An afternoon at PDZA

During the heat of late July, Andrew and I decided, spur of the moment to take road trip north and the PDZA was one of my stops.

This was the first time I visited on my own, without Bryon to tour me around. It was a Saturday and the Zoo attendees were out in full force, it was interesting to watch how they did (or did not) focus on the plants.
Blooming Agave lophantha.
A dreamy scattering of Agave parryi.
How could you not stop and stare at this?
I'm sure they asked the same about me, as I walked right past the main animal attractions.
It's not that I don't like the animals, it just hurts my heart to see them enclosed. The plants however, well, They made my heart very happy!
Even when they're behind a "fence" (for their own protection).

I did not notice the seeds on the Aristaloe aristata bloom spike until editing these photos, now I am jealous! Mine bloom every year, but I've never had seeds set. 

I realized I didn't grab a map when I entered (since I booked my ticket on their ridiculously easy to use online ticket purchasing page as we sped north on I-5), and so went back to the beginning to get one. I'm glad I did since I then noticed Mt Rainer making an appearance in the distance.
Such a perfect Araucaria araucana (monkey puzzle tree).
Underplanted with an amazing collection including: Melianthus major, Lobelia tupa, Kniphofia northiae and Yucca rostrata (tentative ID on those last two).

Lobelia tupa
Melianthus major and Alstroemeria 'Indian Summer'.
Look at that Wollemia nobilis! (nice artichokes too)
Bryon has put together an amazing collection of kniphofia around the zoo grounds. I could do an entire post on them alone, many were blooming during my visit.
 

Agave gentryi 'Jaws' and check out that nice big hawk (I think?) flying overhead.
Some jerk needed to slice into that formidable 'Jaws' and scarred the plant.
Like a beauty mark I think it's actually quite fetching.
Meerkats Otters (?) and echium.
There were so many Sinopanax formosanus at the zoo! No wonder they're still so expensive, Bryon has bought them all up.
Schefflera brevipedunculata maybe? Tree sized whatever it is...

Sexy archtostaphylos/manzanita.
And another Wollemia nobilis, this one with cones!
This isn't one of the older cycads at the zoo (unless Bryon moved it here since I last visited), but I suspect it may have been in place for last winter's cold, and it looks fabulous! Ditto for the Brassaiopsis dumicola—the big leaves.
There were several wands of dierama floating on a breeze...
Yay! I was glad to see the garden get a little signage. It's reason enough to visit!
There were many sarracenia bogs.
And some animals that weren't caged.
Just hanging out together in an area under development.
The Baja bed (next to the aquarium) was looking fabulous! When I was last here it was pretty newly planted. Now it's all grown in.





Moving on, rodgersia and hakonechloa.
One of those older cycads I mentioned. 
Woodwardia unigemmata
Phormium seed pods (!), backed by a Corokia cotoneaster.

Loquat, Eriobotrya japonica
Yes, everyone was focused on the tiger, while I was looking at the plants. I mean how amazing is this wall!?!
On top of the wall...
For my fuchsia loving friends.
A bit of  "painter's palette"—Persicaria virginiana 'Painter's Palette' that is—with a nice mahonia backing.
The last photo from my visit, a blooming (smoking) Cotinus coggygria. 

—   —   —