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Thursday, February 23, 2017

Crocus x leonidii 'Early Gold'


It's open now as some sunny days have taken hold.

I briefly mentioned the background on this plant. Leonid Bondarenko for whom this is named, in his wonderful Lithuanian Rare Bulb Garden Catalogue writes, "sterile plants, hardy in outdoors in our weather condition and firm against virus infection". He goes onto mention that the rate of vegetative reproduction is high.


While it looks like spring is duking it out with winter at the nursery, the buds are swelling on the Apricots.


It's still very much winter in the highlands. The kiddo and I got a much deserved cross country ski trip into the lava beds Backcountry up on the Santiam pass this weekend. The dog enjoyed the ski trip as well.

Chilly with snowflakes in the forecast but sun breaks warning things up quickly when it shows up.

Cheers,
Mark

Thursday, February 16, 2017

The Early Season


Crocus x leonidii 'Early Gold'

From Janis Ruksans, came this hybrid of C. angustifolius and C.reticulatis. His friend from Lithuania, Leonid Bondarenko made the clonal selections.

I really love these stripes!


The early season is on now.....Starting to feel those first little bursts of spring.

Several inches of rain in the last few days, the local creeks are under a flood advisory as I type. 52, breezy and wet.

Cheers,
Mark

Saturday, February 11, 2017

The February Card


Does anyone want to tell there version of St. Valentine....Add it to the comments.

It is coming and it's on time....But the weather took such a great turn for the better.... Sunny, clear, highs in the upper 50's. The spring teaser is always the best time to get caught up on the garden as a whole...So much for the Offseason. Orchard pruned and sprayed, shrub beds pruned, weeded and mulched....Got a lot done in the sun today.

Cheers,
Mark

Thursday, February 9, 2017

The "Offseason"


Colchicum hungaricum "Valentine's Day"

There is a small window of time between sowing some of the seeds that appreciate a few weeks of winter chilling, and when spring prep really begins in earnest that I guess is my Offseason.


I guess this affords me some time to take a closer look around. I noticed this very healthy pot of Colchicum bivonae starts enjoying some mychorrizal symbiosis.


Baby cobras (Darlingtonia californica) will be going up on sale soon as the stolon cuttings have established nicely.

Well, enjoy the Offseason...A winter respite from the busy days that grow longer ahead.

50 degrees and soaking wet from a pineapple Express clipping hard from the South ..3" of rain the last 2 days and still relentless.

Cheers,
Mark