Spring Promise - North Seattle, PNW Zone 8

ophoenix

7 years ago

Taken May 20, in my garden.

Golden Dragon - three years - longest branch almost 9 ft.

Plum Passion - 5x6 ft. Full sun most of day.

Climber on fence - starting blooming 4th year in garden. Bought at nursery and was already about 4 ft. tall. Now at least 15 ft.

Looks like Blue Deckle but tag was lost. Only 3x3 ft. Autumn leaf color is bright red.

same plant as above - flowers look like blue birds hovering.

Nikko Blue just starting to show color.

Fragrant Splash. Rare, not too big with heavenly fragrance. Random white stripes on foliage. Blossom is about the size of a quarter. My other is more a ground cover than bush.

unnamed - we call it Anita Hill after Anita Hill! lol New cutting - from last fall has four blossoms bigger than the little plant. Original cutting was about 8 inches long. Stuff on petals is dirt - splashed from hose.

Ayesha - blue and violet in our soil. Bush is 5x8 ft - at least. Got a little out of control! lol But, should be really beautiful in full bloom - will repeat photos.

Lady in Red. Old fashioned but one of the standouts. The blossoms change from green to white and red and then to deep maroon as they age. The leaves darken as summer progresses and then are a dark red in the fall.

Looks like I reached the max photos. Have some others and will post in a few days.

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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

7 years ago

Hey friend :-) My new babies are doing well......thanx for them! But it will be a long while before mine start to look as robust as yours!! btw, that's 'Golden Crane' (not Dragon :-))

Just an aside, in addition to being a very accomplished gardener and a mad propagator of hydrangeas, Shirley is a highly talented photographer with several shows and other photographic exhibits to her credit. I am lucky enough to own a couple myself. And boy, can she cook!!

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Comments (9)

ophoenix
Original Author
7 years ago
Anita Hill is Arlen Hill's mom, owner of Keeping it Green Nursery in Stanwood WA. She was minding the store when we visited and gave me a piece of the hydrangea that I admired. Fabulous demonstration garden and very different plants for sale.
luis_pr
7 years ago
Wonderful pictures, Shirley! And you solved the mystery of Anita Hill! Say, when does B Deckle start blooming for you?
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October_Gardens
7 years ago
Ahh! I'm so retiring to the PNW! Am willing to drive a semi loaded with plants. Here they're barely reaching a foot plus after last month's slaughtering.

Nice closeup photography. :)
ophoenix thanked October_Gardens
User
7 years ago
Aren't the Hydrangeas blooming early? Or is it just our PNW weather?
ophoenix thanked User
luis_pr
7 years ago
This year I had leaf out in February; that has never happened before. Oakleaf hydrangeas bloomed in late March to early April. Never happened that early either. Followed by mopheads and lacecaps, including Shirley's cuttings. Early blooming paniculatas have been in the broccoli phase for a week or so. There is one tiny open sepal so it Little Quickfire got to say it bloomed in May but it almost did not make it in May; it also bloomed way too early.

The strong El Nino is the culprit for the mild winter down here. In January, about half of my roses were blooming, my azaleas were also blooming; quince and camellias were blooming too but these sometimes bloom from Jan-March depending on the winter we are having.

Just enjoy the show. Not much we can do to control it although I am sure it would make me follow the weatherman closely if I lived in the northern half of the country and had chances of late frosts that might zap the leaf out or blooms or even the old wood itself.
ophoenix thanked luis_pr
ophoenix
Original Author
7 years ago
Blue Deckle is showing some color. Golden Crane (got it right this time lol) is glorious and sent is lovely. I don't watch the calendar - for blooming time - just let them do their thing. Catkin where are you in the PNW? Did any one know that fossils of Hydrangea leaves have been found in the PNW?
ophoenix
Original Author
7 years ago
Here is the link https://www.academia.edu/22108082/Hydrangea_Fossils_from_the_Early_Tertiary_Chuckanut_Formation
NHBabs z4b-5a NH
7 years ago
I particularly like the petal formation on Golden Crane and Blue Deckle. Thanks for sharing!
ophoenix thanked NHBabs z4b-5a NH

Spring Promise - North Seattle, PNW Zone 8

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

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Spring Promise - North Seattle, PNW Zone 8

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

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