danger garden

As you may have gathered from yesterday’s post I recently visited Cistus Nursery. While I have been known to visit without pulling out the camera, this was not one of those times...so today I share a few more Cistus photos. This Eucalyptus grows next to the parking lot, I think this might be its most picturesque season.

This sign always makes me smile...I can't help but think of the Bangles "Walk Like an Egyptian" only it's the Cistus version, lyrics TBD.

It was a quiet Friday when I visited, most of the cars in the parking lot seemed to belong to employees (shocking really, that more people aren't visiting nurseries on a weekday in January). However I felt quite good that Brodie thought I was worth coming to greet. Of course he quickly tired of my photo taking ways.

This was to be the spring I sprung for a Daphne x houtteana, but now that I'm ready to make the purchase they don't seem to be anywhere other than planted in established gardens!

I would've thought this specimen sized Yucca rusteriana would have withstood the cold temperatures with no damage, sadly it looks like it's lost a leaf.

I wanted to call this a Metapanax delavayi but the berries just don't work...anyone know what it is?

They're beautiful, whatever they are...

My guide is falling behind...

Their Schefflera taiwaniana looked pretty good...

As did the S. delavayi.

I need to ask for ID on this Agave...

Their Euphorbia stygiana looks similar to mine, in other words...not good.

The nursery is still under winter lock-down. I so look forward to those magical days of spring...(they're just around the corner!)...

Magnolia tamaulipana 'Bronze Sentinel'

Daphne bholua, I could smell them long before I saw them.

Uhm...Callistemon sieberi, fairly tall specimans. I want!

Just look, how beautiful!

Many fabuluos transactions have been conducted right here.

My winter home away from home...

With that we leave the nursery and end up miles away at Sean's personal garden. I've photographed it many times, but invited again I was curious how it would look after our December "arctic blast." First though, this amazing Eucalyptus grows just across the street. I admire it every time I visit but I don't think I've actually stopped to photograph it before.

Sean's garden...

Agave ovatifolia

Dasylirion wheeleri (I think...)

I want to call those little brownish tufts Dyckia choristaminea 'Frazzle Dazzle', but I have no idea if that's right.

Most everything in the hell-strip looks pretty happy!

Ochagavia carnea (I think)...

Planters up near the front porch...

Looking back across the front garden. In the distance a Yucca aloifolia variegata.

Yucca rostrata and a big old hellebore just about to break into bloom.

That yucca again...

I love it when one copper Tetrapanax leaf hangs on. Sadly in my garden they've all fallen to the ground.

Pseodopanax ferox

In the ground! I keep thinking I'll be brave and release my plant, but then again I don't want to loose it. My garden runs a good 5-10 degrees cooler than Sean's.

Love this view into the back garden.

We'll end this tour with a lovely Mahonia eurybractiata and complimentary container. I really don't know how people manage to leave containers empty, I love the look but in my garden there would be a plant stuck in there!

This was my second visit to the Ruth Bancroft Garden. The first visit was in March of 2012, it had been a cold spring and thus many of the winter covers were still in place. This visit, in June, was the opposite of cold. Even though it was our first stop of the morning it had to have been in the 90’s.

I was distracted by the heat, and also as I toured I enjoyed a conversation with Gerhard of Succulents and More (yes he’s renamed his blog), who drove down from Davis to meet the Fling participants at the garden. I had no idea I took over a hundred photographs that day. The garden is just that inspiring (to me, I did hear of others who were not as enchanted, but we each have our own ideas of paradise don’t we?).

I shared the history of the garden in my 2012 post, so this time it’s just all about the sexy plant photos! Although I should mention there was an exhibition fundraiser of artworks happening in the garden during our visit. Since I’m not a fan of such things I managed to (mostly) avoid the art in favor of the plants. If you’d like to see the artwork my friendsGerhard and Peter both did a fabulous job of capturing it all.

Several of the large Agave franzosinii just inside the entrance were putting up their tall bloom spikes.

I bet they've left quite the hole since the bloom means death to the mother plant.

In fact there were a lot of tall blooms shooting toward the sky that day.

Aloe capitata var. quartziticola, a favorite.

Here's the best of the art, in my opinion. From Marcia Donahue...

Aloe striata, maybe...

I believe I let out a squeal when I first laid eyes on this Leucadendron ‘Ebony’...

Agave attenuata ‘Boutin Blue’

Agave attenuata, by the dozens!

The always sexy Agave 'Blue Glow'...

I already shared this photo in a post last summer, but I wanted to share it again. This is Gerhard and me posing for Pam Penick who graciously agreed to take our photo. As the Portland Fling planning committee works on putting together the 2014 Fling (July 11, 12, 13) it's memories like this visit that make all the work worthwhile. The magical place that is the Ruth Bancroft Garden made even better because I got to see it with my garden blogger friends!

So to end our visit (as I recall I was one of the last to get on the bus) there was shopping!

As you might remember (from this post), I was allowed to buy a tiny one of those Leucadendron ‘Ebony’...

And I also grabbed a Grevillea 'Superb'...

As well as this Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder' (all photos taken last July).

I am happy to report they are all still alive! Here they are now, hunkered down in the SP-greenhouse for the winter.

When I saw this photo posted on Facebook by Steve Asbell something immediately clicked.

Plants in the shower…yes please! There is a small shelf in our bathroom which always has a flower, branch, or tillandsia on it...

