Visiting the garden of Panayoti Kelaidis

I cheated.

We visited many wonderful gardens during the 2019 GB Fling in Colorado, but we had an extremely short amount of time in some of them, Panayoti's garden for example; only 35 minutes! How do you even begin to touch the surface of a plant collectors personal garden in just over a half hour? It was painful. Thus when our group was backed up in the driveway, signing the guest book and heading—single file—down a pathway into the garden, well, I went rogue...

I cut around the left side of the garage and into the back garden. I'd go back and sign the guest book later, right now I wanted to see the plants!

I found this shocking, Adiantum venustum in Denver! I suppose I shouldn't, I mean it is the Himalayan Maidenhair after all, and it's tough.

Less tough, but still looking happy is what I want to call Athyrium niponicum, the painted fern. I suppose this is a special plant of wonderful heritage but it looks like a painted fern to me.

Now I've retraced my steps back through the rock garden plantings past the corner of the house, which was visible in my first photo. I'm heading down into the rest of the garden. Other members of my party are starting to become visible below.

The house and many tempting containers, on my right.

Damn. This was an impressive patch of Delosperma 'Fire Spinner'...

All the previous photos were taken above that rock wall, where you see Heather in her turquoise hat. I came down via steps in that slight dark indent in the wall on the left. We all assumed at one time there may have been water coming through the dark square to the right.

If I had more time I would have paid closer attention to all those containers lined up against the house.

A wrap around balcony is a treat indeed.

More containers!

Yes, containers appear to be a theme...

I was tempted to continue on into the garden going counterclockwise to everyone else's clockwise.

But I'd seen the pathways and they were narrow.

So I retraced my steps and ended up back at the beginning. Well, everyone else's beginning.

We're headed down there...

Some of the group there ahead.

Yucca elata, maybe...

Agave utahensis, maybe...

Earlier Panayoti had warned me he didn't have a lot of spikes in his garden. Please! There were so many opuntia and cylindropuntia that I lost count. A great many of them were blooming.

Of course the verbascum were a constant.

Onopordum acanthium, Scottish thistle

Spikes!

And oh so many containers...

Looking back where I'd come from...

Agave albopilosa, mine is starting to let loose with the white tufts too.

Spikes, spikes, spikes...

This looks like the perfect spot to sit and take it all in, doesn't it?

Unfortunately there wasn't time for that.

Must head back to the bus, or risk being left behind.

Of course that wouldn't be so bad, really.

Good bye verbascum, good bye spikes...

Thanks for looking your best for our visit.

Gotta climb those steps...

And avoid the red ants on the way out! If I remember right that's what the woven cover was marking...

Weather Diary, Sept 11: Hi 74, Low 59/ Precip trace

All material © 2009-2019 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.