In the spirit of pretending to be in the mediterranean I sit under the glowing fronds of a favourite palm, close my eyes and let the sunshine warm my cheeks.
And while some of the plants require sunshine to glow, sedum angelina pops up against black mondo grass.
And this is something I have been dying to share... the first illuminated banana leaf of the year!!!!
I hope you all have an amazing foliage follow-up day!!!! Check out Pam's blog digging for more foliage frenzic happiness!
That first photo looks so familiar it could be in my neighborhood. Black mondo and the bright sedum are perfect together, will need to try than one now that I have found the mondo grass.
ReplyDeleteIt all looks so good with your lovely sunshine.
Thanks Shirley. Thats kind of what I was thinking and going for so it makes me glad!
DeleteMondo grass is such a staple. Probably a shade plant for Texas.
I am basking vicariously in your enjoyment of the limited sun we've had, Louis!! That Yucca gloriosa is new to me, beautiful(!!) and looks like a good candidate for my garden. I must look into it further, since both Y. 'Color Guard' and Y. 'Bright Edge' have been less than happy in my garden lately. Happy Foliage Follow-Up to you!!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad your basking! basking is a favourite activity of mine. And you're right, limited it has been.
DeleteYucca gloriosa 'variegata' is the kind and it has been really tough for me. I have heard reports of others getting some spots on their's but I have never really had any. The arms of this yucca are quite stiff so I make sure to take any leaves or anything out in the fall time to allow for better air circulation and to limit any rotting materials around the base of the plant.
I love the Yucca gloriosa, and I wish I could find some here. Happy Foliage Follow-up to you, and thank you for sharing your gorgeous pictures!
ReplyDeleteIt's a great plant! I hope that you find your gloriosa!!! And thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment! I appreciate it.
DeleteI love the Yucca gloriosa, and I wish I could find some here. Happy Foliage Follow-up to you, and thank you for sharing your gorgeous pictures!
ReplyDeleteI was just admiring the new growth about to burst out on my Scheffleras as well, aren't they just the best!!?
ReplyDeleteAmazing, right?! I absolutely love them. I actually find myself dreaming about them from time to time. And then I wake up and realize I have serious issues.
DeleteI must say, you declared this your year of endless summer, and it looks like you got it (short of seeing a thermometer)! I like your note of the camellias, to pretend that you're in SoCal...I think that's the greatest aspect of gardens, creating illusion, within some sense-of-place.
ReplyDeleteHahaha year of summer is right!!! I should start declaring more sunshine and warm temperatures. You know it's funny you talk about sense of place because I was looking at my black mondo in full sun with opuntia, phormium, trachycarpus and thinking that while it felt like worlds away from here, it was distinctly PNW.
DeleteYour foliage looks fantastic. Especially impressive is the Butia capitata in the first picture It looks like it's never suffered any winter damage. Do you protect it in some way? I love the plant but see so many around here that get damaged.
ReplyDeleteIn your honor I purchased 4 more yucca gloriosa variegatas to put in my garden. Also because I love the ones I have and these were incredibly cheap at 6.00 a gallon.
Happy endless summer!
Thanks! That butia has never suffered any severe damage. I baby it along. 99.9% of the year it gets no care. But when temps dip into the low 20's or threaten to drop into the teens I string in old school christmas lights and give it a wrap with some burlap. It honestly takes about 10 minutes and only has to be done a couple times each year. When my grandfather died (just over 5 years ago) I planted that palm. It was a kind of therapeutic thing at the time. I wanted to grow something. I wanted something living to remind me of that winter.
DeleteI'm soo glad you got more gloriosa! Six dollars is amazing!!! I think I paid $70 for my 3 gallon (confessions of a yucca lover)
The Yucca gloriosa appears to be a very healthy growing plant.. Great job!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Cindy. It has become a go to plant for me. They have much of the interest of agave Americana variegata which melts in our wet PNW weather. I love yuccas!
DeletePalm leaves are so lovely when light shines through them -- good capture! I can hear the garden-loving excitement in your voice. Happy spring to you, Louis!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Pam! I naturally would agree about the palm fronds. They just evoke warmth and happiness! Happy spring to you too.
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