danger garden

This year I vowed to be better about visiting the open gardens available to me through membership in the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon (HPSO). In prior years it seemed mid to late summer before I'd finally think to start visiting. This year I visited my first on June 15th...

I knew this garden would be something special because I read it's profile in our local magazine, Portland Monthly, last summer.

The description in the HPSO open gardens book said this is a 2-acre "mostly woodland garden, with natural and developed scree beds in both dry and wet environments on the creek slopes" I also knew (from the magazine article) that the home was likely to be pretty wonderful, it was designed by architect Pietro Belluschi, "a native Italian who helped pioneer a Portland modernism influenced by both Europe and Japan." Although of course the home wasn't open to tour, just the garden. Here was the official garden greeter...

I was tempted to ask if they irrigate the lawn during our dry summers, I decided not to. Some people are very sensitive about the topic.

Yep, there's always an agave...if you look hard enough. In this case I didn't have to look very hard.

I love the off-set pathway.

Looking to my left from the path above. We'll come back around there in just a bit.

Another glimpse of the pond/seating area...

And we're there! I love the maze-like approach.

Garden "artifacts" are so much better with patina.

This fern stopped me in my tracks, it's gorgeous! Anyone know what it is?

There were several bridges across the creek, I had to keep reminding myself to look down as I backed up for the best shot. An 6-ft fall to rocks below is not my idea of a good time.

Finally I emerged from the shady creek area to an open lawn on the opposite side of the home. What a garden to start the "open" season with, the bar has been set high...

Last week I took part in the pre-tour for the 2014 ANLD Garden Tour. This tour focuses on gardens designed by members of the Association of Northwest Landscape Designers, we visited 6 gardens mostly in North and Northeast Portland, with one in Southeast. This tour is an excellent opportunity for homeowners in need of professional landscape assistance to see what the member designers can do. This tour isn't a plant-centric event (although a couple of the gardens were obviously tended by plant lovers) but rather a chance to think about the bones of our gardens. Here's a quick look at what you'll see on the tour...

We started the day at the garden of David P. Best, designed by Barbara Hilty and Adriana Berry. Since the pre-tour was just getting underway we stood listening to announcements and thanks for quite awhile. I don't do well in an environment where I am forced to stand still for long periods and I feel trapped by the large number of people all around me. I coped by taking photos of the hardscape elements at my feet.

The varied intersections of metal, pavers, and soil was an interesting design element throughout this garden.

The second garden belonged to the Malones, recent transplants to Oregon, and was designed by Marina Wynton.

Remember, there is always an agave. This one has been left plenty of room to grow.

This take on the traditional bottle tree was created by Mike Suri, who was on hand to tell us a little about the design process. He also created a pair of gates, one visible in the first photo of this garden above.

Sometimes you've just got to work around things...

As we stood listening to the presentation in this garden I dreamed about growing Joe Pye Weed...

And having a fabulous garden shed with a green roof and doors like this...

The third garden of the day was one I've visited before, and for those of you joining us in Portland for the Garden Bloggers Fling one you'll be visiting too. The designer behind the Ernst/Dermer Garden, is Laura Crockett (who also had a hand in the Floramagoria garden).

This remains one of my favorite seating areas ever...

During the Fling those doors will be open and we'll be visiting the neighboring garden as well.

I got some great tips from plant-nut (and gardener/owner) Linda Ernst about overwintering astelia.

After a tasty lunch stop at Garden Fever Nursery we were back on the road. Garden number four belongs to Pat Moore who got design help from Bruce Hegna. Pat had a bit of a problem...

Propagation skills gone mad! He needed a way to corral his collection and make the garden livable, Mr. Hegna created raised beds to coral the plant collection and plenty of hardscape to make the garden workable. You can read more about the process here.

One of my favorite features of this garden was something I spotted as we were leaving. The planted, yet walk-able, hell-strip...

Here we are at the Meihoff Garden, designed by Donna Giguere. This home sits on a narrow street with bumper to bumper parking on both sides. One of the homeowners design requests was a parking space, which they got...

The wide hell-strip had the densest carpet of Leptinella squalida 'Platt's Black' that I've ever seen.

Amazing!

The glass spheres throughout the garden are the work of Zoe Bacon.

Leaving en-route to the final garden I spotted this license plate...

Here we are at the Williams Garden designed by Darcy Daniels (I visited Darcy's personal garden back in 2011). Darcy shared that one of the first questions she asks is whether or not the garage is actually used to park a car. If the answer is no then the driveway is claimed as garden space! These planters are on castors so they can be moved aside if need be...