But there really should be more plants in the bathroom. In fact I realized the shower is the one place in our house where you can be and not see a plant. Must fix that!

Steve did a guest post on the blog My Green Earth where he detailed how to construct such a thing. It really is a very good how-to with lots of information (in other words you should check it out). For my shower garden installation I wanted to make use of the unused top tier of our bathroom corner caddy.

Our shower gets great light, thanks to the south facing window, half of which in the shower (who thought that was a good idea?). For my project I didn’t want to work only with epiphytes like Steve did, mainly because I was still pretty hung up on the alocasia I passed up at Portland Nursery. Maybe I could use it? (wheels turning and turning…).

Yep, I managed to grab the Alocasia amazonica while it was on sale at Portland Nursery.

The note to “keep humid” on the label told me I was on the right track.

Of course being a plant nut I couldn’t stop at just one, this philodendron came home with me too, also marked "keep humid"…

I decided this old metal basket would be a great container…

But what to line it with to hold the soil? It would need to be light, the soil and basket would be weight enough. Aha, an excuse to buy chips! I simply turned the bag inside out to use the solid silver side.

After potting them up (the philodendron went in a super light metal container from IKEA, a little moss was added to the top of the soil to keep it in place) I sat them in the sink and went to look around the house for a couple of tillandsias to use in the arrangement. When I came back into the room the sunlight was lighting them so perfectly, for a moment I wanted to have a sink garden too! But no way the husband would go for that (he's so practical).

As I started to work the plants into position I could tell right away I didn’t love the basket, it was too busy. The bag would have to stand on its own (I did cut a couple of small slits to help with drainage).

I should mention I was being closely watched during this whole process...(can't you just tell she's wondering what the heck I'm up to now?)

And the finished product! Things are tilted because I liked them better that way. Flat was too boring.

I hadn’t told Andrew what I was up to; so it was fun to hear him react when he went to get in the shower.

After a couple of days of living with the arrangement I’m not 100% sure I like it as-is I think I've crammed too much in there. Adjustments will be made I'm sure. Still, I love having plants in the shower, thanks for the inspiration Steve!

It’s been so long, I was pretty sure the WWTT posts had been retired. However when I saw this, well I just had to ask “what were they thinking?”

I went back another day (when the sun was shining) to get an overall shot, figuring you needed to see the whole picture. There is plenty to wonder about. Like those white rocks...

But it's these that really have me confused. In case you can't tell they were Cordyline australis, well I guess they technically still are. Did they think cutting the leaves off would save them from melting after the big freeze? Well, they are still standing, when most of the cordys around town (including mine) have flopped over.

Now I'm remembering something Paul Bonine of Xera Plants told me, if you can cut off the rot before it gets to the whole plant they might live. Maybe these were taller and they cut below where they flopped, then decided a whole buzz-cut was in order?

There is buzz-cut precedent nearby...

Last week, when I posted pictures of some of my cold-weather-caused plant death and damage, Gerhard asked if I had any positive surprises. Actually I do, although I guess I wouldn't label all of these surprises. More like good news...

I've got three Callistemon ‘Woodlander's Hardy Red’ - this is the best looking of the bunch, no damage!

Both of my Callistemon viridiflorus look good, this one especially (as do the arctostaphylos, one here in the background).

But both Callistemon viridiflorus 'Xera Compact' look a little iffy. The upper foliage is happy, the lower foliage is a bit crispy.

All the dasylirion (7 of them) look good, as to the cylindropuntia (also 7)...

I was worried about both Feijoa sellowiana, but this one especially. Being in a container it's bound to be a little less hardy than the one in the ground. They're both okay.

However there is a little leaf burn on the one in the ground, especially odd since both were wrapped when things were really bad.

This qualifies as a surprise. Based on previous winters, and the many Yucca aloifolia ‘Purpurea’ I've lost, I am very happy with how good this pair looks.

Silly little things but I do love them.

Okay I know this is supposed to be a good-news post but I've got to record it all! Eryngium proteiflorum, two of them, planted last fall, and they both look like this. So sad.

The new-growth tips on the Nolina nelsonii got nipped, but the rest looks okay.

A serious case of Yucca acne on the Yucca gloriosa 'variegata'...

Another surprise! Grevillea rivularis looks good, a little dead foliage towards the bottom.

And this! Whadda ya know? An Echium wildpretii...alive! Three are goners but this little guy hangs on.

The containerized tree fern (Dicksonia Antarctica) looks good, but then it should since it spent the cold days in the warm basement.

So did the Bocconia frutescens, but an unexpected night at 26F fried the leaves. I cut it back and hope it will respond kindly in the spring.

Look! I'm ready to declare this phormium as survivor. Especially since every other one in the garden has flopped. It was wrapped during the cold...

Because the foliage is just so gorgeous!

The Schefflera delavayi (also wrapped) looks good. Not really a surprise but I am thankful.

Ditto for the S. taiwaniana...

And this little one two.

Pyrrosia hastata (right) is looking a little wilted but P. sheareri (left) powers on.

This is a huge surprise, the Embothrium coccineum I planted last spring at about 12" tall and which is now over 8' tall is still alive. I did not expect this.

Rhododendron sinogrande looks a little goofy, but is still alive.

Yucca aloifolia ‘Blue Boy' also looks good. Although it's a little green...

