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Sunday, December 31, 2017

The last shall be first

The last flower and post of 2017


"Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors and let every new year find you a better man" Benjamin Franklin 


Its a hoop petticoat Narcissus and it needs an ID!!

This one came to me unlabeled needing an ID. So it's blooming right now, on the last day of the year, making it in my opinion strongly winter blooming. It's crazy super fragrant, like greenhouse filing with it's fragrance. I tried to do a little flower dissection, and I came up with what looks like 3 stamens elongated past the throat of the corolla, and three set down in the throat, pardon my poor botanical nomenclature. I have a book on the subject somewhere but it's buried in a library that needs thinning badly. 

 You can see the 3 exerted stamens here and there are three down in the throat, not sure if this is a flower maturity thing or not if the other three will continue to elongate.


Not the best  shot, but maybe you can make out the three stamens that are down in the throat of the corolla. 


So to recap, super fragrant, winter blooming hoop petticoat type, with sort of a light custard yellow color to it. If you have any idea what it is please post it up in the comments. 

So here we are at the end of another year, the hoop petticoat will be the last flower of 2017 and the first of 2018.


Frosty morning, 38 degrees outside at 10:00 am on New Years Eve.


Hope everyone has a fantastic and safe New Years if you are celebrating. Here is to a better one than the last.

Cheers, Mark

Monday, December 18, 2017

Happy Holidays


"Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childish days; that can recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth; that can transport the sailor and the traveller, thousands of miles away, back to his own fire-side and his quiet home!"
–Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers




Eucharis amazonica is blooming so that means Christmas is right around the corner.


It''s been a relatively quite December, right now this is the only bulb in my collection blooming and it's of course indoors as a houseplant. Normally a hoop petticoat Narcissus or two shows up around now, and while I do have Narcissus obsoletus budded up, only time will tell if it makes to be the outdoor bloomer for the month of December. 

Well, the Eucharis is doing it's think and filling the house with it's floral bouquet, mixed with the sent of Christmas tree and cinnamon candles. I love this time of year, Christmas is truly the holiday where you get to be a kid again, the anticipation of Christmas morning, or the age old traditions, like oozing, melted raclette cheese on baby potatoes at Christmas eve dinner. Family and fun, and the promise of a fresh start as the new year approaches. 

Wishing you all a festive and happy holiday season, the merriest of Christmas celebrations and if I don't get to it before the new year, a bright and fantastic start to 2018. 

Cheers, 

Mark

Monday, December 4, 2017

The coldest week so far

“All that is gold does not glitter,Not all those who wander are lost;The old that is strong does not wither,Deep roots are not reached by the frost."    J.R.R. Tolkien






So just a short little update on the garden conditions, Since I can't remember the last time I picked tomatoes in December. This has been one exceptionally long and productive harvest season. 

Keta inspects the the last of the tomato harvest, This weekend the super frost moon rose in the night sky and the  mercury is finally dropping to the point that even the hoop house plants that have hung on into December should finally cease.

It was 39 degrees at 4:30 pm on Sunday evening, I figured it would get into the 20's by morning so I quickly got the last of the tomatoes and peppers in. So this week is supposed to be the coldest one this season, and while we had a killing frost in the garden. This has really been one of the mildest, longest falls I can remember in a long time, the bees were still flying on the first of December. 


Fog burning off this afternoon, the forecast says lows in the 20's and highs in the 40's for this coming week.

Cheers,
Mark

Friday, November 10, 2017

Wrapping it up on Veterans Day


"When the world wearies and society ceases to satisfy, there is always the garden."

Minnie Aumonier




I took a little walk around the garden this evening before daylight faded, it's become apparent that we have come to the end of another growing season, although the frost ended the tomatoes and peppers progress, the cabbage and kale are hanging on strong. The winter garden is just beginning and some of the bulbs are just starting the growing season. But for most this is the end of it and I've seen so many gardens around town that are tidied up with lush cover crops or straw covering the raised beds like toasty winter blankets. I'm never that ahead of the game and since half the garden was planted with winter food in mind, I guess I don't mind it looking like it's still a working place. 

