What a great spring day yesterday was for gardening. I got so much done and found so much new growth outside. I know I've had fun outside when I come in covered in dirt!
As is usual for me while weeding, I got distracted by something that had nothing to do with weeding. I noticed some shrubs that I've been meaning to move. I figured I might as well do it then while it was mild and overcast. So a game of musical shrubs began. First I dug up the pieris 'Valley Valentine'. In it's place went the viburnum 'Spring Bouquet'. In its place went the Mock Orange (philadelphus), not sure of the variety, but it has the most beautiful golden-yellow leaves.
I love the smell of the flowers. I think this variety is supposed to stay on the smaller side.
Now I can enjoy it more, it was under a dogwood and I know eventually it would've gotten too shady for it. As with the game of musical chairs there was one shrub left without a spot. I know I'll find a place for the pieris, until then it's safely in a pot. Since I'm writing about shrubs I have to show flowers from the Winter Hazel (corylopsis) 'Buttercup'. It's just really beginning to bloom.
I love these little yellow flowers. The picture doesn't really show the buttery yellow that the flowers are.
The flowering currant is showing more blooms daily. Not quite all the way open, but they are sure looking pretty already.
Another week or so and I think it will be in full bloom!
Here is my sad looking winter daphne. I'm glad it got some blooms since last year there weren't any. It had just been planted then and I didn't expect any. This winter really beat it up and it lost a lot of leaves, I think it's the saddest one I've ever seen. I actually can't believe I'm showing a picture of it.
The blooms never finished opening either, although the ones that did smelled great. There's always next year I guess!!
I'll be heading out soon to the SAGBUTT meeting. It stands for Seattle Area Garden Bloggers United to Talk. Petunia's Garden has all the information so, if you're in the area and are interested she has the scoop. I'm excited to meet all the bloggers I've "met" over the internet. I'll be sure to post about it tomorrow!
Catherine~~ I was just thinking I should take a photo of my Corylopsis. Don't you love the fragrance? My Ribes isn't quite there yet. The musical shrubs/perennials/vines moving day, (week, month, season) is a routine thing in my garden. I love to quote our local OSU extension horticulture agent on this one. She says, "Plants are like furniture. They're meant to be moved." Have fun today.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing these pictures. Hope you enjoy the meeting today. I hope to get back out to weed the flower beds today also.
ReplyDeleteHi Catherine, Your winter daphne is so beautiful. I have killed 3 daphnes now - what's my problem? I love them. But I did have a February Daphne that we had for years and then it died. Maybe it was time or maybe the deer et it! I have more starts Mom gave me in the greenhouse (still alive as far as I can tell) so I'm gonna try again - different spot each time I'm bound to get it right sooner or later.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad it's not just me that plays 'musical plants' on a regular basis! I shift them around at all times of the year, regardless of when is considered the 'right' time to do it - and if they die (which they rarely do!), oh well, I can always try a different one. You have to keep plants worried to make them grow!
ReplyDeleteWhen I read the title 'Musical Shrubs' I wondered if it would be about the sounds of the wind through the leaves of different shrubs! (I like to listen to the sounds of plants: I have a Phormium tenax 'Sundowner' that makes a lovely rattling noise, and then there is my Zebra grass which is a higher pitched rustle!)
ReplyDeleteYour shrubs are lovely. I hope your Daphne recovers - they do have such a beautiful fragrance.
All your blooms are so unique and interesting like the Iris from your previous posts, this flowering currant. How many do I have yet to add to my DEFINITELY-WANT list? LOL! No, seriously, I want 'em!
ReplyDeleteIt's always difficult to stay focused on what you plan to do in garden, as you pointed out. It happens to me almost everytime I decide to for example, trim a plant and I'd be off weeding...
Have fun at the SAGBUTT meeting. And I hate playing musical shrubs, though it is always a fact of gardening life. The current is lovely!
ReplyDeletewe have daphnes in a bunch of different gardens and we never know exactly how they are going to do. so fussy sometimes, and so nice when they work.