The final surprise is this Aloe striatula. I've lost a couple in less cold conditions, and the one next door (which I blogged about here) died a quick death. But as crazy as it is this one is still alive. I'll take it! Of course I didn't talk about the agaves and their survival rate. I'm saving that for next week, an official agave post coming up! (oh and next week is now predicted to get cold...hopefully not too cold...)

I can’t remember what I said that had her volunteering starts, maybe as a response to one of my blog tirades about needing more dark evergreen foliage? However they came to be I have a handful of Ajuga reptans ‘Black Scallop’ plants thanks to Alison of the blog Bonny Lassie.

I’ve never planted ajuga and was unsure about these, there’s something vaguely “chard-like” about them. Not that chard is a bad thing, it’s just a vegetable garden thing. However these powered through being frozen solid (they stayed in a stock tank during our week long deep freeze, thus experiencing 12F - above ground) and largely being in the shade, yet they still look gorgeously glossy and dark…

Yes please, I’d call them winners! Plus they’re starting to push out new foliage. These will be planted out in the garden just as soon as I start my spring planting (March? If I can wait that long)...

I’m not so excited about the flowers, which I wish wouldn’t ever happen…but I can’t stop that…at least they’re not pink. Alison says this plant will quickly spread and fill in wherever I decide to plant it. How thrilling! Here’s a photo I borrowed from plantlust.com and Karl Gercens III (used with permission, all rights reserved) that shows how lovely they look when they’re allowed to spread.

The stats…

perennial, hardy in USDA zones 5a – 10b
eventual size 4-6” tall x 24-36” wide
likes well drained soil in sun to part sun – best color is said to be achieved in full sun
flowers are blue and appear in the late spring

Were you wondering about the beautiful spotted leaves cozied up to the ajuga? It’s Geranium phaeum 'Samobor', also from Alison. She posted about it being a favorite in July of last year and I commented saying perhaps I needed to beg for a start at our next garden bloggers plant swap. And I got one! Thank you Alison...

Do you have a favorite plant in your garden this week? One that's looking extra good? Please tell us about it in the comments, better yet leave a link to your blog...

All material © 2009-2014 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

It was high time to admit I’d done something to my back (again). If I wanted to be in shape to tackle serious winter clean-up and the start of gardening season it was time to visit the chiropractor. Yep, looks like I chose a good one...

You know I love to support businesses that have great landscaping, and take care of it. Well this one is in a strip-mall, devoid of plants other than the required street trees and a few flopped over phormium. So to walk in the front door and see the wall display above was a welcome sight. I especially love the mix of live (planted) plants with tillandsia and dried Craspedia (Billy Balls).

My eyes processed the wreath as the standard thick willow wreath, because really I was focused on the big Tillandsia xerographica. It was until editing the photos I realized it was made from individual wood pieces.

I asked the receptionist if she was responsible for the beautiful display...no, the installation was the work of Solabee Flowers & Botanicals. Turns out they have a shop in the Kenton neighborhood where I was headed next. Sounds like I needed to visit, right?

Right.

She'd mentioned Solabee shared space with Salvage Works, a place I'd read about and meant to visit but just hadn't gotten around to. Bonus!

We've got one of those old wash basins in our basement. I've fantasized about getting rid of it. Perhaps it has a future use? Let's see what else they've got...

Oh but wait! First I must mention the tallest resident of the Kenton neighborhood, who hangs-out just down the street from Salvage Works, yes it's Paul Bunyan. Why is there a huge (31 ft) statue of Paul Bunyan in Kenton you ask? It was built in 1959 to commemorate the centennial of Oregon's statehood during the Centennial Exposition and International Trade Fair, which was held in the Kenton area. The sculpture was originally prominently placed at the intersection of North Interstate Avenue (then U.S. Route 99) and North Argyle Street, and now stands at the corner of North Interstate and North Denver. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in January 2009. (source)

There's an outside area next to the shop, full of great old stuff.

I don't know what this was in its former life but it makes a great wall planter.

And speaking of great wall planters! Now I'm envisioning a section like this in our new (yet to be built) fence.

What fun...

I love old wheelbarrows. It's a good thing I don't have acreage because I might just start to collect them.

And if I were the type, this old refrigerator drawer would make a great planter.

I finally wandered inside, only to discover the Solabee shop has moved out! Thankfully they left several wonderful things on display...

Looks familiar...

They've still got a shop downtown, I suppose I'll need to visit someday soon.

I was so enthralled with the items on, and under, the table I didn't even notice the baby hanging above!

Love this vignette.

Yep, this was a fun little excursion...

Last week when I visited Solabee and Salvage Works I strolled a little further down the street and wandered into the new location for Bamboo Craftsman.

Even though their old location was (sort of) in my neighborhood I'd never been inside, just peered in after hours. I have enjoyed their fun colorful booth at the Yard Garden & Patio show, so that gave me an idea what I might discover in this huge, former parking lot.

Wait, before we go any further you must bring up Earl Grant singing House of Bamboo and listen to it while you walk through with me, trust me, do it!

I want this!!!

Lordy, that's some tall bamboo.

If we had the space I'd love a little hut like this in the back garden.

Especially if we could sleep out there on warm nights.

Isn't this place fun?

Because I knew Alan would be upset if I completely ignored the bamboo which was for sale I took this photo. I can tell you the one on the right was $59 and on the left $79.

And here's what they can tell you, about the one on the left.

