Recent Activity - Plant Opinions

Harvested for the flora trade this is a native woodland plant that is just coming into popularity as a naturalized garden plant. It can vary greatly in size depending on the environment in which it is growing (1 foot to 10 feet). Berries were eaten by Native Americans, and are actually much like a mild flavored blue berry. When ripe the berries are blue/black in color.

Golden Bamboo is edible when shoots are young and small in spring. The mature canes are excellent for use in the garden.

It is a semi-running variety of bamboo, but is easily kept in check if heavy traffic or you keep the area around it mowed regularly. Have had mine as a hedge for 26 years and has only spread into the neighbors yard the last 3 years (they haven't mowed). I do not water it. If you did it might be more prone to running. Incredibly energy/labor intensive if you let it escape. It will make new clumps. Is very drought tolerant once established in my region.

All golden bamboo will flower, go to seed and then die in a region at the same time. The starts from this plant were taken from plants prior to the flowering. I spent the summer picking the flowers to keep it from going to seed and dieing. I watched all the other golden bamboo die in town, some hedges bigger than my current bamboo hedge. I was once told that this happens every 20 years, but haven't been able to confirm. Just an interesting side-note.

Gaultheria ovatifolia is native to the Pacific Northwest (found from northern California to British Columbia). Smaller in scale than the G. procumbens. Leaves 3/4-1 inch and fruit 1/4 inch. The fruit is edible.

The white blooming oregano is thought to be more fragrant than the purple blooming variety when used as a spice .

Rosemary comes in different varieties that can be either upright (easily made into topiaries) or drooping/hanging for baskets.

Friends with deer problems keep it planted around the base of their fruit trees and it has been successful in keeping the deer from decimating the trees.

Great plant for between pavers/rocks/stepping stones in sunny locations. In early spring/summer multiplies easily from cuttings, or seeds. The small silver/gray foliage is slightly fuzzy and lays very close to the ground. Will die out if there is not adequate sun.

Broad large leaves can add interest to cottage/flower beds. Harvest outside roots for condiments or for propagation. Once established difficult to hurt. Hardy is most areas.

This is a near-evergreen perennial that sprouts as soon as the snow's gone and just keep going until the snow covers it again. Can live on virtually nothing, spreads like wildfire but is very easy to remove from where it's unwanted.

It has ostentatious lobster claw-shaped inflorescence that are golden yellow with a green hue consisting of 5 to 12 bracts.