Last weekend was the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon's Fall PlantFest. The event included a lecture with Kelly and Sue of Far Reaches Farm, followed by a plant sale. Kathy Stoner, of Gardenbook, was in town for work, and stayed over for the weekend to join in the fun. Then Gerhard, of Succulents and More, decided to make the trip as well. I didn't see Kathy until Saturday but Gerhard arrived Thursday night and stayed with us. We went out adventuring (aka nursery visiting) on Friday, our first stop was Portland Nursery. I thought it would be interesting for Gerhard to see, and they'd just started a 30% off sale...
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These Euphorbia rigida crack me up. They're so substantial, and erect. Not at all like my plants in the ground.
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This was definitely the year Dianthus 'Green Trick' became widely available. I've got two plants and they've done fabulously over the summer. I hope they return in the spring...
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Ah yes, Schizostylis coccinea...the plant I see in local gardens in autumn and wish I'd remember to buy it. At 30% off I finally did, mine will bloom a little darker than this one, if the tag is correct.
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Much to Gerhard's amusement Portland Nursery was also featuring all their annuals and tropicals at 50% off. Annuals being anything that wasn't going to winter-over in our climate, like succulents and this beautiful Bougainvillea (that's what Gerhard was amused by, things that aren't annuals being sold as annuals). I wanted this beauty, but I did not buy it.
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Our next stop was Xera Plants. I loved that the yellow leaves, which had been cut from the Tetrapanax, were carefully placed to the side, as though they were going to be used elsewhere, not just thrown in a yard waste bin. They do look great in a vase!
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A sizzling combination! Cosmos atrosanguineus, aka chocolate cosmos (I think) and Artemisia versicolor 'Sea Foam'.
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Origanum x 'Xera Cascade'
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Next door to Xera is Contained Exhuberance (aka Hyland Garden Design), Bob had a lot of fun with this display (be sure to note the Barbie leg)...
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Next we made a quick stop at Pomarius, mainly because I wanted Gerhard to see how much has changed there since the 2014. Our opening night bash for the 2014 Garden Bloggers Fling, in Portland, was at Pomarius and it was a picture perfect night.
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Next stop: Cistus Nursery!
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We were blessed with a beautiful day, one I did not take for granted since it had been rather grey and rainy earlier in the week.
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x Gordlinia grandiflora
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It still kinda thrills me that I'm allowed to venture into the forbidden area...
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I wanted to take this selection of Dudleya and liverwort home and plant it up just like this. Of course it wouldn't stay just like this, so I didn't even try.
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Oh to be able to grow the larger-leaf Callistemon in my garden.
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And to get a Banksia bloom! (of course these are all treasures living in the hoop-houses).
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Always willing to strike a pose (if you ask nicely) Sean Hogan is modeling the latest in Echium foliage bouquets.
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This charming fellow was enjoying the Echium foliage as well.
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I dreamt that night that I discovered a tree frog in my garden. I was so bummed when I woke up excited, and then realized it was just a dream.
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This breathtaking Mahonia is planted in Sean's under-construction new garden. He's moved out to the island and is having a grand time planting up a new space.
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Okay, now it's Saturday and we're at the HPSO PlantFest. Apologies to the fellow who I inadvertently photographed while aiming my camera at Kelley and Sue (in the shadows, with the microphones).
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I was all sorts of giddy when, during the lecture, they shared this image of Bupleurum angulosum, cause I got one when I visited the nursery last month. Aren't those green flowers fab?
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A few photos from the plant sale which followed...
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Who's that man with the plants? Ah yes, Gerhard! He came all the way to Portland to buy an Agave hybrid from The Ruth Bancroft Garden (along with a few other things...).
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After we did all the damage ($) we could do at the sale, Gerhard and Kathy and I made the trip out to visit Tamara, aka Chickadee Gardens.
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Tamara's old garden (here) was a stop on the 2014 Fling, so these two had both seen it, and now follow her adventures at the new garden via her blog. Lots of photos were taken so I'm sure they'll both do future posts for you to drool over.
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I couldn't resist snapping another photo of that sweet carex "lawn"...
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After a delicious lunch (thank you Tamara!) we then headed back to Portland to visit the garden of John Kuzma and Kathleen Halme. There we met up with Derick Pitman (aka Mr. Impatiens, far left, from Sacramento — the 3rd Californian, along with Kathy and Gerhard) and Preston Pew (far right), behind Kathy, talking with Derick and gesturing, is John Kuzma...
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... also enjoying the garden were Nick Macer (of Pan-global plants, in Gloucestershire, UK) and Sean Hogan.
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The garden was amazing, as usual. I wasn't going to snap any photos, figuring I'd just enjoy the company and return later for photography, but of course I ended up taking some 70+ pics, so there will be an upcoming post.
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John and Kathleen are such wonderful hosts that it was after 8:30 when we finally headed home (much wine, snacking and plant talk had occurred in the mean time).
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Sunday morning was a lazy one, later that afternoon Nick, Sean and Derick all came by my garden. Here Nick was snapping a photo of the Dasylirion, but I thought it looked a little like he was hugging the Verbascum.
