The Wonder Garden at the Hoffman Center for the Arts

This ceanothus (maybe Ceanothus gloriosus 'Pt. Reyes'?) was absolutely covered in buzzing bees.

I risked upsetting them when I pulled the ceanothus back to get a better photo of the Saxifraga cochlearis 'Minor' beneath.
The garden itself is a series of berms, no doubt built to improve the soil quality and drainage, but they also give the flat lot some "topographical" interest. The upended driftwood adds verticality and a sense of place. 
Surely I can't be the first person who yearns to paint the house bordering the back of the garden black with yellow trim ala Derek Jarmon?

Astelia chathamica
Acca sellowiana (pineapple guava) and Callistemon pallidus 'Eleanor'
I would have been feeling extreme plant envy at this sighting, except for the fact I decided to play the odds and once again try to grow Euphorbia stygiana—I purchased a plant at Hortlandia.
I've lost two of these in the past, but what the heck, maybe the third time is the charm?
Blooms! My plants have never managed to get to this stage. We shall see!
The stated purpose of the  Wonder Garden is to "Provide educational garden-based experience: pruning, design, botany, culinary, aesthetic, using spectacular plants to show-case coastal gardening" as such they had a great assortment of arctostaphylos (common name manzanita, which is the name of the town the garden is located in), this one seemed familiar and when I leaned over to see the label it all made sense, Arctostaphylos densiflora 'Harmony'.
Just exactly as low and sprawling as it is in my garden.
Nicely incorporated driftwood.
Bronze fennel, Foeniculum vulgare. So lush, so lovely, so bent on world domination.
Oh! The labels all through the garden were fabulous, and this one had me longing for a plant that hadn't emerged yet! It's been a couple years since I've gown Eupatorium capillifolium but I think I might need to track one down this year.

Right about now is when I heard a couple of dogs barking nearby. Aware that Ketzel Levine (former Portland resident—I shared photos of her garden here—NPR host, author), is the force behind this garden as well as a dog lover and rescue advocate, I found myself thinking "wouldn't it be great if I got to finally meet Ketzel?"

...and when I looked over towards the parking lot, there she was! You know that moment of indecision? Should I introduce myself? Will it be awkward? Of course it will be, but do it anyway! And I did, and it was, awkward, for about a half second. Then she threw her arms around me and we were talking like old friends. If Andrew hadn't been with me (btw he'd since gotten out of the car and started loving on the dogs) I would have probably joined her working in the garden as it all felt just that comfortable.

Rhodocoma capensis

That looks like a protea! SO many things I wish I would have thought to ask Ketzel about but didn't.
The eucalyptus had been bent and broken but was thoughtfully pruned and carrying on.
Acacia pravissima
Fabulously booming.
You all know my metric for measuring the worth of any garden; "is there an agave?" Well thankfully there was. This agave, Agave americana 'Mediopicta Alba', had been overwintered elsewhere, but recently planted back out in the garden.
To it's left was a small, but expanding, patch of Agave parryi.

Pittosporum 'Nutty's Leprechaun', yes, that really is it's name.
What a wonderful spot set-aside for in-garden gatherings, although the Wonder Garden has also had a few online (ZOOM) gatherings as well, read more about those here.
Fabiana imbricata 'Violacea', aka Chilean heather—I might need one of these.
Andrew found a seat from which to consider some garden art, while I finished photographing (Ketzel had been pulled away for a meeting).


As we were leaving he stopped to admire the Armeria maritima 'Rubrifolia', a plant I would have never even given a second look, but once he pointed it out I had to admit the dark foliage was nice.
And I'll end this post with Dyckia 'Burgundy Ice', spiky spiky! Do check out the Wonder Garden if you find yourself in Manzanita, Oregon...