Updates for May 2011

Finally!

A long overdue update from this weary Cottager, who has been busy with everything *other* than gardening.

In-between massive construction updates to the Cottage itself (mostly related to insulation and heating and cooling systems), I have also completed my graduate degree in Library Science. I'm thrilled to be done of course, and am definitely ready for some time in the garden!

The vegetable garden feels horrible neglected this year---I have yet to seed my beets and all of my chard and edible flowers, but things are gradually coming together as time allows. I have already mowed the lawn twice this year, so not everything has been flung to the wayside.

Here is a taste of something rather new at the T.G.C; our Cayuga ducklings, Pomona and Ophelia who turn one month this week!

The girls just love swimming in our bathtub and eating baby spinach greens. They have also learned to quack as of this morning!

Poppy Day

A small update for today:

 This beauty is a red 'Peony or Lettuce Leaf ' Poppy.

I was inspired to take these photographs of the blooms which emerged after a full weekend of much-needed sun. My beloved Poppies are so short-lived that I feel like I have to capture them as soon as I see them unfurl! I missed the chance to photograph a gorgeous 'Lauren's Grape' Poppy over the weekend which lasted only a day, and I'm still kicking myself for missing the chance. Hopefully, other 'Grapes' will present themselves as the Summer wears on!

 This is a 'Flemish Antique' Heirloom Poppy.

 Some of these photographs are low in quality and I apologize! They were taken first thing this morning, but at least you will gain a general impression of how things are looking!

Our much abused 'Jackmanii' Clematis is still going strong. Notice the strange four-petaled bloom. Odd.

This is a 'Nigra' Hollyhock I grew from seed. I love the way Hollyhocks look, but I always get rust and discoloration on the leaves. Does anyone know any secrets for preventing this?

New Dutch Iris are emerging under the Lilac Trees. I didn't realise until now that the rhizomes I planted came in a variety of purple. Lucky me!

A lousy shot of the front of the house. Notice mutant Delphinium and bowed Pea Obelisk. That hideous red fence on the right will soon be disguised by reed fencing. I hate it!

The Husband and I harvested our first batch of 'Purple Globe' Turnips. You can't tell from this photo, but these are enormous! 

 Notice my hand in this photograph for a size comparison! 

June, already!

I wanted to say hello to all of my new readers who have found me through Blotanical.com. Thank you for making me feel so welcome and all of the nice comments left about the gardens! It really means a lot, and I appreciate the enthusiasm. Thank you!

After a week away in Florida, I returned to discover that the garden has exploded with flowers and vegetables! Roses, Foxglove, Poppies and Delphinium rule the flower beds while various Lettuces, Spinach, Turnips, and Peas are all ready for harvest in the Potager. We have so many Peas clamoring up one trellis that their weight has caused it to bow and break! We have some Strawberries ripening too, although they need just a little bit of sun to adequately sweeten. Here are some of my more recent photographs taken this week and the week before last.

I hope everyone is enjoying our last few days of Spring.

 Love these Dutch Iris living under the Lilac tree!

 

My Foxglove have vigorously self-seeded over the years and I have many new plants. I'm a sucker for the ones with white flowers and ruby throats. I've also planted a new 'Apricot' variety this year, but haven't had any blooms. What varieties do you like best?

The 'Pacific Giant' Delphinium have bloomed at long last. They are about 8.5 feet tall. I can't believe it! These plants are about two years old. The secret is apparently Western Oregon weather and fish emulsion. I also periodically treat the plants with a fertilizer made from decomposed Comfrey leaves. I learned this trick from a book written by Tasha Tudor!

This 'Jackmanii' Clematis has survived being pecked to near death by bored chickens, two deep freezes, and three separate relocations by a fickle Cottager. Here, it proves it can be both beautiful and robust in a new, permanent location at the front of the house.

  

In our front bed we have a 'Midnight Blue' Rose. I love the colour but it lasts only about a day before fading. That and a scraggly growing habit appear to be the trouble with some of the hybrid varieties. I've been saving all of our rose petals for tea and beauty products, but have also made attempts to make my own rose oil. Here is a nice page with instructions for making Attar (oil) of Roses.

A nice shot of the Kitchen Herb Garden as it stood on Monday. Lots of Oregano coming back, and the Sage plant has become enormous. It and the neighbouring Spanish Lavender are constantly covered with bees. It is good to know that I'm supporting our local pollinators with all of my purple plants!

Speaking of purple plants...I love this newly purchased Centaurea which I thought was perfect for a Cottage Garden. Much to The Husband's chagrin, I have a nasty habit of buying whatever catches my eye in the nursery with no idea of where to eventually plant it. I believe this specimen will be going in the side yard with my Poppies and 'Fairy' rose, but we'll see.

This handsome devil is a 'Blackie' Fuchsia. I'm attempting to find a nice, shady area to plant him directly, but this is proving to be difficult. I've seen some specimens in Portland which have established themselves as shrubs. I'd like to do the same, but need to find a good spot for him, pronto! I don't seem to have much luck with Fuchsias, but they are inexpensive and attractive enough that I remain an eternal Pollyanna.

