Welcome to Spring!

It has been a long and variable winter with early, record rains in the Portland area followed by a long cold spell. Late January and early February were mild with rains increasing later in February. After all of these vagueries, it is always an adventure to go out into the gardens and see what has survived unscathed as we do our winter cleanup.

One plant that has amazed us is Prostanthera rotundifolia, an Australian shrub that has officially gone through two difficult winters and looks untouched by the cold temperatures. Nearby, Buddleia loricata from Northern Africa is showing no sign of foliar damage. In this section of the garden, only Correa pulchella had its bloom cut short by the chill but is alive and leafing out at its base.

We are looking forward to the sudden bloom of Magnolia "Ann." Her pink flowers show off very intensely against the chartreuse floral heads of Euphorbia characias var. wufenii. That pink theme is carried through the garden, especially in the Ribes (above). Very shortly we will notice early hummingbirds working their dangling chains of flowers. The Pulmonarias are already starting their seasonal display with showy flower spikes rising as their new, often silver-mottled foliage develops.

There are other treasures already in bloom or about to bloom. Iris unguicularis (above) from Northern Africa has kindly sent out a flower or two all winter, but only now is putting on a show. The purple, red and white Pulsatilla vulgaris (at right) are developing their woolly buds. And, of course, our many color forms of Helleborus x hybridus are painting every part of the garden with their pink, purple, cream and yellow flowers. There are also many selections of Helleborus foetidus and H. argutifolius which have very vibrant pale green flowers.

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