Wow!

Yes I should have climbed up there, I have no idea why I didn't.

When I first arrived someone was hard at work scrubbing clean the large corrugated panels. Not a fun job but necessary.

I ducked inside for a quick look around. Pretty much anything and everything you could need, bamboo-wise I mean.

So glad I stopped in...

Ignore the address if you're local and looking to visit, that's the old location. They're now at 2104 N Willis Blvd.

Little did I know, back when I decided it was time to do a mid-winter agave report, that this week would bring a second round of chilling temperatures to the Pacific Northwest. It’s predicted to get just as cold (13F for the lowest low) but only last 3-4 days rather than the last one’s week+. But during the last go-round we went into the event straight off a nice long stretch of cold days to harden things off and send them dormant. The days leading up to this event have been downright spring-like, there are buds on shrubs and little leaves pushing up out of the ground. This is not going to be good. So on that note let’s look at the agaves and how they’ve fared thus far…

From the shot above it hardly looks like there's been any damage right? Thankfully most all the spikes in this area are hanging in there quite well. My big happy bright green Puya coerulea is now crispy brown, but that was (sadly) expected. I’m really not looking forward to digging it out, or the creeping grevillea meandering all through this area which is slowing dying from the center outward.

I cut off a few leaves from this agave (bottom center) just this morning, they were soft at the base and I didn’t want it to spread.

Last spring I had so many assorted small agave pups I planted them out, around the garden. Most of them are mush now. This one appears to be holding its form but a nudge with a feather would send it sideways. It’s since been removed; I think it may have been A. scabra.

There are four Agave parryi 'JC Raulston' in the front garden. The first was visible in the photo at the top. This is #2…

#3…

And #4, as you can see they keep on being a vision of spiky perfection.

Most of the A. bracteosas look good too…

Four or five A. americana pups I had spread around the garden turned to mush, however the large ones have all survived. Of course they were covered during the cold, the lone pups were not.

However there is leaf damage. I removed the lower leaves today, no sense heading into sub-freezing weather with mushy appendages.

Ditto for this one.

The assorted Echinocereus and Maihuenia poeppigii are still solid.

This A. bracteosa has some damage on its tips and where you see cracks some rot has begun, I need to remember to cut below the rotten bits asap.

I think this is an Agave americana var. protoamericana, one of the bunch that came to me via the agave rescue mission. I cut off a bad arm recently but all in all he’s hanging in there quite well.

One of several A. ovatifolia, they’re all doing great.

Although this one lost a couple of arms.

The healing wound.

This is the second one of these variegated Agave americana ‘No Po’ that I’ve killed. Gifts from Sean Hogan they were pups from a legendary agave that’s survived years in North Portland. Not to be in my garden.

Here’s another example of those little pups I planted throughout the garden. This one (perhaps A. havardiana) couldn’t be happier . I should also mention none of my many opuntia pads have turned to mush, no doubt due to our drier than normal conditions.

This was a no-name purchase at the 2013 Cistus tough-love parking lot sale. Whatever it is it’s a survivor.

The big potted A. weberi was moved into the (unheated) garage for the last go-round. I wonder if I can talk Andrew into wrestling it in there again?

These guys went into the basement, which they will do again.

A close-up of a mashed together planting in a container, so many things in there I need to rescue when I have time! It also went into the garage and most everything is happy…including the not hardy Sedum rubrotinctum.

Because it was so easy to do these Agave parryi went into the shade pavilion greenhouse during the cold, other than that week they’ve been outside all winter and look great.

So many spikes! Most of them are okay.

The blue one at the bottom is the only small Agave americana to have survived.

Happy Agave neomexicana (I think, there was tag damage during the rescue)…

Ditto on the Agave americana “something” and the spiky Agave striata var. striata on it's right.

Mushy A. americana 'marginata' has since been removed.

Opuntia santa-rita is doing well.

Isn’t that yellow dyckia remarkable? Ya, it’s dead (and it used to be purple).

Thankfully the Cylindropuntia whipplei 'Snow Leopard' I paid a pretty penny for is still looking good.

I thought maybe this small Agave americana stood a chance tucked up next to Sammy (the large Yucca rostrata). Nope…

Everything here looks pretty good.

Except the A. bracteosa the neighbor’s cat sat on.

Oh and this poor little Echinocactus is obviously not happy.

Things over here are a mixed-bag. That thin leafed plant in the upper center is a pup from an Agave striata I bought at Cistus years ago. Mom finally died in the winter of 2009/10 but it's progeny is doing quite well. There's another mushy (and since removed) variegated A. americana on the upper left.

Mush on the A. gentryi ‘Jaws,’ which has all been cut away resulting in an ugly plant. We shall see what happens next.

Baby A. parryi 'JC Raulston' and I believe pups from A. neomexicana, with some mushy arms.

Finally bigger A. neomexicana with little to no damage to end this report. If you’re curious about how everything looked at its zenith check out the last agave report, filed in August of 2013, when life was good and winter was just a far away ~~dream~~ nightmare.

The temperatures we’ve experienced this winter in the PNW are astelia killers. Once upon a time I had upwards of half a dozen huge astelias in my garden. But along with killing all the phormiums in Portland, the winters of 2008/09 and 2009/10 did in my astelia collection. I swore I would only grow them in containers after that. But then during a tour in the spring of 2011 Sean Hogan pointed at an astelia in his garden which had made it though the killing winters. I was doubtful, after his garden stays a little warmer than mine, but what did I have to lose? I bought one. Meet Astelia nivicola ‘Red Gem’...