 These 'Granny's Bonnet' Columbine really give you a lot of bang for the buck. They've been blooming non-stop since March and make for lovely border plants. They are tall and leggy and need staking, but will eventually hold one another up like drunks at a bar. I'm collecting the seed pods for friends.

I love my Peony Poppies, although they are short-lived. Most of them need to be staked. I'm growing Purple, Red and White Peony Poppies.

 

 In the Potager, we have Spring veggies galore. Right now we are overrun with Peas and Lettuce!

Asian Mustard Greens.

Fava Beans, Garlic, Tomatoes and Nasturtiums live in this bed.

Amaranth, or something similar to it has naturalized in the backyard from spilled birdseed. This does not please The Husband.

We are growing Purple Peas as well!

Mizuna Greens.

No Cottage Garden is complete without fruit trees, so we've purchased this espaliered tree which has six varieties grafted to the stock! Among them are Red and Yellow Delicious,  Gala and Granny Smith. I can't remember the others, but seem to remember them being Oregon heirlooms.

These are our beets and shallots.

One of two pea obelisks.

This bed has red and yellow onions and a nice Jerusalem artichoke in the middle. I'm having remorse over not containing it in a pot. Oops.

Green onions and Cauliflower.

We have been getting so much rain that toadstools and faerie rings are popping up everywhere in the lawn.

And we've been getting a few new visitors who seem to enjoy the refuge of my Hollyhocks!

Photos from May 2010

I'm glad that I had the opportunity to take these photos last weekend when the sun was still shining. This past week in Portland has been characterized by the type of weather we typically see in February; strong winds, chilly rains and hail! Such is Spring in a marine climate.  Despite all of this cold, the plants in the garden appear to be enjoying themselves. As of last week the Roses, Delphinium and Strawberries have begun to bloom! This is all very exciting.

Here are a few shots of the Herb Gardens. They are really beginning to take off now that it is warming up (slightly). We've recently mulched the ground in an attempt to conserve water throughout the Summer months. I've had a lot of Borage volunteer itself in both beds, and I asked my husband not to weed them out because the bees love it! I've recently begun referring to Borage by its alternate name which is 'Bee Bread', which is fitting.  We've planted a few new herbs this year which are Clary Sage, Fenugreek (Bird's Foot), and Egyptian 'Walking' Onions. Photo 6 in this series shows a 'Walking' Onion growing in front of a Hyssop plant.Those plants are characterized by their funky growing shapes.

The front Potager really seems to be thriving. I've several varieties of 'Cut and Come Again' Lettuce and Spinach growing and I think it is absolutely gorgeous. We are growing Cabbages in some side beds in addition to Chives, Garlic and Turnips. Those Pansies have been in the beds since January and are already self-seeding! The Peas with Pink and Purple blossoms are my Schweizer Riesen heirlooms. This garden garners a lot of positive attention from our neighbours!

I'm exceedingly fond of our 'Pacific Giant' Delphinium and have little shame in sharing this enthusiasm with others. Notice in the top left photograph in this sequence the height of the plants near the window. At last count, they were over 7.5 feet high and are still growing! The secret to this success appears to be ample daylight and lots of fish emulsion. Once they bloom, I will have photos taken of me standing near them for reference. The pale blue flowers are 'Galahad', while the deep purple are 'King Arthur'.

All of our roses began to open at once. This is a photograph of our 'Midnight Blue' roses which are in the front bed. They have a sweet, spicy scent and are a glorious purple. Here is what they look like in bloom:

My pink 'The Fairy' Rose blooms non-stop and never disappoints. I love how dependable it is in the garden. 

The Black 'Baccara' Rose hasn't bloomed yet, but is a luscious, deep red.

Our 'Night Owl' climbing rose lives in a semi-neglected part of the yard where I am attempting to coddle it and train it over a storage shed. These are a deep purple with a bright yellow 'eye'. Despite the fact she lives in dry, rocky soil, she appears to be quite comfortable where she is. Sometimes I'll get a cracked egg from the chicken's nest and I'll smash it on the ground near the roses as a sort of nutritional amendment. The nutrients positively benefit the plants and they appreciate the added calcium from the shells.

Our Rhododendron is also blooming.  It is probably the same age as the house: 74 years.

There are a lot of happy plants in the front beds too, just growing in and doing their thing!

The Bumblebees love our Comfrey and we are getting Strawberries!

Here is a shot of some of the things growing in our freshly tilled and expanded side flower bed. Our 'Granny's Bonnet' Columbine are blooming near the roses and poppies. I've grown a lot of the big bomb 'Peony' types that Tasha Tudor was so fond of.

There is a lot of action in the backyard Potager as well! We have a lot of peas, favas, and more coming in.

We have many herbs volunteering themselves such as Chamomile, Lemon Balm and Thyme. Also: we have Figs!

And Limes.

And kitty cats.