When in place they create a private seating area just outside the home's side-door.

There were several fabulous plant combos in this garden.

That's Darcy under the shade pavilion addressing the group. I didn't think to ask if the designers would be on-hand the day of the actual tour, I bet they will be.

So did I whet your appetite? The tour is this Saturday, June 28 from 10 am to 4 pm. Tickets are $20 and available online as well as at Garden Fever, Xera Plants, both Portland Nursery locations, Cornell Farm and Dennis 7-Dees. Proceeds from the tour go to fund scholarships for design students. Click here to see my friend and fellow blogger Jane's take on the tour and here to see what Heather thought. Oh and Heather's giving away a set of tickets! (*late breaking news, Ricki at Sprig to Twig has a pair of tickets to giveaway too!*)

In my earlier post on the ANLD tour I mentioned our lunch stop at Garden Fever Nursery. They recently completed construction of a deck on which they showcase their collection of garden furniture and accessories. As we entered my eyes were focused up, on the deck.

But then I saw spotty…

A little back story is required. On one of my first birthdays after we were married Andrew gifted me a spotted planter much like the one above. I was thrilled, at the time it was quite a splurge for us and I’ve always treasured it. Fast forward to this spring and when I was moving that same planter…it tipped forward, off the hand-truck, and onto our cement patio. Smashed. I was heartbroken.

I picked up all the pieces with the idea I would glue it back together, and then visited Garden Fever to see if they had a replacement in stock. They did not, but recorded my info and just a couple of weeks later I got a lovely email from Lori Volmer, co-owner of GF. She was letting me know they’d received exactly the size and finish of planter I was after, and that it was the spottiest version of that finish she’d ever seen. She held it for me for a few days, in case I still wanted it. In the mean time I’d spent a bundle on plants and acquired a few other large containers, I’d gotten over my loss and decided to pass. In fact I’d even given the broken pieces to Alison, who used them creatively in her garden.

So by the time I was at Garden Fever last week all that was forgotten, water under the bridge. Until I saw spotty.

I went on with the ANLD tour, all the while thinking about him.

The next day I went back…he was still there. I told the fellow unloading a new pallet of containers that spotty was to be mine and then strolled the nursery taking a few pictures. Most years I’m at Garden Fever at least once a week, for some reason this year has been different, it was like I was visiting with an old friend. New growth on Rhododendron sinogrande...

Eupatorium capillifolium 'Elegant Feather' and for $2 less than I paid for it!

Perfect little pads...

This looks like my brothers picnic table after an agave pup harvest from his garden. So many A. scabra and A. franzosinii pups!

Here's spotty at home in my garden. I rationalized the purchase because it's less than a month until my birthday, and my parents usually give the gift of cash. I just spent it early!

Naturally when I went to take photos of spotty the light had changed and he was in the shadows, you'll just have to take my word for it that the coloration has a lovely mottled green/blue tone. The dark spots seemed to require a dark leaf, like those on Echeveria 'Black Prince' also from Garden Fever...

Well at least I think it's S. ‘Red Rubin’…I am rather bad at keeping track of my sempervivum.

But see they're doing this crazy thing where they've moved down between the cement blocks next to our driveway. I did not plant these here!

In fact I've been scheming (for a couple of years, where does time go?) to get rid of those blocks and do something like this, only with galvanized pipe (photo courtesy of Floradora Gardens)...

But these just look so darn good I might have to leave them.

There are also some common green "houseleeks"...

Which have moved down between the blocks.

These plants are so carefree, what's not to love?

This river has develeoped mostly on it's own, after I planted a few years ago...

The stats for Sempervivum 'Red Rubin' (which are pretty much the same for all the semps)...

succulent, hardy in USDA Zones 4-9
drought tolerant and happy in sun to part sun conditions
wants good drainage
blooms pink (as do most sempervivum)
the mother plant dies after blooming but usually is surrounded by baby plants (the chicks in "hens and chicks, it's common name) which live on and fill in the gap
slow spreader to 4-6" tall, 12" wide

In case you're feeling a little "Déjà vu-y" I have posted about my love for this group of plants in the past: here when it was an earlier fav, and here when I shared a wonderful book I discovered called "Plant Jewels of the High Country." So now it's your turn! What's caught your eye in your garden this week?

