April Foliage Follow-up!!!

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!

Bloom Day!!!

It's April bloom day!! Can you believe that we are passed the spring threshold and legitimately into spring! Worth celebrating! So jump up and down, do a little happy dance - twist and shout. Now we had a bit of a soggy last week so I'm afraid my bloom day updates are coming from my deck today. Somewhat of a April bloom day micro lens kind of feel.

Lavender 'Otto Quast' is a new to me lavender that I mixed into one of the patio pots this year.

One of my favourite blooms in the entire garden right now must be coming from this Lewisia hybrid. It makes me think so much of summer with the vibrant pinks.

Euphorbia 'Tiny Tim' continues to amaze... I love the two little flowers that come out of the centre.

And on the subject of Euphorbia more vibrant greens!

Lastly, something I shared a couple weeks ago that has been growing on me is this Lithodora 'Grace Ward.' I appreciate the rosemary like qualities of this plant.

Well that's it for my micro-bloom day April bloom day from the balcony. I hope you all have a wonderful Monday. To see more blooms head on over to May Dreams blog

A visit to the Islands - palm fix

I feel like this is some sort of confession of a palm tree lover, but I have moments where I need to "get my palm on." That is to say, in my opinion life is so much happier when surrounded by palm trees! It's as though my heart thrives in environments where palms flourish. In other words, it beets to the drum of the tropics!!! I come by this love of warmth quite naturally I can assure you. The summer loving hearts of this world can understand what I'm talking about. For that reason, Hawaii holds a special place in my heart. It seems to culminate happiness and joy!! So I was super stoked to get my palm on in Maui.

It might sound corny, but I feel like colours are much more vivid in Hawaii. There's something about the magical recipe of ample rainfall, tons of sunshine, and my very favourite, warmth.

And did I mention lush?

Forget cedar hedging, Hawaii does it right!!!

Part of getting my palm is summed up with the coconut palm. In many respects it's not the most beautiful (though wonderful), but it has a presence about it. I think it's the way it seems to stretch upward. And then there's the way it seems to shimmer in the right light. Ultimately the coconut evokes the tropics and thereby resonates with my heart.

But much more than warmth, palm trees, tropical vactions, etc, my visit to Maui felt like a breath of fresh air. It was one of those much needed suspended moments in time where you just hit pause. Where you can take time out and think clearly. See clearly.

And while suspended, the realization that the moment is fleeting makes things all the sweeter.

Because in the moments of clarity you realize you have to savour it.

It's spring y'all - seasons preface -

That's right, it's spring. I love saying that. But more than saying it, I'm feeling it. I was blessed with the ability to get away for a vacation in Maui this past week, and upon arriving home things were different. In one week it was as though everything woke up from slumber. There's leaves on the trees, blossoms adorning the trees, and lush green lawns. There's a buzz of activity in the air. And while I often complain about rain and cold, I think for the first time in a long time I understood the whole season business. There's a great sense of newness when we cross over from winter to spring. It's as though no matter what season of life we are in, spring signals hope. Spring reminds us of the good things to come. Spring - though a mixed bag - announces that out of the rains comes life. It's sweet. And it was with that sweetness that I simply enjoyed taking time to reflect on this beautiful spring morning. In the midst of this reflective mood, I felt it fitting to share an early spring mixed bag so to speak - a kind of preface I suppose to the months to come.

The movement into spring is perhaps most apparent with the bananas. The march of the bananas as I often refer to it is one of my favourite spring sights. It's one of anticipation and great joy!

There's so much anticipation this year. I can't wait to see how much the scheffster grows.

In fact, I look forward to see how everything grows.

There's a lushness in the air. Perhaps coming back from Hawaii I'm feel thoughts of a lush tropical landscape, but I'm feeling slightly lush this year.

There are early signs of good things to come. Trachys are starting the process of what is always an other worldy bloom. I can't wait!!

Pretty soon all these palms will be alive with blooms!!

Some plants have some growing up to do....

And others are maturing into stately anchors to the garden.