And although it certainly isn't huge it is still very much alive, and that folks, is all that matters.

Oh and of course then I bought another. And it's still alive too!

Here's the Cistus description: "Our favorite nivicola collection, again from New Zealand, forming clumps to 2' wide by roughly 18" tall with numerous leaves, all coated with a soft silver fur, that become deep red, almost burgundy, with light and frost in winter. Very striking! This has been one of the toughest creatures, not having received frost damage even in the 14 °F, arctic extravaganza in 1996. Also an amazingly good container plant where burgundy tones in rosette-forming plants are hard to come by. Even summer moisture in bright light for best color, though accepting of shade. Tolerant of frost to 10 °F, USDA zone 8, with reports of near 0 °F out of the wind." Okay but here's the thing...I am a touch superstitious, and here I am singing the praises of a plant that's under siege right now outside in the garden. These pictures were all taken last week when there was warmth and sunshine. Am I tempting fate by featuring a plant that's being tested for the second time this winter?

Let's take a look at how the other planted-out astelia are doing (because of course a couple mild winters in a row had me breaking my "container only" vow) . This one an Astelia chathamica is somehow clinging to life. It's not pretty but heck, it's green!

Another Astelia chathamica...not much green there.

Here's how the Astelia banksii looks. But wait! There's a little green on the left! However it didn't get any coverage today as I prepared for the cold temperatures so I doubt that green will be around come Sunday.

But this post is about the survivor right? Here are the stats for Astelia nivicola ‘Red Gem’...

evergreen (silver, bronze) plant hardy in USDA Zones 8a - 10b
eventually reaches a size of 18" tall by 2' wide
even moisture (that means some summer water) and bright light
from New Zealand

So are there any plants in your garden you're especially appreciating in early February? Something blooming? Emerging from the soil? Clinging to life? Please share...

The privet is gone. As in outta here, no more, history. What should I post first? The “before” which you’re all familiar with, or the “after?” Oh heck...before...

After…

Before…

After…

Before…

After…

Before…

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Before…

After…

Here’s a process shot, I wanted to take more but didn’t want to make the guys who were working so hard self-conscious. They did an amazing job and for an equally amazing price.

So this is pretty life-changing, you know...from a garden perspective. I had measured the space, and I knew how big it was...theoretically. But that bare soil patch is MUCH bigger than I expected. And the sky, we see a lot more sky now.

Here's a peek into our neighbors back yard. I'd love to keep the borrowed view of their palm, but once the fence goes up I think it'll be gone. See that concrete block wall between their upper and lower yards? That's exactly what ours looked like before we replaced it. Wait, scratch that. Theirs is in better condition than ours was and I think we had even more lawn than they do.

This is a crazy new view, looking back at the shade pavilion, in "greenhouse" mode. Our patio looks so small.

Also new (the view), I'm hoping that loquat will take off now that it has more sun, space and probably even more water. Although it's also now exposed to our current frigid temperatures and wind, not great timing (the work was all done Monday, just before the much colder temperatures and strong wind hit).

The new fence will go up right about inline with that lovely stripe on the back of that garage. I hate this view just as much as I thought I would.

Although I have to say from this angle my overall feeling is that the garden looks so much cleaner! Yes...this was a good move...

As I’ve been thinking over how I want to use, and plant, the newly open space in our back garden there was one thing I was sure of. No more bamboo in stock-tanks! Over the years I’d come to feel they weren't the best solution for our need for privacy along the back fence. That I’d jumped at the fastest answer instead of thinking long-term, and at times I regretted having done it.

Why? As the neighbors laurel re-grew (it had been cut back hard in order to build a fence) it reached east towards the sun, out and over our patio. This caused the bamboo to grow out at an angle as well. We trimmed several of the larger laurel branches last summer, which helped, but it’s still an issue. Plus during our (usually) dry summers the bamboo needs water, a lot of it. I bought a short hose extension last summer which makes it a little easier to get the hose out there and let it run (as opposed to standing as close as I could with the spray nozzle aimed in that direction watching about 70% of the water actually make it into the tank). Ultimately the bamboo looks stressed an unhappy more often than I would like…which is why I had decided, no more! Nevertheless standing on the patio looking at the back of the neighbors intimidating two-tone garage my first notion was “we need another long stock-tank and more bamboo…”

So, talk some sense into me! What do you think? Here are some more random thoughts on the matter…

Pros:

continuing the tanks and bamboo will create consistency between the area next to the patio and the “new” area to the north.
tall bamboo will provide an almost instant block for the part of the new view I find the most troublesome.

Cons:

maybe it’s good to have the “status quo” stop with the patio pavers?
continuing a planting scheme I’ve admitted to, at times, regretting.
we’ve already got 11 stock-tanks…and I’m planning to add least one more for a full-sun water garden (tadpoles!), how many is too many?

I've also considered getting another of the shorter tanks, like below, and putting in something else (thus continuing the tank-theme, but not the bamboo-theme). However that wouldn’t necessarily help with the garage view would it?

