Weeding - an ongoing effort

I went around my entire yard yesterday with my trusty action hoe. Everything is weeded, but if I look today, I'm sure I will see more weeds! This is a time of growth for everything.

I took a couple photos to show how much new growth in just two weeks.

 The hostas, astilbe, and ferns have really opened up.

 The Dutch Iris are on the right side of this photo. You can also see some snapdragons I added in the front.

 A few of my lupine plants have nice big bloom stalks. I have a flat of snapdragons planted in front of the smoke tree. The clematis has started to bloom. It is only a couple years old, but is growing nicely.

Plant List

I had a great rainy day activity for yesterday and today. I created a plant list for the different areas of my yard. I listed the latin and common names for more than 200 plants by section or landscape bed. I managed to fit the list onto two pages that I can copy two-sided onto one sheet for printing.The plant list will be a useful handout for visitors to my garden during the Federal Way Symphony Garden Tour and other events at my house this summer and later.

Fertilizing

Since it is raining all week, I spread rose and flower fertilizer on roses, annuals, and some of my perennial flowering plants. I also spread soil acidifier on my blueberries and hydrangeas.

I went to The Bloedel Reserve yesterday with nine members of the Marine Hills Garden Club. We also went to the Bainbridge Gardens nursery for lunch and to shop for plants. I bought and planted a Black Lace Elderberry (Sambucus Nigra) on the hillside and Gunnera manicata by the upper section of stream.

Planting snapdragons

I planted a flat of tall snapdragons in and around the lupine garden area. I'm hoping they are striking to view as one comes up the driveway, followed by the Clematis 'Jackmanii' and the long bed of red geraniums with Crystal Palace lobelia.

In this photo, you can see the Phormium (New Zealand flax) that I recently separated into three plants. Since I lost two of these in the winter two years ago, these get me back to my grouping of three.

Doublefile Viburnum

I have 7 of these Doublefile Viburnum (Viburnum plicatum tomentosum 'Mariesii') on my hillside. They are looking spectacular now. The nice thing about them is that they look great for most of the year. I like how they change to a bronze color in the summer.

This is a great shrub to add to your landscape if you have room for a plant that grows to about 8 - 10 feet wide. Since Viburnums thrive on a clay hillside, I have several varieties. "The right plant for the right place!"

Color and texture in the garden

I especially enjoyed a class on color at a Landscape Design course I attended in April. I took a few photos in my garden showing some color and texture combinations. These photos show opposites on the color wheel: purple shades contrasted with yellow-green shades. They also show varying textures and sizes of foliage.

Ferns, astilbe, and hosta in shade garden

Here is a photo of my shade/frog garden that shows some fern fronds and astilbe and hosta opening up. Ah, the promise of spring!

Clearing brush and weeds from stream area

I have been doing a lot of heavy work in the yard - and having fun. On several occasions, I was splattered with mud from head to toe after a lot of clearing ivy and weeds from around the stream. One day as I was walking up the bank after another session of clearing brush, I thought to myself how much I enjoyed myself. It reminded me of using driftwood to build forts on the beach when I was growing up. Making something from nothing.
Here is a section of the stream area that I cleared and planted with mostly native plants, such as ninebark, red-twig dogwood, currant, and assorted ferns (also assorted hosta).

More spring garden work - planting annuals and dividing perennials

I divided creeping phlox from my front lawn perennial bed, as it was creeping vigorously in the wrong direction (actually in all directions). That left me with enough to plant in my hillside rock garden and give to my neighbor. Then I added a flat of small annual dahlias to the rock garden for some summer color.

I look forward to seeing the dahlia blooms along with other perennials that are coming along in this area.

A flurry of spring activities

I've been planting my pots. Every year I tell myself I will have fewer, and then I get carried away again. I've got more than 40 pots planted this year. Some of them only have a single plant (such as begonias and abutilon), but it will still be quite a few to water this summer. I will probably set up a little drip system in one area to handle nine pots, so that will help. These photos show a few of my pots.

Free Natural Yard Care Workshops in Federal Way

Register for free workshops in Federal Way by calling 253-835-2700

Thursday, May 3
Managing Stormwater in the Landscape

Rain Gardens and More: the Puget Sound region is struggling with increased flooding and other storm water problems, and your landscape can be part of the solution! Learn about installing a mini rain garden, rock-filled troughs, rain chains, and other garden features that are beautiful & functional.

Wednesday, May 9
Do-it-Yourself Rain Barrels

Come learn about water conservation, how to prevent polluted runoff, and the benefits of rain barrels. Water stored in your rain barrel can be used around the home and garden, it will absorb slowly into the ground replenishing groundwater supplies. A limited number of rain barrels will be available for purchase for $25 (cash only).

Thursday, May 17
Organic Weed & Pest Control

Natural Pest, Weed, and Disease Control: ways to create a healthy, beautiful garden that is resistant to the most common Pacific NW pests and disease problems. Learn ways to successfully manage any problem that arises without the use of pesticides. Learn steps to take when making the transition towards a natural approach to pest management.

All classes held at
Federal Way City Hall
33325 8th Ave. S.
Federal Way, WA 98003
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Register by calling 253-835-2700