2020 in the Garden
The dogwood in the Fountain Bed started the year with more an autumnal feel than a wintry one. Last winter's coppicing produced a more shapely shrub this year. That certainly shows as the shrub thins.
While the yellows and oranges mostly show from a distance, there are plenty of pinks and reds close up.
Lots of bloom on the manzanitas (the familiar 'Howard McMinn'). Better this year than in the past. Time and adding the third manzanita have really helped this corner. It's all slowly filling in. The empty umbrella stand isn't exactly an asset though.
In front, this little edge by the front walk is doing nicely with Stachys, Bergenia, Iris, and Helleborus. Just a little thin. I'm hoping the hellebores, in particular, will expand with time.
While much of the garden is still early in the process of "turning on", the native beach strawberries in the Maple Bed have popped into full bloom. There are a few in the Shrub Bed too. None elsewhere yet.
One of the Cynoglossum grande plants (western hound's tongue) has popped into bloom. This is one near the oak. The one near the path is up but smaller and flowerless. (None of the flowers ended up setting fruit.)
The first Douglas Iris, in the Maple Bed, are in bloom too.
The red flowering currant is out in back. Maybe a little lighter bloom this year than in the past, although we are by no means without. I did a fair amount of pruning to improve the shrub's shape last year it's still a bit more compact than usual.
The Oregon grape in also coming into bloom in the far back. Kind of a shy bloomer. On the other hand, flower clusters dribbled out for months, a few at a time..
The Rose Bed. Back to the exotics. The west side is an especially odd mix right now. The New Hampshire geraniums all out (and have had flowers since January). The Geums coming. The roses have begun to leaf out but are still thin. And many other things just beginning to push out their green shoots. It doesn't work as a composition yet. Let's see what April brings.
A different angle of the west side of the Rose Bed, giving a nice view of how far along the plants are at this time of year.
Bluebells in front.
Let's jump a little out of time sequence for a view of the front a few weeks on. Foliage continues to come out on the perennials and the 'Crimson King' Iris are making, for them, a late show.
'Crimson King' Iris up close. As bearded iris go, they are not great, but they generous repeat bloomers and they certain are an old-neighborhood heirloom variety.
Bluebells and Geranium 'New Hampshire' in the Rose Bed. Roses to the sides, and a columbine at the lower right.
The strawberries are blooming in the Fountain Bed now.
The Howard McMinn manzanitas have set more fruit this year than in the past.
Bluebells (non-native) and California fescue (native) in the far back. Whatever problems the shrubs have been having back here, the bulbs and grasses are doing just fine.
Heuchera maxima (Island coral bells), along the path next to the garage.
Over to the patio area, the ever-amusing bloom of Asarum caudatum (wild ginger).
Maianthemum stellatum (starry false solomon's-seal). This first-year plant in the Fountain Bed is doing real well ... maybe a little too much so. It's reported to "spread readily" in gardens.
Aquilegia formosa (as sold) or A. shockleyi (maybe) in the Fountain Bed. The two add-on columbines over here are the to bloom this year, but the plants are shorter thanthe others. Spiders seem to like them too.
The seep monkeyflowers (Erathranth guttata) -- and the columbines, and the fringe cups, and the ferns, and and and -- in context.
The usual wonderful April exuberance in back: the view straight back over the Maple Bed to the path and SW corner. Lots of green plus purple Douglas iris, orange bush monkeyflowers, white Channel Island coral bells, and pink 'Rosada' coral bells.
Snapdragons and Mexican orange in the Rose Bed.