The annual coverage of our Garden Bloggers Flings is an interesting thing. In previous years it's seemed like everyone was in a mad rush to write about EVERY SINGLE GARDEN immediately upon their return home. This year the pace is a little more leisurely, at least for some gardens. At this time only four of my fellow bloggers have written about this garden...an Agave, Yucca and steel lover's paradise...
![]()
Then again that number might be due to the fact people were afraid to pull out their cameras? We were all wet. So much rain fell that afternoon. My camera was a mess, the display screen was so fogged up I could not see what I was pointing the camera at. I just trusted that I would get an approximation of what I wanted. So while I could moan about how bad these photos are, I'm actually quite thrilled they are even worth posting! Oh and by the way, this garden was AMAZING!
![]()
The scale of the metal, and the plants, wow. This is not your average garden, I was in awe. What you've seen thus far are just the plantings to the right of the driveway.
![]()
Here's a description of the garden from the owner: "With few exceptions, my garden was designed around low-water plants, it was inspired by my travels. The fig arbor was influenced by one I saw in New Zealand. The steel-panel retaining walls out front were inspired by the botanical gardens in Sydney Australia. The gorilla statuary was added after I went gorilla trekking in Rwanda in 2016..." I bet you're wondering about that gorilla aren't you? We'll get there.
![]()
![]()
Here's the house, as I said before the plantings we've been admiring are all to the right.
![]()
I would have loved a closer look at the Agave americana (?) line-up, but it didn't seem right to go trekking through the grass. Pam however visited on a much sunnier, drier, day in 2014 and has some excellent photos here.
![]()
That gate just begged to be entered, but the balls said otherwise.
![]()
Towering Hesperaloe funifera tops a wall of steel rectangles.
![]()
Just for fun I should have counted the number of Yucca rostrata in this garden. There had to be several dozen, if not more.
![]()
I chose the path less traveled and cut around the left side of the house. Most of my fellow bloggers were exploring the veggie courtyard garden but I didn't feel like waiting in line, we'll get back there at the end of this post. In the mean time isn't this compost-soil-gravel containment system fabulous?
![]()
Rotten photo of an elegant solution. Water run-off being filtered into an underground cistern?
![]()
The fig arbor.
![]()
And more steel and Yucca rostrata!
![]()
![]()
Manfreda seeded about? ("Bulbiled" about?)
![]()
The house captured my attention as well, I wish we could have toured it.
![]()
The pool was quite stunning, but of course my photo is of the Yuccas and poncho people.
![]()
You'll notice several white smudges in the following photos. My poor camera!
![]()
The gorilla! And Kelly Kilpatrick being an incredibly good sport about posing with him.
![]()
More from the owner: "Runoff is a big issue. The streambed along the side of the house was built to divert water from the neighbor's runoff. There are some French-drains to help with runoff down the driveway and in front of the house. We inherited a deteriorating rock wall built by previous owners, and we replaced it with the big steel walls and planting beds." As I noted in Tuesday's post the designer behind this garden is Curt Arnette, click on that link to see his personal garden.
![]()
I really loved this small patio off the side of the house. Maybe because the scale is more to my understanding?
![]()
If my memory serves, the black metal railing behind the Cannas follows where we'd been walking, with the streambed.
![]()
I wonder if these are miniature Aloe, or if they're just babies? Will they produce offsets and slowly fill this container?
![]()
Okay, now we're back out front and we're going to investigate what's behind that wall.
![]()
We entered through that gate.
![]()
Veggies! And the most substantial tomato cages you'll ever see...
![]()
Oh! What's that? An Agave in the distance...
![]()
On a hot day this must be quite the refreshing site...
![]()
The backside of the Hesperaloe planters.
![]()
And that gorgeous Agave ovatifolia! But what's that...
![]()
There were a couple, and I asked the owner about them. Unfortunately she hadn't seen them before and I think I scared her. Thankfully a more knowledgeable blogger was nearby and told us what they were, some type of chrysalis or pupa (I thought they looked a little like a bagworm). Not harmful to the Agave!
![]()
One more photo, just for Agave-scale, and of course to share that fabulous cistern.
