Skyler of Tangly Cottage Gardening invited Rhody and me back to tour her garden while Rhody and I were already vacationing in Washington. As usual, I left with a few goodies from the garden. Skooter was still confined to his home as he recovers from an earlier injury.

1. Euphorbia mellifera, honey spurge is my best guess for the identity of this perennial. I could have asked but did not think of it at the time. I am quite certain that it is a spurge.

2. Ficaria verna ‘Brazen Hussy’ lesser celandine is a relatively docile garden cultivar of a potentially weedy species. I can remember when it was popular in the 1990s and 2000s.

3. Tulipa spp., tulip was blooming next to the Canoe Garden. It seems to have a red edge or picotee. I took a picture of small cat tails in the Canoe Garden, but it was out of focus.

4. Muscari armeniacum, grape hyacinth is one of my favorite perennials. It is so reliable and resilient. Apparently, dwarf cat tails were not the only subject that was out of focus.

5. Narcissus spp., daffodil were probably the most prominent flowers while Rhody and I were here. I believe that this was the most abundant sort. Some bloomed in broad drifts.

6. Pulmonaria officinalis, lungwort of various cultivars was also abundant. I had already acquired blue, white and pink cultivars. Now I acquired this purple and pinkish cultivar.

This is the link for Six on Saturday, for anyone else who would like to participate: https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/18/six-on-saturday-a-participant-guide/

Between leaving on my trip and arriving, I neglected to get many pictures to select from for these Six. Actually, only two pictures are from the trip. I should take more pictures.

1. Prunus serrulata, flowering cherry of unidentified cultivar was featured in the garden column. It was the first to bloom. This picture was a bit too dark to use as an illustration.

2. Camellia japonica, camellia looks like a fried egg with such a prominent yellow center surrounded by a white corolla. White camellia are prettier with less prominent stamens.

3. Camellia japonica, camellia seemed more red than this when I took its picture. It was still blooming adjacent to the white camellia above. It is as pretty in pink as it was in red.

4. Bellis perennis, English daisy is the only picture that I took in Oregon. I must be more diligent about taking pictures on the way back, even if I do not stop in Oregon too much.

5. Prunus spp., cherry understock is growing from the base of what was formerly a stone fruit tree of some sort on my Pa’s farm. It is cool and rainy here, but is obviously spring.

6. Rhody is a good sport on our trip. We left at midnight and, because of a few stops, we arrived after six in the evening. That is an eighteen hours drive, or a 126 dog hours drive.

This is the link for Six on Saturday, for anyone else who would like to participate: https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/18/six-on-saturday-a-participant-guide/

More flowers seem to be in order. The six that I posted pictures of last week got so much extra attention.

1. Gerbera jamesonii, Transvaal daisy, along with the columbine below, was observed in a nursery. It is a long story. To be brief, neither was within the landscapes or my garden.

2. Aquilegia X hybrida, columbine is the State Flower of Colorado, but also is the colors of the Flag of Greece. Perhaps that is too much trivia. It is elegant and pretty regardless.

3. Sisyrinchium angustifolium, blue eyed grass grows wild here. This one happens to be in my driveway. Its proliferation exceeds its intellect. It might otherwise soon be extinct.

4. Chaenomeles speciosa ‘Orange Storm’ flowering quince is appealing only because it is a flowering quince. I am unimpressed by its fancy breeding and orangish red garishness.

5. Prunus persica var. nucipersica ‘Fantasia’ nectarine is more respectable since it is not fruitless, and also since it is among the most popular cultivars of the Santa Clara Valley.

6. Prunus salicina ‘Satsuma’ plum is not as popular as ‘Santa Rosa’ plum is, but it is very traditional among those who are familiar with it. It is not quite as tart as ‘Santa Rosa’ is.

This is the link for Six on Saturday, for anyone else who would like to participate: https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/18/six-on-saturday-a-participant-guide/

The first is Spanish. The second is Chinese. The rest, including Oregon grape, are native. Only the iris and poppy were actually found growing in the wild, though. It is beginning to look like spring.

1. Lavandula stoechas, Spanish lavender compensates for its absence of floral fragrance with delightful foliar aroma, especially as the weather begins to get warmer after winter.

2. Loropetalum chinense, Chinese fringe flower blooms with these silly rosy pink flowers above lightly bronzed new foliage, which is collectively more colorful than simple bloom.

3. Ribes sanguineum, flowering red currant, although native here, does not grow wild in this particular location. This one was added to one of the landscapes, and is quite happy.

4. Iris fernaldii, Fernald’s iris does grow wild here, and seems to bloom more happily on exposed roadsides than in forests. Perhaps it appreciates the better exposure to sunlight.

5. Mahonia aquifolium, Oregon grape is the Official State Flower of Oregon. It is native, but was likely added to the several landscapes that it inhabits here, like the red currants.

6. Escholzia californica, California poppy is the Official State Flower of California. It can be a bit prolific in some situations, while less prolific where seed are intentionally sown.

This is the link for Six on Saturday, for anyone else who would like to participate: https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/18/six-on-saturday-a-participant-guide/