Oh and are you surprised I haven’t mentioned the snow? What about the crazy wind blowing the bamboo almost horizontal at times? It had just started falling when I took these pictures at about 1:30 on Thursday afternoon. At 19F the wind-chill had it down to a “feels like” temperature of 3F. Bitter cold and the snow was just getting started, by 5:30 several inches had fallen. Another storm is due through here tomorrow. Fun times ahead!

So back to the question…to bamboo or not to bamboo. What say you?

It’s been a wintery few days in Portland, starting last Thursday afternoon and finally (sort of) ending on Sunday. Friday was pretty much a city-wide holiday as everyone that could (the lucky ones) stayed home and off the streets. The park at the end of our block became a destination, pulling kids (both young and old) from far and wide. It’s hard to tell from this shot but in between the people in the foreground and those in the distance is a deep ravine, perfect for deprived city-folk to revel in the thrill of a quick slide. The screams and cheers were so loud we could hear them from inside the house.

Initially I fought the temptation to get out there and record the snowy scene in my garden, but when the sun briefly made an appearance I gave in. I'm glad I did because in the hours that followed many of these became completely buried under the white stuff.

That done, and with the rest of the afternoon ahead of me (plans for the day cancelled, due to the snow) I decided to do a little gardening, indoor gardening. After all the prisoners hadn’t gotten their mid-winter grooming and drink yet, seemed like the perfect activity for a snow day.

Heck with all the plants temporarily hiding out in the basement it’s almost like being outside in the garden…

But on to the long term incarcerated. I love discovering a bloom, this one on an aloe (A. ‘Blue Elf’ I believe).

The Agave angustifolia 'Marginata' bulbils I brought home from my brother in Arizona seem to have taken root. A soft tug and they stay in place, time for a light spritz with the water bottle.

This Echinocactus grusonii is an odd color. Too light, not that nice dark green it's supposed to be. It’s not soft though so perhaps it will be okay once it’s back outside again this spring?

Lots of new growth on the Euphorbia horrida...

And look! I’ve managed to keep a Euphorbia tirucalli alive!

This gorgeous little Kalanchoe beharensis was a gift from Ricki (Sprig to Twig), she’s a whiz at rooting cuttings.

And the newest prisoner, another K. beharensis, from my friend Bridget who’s clearing things out and needed to find a new home for some of her babies. I'll pot them up together when it's time to move 'em all out in the spring. All-in-all it was a good snow day, that is until I emerged from the basement to discover a couple more inches on the ground and more snow falling.

Saturday started of with even more snow but ended with the dramatic tinkling of ice falling from the sky. A strangely beautiful sound which I do not want to hear again anytime soon. Taking Lila out for a (unsuccessful) potty trip before bed I was dismayed to find nearly every branch that could bend was touching the ground and coated with ice. Of course the bamboo always plays the drama queen...

I awoke on Sunday morning to find the forecast, which had been calling for another 1/4" of ice, had changed...no more ice! Thank god. Now as long as what's here melts before anything breaks under the weight I will be thankful. I broke this ice leaf casting free so you could see just how thick it is.

Opuntia

The leaves on the largest Yucca rostrata seem to have moved enough in the light breeze to have kept sheets of ice from forming. Not so on the smaller ones.

Sad palm, I hope my wrapping was sufficient to keep ice from getting down inside the trunk.

Oh spring, you can't come fast enough!

Last weekend I spent some time editing photos taken at the Wave Garden, in Point Richmond, CA (one of our stops on the 2013 SF Garden Bloggers Fling). I found myself repeatedly getting lost in the deep saturated colors. Everything outside my windows was a white blur and had been for a couple of days. Before that things had taken on the grey-brown tint I associate with frozen soil and foliage. I was color starved! Today’s post consists of some of my favorite macro-shots from that day. Color combos, plant close-ups, and texture shots, full-scene photos of the garden to follow on another day. Enjoy!

It’s hard to have a favorite plant when most of the garden is hidden under snow and what plants you can see are deformed by a load of ice. However there is one plant that looks its best when its thin branches are outlined by a little frost or ice; Genista aetnensis…

Some of you may remember I posted about this plant a couple of years ago, but I thought it deserved an official “fav” designation. It’s great for adding height to a garden without creating a lot of shade, since its tiny leaves are almost nonexistent. When the small yellow, and very fragrant, flowers appear in midsummer though it’s hard to miss!

My two plants have stayed on the small side, so far. I’m not complaining, after seeing this one at Jungle Fever in Tacoma, WA, I was a little concerned.

Here’s another specimen, on a much nicer day and in someone else’s garden.

And my second G. aetnensis, which is much smaller and very unhappy about the ice.

The stats:

Genista aetnensis or Mount Etna broom is a large shrub or small tree endemic to Sicily and Sardinia where it is associated with sunny, open landscapes and poor, stony soil (source)
Hardiness reports vary but general consensus seems to be in the USDA Zone 7/8 range
Eventual height 12-25ft tall
Occasional water/drought tolerant and likes full sun
Unlike the invasive Scotch Broom this one does not reseed

Do you have a favorite plant in your garden this week?

Oh wait! That's right...my trip to the North West Flower and Garden Show was cancelled this year because of our freaky winter weather, so I missed all the garden show splendor. While my dear friends were emailing and posting pictures of the things at the show they knew I'd love (like this) I was scheming on a backup trip. Something I could do so I wouldn't feel sad and like I'd missed out. That's when I remembered a fabulous agave I'd passed up (that darn budget) just a couple weeks ago at Cistus (yes, I really can rationalize just about anything)...

