The first day of Spring!

When I see the day on my calendar marked "first day of Spring" (always capitalized) I immediately feel relief, joy, anticipation, excitement—yes, all of those things and all at once. Another winter—the season of hunkering down and just getting through it—behind us. A season of sunlight and warmth ahead...

Of course I have to welcome the first day of spring with photos from around the garden, a lot of them (hold on, it's gonna be a photo heavy post)). My Edgeworthia chrysantha 'Nanjing Gold' started blooming weeks ago, it's ahead of itself and on the downward slide...

The various hellebores around the garden have had a great year, no snow or ice to beat them down.

Helleborus x 'Black Diamond' (Winter Jewels) is doing especially well.

While our winter was mild, the last few weeks have been rather cool and wet (3.85" of rain in just 3 days last week, that's an entire month's worth!), which has sent a few succulents over the edge. At first I thought this NoID Agave would pull through, that the rot was only around the bottom leaves.

But nope, it's a goner.

I left a few small Agave victoriae-reginae in the ground over winter, just to see how they'd do. Two are mushy beyond hope, one looks pristine, and a couple look like this one...

I also tested a few semponiums in the ground (a "groundbreaking intergeneric cross between Aeonium and Sempervivum, giving us the look of Aeonium with better hardiness" quote pulled from here). They held on for most of the mild winter, looking great up until recently. This one is the best of the bunch, I have no idea what's been munching on it. 

These three were my rock stars, they looked so good! Until they didn't. I don't think the weather is entirely to blame however. 

Especially when the next two I found looked like this.

Somebody munched so hard they pulled the plants right out of the ground. I wonder if the little bunny I scared out of hiding the next day had anything to do with it? Grrrrrr

The good-sized Agave victoriae-reginae that went in the ground last summer has come through fantastically. I am very happy. While this plant is temperature hardy it does not like the cold and wet combination so it's not one you normally see planted in these parts.

Agave parryi 'JC Raulston' and pup. Agaves need good air circulation and these two definitely don't get it. Still, they power on.

Sophora prostrata

Rhododendron stenopetalum 'Linearifolium' beginning it's bloom.

The third and final of my Arctostaphylos to bloom, A.densiflora ‘Harmony’.

Last week's crazy rain and high wind rearranged the Mahonia x media 'Charity' on the north side of the house. It's now visible from a living room window, which I feared meant it was leaning out over the neighbor's driveway. Thankfully no.

Always a great vignette no matter the season... the Agave ovatifolia 'Frosty Blue' and Yucca rostrata at the front of the house.

Even better with the chartreuse bracts of Euphorbia rigida.

The Tetrapanax papyrifer are waking up...

An overall shot from the SE corner...

And up the driveway to where the aeoniums in containers spent 95% of the winter (only moved undercover when the temps briefly dropped below 27F and for that crazy intense rain last week). I thought I took a nice group shot, but I guess not. All you get is a close-up.

Into the back garden now, where I must share a removal we made last autumn (that stump cut level with the very saturated soil). The Embothrium coccineum grew so fast and got so tall that it was an awkward bent pole as tall as the house. Ugly. The only time I could really stand to look at it was when it was in bloom, otherwise I tried not to see it. I am glad it's gone, but I won't say never to the idea of replanting another somewhere.

This is the best year the Edgeworthia chrysantha ‘Akebono’ has had in quite some time.

Those blooms!

Also blooming, Rhododendron spinuliferum.

Clifford (the big-leaf Magnolia) hasn't started to leaf out yet so the back garden is sunnier than it will be later in the year. The cast of characters (from left to right): our oldest Yucca rostrata named Sammy, over the top of Sammy you can see the foliage of a loquat, next to that Magnolia laevifolia, then three palms in a row Trachycarpus 'Wagnerianus' and two T.  fortunei (one in the neighbor's yard), the sawed off branches belong to our Albizia julibrissin 'Summer Chocolate' (they'll put out a haze of small dark leaves soon), and then on the far right is another Trachycarpus 'Wagnerianus'.

A mild winter means the Ficus pumila 'Monier's Hardy' wasn't killed back and can continue it's quest to cover the patio wall.

Podophyllum on the rise! This one a seedling or runner that looks to have a little Podophyllum 'Red Panda' parentage.

Podophyllum 'Spotty Dotty' in a pot.

The tree ferns (Dicksonia antarctica) getting ready for their big move into the ground.

My Leo planter full of assorted Phlebodium was knocked back by winter. Hopefully the range of cool fronds will make an appearance as the temperatures warm. These ferns aren't fully winter-hardy here, but I tucked the planter in the shade pavilion greenhouse on the nights we hit the mid-to upper-20's.

Saxifraga stolonifera 'Maroon Beauty' looking grand on the stock tank table planting.

There it is, visible between the two polycarbonate panel covers, winter protection that I plan to remove this weekend...

