Heather's garden...for real this time

I've only done a limited look at my friend Heather's garden in the past (here), so I'm excited to share these photos I took at her open garden for the HPSO back on July 31st...The tall bloomer is Dasylirion texana, there are more photos to come. The big beautiful shrub to it's right is a mahonia, Mahonia × media ‘Arthur Menzies’.
In our America there are also agaves. I am not making light of the very important sentiments the sign is calling out, but rather acknowledging that agaves have a place in our summer dry climate here in Portland. 
I should also point out that Heather practices a tough-love style of gardening with her agaves and doesn't try to protect them from the snow and ice we occasionally get in the wintertime—like I sometimes do. They are flawless...
Here's the beautiful garden she got when she bought the house.
We cannot forget the wall-o-arborvitae she scored in the hellstrip; because why wouldn't you want an ugly wall of green to hide behind?
Okay more agaves and a better look at that Dasylirion texana, with it's three bloom spikes.



Agave blue glow on the front porch...

...and in the garden. This one may, or may not, be hardy here in Portland in a bad winter. Heather's doing a little testing for the rest of us.
I've also got to mention that she has amazingly well drained soil. Just three and a half miles away from me and it's like she's gardening in an entirely different city—my soil is clay.