Growing Rapidly

Tetrapanax papyrifer

With ground-soaking rains in April, summer-like sunshine in the first half of May, and now back to rain, the garden seems to be changing by the hour.

Gunnera manicata

Just when I started to panic about the ground drying out this early in the season from all the warm sunny weather, the reality of living in Seattle came to the rescue: rain is forecast for six of the next seven days.  That at least makes the gunneras happy.

Fatsia polycarpa

This is my new toy.

Strelitzia reginae

Strelitzia reginae or Bird of paradise is a really good reason to have a greenhouse.  It started blooming in March and should last into July.  I bought this one a couple years ago and is now blooming for the first time.  It doesn't have any major pests that I know of, although sometimes spider mites or aphids will feed off its leaves in the greenhouse, but a monthly spraying of neem oil solves that problem.  I keep it outside April-October.

Brugmansia

Brugmansia or Angel's Trumpet is another great subtropical plant that is unfortunately not hardy.  But that's no reason to not grow it.  The foot-long trumpet-shaped flowers are visually stunning, but even more stunning is their fragrance, which is only released in the evening.  They root easily from cuttings any time of the year.

Azalea 'White Lights'

Speaking of fragrant plants that are in bloom right now, Azalea 'White Lights' is a great one.  I've never been a huge fan of azaleas but this one has won me over.

Clematis x cartmanii 'Blaaval' growing on the trunk of Trachycarpus fortunei

The day has come when the 30 Trachycarpus fortunei (Windmill palm) specimens I planted four years ago are big enough to have vines growing on them.  I just planted this Clematis x cartmanii 'Blaaval' (aka avalanch clematis) a few months ago.

Schefflera delavayi

Now that my hardy schefflera count is up to five different species (all surviving this past winter no problem), I'll have to consider joining the hardy schefflera society...

Schefflera taiwaniana

Here Comes the Su....There Went the Sun

The picture below is deceptive.  It looks like it's a nice day, but the truth is it was a short glimpse of a sun break in an otherwise wet, cold, dark, and windy day.  By the time my eyes adjusted, the sun went behind a cloud indefinitely.

On the other hand, if it wasn't for this steady supply of weather systems (i.e. rain) we've had over the past month and a half, there would have been at least a few good frosts by now, which would make sightings on December 2nd like this impossible:

Canna 'Tropical yellow'

Or this:

The flower stalk of Acanthus mollis 'Tasmanian angel' rising through a Schefflera taiwaniana

Even the leaves of this Gunnera manicata have yet to show signs of capitulating.

Gunnera manicata

If this benign weather continues through the winter, I will jump for joy from the rooftop (just kidding!).

Center left: Washingtonia robusta, Center right: Melianthus major

August Haiku

The sun's glowing rays

 

Solanum aviculare

Cynara cardunculus var. scolymusin (aka Artichoke) in full bloom

Shining through ocean breezes

 

The fish are always begging for food

Musa basjoo, approximately 20 feet tall now

Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelii' dwarfing Gunnera manicata

Splash colors freely

 

Big Leaf Central

We've had a little over an inch of rain over the past couple days in Seattle.  That's more than 12,000 gallons of water falling across the half acre of the garden.  After two weeks of dry and warm weather, I have to admit the rain is a welcome change.  It also gives me an opportunity to blog, since I would otherwise be doing something outside right now.

Magnolia macrophylla

And, yes, lots of rain is required when growing lots of big leaves.  Mid to late-May is generally the time when the big-leaved plants really start to shine.

Hosta 'T-Rex'

Hosta 'Sum and Substance'

Astilboides tabularis

Gunnera manicata

Although these hardy bananas (Musa basjoo) reach their peak in October, they are at least out of their ugly stage for the season.

Musa basjoo

Ligularia x hessei 'Gregynog Gold'

For those who don't suffer from the allergic reaction associated with this plant, Tetrapanax papyrifer is one of the coolest plants there are and everyone else should definitely grow it.  It does sort of spread so put it in an area where it can run and do its thing.  If you're lucky you'll soon have a Tetrapanax forest.

Tetrapanax papyrifer

Sitting here in limbo...

The flowering plums are done, the cherry blossoms are at their peak, and the cool-season veggies in the garden are going strong, but it still feels like winter out there. Here are a few photos from this season's very slow start:

The culms of Musa basjoo (Japanese fiber banana) are now growing about a half an inch a day. Before long they will be strutting their 8' long leaves which always bring a taste of the tropics to the backyard.


In the lower left, Aspidistra elatior (Cast iron plant), cannot get any more tropical looking and happens to be evergreen and hardy here in the Seattle area. I've experimented with growing some of it's variegated cultivars (such as 'milky way') outside without success. But I'll certainly settle for the solid green variety. The plant right next to it is the enigmatic Schefflera taiwaniana (so enigmatic I don't think it has a common name). I purchased two of these last year, they both sailed through the winter with no problems, and are now starting to send out its first shoots of the spring. The plant growing on the porch is Strelitzia nicolai (Giant bird of paradise) which grows happily as a contained plant and doesn't mind the cold as long as it stays above freezing. I kept it in the greenhouse for most of the winter and brought it out a couple weeks ago.


While the subfreezing spells this past November & February didn't kill this opuntia outright, it is now a bit more flopped-over than it used to be. And I should note that trying to take cuttings from this cactus and rooting them outside in November is simply a waste of time. The pinnate-leaved palm is none other than Phoenix canariensis (Canary Island Date Palm), one of the most spectacular palms in the world when it is large. I would like to say it's been growing there all winter, but the one in the photo is actually a recent replacement of one that died (which was itself a replacement).

Unfortunately, the slugs noticed my Cardiocrinum giganteum (Giant Himalayan Lily) before I did.
I've been growing Gunnera manicata (Dinosaur plant) for several years now, and pretty much have nailed down what its needs are in order to achieve mammoth proportions: First, bury the central bud in several inches of mulch for the winter. Make sure this mulch does not get blown off. If the central bud freezes, the plant will send up several smaller shoots. The mulch can be removed once the threat of a hard freeze is gone (late February). Second, it likes to grow in boggy conditions, so keep it well-watered. It doesn't seem to care about being in sun or part shade as long as it's able to soak up as much water as it wants. Third, fertilize the heck out of it (the more nitrogen, the better). It should also go without saying that if it's going to reach 8-10 feet tall, it needs to be growing in great soil, without a lot of competition from trees.