For you locals here's a little info about another exciting garden tour happening tomorrow, Saturday June 28th. It's a joint effort of the HPSO and the Garden Conservancy program. Six gardens in North and NE Portland (seems we're the hot-spot for garden tours!) under the theme "Within the City Limits: Minimum Space - Maximum Results"...a list of gardens, driving directions, and other details (like how to get tickets - each garden requires a ticket which are $5 ea) can be found on the HPSO website. Oh the riches we have here in Portland...

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

Sometime early this month, or honestly maybe late last month, I noticed leaves appearing in a spot that had been occupied by an Aloe striatula. Winter had killed the plant parts above ground so I’d snipped them off, not thinking about the fact I left the roots in place (they were in an area too awkward to dig). It's safe to say I was thrilled to see an Aloe return after our horrid winter cold, success!

I would have been happy if it had ended there but whaddya know? The Cordyline 'Cha Cha' is making a return appearance as well. I expect that from the regular old green cordylines but not this one, hooray!

Then just a couple of weeks ago I stared to see green tips emerging from where my (usually) evergreen Disporum cantoniense 'Green Giant' had been. Could it be? Cut back by the cold and then smashed further into the soil by the fence builders I’d given this one up for deader than dead. Nope, it makes a triumphant return! Life is good.

Earlier in the season I realized the emerging tips of Alstroemeria isabellana were doing battle with some sort of hungry creature, once aware I protected them with copper rings (assuming it was a slug?). Finally the shaggy foliage spikes developed intact.

Sadly there were no bloom spikes but I figured that was the price to pay for a nasty winter, I was happy enough that the plant itself lived. Then this happened…

Yay! The flowers are the reason for this plant so I couldn’t be more thrilled...

I am curious though, are all these random roaming stems (flower and foliage) from the original plant? Or did some of the seeds which POPPED out last summer result in new plants? Nah, I suppose that’s too much to hope for. And they wouldn't be this big.

So, all that happy success and guess what, just last week I discovered something else. The Acanthus sennii lives!

June 25th and there are finally signs of life. Lordy, that took a while! I’d left that little wishbone stick in place to remind myself there might be something showing up. But I’d long sense given up any hope.

The last week of June, who'da thought it? The winner is… Acanthus sennii.

I’ve agreed to open my garden to the 80+ bloggers who will be in Portland next week for the Garden Bloggers Fling. I’ve always avoided opening my garden to groups, it’s just not how I want to experience a very personal space. However these aren’t strangers, most of them are friends who I would happily invite into my private space, it just so happens they’re showing up en masse.

Since agreeing to open I’ve been thinking a lot about how gardeners prepare for an “open garden”…of course most of them are focusing only on the garden. Whereas with my open I’m also part of a small group planning for the tour stops and needs of 80+ people over three and a quarter days. All of this was on my mind when I read this article in our local paper. I loved reading about how this couple was preparing for their open garden and naturally I had to check it in person.

Walking through this garden I came to realize I have a lesser need for embellishment than others do. This is not a judgmental statement, many of my favorite people adore ornamentation, the more the merrier. But I have a different response, it keys me up and makes me uneasy. Less is more for me in that regard. Of course my style of gardening (affectionately referred to as "crammit") probably puts many more people on edge. They look at the plants, imagine their mature size, and start to twitch with the need to grab the shovel and do a little "pruning." Ah well, to each their own.

This combination was breath-taking!

Ditto here.

The homeowners obviously put a lot of time and thought into this pathway. I enjoyed it immensely, in their garden.

I do have a soft spot for a pair of mossy lions.

Am I the only one who sees an owl above a compass?

My Callistemon viridiflorus stopped blooming a week ago. How did they manage to get theirs to hold onto a few blooms for the open garden? I want to be able to freeze frame on my plants looking good right now!

Artemisia ludoviciana 'Valerie Finnis' (the powdery silver leafed plant), I can't wait for my gifted little seedlings to grow like this.

I have no doubt this makes the gardeners (homeowners) very happy. I just don't get it, it's that need for ornamentation thing. I'm obviously missing a few genes. I see space where there could be plants!

Thankfully all I had to do was turn to my right and there were several beautiful Eryngium giganteum...

I wanted to ask but the owners were deep in conversation with other visitors. Do you think that round is a new paver waiting to be dug into place? Are all the pavers that thick? Wow. That's a lot of work!

This is my favorite idea to steal from this garden. Sedum rupestre 'Angelina' and Ajuga reptans 'Black Scallop' massed together, love it!

The garden was perched atop a very steep slope. They've done a great job of laying it out in such a way that it's all very livable.

I eavesdropped on a conversation about moving this bad-daddy into place. Made me nervous just listening.

