Why I Oughta...

Spring clean-up is upon us in the garden.  And, it appears that I'm a bit later than last year in doing some of the early spots like the Hellebores.  Below is a close-up shot of what some of our Hellebores look like right now after removing some of the leaf litter that protected their crowns over Winter.  A really nice peek at the flower buds and new foliage that signals Springtime is here. Here, below, is a wider shot showing four colonies of Hellebores.  Three across the front with one tucked in by the picnic table (green) legs.   Here, below, is how they started with their previous season's foliage that needed clipping-off and the leaf litter pulled back.  This photo shows how much I 'left' the leaves.  (We had a super early Snow that hit and I pretty much stopped Fall clean-up earlier than I normally do last Fall, resulting in more leaf litter than I normally leave behind.) ' Here's a look at the area after cleaning up most of the dead foliage...

At the hardware store this past weekend, I came across their racks of Spring flowering bulbs that had the usual assortment of lilies, gladiolas, peonies and....the star(s) of the show:  dahlia tubers.  A huge number of them are Dinnerplate varieties, which I'm (for now) staying away from in favor of the smaller types like ball, decorative, pompon and even collarettes.   But, that doesn't mean the tuber selection isn't worth a once-over.  And, even a little bit of guided education on what they have and don't have for sale this season.   Here, below are a couple of photos showing a portion of their Spring bulbs - with a focus mostly on the non-dinnerplate dahlias.  (although...a few Dinnerplates snuck in here).   I'm still a beginner when it comes to growing dahlias, so everyone of these is new (to me).  I thought it might be a good learning experience to research a few of these to see what I can learn.  After searching for detai...

This past weekend, I set the first fire of 2026 in the backyard pizza oven.  A small fire, just to get the dome warmed up a tiny bit.  I have a couple of cracks already in the dome, but I'm not looking for more, so I'm going to try to heat the dome up a few times over the next few weeks before firing it up for a big bake on a Friday night.  It was good to see the smoke circle the dome and then escape out the front chimney vent.  Just like it is supposed to do in this design.  I am *pretty* confident that the enclosure is water-tight, so I don't need to re-cure this firebrick, but I'm going to go a bit slower to start this season just to make sure.   Also, hoping to motivate myself to get going on the exterior of the dome. Have to finish the veneer and the trim work around the roof.  Oh...and the roof.  There's a lot of work to get done this Spring.

Dahlia season is coming fast.  Or, at least it is feeling like it is coming fast to this gardener.  The past two seasons, I've started my tubers indoors, well ahead of the last frost date (around Mid-May here).  In 2024, I started them in early May.  There were only six tubers  to start.  How quaint.  Looks like I ended up with twelve total .  I planted them outdoors in June 2024 .   Last year, in 2025, I also planted them up starting indoors.  In early May .  By mid-May they were showing signs of growth .  I began to harden-the-off towards the end of May and (like 2024), planted them outside in the beginning of June .  Last year, I also pinched them all back to try to get bush-ier growth.   My plan for 2026 is to follow a similar trajectory, but I'm thinking I can start them even earlier.  Like mid-April.  The last frost date varies around here , but generally is between the middle and end of May....

It may not be super easy to tell in this photo below, but our Dawn Redwood tree has continued to grow.  And it is taking on a nice upright-ish form.  But, the apical meristem - the leader - is wandering.  It isn't straight up in the air, but rather...leaning back.  My thought here is that a potential 2026 project might be to try to pull the leader back into a more-upright position.  A rope, plus some sort of trunk/bark protection (like a piece of garden hose) pulled tight to a stake to help train it back to be more upright?  Or....should I prune this a bit more to clear out some competition?  Maybe both?

Back in early January, I wrote a post titled " An Early, Early Look at 2026 Projects and To-Do List " that included a look at a bunch of potential projects.   One of the items listed for the backyard was this: Replace Oakleaf Hydrangeas. Dang rabbits.  Maybe add a few Thujas , too.  I think I've arrived at a place where I have to do something about the Oakleaf Hydrangeas.  I have loved them - but the rabbit pressure has just about killed them the past few years.  Here's a post from January, too where I showed how the (dang!) rabbits had gnawed away at these shrubs .  I wrote this then, and still feel it today: I've protected some of them with chicken wire cages, but the small ones (dwarf) are just about eaten back to the trunks. And some of the Alice (larger ones) have been reduced, too. I *REALLY* like Oakleaf Hydrangeas. But, I don't know if our garden is going to work for them. Working AGAINST what works is something I need to stop doing as a gar...

