Front Yard – Spring Update

Remember back in the fall when I was busy cutting and dividing perennials for the front garden? The new little plants held on through the winter – mostly cuttings of lamb’s ear, artichoke, sage, euphorbia, and irises. It was a slow start in February, with just a few spots of green emerging from the mulch.

front-february — Front garden, February 2013

April rolled around and things started to take off. Colors turned from blue-greens to bright chartreuse-greens, thanks to the Euphorbia. Even in the April photo, the new transplants haven’t really started to bush out yet.

With May rolling in, the new plants are finally putting on new growth. You can see the grey-green Lamb’s Ear is getting taller. It’s hard to see, but the sage plants are filling in open areas with strong green foliage and small purple flowers.

I am trying to focus the palette in the front yard to show off plant textures and foliage colors – lots of grey-green, purple-green, and spring-greens. I am repeating purple flowers throughout the garden to give it consistency.

Purple sage does this with it’s graceful foliage. There is green sage and chives both have purple flowers emerging as well.

My grandmother shared some irises from her garden with me five years ago. Since then, the giant bearded irises and smaller purple ones have multiplied like mad! In the fall, I separated the crowded tubers and replanted in swirling lines through the garden. In coming years, they will get nice and thick – making a little flower stream of cool purple through the garden.

Other front yard beauties include our Korean Dogwood, just blooming now.

We also have three Flowering Quinces that appears to be setting fruit!

quince-flower — Flowering Quince setting fruit at the base of the flower

If we get some good rain, we should see the young plants put on lots of leafy growth in June. I’ll keep you all updated as this wild purple and green garden grows.

front-textures — Green, grey, chartreuse, purple and white in the front garden

Want help with your own garden? I’m a landscape architect, and I design residential gardens in Portland: edible landscapes, native plantings and outdoor spaces that pull you outside. See my work at Renee Wilkinson Landscapes.

Front Yard – Spring Update

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Front Yard – Spring Update

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