Spanish Lavender (Lavandula stoechas)

I love Spanish Lavender (lavandula stoechas).  It looks like little bees or as one customer came describing the flowers looking like candy wrappers.  When they are blooming people just love them , they really stand out in the garden. They also press nicely for pressed flower designing.  They can be a little finicky in our wet climate but I have them in the garden in a well drained area under an evergreen tree where it's pretty dry and seems to like it there.

 

Clematis montana to cover a chain link fence

A favorite clematis to cover a chain link fence that are so ugly.  This one is clematis montana pale pink and it's a fast grower and makes a thick cover, so pretty when it blooms.  They press pretty too!

Fly Agaric Mushroom

I have a new Amanita muscaria or commonly called Fly Agaric mushroom photo.  This one is much better, what a find.  The first time I have ever seen these was last Thanksgiving when we visited family in Oregon. I already have one posted on this blog but the one we found last year was a little mangled and old so I went this year hoping for a perfect one.   Wow, these are exactly as I imagined what I wanted, a little group of three of different sizes, how lucky is that?  This is the only group we saw on our walk, not so easy to find, I was so excited when I saw these.  Actually my husband spotted them in a fenced in field and luckily these were only a foot from the wire fence so I could get some good pics.  I always thought these were a fantasy cartoonish thing, I never knew they were a real mushroom. A perfect red and white spotted group, really a fun find!

Fatsia or Japanese Arailia Northside shade plant

This is Fatsia or Japanese Arailia and it's on my front porch on the north side of the house in shade which gets an hour or two of light in the morning but that's it.   It does beautifully in our pacific northwest.  I pull it closer to the house if we get some 25 degree temps. I had some die back last winter but it comes back beautifully.  It even bloomed this year. A great plant for the north side.

Spring Garden plant combinations

Great garden combo a happy accident. I love exbury azaleas because they are so shockingly electric. The Darts Gold in the background really sets of the azalea. I love the little dainty blue veronica deltoides in the foreground and the pink pom poms of the polygonun bisorta.  Oh and not to forget the Forget me Nots just down in front of the orange azalea, my first favorite flower as a child, they are the sweetest little flower.

 

I have decided to catch up on last springs blogging and photos because when it's spring I have no time to blog.  I'm too busy gardening, working at our local nursery and my art business on Etsy.