Parrotia persica leaf in the changing season

There is always a bulb in bloom through the winter months so I'll be posting something between now and spring, but since it's the beginning of the holiday season, and I still have a deer tag to fill. I'll probably be busy hiding in the woods for a bit from now through the darkest, longest days of winter. So this is a short goodbye to one long growing season, and a look forward to a fun filled holiday season. We at Illahe Nursery and Gardens wish you a festive and merry one.

To tip a glass to my neighbor Jack who served this country in a ground war in South East Asia, many years ago.  I wish wars could be extinguished forever. Thank you for your service on this day we remember those that made it back and those that did not, may your glass always be full! May peace be found throughout the world and in your life this day and through the season.

Rain, high of 50.

Cheers,
Mark

Tuesday, November 7, 2017

Frost on the Pumpkins

It was pretty dark when I left the house this morning but based on the amount of frost I scrapped off the windshield, I'd say we go the first real killing frost of the season. I saw it coming and moved a flat of Ferraria and Morea seedlings and baby bulbs into the house. Gonna have to find something a bit more permanent for them. I still have plans for a frost free greenhouse, just waiting for that ship to come in.

So the picture is a little Thank you that got out at a local park. I donated some bulbs and the good folks at Wild Ginger gave some great irises for a small project garden near a kids play structure. Fun to watch it grow.

Chilly, frozen end to the growing season. But partly cloudy today and dry as of now.

Cheers,
Mark

Tuesday, October 31, 2017

No Frost on the Pumpkins.......yet.

Happy Halloween

No frost on the pumpkins, I was walking around last night at dusk and I thought for sure the chill was settling in good enough for a hard killing frost. But I got up this morning and the outside thermometer was reading 40 degrees. Oh well, I'm fine with the killing frost holding off for a bit longer. I mowed the grass in the field last night because I didn't get to it on the weekend and now I guess I do wish it would freeze up a bit so I can put the mower away for the winter. The average first frost Date for my location is October 11-20th. so It's not likely to be far off now. But  good long growing season is fine with me.
Colchicum 'White Waterlily"


I hope it's ok to repost something off the Pacific Bulb Society archive, because I was trying to find some details on the above shown cultivar and I ran across this gem from Jim Mckenney posted on the PBS in 2009.

" Colchicum 'Waterlily' itself is said to have resulted from a cross between Colchicum speciosum 'Album' with a double, white-flowered form of C. autumnale in a effort to get a large double-flowered white colchicum. 'Alboplenum' is not a sport of 'Waterlily'; if anything, it might be the double white autumnale form used to produce 'Waterlily'. However, as you noticed, it has only a few anthers. Bowles recorded another less double white-flowered form of autumnale; and if that form has more anthers, then perhaps it was used to produce 'Waterlily'.  It might be worthwhile to re-do these crosses using the white-flowered Colchicum 'Innocence' aka 'byzantinum album' instead of Colchicum speciosum 'Album'. "
Jim McKenney

Sunny and highs in the 60's for the Trick or Treating kiddos this Halloween.
Cheers,
Mark

Thursday, October 26, 2017

This is worth seeing



I swear it's not click bait and there is a story to it;

So I harvested some honey from the bee hives a few weeks ago and in the process I moved some frames around to a dead hive, that put a whole bunch of bees in an unknown location so they took a few days to reorient to the home hive, in the process a whole bunch of them ended up in the greenhouse, that evening it got pretty cold so they got stuck there. In the morning when it warmed up there was probably 800 bees in the greenhouse and a few  of them found there way to the Crocus cartwrightianus 'Marcel' Click on the video to see what it looks like:

Crocus with bees:


https://photos.app.goo.gl/0lLvhf0B8oN7T9E63


It's 70 outside right now! Crazy for almost November.

Cheers,
Mark

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Crocus goulimyi and shades of Autumn

“The fact that we live at the bottom of a deep gravity well, on the surface of a gas covered planet going around a nuclear fireball 90 million miles away and think this to be normal is obviously some indication of how skewed our perspective tends to be.”

