danger garden

I resisted joining Facebook for a very long time. Just didn't see the need, didn't want another account to check or update. I finally signed up last January and for the most part it's been a good thing. The biggestt benefit has been meeting new like-minded people who'd never commented on my blog before, Vanessa Gardner Nagel is one of those people. After "talking" on Facebook for a couple of months we finally met in person and exchanged garden visits. My garden, being very small, took about an hour. Hers on the other hand, well I could have stayed all day...

My visit was about this time last month, in the weeks that have passed I've managed to forget the kitty's name as well as many of the plant names. I really need to try and post about these visits faster, when things are fresh! I do remember those are IKEA chairs which Vanessa ~~painted~~ stained, much better than plain wicker don't you think?

Vanessa is a garden designer and author, her most recent book The Professional Designer's Guide to Garden Furnishings is out now from Timber Press (I wonder if she mentions IKEA as a source?).

This vignette is so opposite from my garden style, but I loved it!

And you know, there is always an agave...

This is where I entered the garden...

And this is looking back towards where I took the photos above...

There are several seating areas throughout the garden, this one was probably my favorite.

If I had bought that black Daphne when I first saw it mine would probably be this big by now...

And why have I not planted any dark Ajuga?

On the other side of the gabion seating area is this raised wooden "dock" - at least to me it felt like a dock.

From there you could look over onto the first seating area...

Or out into the garden beyond.

Moving away from the house you encounter the first of several large planted circles which divide the garden in two. I loved this feature and kind of wish I had a garden large enough to do something like this!

Looking closer at the plants that border the circles...

Does anyone know the name of this little chalky succulent?

Schefflera taiwaniana

Darmera peltata and a beautiful ghostly rhody...

This circle is planted with veggies, a crop circle!

I had no idea asparagus would end up looking like this, I may need to plant some as an ornamental.

I think the Gunnera's days are numbered. Vanessa recently posed a question on Facebook asking for suggestions on what to plant in it's place...(it needs too much water to stay looking good).

Here's the final circle in the series...

Looking back...

Had I visited at night there would be lights gently illuminating the bell...

At the back of the garden I discovered a Bromeliad in the Magnolia, great minds think alike!

Although hers is getting better treatment than mine, with extra soil.

This is the same Ensete maurelii we saw earlier, from the "dock"...

And here we are on the other side of the circles, where our visit concludes. Thank you so much Vanessa for inviting me to see your beautiful garden, and your generosity of time spent that lovely afternoon!

I've been approached before about participating in the Berry Go Round ("a blog carnival devoted to highlighting recent blog posts about any and every aspect of plant life") but honestly I didn't really understand what it was all about. This time however Bom (The Plant Chaser and host for September’s Berry Go Round) emailed me an invite explaining the theme he had chosen for the month and asking if I would to participate. Why, yes of course I would! The theme: "a plant that you really wanted to own and how you eventually acquired it." Oh boy! My mind raced...so many possibilities! I finally settled on my latest acquisition, Grevillea x gaudichaudii (I’ve finally got one!)

My first sighting of this plant (that I remember) was at the 2012 Northwest Flower & Garden Show in Seattle, mesmerized I wrote on that blog post "I'm afraid this is going to be a hard one to find" (little did I know!)…

Later I asked the Judith Jones, owner of Fancy Fronds Nursery and the designer of the show garden, about the plant. She directed me to "those boys at Xera" This was to be the first of several promising leads which quickly turned cold. The hunt continued...

My next actual sighting of Mr. gaudichaudii (as I had begun to think of him) was during the 2013 Garden Bloggers Fling in San Francisco, at the Wave Garden…

Trust me it was beautiful, even though my photos are poor. So close but yet so far!

Later that same day while visiting Flora Grubb Gardens I thought I had finally come face to face with a purchasable Mr. gaudichaudii...

Alas no. This was Grevillea 'Austraflora Fanfare,' less hardy by 10-15 degrees. I was still tempted, but passed it by. Regret filled my dreams that night.

Then a few weeks later, while on a quick stop at the UW Arboretum in Seattle, I discovered this beauty in the Pacific Connections Garden...

Oh the agony! There it was again.

Are you still with me? Because here's where things get interesting. Late in July my friend Peter (The Outlaw) and I both had the idea to email Ian at The Desert Northwest in Sequim, WA. He didn't have Mr. gaudichaudii on his availability list but you just never know. Guess what! We were in luck, he’d been rooting small cuttings for a year and was willing to part with a pair of 4" containers (one for Peter and one for me). Even better his Desert Northwest was one of the nurseries participating in the Fronderosa Fr olic in August in Gold Bar, WA, and Peter planned to attend. So he brought them along, Peter picked it up, and now...it's mine! Oh and get this...the Frolic is held at Judith Jones nursery, Fancy Fronds. Yes the same person who first introduced me to this plant back in February of 2012. The circle is closed.

Here's Ian's description: "Grevillea x gaudichaudii (acanthifolia x laurifolia) is a natural hybrid between two species from the Blue Mountains in Australia. Although its form in the wild varies from shrubby and upright to creeping, I have only seen one form in North American cultivation: a prostrate or slightly mounding plant, which essentially functions as a groundcover. It has outstanding lobed green leaves (the new growth being bronzy to reddish) with deep red to almost purple large toothbrush flowers. Another excellent plant for covering banks or hillsides, or a large drier area of the garden, it seems to require very good drainage to perform well. Other forms of this hybrid should be introduced to cultivation as well. It seems to be able to handle temperatures in the 10 - 14°F range if it's properly sited and well hardened off - and perhaps it can go lower." (source)

Thank you Bom for giving me an excuse to tell this story, thank you Peter and Ian for helping me to acquire this much sought after plant, now if I can just keep it alive…

All material © 2009-2013 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

The week before last was one of extremes. We left record setting heat in Portland (Wednesday, September 11th a new high of 95 degrees) to arrive in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, to record setting rain; a 10, 15, or 20 year rain event depending on who you listened to. They had a very very wet week and I think 4” fell in just our first 24-hrs on the ground (9.92 is their avg annual). Unlike my previous visits to the state of NM everything was green, remarkably so.

