Look Out Plant Nerd Coming Through

Spring weather brings the best out in us ..... or is it the beast? Saturday we planned a trip just south of Portland meeting up with friends and attending a fund raiser sponsored by Rite-Aid.  It is a gardeners dream with every plant imaginable for very decent prices.  There are also vendor booths set up but prices are a little higher, if you are a plant nerd as myself you pretty much know what a good price is.  So like a crazed beast I hurtled up and down rows of plants loading up my cart.



For $10.00 each my first purchase being two "Bloodgood" Japanese Maples in 2 gallon pots which sell at local nurseries for $69.99 each.

5 gallon size Holly for $5.00
Ilex x meserveae 'Blue Girl'



A MeMa favorite, Pincushion Plant or  'Scabiosa columbaria' "Butterfly Blue"

We also purchased strawberry plants and some more Dahlia tubers.  Then as though that was not enough fun we jumped into the car and headed into the local farm land and stopped at a nursery that specialised in native orchids and other unusual plants.

'Poncirus trifoliata' Japanese Bitter Orange
MeMa loved this plant with its lovely green twisted branches armed with large green thorns, it has white flowers and when mature will put forth inedible orange fruit.  It is a great addition to the line of pots next to the pond.

As if I needed another orchid, but this one is a native to the Northwest so I had to have it
'Epipactis gigantean' also known as "Stream Orchid" as it grows in bog or damp areas.

Easter Come and Gone in a Big Whoosh

This post is late, I have had nothing but problems with posting  of late.
What is going on Blogger?

Ah......back to work to relax! Hope you all had a marvelous Easter,  it is a great time to be with family and friends.  MeMa did all the planning and the meal which included a spiral ham.  There was a neighborhood Easter egg hunt planned but we opted out of that because of the rain and the fact that the Little Terrorists #1 and #2 had both just recovered from bad colds.  So MeMa hid candy filled eggs in the house for the two grand kids.



Taeya and Brooklyn off to a great start

Brooklyn Danhart Chambers
Egg gathering all done



My beautiful mother enjoying the festivities

 

MeMa enjoying her Mimosa and my father on his phone with my twin brother in Arizona

Fresh from the greenhouse
Orchid #4
Epidendron 'Joseph Lii'











Dribbling Along With Spring

Mt. Fuji Cherry in full bloom, with the cold late spring the Candy Tuft at its base is blooming at the same time.




 

Yellow tulips in bloom with grape hyacinth

Tulip "Day Dream"






Wisteria sinensis "Cooke's Special" is usually blooming two weeks from now but not this year.





Tulip "Day Dream", this planting still sleeping

 



Monkey Puzzle Tree
Araucaria arckana





Bloodroot
Sanguinaria. canadensis forma multiplex



Added the large cobalt blue pot (on left) to the pond border

Historical Endeavour

First of all I would like to thank Matron from Down on the Allotment for her kindness in sharing her heirloom seeds with the blogging world and her help in seeing that these cherished seeds do not disappear from our gardens. I will document my progress with "Mrs Fortunes" climbing beans as she requested.

The Benefit of an Obedient Dog

In a busy home such as Menagerie Manor life revolves around a certain amount of precision and a lot of cooperation from its tenants, human and mostly animal.  Although  its name makes one think of a large country home it is far from that.  Just an over-sized American bungalow with a lot of very happy and healthy animals all getting along and often obediently waiting until time is appropriate. We have a very great love for dogs and have always had multiple canine family members.  Since my youth I have admired the great dog trainers of the world and feel a great ownership in the ability to properly train dogs or train the owner which ever way you look at it.  Living in a large city having a well trained dog is a must not only for the owners well being but for the dogs safety.  So imagine my frustration this morning when the front door was opened for my departure to the office, satchel over shoulder, lunch in one hand and coffee cup in the other and out dashes Bentley.  In my earlier post I said the "Crazy Cat Lady" was off to the Islands for some sun while we dog-sat Bentley her Corgi which is our Miss Betty's  bratty little brother.  They are both nine years old, Miss Betty being the gentlest of souls and her brother, thanks to an owner that should have just stuck to cats is the rudest dog in our midst.  He quickly ran from the porch to lord knows where and myself in hot pursuit in the pouring rain.
I thought I glimpsed his tailless rear end go under the porch (it's on the honey-do list) but could not be certain he didn't run down the block, so I stepped towards the street so that I could get a better view of the neighborhood as we have a very busy four lane road a block from our house.  MeMa, in nightclothes ran back inside re-emerging  with a dog biscuit and with some calling from the both of us he soon reappeared from under the porch, but by this time I was soaked and my coffee cold, I mumbled "stupid dog" under my breath and got into my car.  But on the drive to work I thought better of my statement and said "stupid owner".  So I put this out there to all dog owners, there is no need to have a dog behave like this as there are so many options and surprisingly some that are free through organizations especially in large cities as our own.  The amount of training is up to the owner needs and desires.  But all dogs should be able to come when called, to sit and to stay.  These are very basic and very helpful tools for dog owners everywhere.




Every year the Crazy Cat Lady (on the right) has a Corgi garden party, you will notice that all canine are being held onto by their owners because none are trained in the slightest  except for Miss Betty accompanied by the lovely MeMa (in red).