Douglas Adams



Crocus goulimyi
I'm pretty sure this is subspecies goulimyi but I didn't have time last night to dig around for the label in the fading light. Daylight savings is coming and everyone knows how I feel about that. I'm really trying to cherish these last few days of Autumn where I can get home and take a few pictures of the fall bloomers before the sunset. In a week or so that won't be the case.

Said to grow in Olive groves in the Peloponnese region of Greece, this one is a strong grower here in Western Oregon, needing very little care other than a well drained soil and a dry summer rest period. I'll have to move some out to the rock garden as this patch has nicely filled it's spot in the raised bed and needs dividing. Interestingly enough there is the remnants of an olive orchard on my drive down to Keizer Rapids Park where I sometimes go for work related field trips. I don't know that it was ever a hugely profitable endeavor here in Oregon to grow Olives but I did notice they had some fruit hanging the last time I drove by. Anyway, it stands to be stated you can grow both Olives and Crocus goulimyi here in Oregon.



Crocus banaticus
So I've been getting home every evening and going straight to the raised beds trying to get a pic of the Crocus banaticus open, but lately I've been getting home when this portion of raised bed has gotten shaded out, they have mostly closed up. I'm hoping they stay up until this weekend so I can get some actual camera shots and not just the quick phone shots.


Probably one of the nicest fall weeks I can ever remember in recent memory, it's been in the high 60's every day this week, sometimes a thick fog is hanging around for the morning commute but it's been mostly gone by the time the sun starts earnestly cresting over the Cascade range. It's really showcased the fall colors well since often times by late October we have been hit by several pineapple express weather systems (fast moving pacific fronts that shoot up out of the mid Pacific carrying what the weatherman love to call "atmospheric rivers" of moisture and often accompanied by windfields strong enough to denude the fall foliage this time of year. But this year, despite a system or two over the last few weeks it's been so amazingly beautiful. Last night you could walk around in a t-shirt until well after dark. 

Cheers,

Mark




Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Crocus thomasii



"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work. "Thomas A. Edison


So much of growing plants and especially plants well outside of the native range or habitat, is learning what doesn't work. There is the classic mantra "I killed that plant a dozen times or more before I really figured out how to grow it". Maybe that's one of the things that keeps people motivated to be a better gardener, most success comes from learning from mistakes, correcting them and moving on. 

Crocus thomasii
 The saffron production continues with C. thomasii doing it's thing, An Adriatic coastal species said to grow on thin, stony soils in scrub habitat. Mine has done very well in a raised bed, with mostly pumice and some occasional top dressings of composted cow manure.
Crocus thomasii fading colors in the late autumn light.

Rhus typhina 'Tiger Eyes'
The fall colors are really just starting in, but you can see the little white puffballs of mushrooms emerging now as the temperatures have dropped consistently into the low 40's over night. I have to upgrade the temperature unit for the greenhouse, as the remote sensor wont talk to my indoor unit anymore.

Cheers,

Mark

Monday, October 16, 2017

Crocus kotschyanus



"Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it"

Mark Twain

My god, does nothing in politics really change in this world? Some people say it's a missatributed quote to Mr. Twain, not sure that it really matters, it's poignant today, especially if you drop the wonder, and smart people out of it, Essentially we are left with it's all a put on and the world is run by Imbeciles.




Crocus kotschyanus 'Reliant'
 This one gets described as almost "weedy", I find that a bit of a stretch, while it is a vigorous grower, that tends to migrate around the garden, it's hard to call anything with the delicate lilac flowers and wonderful golden ring centers weedy. Especially when they peak into bloom as the frost is trying to find it's way into the valley. Speaking of which, I had a little ice on the windshield this morning and I noticed that some of the summer squash had melted into black goo over the weekend, it was certainly chilly, but I guess I didn't get up early enough to see any actual frost. Certainly not the big killing frost yet, but with the snow piling up in the mountains, I'm sure it's not far off.
Crocus kotshcyanus 'Reliant'
I don't know the full story on the selection 'Reliant" but it's aptly named. I notice this one spreading around much of the bulb frames and some of the spent bulb soil piles

Another weekend, where I had a huge list of fall projects to tackle and I barely touched them. Oh Well, it was beautiful and I made the most of the weather which was cool but dry. Got to start winterizing the hose bibs and irrigation valves soon though. 