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So that's a wrap on my three very "planty" days — other than the fact Gerhad and I visited Garden Fever later Sunday afternoon. I neglected to take any photos there, but I did buy plants. Originally I planned to include photos of the weekend's new plant purchases here too, but this post is getting a bit lengthy. I'll share those later in the week.
Weather Diary, Sept 17: Hi 70, Low 49/ Precip 0
All material © 2009-2018 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.
These Euphorbia rigida crack me up. They're so substantial, and erect. Not at all like my plants in the ground.
This was definitely the year Dianthus 'Green Trick' became widely available. I've got two plants and they've done fabulously over the summer. I hope they return in the spring...
Ah yes, Schizostylis coccinea...the plant I see in local gardens in autumn and wish I'd remember to buy it. At 30% off I finally did, mine will bloom a little darker than this one, if the tag is correct.
Much to Gerhard's amusement Portland Nursery was also featuring all their annuals and tropicals at 50% off. Annuals being anything that wasn't going to winter-over in our climate, like succulents and this beautiful Bougainvillea (that's what Gerhard was amused by, things that aren't annuals being sold as annuals). I wanted this beauty, but I did not buy it.
Our next stop was Xera Plants. I loved that the yellow leaves, which had been cut from the Tetrapanax, were carefully placed to the side, as though they were going to be used elsewhere, not just thrown in a yard waste bin. They do look great in a vase!
A sizzling combination! Cosmos atrosanguineus, aka chocolate cosmos (I think) and Artemisia versicolor 'Sea Foam'.
Origanum x 'Xera Cascade'
Next door to Xera is Contained Exhuberance (aka Hyland Garden Design), Bob had a lot of fun with this display (be sure to note the Barbie leg)...
Next we made a quick stop at Pomarius, mainly because I wanted Gerhard to see how much has changed there since the 2014. Our opening night bash for the 2014 Garden Bloggers Fling, in Portland, was at Pomarius and it was a picture perfect night.
Next stop: Cistus Nursery!
We were blessed with a beautiful day, one I did not take for granted since it had been rather grey and rainy earlier in the week.
x Gordlinia grandiflora
It still kinda thrills me that I'm allowed to venture into the forbidden area...
I wanted to take this selection of Dudleya and liverwort home and plant it up just like this. Of course it wouldn't stay just like this, so I didn't even try.
Oh to be able to grow the larger-leaf Callistemon in my garden.
Always willing to strike a pose (if you ask nicely) Sean Hogan is modeling the latest in Echium foliage bouquets.
This charming fellow was enjoying the Echium foliage as well.
I dreamt that night that I discovered a tree frog in my garden. I was so bummed when I woke up excited, and then realized it was just a dream.
This breathtaking Mahonia is planted in Sean's under-construction new garden. He's moved out to the island and is having a grand time planting up a new space.
Okay, now it's Saturday and we're at the HPSO PlantFest. Apologies to the fellow who I inadvertently photographed while aiming my camera at Kelley and Sue (in the shadows, with the microphones).
I was all sorts of giddy when, during the lecture, they shared this image of Bupleurum angulosum, cause I got one when I visited the nursery last month. Aren't those green flowers fab?
A few photos from the plant sale which followed...
Who's that man with the plants? Ah yes, Gerhard! He came all the way to Portland to buy an Agave hybrid from The Ruth Bancroft Garden (along with a few other things...).
After we did all the damage ($) we could do at the sale, Gerhard and Kathy and I made the trip out to visit Tamara, aka Chickadee Gardens.
Tamara's old garden (here) was a stop on the 2014 Fling, so these two had both seen it, and now follow her adventures at the new garden via her blog. Lots of photos were taken so I'm sure they'll both do future posts for you to drool over.
I couldn't resist snapping another photo of that sweet carex "lawn"...
After a delicious lunch (thank you Tamara!) we then headed back to Portland to visit the garden of John Kuzma and Kathleen Halme. There we met up with Derick Pitman (aka Mr. Impatiens, far left, from Sacramento — the 3rd Californian, along with Kathy and Gerhard) and Preston Pew (far right), behind Kathy, talking with Derick and gesturing, is John Kuzma...
... also enjoying the garden were Nick Macer (of Pan-global plants, in Gloucestershire, UK) and Sean Hogan.
The garden was amazing, as usual. I wasn't going to snap any photos, figuring I'd just enjoy the company and return later for photography, but of course I ended up taking some 70+ pics, so there will be an upcoming post.
John and Kathleen are such wonderful hosts that it was after 8:30 when we finally headed home (much wine, snacking and plant talk had occurred in the mean time).
Sunday morning was a lazy one, later that afternoon Nick, Sean and Derick all came by my garden. Here Nick was snapping a photo of the Dasylirion, but I thought it looked a little like he was hugging the Verbascum.
So that's a wrap on my three very "planty" days — other than the fact Gerhad and I visited Garden Fever later Sunday afternoon. I neglected to take any photos there, but I did buy plants. Originally I planned to include photos of the weekend's new plant purchases here too, but this post is getting a bit lengthy. I'll share those later in the week.
Weather Diary, Sept 17: Hi 70, Low 49/ Precip 0
All material © 2009-2018 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.