Over the past couple of seasons, I've learned to 'know' (and plant) a pair of Korean Maple trees in our garden.  A Northern Glow in the Island Bed up front and an Arctic Jade in the backyard .  We also have a couple of Emperor 1 trees in the backyard (but...I'm pretty sure I lost the largest one this Winter.  It was ravaged by the Cicadas of 2024 and didn't seem to recover in 2025).   My success with the two Korean Maples has lead me to think about adding another one - and I wrote a 'getting to know' post about The Northwind Korean Maple from Iseli Nursery that is part of their Jack Frost Collection of cold-hardy trees.   But, as I was poking around in my Google Photos recently, I came across a cluster of photos of a different ornamental tree that I took at The Growing Place last year - on the same visit where I bought the Arctic Jade.  Those photos were for this Fernleaf Fullmoon Maple.  Acer japonicum 'Acontifolium'. This is - as the name...

In December, I p ut together my first (ever) evergreen wreath for our front door using a mix of evergreen boughs, magnolia leaves, boxwood and eucalyptus from Trader Joe's. I used an existing grapevine wreath and followed some videos I found that talked about creating 'piles' of material and then wrapping them around the frame with floral wire.  I liked the project and plan on doing it again later this year.   But, I also wanted to document how the wreath held-up during the season.  Below is a photo showing it still on our front door - three months after being installed.  I'd say it looks pretty good.   Next year, I'll be sure to collect/forage for some varied evergreens specifically for the wreath.  

A couple of days ago, I posted the details of the eight-pack of dahlia tubers that I picked up at Costco on a recent visit.  The tubers are from a source that I've purchased many tubers/bulbs from: Longfield Gardens.  And, this eight-pack featured four tubers of two different varieties.  I already posted about the four Rip City dahlias (they're informal decorative dahlias).  Today, I'm posting about the other four:  Saint Martin dahlias.   I mentioned that these were both new (to me) varieties, but I was drawn to their heights.  My preference is towards shorter varieties that don't have the same staking/support requirements of many other dahlias.  Below is a photo of the back of the package showing the Saint Martin stats.  Note the spacing (20") and height (30").   And, here below is the front of the package showing the Saint Martin having slightly smaller blooms that are two-toned in white and pink.   Besides the he...

See that bright patch in the photo below?  That's a patch of 'protected' Angelina Sedum that is in the same section of groundcover that I posted about yesterday .  I'm not sure where I picked up the tip, but I take some of our patio containers and tip them on their sides during winter.  In an attempt to keep them from cracking.  The container you can see peeking in the photo on the right side on the stair?  That's the one that I tipped into this bed all Winter.  That means that this bright green patch of groundcover was protected from the Winter temperatures (and snow and ice) all Winter.  Which kept the Summer-color of the Sedum all season long.    If you look at the front edge of this sedum, you'll see similar signs of rabbit damage like what I was seeing in the sedum up front last week . 

The sedum that is planted on either side of our back stoop takes on some oranges and browns during the winter months.  Here's a peek at it below.  Along with some Winter leaf litter.    This Sedum was a volunteer from one of our patio pots and I've transplanted pieces of it (now) on both sides of the stoop.  Here's a look at those beds cleaned up in April of 2025 .   I had some chipmunk problems in these beds over the years, but this Sedum covered up most of the access holes/entrances, so I've failed to solve it permanently.  

This weekend, we popped into Costco and to my surprise (delight?), they had their Longfield Gardens Spring bulbs (tubers) up front in the metal racks.  Amongst the peonies and ranunculus were a number of packages of Dahlia tubers.  I've posted about the tubers that I've already bought. Here's my Bonny Blooms order , which has seven total tubers.  Pairs of Crichton Honey, Peaches-n-cream and Brown Sugar and a single Bell's Palermo.  All of these are 'new to me'.  And, here is my second order from Longfield Gardens that has five more (new to me) varieties .  So, that's nine new varieties that I have to find homes for in the beds.  Seven + ten = 17 containers to pot-up in addition to what I stored over Winter in Saran Wrap. But, that didn't stop me from looking over the rack at Costco.  And, based on a couple of things, I ended up picking up this eight-pack of Tubers.  I'll post about each of the two varieties in separate posts. Here's the front...

I spent a little bit of time cleaning out a light fixture on our front porch only to discover this (sad) find;  a tiny bird skull.  Apparently, the guy flew into the fixture and either couldn't find his way out or decided this was his final resting place.  I never really thought about how a bird's beak is connected to their skull, but I found this interesting:

Bought during the early days of COVID in 2020 , this Big Box store tree has grown up and out over the years.  This tree sits in the far reaches of the backyard and is growing in front of the (never-quite-done-well) Lilacs.  The bend in the trunk is where (I think) the initial leader died back and a new one emerged.  Guessing that's when the nursery decided to pull this and stick it in a small container to sell at the Big Box store.   The upright nature of the tree (right now) may be due to the environment (growing inside of a pair of other trees) or it could be how these grow.  But, that part isn't what is most interesting to me.  My eye is drawn to the exfoliating bark on the lower part of the trunk.  I posted a photo of this trunk last Spring .  I'll get back out there this year to take some close-ups.  I first wrote about these trees on a trip to Paris in Luxembourg Gardens .  And wanted one after that visit.   To the r...

