July 2015

This lovely willow from Northern Japan is Salix miyabeana. This image is one of several that are appearing at studio e gallery in Georgetown, south of downtown Seattle. My collection of willows has burgeoned to over 60 different types this year. As I slow down my collecting, only 5 new willows came into the property this year, I looked for the more beautiful and the more peculiar among the members of this very large genus of woody plants.

The show closes July 27 so march on down to studio e, you’ll never think of willows the same way again.

I bought this Showy Milkweed ( Aesclapias speciosa) from Annie’s Annuals about 5 years ago for a clients garden. It sulked, for years. I actually thought of pulling git out on several occasions, but out of laziness left it ( after all it was rather innocuous) . This year for whatever reason it went absolutely crazy, sending up shoots in a circle nearly 5 feet wide.

And those shoots bloomed!

You can see why they call it “Showy Milkweed”