GardenTrip

Or did my memory do a major nosedive? I'll explain:

Below is the perfectly good, expected even, result of planting a rhizome in spring. Helenium "Moorheim Beauty" gradually emerged from the ground and commenced blooming with dusky red flowers that turn a little golden as they age.
The blooms remind me of echinacea with their recurved petals, and I'm happy with the warm color. They're another in the GardenTrip's theme of simple, flat flowers.



But what IS this growing so apparently legitimately right next to it?

The leaves on this bruiser are about fourteen inches long, and they have the most fascinating small hooks set into the upper surface.



I've been waiting for some sign of a flower spike or stem, but nothing new is showing after months of growth.

I keep thinking this must be something I planted as a bulb or rhizome early this spring and have just blanked on. So far, it's not giving me any clues, just more small, hooked leaves. Since I moved a few things around in that bed, I could even have accidentally moved it myself.

It's pretty interesting, and so healthy I hope it isn't some major garden marauder weed. For now, I'm willing to give it some space, and see what develops.

Of course, if you recognize it, do let me know.

Each year about this time, the East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District has a big sale of native plants. You pre-order through their web site in January, then pick up and pay for the plants about five or six weeks later. It's a great way to get reasonably-priced trees, shrubs, perennials and ferns for your garden.

The GardenTrip picked up her modest selections yesterday: here they are, along with the helenium and trillium she got at the Seattle Garden Show.
She got five Oregon iris, (iris tenax) and three oxalis oregana. The EMSWCD plants had been nicely packed in plastic bags with moist sawdust.

The iris were bare root, and the oxalis were rhizomes.

Although the Mulchmaid only ordered five iris, she got twice as many! She was told they put two plants in each packet, in case one of them fails to grow.

It's important to plant the roots and rhizomes quickly so they don't dry out. Luckily, today was a perfect day for working in the garden.

This picture of iris tenax is from the Pacific Bulb Society.

The irises are ready to grow and are already putting out fresh new leaves.

The oxalis were long rhizomes, with only one leaf among all of them.


The trillium got planted under a cedar tree. The Mulchmaid hopes it will grow: there was no sign of life.



These were both Great Plant Picks. That's a program by the Elizabeth Miller Botanical Garden to promote outstanding choices in plants for maritime Pacific Northwest gardens.

The helenium had already started to sprout in its bag. It was good to get it into the ground today, and a great day to be out in the garden.