Thanks Lynn and Paddy!

Is that an Aeonium scarecrow I see, or are my eyes still crossing? Really love the planting beds

Bev, love the way you placed the rocks in those beds!

Good eyes Marilyn, it is an Aeonium, several branches that I lopped off a mother plant to start another "stand" of them.

Julia, the flat rocks were lying around the back when I purchased the house and I strategically placed them so that I could step from rock to rock to weed, clean leaf debris and prune plants without having to, especially now, put my feet into the soil. I just hope my agility holds up from here on out.

Bev, I love your beds and the cobalt bottles are nice! Lynn the chocolate seedling is nice!!

Thanks, Patty...the sake that were in the bottles were real nice too!

Looks great ya'll!! Paddy best to you in your semp endeavor!! Keeping them covered when its raining is a good idea!
@goldfinch4 I remember when you had such a huge plant loss - They do come back, or we fill the space with something else (as others on here have said!!) its been raining again here all day, so I'm resigned to the fact that many of my semps will be finished...maybe I'll grow lavender or some herbs in that bed for next year, they won't mind the moisture

Yes Greg, that one year was really a bummer. I have since re-done most of my beds and added more chicken grit to the soil. But the problem isn't always drainage related. All my empty spots are filled back in again - with more semps! Like everyone says, this may just be a way to cull out the weaklings.

Bev,

Congratulations on your new beds. LOTS OF ROOM FOR NEW ONES!!

Just outside to plant my pemstemon seed and did a brief check of the yard. Things look pretty good in general other than a couple places where squirrels or chipmunks were digging in an area where the bird netting had blown off during the wind storm. Didn't realize what damage these critters did!

The semps that have lots of tectorum and the heuffs all seem to be the least affected by the winter and the ciliosums and velvets the most unhappy. The one exception is 'Lipstick' that looks just fine. It is from 'Silverine' so has tectotrum and wulfenii in the background too. Maybe that's all it needs. Patty Drown's 'Tamerlane' is a similar sort of cross and is not affected either.

One thing I have found here is that the semps need to go through a period in the fall when the water is cut back and no fertilizer is applied. If they go into the winter in lush growth, they are DOOMED. Plants grown more hard survive just fine.

Kevin

Great information Kevin.

Ok more Tuff Love in the Fall it is!
Thanks for sharing all this info with us Kevin!

I know it makes me feel better knowing I will have the opportunity to try some new varieties that accept the PNW rainy season.

Oh no! I added slow release fertilizer to the semps I planted in Oct from Lynn

Hopefully they will be okay Patty.

Kevin (and all) I did notice that the semps that had been not looking so great are coming along, and now look better than the ones that came into autumn looking amazing - so I totally agree with you. One thing I could have done but didn't is remove the brown leaves before it began being so soggy outside...but I do feel like I'll be happily surprised at what comes back!

Yup, they're tough little plants Greg! Glad to hear you're seeing some positive indications of survival!

Good news today .
My four babies that I thought were killed by the Vine Weevil grubs have put out new roots . I had cleaned them off thoroughly and replanted in a pot about three weeks ago .

Congrats on saving your babies!!

all good news today!!!

Yes pulling away the mushy dead leaves is a good plan now Greg. They are already gone and just cause problems. However, don't pull anything that disrupts the plant itself. Generally leaves that are meant to come off pull EASILY!

We're facing a 5" rain this weekend. We already had a major rock slide just up the road from the last bout of rain. Luckily my property has a less "rock-slide-prone" slope!

Kevin