Cistus is always an agave lovers paradise but right now things are even better as there are several gorgeous 3-gallon plants to choose from...

As well as the usual assortment of small "must-haves"...

Along the bottom there, on the ground...

Are lovely 3-gallon Agave ovatifolia 'Frosty Blue'...one of which came home with me the last time I visited.

As did one of those white spiky Opuntia polyacantha.

Is there anything more beautiful than a perfect little agave? I think not.

This was the reason for my visit, Agave lophantha 'Splendida', reportedly hardy to zero (F) I think I'm going to put it in a big container that will stay outside during the winter...

Speaking of big containers this Echium candicans 'Star of Madeira' was outside when I visited late last fall. Good to see it came in for the winter.

Lots of blooms on the way!

Echium wildpretii x pininana

My new favorite astelia, A. 'Red Devil'...

It should share 'Red Gem's ability to cope with winter cold, and has even stronger color. Love it...

Astelia chathamica 'Silver Spear', we used to be pretty tight, then death got in the way.

Echium wildpretii, who doesn't need a couple of these?

Look Louis, it's the palm corner!

What really caught my eye was the white undersides to the leaves on the plant in the container. A banksia?

Just like at the Flower and Garden Show there were things in bloom (only these weren't forced)...

I loved this plant last time I visited and did again this time. And just like last time I got distracted and forgot to take a photo of the label.

Okay...enough looking, time to purchase. Here's my haul from left to right: the sexy Agave lophantha 'Splendida', Agave havardiana (a surprisingly hard to find and very hardy agave), an Echium wildpretii and another Nolina 'La Siberica' which I will be planting in the front garden where the now dead puya has been. While I did go just a little bit crazy I still spent a lot less than if we would have gone to the show in Seattle (or so I'll tell the husband, I told you I was good at rationalizing)...

I originally planned to post this last Friday, February 7th, as Xera Plants was scheduled to open the next day. However seriously frigid weather and a couple of snow storms blew through town and everything changed. Opening was (wisely) postponed until tomorrow, February 15th.

When I visited a couple of weeks ago they were working on improvements to the space. It will be exciting to see what they have in store for us!

So in the spirit of their reopening tomorrow how about I share a couple my recent Xera purchases, to whet your appetite? (I had need to visit their growing facility a few weeks back and they let me buy a couple of things). I've been mildly obsessed with Azara microphylla for a few months. I think it was this lovely specimen I saw at Celestial Dream Gardens last September which finally pushed me over the edge.

I've been spending so much time thinking about the Azara I almost started a new, re-occurring feature on the blog called "The plant I don’t yet own but currently am obsessing about…" in fact I had so much fun thinking about it and writing a bit that who knows, maybe I'll still start it up. I won't how ever be featuring the Azara because I now own two!

Don't you just love those first two sentences on the tag?

I am very excited about these!

I also came home with a Leptospermum lanigerum. I had been planning to add a Ozothamnus 'Sussex Silver' to the garden but I've been watching a neighbors plant and I just don't think it's right for me. So I think this is my substitute.

I just love saying "wooly tea tree"...

And the powdery grey/blue foliage, heavenly...

One more, a purchase made before the store closed last fall. Grevillea australis...

The label reads: "The MOST cold hardy Grevillea is a lovely, informal, evergreen shrub that sports intensely fragrant flowers in early spring. Small, olive green leaves are lined in orange/brown indumentum that also covers the flower buds. In mid-March to April powerfully fragrant flossy white flowers. Rounded to 4' tall and as wide, in FULL sun well drained soil w/ NO fertilizer or amendments. Drought tolerant when established. Neglect is its friend."

So I bought "the most cold hardy grevillea" last fall. I guess I was more in tune to what Mother Nature had in store for us than I realized.

Last week anything in my garden silly enough to have been blooming, or thinking about it, was covered in snow and/or ice. This week? It's like it never happened! Arctostaphylos x ‘Austin Griffiths'...

This Helleborus x ballardiae Pink Frost is sporting a little soil, just to prove it was smashed flat into the ground.

This hellebore fared the best. Too bad I can't find the tag to tell you what it is!

Helleborus foetidus, always a trooper.

Helleborus lividus 'White Marble' was tucked under cover.

The same for Helleborus 'Silver Dollar'

Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum

Acacia baileyana 'Purpurea'

Grevillea australis

Hamamelis x intermedia 'Early Bright'

Edgeworthia chrysantha ‘Akebono’ just starting to open it's orange flowers!

And finally my husband Andrew's entry in the bloomday post, his office Rhipsalis salicornioides (Drunkard's Dream) is blooming, with a single orange flower!

The entire Garden Bloggers Bloomday roster can be found at May Dreams Gardens, check it out!

All material © 2009-2014 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

Last week I teased you with some close-ups from the Wave Garden, a stop on the 2013 Garden Bloggers Fling. Now it's time to have a look at the overall garden, well in a minute. First you have to appreciate the amazing neighborhood where our buses dropped us off, not everyone has a view like this...

Just the lucky.

They can also grow restios and tender succulents.

I wonder what they thought of us all, swarming out across the street and sidewalks, cameras in hand snapping away? Maybe since the Wave Garden is a destination they're used to the garden paparazzi showing up on a regular basis?

Here we are, at the entrance to the garden proper.

