Black Friday Garden Report

Kenneth Hixson khixson@nu-world.com
Fri, 27 Nov 2009 11:09:40 PST
Western Oregon hasn't had a killing frost yet either, we did get down
to +32F for a little while, but no damage was done.  Flowers now include
Camellia (sasanqua?) Appleblossom, Viburnum bodnantense for a couple
weeks--and it will flower in dribs and drabs probably until May.  Oddly
enough, this plant had fruit last spring, in spite of a severe frost
in mid April.  Osmanthus heterophyllus 'Sasaba'--"Sweet Olive" to some,
devil plant to anyone trying to brush by it.
Fuchsias, including Gartenmeister, Lechlade Chinaman, magellanica,
Speciosa and a couple more.  Sweet Alyssum, Acaulis primroses,
pansies--and a viola, possibly V. odora.  Calendula, Coreopsis,
Marigolds, Nasturtium, Nicotinia (flowering tobacco).
Phygelis recta 'Devils Tear' is still drawing a hummingbird.
Buddleia 'Honeycomb' is also drawing the hummingbird with the last
of its' flowers.  It doesn't start until late, and the trusses are small
so perhaps it's fair that it still be blooming.

Migratory robins stripped the (yellow) berries from my Pyracantha
'Goldrush' in about two days.  The neighbors' mountain ash trees were
also stripped of berries in less than two days.  Fortunately the yellow
berried english holly berries were still green, so were untouched, and
are starting to shine.  I had read that yellow berries were more likely
to be left by the birds, so planted these in hopes of having a better
show--well, the robins apparently can't read.
Leaves on trees colored late, were mostly blown off by wind after a week
or so.  Still some leaves, but probably less than 10%.

Alstroemeria psitticina is sending up new shoots, which will probably
freeze.  This is one plant that doesn't seem to have a season, although
shoots freeze in the winter, and slow down in the heat of summer.

Amaryllis belladonna, leaves coming up, later than usual.

Begonia boliviensis looks tired, but still mostly green.  B. grandis
(pink) has lost all leaves, but the stems are still reddish green.
This didn't start flowering until September, and I don't think it has
made bulblets, so I'm thinking of moving it into more light--but where?
Dragon Wing begonias were outside in pots on the deck until a couple
days ago, then were brought in.  Wax begonias are still flowering,
although with fewer leaves than a month ago.  There are only a few
tuberous hybrids, and they were dug and brought in.

Bletilla striata--nearly dormant

Bloomeria crocea--tips of leaves showing

Cannas-the tall, bronzy leaved thing with small red flowers is still
green, not as bronze as it was.  The hybrids are nearly dormant.

Callas--leaves are mostly yellow--in a normal year they would have
frozen by now.

Crinum leaves haven't frozen into the soggy black mess they will be most
of the winter.  I'm still dithering about when to dig and move or divide
some of the Crinum.  I don't get it done in the spring, but wonder if
doing it in the fall, when the ground is cold/soggy, is a good idea.

Crocosmia--leaves are still green, but starting to yellow.  New
roots(? stolons) start forming before the leaves die down.

Cyclamen hedereafolium (white) seedlings still have stray flowers.
C. coum has not flowered, they were small, in a clump, and were divided.
There are florist's cyclamen in the stores.  Florist's cyclamen planted
in the garden last spring didn't make it.

Gladiolus callianthus/Acidanthera still has leaves, pale green.
Gladiolus carneus has dwindled to only one stem, but it had about twenty
flowers, so I was happy with it.  Didn't look at G. papilio, presume it
is starting to die down.  G. tristis came up in mid September, will have
green leaves all winter, before flowering in ?April?
Various hybrid glads are starting to yellow at the tips of the leaves,
but mostly green.

Ipheon--some leaves showing.  This hasn't done as well as expected--
it will naturalize in lawns and planter strips, but here fifty bulbs
have dwindled to about a dozen, although those seem to be doing well.

There are a few re-blooming bearded irises--Golden Encore is about done
and bedraggled, and a lost-label palest blue/near white.
Perfume Counter should have flowered, but hasn't.

Ixia leaves are up about a foot--in a severe frost these will freeze.

Lilium--seedlings still have leaves, but dying down.  Some seedlings
germinated this fall in a flat that was planted too late last spring.

Narcissus leaves are showing in places.

Oxalis aff. obliquifolia still has leaves, didn't flower well this
year.  Grow this in pots, it needs to be repotted every year as it
makes many bulblets, yet it only persists a couple years in the
garden, even in a raised bed or at the foot of a tree.
Not sure if I still have O. adenophylla.  Other Oxalis may still
persist, but do not do well.

Tigridia--leaves are starting to yellow.  This needs to be dug and
divided/planted elsewhere.  Too tall where it is now.  This particular
clump, "yellow" flowers, has been in the same spot for three summers.
Makes seed, doesn't seem to self-sow, although the seed will grow in
a flat or pot.


Ken






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