Christine and Jim Mitchell's garden, 2020 Version

I received an email from Christine with the tantalizing subject line: Pups to give away. Now I know Christine's a dog-lover, but it just didn't seem in character for her to be giving away puppies. That could mean only one thing...agave pups! Because she's also an agave lover...

As excited as I was to get a few agave pups, I was even more excited to see the current iteration of Christine, and her husbands Jim's, garden. We visited last year, for the HPSO's Study Weekend (here) and then also back in 2015, for the Garden Conservancy's tour (here). It only gets better and better! Christine plants out these Agave americana 'Variegata' in the spring, and then lifts them in the fall, overwintering them undercover.

This elevated area is newly created, well, since my last visit. Christine says the blue chalk sticks will be sacrificed this winter. She's taken cuttings and propagated in previous years but is ready to let it go and start over, or not—we'll see.

As you've probably already figured out, Christine has a love for both agaves AND conifers, and she mixes them well.

Agave ovatitfolia...

Another look, pulled back for a wider shot. She's also pretty impressive with the opuntia...

These agaves become so much more because of the treatment Christine gives them. They're not winter hardy planted out in our climate, and left in containers they can't live up to their full potential. Sunk into the garden during the growing season and allowed to stretch their arms they really do shine.

All of these combinations are in the front garden, visible to people passing by. I wonder what they think? A lot of what's planted is not that unusual here in Portland—although it's all grown so well here it might not be recognizable—then you add in the agaves and POW! Something so different.

A couple more wide-shots...

And then we take a peek at Christine's over-wintering set-up. I love seeing how people care for their non-hardy container plants.

These are all wheeled into an attached garage. Chris says the temperatures stay above freezing, but not significantly so. Oh and these planters, aren't they wonderful. They look like metal, to me at least, but they're pottery.

If you're wondering about light, what you see is what you get. There's a window, and if the garage door is open—as it is here—then more light, but otherwise these plants are allowed to go fairly dormant.

Just outside the garage were these big guys, waiting to be pulled under cover.

I'm not sure if they all went in, but at least a few did.

Let's take a quick look at the rest of the garden...

That big beauty is an Agave ovatifolia, the straight species not 'Frosty Blue'.

More Agave americana 'Variegata'...

In the front there is a nice big Agave bracteosa.

And of course Agave parryi...

Another pair...

If you're not an agave lover (what's wrong with you?) there's still a lot to appreciate in this garden. Like these tall tetrapanax...

And that sweet big-leaf rhododendron.

The stylish rebar and wood edging is to protect the plants from dogs and grandchildren.

A very large tree was recently taken down, if I remember correctly that's part of it there. I'm sure Christine and Jim have something creative in mind.

I said how much I appreciated the look of the ferns tucked in at the base of this short retaining wall. Christine laughed... I think they were actually planted by mother nature.