Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Excellent Timing for Carnival


Just as Lent approached and many cultures embraced and celebrated carnival, this stranger reappeared in my garden. I planted several pots of them a few years ago, but no reappearance the following year made me believe that potted tulips don't get enough cold to rebloom. There is always the consideration that they may also get too much water and rot before being able to strengthen the bulb for the following year's bloom. It would be a wise course to simply dig out the bulbs from the pots each year because they do not necessarily look good popping up from under other plants. In this case the bulb was not near the edge of the pot where the sun would have heated it too much. I also make a point to only plant shallow rooted annuals above any bulbs that may be in pots, although some of them come back a second year, as did some loebilia this year.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Magnolia Denudata


Loving the scent of magnolias, it was a no brainer to plant one in the garden, but which one. There are so many cultivars to choose from that it makes for quit a lengthy decision process. Blossom colors go from the traditional white to yellow, then pink to shades of purple. How does one choose from such a broad selection? Size may be a determining factor, since these plants can grow as small as a bush to very large trees. Ultimately my decision was made by visiting the Arboretum to see what was successfully growing in San Francisco, and at the nursery to find what was locally available. I selected Magnolia Denudata, the Yulan magnolia for its medium sized blossoms and smaller leaves. Grandifloras have very heavy leaves that did not appeal to me and the trees themselves grow much larger than my garden could handle. I knew I wanted it as a patio tree, so the Yulan is an appropriate size, at least for the first 10 years. I cut back the header to hopefully keep it small. We shall see.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Ambridge Rose and Medallion


This has been another oddball Winter with a warm February that has thrown the garden into a frenzy of rapid growth, just to be zapped by the cold that is still to come. Case in point, this lovely David Austin Ambridge Rose. This should be blooming in late Spring, but it's jumped the gun and is showing off a fine display now, even though it was pruned back in mid January. The color is a bit off too, appearing more pink than the pale apricot it usually becomes. Below is a photo taken last year of this same rose with its more characteristic apricot color.
Medallion, on the other hand has it's traditional color and was not pruned back this year...mostly because I couldn't get to it through the Bermuda grass! Both roses have lovely fragrance and I look forward to more of them when the weather warms up again.