foliage follow-up

I never know which plants to highlight for a foliage follow-up.  But there are just certain ones that demand your attention.  Yucca gloriosa variegata comes to mind.  This has become a new staple for me.  A "go to" plant so to speak.

I know this one is on the verge of being bloom day esque but I couldn't resist.

Leccino olive ... is that what I think it is?

Yucca rostrata 'sapphire skies' is my newest plant love!

I love how when the sun hits them, they glow!  The only problem I foresee is an insatiable desire to purchase more and more of these gems.

Making its second foliage follow up appearance is this wonderful variegated hosta.  I don't know what the variety is called but it is one of the most vigorous in early spring for me.

The Shefster loving his new home. Sometimes I have to pinch myself... do I really have one of these?

Bananas are starting to put on some good size.  In a few short weeks this will look like a jungle.  Another must have plant for a PNW garden in my opinion.

Who could resist these luscious leaves?  If you are really adventurous you can even try cooking with them!

I can't say enough about Fatsia Japonica.  Not only do they look ultra tropical, but they are also super low maintenance.  Few plants looks this good year round.

Why do I only have one bamboo?!? I forget how much I love this thing.

These things are getting huge.  They kind of remind me of dino food.  If I were a longneck dinosaur - like Little Foot in The Land Before Time - I would munch on hostas for a snack!

foliage follow up

I can't believe we are talking May foliage follow up.  It feels like yesterday it was April follow up.  With all the warmth it's equally hard to keep up with the changes in the garden.  Quite literally things look different each and everyday.

All of the trachycarpus fortunei around town are pushing out new fronds at an impressive rate.  Once established these palms can put on 1.5 feet of trunk in one growing season quite easily.  That means, before long, these will be towering palms!

I love the shadows cast on this rock.  Throughout the day it changes.  Early in the morning it gets yucca shadows, then agave shadows, and finally butia capitata shadows.

Echeveria Glauca newly planted (still bearing its plant tag.  I have a bad habit of this ...  especially considering there is no question in my mind as to what this plant is)

A personal favourite.  I love when fatsia japonica are pushing new growth.  I take that back, I just love fatsia japonica in general.

Wollemi Pine.  I don't talk much about this plant.  It loves its sheltered corner.  I'm nervous to plant this, however.  Who really knows what the hardiness is like?

 Uh oh... do you sense a trend with the cordylines. I just can't help myself sometimes.

Musa basjoo are starting to take off.  This is so very exciting to me.  Nothing says tropical like some massive banana trees.  It always takes two or three ratty leaves in the spring before these really start looking good.  In other words, by next week, beautiful nanners.

One of the under appreciate stars of the garden are grasses.  I am terrible with their names.  You'd think maybe I should have saved the tags for these ones!  In any case, I really like how they soften things when planted in mass.

It's that same softness that helps contrast all the pointy edges like on this yucca gloriosa variegata.

I posted a few days ago about my new Loquat.  Well here it is all potted up for summer.

And for all the variegated fans...

Now moving into some shade.  This Acuba Japonica really brightens things up.  It's electric!

Hosta lane.... hmm it's possible I have more hostas than anything else in the garden.  It actually surprised me today.  I would never have guessed.

 This is a neglected, somewhat embarrassing part of the garden.  I do, however, love this large patch of rhubarb.  It reminds me of the gunnera I wish I grew but have no where to put it... and it tastes delicious

weeds... some more resilient than others.

 This little thyme smells like fresh lemons! It is fantastic.  I purchased this guy at the Van Dusen Botanical Garden plant sale a few weeks ago and only wish I had bought more.

Last but not least this fargesia nitida.  Well at least that's what I've been calling it.  It grows like a weed and thrives on neglect.  You can never have too many plants like this.  Not to mention they evoke the feelings of somewhere far away.

foliage follow up

I have to admit, I'm a bit of a foliage fan.  After all, we look at the foliage most of the year.  Flowers, while beautiful, are always coming and going.  Foliage has the "tried tested and true" seal of approval so to speak.  And with a couple of nice weekends things are really coming to life.  

 I absolutely can't wait for my canary island date palm to explode with growth this summer!  I'm thinking of getting a potted bougainvillaea to make myself think I'm somewhere in the Mediterranean.

Without the cordyline australis red sensation, it definitely feels much less sub-tropical back here. But that's okay, I'm actually coming to terms with the changes - though I have three other red sensations planted elsewhere and at least a half dozen in pots.

Phormium "super trooper" - my name for it anyways - is doing great! maybe even a bloom this year?

 I think I shared my excitement last week about finally finding a sedum palmeri!  I have spent far too long hunting for this plant.  Now I'm excited to see it go wild!

If you were to ask my nursery going friend Becca, she would tell you, I have been talking about buying an olive tree for years.  I don't even know what had been stopping me! It just belongs.

I know what you're thinking here, is that a really small garden shed!? No, not really, its actually a massive mediterranean fan palm!

What's that, a new agave?! introducing my newest plant acquisition ... agave parryi huachucensis!

And I just had to share these from Vancouver.  Easily 6 feet tall with about a 12 foot across crown, these dicksonia antarctica are monsters!