I wanted to share an overview photo with you to give a better idea of the whole space. Since I wasn't able to take a good one I borrowed this image (below) from The Concrete Network and Victor Merlo Construction, Inc, the garden designer. "The Wave Garden is a private garden overlooking San Pablo Bay in Point Richmond, CA. The owners bought the property so it would not be developed into a house and turned it into a collaborative space featuring concrete work, metalwork gates and railings, bronze sculpture and of course, a beautiful garden designed and installed by Kellee Adams of Dig-It Garden Design." (source)

You can imagine 75 plant crazy bloggers quickly fanning out across those steps and walkways...

So many beautiful plant combinations to appreciate.

Here's where I came face to face with my long sought-after Grevillea x gaudichaudii. Look at the way it falls over the edge of the concrete wall.

And those crazy blooms! I can't remember who said it but I once heard them described as what would happen if a shrimp and a toothbrush had a baby.

The leaves are pretty fabulous too, don't you think?

Succulent perfection.

With California poppies!

Said paparazzi...

Cussonia paniculata (Cabbage Palm), the tallest one I've ever seen...

There were even a couple of private seating areas tucked in, can you imagine having this garden to wander through whenever you liked? What generous people to open it up to the public.

The smart bloggers wore hats, there was no place to hide from the sun.

Sometimes we can't help but get in each others pictures.

Visit over! If my memory is correct at this point we traveled back to our hotel in downtown SF (enjoying some magnificent scenery on the way) to freshen up before our fancy dinner at the Conservatory. Ah the life of a Flinger!

My fellow Portland garden blogger, and friend, Anna Kullgren recently accepted a position as assistant manager at Drake’s 7 Dees. When she was interviewing and told me it I had to admit I’d never heard of them, let alone been there.

Turns out the nursery is in transition, there had been another, much larger location in Gresham, east of Portland, which was closed last summer. The company has a thriving landscape business which they’ve kept active and this newer location (purchased a few years ago) will now be it’s only retail outlet.

In addition to the talented and creative Anna they’ve also managed to bring on board William McClenathan, a local TV celebrity and all around plant knowledgeable (and terribly fun) guy. Together with a new nursery manager, and lots of site upgrades, Anna and William are redefining what the nursery is and how it serves the surrounding community. One of the things Anna has done is to start an in-house lecture series; it kicked off last Saturday with another friend, and local blogger, Ann Amato-Zorich talking about seeds. Of course I had to go! See a new nursery, support a friend, it’s all good…

While Ann did a fabulous job of getting us excited about seeds she also knows the #1 trait that keeps people like me from getting too into the idea, patience.

And she further cautioned me with this image, some dudleya and cactus she’s grown from seed. Evidently some of my favorite plants are also rather slow to get going.

If you’re a local you’ll want to know there are other great lectures coming up. Next weekend (February 22nd) Sarah Miller talks Mason Bees. On her blog, Attack of the Killer Pickles, Sarah has published a wonderful series of articles on the Bee Crisis here in America, worthwhile reading. No doubt her lecture is going to be fabulous.

Other upcoming lectures:
March 1 Rose and hydrangea pruning with William McClenathan
March 8 Blogger/author Ricki Grady reading from her book BeBop Garden
March 15 TBD
March 22 Edible flowers with Pablo Feliz
March 29 Victory gardening with Laura Heldreth
April 5 subject TBD - either Gardening with grasses or Garden photography with Scott Weber
April 12 Gardening with color with Anna Kullgren

The nursery was still in winter mode so there weren’t a lot of plants to see outside, but let’s have a look anyway. Vaccinium A. ‘Brunswick’, so cute now…but even better later with tasty blueberries.

Love the unusual shape of the tall containers in back.

That’s a lot of roses!

My friends!

And proving not all Agave parryi ‘JC Raulston’ are visions of agave perfection.

Beautiful color combo!

There are also a couple of wonderful old glass houses on the premises. I believe someone said the location was once a florists.

No doubt because of our recent cold weather and snow there were a lot of plants hiding out inside.

Houseplants too!

Once on the road headed home we encountered a most amazing downpour. The sky opened and there was an intense driving rain followed by a rare sight, a double rainbow of which we could see both the beginning and the end. Of course it was much better in person.

Did I buy anything? Oh yes! A Sophora prostrata ‘Little Baby’, yes I already have one (two actually) but I am afraid they’re toast after this winter and I wanted a replacement. This one had fine form.

And you’ve got a support a “new” nursery right?

A visit to Cistus and more…

Visiting the Ruth Bancroft Garden during the 2013 Garden Bloggers Fling...

Another idea I’ve stolen…

WWTT #15

How about some good news from the garden?

Ajuga black scallop, is my favorite plant in the garden this week…

One stop leads to another…

An unexpected visit to Bamboo Craftsman...

The agave report, February 2014

Astelia nivicola ‘Red Gem’ is my favorite plant in the garden, this week…

Our new view…

To bamboo, or not to bamboo – that is the question…

Scenes from a snow and ice filled weekend…

The Wave Garden macro shots (from the San Francisco Garden Bloggers Fling)...

Genista aetnensis is my favorite plant in the garden, this week…

My trip to the 2014 Northwest Flower & Garden Show…

Xera retail reopens tomorrow!

Bloomday, February 2014

The Wave Garden, San Francisco Garden Bloggers Fling

Discovering a nursery discovering itself…