Calla and Canna lilies

Both are great in the garden. I realized I didn't yet have any calla lilies in my three year old garden, so I planted a bulb for a yellow plant. I bought a bulb for a purple plant but can't figure out which side goes up, as there are no visible roots. So I put it in some moist potting soil and hope some roots will grow. Then I will know which side is up! You can buy calla lilies as bulbs or as plants.

And don't forget canna lilies. The name is similar but they are a different plant - tropical looking with bright flowers in late summer (very late in my garden and lasting until October). You can also plant as bulbs now or wait until the nurseries have them available as plants (more expensive).

Tours of Washington Park Arboretum

Take a free guided walk at the Arboretum at 11:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m. on the first and third Sundays of each month. Guided walks last one to one and a half hours and introduce you to the Arboretum's plant collections, seasonal beauty, and history. No registration.

Or go on your own. The Japanese garden and Rhododendron Way are beautiful now.

Don't walk on saturated garden beds or lawn

After the heavy rain we've just had, our gardens are saturated with water. Wait until they've dried out more before working (or walking) in the garden. Stomping around will damage the soil structure. Plants need air pockets for healthy roots.

So during a break in the rain today, I will do some light pruning of the barberry bushes in the parking strip. I get to them from the sidewalk or road. To prune, I will find a branch that is too long, follow it to the base, and cut it off there.

Non-stop Begonias

I planted the tubers I had stored over the winter in pots and brought them inside about a week ago. They are already showing new growth - little leaves on top of the tuber. My favorites are the bright yellow ones.

If you buy a begonia tuber, remember to just set it in a little depression in the soil, instead of burying it! It's the right time for it, so give it a try!

Soil test

I dug up soil samples from four different planting areas: lawn, front flower bed, berm, and hillside native plant area. I took about 10 samples from each area. I am drying them out before mixing and taking one cup from each to send for soil tests.

I'm sending to UMass Amherst, as this is one of several recommended test facilities. The soil test will tell me pH and nutrients and other information about my soil. It will come back with nutrient and pH adjustment recommendations for each area tested.

Gray whale

This is not about gardening but I had an exciting sighting this evening during a walk along the Redondo boardwalk with Melinda. We saw a young gray whale! It was about 30 feet long and still mostly black. We watched it for about an hour, floating along near the surface and coming up several times about every 5 minutes. What a treat. By the time we left, lots of people had come down to watch and take pictures. (We didn't have cameras or phones with us.)

Moving plants

I've been considering the mature sizes of bushes. I don't want to get trapped into doing a lot of pruning to keep plants under control because they don't have room to grow to their desired size. Since my garden is only three years old, my plants aren't too large to move without too much difficulty. Rhododendron and hydrangea are fairly easy to move since their roots are shallow. The flowering quince I moved last week was not easy! But it will be happier with room to grow and not have me hacking away at it.

Don't be afraid to move a plant that is crowded, or to remove a plant that is diseased or not performing. I moved two rhododendron to a bed with a little more shade and much better drainage. I said goodbye to an escallonia, three rhododendron and three roses. I replaced the roses with disease-resistant ones. Be sure to bring a list of disease-resistant roses with you when shopping for roses!

Cleaning outdoor furniture

I used car wash soap and mitt to clean the outdoor furniture. It was a pretty efficient way to get off the winter grime.

Galanthus (snowdrops)

My friend Marilee gave me some snowdrops. I've planted under deciduous shrubs (hardy fuchsia and laceleaf maple) near my front walkway. I look forward to the little white flowers appearing next winter.

tidy up your garden beds

It's time to clean up any old plant material from perennials, rake out the beds, and hoe or pull weeds. Cut out dead or diseased branches. If you haven't pruned your roses, do it now.

Photos of some of my flower beds taken today. Not much happening, but they show promise.

New plants

I planted five Salvia microphylla 'Hot Lips', two different bergenia, an old fashioned bleeding heart, 18 more oriental lily bulbs, and at least 20 hardy fuchsia plants (I lost count!). I bought small -sized varieties of the hardiest fuchsias. Well, they were also small plants. I'll treat them well, so they will grow larger, but not too large.

Here is a photo of hot lips salvia flower.

Pacific Tree Frog

I saw the first Pacific tree frog of the season today! I look forward to hosting many more in my garden beds this year.

This photo from July shows the frogs' favorite garden spot. They like to perch on the window sill during the afternoon. If you click on the picture to make it bigger, you can see one on the lower right ledge of the larger window.

Master Gardener

I'm a new WSU Master Gardener, having finished the program March 20. I'm looking forward to the volunteer activities, including plant clinics in Burien and helping in some gardens.