Rain coming this week. 

Cheers, 
Mark

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

Tears of rage, tears of grief

"The size of a misfortune is not determinable by an outsider's measurement of it but only by the measurements applied to it by the person specially affected by it. The king's lost crown is a vast matter to the king but of no consequence to the child. The lost toy is a great matter to the child but in the king's eyes it is not a thing to break the heart about."
Mark Twain

Deeply saddened to learn some family members suffered terrible losses of homes and possession's in the fires that raged through Santa Rosa, California this weekend, nothing that I can write can make it better or ease any suffering. Glad that no one got badly hurt, and knowing the constitution of the California family members, they will rebuild bigger and better then before.




Crocus cartwrightianus 'Marcel'
The autumn crocus species bloom progresses, the rain is returning this afternoon, so while I moved a few of the pots into the greenhouse to get them to open a bit better, I wasn't able to get much in the way of photo's because they seemed to want to stay closed. I did manage to get a pretty good video of the honey bees absolutely destroying a Crocus mathewii plant for whatever pollen or nectar it could provide. I think they know that winter is coming.


More seasonal color 

Lows in the 40's, and partly cloudy with rain in the forecast.

Mark

Monday, October 2, 2017

Sternergia sicula and the harvest season

"The secret of life is to let every segment of it produce its own yield at its own pace. Every period has something new to teach us. The harvest of youth is achievement; the harvest of middle-age is perspective; the harvest of age is wisdom; the harvest of life is serenity."
Joan D. Chittister



Sternbergia sicula
Did you know this species has been studied for it's antimicrobial and antifungal properties? I wish I could access the scientific journal it's published in, but unfortunately, you have to have a paid subscription to access that sort of knowledge. Sad really, that the world has been so capitalized, marketed, monopolized, bought, sold and traded on the stock exchange that now you can't get science unless you pay for it. 
Sorry to the beautiful plant for using it as a vehicle for a rant, but I really did want to find out how effective it is as an antifungal agent, and how someone thought to test it?

Sternbergia sicula grows on limestone hills, from Greece, Italy and into Turkey. Said to require a warm site, I always wonder what they mean when they say that? Warm in Greece is different than warm in Oregon. Again, science and access for everyone. 






The harvest season is in full swing now, These are the days of fine eating. Fresh bounty everyday just a short walk across the yard. October, if it stays warm and dry has to be one of our most bountiful months in Oregon.. The salmon are swimming into the rivers in large numbers. The bow and arrow are slung by the door for afterwork pursuits in search of venison in the woods down by the creek where I grew up and the chill in the air, adds just a tinge of urgency to those autumn pursuits of game, and the preservation of this years harvest.

Warm days ahead, 70's for the day and 40's for the nights, perfect autumn weather for the harvest season.

Cheers,
Mark

Friday, September 29, 2017

Colchicum psaridis





"The three great elemental sounds in nature are the sound of rain, the sound of wind in a primeval wood, and the sound of outer ocean on a beach."


 Henry Beston



Colchicum psaridis,
This one is said to grow on open, stony hillsides from Southern Greece to Turkey. It's one of the smaller species and I could see it as a rock dweller far more than a meadow or woodland species for sure due to its habit. 

This was new to me, the flower in the middle has formed a propagative appendage in place of the Anthers and other flowery reproductive bits. I've seen a lot of Alliums do this but never saw a Colchicum do it.

Back to the rainy pattern more typical of fall, I busted butt last night and go the harvestable honey frames pulled out of the hives, just ahead of the cooler weather and 5 day run of rain forecasted to hit. That was an achievement that felt really good. I'm running a bit behind on my fall garden prep. Still needing to get a bunch of stuff done in the vegetable garden, I have grapes to harvest that this rain is going to mess with. But the honey capture did sure take a load off. Hopefully able to shake this stupid head cold by the weekend and get some productivity done.