ReplyDeleteCatherine,
ReplyDeleteMusical shrubs... what a perfect title for a post that I am sure most gardeners can relate to. I was just in the garden this morning evaluating the 'placement' of my own shrubs. I also have a 'Corylopsis' that I think is too close to the Cotinus coggygria 'Grace', but the contrast between the almost yellow Corylopsis and the burgundy-blushed pink of the Cotinus.... perhaps a little creative pruning would be the best bet. Lovely pictures... I can smell the Daphne from here!
Moving shrubs is proper hard work!
ReplyDeletethe Ribes looks pretty.
Rob
You are a lot farther along than we are. Our stuff is just beginning to pop up or swell. The colors on those are wonderful to see.
ReplyDeleteThe currant sure is pretty. I've never seen this shrub before.
ReplyDeleteI play musical perennials but I'm not much on musical shrubs ~ I think they just get too big for me to handle. Good for you taking on that task. They're probably thanking you for it already. About the only time I dig up a shrub is if something dies.
ReplyDeleteEven tho you think the daphne is shabby, the blooms are still quite pretty. Maybe next winter will be easier on it?? Enjoy your meeting ~ I think that sounds like fun. Can't wait to hear about it.
Grace - I need to go out and smell those flowers, I forgot to! I agree with the philosophy that plants are like furniture, just a little dirtier to move :)
ReplyDeleteMildred - I hope you got a chance to get out!!
Rain Gardener - Daphnes are known to just up and die for no reason. I hope your starts will grow for you, they smell soooooo good!
Nutty Gnome - My plants are very worried then, they get moved more than they like sometimes :)
Phoenix C - You're right about the nice sounds some plants make as wind blows through them, it's very relaxing isn't it?
Chandramouli - These are pretty shrubs aren't they? I like shrubs that have multiple things to offer to the garden. A lot of these ones have great fragrance. It's easy to get distracted by everything that goes on in the garden!
Tina - Most of these shrubs were on the small side and didn't have big rootballs, and they all look good today still. I don't move shrubs too often because it can be hard work. The meeting was very fun!
Ryan - They sure can be picky, you just never know with them. I guess I'm just happy these bloomed at all. Hope yours are all growing and blooming well for you!
Teza- Yes sometimes a little pruning is just as easy, I have some of that I will need to do at some point because like you I like how the plants look together too much.
Rob - I was pretty tired last night, but in a good way! And since they are all looking good today it was worth it.
Abe - I wish my camera could really show just how pretty they are. I love seeing color now, it just makes me happy!
Susie - I wonder if it's one you could grow. It's very easy and isn't picky about where it is. This one is under a pine tree and does fine there.
Kathleen - These shrubs were not too big, so it wasn't bad, otherwise the "muscle" would've been helping me!
Hi Catherine~ It sounds like a delightful day playing in the garden. Hope he shrubs like their new locations :)
ReplyDeleteThe currant blossom is gorgeous! I've never seen one before, so it is a treat to my eyes.
Hope you had fun at the SAGBUTT meeting. Funny name!
Karrita
It was so great to meet you today! Thank you a million times over for that gorgeous Corsican, too. I hope it's dry tomorrow so I can get it in the hellebore bed.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe your currant is already getting blooms. Both of mine are just barely leafing out. And your Mock Orange looks great ... and more manageable than the monster we HAD. It always became infested with aphids and now I'm trying to kill by suffocation. Yikes.
Hi Catherine - So glad you could make it and I got to meet you today, thanks for the baby hellebore and the poppy seeds! You got a lot done today before you came to the meeting! Love your ribes, that pink is really something. Oh, poor daphne! I hope it makes a great comeback. It doesn't look any worse than my clematis, believe me! :)
ReplyDeleteKarrita - Thanks, that currant is a really great shrub and adds a lot of color right now! Our meeting was a lot of fun!
ReplyDeleteMelanthia - It was great meeting you too. I hope that hellebore grows well for you, they can get big, but the flowers are so pretty on it. I hope the mock orange stays smaller, I think it should only get to 6 feet.
Karen - I'm going to find a stake for my sign hopefully today, thanks again for bringing them! Isn't that daphne sad :( Oh, and I did this the day before the meeting. I was too lazy yesterday morning!
I can't wait to see the flowering currant in some future posts as I was just eyeing one in a catalog today for a possible purchase. Pretty shot of the Daphne. The flowers still look nice even if the rest of it got a little tattered! :)
ReplyDelete