Viewing comments posted by Bonehead

A well-behaved juniper that does not seem to have that cat-urine smell to it. Lovely blue color, stays compact.

This is my earliest blooming shrub, from early January through end of February (Pacific Northwest, Zone 8). It blooms before it leafs out, and has no fragrance. It has a sprawly weepy type of growth, and will root wherever it contacts soil. I have it growing along a fence, which gives it some support. I always look forward to this early harbinger of spring.

English holly is a non-native plant in the Pacific Northwest that has escaped into the wild, but is not yet classified as invasive. It is currently a plant 'of concern' and is being monitored. I am finding several seedlings in the understory of a Douglas fir stand on our property, apparently planted by the birds. So far, I am allowing them to grow as they are a good visual screen barrier between us and the neighbors and will grow in deep shade. I will, however, pull those I may find in our field or back woods. Birds like the berries, and they provide nice plant material for the holiday season.

This is a very weak monkshood, unable to hold itself up without some sort of support. That's a deal-breaker in my garden.

This is a late blooming monkshood, usually one of the last flowers to bloom in my Pacific Northwest garden (October). It is both a tall and strong plant, able to hold itself up without any support. Attracts the last of the hummingbirds.

Native in the Pacific Northwest, found along roadsides and in meadows. The native form is a rather dullish white.

Native in the Pacific Northwest, found in the understory of coniferous forests, often hugging a larger tree. Vine maples are usually the first trees to turn color in the fall, and put on a vivid show against the evergreens. They spread by underground roots, making them a bit difficult to transplant. I have had some luck using a saw to cut through the side roots to lift a young sapling (moving from my own back woods). These trees are often used in restoration or mitigation plantings.

Pay close attention to the cultivar name - this is really a large plant.

Needles are 2-3" long, silvery blue-green with two white bands on the underside. Cones are 3-6" long, greenish-purple. Thrives in rich, well drained sandy loam, slightly acidic (pH 5.0-6.0). Native to the Rockies.

Native in the Pacific Northwest. A bit difficult to settle in from nursery starts, but once established it does well. The dried leaves will produce a violet-gray (mordant alum) or charcoal black (mordant iron) dye. Very delicate clusters of pinkish-white bell flowers. The common name is a palindrome - spelled the same forward and back.

I have had difficulty with this plant in the Pacific Northwest. It does not fill out well so tends to be weedy and then when all the weeds are pulled it is leggy. I've moved it three times to different exposures, and finally just yarded it out. It never became aggressive for me, which I have heard can be a problem for others. Pretty little groundcover if it will grow in your area.

Mildly sweet, slightly tart, thick walls. This tomato was not very productive for me (Pacific NW). I also have a difficult time determining when green skinned tomatoes are ripe, and they tend to get hidden in the foliage.

This is a very strong pungent form of wormwood, used in the making of absinthe. Absinthe spirits were banned in the U.S. and much of Europe in the early 1900s due to their reputedly addictive psychoactive properties. These properties were later found to be exaggerated. A traditional way to prepare absinthe is to place a sugar cube on a slotted spoon over a measure of absinthe, and to pour ice water over the sugar to your taste.

This is one of the more rangy forms of artemisia. Mine grew well over 6' tall in a loose vase form and would have liked about 6' diameter to sprawl. I didn't give it this much thought and it was crowded looking. It would be a very nice background statement in a larger bed, soft greyish leaves.

It did not over-winter for me. I tend to struggle with anything in the artemisia family, I think they like a more alkaline soil and I live in a pretty acidic region.

Listed as a noxious invasive in Washington, Colorado, and North Dakota, so plant responsibly.

Cut to side shoots after main cluster is done for re-bloom. Cut again to about 8" when it looks ratty. It may also be cut by half in early spring (at about 12") to produce more compact plants. Likes moist soil and may be grown in shade or sun, although it flowers better in sun and may lean toward the light in shadier locations. To prepare plants for winter, cut back to the ground after a killing frost.

Bright golden fern leaf foliage with yellow button daisies. This will spread out nicely if kept weeded. Repels insects.

Native in the Pacific Northwest from Alaska to California, east across Canada and northern U.S. to the Atlantic coast. Waxy white berries hold through winter, and contain low concentrations of saponin causing vomiting and dizziness. Potential medicinal uses: infusion of fruit used as eyewash; crushed berries rubbed on burns, rashes, and sores; decoction of roots and stems used as diuretic and for venereal diseases; tea of roots used to clear up afterbirth. This is an important native shrub providing shelter and food for birds and small mammals, browse for large mammals. The leaves are eaten by the sphinx moth larvae. This plant makes a great combination with sword ferns in the winter, with the berries suspended above the ferns.

Slow spreading clumping habit. May be used as a tonic or for diarrhea or pain.

I find that if I snip out about 2/3 of the flower stalks, I end up with a fuller plant and still plenty of bloom. I also cut old flowered stalks back to ground level as soon as they look ratty.

This shrub is known for its hauntingly sweet fragrance in early winter. For whatever reason, I cannot discern any fragrance whatsoever, and find it prone to bug infestation.

I find the blooms on this heuchera to be almost invisible, kind of a tannish white and really tiny. I just snip off the flower stalks as they emerge and end up with a fuller foliage plant.