Next to the deck off the back of the house was a gorgeous tetrapanax and stacked stone wall.

The short runs on that fence should tell you just how steep the property is.

The gate is ajar to the side yard. I didn't actually exit this way but retraced my steps back the way I came.

Below is the view on the other side of the fence. Because of my particular mindset I'm sure I looked at the garden with an inspectors eye uncommon to other visitors. I want to thank the homeowners for leaving a few minor imperfections in place. They kept it real but yet managed to also look polished, it's a delicate balance and I came away with a renewed appreciation for making it work. So have you ever opened your garden?

This book is a long time in the making, I believe there were at least two earlier versions which were shelved. I eagerly anticipated them both and am happy to report that holding Hellstrip Gardening in my hands, reading the pages and devouring the photos, well, the wait was worth it.

While I question why anyone needs a front lawn I do understand long held beliefs take a while to change. So I’m hopeful the “Lawn Gone!” movement will continue to gain momentum but I think this book is the perfect introduction to the concept. What is addressed as the “last frontier” (you’ve planted up everything else, why not focus on the hellstrip?) could actually be the gateway garden to an entire removal of front yard lawn. Just imagine!

The Portland garden of Lance Wright (the next 3 photos) is featured in the book

Hersperaloe, agaves, palms...oh my!

Who wouldn't want a hellstrip this beautiful?

The first part of the book (Inspirations) shares 12 examples of “Curbside Gardens from Coast to Coast” each with luscious images and the story behind the garden. This section alone is worth the cost of the book!

Laura Crockett’s Portland Garden is one of those profiled: “Destruction comes with the territory in public garden areas, and Laura is philosophical about it…One year just before Mother’s Day, all her flowers were picked. Though she felt very hurt, she chose to imagine that the person who picked them needed a bouquet to give his or her mother. “I have to let go of things out there,” she says, “and it’s hard, but because it is a public space you cannot get too terribly upset about what happens there.”

Laura has a great attitude doesn't she? This idea of public space is why I've only planted yuccas in my hellstrip (I inherited the two trees), they're plants that bite back! My part of town has very narrow parking strips, and there is a park at the end of the street, that means a lot of traffic and a lot of feet in my hellstrip. The yucca can take it.

My narrow hellstrip

After you’re appropriately inspired by the first section Ms. Hadden covers “Challenges to Address, Obstacles to Overcome” (working with trees, laws and covenants, road maintenance and utilities, etc) and “Solutions for Designing, Building, and Managing a Curbside Garden.” Finally she wraps it all up with a listing of “Curbside-Worthy Plants” and suggests further reading.

The hellstrip garden of Lucy Hardiman, complete with an area rug by Jeffrey Bale

Another Jeffrey Bale creation at Nancyland

Are you curious? Well Timber Press has kindly agreed to give away a copy of Hellstrip Gardening to a lucky reader. If you’re interested simply comment on this post and let us know what you're doing with your hellstrip, I’ll chose a winner on July 6th and get in touch if you're the lucky one (I'll need to contact you to get your address, Timber will send the book directly to you).

Also you’ll want to click on over to the Timber Press website because there you can enter to win a copy of the book (yes you need two, give one to a friend!) AND a $250 nursery gift card. Who can’t use 250 worth of plants!? Oh and if you’re one of the lucky bloggers coming to the Portland Fling you’ll get to meet the author when we visit the Timber Press offices next Friday morning!

The extra-wide hellstrip garden of my plant lust partner Patricia
(and actually she's moved so I guess it's her ex-hellstrip garden)

Timber Press sent me a complimentary review copy of Hellstrip Gardening but I was under no obligation to write about it. All photos (except for the book cover) in this post are mine and not from the book. All material © 2009-2014 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

If ever there was a plant that requires nothing but gives everything it is Aloe dorotheae. I have three, bought over consecutive years at Rare Plant Research. All they require for happiness is a winter stay in the warm house and a summer vacation on the patio. Since they aren’t a large growing aloe that’s not a difficult thing to do.

So what makes this plant special? It colors up dramatically, in fact its common name is sunset aloe. This one’s my oldest, in a (rare for me) combo container on the patio table.

The white spots are an added bonus, unlike the spots on that baby agave to it's right. Those were caused by a powerful hail storm.

This one's in a lot more shade, and as a result it's coloring is rather subtle.

But still gorgeous.