The purpose of our travels was to visit my in-laws, we hadn’t seen them since last January and my father-in-law was recently admitted to the New Mexico Veterans Center. We weren't sure what to expect from the Vets home but were pleasantly surprised. Are you wondering how I’m going to bring this around to tie into a garden blog? And what’s with the "turtle courtyard" mentioned in the title? Well, there was a courtyard…and there were turtles!

Lots of turtles! And a fountain too, with turtles!

Built in 1936 this building used to house a children’s hospital, the fountain must have been a source of some delight for the kids. I wonder if there were real live turtles back then? We counted more than a dozen and they all had such unique expressions.

I almost stepped on this guy, not seeing him in the tall grass.

Did I mention it was wet?

I was pleased to see there were raised planters for the residents to garden in.

And crops of tomatoes…

And strawberries.

Plus more creatures to discover!

Out front the building took on a southern feel what with the plantation style porch.

I stopped to admire this graceful Desert Willow (I think)…

And was joined by a beautiful ~~sphinx~~ hawk moth. It was huge!

Later that afternoon the rain let up and I went for a walk around my in-laws neighborhood, hoping to scavenge a few opuntia pads from a vacant lot. Naturally I couldn’t help but snap more photos as things caught my eye.

Here was an example of the kind of flooding you could find all around town. Not anything like what they were experiencing in Colorado at the time, but there were local evacuations and sadly a couple of deaths.

All that debris is just washed out across the street…

Here the water is on path through someone’s side yard. Can you imagine having this dedicated stream bed in your garden year round?

So did I find anything worth bringing home? Of course! You don’t usually find Opuntia linguiformis here in Portland, so when I discovered a plant growing in an empty lot I snipped off a couple of pads (I brought one back a couple of years ago which has finally grown a new pad). Then I did a little weeding at the in-laws place and ended up with a few Yucca seedlings (Y. elata and Y. glauca I believe).

One of the Y. elata has already found a home.

He’s been flirting with being the fav several weeks running and it’s time he got the spotlight.

I’ve grown a couple of x Mangave 'Macho Mocha' in containers and never loved them as much as I did the day I brought them home. Their fleshy leaves are easy to break and they just never looked great. Spring of 2012 I stuck this one in the ground, partially because I needed its container for something else and partially because I was just done with it. I never thought it would live through that winter, but it did. And now, well…it’s gorgeous! (those silver and blue metal uprights are part of my neighbors avant-garde fence)

San Marcos Growers reports “Plants remain solitary until flowering at which time several new plants will emerge from below the older rosette.” That’s not been the case with this plant; he’s got quite a few small plants clustered around his base and yet he's never flowered.

My favorite plant lust description has to be the one from Plant Delights Nursery: “Oh, my! On a plant exploration trip into Mexico, Carl Schoenfeld collected seed from a plant of Manfreda variegata. Only when the seedlings were grown was it realized that it had crossed in the wild with a nearby plant of Agave celsii, resulting in the very first xMangave. Each surreal-looking, 3' wide clump of thick, rubbery, glaucous foliage is so covered with iron-red spots that the clump looks red. Established clumps are topped in late spring with thick 8' tall flower spikes...a hummingbird's wet dream. We have had this survive 9 °F, but in areas with wet cold winters, grow xMangave 'Macho Mocha' as a container plant. Stunning!”

I also have to share this one liner from Secret Garden Growers: “Manfreda x Agave had relations and produced this bold beauty with the best traits of both parents!”

Some of the nursery descriptions credit sun for upping the quantity of purple spots, for me they seem much more pronounced with cooler weather, which it seems we’ll have plenty of now that autumn has officially arrived.

The stats:

winter hardy to about 10F (USDA Zone 8), of course good drainage is key
drought tolerant, but does like some summer water
prefers sun
it’s flowers are white hummingbird attractors that top a 4-6ft tall stalk
eventual width 2-3ft (mine is currently 3ft x 3 ft)

Please share your favorite plant this week in the comments below!

That’s what I was asked recently when a fellow blogger visited my garden for the first time.

Ya okay…so I have a few…only fourteen…that’s not too many…right? I mean plant lust lists 97 of them so I don’t even have a quarter of the possibilities!

Actually I am still a little astonished I can successfully grow these in my garden, I think of them as being something you’d only see growing in California not in Portland, Oregon.

My plants bloom in various shades of yellow, yellow/green, and dark pink verging on red. But it’s the shades of yellow I like the best.

As good as the blooms are it’s the little seed capsules that follow which really capture my attention.

My first Callistemon purchase was ‘Woodlander’s Hardy Red’ in March of 2009. Then:

Now:

And in bloom:

I think the “favorite Callistemon foliage” award might go to C. pallidus 'Blue Foliage’

(same plant, different day/different angle)

The new growth on C. ‘Clemson’ is gorgeous, but a word to the wise this one has suffered some winter freeze damage on the tips.

Callistemon pityoides 'Excellent' is blooming right now…

The foliage...

In case you’re curious here’s my list, with quantities in parenthesis:
C. ‘Clemson’ (2)
C. NOID (2) (From the Cistus tough love sale in 2011, I think they might be C. sieberi)
C. pallidus 'Blue Foliage’
C. pityoides 'Excellent'
C. sieberi
C. viridiflorus (2)
C. viridiflorus 'Xera Compact' (2)
C. ‘Woodlander's Hardy Red’ (3)

So why am I carrying on about this genus of plants from Australia? Well besides the fact I think they’re pretty fabulous, I have a feeling they might be part of Paul Bonine ’s talk “Up With Down Under - hardy plants from the southern hemisphere including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and South America.” This talk is part of the “Gen(i)us Program” from the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon and is open to members and the general public. I pre-registered for the program but have conflict and won’t be able to attend, so I want to give away my “ticket” to someone who can (this means you need to be in the Portland area).

The program is scheduled for Tuesday, October 8th at 7pm at the Multnomah Arts Center, if you’re interested in attending leave a comment below saying so and be sure to include your email address so I can contact you if you win. Deadline to enter is this Sunday the 29th at midnight, random winner announced on Monday the 30th. Good luck!