Planted all the way back in Fall of 2020 , we have a small Pagoda Dogwood (native) tree planted in the far back of the yard.  Sort-of in-between the Yew Hedge (in development), the lawn and the fire pit gravel area.  When I bought it, the tree was maybe 15" tall and had an all-green trunk .  Literally...all green.  Not even a pencil in caliper.   As I've learned to do (the hard way...by killing trees), I left this thing alone for the first few years.  I selectively pruned it the first time in its 3rd season ( June 2023 ) when I just 'shortened' the lower limbs, but left them still attached to the trunk.  Trying to get the tree to grow up and rally around its central leader.   The next year ( Summer 2024 ), I did the same thing, but went up a level.    Rinse and repeat in 2025 , too.   That's lead to an established tree with a central leader.  That now stands taller than me.   Below is a look at the fram...

One of the highlights of my gardening calendar is the annual Morton Arboretum Arbor Day Plant Sale that takes place at the end of every April.   I've attended each year for a number of years since 2020 and am planning on trying to get tickets again this Spring.  Last year, I posted this "Plant Sale Highlights" post that featured a number of plants/shrubs/trees that I didn't buy, but caught my eye .  As I begin to think about the 2026 gardening season, I came across that post and wanted to revisit a few of the plants that I saw and do a bit of an exploration as to whether they could fit this year.   The first one is Soft Serve Gold Chamaecyparis False Cypress.  The sign from the sale is below showing a $24.99 cost per evergreen shrub.   Proven Winners has this product page up with a description: Soft Serve® false cypress has long been one of our most popular evergreens, thanks to its neat, appealing shape and deer resistance - and now, i...

It may be February on the calendar, but it is still Amaryllis season in our kitchen.  The Flamed Amadeus Amaryllis is back in bloom in late February with two big blooms standing tall and proud.  You can see it below.  The last time I posted was in early February when the second stem was emerging from the bulb. It bloomed in early January after being planted in early November.   This is a nice treat for late February, but it makes me think about Christmas bloom-time.  I've often bought these with the idea of "Christmas Flowers", but increasingly these past years, they're mostly blooming *AFTER* Christmas each year.  That means...the dark reds are probably not worth focusing-on.  Instead...picking things like the Shine Dream that add a tropical feeling to the blooms is a better path.

I ran a test bar pie in the June Oven over the weekend.  I greased the BOTTOM of the pan (something I've begun to do) and the results were great.  500 degrees for 9 minutes.  A crispy, blistery-y bottom.  See below for a peek at the undercarriage of this 12" pan-baked bar pizza (aka Roller Rink pizza).   The 12" pan fit perfectly in the June Oven.  So, that's great news.   The one issue with greasing the bottom is that it leads to shrinkage.  I've been using a bead of Crisco around the bottom of the pan walls as a sort-of 'paste' to keep the dough pinned against the edges.  When I don't grease the bottom, the pizza doesn't shrink at all.  But, when I grease the bottom, the whole thing comes free from the walls and shrinks down a bit in all directions.  

Yesterday, I posted a photo showing some of the whips from one of our hydrangeas that I clipped-off and tossed on top of my compost bins.  I mentioned it was far too early to begin Spring clean-up in the yard, but I went ahead with the hydrangea cutting anyway.  It didn't take but a day for me to get back there and chop up the hydrangea stems into little segments (and the pannicle heads lop'd off) so they can begin the decomposition process.   Below is a photo showing the late-winter status of the three-bin compost setup.  The hydrangeas are now (mostly) in the left (storage) bin with some stems hanging around on the top of the middle (mixing) bin.   I last looked at these bins in early January and there's been VERY.LITTLE decomposition going on with the cold temperatures.  

Its too early.  Its too early.  Its too early.  For 'Spring cleanup'.  I know that.  You know that.  Everyone knows that.  Doesn't mean that the recent run of warmer weather didn't give me the itch to get out and do something.  I started by pruning a couple of trees.  Then, I started to get bothered by the dried out mopheads of the Vanilla Strawberry Panicle Hydrangea that is on the corner of our garage.  It needed to be cleaned up.   Here, below, is the result.  Tons of long whips with dried flower heads.  Currently stashed on the top of the middle compost bin.  Why there?  Because, I need to clip them down to little pieces and toss them into the left bin so they'll decompose a little bit better/faster/easier. Will this be the only thing I do before it is 'due'?  Not likely.