2024 Virtual Garden Tour - welcome!

Discussion in 'Outdoor Gardening in the Pacific Northwest' started by Georgia Strait, Jan 21, 2024.

  1. Pieter

    Pieter Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    ...and here are the first Helleborus flowers for us this season. This is a variety called 'Mahogany Snow'. This past season it got really clobbered by the January deep-freeze and I was afraid I might have lost it. But it not only survived, it certainly has more blooms than it did a year ago, thank goodness.
    P9820945-helleborus-mahoganysnow.JPG
    I mentioned in my post above that I'd seen Anenome coronaria 'De Caen' coming back up. Don't know if this is common for this variety but it'll be interesting to see how it does over the winter.
    P9820955-anenome-decaen.JPG P9820958-iris-tuberosum.JPG The Iris tuberosa is coming up thick as thieves, hopefully it'll be more floriferous than it was last season.
     
    Last edited: Dec 18, 2024
  2. Pieter

    Pieter Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    P9820977-helleborus-rodentdamage.JPG You will have to look a little closer but you can clearly see there are a couple of scapes sticking up with the flower removed as well as the remnants of one of those just to the right of them: resident rodents are at it. As it happens where this Helleborus is planted there are a couple of rodent holes and I think it's time for some action!
    P9820970-rudbeckia-hirta-cherrybrandy.JPG About 2-3 weeks ago I cut back a Rudbeckia hirta 'Cherry Brandy', virtually to the ground and would you believe that with all the mild weather we've been having it's putting up new growth!
    20241204_201004.jpg I fully recognize this is not really a garden picture But I thought I'd use it to wish all Happy Holidays and the best for the New Year! This display is virtually just around the corner from us and it has been an annual tradition for many years. It attracts a lot of traffic and seems to grow more extravagant every year. When this gentleman built this residence he had a separate panel and supply put in for his Xmas display, this was back in the days before LED lighting. All that spare power allows him to put new stuff in place without having to worry about what happens in the house.
     
  3. Garry Oak

    Garry Oak New Member

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    There's a good example of 'too much of a good thing' in my opinion. I know lots of people disagree but I admire 'less is more' displays better.
     

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  4. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    What I notice is all the private properties that sprout outdoor Christmas spectacles in season but have very little going on the rest of the year. During which it appears there is almost no interest in dressing up the place.
     
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  5. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Or maybe it's that when you sprout a string of yellow lights, you get a string of yellow lights. You know what you're going to get and where they will be. Gardening is a whole different thing, more like cooking. I've just made some dishes to take to a Christmas Eve dinner - they're nothing like what I had in mind.
     
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  6. Pieter

    Pieter Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    In all fairness to these home owners, they do have a decent looking garden where now there's the Xmas display, with plenty of year-round colour and shape. The display is a bit over the top perhaps but it adds seasonal interest in the neighbourhood. With all the traffic it generates it is also a collection point for charitable donations, all in the Christmas spirit....
     
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  7. Garry Oak

    Garry Oak New Member

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    Good grief! As if it weren't bad enough to have one or more garish Christmas displays on my street, all the extra traffic it generated would have me posting a For Sale sign asap. Charitable donations notwithstanding.
     

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