***And because I'd love to get a new plant lover in touch with the HPSO and all the exciting things they do tell me you're not a member of the HPSO and your name will be entered into the contest twice!***

All material © 2009-2013 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

This garden was the first stop for my group during the San Francisco Garden Bloggers Fling. I felt a little like I was visiting my parallel life, what my gardening endeavors may have looked like had I moved to San Francisco in the early 2000’s (I came close) instead of Portland, Oregon in 2004. Had I moved I most certainly would have lived in the city, and of course wouldn't have been able to afford land. I would have gardened on my windowsill or balcony, or if I was really lucky somewhere like this...

Our bus pulled up in front of an apartment building and we entered...

After walking down long hallways and narrow staircases we emerged into a small light shaft.

And at the end of the hallway...green!

I think we all breathed a small sigh of relief to see there really was a garden!

This lush, quirky, space is the creation of Sean Stout and James Pettigrew, also known as the Organic Mechanics; a garden design, build and maintenance firm. They share this courtyard garden with the many residents of the multi-story buildings which surround it.

This was a very personal garden, with repurposed elements throughout.

And old, faded, advertising...

Being in an urban courtyard setting their plant choices could push all the boundaries.

I kept finding myself looking up in this garden, more than usual. I think it was knowing I was surrounded by tall buildings, but not quite believing it.

I'm not sure Vicki got a chance to look at the garden as her new friend didn't want to leave her side, err shoulder...

That's either Sean or James, sadly I missed his talk about the garden (to busy gawking and yacking with other "flingers").

This point was sort of a pass-through to the sunnier side of things.

I know what this is, I really do. I just can't remember its name right at the moment. Someone will tell me! The trunk...

And the top!

So perfect...

I do feel a connection to those who garden in containers, whether from necessity or love.

The early morning light fell on the Leucadendron argenteum perfectly.

I took more photos of it than I would have thought possible, you only have to see two.

Of course there were more Leucadendron to see...

And love.

It was Alison who asked if I'd been up to the roof to look down on the garden (I think she noticed I kept looking up).

I hadn't! So she told me how to get there and off I went, just a little concerned the group would leave without me. What a view!

Here's a neighbor who yearns for the outdoors but doesn't have a green thumb, or maybe the landlords permission to garden?

I could see the group was still there so I felt okay hanging out for a few more minutes and imagining "what if..."

Eventually it was time to leave and I spotted the Mechanics truck in front of the building. Here's their info, in case you're in need of their services!

I want to love fall, really I do. There is so much about it that I adore...sweaters, boots, fire, soup, pumpkin bread, chestnuts, etc. I was trying to explain my less than enthusiastic response to a friend the other day and finally came up with a comparison.

Spring is like Friday night. You have the whole weekend ahead of you! Savor the night, stay up late and sleep in a bit on Saturday...there’s nothing but good times ahead.

Summer is Saturday, ah the luxuriousness of it! Simply perfection.

Sunday morning is even lovely, it's late Summer, you’re still savoring the feel of it all.

But.

Then comes Sunday evening. That is FALL, fall is Sunday evening. It's still a restful time. The light and warmth is all around you but there is this little voice saying..."better get to seep; you know you've got to wake up EARLY tomorrow morning, and there’s that 9:00 meeting with the…”

And then after Fall comes Monday morning. It’s time to get up early and head off to school or work. Enough said.

There is no denying it's autumn and the garden is in graceful decline. While I'll never claim this season as a favorite, I'm also not blind to its many charms. To my memory it's unusual for the eucomis (a mixture of E. 'Sparkling Beauty' and 'Oakhurst') to still look so good midway through October.

Since this is my first autumn with Clematis tibetana var. vernayi I am overwhelmed (in a good way) with it's huge number of blooms.

The seed heads are gorgeous too!

x Fatshedera 'Aureo Maculata'

The bashful blooms of Mahonia fortunei 'Curlyque'

There's nothing shy about the emerging blooms of the Mahonia x media 'Charity'

And I almost missed the Mahonia eurybracteata 'Soft Caress'

I've only got one green Hakonechloa, the feathery blooms show up even better against a solid background.

I included an image of my blooming Musella lasiocarpa in a post last week but had to share it again, it's working hard to get all those petals unfurled before winter.

A twofer! Sedum 'Autumn Joy' and Chasmanthium latifolium (Northern Sea Oats)

The years last hosta bloom...

And my first ever Tricyrtis (Toad Lily) bloom. I should go find the tag so I can tell you exactly which one this is, but frankly I haven't organized my tags in quite sometime and I'm afraid to go near the pile.

Rosemary...

Grevillea juniperina ‘Molonglo’ (G. juniperina ‘Lava Cascade’ is still blooming too, just imagine a red version).

The Grevillea victoriae 'Murray Queen' flowers are starting to open!

Although some buds have fallen off without opening. I wish I knew why.

This is very exciting! A bud on my Grevillea 'Peaches and Cream!' first one ever...

Another first, Callistemon citrinus! Although it's a little stunted. This isn't the hardiest of the Callistemon and I bought it mainly as a rescue, it's in a container.

Finally a couple plants that had been outside on vacation but are now inside for the winter, Aloe hybrid 'Fairy Pink'. There are 5 separate bloom spikes on this plant right now. In order to capture them all I would have had to move back so far you wouldn't have seen any detail.

Here's what the plant looks like.

And the smallest (and final) flower in this Bloomday post belongs to Mammillaria gracilis var. fragilis...

In case you're new to the world of Garden Blogging "Bloomday" is a meme hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens. Participating bloggers post photos of their garden blooms on the 15th of each month. Check it out here!

All material © 2009-2013 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

There are so many huge and intricate spider webs all over the garden right now; I figured what better plant to feature this week than one that looks like a web...

Eryngium venustum also quite dangerous, with both vertical and horizontal spikes closely spaced on each leaf.

This is one of those plants I simply can’t get enough of, my current count is 7 but I’d be happy with a few more. The dried flowers are quite striking so I’ll leave them in place, last Christmas I was feeling crafty so I cut them off, painted them silver, and used them for tiny stars on a chartreuse Monterey cypress.

