swanson's fall sale

Today is the first day of Swanson's fall sale where they load their lot full of everything and sell it 40-50% off. I've been wanting 4 trees - 2 for the front yard and 2 for the back. I had thought I would get an aspen or birch for the north-east corner of the front yard, but the aspens aren't as full as I like and the birch were all sold by the time I arrived at 10 a.m. (the sale started at 9 a.m.!). I thought about a few different trees, mostly pines and maples. I almost bought an October Glory maple which was already about 15 feet tall, but realized that while it may be 18-22 feet wide and 30 feet tall in 10 years in 60 it will be about 60 feet tall. While I probably won't be in the this house to deal with it, a future owner will. Instead, I opted for the smaller Paper Bark maple. It's only about 6 feet tall at the moment, but will grow to about 30. A slow grower, but should fit well in the space for many years to come.

Since the maple won't have an immediate visual or shade impact, I also bought a Vulcan Rhodi which will grow to about 5 feet tall and wide. It's about 2 feet by 3 feet right now. I think the red bark of the maple and the red flowers of the rhodi should look good together.

I've been dreaming of wisteria on the front gate and finally bought one today. The black dragon is what I wanted, but there was only one and it didn't look very healthy. Instead, I bought a white japanese wisteria.

The final purchase, I forget the name of it, but it's a shade-loving, big-leafed shrub that reminds me of Hawaii. I'm going to move the iris from the north side of the house into the sun near the driveway and put this bush in their place.

The sale lasts until 2 October. I plan to go back in a couple of weeks to buy rosemary and grasses for the front of the fence and maybe a mountain hemlock for the south, east corner of the front yard.

Really wish I had the room for a fir - I love the smell and look, but they just get too big. darn!

But, I got all that for $112. Not bad!

my first lilly

The first of the 6 asiatic lillies bloomed today! It's a stargazer - my favorite, the kind that filled my wedding bouquet. How appropriate - next week is our anniversary.

snails

I've still not been able to use B's strategy with the snails. I'm considering the method taught at the seminar last week: put them in a plastic bag and stick them in the freezer. The instructors said it was the most humane way to kill snails because they will get cold, fall asleep and never wake up. However, then I have to deal with a bag of dead snails in the freezer.

horror of horrors: ivy #2

For the last year, I've been fighting the ivy that has intertwined itself amongst, under, in-between, and around the rocks in the front of the house. Today, I discovered ivy in the bed on the north of the house near the driveway!! aaaaaah. And next to it was a raspberry! aaaah. Actually, I'm somewhat happy about the raspberry since I want to grow more of our food, but I'm not sure where I could let it go. For now it's sitting in water near the front door.

I finally planted the dahlias and the glads: the dahlias near the heavenly bamboo (near the driveway but kind of under the deck - so maybe not enough light) and the glads near the iris. I probably should have put the dahlias behind the glads and then had a little bouquet of iris, glads, and dahlias...but that's where the ivy and raspberry were and I want to make sure there's nothing else lurking back there.

The snails are most viscious on the plants near the driveway. As for the plants in the yard, I'm betting that the dog pee, while causing burn, is also deterring the snails.

movin' and shakin'

After heading to the Japanese Gardens on Friday, I was inspired to move three of the ferns from the northwest of the house into some of the crevices in the rocks in the front of the house. Happy that I put a purple azalea atop the rocks last weekend. Wonder if I'll put them all the way across the top. Could also put a row of irises or lilacs or ...too many options.

Also split and then moved some of the mondo (?) grass. Last year I moved a clump from under the willow to the north trellis in hopes that it would stop the dogs from digging. Instead, it's been trampled as they talk to the neighbor dogs through the fence. I pulled some smaller shoots and put them in the container with the Delphinium, in two spots along the stairs in front, and the rest back under the willow.

I'm also inspired by the pruning and shaping of the Japanese Garden. Even the willows! So, I came back and went to town on the Willow. Now that I see how clean it can be, it feels so overgrown. I didn't want to do too much (didn't want to break the 1/3 rule), but cleaned out a lot from the base and center.

John cut the bottom off of an old garbage can and I buried it a foot in the ground on the north side of the house (near the yard waste compost) for our kitchen compost. Will make the first deposit today.

Finished aerating the front yard, then sprinkled compost, and another bag of seeds. Hoping this batch will take better than what we did last fall. From the class last week I'll want to do this again in the fall and spring for at least this year and perhaps each spring after that.

The lillies are coming up fast. I think the tallest grew at least 2 inches this weekend. Only 5 of them so far. A 6th is barely peaking through.

The sage that I planted last weekend is about to bloom. The delphiniums are close to blooming. The African Daisy bloomed this weekend. Still haven't planted the dahlias and the gladiolas, but at least know where I want them.

Still so much weeding and pruning to do. Can't wait for things to grow and get big so I can figure out how it's all going to look.

jasmine; the dirt on dirt

Yesterday, SB and I went to a soil seminar at the Lake Forest Park city center. We learned about "creatures," composting, and the differences between "dirt" and "soil." And - did you know there is a natural lawn and garden hotline?! 206.633.0224 - ask them anything. If they don't know it, they'll research the answer and call you back.

