Visiting Dan Hinkley's Windcliff Part One: the driveway and front garden

It's only been a few years now that photography has been allowed during a visit to Dan Hinkley's home garden, Windcliff. I suppose I should be grateful my first visit (after all these years!) fell under the new rules, it would have been hard to walk around this beautiful place and not take photos to share with you!

It was back on August 11th that I visited, with Peter and Alison, that's Peter above, leading the way. This beauty was growing near the gate. No, I don't know what it is — warning, there's gonna be a lot of that in this post, and tomorrow's — beautiful plants that I can't identify.

The gate, which features the same graphic elements seen on Dan's website (here).

A Polygonatum I believe.

Damn! If I made it no further (we've just started down the driveway) this would have been enough for me. On the left I believe that's the hardy Travesia Dan is selling. Blooming on the right is Cautleya spicata, I'm so sad the tubers I planted never did anything.

Close-ups...

There were many drool-worthy Mahonia in the garden.

I think this is a mature Schefflera brevipedunculata or maybe a S. gracilis...

Wowsa!

Hmmm, shall we head that way?

Nope! There were several of these around the garden either discouraging (nope) or encouraging (yup) your further exploration.

Peter bought one of these, I would have too except I was off, immersed in the garden, when he visited the greenhouse with Dan. I may never forgive him for not calling me and telling me to get my ass over there RIGHT NOW.

Okay, of course I forgive him, but I just needed to work in a stern warning for future such incidents. Here's a more mature version...

Podocarpus somebody and a killer Rhodocoma capensis aka Cape Restio.

Close-ups...

Love that sideways Arctostaphylos.

And of course the Grevillea x gaudichaudii.

Beautiful plants that I can't ID...

Hey there's Peter again!

He was admiring these gorgeous Schefflera hoi (I think that's what they are) Schefflera macrophylla.

Everyone else in the world grows Verbena bonariensis, why don't I?

Hmmm, what's that off in the distance?

Damn! A mature Sinopanax formosanus.

I need to think very carefully about where I plant mine.

Or not, I mean why should I change my modus operandi now?

You can't even begin to imagine all the gorgeous Agapanthus blooming here. The fact they're considered throwaway plants by many (especially those who live in Southern California) makes me appreciate all the more that this famous plantsman embraces them.

Another gorgeous Mahonia.

Or two! This may actually be Mahonia eurybracteata 'Indianola Silver' (which I have one of, thanks to Evan).

So lovely...

Holy bloomed Phormium!

And a perfect vision of  Melianthus major 'Purple Haze'.

There's that greenhouse which my friend Peter visited...and I did not.

This. OMG this. Oak-leaf Schefflera delavayi...

And that! Variegated Daphniphyllum, be still my heart.

Roger Gossler (from whom I purchased my plant) visited my garden last week and I was a little embarrassed for him to see how hidden by the Paulownia mine has become. At least the Paulownia is deciduous and the Daphniphyllum will have the sky all to itself come November.

An Erica? Colletia

To the side of where Peter was standing a dozen or so photos ago (he was in front of the house) is a small courtyard-ish area with Marcia Donahue pieces.

And this vine!

An Akebia? The leaves seem right but the flowers do not. Then again what do I know? (not much apparently, it's a Tropaeolum speciosum)

And then there's this.

For a moment I was confused. I mean these look real, right? Like the "sausages" Holboellia coriacea (Sausage Vine) produces, only larger, much larger.

But they're actually ceramic fruits made by Marcia Donahue. You can watch a short video of Dan talking with Nicholas Staddon about discovering the vine in China here, he also shows off one of the "fruit"...

That's it for the front, come back tomorrow for a look at the rest of the garden...

Weather Diary, Aug 22: Hi 93, Low 60/ Precip 0 — yesterday was the 30th day we've hit 90 or higher in Portland, thus we've broke the old record of 29 days set in 2015.

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