Here's A Closeup Of The Landscaping Project Just Completed. Viridis Weeping Japanese Maple With Tassel

Here's a closeup of the landscaping project just completed. Viridis weeping Japanese maple with tassel ferns, Acorus Ogon, Scarletta leucothoe fontanesia, Daphne x transatlantica Eternal Fragrance, Erica carnea Golden Starlet (groundcover winter-blooming), a single Sundance Mexican mockorange, and Rhaphiolepis umbellata Gulf Green to anchor either side of the front porch steps. More later.

Thanksgiving tableau with orange-seeded pods of the evergreen Gladwyn iris (Iris foetidissima). The pods bursting open with pea-sized brilliant orange seeds is always a surprise each autumn. The plant, featuring long narrow leaves 1 to 2 ft long, loves shady and semi-shady conditions. Combines great with ferns, bergenia, huechera, primulas, and other lower growing shady perennials. Tolerates fairly dry spoil. The clump features arching foliage and slowly expands. Easily propagated by seed or divisions pulled off the side of the plant. Maintenance is simply removal of the old flower stalks down to the ground and older dried leaves. Will post photos of the spring flowers which are not showy but do make a presence and are very interesting. I find Gladwyn iris indispensable for providing strappy upright evergreen foliage in the garden. PS there is a variegated form as well, which is shown at the base of the blue pot.

Our garden in Kingston, Washington, USA

This amazingly vibrant flower is a form of common primrose - Primula vulgaris 'Oakleaf Yellow Picotee'. Love how the flowers are in large clusters at the top of 6-8" stalks. The leaves are long and wavy edged, kind of fuzzy that gives the light sage green a silvery sheen. This has been in bloom for 2 months. As the weather gets warmer, thw picotee edges just get wider giving a strong bicolor effect. Earlier the flowera were mainly yellow with just a thin rim of red-orange. It's growing on a pot on the front porch. Hope it is perennial!

Kingston, Washington

This boulder outcrop in the latest landscape installation was quite a labor of love. But it turned out pretty well! The “Big Rock” is 6x9x4. It was uncovered near the front of the homesite when the foundation was excavated. The had it shoved cross-country to the back of the property adjoining woods. Too big and heavy for the grading equipment to pick-up. The new homebuyers loved it! Asked that it be moved to the front of the lot. I selected the corner of the front berm, facing the Front Porch of the house. It would have looked odd all by itself, so two smaller flattish boulders were added on either side to create a “rock ledge”. The grading crew was a HUGE help. Then, I added smaller boulders and river rocks to create a couple “rockfalls”. The one on the left got covered up by mulch, but the new owners are gardeners. They will remove that when they add to the landscaping.

They are bringing a Japanese weeping maple from their old house.  I positioned the maple to cascade over the rocks. It will be planted where the white flag is located. Acer palmatum dissectum ‘Orangeola’ - which is a large grower - probably 10-12′ high and wide. Above the rocks I’ve created an ensemble of Hinoki cypresses - Chamaecyparis obtusa. These are small plants, but have been spaced for future growth and the growth of the maple. On the right is ‘Bronze Pygmy’ which will grow about 3-4′ tall and 6′ wide, and features foliage that emerges yellowish in the spring, and takes on bronze tones in fall and winter. It is located to grow out over the right boulder. The little guy right above the Big Rock is Chirimen, which features tiny-congested foliage on multiple upright stems. It will grow into a 4′ block of sculptural interest. Just off the left side of the photo above the white flag is a 6′ Gracilis, the standard upright, slender, moderate growing garden version of this Japanese forest tree. And, about where I stood to take this photo is a Wells Delight, another upright grower, a bit more broad-formed and not as tall. I’m planting more garden-sized conifers behind this ensemble on the corner of the adjoining lot. So, there will be a nice “Alpine” area as the plants grow up.

 In the foreground is a Carex testacea, the New Zealand orange sedge. There are several others included nearby and elsewhere in the design. This plant will easily occupy 3′ circle of space, so it looks a bit “lonely” right now.

Trying to post this from phone, since the photo loaded upside down when posted from downloads from Google Photo onto my laptop. Alas, didn’t get it cropped first.

Still learning how to post multiple photos from phone, and keep them right side up. So far, the only way I've figured out is one per Post.