The stats on Aloe dorotheae:

hardy to USDA Zones 10-11, heat and drought tolerant
prefers sun to light shade
forms colonies which can reach 1' tall and 1-2 ' wide, individual plants stay quite small
native to east Africa (Tanzania)
blooms in mid to late winter, although I have had summer blooms on 2 of my plants

And a couple of "fun facts" from the Denver Zoo (not that's not a typo, the zoo, not the Denver Botanical Garden)...

this aloe can be difficult to successfully pollinate in cultivation
most all the plants available in the U.S. are clones of a very small gene pool

So tell us what plant in your garden it is you're enjoying this first week of July...

First the smokin’…

I caught sight of that cotinus, or smoke tree, from my car, about a block away. It was so magical I had to turn around and take a couple of photos. Have you ever seen such a smokin’ smoke tree?

I love the contrast of the flat round leaves with the fluffy "smoke"…

These are usually seen as small to medium shrubs, it's so nice to see a tree...

On to the boozin’…I stopped in Hollywood Beverage the other day to grab a bottle of whiskey for my whiskey lovin husband (yes, here in Portland we actually have a neighborhood called Hollywood). As I was leaving I spied this in the pile of to-be-recycled boxes…

Of course I grabbed it, look at those beautiful agaves!

I couldn’t remember what the heart of the agave (from which the tequila is made) is called so I looked it up online (it's the piña) and that’s where I learned the harvester of the piña is called a “Jimador”…

“The harvester, or “Jimador” removes the agave leaves with a sharp curved tool called a Coa. He trims the 200 plus leaves that protect the heart or piña of the agave until the whole heart is extracted from the ground. Only the heart, or “piña,” of the agave plant is used to make tequila. Mature piñas weigh in between a hefty eighty and three hundred pounds; however, the size of the agave heart is not nearly as important as its sugar content. The older the agave, the longer the piña will have to accumulate the starches that will convert into fermentable sugars. Approximately, 15 pounds of agave piñas are required to produce one liter of delicious tequila.” (source - if you’re curious about the entire process and want to see pictures do click through!)

Here I am confusing my brands, two fingers is a different kind of tequila.

Of course I went back inside to see if the tequila bottles were as beautiful as the box…

Theses are the ones that really caught my eye.

You might think that’s it for the boozin, but you'd be wrong.

This bottle edging caught my eye outside Garden Fever...

Lest you think the staff is particularly boozy I should let you know there's a nice Italian restaurant next door (Lucca). Perhaps that's where the bottles originated?

And it's not all booze...

Here are a couple of new arrivals. On second thought maybe it's a group effort? The Garden Fever staff, the restaurant and the neighboring houses? They're all working together? That would be very Portland...

I love a picturesque gritty urban scene, even better if it includes a plant, an old building, and a blue sky. The blue sky makes it less gritty, full of possibilities, a few clouds make it mysterious. Tuck in a few fake flowers, and the scene is complete.

Oh those silly people who purchase only plants they have a place for, they don’t know what they’re missing out on! I happened to be at Means Nursery a couple of weeks ago and fell hard for these dark leaves with bright green venation, how could I not? Especially when the price tag said $5.99…

I didn’t have the foggiest idea where I’d plant it but those leaves at that price, how could I walk away? Weigela florida 'Dark Horse'…

So it turns out this beautiful creature has pink flowers, that means it has to go in the front garden. Trouble is we’re at the time of the year where the water from the sky stops and things get hot and dry. Not ideal planting weather, especially in the minimally watered front garden.

This is when I remembered one of my favorite tricks!

Find an empty spot in a planting bed. Plant up the new purchase in a container and sink it into the spot…

Voila! (I know, some of you are thinking “that was an empty spot?” trust me it was worse in person)…

The best thing about this temporary location is there’s a Salvia discolor right at its base which will weave around the grevillea branches and bloom its fabulous dark blooms. Some might call that a color echo but I’m just going with sexy and so glad I went with my impulse to buy it, even though I had no idea where it would go.

Stats on the Weigela florida 'Dark Horse'…

hardy in USDA Zones 4-8
wants full sun and medium water, tolerates clay soils
low, spreading shrub to 3 ft tall and wide
pink blooms in the spring
deciduous

So are there any new "had to have" plants in your garden? Any foliage that makes you weak in the knees? Dramatic blooms? Come-on tell us about it...

With time I’ve come to accept that many discerning plant people think Yucca filamentosa is a curse, the worst of the bunch...

Okay I get it, this plant is rather hard to remove. Once you’ve planted it you’ll probably have it forever (I want to say “but since it’s so beautiful what’s the problem?”)…

It’s with this knowledge that I smiled when I saw this intense patch of yucca for the first time. There were no less than 50 spikes about to burst into bloom.

