Northwest Passage-Phillips' Style is well underway. We are currently in Clarkston, WA. Yesterday we came through Lolo Pass. WOW! At the highest point the snow was still four to six FEET! Yes, yesterday was May 19th. We had 200 miles of twisting, winding, curving roads. We were all a little bit sway-sick by the time we stopped!

Pointed Blue-eyed Grass

Pointed Blue-eyed Grass, Sisyrinchium angustifolium, a member of the Iris family, is one of my favorites. This grass is a native wild flower. It grows in clumps and has mulitple flowers that can look like a blue cloud in the larger clumps.

Money Plant

Money Plant Lunaria is a biennial. This plant is in it's second season. In Spring, after the seed from the previous year germinates, you'll see the distinct green leaves. These will send up a bloom stalk next Spring. The purple flowers will turn into the round, flat green pieces sticking out from under the flowers. These will continue to enlarge and eventually turn translucent, which is where the plant derives its name. The "money" holds the seeds for the next set of plants. I like that you never know where it will appear next as the seeds are very light and easily scattered.

There is also a white blooming cultivar.

Solomon's Seal

Solomon's Seal Polygonatum is a deciduous woodland native. I like the varigated leaves and the way the small white flowers dangle underneath. I have this in a bed with 'Silver Dragon' Persicaria, Cast Iron Plant Aspidistra elatior, Holly Fern Cyrtomium falcatum, various Heucheras, and Heleborous.

Azaleas

The azaleas have been blooming since the second week of April. The white ones are about a week later than the pink. After blooming, they will need fertilizing anytime before July. I will also hand prune to shape for the next year. Azaleas set next years bloom on old wood not new, therefore pruning should be done soon after blooming.

Bowling shoes.......yeah, I'm kinda weird...This is in response to Suzannes Blog Challenge

#?? Jeff entered his company in the Big Brothers, Big Sisters Bowl-a-thon. This is a picture of Johnny Ford's feet...big feet...Even though none of us are very good bowlers, we all had a good

time!

Lenten Rose Hellebores x ??
I started with Hellebores orientalis. These plants
cross-breed and create new species. I now have cream, green,
burgandy, and mixed colors. These plants colonized well, are
evergreen, and resistant to deer. The plants look nice with a little
pruning in early fall. They begin blooming as early as December
in my zone 7 area.