Rain and showers with highs in the low 60's and high 40's over night. 

Cheers,
Mark 

Monday, September 25, 2017

Garden Scenes

“That country where it is always turning late in the year. That country where the hills are fog and the rivers are mist; where noons go quickly, dusks and twilights linger, and midnights stay. That country composed in the main of cellars, sub-cellars, coal-bins, closets, attics, and pantries faced away from the sun. That country whose people are autumn people, thinking only autumn thoughts. Whose people passing at night on the empty walks sound like rain.”

Ray Bradbury



A mix of  the fall blooming Colchicums as we hit the Autumnal equinox

The kiddo has had to read a bunch of Ray Bradbury lately as she started her freshman year in high school. I guess it's been awhile for me now, as I don't remember many of the stories she tells. It's something to hear her talk about how amazing all his ideas were and to imagine they were written in the 1950's!

Glad her teacher is capturing the imagination like that and good to see an inspiring teacher come out of the public school system. 

I'ts apparent I don't really have all that much to say about the flowers on here. I spent a brief few moments of a weekend afternoon trolling through the garden looking at some of the fall Colchicums. So above are a few, there are more starting in by the fence at the entrance to the property now. Most of the excess bulbs have been planted out, although I still have a few bags to go. I have found it makes good science to save some in a bag for as long as possible to see how they store.

The weather man said it was the 3rd driest summer in recorded history, with something like 57 days without a rain drop. And look, the autumn crocus didn't mind a bit!

Cheers,
Mark

Friday, September 22, 2017

Colchicum tenorii

An Italian species...if you look closely, in this less than spectacular photo, you can see the charicteristic purple anther crooks.

Can't seem to find much on the internet about the habitat, which is disappointing as I've always liked biotype plantings and true to ecotype companion plantings when possible.

The rain is moving Eastward and warmer weather is in the forecast. Supposed to be back in the 80's by mid week.

Cheers,
Mark

Monday, September 18, 2017

The Rain Has ReturnedThe

The Rainy Day

The day is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
The vine still clings to the mouldering wall,
But at every gust the dead leaves fall,
And the day is dark and dreary.

My life is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
My thoughts still cling to the mouldering Past,
But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast,
And the days are dark and dreary.

Be still, sad heart! and cease repining;
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall,
Some days must be dark and dreary.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The late season Rock Garden

The rains have returned to the Willamette Valley finally, cooler temps and an actual ground soaking rain is here! I don't know if I have ever been so excited about a change in the weather, but it was such a long hot summer and since have the state is burning it's long overdue. 


 Pacific tree frog (Pseudacris regilla)
A very cool visitor to the greenhouse was noted with the cooling weather and oncoming dampness. Talk about beneficial insect control for the greenhouse!

A few more of the fall bloomers have started in and I'll update them as they do, with the rain here it might not make for as perfect of pictures, but I know the bulbs appreciate some cooler temperatures and some moisture in the soil now. 

Rain for the next three days, and temperatures in the low 60's. Perhaps, fall has begun. 

Friday, September 15, 2017

Colchicum 'Glory of Heemstede'

Colchicum 'Glory of Heemstede'
One of the old hybrids apparently originating form the Dutch suburb of Heemstede, one of the major bulb growing regions in the Netherlands. Apparently Linneaus spent some time here way back in the day. I just snapped a pic of one of the pots because I liked the way the light was hitting it, but this hyrbid is one of the great colonizers and I'll post up some pics of the patches of it around the gardens and grounds. I would say we are entering the mid season bloom period now with the fall bloomers.

I should try to be more educational with this blog so here ya go:



Note the subterranean ovaries? We will explore this adaptation in an upcoming blog entry

Glad to have gotten some nice pics when I did, rain is in the forecast for later this weekend and according to some of the long range weather forecasters and bloggers, it looks like we have la nina developing after early predictions of a neutral winter. Could this weekend be the true end of summer and the start of Oregon's legendary rainy season? Stay tuned to find out.