Thing is their little patch of land is also used as the trash and recycling staging for the nearby apartment building.

On trash day they get no respect! (as if they did any other day)…

Well I for one was awestruck at their impressive numbers, I wonder if anyone else appreciates them?

So beautiful...

Walking back with Lila from the "dog hotel" I pass this pair of in-fill homes. I can't even tell you what was there before, it was that unremarkable. I do know the current front plantings have changed, the builder installed things dying after last winter's cold.

On the left (the orange/pink/salmon/coral colored home)...

And on the right, the taupe one...

Wait what's that!!? Agaves! In what I (perhaps unfairly?) think of as a lost cause (the in-fill houses, which seem to be more about square feet inside the house than livable and gardening space outside). They actually planted agaves...

Oh and a Magnolia laevifolia! Bonus.

Looks like A. ovatifolia, happy happy.

I’m cheating. What with the Fling just wrapping up and spending an extra day with Mark, Gaz and Gerhard I knew I would not have time to do a proper Bloomday post. Instead I’ve decided to celebrate the right toasty and sunny weather we’ve been having here in Portland with a cactus flower Bloomday, after all it’s something special when you’ve got cactus blooming in your garden…

Above and below Opuntia humifusa. These are still blooming away but I snapped all these photos last week, that’s the cheating part.

These next few are also Opuntia blooms but I’ve lost track of on what plants specifically but I think they’re both some version of O. santa-rita…

Finally the one I’m most excited about, an Echinocereus that we brought back from my mother-in-laws neighborhood in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico.

We dug it in the fall, after record New Mexico rains. It was one water-logged little cactus. Since I knew that would be the kiss-of-death over winter I chose not to plant it out but to pot it up and store it in the basement. I planted it out first thing this spring and was surprised to see a bloom start to form.

What color would it be? I was wishing for scarlet but got a pinky/purple.

Ah well, it’s still beautiful…

And surprisingly lasted for days.

To see what's blooming in other bloggers gardens visit our Bloomday host Carol, at May Dreams Gardens!

This is the first blog post I've written in ages. Everything that’s appeared over the last week and half was scheduled in advance because I knew life would be crazy with the Garden Bloggers Fling in Portland last weekend, I was not wrong. I’ve got over 300 unread blog posts in my reader, I’ve got blog comments that I’ve not replied to, and emails left unread. Slowly life is getting back to normal, yet I kind of wish it weren’t. What’s better than reading a new blog post from an online gardening friend? Having them next to you, shopping at your favorite nursery.

The next Fling event is in Toronto, June 4-7 2015. I will see many of you there and we’ll pick up like it’s been 11 minutes since we saw each other, not 11 months. Until then here we are, back to our online relationship…

This week’s favorite plant in my garden is a tiny one, easily missed. I present Greenovia aurea ‘Gran Canaria Form’ / aka “Mountain Roses"...

I spied this little guy on last year's Fling in San Francisco, at Annie's Annuals.

Up until that moment I'd never heard of Greenovia, and even though it's not hardy in my Zone (have I ever let that stop me?) I bought one...

Here it is shortly after being planted up last summer...

And now...

The reason it's my fav for the week is right there in the center of the rosette, the tight little rosebud. After resembling an aeonium for months it's finally looking deserving of it's common name "Mountain Rose"...

The stats:

in the family Crassulaceae and hardy in USDA Zones 9-10 (and perhaps 11)
yellow blooms in late spring/early summmer
drought-tolerant and can take light shade, especially in areas with hot afternoon sun (mine did not appreciate being in a black pot in sun filled corner of a concrete patio and is much happier in a slightly shadier location)

I'll leave you with a vignette just above my featured plant, which the sun had lit up ever so nicely as I was taking my photos. And of course I'll ask what's looking good in your garden this week?

With the Garden Bloggers Fling behind me and a good (non-blogging) friend in town for the weekend I'm ready to relax. Today I'm just posting a single photo and urging you to all get out and enjoy your garden. That's what I'm going to be doing!

Since I had already pre-visited most the gardens we saw during the 2014 Garden Bloggers Fling (and posted about them) I made it a priority to attend this year’s open gardens through the Garden Conservancy Program and the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon, one needs a certain amount of "new material" (for the brain and the blog) every summer don't ya know. This tour took place on a Saturday in late June and the theme for the event was "Within the City Limits: Minimum Space - Maximum Results" in other words small gardens just like mine!