And since the Annie’s description on plantlust.com says “It even reseeds a tad, so you'll get a few free plants down the road!” that should mean tiny plant babies in my future.

Older plants (which I failed to take a picture of) tend to bulk up and loose that single rosette look. I’ve not been brave enough to try and divide them; I’d rather have a thicket than dead plants.

The stats:

also known as Mexican Sea Holly,
hardy in USDA zones 6-10
eventual size slightly over 1ft wide x 2ft tall (including bloom spike, plant itself is 6-8” tall)
likes full to part sun (it can be easily shaded out by surrounding plants, I lost one this way)
drought tolerant

More from the Annie’s description: “Perhaps you need something strange & otherworldly for your low water garden? Well, look no further than this petite Mexican perennial with spacey, spiky leaves & starry silver thistle-like flowers. It is a prickly plant, but attractively so & we don't need all of our plants to be softly pretty, do we? Leaves are very boldly serrated & make a striking pattern even before the flowering stems arise. It's super easy to grow & very tough, needing very little water & surviving in hot, hot sun.”

Far Reaches Farm notes “The flowers dry well and finches go for the seeds. The plant in general is scorned by deer.” What’s not to love?

Since foliage is the main draw for this eryngium I'm also submitting it for Pam's foliage follow-up meme today. Click over to her blog for a list of other bloggers participating. And don't forget to tell us all about your favorite plant in the garden this week…

All material © 2009-2013 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

It's a legend, Heronswood. A nursery and botanical garden with cult-like status. Plant-nuts get a sort of wistful look in their eyes when it's mentioned, old catalogues are hoarded, and plants which were purchased there have an almost star-like quality about them.

To my mind Heronswood's heyday was the 1990's - the same decade I lived in Seattle, just a short ferry-ride away. On lazy summer days friends and I would scrape together the fare and treat a ferry ride across the Puget Sound like it was our own chartered voyage, yet I never thought to step foot in the garden. Heck I hadn't even heard of it! It wasn't until I moved to Portland in 2004 and became immersed in the plant culture here that I realized what I had missed. Oh if I could turn back time! Instead I made it a priority to visit during one of the plant sales and garden open days this last September.

The sale included some of my favorite nurseries! Right at the front corner was DIG from Vashon Island.

They had a wonderful assortment of plants and even a few other things like these Esther Pots.

So many of my favorite plants were available at the sale. Of course since I already had them that meant I didn’t need to buy them!

That’s Heidi (on the right) owner of another favorite nursery, Dragonfly Farms.

Okay I’ve perused the sale and made my purchases (a Pyrrosia sheareri and a Piptanthus nepalensis var. tomentosus from Far Reaches Farm). Time to check out the garden! (note the full grown human on the far left of the Gunnera, for scale).

During the summer of 2012 the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe purchased Heronswood from the W. Atlee Burpee Company (who had purchased it from it's founders, Dan Hinkley and Robert Jones, in 2000...there is a whole lot of back-story there which I'm choosing to leave out). The tribe, its staff and volunteers have been working to return the garden to some version of its former self.

But...I’ve heard the stories. Plants disappeared from the garden, the ones that remained suffered years of neglect. Untrained volunteers have pruned rare plants to sticks. This was a collectors garden...when the collections were gone what would remain?

Well...seeing the garden with fresh eyes, eyes with no high expectations, I loved every bit of it. It was still a magical place.

Any plant lover who wanders its paths has to feel the magic.

There were still plenty of scenes to take my breath away. Like an entire corner of these ferns...

This humongous hebe!

Although it didn't necessarily take my breath away in a good way. Having just purchased 3 of these earlier in the day (more on that tomorrow) I was frightened at its size. I now believe this to be Hebe ochracea, where as what I bought was the compact cultivar 'James Stirling'...

Daphniphyllum himalaense ssp macropodum 'Variegated' (Variegated Himalayan Daphniphyllum), on the left.

Such sexy leaves!

This kind of thing isn't really my style...but ya know, right here it just seemed to fit.

And naturally I was drooling over the huge tree ferns.

Right about here I realized what time it was and that I needed to head back to the sale area and meet up with my friends (and travel companions for the day). I rushed out of the garden knowing I would be back someday...

Oh and speaking of those friends, Anna took this picture in the garden and shared it on her blog post. I didn't see this plant during my stroll through, and it was probably a good thing too because I might not have wanted to leave it behind! Oh those wavy waxy leaves! Anna and I have been going back on forth on what it might be but I'm still not certain we've got it. I'd love to hear ideas from you!!!
*UPDATE - consensus is this is a dwarf peach tree, I'll let you know if I learn more*

Yesterday I wrote about my visit to Heronswood, however I need to catch you up on what came earlier in the day. Before the Heronswwod sale I (we: Andrew and I) first had to get up before dawn and drive up to Tacoma, where we (I: Andrew had other places to be) met up with the master of ceremonies Peter (aka the Outlaw Gardener) and the rest of our group for the day: Alison,Laura (and her Pirate), and Anna.

You've probably already followed along with our adventure on the other blogs, but Peter had come up with a master plan that had us visiting a crazy list of nurseries at a semi break-neck pace. First up (before Heronswood opened) was Valley Nursery in Poulsbo, Wa.

Thanks to Peter I already knew Valley had a great assortment of plants from WeHoP, what I didn’t know was how much I would want to buy them ALL! I’d been to Valley once before, in June of 2012, also on Peter’s advice, it was great then but this tme I wanted everything!!!

There is no bloom like zone 9 grevillea bloom.

And ya'll know how how much I love a good Leucadendron...

Peter grabbed this one. Isn't it gorgeous?

Look...

I want! (not the statue silly)

The only problem with this nursery visit was it happened first in the day. There was no way I was going to spend $49.99 on a Kalanchoe beharensis this early. In retrospect I still have a huge crush on this plant but I'm okay that I passed on it.

Next up on the wheel of desire, Dusky Bells Correa. This one was only $14.99, and not hardy. Maybe I shoulda...

Tree ferns, always love them.

And this! Seems to be the "everywhere" plant right now...

This one always tugs at my heart strings! Furcraea foetida 'Mediopicta' I've loved, and lost, 3 of these...