Cheers,

Mark

Thursday, September 14, 2017

Colchicum variegatum

Colchicum variegatum

Most of the information you can glean off the web lists this as a somewhat tender species, which I suppose then should come as no surprise it doesn't increase very well for me. But it's hard to pass it up with such sublime tesselations it certainly is a standout. My form has somewhat more linear tepals then most of the pictures I've seen on the web. Maybe I'll coddle this one a bit more to see if I can get it to clump up for me. It truly is one of the more spectacular species. Hailing from Southern Greece and Turkey might explain the somewhat tender nature.

You can feel fall start to creep in finally, the temperatures have moderated in the valley and we even had a sprinkle last weekend although it was dry by the next morning.

Cheers,
Mark

Tuesday, September 5, 2017

Colchicum laetum

So Prometheus was a good guy and helped out the humans, I think the biggest thing he did was give us fire, which of course changed the course of humanity. Zeus got pissed and chained him to a rock on a Mountain peak, where an eagle or vulture would stop off and eat on his liver all day. Overnight, because Prometheus was immortal, his liver would regrow. So there he stayed chained to a rock on that mountain getting his liver eaten all day in agony, for thousands of years. Since it's said that the Mountain to which Prometheus was chained was in the Caucasus Mountains, sometime in those thousands of years, Prometheus must have watched Colchicum laetum evolve. Or maybe not if he couldn't see the lower elevation forest, Steppes and foothill meadows from Southern Russia down to the Caucasus Mountains.




Colchicum laetum
With it's starry flowers and bright yellow anthers, doing it's thing in Early September. I'm hoping someday to make a phenology guide to the fall blooming bulbs in Western Oregon. So this year you may see some double daily posts as I begin tracking them year to year.

Smoke, haze and fires all around.
Cheers,
Mark

Colchicum davisii



“The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.” 
― Dante Alighieri




Colchicum davisii

Only described as recently as 1998, comes this Turkish species from the Amanus Mountains.

I really like the lighter color with the heavy tesselations and the tendency for the flowers to stay closer to ground level. The Autumn crocus are coming on hot and heavy now. I'm gonna make every effort to document them all.

The ash is falling thick from the smoke filled sky as I write this, one can almost picture Dante, ascending the 6th circle, oh wait no, that's actually the willamette Valley. So many forest fires and the "valley of sickness" is a haze filled crucible that smells of burning pitch. We need rain soon.

Cheers,
Mark

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Colchicum bivonae and the end of the sale season.

Colchicum bivonae
Widely distributed Mediterranean species, Greece-Turkey-Sardinia, I love the tesselations on this one and I keep meaning to put a infrared or UV filter on this to see what it might look like to a pollinator species.

 I've wrapped up bulbs sales for this year. Thanks again to all the great customers. It was another fun year for us at Illahe. If you missed out on anything, I'll leave the catalog up and you can dream about getting your order in early next year. It was a bit of an abbreviated season for me, so expect much more next year.

A thick smokey haze has filled the valley as wildfires continue to burn up in the cascades. Temperatures hit 100 here today and you could taste the burning pitch in the air. We need a cool down and some rain soon.

Best,
Mark

Thursday, August 24, 2017

Colchicum alpinum

Colchicum alpinum
The classic alpine meadow saffron from the high altitude regions of the European Alps. This species does very well in the unprotected raised beds. The culture is easy and top dressings of composted cow manure mixed with pumice every so often have yielded a nice increase in corms. Another nice early bloomer doing it's think in late August.

So tomorrow the shipping season ends and I can get back to taking pics of the fall blooming species as the come on.

Hot, sunny and dry weekend ahead! Temps in the 90's although a sprinkle was felt today on the way into work.

Cheers,

Mark

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

The first of the fall bloomers have arrived-The Shipping season is coming to an end.

Colchicum haynaldii

Grecian species, introduced into cultivation in the 1980's, this one is relatively new to me, I like the relatively compact habit and the very early bloom season of late August.

Catalog Update:

 I am going to wrap up the shipping season by this weekend so please get any last minute orders in by friday. I'll be offering the following discount:

10% off order totals until the shipping season has ended, This Friday the 25th of August. 


