With St. Patrick’s Day this week, I thought it might be appropriate to discuss some green. No not money, although that could get interesting in its own way. For this holiday many enjoy a special beer while just about everyone wears some green and feasts on traditional Irish goodies. Hopefully you wore some green and avoided getting pinched too badly. Perhaps someone has even found that mythical pot-o-gold at the end of the rainbow… I have tried many times, with no success as of yet. Maybe the Irish force is stronger with you? After all, I have more Scottish heritage in me than Irish, and those darn Leprechauns are notoriously hard to find!
In all seriousness, we are blessed (like the Emerald Isle) to have some serious green in our local climate. As yet another day of drizzle comes down, we can thank Mother Nature for keeping things that way in Western Washington. We can also thank the many wonders of plant evolution for all the shades of green, including all the subtle differences we see both in our native “Evergreen State” and our very own landscapes. As I have stated many times on this platform, I love me some bright foliage color - my own gardens are highlighted with foliage pops of blue, red, orange and yellow in both the shade and sun. But having said that, the vast majority of my yard is still swathed in shades of green, the color that speaks health and life in the world of plants.
Green (in all its shades) is soothing to me, a calming color that relaxes the gardening soul. Some may like it bright, others may like it dark, but I think that the vast majority of gardeners like any and all tones of green. Our lawns are emerald green after a nice dose of organic lawn food this time of year. The native conifers we get to enjoy are a dark green and as the myriad of deciduous shrubs and trees begin to break bud, many tones of green begin to fill back in those vacant garden spaces. The many evergreen shrubs we utilize in our gardens locally like Rhododendron, Azalea, and Pieris brighten right back up coming out of winter before they begin adorning us with their spring flower power. One of my personal favorites in the Larch, a deciduous conifer that is bare over winter. They are breaking dormancy now and the adorable little pea-green needles that emerge are so soft and touchable that I have to gently pet them. Pause for a moment and go on a walkabout, tour your landscape (or even the neighborhood) and look for all these greens, they are sure to bring a smile to your face as the spring season begins anew.
Now everyone is going to have their favorite shade(s) of green, and rightfully so as we all come packaged with distinct preferences and tastes. I like some lime green, she likes some emerald green, he likes some deep forest green and they like some sage green. I chuckle with some of these shades, especially at the paint store. Close your eyes for a moment and picture some of these shades; “Leapfrog”, “Avocado”, “Caribbean Current”, “Mint”, “Evergreen Fog”, “Oak Moss”, “Spring Cactus”, “Rainforest”, or even “Pistachio.” I can certainly envision plant foliage in all these shades, although plant geeks may not coin our shades with such language. Maybe you want to go bold, go with “Neon” green. Maybe you golf like me and “Putting Green” is your shade. “Lucky Clover” or “Kelly Green” seem perfect for St. Patrick’s Day, but as I mentioned my heritage, I may go with “Scottish Isle.” Aye!
Need a few St. Patrick’s Day plants to ponder? The easy choice is always the clover (Oxalis), preferably the four-leaf version, often found as an indoor plant. A simple option could be Irish Moss (Sagina sp.), a prehistoric treasure that serves as one option for tucking amongst stepping stones that will take some serious foot traffic. For larger growing options, maybe there is something else that might catch your fancy, like the Rhododendron called ‘Shamrock’. It is lovely dwarf, and mine is a mere 2-feet tall and 3-feet wide after nearly 20 years in the ground. It flowers in (you guessed it!) March, and displays lovely greenish yellow azalea-like blooms. Maybe it is the sturdy pine tree called ‘Irish Belle’, or the Japanese maple called ‘Irish Lace’. You could even go double Irish in a way with Irish Heaths (Erica sp.) called ‘Irish Orange’ or ‘Irish Lemon’, both with nice blooms and outstanding colorful tipped foliage. Even traditional Irish Yew (Taxus baccata cvs.) is a lovely conifer, dark green and perfectly utilized as a single columnar specimen or as a manageable hedge/barrier. Perhaps some of these may inspire you to add a touch of the “Emerald Isle” into your garden.
As you gaze upon your own landscape, admire the subtle textures, tones and vibrant shades of green. Think of those greens as your canvas, the omnipresent backdrop to everything in the garden which allows those other contrasting specimens you love to really pop in your very own garden setting. Whichever shades catch your fancy, remember it is the spring rains that really do make all those wondrous greens around us lush and healthy. As a proud resident of the “Evergreen State”, I would not have it any other way, both in the wild and in my own garden.