I'm starting my coverage of the day in the same garden where I began. Here's the blurb from the guide: "We were drawn to our 1927 Mock’s Crest home by the double city lot and charm of our elm-lined street, but as everyone who lives with large trees knows, the shade they provide can create challenges and limitations in the garden. Kevin added to the problem early on by indulging his tree planting obsession! So...in hopes of creating more light and a healthier garden, we began the process of editing some of the trees and plantings that had outgrown their spaces, including a bamboo glade that was threatening to burst its barrier and take over. This created some opportunities for “redecorating” several of the outdoor “rooms”, which we have been happily doing over the past two years. Our garden is more about interesting foliage shapes and colors than producing food or flowers. Giant plants that look like they could eat you and a dramatic color palette of bright chartreuse, purples, maroons and even a bit of black keep us entertained. The backyard Koi pond and two bee houses keep us busy. Always a work in progress."

I was in awe of multiple phormium next to the driveway and searched out the owner/gardener to inquire if he had just planted them this year or if they overwintered last year (which would be amazing). I was told they were newly planted this spring AND they weren't phormium but rather cordylines (!!!) and they were purchased at Marbott's Greenhouse.

This looks like damage from a mid-June hail storm.

They had veggies growing (stylishly) on both sides of the driveway.

And a covered area off the garage that I'm sure is utilized year-round (it was home base for Garden Conservancy raffle tickets during my visit)...

You know how near and dear to my heart containers are...

And yuccas too.

The bee houses were designed and painted to be features rather than strictly utilitarian objects.

And this, a built up pond, was lovely. This is what I saw from across the garden. Soon we'll have a closer look.

Up close. There were many friendly Koi but I couldn't get a good photo of them.

Well this is just about the end of this garden, but I've got 4 more to share with you (there was another on the tour but I skipped it, having seen it last summer)...

The End.

It's true, I did an actual Bloomday post (of sorts) a week ago. But since I've posted for every Bloomday since April of 2009 I was feeling a little odd about essentially skipping one. There are cool things blooming that I want to share! So here's my Bloomday plus 7 post, a week after the fact.

Canna 'Australia' and the foamy blooms of Macleaya cordata...

My only eucomis bloom this year, and oddly this particular plant hasn't ever bloomed before. It's probably Eucomis 'Oakhurst'...

Hibiscus syriacus 'Red Heart' close-up

And the whole 9-yards (I'm thrilled this plant is finally taller than me!)...

Hosta 'Sum and Substance'...usually my hosta blooms are quickly cut off, these were spared only because they're at the back of the shade pavilion and easily missed. They won't last long (snip snip)...

Liatris, which I swear has come back from the dead. This plant came with me from Spokane, oh 10 years ago. I haven't seen it for ages and I was very surprised it showed up this year and is blooming!

A couple of those sneaky Brachyglottis greyi flowers managed to bloom while my head was turned.

Eryngium yuccifolium

Eryngium agavifolium

Alstroemeria isabellana

Kniphofia, one of the "popsicle series" from Terra Nova.

Agapanthus NOID

Persicaria runcinata 'Purple Majesty'

Grevillea 'Neil Bell'

Abutilon 'Red Tiger', not quite open yet...

This Passiflora 'Sunburst' bloom has a lot to do with why I'm doing a second Bloomday post. I had pretty much resigned myself to skipping until I saw this...

How could I not share this crazy bloom? Only hardy to USDA Zone 11 I'm going to have a hard time letting this parish come fall...

Clematis tibetana var. vernayi, it's first lemon peel bloom of the season.

Grevillea 'Peaches and Cream'

An orange crocosmia that I got from Scott at our Garden Bloggers plant swap last fall.

This is now my very favorite crocosmia...

Those colors!

I stupidly pulled my Lobelia laxiflora this spring thinking it was dead. Duh, no it wasn't. So glad it's rebounded with lots of growth and flowers.

Finally we go inside the house for the last two photos for this Bloomday. This beauty is my birthday lily, planted by a previous gardener to whom I am very grateful. Every year it blooms on my birthday (the 20th) and every year I cut it to bring it inside. I know I should leave it in the garden but inside its scent fills the house and takes me back years, to a time when I was roommates with a good friend whose birthday is the day before mine. We always had 'stargazer' lilies in our apartment, Happy Birthday Sonny.

And this charming bouquet was a birthday gift from my husband, Andrew. And with that I wrap up this late edition of Garden Bloggers Bloomday.

Last January I trekked on over to North Portland in search of Solabee. Once there I discovered they were no longer at that location, but I still had a great time poking around Salvage Works and vowed to visit the downtown Portland Solabee. Only 6 months later I finally made it!