At $54.99 I managed to walk away, again.

This color combo is so so so good!

Even though I don't actually care for either of the plants on their own.

Silly sign, but fun none-the-less...

Okay here's what I finally bought (so refined, can you even imagine?...if it had been June and not September I would have gone so so crazy!)...

I bought three, and I love them,

Here's one planted in my garden. All three are in close proximity.

After an amazing Day 1 of the Garden Bloggers Fling (spent touring gardens and enjoying lunch (and shopping!) at Annie’s Annuals), we made a brief stopover at the hotel (too short for a nap) and were back on the bus for a quick trip to the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers at Golden Gate Park.

I’ve had a long and complicated relationship with the conservatory, best summed up in one word: disappointment. I have visited the park several times, each time the conservatory has been closed. Once for repairs, once for a special event (one I wasn’t invited to) and once the visit was just during off hours. I couldn’t believe I was finally going to be allowed inside!

But wait – first our group photo needed to be taken by Mr. Saxon Holt. That’s him cajoling us all into squeezing together, or smiling, or just standing still.

And here we are! (photo courtesy of Saxon Holt)

Oh it looks like “hamming it up” for the camera wasn’t quite done yet, recognize these guys? Scott of Rhone Street Gardens and Peter, The Outlaw Gardener.

In case you wondered about those palms behind them…

Finally it was time to go inside!

Or rather stand in line for a glass of wine and ogle this planted wall…

In case we forgot where we were…

A little history (v ia of the Wiki) on the building itself: “With construction completed in 1878, it remains the oldest building in the park, and the oldest municipal wooden conservatory remaining in the United States. It is also one of the first municipal conservatories constructed in the country.”

The central dome rises nearly 60 ft…

“The Conservatory kit was bought by James Lick, an eccentric businessman, piano maker, and successful real estate investor. It was intended for the City of San Jose where Lick had built a mansion surrounded by exotic plants imported from South America and around the world. Lick died in 1876 before constructing the conservatory on his estate, and it was put up for sale by his trustees. The kit was then purchased by a group of prominent San Franciscans…who offered it as a gift to the City of San Francisco for use in Golden Gate Park.”

Most importantly for visitors like us the conservatory houses “approximately 1,700 plant species.” Most of which I didn’t bother to get the name of...

Oh I know the name of that one though! (in the skirt) That’s Denise of A Growing Obsession….

There was a butterfly exhibit during our visit, this was the only photo I took which wasn't too blurry.

Oh I know this one! Curculigo capitulata or 'Palm Grass'

And this one too, Dioon spinulosum.

This one I puzzled on for awhile. That’s what happens when almost 4 months pass between taking the photo and editing it. Well and when you’re a dork. Because this one’s not real, it’s metal. Duh…

Of all the beautiful plants I saw that evening this glass and metal "Victoria amazonica water lily" is what stands out the most in my memory.

It was amazing!

Of course the elevated pond it hung over was pretty cool too. How often do you have water at eye level?

Silly me, I’m finally inside the conservatory but I’m taking pictures of what’s outside. I do love me a slightly muddled view (great excuse for not washing the windows at home).

And finally some flowers, after all that’s what it’s supposed to be all about here…

As dinnertime edged closer we were ushered out to a pavilion behind the conservatory where a lovely meal was enjoyed by all and copious amounts of swag was given out. I won a CobraHead Weeder. Who knew? I’ve always used an old flat-head screwdriver to weed but having the right tool really does make a difference. I was going to take a picture of it attacking a patch of oxalis but forgot to do so…you’ll have to use your imagination (or click here to see what the tool looks like). Thank you CobraHead!

All material © 2009-2013 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

Moving containers around in (semi) preparation for their winter storage I was surprised to find an entire, preserved, dragonfly. I approached him carefully, expecting him to take flight. He did not, after all he was dead, and crispy.

He was (is) beautiful. I’ve named him Crispy Glover and given him a nice place to hang out, on an Opuntia aciculata (Chenille Prickly Pear) pad (gift from the miserable gardener).

That way I can keep an eye on him, kind of like an extended science experiment. Don't you think he looks happy there?

In a way that’s kind of what my driveway planters become over the winter, an experiment. I’ve called them my “Denial Garden” in the past. It’s where newly purchased (and gifted) things go when they’re in holding until spring. This year it's a bit of zonal denial plus a lot of denial that another season has come to an end. If I keep scheming and dreaming then the gardening season just continues, right?

I haven’t even written about a lot of these plants yet. New purchases, things from the Portland Garden Bloggers plant swap, etc, etc, etc. Most of them are destined for the new planting area which will be created by the removal of the monster privet.

I am both dreading and excited about that project.

But in the mean time I get to keep an eye on these new babies…

And think about where they’ll end up and what that will look like.

Of course it’s also the area I am using to stage things in transition like these colocasia and alocasia which must be protected from the upcoming winter temps. Oh how I don’t want to think about that.

I wonder if the Old Farmer’s Almanac says anything about what crispy dragonflies mean about the upcoming winter. Surely there’s something, Crispy Glover what are you trying to tell me?

On a recent walk through the garden I found myself doing that thing I dread doing, but do none-the-less. My eyes start to see the plants differently. The ones which are only marginally hardy start to have a sort “’enjoy me now, while you can” spotlight on them. Can you see it too?

Okay so that’s just the evening sun, but you know what I mean.

I picked up this Echium candicans 'Star of Madeira' (and a second) for a couple of bucks on clearance last fall. They were just tiny sticks in four inch containers and easily overwintered with a little protection. Both were planted out last spring, the one in the back garden bloomed and has grown, a lot. Here it is after planting...

And now...

The one in the front garden hasn’t gotten nearly the water and hasn’t grown much.

While I love to see these plants covered with the traditional blue flower spikes my main attraction to them is for the foliage…

However since none of these planted in my garden has ever lived through a winter (unlike in my co-plant luster Patricia’s garden) I have a feeling this beauty’s days are numbered. It was wonderful while it lasted (and besides I don’t have the room for it anyway, or so I'm telling myself)…

The stats:

evergreen shrub from the Madeira Islands (Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Morocco)
eventual height 4-6ft, width 6-8ft
hardy in USDA zones 9a-10b
likes fun sun and well drained soil, drought tolerant once established

What's caught your eye in your garden this week? Please share...