![]()
And a couple of parting shots of the amazing steel "planters"...
![]()
Visiting this garden was such a treat!
![]()
But about that gorilla. I was up in Spokane, WA, visiting a friend and my family, about a month after the Fling and guess what I stumbled upon? That very same gorilla! At a local shop, Northwest Seed and Pet. What are the chances?
![]()
My friend Julie kindly posed with him...
![]()
Weather Diary, July 11: Hi 89 Low 60/ Precip 0
All material © 2009-2018 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.
Then again that number might be due to the fact people were afraid to pull out their cameras? We were all wet. So much rain fell that afternoon. My camera was a mess, the display screen was so fogged up I could not see what I was pointing the camera at. I just trusted that I would get an approximation of what I wanted. So while I could moan about how bad these photos are, I'm actually quite thrilled they are even worth posting! Oh and by the way, this garden was AMAZING!
The scale of the metal, and the plants, wow. This is not your average garden, I was in awe. What you've seen thus far are just the plantings to the right of the driveway.
Here's a description of the garden from the owner: "With few exceptions, my garden was designed around low-water plants, it was inspired by my travels. The fig arbor was influenced by one I saw in New Zealand. The steel-panel retaining walls out front were inspired by the botanical gardens in Sydney Australia. The gorilla statuary was added after I went gorilla trekking in Rwanda in 2016..." I bet you're wondering about that gorilla aren't you? We'll get there.
Here's the house, as I said before the plantings we've been admiring are all to the right.
I would have loved a closer look at the Agave americana (?) line-up, but it didn't seem right to go trekking through the grass. Pam however visited on a much sunnier, drier, day in 2014 and has some excellent photos here.
That gate just begged to be entered, but the balls said otherwise.
Just for fun I should have counted the number of Yucca rostrata in this garden. There had to be several dozen, if not more.
I chose the path less traveled and cut around the left side of the house. Most of my fellow bloggers were exploring the veggie courtyard garden but I didn't feel like waiting in line, we'll get back there at the end of this post. In the mean time isn't this compost-soil-gravel containment system fabulous?
Rotten photo of an elegant solution. Water run-off being filtered into an underground cistern?
The fig arbor.
And more steel and Yucca rostrata!
Manfreda seeded about? ("Bulbiled" about?)
The house captured my attention as well, I wish we could have toured it.
The pool was quite stunning, but of course my photo is of the Yuccas and poncho people.
You'll notice several white smudges in the following photos. My poor camera!
The gorilla! And Kelly Kilpatrick being an incredibly good sport about posing with him.
More from the owner: "Runoff is a big issue. The streambed along the side of the house was built to divert water from the neighbor's runoff. There are some French-drains to help with runoff down the driveway and in front of the house. We inherited a deteriorating rock wall built by previous owners, and we replaced it with the big steel walls and planting beds." As I noted in Tuesday's post the designer behind this garden is Curt Arnette, click on that link to see his personal garden.
I really loved this small patio off the side of the house. Maybe because the scale is more to my understanding?
If my memory serves, the black metal railing behind the Cannas follows where we'd been walking, with the streambed.
I wonder if these are miniature Aloe, or if they're just babies? Will they produce offsets and slowly fill this container?
Okay, now we're back out front and we're going to investigate what's behind that wall.
We entered through that gate.
Veggies! And the most substantial tomato cages you'll ever see...
Oh! What's that? An Agave in the distance...
On a hot day this must be quite the refreshing site...
The backside of the Hesperaloe planters.
And that gorgeous Agave ovatifolia! But what's that...
There were a couple, and I asked the owner about them. Unfortunately she hadn't seen them before and I think I scared her. Thankfully a more knowledgeable blogger was nearby and told us what they were, some type of chrysalis or pupa (I thought they looked a little like a bagworm). Not harmful to the Agave!
One more photo, just for Agave-scale, and of course to share that fabulous cistern.
And a couple of parting shots of the amazing steel "planters"...
Visiting this garden was such a treat!
My friend Julie kindly posed with him...
Weather Diary, July 11: Hi 89 Low 60/ Precip 0
All material © 2009-2018 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.