Best,
Mark

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Its totally better than you can even imagine!


It's really hard to to find the words to describe the intensity of a Total Solar Eclipse, I had no idea it would be that amazing. The Pictures don't do it justice and words just can't describe the eerily changing colors as the sun goes away. Then the bright, silver and white light dancing around the rim as the moon totally obscured the sun. 360 degree sunset, I was floored and everyone who witnessed it felt something 




A Total Solar Eclipse from Prospect Hill in South Salem. 

My Uncle Orion set up his Surveyers scope to project an image of the progress.


So the bulb sales are winding down and some of the fall bloomers are starting to come on, I think I'm going to wrap up sales this week. I'll offer 10% off total order discount from now until Friday, the list is updated and there are still a few choice things left.

Cheers,
Mark

Sunday, August 6, 2017

Harvest 2017

It's a muggy 90 with ample humdity and a generally miserable feel for an Oregon summer. But the harvest is happening anyway.

Hope to have the list out very soon so keep checking!

Wednesday, August 2, 2017

The Calm Before the Storm

A calm summer evening at Illahe Nursery and Gardens

I've had quite a few inquiries about the availability list so I thought I would offer this update. I'm going to start digging bulbs this weekend, with any luck the list should be out by mid to late next week. I am pleased to announce that I will be offering some of Diana Reecks incredible clumping Erythronium's on this years list so be sure to check back often to get in on that offering. Look through the April posts to see what you can get.

In other news, it's insanely hot here in the valley this week, highs topping 105 today and it's supposed to stay super hot the whole week and into the next. Ugghhhh.....I'm not a big fan.

Mark

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Where the wild things are part 3 2017

Lillium occidentale ???
More question marks because it seems to fit the bill, but it's not nearly as vibrant as the photos i've seen on the interwebs. Maybe this one was just a bit past prime and fading out, either way, it was about 6' tall, growing in standing water amid Darlingtonia californica, not far from the ocean and near the Redwood groves.

I could totally get into growing and collecting the lilies, since I opened up some more room at the back of the rock garden I might just have to start looking around.

Cheers,
Mark

Where the wild things are part 2 2017

No trip to California would be complete without a posting of a Monkey Flower, Mimulus aurantiacus on the path to the top of Trinidad head. 
Spent a little time wandering around the Alkaline fen at Eight Dollar Mountain, According to Jack Poff my old RSB Garden mentor these are the impossible to cultivate ones, because they love the cool, alkaline water flowing through the root run, while the temperature can easily top 100 for multiple days at a time. 
The more coastal strains grow in wet, sphagnum bogs with a more acidic composition and the strain I cultivate is far more amenable to cultivation in the standard peat/sand mix that most pitcher plans can take. This is a Del Norte Coastal population near the Smith River.

More lily pics coming soon.

Cheers,
Mark

Where the wild things are 2017

Lilium wigginsii??? Question marks because I'm not super up to speed on my western lilies of which there are many, this one seems to be the likely culprit growing on the margins of boggy Cobra Lily habitat among Pepperwoods and Madrone.

The Kiddo and I headed out for a summer 1000 mile road trip to eventually wind up at a family reunion in Lake County California. Along the way we decided to hit up some of the old Kalmiopsis/Siskiyou area I grew to love so much during my backpacking plant hunting days. 
Anya contemplates a stand of Del Norte Darlingtonia californica. The habitat is really so unique and the plant never ceases to amaze me every time I see it. I have been propagating this species for awhile now and it will be one that will be available in limited numbers in this years catalog. 
The sheltered anchorage at Trinidad is a unique place for sea farers
I think I have another close up of that Lily, which I think may be Lilium occidentale growing out of a patch of Cobra Lilies deep in the Coastal fog belt of California's Redwood habitat.



Catalog update! I'm starting harvest in the next with all luck, Please be advised I'll be offering a smaller list this year due to some pressing summer activities, I have to harvest, catalog and ship in shorter timer period this year as well, so look for the catalog and be prepared to order quickly or miss out until next year.

Sunny Summer days and temps in the high 80's to low 90's.

Cheers,
Mark