All material © 2009-2013 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

A couple of weeks back I had the honor of attending a special Field-to-Vase dinner, sort of the floral equivalent of a Farm-to-Table dinner, held at the Leach Botanical Garden here in Portland.

flowers from Resendiz Brothers Protea Growers

everywhere you looked that night there were beautiful
American-grown flowers

Hosted by the California Cut Flower Commission the evening was an opportunity to meet flower farmers from Washington, Oregon and California and learn about the challenges they're facing as an industry. Other attendees included floral retailers and wholesalers, designers and even a few fellow bloggers.

I had to sneak outside and take a few pictures
of the garden

I really need to make another visit to the Leach Botanical Gardens soon

nobody grows mossy trees quite like the Pacific Northwest

a huge hanging staghorn fern

I met so many wonderful people that night - in the floral coat
is Diane Szukovathy of Jello Mold Farms, in the oatmeal sweater
the very talented floral designer Françoise Weeks
and on the far right my friends, and fellow garden writers,
Kate Bryant and Ann Amato-Zorich

To me the ultimate local flower is one that comes from my garden. And while I’m at it let me clarify that “cut flower” doesn't always mean there is a bloom involved. More often than not whether I’m buying stems at my local florist or foraging something from my garden or neighborhood there is no flower – just foliage. In fact most everything that is pruned in my garden makes it indoors and into a vase, why not? If I love it enough to plant it in my garden why not enjoy it indoors too?

and me, with two ladies I really admire...
Lorene Edwards Forkner (middle) and Debra Prinzing

However if I can’t find what I want in my own backyard (and let’s face it there aren't a lot of King Protea blooms to be found there), then of course I want to buy a flower grown right here in the United States, right? I mean why not? Logic tells me they’re going to be fresher, and thus last longer. And economically speaking why wouldn't I want to support a farm worker and owner here in the U.S. rather than one in South America?

Lane DeVries of Sun Valley Floral Farms addresses the group

However, that night I learned "80% of the cut flowers purchased in the U.S. are not grown in the U.S.” – California Cut Flower Commission

beautiful floral arrangements in Debra's American
pottery collection decorating the tables

80%! That’s remarkable don’t you think? During dinner (which was an amazing meal from Simpatica, utilizing local ingredients, of course), there was a lengthy discussion about what could be done to change that percentage. Flower Farmers from California, Oregon and Washington all shared their thoughts. The most basic answer to the question is for us to ask. Ask your florist where the flowers they’re selling come from. If you don’t like the answer then tell them why. Of course buying in season from your local farmers market is a great alternative, but not one that's always possible.

I was slightly envious of her pottery collection

but of course the flowers were the real stars

Later that night there was an exciting announcement from Debra Prinzing, author of Slow Flowers: Four Seasons of Locally Grown Bouquets from the Garden, Meadow and Farm and The 50 Mile Bouquet: Seasonal, Local and Sustainable Flowers. She’s launching a website SlowFlowers.com; a nationwide online guide to where you can source American-grown flowers, making it even easier to buy local. The site currently says "Coming Fall 2013," but as these things go I believe the launch date has been pushed back to January 1, 2014.

slowflowers.com

close-up of the gift arrangements we were given to take home

naturally once at home I transferred the gorgeous
flowers to one of my vintage vases

Since that night I haven't had the need to purchase cut flowers or foliage, the bounty of fall in my garden is filling every vase and then some. However the next time I do I will definitely ask about the origin of the flowers I buy. What about you, is this something you'll think about?

All material © 2009-2013 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

Location location location…is there anything more important for any business? Okay reputation maybe but since Celestial Dream Gardens is located mere yards from Heronswood, they’re super nice people, and they’ve got great plants I think they’re destined to succeed.

This was my second time visiting Celestial Gardens, however the first time it started to rain as soon as we arrived (and we were overdue for lunch) so my visit that time was quick and concentrated on the greenhouses. This time I made sure to spend a great deal of time wandering their display garden. That’s also where I took almost all of my photos...

This is only the second Acacia baileyana 'Purpurea' I’ve seen in the ground (the other one is in this garden).

Not reliable hardy its days are numbered. But then again it’s gorgeous while it lasts!

I think this is an Azara microphylla (?)

And Ozothamnus ‘Sussex Silver’ (?) – which I am going to remember to plant in my garden next year damn-it!

Colletia hystrix also known as Crucifixion Thorn or Barbed Wire Bush

My Fremontodendron died last year.

I am still bummed about that.

This one! My friend Peter (aka The Outlaw) spotted it in the nursery and inquired about it, Carlina acaulis ssp. simplex, it’s in the Aster family!

He tracked me down in the garden to make sure I saw it and knew it was available for purchase; my only regret is that I bought just one.

This was my next "stop and stare" moment. What the heck?

I asked Jeff (the owner) for id and more importantly if had any for sale. He did not, I guess it’s rather hard to propagate. He did write down the name however, Microcachrys tetragona, I tucked that piece of paper in my wallet for safe keeping.

How cool are those little orange balls?

Here are the only two photos I managed to take in the greenhouses. Obviously I was still a little concerned about the hebe I bought earlier at Valley Nursery and then the HUGE one I spotted at Heronswood. These are obviously well on their way to being full grown.

If you find yourself visiting Heronswood during one of their open gardens you really should venture a but further down the road (only a very little bit) and stop in at Celestial Dream. I don't think you'll be disappointed!

All material © 2009-2013 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

Andrew has come up with a new design for the annual shade pavilion to greenhouse conversion. Not that the old design was broken but, you know, when the creative mind thinks of something better it must be implemented.

So we’ve been working; which means I, as the assistant, spend a lot of time waiting to be told what’s next. Naturally my eyes start to wander, and I see things. Things I want to share with you. Like the fact my Acanthus sennii looks like it’s finally thinking about blooming.

I wonder what will happen first? Frost or bloom?

The big leaves of the Gunnera…

…and Tetrapanax are fabulously intricate when back lit but the sun.

