About this time every year I get a powerful yearning for spring. I am sure I am not alone, although it’s probably earlier than those of you who live in a climate where winter lasts till April or later. Here, we sometimes get days in January and February we call “June-uary”, when it gets balmy and early bulbs start blooming. As it is, in spite of the recent blowing snow we have Witch Hazel, crocuses, snowdrops and Iris reticulata blooming as I write.
Those of you with food gardens will be starting your seeds, or at least placing orders from catalogs and websites. Some are content to ski and knit, watch Olympics, and generally behave like it’s winter. But not me. I want to be gardening, and there is little I can do, especially when it was 20 degrees and snowing. So I find myself developing plant lists. I can’t help it.
I’m dreaming about how to add natives to our Mediterranean garden. I have struggled with native plants in garden settings in the past, when they overtook and outgrew their allotted space, but my recent efforts to get approved for the local Backyard Habitat Certification program http://www.columbialandtrust.org/press-room/news-items/backyard-habitats-certification-program have reinvigorated my desire to find really good candidates for our garden, and expand my list to serve future clients. I don’t want to limit myself to Vine Maple, Sword Fern and Longleaf Mahonia anymore.
I’m dreaming about how to add natives to our Mediterranean garden. I have struggled with native plants in garden settings in the past, when they overtook and outgrew their allotted space, but my recent efforts to get approved for the local Backyard Habitat Certification program http://www.columbialandtrust.org/press-room/news-items/backyard-habitats-certification-program have reinvigorated my desire to find really good candidates for our garden, and expand my list to serve future clients. I don’t want to limit myself to Vine Maple, Sword Fern and Longleaf Mahonia anymore.
I’ve already fallen in love with our native ginger, Asarum caudatum. It forms such a lush mat of glossy dark green foliage in dry shade. It doesn’t spread too fast or make a nuisance of itself. Native iris varieties are on my list too – showy, but not too brassy. I have sentimental feelings for the ones I grew up with in the Oak habitat in Eugene near our house – Iris tenax, Oregon Iris, with its blue-purple fine-textured bloom. I love Iris douglasiana, Douglas Iris, and Iris innominata, Del Norte Iris, with blooms in varied shades of yellow with dark veins. I like the fact that this last one was discovered by Lilla Leach, as I fell in love with Leach Botanical Garden 25 years ago. http://www.leachgarden.org/
I’m searching for native or native-like plants for our garden. The space is limited, and I’m aiming for certain flower colors. My list includes Lonicera ciliosa, Western Trumpet Honeysuckle, with its silvery leaves and orange blossoms, and Lilium columbianum, Tiger Lily – yes, orange flowers
both. I also would like to add an Evergreen Huckleberry – I’m looking for the space. Recently I saw this wonderful little dwarf blueberry, Vaccineum alaskaense at Leach Botanical Garden. It is about 2’ tall and a bit narrower, and has been in the garden for 10 years. The winter twigs are worth the whole plant, and the birds should love the fruit. I’m definitely going to try some Lewisia cotyledon, Siskiyou Lewisia – what a show!
I would love to hear about your favorites in comments – please offer your thoughts!
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