A Spring Walk

Each year in February, Les at A Tidewater Gardener  challenges bloggers to a Winter Walk-Off.  I had so much fun taking a walk in my neighborhood and posting about it here that I decided to walk in a different direction from my house and take pictures of some of the fun houses in the neighborhood.

 

There is a nice variety of  styles of  older homes in this part of town. 

I'm not an absolute purist or anything but I think the house on the left, once a mirror image of the one on the right, now looks quite odd. 

Much as I love modern homes, why would one buy an historic home in an area of historic homes and do this to it?  Don't get me wrong, the look is fabulous, the plant choices, perfect for the style and color of the house and the jut out glass seating area on the right divine.  Why not just build a new house?

Mediterranean influences

I'm particularly fond of this Queen Anne Victorian with an interior as stunningly restored as the exterior.

 

 

This is the same house from the side.  I cut the old wavy glass for the upper true divided lights and did some puttying of the stained glass that was restored at the shop where I work. 

If you are a moviegoer,  does this house look familliar to you?

Here's another clue...

It's the house and greenhouse used in the 1992  movie "The Hand that Rocks the Cradle."

 

Lastly, here's the Rust house, one of Tacoma's grandest homes. It was built of Wilkeson Sandstone, has a green glazed terra cotta roof and was designed to resemble the  John A. McCall Mansion in Monmouth County, New Jersy.

 

 

 

 

I've quite a few more images from this warm spring walk but I'll save some for another post when we can once again walk  the cobblestone streets of Tacoma together.

May 2013 Foliage Follow Up - Mostly Maples

There was a time when I didn't particularly care for  Acer palmatum, partly due to my ignorance of the plants and partly because, for a time,  every landscape in every new development had the same plants in the same beauty bark covered beds:  sword ferns, rhododendrons, some juniper tams and the exact same weeping burgundy lace leaf acer palmatum.  There's nothing wrong with any of these plants (well, juniper tams...) but familiarity breeds contempt. Since moving here 25 years ago, I've learned about the amazing variety and beauty of the Japanese Maples and now can't imagine being without them.  

 

I didn't set out to take pictures of maples for this post but when looking at my pictures, there seemed to be mostly maples so here you go. 

  

Acer palmatum 'Shishio Improved'  puts on quite a spring show with these bright pink leaves.  Gradually becoming a rich green by the middle of summer, the foliage puts on a second show in the autumn.  What's not to love?

 

While Japanese maples make stunning specimen trees, they can also play well with others.  Here Ribes sanguineum 'Brocklebankii' NOID A.palmatum, and Podophyllum delavayi make a handsome trio.

 

 

 

Arisaema kishidae 'Jack Frost'

Variegated Lily of the Valley. 

Acer palmatum 'Gwen's Rose Delight'  marketed as 'Shirazz'

Acer pseudoplatanus 'Esk Sunset'  is pretty from the top.

And also from beneath.

This potted Podophyllum delavayi is enjoying it's new and larger pot.  However, there are still lots of leaves crowded around.

It would probably be a good idea to divide this next winter but I fear that it will pout about it and it's one of my favorite children. 

Acer palmatum 'Ukigumo'  AKA 'Floating Clouds' will grow in semi shade which is fortunaate because tit sure brightens up a dark corner beautifully!

Foliage Follow-Up is hosted by Pam Penick, garden designer, blogger, wife, mother, all around great person and the author of this fabulous book which you should buy this instant if you haven't already!   Unless you're in love with your riding mower, fertilizer regimen, annual dig the sprinkler heads out of the mud ritual, and high water bill. 

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day May 2013

It's already the middle of May and as she does on the fifteenth of each month, Carol at May Dreams Gardens is hosting Garden Blogger's Bloom Day. Be sure to click on over to her site to check out what's blooming in gardens all over the world!  Here is some of what's blooming in my corner of the planet this month.

I've forgotten the name of this rhododendron.  I got it because the foliage was so large and interesting.  It wasn't until it had been in my garden for a few years that I saw it bloom.  The individual flowers are about four inches across so you can see that the trusses are huge.  It really brightens up a dark are of my shade garden in May.

 Another NOID rhododendron that I planted years ago.  It's really that vibrant.

Another rhododendron that I got for the cool foliage.  The label said "A rhododendron for people who don't like rhododendrons."  The blooms are pretty sweet!

Meconopsis cambrica or Welch Poppy

Crinodendron hookerianum is just starting to bloom.  Many more buds promise many more blooms to come!

 Corokia cotoneaster looking cheery.

 The first tuberous begonia flower of the season.  Let the intense color show begin!

Some early clematis.

Much more well behaved than the Clematis montana rubens that's trying to take over the planet or at least my side fence and an Acer palmatum.

 Yup, this one's huge.

First rose of the season this year was 'Joseph's Coat' quickly followed by Rosa rugosa 'Yankee Lady'

And Don Juan.

First hardy fuchsias this season are these cute little pale pink and whie ones with long stamens.  These diminutive ballerinas of  spring will dance until December.

The Paulownia tomentosas in the side parking strip are in bloom.  There's another to the left of this one but it's difficult to get them both in one picture. 

Looking especially nice with the sun shining on them!

Lonicera all ready for the humming birds!

Scilla peruviana

One of the last of the spring magnolias.

Happy Bloom Day everyone!