Peeking over the top, Astelia chathamica 'Silver Spear' in a pot. I usually pull this and put it in a protected location over the winter... but not this year! It stayed right there.

Agave ovatifolia 'Frosty Blue' (it got rain cover only because it's in a container)

Another tall Mahonia, M. x media 'Marvel'. I really had no idea it would get this tall!

Colorful new foliage on Mahonia x savilliana...

And finally, to wrap things up, a new planting. Last autumn I decided I wanted to do something different in the SW corner. I had been filling those elevated containers with bromeliads, but when I found gallon sized Yucca rostrata at a great price I started scheming on using several of them. These pedestals are tall enough to get a great deal of sunshine, so I think the yucca will do great.

A big thanks to my friend Patricia who trekked down to N&M Nursery in Hubbard to buy the yuccas for me, since I was out of town during their special open days last September.

I went with Trachelospermum asiaticum 'Ogon Nishiki' as a trailing addition. It's got great color including lots of orange on the new growth.

Plus I have some growing nearby so there's a natural tie-in. Yay! SPRING!!!

The Bit at the End

Recently I was scrolling through Karen Chapman's blog le jardinet, specifically a post called Telling Your Story: The Garden Entry Sequence, when I came across a familiar garden scene. It's a great post (and not just because it includes my garden), check it out!

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The Kuzma/Halme garden in the wintertime

When I pulled up in front of John and Kathleen's garden on January 31st I really wasn't sure what I'd see. I knew John is a master at winter protection, but I wasn't sure how much of that protection goes up preemptively vs on an "as needed" basis. 

Our winter was quite mild this year. Yes, I'm using past tense. It's the first week of March and in Portland that means the door has been slammed shut on any chance we might see serious winter weather. Over the winter that was we experienced a few nights below freezing but no daytime lows below. No arctic blasts, no ice storms, perfectly dreamy.

Of course all that can be said in hindsight. Going into it, you have no idea what Mother Nature has in store, so if you care, you prepare. Ha, ya... I just came up with that as I was typing. Nobody wants to be caught out in sub freezing temperatures trying to do a weeks worth of work in one night. So we do a few things in advance. 

Agave americana 'Yellow Ribbons' (hardy only to 20-25F) is completely covered, staying toasty warm.  

Other agaves have a roof over their heads, keeping them a little drier and making further protection (should it be needed) a little quicker.

Opuntia staying dry under a low cover.

Dicksonia antarctica (tree fern) and Abutilon under cover, power at the ready should heat me needed.

Tree fern fronds gathered up and wrapped, rather than cut off as some do.

Tough as it is Fatsia japonica needs no protection.

Into the back garden...

A young palm, Butia x Jubaea cross, getting a little careful love.

I shared nearly this same shot in Wednesday's post, that was the summer version.

Phormium under wraps.

And looking towards the fountain.

I have no memory of what might be under those covers...

But I do remember this view being a bit of a shock. In the summertime everything is so lush that I've never been able to see an agave in the upper garden from down by the fountain.

Jubaea chilensis growing out of harsh winter ('24) dieback, protection framework in place should it be needed.

I really appreciated being invited over to see this garden in "winter what if" mode. 

I've had more than a few people ask me why I move things in the fall, rather than waiting to see just how long I can leave them in place, before it's move or die. But why not do things in small increments? Rather than risk it?  

I'm sure many of these plants John built covers for would have been fine with no covers at all in this mild winter. But because he had them in place already, that meant he was free to turn his attention to other things IF the weather turned nasty.

Rain cover over agaves...

A much smaller version...

Hemiboea subacaulis var. jiangxiensis looking just fine in January.

Ditto for this oak.

Reward for a wintertime visit, I don't think I've ever seen these bamboo canes glowing....

The greenhouse is full. We were so busy talking I didn't manage an outside shot. Inside you notice the citrus, and up above, various dormant Colocasia.

Tucked in here and there, Agaves, Like this A. 'Blue Glow'...

Since Agaves don't need much (if any) water over the winter months they can be put up in the hard to reach places.

Another shot of the rain cover.

It really was an odd (but uplifting) feeling to be discussing winter protection on a sunny (warmish) January morning. Saxifraga x geum ‘Dentata’...

Fuchsia, blooming in January.

I think there are more Abutilon underneath the coffin cover? No doubt John is already considering the removal and storage these covers, and getting started on another growing season.

What a gift it is to start from where we left off last autumn, rather than having to rebuild from horrific winter damage.

The Bit at the End

Theo Margelony, who some of you know from his website, The Fuchsietum, recently wrote about the tiered shelving he created for use in his greenhouse. As someone who dreams of having a dedicated greenhouse space in her "next garden," I've filed this away under useful ideas for the future, here's the post.

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All material © 2009-2026 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.