I’ve heard from a couple fellow bloggers who can’t find the place to “Like” or comment on this post. I’ve learned that readers need to first click on the title above and open the actual post to view comments, etc. If a reader stays on the main page of the site, comments don’t appear. Also, on the Propagator’s site in the Six on Saturday comments, if readers click on the link provided for posts and not on the author’s profile pic, it will take them to the actual post and not to the main page. Confusing? I hope not.
Hello to all, and Happy New Year, finally! Four weeks have passed since I last posted with Six on Saturday. The Propagator faithfully hosts this weekly garden update and welcomes all contributions. Coppertop gardens are slumbering, but there are signs of an early spring.
ONE – Hellebores or Lenten roses slowly awaken, sending up their first blooms. I’m especially eager to view blooms of three new varieties of doubles I planted last fall, but they aren’t up yet. The below ones are!
TWO – My last Six on Saturday chronicled devastation from a December windstorm, including the destroyed greenhouse. We recently purchased a beautiful, new, glass greenhouse, and installation of the steel foundation began earlier this week. I couldn’t be happier with the work our installer, Pete, is doing. Next week the work should be completed, and I’ll share the new greenhouse.
THREE – Vegetable garden cleanup has continued into winter. I always allow the runner bean vines to dry out fully before removing them from their trellis, a repurposed chainlink fence panel. This week I unwound the vines and dug the stalks. The roots were enormous, each like a grouping of carrots. It’s fascinating that each is from just one small bean seed. I began to wonder if they might be edible and researched it to learn that yes, the starchy roots are fit for consumption. One never knows if during a lean year or a zombie apocalypse these knowledge nuggets might prove useful. FYI – I did not serve them for dinner.
FOUR – Besides snowdrops, some of the first bulbs to make their presence known are crocuses I decided to leave in pots all of last year. I’m on bulb patrol each day looking for signs of green. Others are Hyacinth orientalis, tulips left in soil in barrels last year, and many daffodils.
FIVE – Winter hours spent in the garden shed planting seeds, transplanting seedlings, watering, and feeding plants have been productive. Lupine and salvia have new, larger pots already. I’ve filled all my available surfaces indoors, so some 1-gallon containers have a temporary home beneath the poly tunnel in the veggie garden while we await the greenhouse. I’ve only started perennial and annual flowers so far, but will begin vegetables next week.
SIX – Hubby has a long history with bamboo. He and bamboo have been arch rivals since we purchased a home bordered by a bamboo forest in 1993 in Virginia. Everyone knows running bamboo doesn’t actually “border” anything, but invades like crazy. Clumping bamboo still spreads, but not as voraciously. Hubby tolerated an expanding clump by our patio waterfall for the past five years. I went away last weekend and while away received a text something like “Ding dong, the bamboo is dead!” The first photo is from November, and the second photo reveals a beautiful gap in front of the Cryptomeria — the result of many hours of digging out bamboo. Isn’t he the best?
Gardens at Coppertop 
Those bean roots are amazing. I had no idea they got that thick. Your greenhouse project looks promising. Can’t wait to see it. Your Hubby deserves an Attaboy. The area looks so much better without the bamboo. Have a nice weekend.
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I was gobsmacked at the bean roots. Funny what catches my attention. Thanks for the encouragement. May your weekend be great as well, Lisa.
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Congratulations to your husband, it’s difficult and sometimes impossible to dig up bamboos.. I’m looking forward to seeing the new glasshouse. Built in time for the new spring season coming soon
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Yes! I am so ready after living for just one month without a greenhouse!
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I’m trying to make out what looks like a prostrate cedar in front of where the bamboo was, I think I may have heard its sigh of relief from here.
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You are correct and hilarious, too. 🙂
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I had a traumatic episode with a bamboo a few years ago so I’m with your husband. A whole new planting opportunity
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Thanks for the harmonious support. Oh gosh, you mean we have to fill that space? I believe you’re right, unless we want weeds to fill it…
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Your greenhouse looks like it’s going to be a nice size. I bet you are crazy excited. I would be.
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Yes, Cindy. Today much progress was made. My fingers are itching to move pots in!
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I wish we had room for a greenhouse! I look forward to seeing your and the produce therein! 🙂
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Thank you!
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Love your tree stump area.
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Thanks, it makes an awesome cocktail table.
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Can’t wait to see the greenhouse!
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Yes, I am pretty eager as well!
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The Hellebores are lovely. I only have white ones, but recently ordered some pinks. And I envy you the greenhouse!
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I think white hellebores are gorgeous and classic. The pure whites are difficult to find here.
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Bulb patrol! I recognise that. I’m always peering into pots looking for the first questing tips to show through. Exciting to have a new greenhouse too, i would not be without mine. Your lupin seedlings look very healthy, I am growing to grow some this year (or try to…).
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Good luck with your lupines. I’ve found them super easy to propagate. I’m also giving them plenty of time in their new 1-gallons in order to be able to withstand any slug onslaught once I put them in ground.
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The comments do not appear? So . . . I can say all those unpleasant things about hellebores and no one will notice? Well, I got that out of my system already.
That is pretty sweet that you got a glass greenhouse. I so miss the old ones that were made of real glass. I know that they were a lot more work, and a lot more likely to be damaged or ruined by weather or anything falling on them. I like them anyway.
I just wrote about the Gladiolus papilio shoots appearing. They came from Ilwaco, which I know is not exactly in your region, but it looks close on a map.
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Hooray for green shoots! Had to look up Ilwaco. One day we’ll make it over to the Long Beach area. Been down to Astoria a couple of times now and also around to Quinault, but have missed that little section of southwest WA. Yes, I’m eager for the greenhouse to be completed. Hoping that a polycarbonate roof will help with light diffusion and possible breakage…
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You have some happy plants growing in your shed. Oh.. and I’m so envious of that greenhouse.
What a lovely surprise to find the bamboo gone!
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Bom dia, Piglet! Yep, we won’t miss that bamboo, and there are a couple other patches in the gardens… oh well. I imagine the greenhouse will be wonderful, but installation is taking this whole week, so I’m trying to be patient.
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Id missed this post originally, and picked it only because Jan 26 is my birthday! But it was a beautiful post, filled with lots of interesting tidbits, and triggered a “I definitely need more hellebores!” Pavlovian response!
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