All I know is that I can't wait to watch it all unfold. I can't wait to see all the life, all the growing this little garden will do this year. It might sound lame, but I feel spring is so metaphoric. We sow seeds, we watch things grow, mature ... I feel as though in many way life follows these currents. There's lots of rain, but life abounds. Beautiful things come from it. It's spring! Beautiful things are to come.

Foliage follow-up!!!

The March foliage follow-up is upon us! Yay! I can't believe it. I spoke yesterday of the fact that we have made it through the drudges of the "w" words doom and gloom and spring is upon us. I for one couldn't be happier. This is a milestone of epic proportions. Moving from w(cough)-inter to spring is pure magic. Trees are budding and soon my world will be filled with all the foliar happiness once again. While many anticipate the blooms of the springtime, I anticipate the leaves! I anticipate the tree lined streets forming their glorious canopies. I anticipate the greens and all their freshness!

The spirit of excitement I feel at this time of year is summed up in the electric golds of yucca "bright star." Regrettably my bright star have taken a beating and turn this last week with the torrential showers. They have the yacne look (yucca acne). But they will soon grow out of it.

Aloe aristata lives again! Hooray! This plant just keeps on surprising me. I planted it the first year as a total experiment never thinking it would survive. And now with two winters under its belt it seems happy as can be. (maybe blooms for the may bloom day?!)

 Another glorious surprise is this clump of echeveria glauca. I know they are a little ratty and dirty, but I can't wait to see how this patch of echeveria grows this spring/summer.

And these guys are huddled in the driest spot of the yard. I am so glad we didn't have a PKW (phormium killing winter). Maybe one of these monster phormiums will find a place in the yard?

So I leave you with the joys of foliar happiness to come. For more frenzic foliar excitement head on over to Pam's Digging.

March Bloom Day!!

The March bloom day is special. Why you ask? Technically speaking we are still in the season that starts with "w" and hurts my heart, but March marks the official end. Not just me willing it to end, but officially over. And with the "w" season behind us, we get to look forward to summer!! Amazing right!?

Hellebores are just stunning this time of year. This one is my favourite! If I were to name it, I'd call it "key lime pie!"

 The signs of spring are everywhere! And the smell of sweetness is in the air.

Heathers are electric right now!!!

And while this is not the most exciting of blooms, I feel it captures the essence of spring. Bright green new growth, opening blossoms, iris coming up in the background. We are here! We really made it!!

let spring begin!

Anyone in the PNW will tell you, we have had some wet weather recently! And if you know me, I don't do rain very well. In fact, I don't really "do" anything other than warm sunshine. I have been wanting and meaning to get out and get planting. This feeling has translated into a need. And today, when I stepped outside the air was warm. I didn't grimace from the cold as per usual. And there was a smell... After my nose investigated for a few moments, I realized, it's spring. With the smell of spring in the air and a day off, my car could only head in one direction ... the garden centre!! Unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me as it was a frenzy of emotionally charged plant shopping. But the inspiration came to put together a spring planter! I just started grabbing plants as though I'd been locked up in a winter hell. The poor customers and staff (who happen to be co-workers) saw my plant shopping re-creation of Gollum from the Lord of the Rings. "My precious!"

And speaking of my precious, this euphorbia "tiny tim" has become an instant favourite! I believe this even counts as a bloom in my garden... too bad I'm a day early.

I love the red centres and chartreuse coloration!

Variegated hebe is another precious of mine. I always thought it was too tender, but I have observed my neighbours plants thrive for the last few years and have been jealous the whole time!

This lithodora "grace ward" should fill out nicely and grace the garden with it's epic blue flowers! The picture makes it look more purple but I assure you, blue.

And then there's the plant adoption tables. You know the ones where the plants look a little bit lonely and sad? That was the state of this euphorbia 'helenas blush.' After some pruning/clean up and finding a new home amongst other euphorbia friends and Mexican feather grass it already seems happier.

 Some variegated lemon thyme for fragrance, some black mondo for sexy ...

 And the inspiration was complete. And as only a true plant nerd could experience, I felt a moment of temporary satisfaction followed immediately by a desire to get the next size bigger pot and a whole new order of plants. Because lets face it, planters are always nicer in pairs! So the planting season has commenced and I leave today with a rather happy TBC (to be continued) ...