And I’m happy anytime I can capture the hairs on the Leucadendron leaves.

Although it's better when you wait for just the right light.

A little golden, Fall color…

I love the grid pattern on the Opuntia microdasys (Bunny Ears)

And the tiny fruits just keep appearing on the Rubus lineatus.

More sun-play with big leaves, this one a colocasia (Colocasia antiquorum 'Illustris' I believe).

My Bocconia frutescens (Tree Poppy) seeds are finally opening.

Check them out! Crazy huh?

Finally I must admit to being rather captivated by the leaves of the Acacia baileyana 'Purpurea' as the sun moved around the tiny plant.

It's not terribly thrilled with life in a container so I think next spring it will be set free.

Perhaps to lend a brief exotic flare to the new planting area north of the patio, where the privet is coming out.

So beautiful...

Last weekend I visited Flower World in Maltby, Washington. I’d heard about this place from a couple of friends, most recently The Outlaw. Since it was a grey and chilly day we spent most of our visit in the Seasonal House, where it was warm and bright.

And where there were more houseplants than I think I’ve ever seen in one location. The word I’ve heard most often used to describe Flower World is BIG and indeed, it really is. Besides the sheer size, the thing I was blown away by was the quantity. If you liked something you had about 50 of them to choose from, it was a little intimidating.

My friend Erin liked the tri-color Cordylines.

Whereas I was partial to Miss Andrea, in fact one came home with me.

Of course since there were so many to choose from it took awhile to decide which one.

How do you decided which plant is “the one?” I’ve seen people just grab the one in front, and people who decide they must have the one in the back, furthest out of reach. I usually select three good looking ones and chose the one that speaks to me from that group. It helps to put them on the ground too, since that’s the angle I’ll usually see it from. Aren't those colors just fabulous!?

See what I mean about multiples?

It's rare to see opuntia like this in a nursery.

They've taken some cuttings from old woody specimens. I like it!

There was only one of these bad boys, not multiples.

But if you looked close you could see it was made up of multiple smaller Staghorns.

Multiple crew-cut-suffering Carex morrowii 'Silver Scepter'...

It's fairly rare to see a group of Magnolia macrophylla, especially so tall.

Platycladus orientalis 'Aurea Nana' (Berckman Dwarf Golden Arborvitae), these look like they might take a bite out of your little dog when you're not looking, thankfully I left mine at home.

Now a not so subtle segue into another location with multiples, my friend Patrica's garden. Where else in Portland are you going to see so many Echium wildpretii?

Gorgeous!

So this is what happens when you let a blooming plant go to seed...

They look a little like sea anemones don't you think?

There's another plant she's going to have multiples of next spring. Hopefully this means I'll have a source for seedlings!

And finally, multiple people mentioned Dodonaea viscosa 'Purpurea' when I asked about dark evergreen foliage hardy in my zone. Is that it, below? Yes it's in Patricia's garden, and yes I could have asked her but she just broke her shoulder and had surgery with multiple screws placed in the bone. I don't think plant I.D. is high on her list of priorities at the moment. Please advise if you know...

Most of you know the structure we refer to as our “shade pavilion” undergoes a winter-time transformation to become a sort of greenhouse. The design we’ve been using goes back to 2010 and had become a little tattered. Still usable, but begging to be improved upon in the mind of its designer, Andrew.

Construction began on October 19th a beautifully sunny and warm day. Cleared of many of the potted plants (about half are already inside for the winter) the patio became a great work area.

Of course the supervisor was napping as soon as work got underway, as they do.

I should save the best part for last, but I'm not going to...the new design is bigger, as in there is MORE ROOM FOR PLANTS...yes, it's true! The sides on the old design fell just about at the outer edge of the orange upright. The new sides mount where you see the "U" shaped cut out in the 2x4. That's roughly 9" of new space on each side, 18" overall, running the full length of the structure.

And the new sides are clear and solid. The old design (picture coming up below) had solid ends but the sides and roof were made up of sheet poly.

Now they're corrugated panels sandwiched between two pieces of wood.

We eventually placed grey pipe insulating tubes along the bottom edge to help keep it air-tight-ish. And yes the labels came off, we were leaving them in place during construction to help keep the front and back sides obvious.

Here you can see the bottom seal as well as the ultra moderne and stylish curved corners...

The finished product! You can barely make out the white curved pieces that fit in the gaps at the top of each wall and under the roof. The design is so sleek I almost wish I had time to break out the orange paint and cover the raw wood, so it better blends. However as it ages it will darken and not be so loud (as evidenced but the older vertical piece you can see in the photo above)

Seems the supervisor woke up just in time to inspect our work.

Look how big and spaceous! (and bright)

Because he is always trying to improve upon things Andrew is already critiquing this design. He wishes the roof had been tilted to allow for rain (snow???) to run off. It is completely under the metal roof (this image makes it look like it extends beyond) though so hopefully that won't be too much of an issue.

This design lets in so much more light than the old one! Okay enough admiring it's time to fill it up...

Don't they look happy?

I fear the utilitarian shelving brings down the overall property value though...

The three dark grey stripes on the right side (below) are non-residue duct tape we used to seal the panels together. It's a nice dark color (not silver) and blends quite well, when we take it apart in the Spring the tape will pull right off with no sticky stuff left behind. The reason there aren't any stripes on the left is because we ran out of tape, I've since finished the job. Oh and that empty space inside on the left is for a couple of plants I needed Andrews help lifting.

Here's the old design, a photo from it's first year of use. Some of you might notice the plant collection has grown a little over the years too...

This is a definite improvement!

Here are the stragglers, waiting to be tucked in there by the door. They've since been moved in and fit perfectly.

Plus I still have a little extra room to get in there and check on things and water a bit.

Because I don't want to let things like my acacia get too dried out...

There are other benefits to an enclosed space too, like the fact I finally noticed the amazing scent of the Colletia hystrix flowers.

Plants like Mr. Big, my Agave americana 'Variegata' are happy at the prospect of a dry winter.

And I'm hoping plants like the Grevillea 'Superb' I brought home from the Ruth Bancroft Garden will stay just warm enough to live through the winter. Of course things are organized with the plants that need the most heat both nearest the eventual heat source, as well as close to the door - should an emergency evacuation (into the warm house) be required.

