Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Gone Whacko...

Well, this week I finally decided to whack back all of the plants in front of the house. The Esperanza and Pride of Barbados were looking pretty sad. I also cut back the Miscanthus and did a major whack job on the Coral Vine - which pretty much covered our entire fence. I know cutting things back is an important first-step in preparing for spring but it sure changes the look of things - and not for the better.

Our courtyard garden is still hanging in there - so I'm delaying a whack-back there until things warm up a bit. However,  I know I'll need to do some serious work on the Cannas. They've spread beyond their boundary and a few clumps need to be removed. Actually the entire area needs to be re-worked. I like to say - "we have more of a plant collection than a landscape. Sometimes things look good together. Sometimes - not so much." I'll wait until everything gets growing before I decide what stays and what goes.

The jury is still out on our Baby Queen Palm. After losing 2 Foxtails in back-to-back freezes, I decided to give the Baby Queen a shot. It was very pricey and the growth rate and shape haven't exactly blown me away. But it seems to be getting better established, so I guess we'll see what happens this spring.

Among all our plants, at various stages of growth, the one that stands out right now is the Giant Ligularia. We got it a few years back at one of the Master Gardener plant sales. The flowers aren't very showy but the plant is tough and it survived the winters of 2009 and 10. I'd definitely plant more if I could find it.

This is a strange time for gardening here. Wondering if we'll get any more cold weather. Trying to guess when spring will actually kick off. I'm trying to remain patient but these warm temps make me want to get-gardening.