The speaker last night was from Seattle Tilth and taught us about mulching, composting, and the differenent composting techniques for kitchen waste versus yard waste. Some interesting tidbits:

• 3/8- (that's "three eighths minus") gravel contains the large chunks as well as the dusty pieces which compacts tighter and prevents weeds from growing. Lots of folks (including me) have gravel that is weed haven - apparently because our gravel has lots of air. Gotta fill it with the "minus."
• Sheet mulching is a way to turn a bed of tired dirt into primo garden area. In the fall, lay a couple layers of cardboard over the area and top it with mulch (straw, wood chips, leaves). By spring, it should be broken down. Probably want to add some more mulch but within a year, the "creatures" in the soil should have been doing their work. They will have been working hard the last year breaking down the mulch and taking it into the deeper soil. In turn, they'll bring some of the deeper soil up. So - in a sense it is a natural rototiller. Sheet mulching is also a good way if you want to eliminate or kill something, for example grass. Instead of digging and brute force removing, just cover it up and give it a year.
• "Mulch like with like" so if you have woody trees, mulch with wood. If leafy stuff, mulch with leafy stuff. Keep mulch away from the trunks of plants - create a "well" around them. Mulch about 2-6" 1 to 2 times per year (usually spring and fall). Mulch out to the drip line. Avoid beauty bark. It's usually the outtermost bark which trees use to repel disease and insects, therefore it could do more harm than good.
  
• Water lawns about 1" per week. A good way to gauge how much you've watered is to keep a tuna can. When it fills up, you're done.
• Compost 1-2" 1-2 times each year - top dress. Once compost is ready, keep it dry or it's hard to use.
• Lawn care - each year aerate, compost, and seed (with NW seed only!)

Picked up a stack of publications, all available from King County Dept of Natural Resources and Parks and Seattle Public Utilities.

SB also gave me 4 jasmine plants that weren't doing well in her yard. I planted one in a container near a trellis on the SW side of the house, one by the trellis over the gate on the West side of the front fence, one in the rockery in the front of the house, and one on the North side of the house by the trellis outside of the guest room.

Amazed at how many poppies we have. Tried to pull them this year before they go to seed.

Even thought I trimmed the Japanese maples a couple weeks ago, the green one needed it again! They are growing like mad. Still not sure what shape I see them taking. I will need to do more study. Also not sure what to plant around them. Took the dogs for a walk around the 'hood to get ideas. Think a trip to the Japanese Gardens is in order.

Still have 2 dahlia bulbs and 5 something-others. Just not sure where to put them. Have thought about in front along the fence (near the new lilac bush) but it's so sandy and I might appreciate them more (i.e., see them more often) near the driveway - it's also sunnier by the driveway the the something-others need full sun. hmm.

The Asiatic lilly bulbs are beginning to peak through. My first bulbs!

The rains seemed to have killed the aphids but with the last 2 days of sun, they're already coming back. grrr. Want to plant some dill angelica, bee balm, calendula, daisy, fennel, parsley, valerian, or yarrow to attract ladybugs. [This list from another handy King County resource, "STOP before you spray! The bug you kill could be a friend. A photo guide to beneficial insects."]

I've been finding snails on the hydrangeas. B from across the street demonstrated how she handles the snails in her yard,

1. pick it off the plant
2. throw it on the ground
3. step on it and smoosh it around

She said, "I didn't do it the first year we owned our house and they bred like crazy. If you have any trouble, bring 'em over here and I'll kill them for you." :)

away and raining

I was out of town most of March and since I've been home it's been raining. However, last weekend the rain stopped long enough for me to prune the Japanese Maples. Now that their "clouds" have started forming, I have a better idea of how they are shaping up. I also bought sage, thyme, peppermint, spearmint, a purple azalea, and a little lilac bush. I planted the sage and thyme near the driveway, the mints in the cedar on the deck, and the azalea and lilac up front. I also filled an entire yard waste container with ivy - the battle begins! I've been trying to mow the yard every week so that the grass will be less patchy and more able to fend itself from the dog waste. Was sad to realize that the brown leaves on the sweetbush is pee burn and has nothing to do with the snails. Was surprised how many snails are around - and how big they are, too.

yesterday's purchases

While the boys talked about speakers, mixers, and other band gear, SB and I went to Swanson's for the last day of the Spring sale. I bought:

• 2 outdoor pots


• 6" lemon-scented geranium


• 1 arabian midnight dahlia (dark maroon)


• 1 xxx (white with dark maroon center)


• 1 hellebore (will have dark purple leaves and light purple flowers


• 1 white hyacinth (for the dining room table...for now)


• 1 bag of potting soil


• 1 more bag of mulch



We had 5 sweetboxes (saracocca?) and while I love the smell, 5 is more than enough. So, one went home with SB as well as several of the euphorbia that's near the front door. I've decided to get rid of a large patch of it that doesn't mix well with the other bushes. Instead, I'll encourage the periwinkle to continue filling in around the trees. It is already creeping into the Euphorbia.

There are so many more plants to buy! I'm looking for a conifer for the front yard and an evergreen for the back. Swanson's had 25-40% off various trees and bushes...and I was very tempted...but decided to wait until fall. I'll spend the rest of the summer planning and make sure I've got a good idea of what I want before I commit.