The Backyard 4/8/15

It's backyard photo time again.  I went to the Leach Botanical sale on Saturday, and have new babies to share. Plus, the usual suspects from this time of year.

Let's start with my favorite Lewisia of the bunch.  He's just starting to bloom, but the hot pink is too pretty not to start taking photos of it.  It's his third year at my house.

This is Lewisia cotyledon 'Rainbow.'

Another that isn't goin' all that strong yet is called 'Little Peach.'

I got this one last year at Fred Meyer, of all places.

The show off of the group is one I've shared already this year, but I couldn't not take more pictures in its current state.

This is Lewisia cotyledon 'Kanab.'

He and the rhody, are the first things my eyes are drawn to when I step outside.

That right there is totally worth the $6 dollars I paid for it.

And because the Leach sale is where my Lewisia obsession started, and because I lost one to rot this year, I picked up a new one.

Meet another guy from the Wild Ginger Farm family.

Lewisia cotyledon 'Red.'

He has a girlfriend, too.

Anemone x Lipsiensis, or, Anemone x Seemani.  

She had two names.

I may as well stick with the theme of new babies.

I've had Ligularia on my list of wants for several years and I finally made it happen.

With not one, but TWO different varieties.

I was initially after The Rocket, but after seeing there was a tall, cut leaf to choose from, I went with it, instead of the heart shaped leaves.

This is Ligularia przewalskii.

It gets 5 to 6 feet tall, which is what I was looking for.

I planted it under the birch tree out back, behind a hydrangea, where I had a big, gaping, shady hole.

The other little guy is Ligularia 'Osiris Cafe Noir' and he only gets 14 to 20 inches tall.

His new home is next to the bench under the mallow tree.

Another new guy is one I spotted on my second walk through.

I'm a fern super fan, and this one can grow from 2 feet, up to 6 feet tall.

I'm super excited to see what it does.

I actually cut off a a side baby from the 4 inch pot, and will try it in two different places.

The smaller piece of the two is in full shade, and the other will get some sun.

The tag says full sun to full shade, so we shall see which it likes better.

Purple Royal Fern, Osmunda Regalis Purpurascens.

Another plant I've had on my list FOREVER is Brunnera.

Why are they so expensive?!

I found a gallon pot on sale at Fred Meyer last week for $8 bucks.

Woot woot.

This is Brunnera, 'Jack Frost.'

So far, I'm smitten.

I also got a couple freebie babies from the neighbors who moved.

An old school Heuchera, that I just call Coral Bells, and a Persicaria, that I'm sure someone else will be able to correctly identify.

I've never grown it, so we'll see if it sticks around.

The Heuchera was planted by the lady who used to live there who died.

She's the one who used to bring us all kinds of stuff for The Kid and The Girl when they were babies.

She gave me a piece of it once, but I lost it.

I'm hoping the two pieces I got this time will stick around.

The Persicaria was planted by the short-term renters, who unexpectedly had the house sold out from under them.

I got a piece of it the day they were moving out.

Red Dragon, maybe?

Here's a shot of the whole shade area under the tree.

There's hostas that aren't up enough to see, a foam flower that my mom gave me a piece of last year, the bright yellow evening primrose, columbine, an Alaskan fern that is just out of the picture, a Jacob's ladder, my new blue corydalis, wild impatiens coming up all over the place, some wood hyacinths, mukdenia, which is also just barely up and hopefully redeems itself from the poor performance last year, and the orange heuchera that I've had for several years and can't find the tag for. 

The little pile of white is my trial of using crushed oyster shells around the hostas for slugs.

I actually think it's working.

Better than my Sluggo trial. I keep putting it out, but the slugs keep gnawing away at everything.

On the other side of the tree area, the Epimidium has leafed out like crazy over the last few days.

I shared my new 'Leprechaun's Gold' Columbine last week, but now that the potted Hosta next to it is all the way leafed out, it's so pretty in that little corner.

The climbing hydrangea is leafing out.

Every year I say this, but I'm gonna say it again, this is THE slowest growing plant on the face of the earth.

I'll be 80 by the time the damn thing covers the shed.

The Solomon's Seal is up all over the yard.

I seriously love this stuff.

And it spreads so fast that you get free plants for moving around the yard after the first year.

The blue and white Wood Hyacinths are all starting to bloom.

I haven't spied any pink ones yet.

A clump of Lesser Celandine that I missed.

I've been pulling it between rain showers and I swear it multiplies when I'm not looking.

And the slugs LOVE it.  There are zillions of them on it.

Bleck.

The snap pea seeds that I planted are up and movin'.

All the Lady Ferns are doing their job of being good fillers.

And last, I have one lone Forget Me Not plant, that's already covered in mildew, but look how sweet the flowers are in front of the limey Barberry.

I don't have the heart to yank it yet.

And that's what's happening in the backyard this week.
Have a fantastic weekend.