I wish I knew what winter holds for us all, but at least my plants have the best possible chance at a cozy few months.

And how lucky am I to have a husband who will spend his limited free time building things to protect the ridiculous quantities of special-needs-plants we've acquired? (very)

By the way the temperature inside the "greenhouse" is running a full 4 degrees warmer overnight, with no heat, how fabulous is that? Of course the sun has been helping to heat it up during the day and as the morning progresses and the outside air warms up, it lags behind. I'm going to have to get in the habit of opening it up for air circulation. And look into less obnoxious shelving...

I thought it would be fun to change things up a bit this week, in honor of Halloween, and share with you some of the plants in my garden that aren't so, well, lush. In fact they've been said to look dead. I can still hear my mother-in-law when Andrew and I selected this Pseudopanax ferox at Cistus Nursery, "you're paying $30 for a pot with a few dead brown sticks in it?" yes, yes we did. And it's grown rather nicely...

From Cistus: "One of those cool dinosaur plants found down Kiwi way that catches the eye and triggers the lust gene in plant geeks and adventurous gardeners. Juvenile leaves are dark brown, long, very narrow, stiff, and saw-toothed, growing downward from a central stem -- odd indeed. Slow growing, trees reach 20' in 20+ years, only then producing adult foliage, shorter, wider, and green. Sun to dappled or bright shade and regular summer water. Frost hardy in USDA zone 8b in a sheltered location, though even in Portland we keep most of ours in containers and shelter during winter cold."

Another Pseudopanax, this one P. crassifolius. Like P. ferox the juvenile foliage differs greatly from that of the mature tree. From the San Marcos Growers website: "The dimorphic changes between a smaller juvenile and the mature plant is common in New Zealand plants and is thought to be a defense mechanism to prevent animals (perhaps even the legendary Moa, a large flightless and now extinct bird) from browsing a young tree."

This one is Pittosporum divaricatum...

The Cistus description: "This plant, on our lust list for years, is in many ways a typical New Zealand citizen, with tiny, only 1/4", narrow, toothed leaves of nearly jet black, providing difficult grazing for beaky animals…all this on a densely upright, divaricating shrub. Eventually to 8' or more, but easily kept at 3-4', producing small, blackish purple flowers and, with age, larger leaves. Is there a theme? Striking pot or garden specimen. We suggest planting with silver foliage plants so youngsters don't get lost or stepped on. Prefers some summer water where dry. Has proven hardy to 10 °F or so, USDA zone 8."

See there are leaves!

This spooky little plant, also from New Zealand and also from Cistus (coincidence?), was a gift from Sean Hogan last summer. Pittosporum patulum, I trust you'll kindly ignore the oxalis on it's right.

The next plant, Muehlenbeckia astonii, looks a little livelier at the moment with its small green leaves, but once they go away and just the tiny branches remain this plant almost disappears: "This amazing little shrub has become a favorite at our nursery. Much like the divaricating zig zag branch pattern of Corokia cotoneaster this shrub has even more zig and zag. The twisting little stems surround the shrub and build a perfectly round net of branches. Tiny paw shaped leaves appear in summer in a swish of green. They quietly go away in winter but the shrub remains charming. A netted shrub. Tiny cream flowers in summer go almost unnoticed. What is really fantastic is this small shrub (To 3' tall and rounded to 3' wide in 5 years) is completely hardy to cold. Surprising since its a New Zealand native. A piece of living sculpture with a soft mein. Drought tolerant. For full sun to quite a bit of shade." - Cistus.

Another Muehlenbeckia, M. ephedroides. This one was recently picked up at Xera Plants, and is in holding (yes, in the denial garden) until I decide where to plant it in the spring.

Would you have guessed it's also a New Zealand native? Of course you would.

Sophora prostrata 'Little Baby' has a coloring which makes it look little less crispy, but it's still all about the zig-zag branches and what the heck since it's another one from New Zealand I figured why not include it...

"A smallish shrub from New Zealand with narrow wiry stems growing in a zigzag fashion, bearing pretty leaves with tiny leaflets. Golden orange pea flowers are produced late in the season. Best in full sun, lean soil and not much fertilizer. Most we've seen reach 4 ft or so in a Rastafarian tangle. Frost hardy in USDA zone 8, possibly into zone 7." - Cistus

And finally Corokia Cotoneaster...

"Why, its not a Cotoneaster at all, in fact Corokia is a member of the dogwood family and evolved its twisted zigzagging stems and small leaves to fend off grazing by giant birds in New Zealand. The birds are now extinct and we are left with this shrub as a natural bonsai. To 4' tall and 3' wide. Full sun to part shade. Regular water. Great winter container plant. Yellow flowers in summer followed by red berries." - Xera Plants

Now of course I'm visualizing an entire spooky garden made of of these crazy plants from New Zealand. Of course I'd need to sneak in a Rosa sericea ssp. omeiensis f. pteracantha (Wingthorn Rose), it's blood red thorns would be just the thing to go with all these dark wiry plants!

I hope you've got lots of fun (and a little spooky) things planned for Halloween. Stay safe and as always please tell us about what plant you're currently enamored with in your garden...

All material © 2009-2013 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

Visiting the garden of Vanessa Gardner Nagel…

Acquiring that elusive plant…

Flooding in the turtle courtyard and more from New Mexico…

x Mangave 'Macho Mocha' gets the favorite plant title this week…

Just how many Callistemon do you have?

The Organic Mechanics

Fall, why I'm just not in-love with it

October 2013 Bloomday…

Eryngium venustum is my favorite plant in the garden, this week…

Visiting Heronswood

Let’s back up a bit…

Our evening at the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers...

Say Hello to my Little Friend…

Echium candicans 'Star of Madeira' – it’s my favorite plant in the garden, this week…

Field to Vase and the "buy-local" flower movement...

After Heronswood, a visit to Celestial Dream Gardens…

What do you do when you're the project assistant and you're bored?

Multiples

The Shade Pavilion Greenhouse, upgrade…

But it looks dead! (my favorite plants in the garden on Halloween)...