As you can see from the sign above Solabee shares space with a business called Boy's Fort. Like Salvage Works they've got a wealth of used items for sale, which definitely adds to the overall shopping experience.

As I stood just inside the entrance and scanned the space (getting my bearings) I heard the sound of splashing water, yet looking around I couldn't find the source.

The tall rusty centaur got my eye though.

That's when I put two and two together...

Yes for the low price of $4,000 you can own a peeing centaur...

I'd much rather own these chairs. That fabric is fabulous!

The Solabee selection was concentrated in a corner of the space.

Oh yes, these look interesting!

Care cards for the succulents, nice!

I always vow to keep my dried up blooms, but usually end up tossing them.

Next time?

Couldn't manage a non-blurry picture but I really liked this...

And those wood block images...

Back on the Boy's Fort side to check out some inventive lighting...

A metal tire ramp, plumbing parts and a hanging metal shade, I like it!

Back out on the street I had to ask myself if these planters were new. I know it's been awhile since I strolled around downtown, surely I would have remembered them? I do remember the fun graphics on the side of the Nordstrom building.

And I did buy one of the old Cactus and Succulent Journals, I selected this one for the cover shot of William Hertrich surrounded by books. I hoped there would be an article on the Huntington Gardens inside and I was not disappointed.

Look at this early shot of the Huntington cactus garden, amazing. If you're interested in Hertrich and the Huntington I recommend the book The Huntington Botanical Gardens, 1905-1949: Personal Recollections of William Hertrich, it's only $2.58 on amazon!

I'm particularly taken with the illustration across the bottom of the journal. Excellent find...

I adore the Castor Bean plant, and not because of it's toxicity. Although it’s certainly fun to mention that fact to the timid and watch them recoil in horror as though merely touching the leaves will cause instant death. As often seems to be the case with that which I adore, success with this plant has proven to be elusive. Hoping for a mammoth sized plant (like Heather’s) I’ve bought starter plants, started seeds myself and begged seedlings off a friend who is much more seed savvy than I.

Another blogger (I’m looking at you Mulchmaid) has already posted photos on Facebook of her ~~begged~~ gifted seedlings from that same friend blooming and looking huge. Here are mine…

Yes there are 3, and yes they average about 10” tall. I am a failure.

Knowing my history with this plant I hedged my bets and bought a pair of "last year's plants" (meaning he didn't sell them in 2013 and they were a bit larger and still available in 2014) at the Rare Plant Research open house last May. They were bigger than any seedling I've purchased in the past. Sure success right? Well this is the one in the front garden, it's nice but only a little over 2ft tall...

The one in the back garden though, it's my favorite and best ever Castor Bean...

Going strong and may eventually reach that monster size I've been hoping for...

So to refresh your memory that's 1 out of 5 that I'm feeling good about, not exactly winning odds in Vegas right?

The stats:

bought simply as Ricinus communis, fancy varieties with great leaf color are available, look for them when buying seeds
should eventually reach 5-15ft tall and 3-8ft wide (of course I'm hoping for the larger end of that spectrum)
winter hardy in USDA Zones 9-11 where plants will thrive in rich, evenly moist, well-drained soil with full sun exposure - grown as annuals elsewhere (below Zone 9) and typically self seeding for future poison plant happiness (please please please let this happen in my garden!)
plants can become somewhat weedy and spread aggressively in frost-free areas, as seen by anyone traveling on the highways near Fillmore, California.
in the Euphorbiaceae family and native in Northeastern Africa to Middle East

So that's what's got me smiling this week, what's doing it for you?

Visiting my first open garden of the year...

The 2014 ANLD Garden Tour...

Spotty!

Sempervivum 'Red Rubin' is my favorite plant in the garden; this week…

And the winner of the title of the very last plant to emerge for the season is…

Opening your garden...

Hellstrip Gardening, by Evelyn J. Hadden

Aloe dorotheae is my favorite plant in the garden (this week)…

Smokin' and Boozin'...

Two word Tuesday: urban planters

Weigela florida 'Dark Horse' is my favorite plant in the garden, this week…

Yucca filamentosa, trash plants?

An unexpected agave sighting...

July Bloomday!

Greenovia aurea ‘Gran Canaria Form’ is my favorite plant in the garden (this week)…

A time to relax...

The Garden Conservancy Tour 2014, garden #1

July 2014 Bloomday, plus 7...

Solabee, downtown

Ricinus communis, it’s highly toxic and my favorite plant in the garden, this week…