It is big, it is teak, and it is finished!  The concrete pavers came from Westsound Landscape Supply, and the teak chess pieces were shipped up from California.  Here’s the final product!

Also, the Laburnum arches turned into a Laburnum tunnel this spring with the addition of 6 more trees.  I caught a few pictures before it finished blooming, here’s this year’s display.  Next year is bound to be incredible, when they grow together.

Here is a little collection of some of the more interesting things around the Folse compound this spring…

For those folks inquiring about the boardwalk project out at Carol’s, I have some pictures to share.  The walk is made out of rough-milled, live-edge cedar bought at Smythe’s Lumbermill in Indianola (www.smythlumbermill.com).  Saul did most of the cutting and construction.  He did a fabulous job!  It weaves through a wet area planted with river birch, juncus, japanese blood grass, acorus, petasites, darmera, skunk cabbage, camas lily, horsetail, and some other little treasures…we keep adding more stuff.  I can’t wait until it all grows in!

Sophisticated Sophoras! 

Sophora microphylla 'Sun King'

I have been pleased with Sophoras in the past, namely S. prostrata ‘Little Baby’ for its tiny, architectural growth habit and semi-evergreen foliage, even with the snow we had in the winter of 2008-09.  But I was not ready for the flowers that opened in February, especially on a plant we had put in the ground less than a year ago. 

This was a treasure Carol and I picked out at Cistus Nursery down near Portland.  Being the nursery of zonal denial, I assumed the Sun King would be less hardy than his little brother.  I was not expecting it to be fully evergreen and loaded with pendulous gold blossoms before the rest of the garden had even leafed out!  I will be hunting down more of this particular plant (I think Carol said she wants ‘like, 50 of them!’ but maybe it was 15), and I will definitely be exploring more of the Sophora genus this upcoming season.

Also, Hepaticas are a frequently overlooked spring treasure; I spotted these ones at a nursery in Woodinville, but they came from good ol’ Nils at Sundquist, so I’m betting that some of the local nurseries have maybe gotten it from him as well.

Hepatica nobilis

I will be making a trip to the big nurseries on the other side of the water on Monday, and again on Friday the 5th if all goes as planned this week.  If you are an existing client who has a plant wish list, e-mail me or call me at (360)990-4306.  I will also post a review of any exciting plants I find while I am out and about on Monday.  It really feels like spring!