Pacific Coast Iris

The minute I think I'm not interesting in something, I am. This has been true in sculpture; disliking a material, in the garden; disliking the color orange and now; Iris. Until now, the most memorable Iris experience I'd had was sniffing the intoxicating, grape-like scent of the Siberian Iris while walking to school as a child in Norman, Oklahoma. Then last Fall I visualized Iris in my garden, but not the big, bold Siberians, rather small, demure, delicate Iris. This spring I purchased three cultivars that Xera Plants offers to lucky Pacific Northwest gardeners. I begin my collection with Iris tenax 'Oregon Watercolor', Iris tenax 'Meadow Lavender' and Iris pacifica 'Violetta'. I'm growing these lovelies on the edge of green sweeps of Ophiopogon japonicus through one of my garden beds. I'm excited to introduce more part shade/sun/no additional summer water plants to my garden. Planted in March, the first to bloom is Iris 'Oregon Watercolor' as pictured above.

Visit Xera Plants website for more information about PCI (Pacific Coast Iris) and a list of cultivars they have found to be great garden plants in our area.

On a recent trip to Little Baja

During the spring season I like to go on little field trips to local suppliers to research who has what for my design projects. On recent trip to Little Baja I saw some great treasures even though their stock was a bit low. They carry cast concrete as well as terra-cotta.

love these against the painted trailer!

I mimically (is that a word?) frown every time I look at these rectangular heads
...and then giggle!

These are wonderful columns for pots or other garden ornaments.

I love these 'Tiki' totems and keep trying to talk myself into buying them for my garden. 

Warm childhood memories wash over me when I see stacked pottery like this! It reminds me of the many childhood trips to Mexico with my grandparents.

Mimi (my grandmother) bought me miniature pottery sets similar to these.

'Footed' pots!

Architectural find!

On one of my recent 'out and abouts' I stumbled across a cool little neighborhood with a FANTASTIC house in it! 

Gorgeous textural play with the Cor-ten skin and vertical cedar (?) 

The architect or designer is brilliant at balancing vertical and horizontal lines!

I want to stand inside and look out all of the windows! I love this house!

Rejuvenation Pruning

Last week I got to work on one of my 3 Rhamnus alaternus 'Variegata'. The largest and oldest one had become top-heavy and had almost fallen over after our fence came down on the west side of the garden. I began by shearing as I do every year, to keep a column shape. But this year, shearing wasn't enough and as you probably know shearing encourages growth on the outside of the plant rather than the inside of the plant. As I began investigating the inside of the plant, I quickly knew what needed to happen- rejuvenation pruning! I cut most of the branches growing toward the center and all of the dead and crossing branches that had been rubbing one another. Now it is VERY funny looking...poor little guy! 

I hope he can regain his sense of pride and stature in the garden very soon!

See, there is quite a lean to the shrub. The new wood fence will meet up to the steel fence behind the Rhamnus.

From this perspective, it is clear that the Rhamnus not only need position correcting but also wood removed from the back side (left in photo). 

'rub' damage from crossing branches from the interior of the plant.