Through The Seasons: Red-Flowering Currant, Ribes sanguineum

November 27, 2011 at 12:54 am (Bird feeding, Bulbs, companion plantings, drought tolerant plants, Feeding, Hummingbird plants, Hummingbirds, northwest native plants, Plant Combinations, Plants, Shrubs, Spring-Blooming bulbs, Spring-Blooming shrubs, weather)
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The red-flowering currant, a Northwest-native plant and hummingbird favorite with the Latin name of Ribes sanguineum, not sure of the particular variety but could likely be the commonly sold ‘King Edward VII’, through the seasons at Minerva’s Garden in photos:

Ribes sanguineum, Red-Flowering Currant, in my garden blooming in April, along with hyacinth and narcisus

After the flowers on the red-flowering currant are done, the leaves on the shrub turn green, and it looks pretty unremarkable for the summer.  But this is what happens in the fall:

Red-flowering currant foliage, end of November

Pretty remarkable change, making it a great plant selection for the garden, because it gives two wonderful seasons of interest, and doesn’t require any special watering or fertilizing once it is established. 

 Hope you had a great Thanksgiving–we had company over and had a great time.  Still eating leftovers, which actually I like.  It was sunny today, but we just went through two weeks straight of rain.  Welcome to the Pacific Northwest.  I’ve left the autumn decor up in the house, and will probably switch it out next weekend for the winter holidays.
 
Leave a comment–what’s new in your garden?

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Through The Seasons: Chinese Witch Hazel ‘Arnold Promise’

November 15, 2011 at 9:10 am (Fall-Flowering plants, Shrubs, Winter-blooming shrubs)
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Just a photo journey of one great shrub, Chinese Witch Hazel ‘Arnold Promise’:

'Arnold Promise' in bloom in the winter

The  spider-webby flowers are beautiful, especially against the grey stonework  and grey sky of the Pacific Northwest in the wintertime, but here is what it looks like in the autumn:

'Arnold' in October

Go;den foliage of "Arnold Promise' Chinese witch hazel in November

We have had rain, so it has dropped some leaves, but what a beautiful plant.

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Pot Up Some Paperwhite Bulbs Today

November 7, 2011 at 9:25 pm (Botanical decorations, Bulbs, Container Gardening, Winter-Blooming bulbs, Winter-Flowering plants)
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Paperwhite bulbs starting to bloom

Today, November 7th, is the best day to pot up paperwhite bulbs if you’d like them in bloom for the winter holidays.  So easy–put potting soil in virtually any container that is at least one-gallon size deep and wider is better, plant the bulbs so they are completely covered with soil, water it in, and put it in the garage.  You want it to be somewhere where it won’t freeze but will be below 50 degrees, and where it is dark–you can cover the container with newspaper, and that works well.  Then wait.  By December, there will be green shoots coming up out of the soil.  When they are about two to three inches tall, you can bring the pot up, water it and place it in front of a bright window–I put mine in the dining room on the south side of the house, and it gets good light here.  They should be blooming near the end of the month, and will bloom into January (and who doesn’t need some fresh blooming flowers in January?)  These are annuals for me, so I usually just compost them when they finish blooming.  I’ve tried planting these outside to get them to rebloom outdoors next year, but they never really do much, even with fertilizer–they kind of give their all the first year and that’s about it, at least that has been my experience with them. 

Give it a try–it’s super easy and worth it!  Leave me a comment and let me know if you’re growing some paperwhites this year, and how you like to use them around the house in the winter season.

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