I recently had the pleasure of spending an evening at Felony Flats Botanical Garden, the garden created by my friends Eric and Robert. If you've read my book, Fearless Gardening (and have a great memory) then that name might ring some bells. They were featured in the book.
This English telephone booth was airlifted in (crane, not helicopter) last March and Eric's been working to restore it. If he gets the glass in before winter it might even be a mini greenhouse, should he need more space.
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But this bad boy! I was there the day he moved in, he was the subject of the epic agave rescue back in May...
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I don't understand exactly why, but it looks smaller here.
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Here's the centerpiece of it all, the amazing custom greenhouse/conservatory Eric built completely by hand: every bit of stained glass, every copper shingle, every brick, every cut and painted piece of wood...
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Let's look inside...
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The large agave in the air vent is the rescued smaller sister to the big one behind the house.
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Looking back at the entrance...
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Up...
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I love these fixtures SO MUCH!
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Stepping out the side door and into the garden...
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Agave parryi, Agave 'Blue Glow', Yucca rostrata.
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In addition to the relocated/rescued agave (shown above, and again below, under the window) I also need to point out the Yucca rostrata under the windmill, one of the five rescued by Eric from a garden near me in NE Portland last September.
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Panning back around (because I can't get enough of this vignette).
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Another of the rescued yucca (two of five if you're keeping track)...
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Those pots are full of Echium simplex (which you never see in area nurseries), grown from seed by Eric, seed sent by Max, aka Planty Magoo. I came home with a couple!
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Arctostaphylos branches in a giant urn backed by trachycarpus under a blue sky, it just doesn't get any better.![]()
Another of the rescued yucca (three of five), this one is really showing of the new growth spurt that seems to say they're doing okay—rooted in and gonna make it. My rescued yucca (four of five), Holman, is doing doing something similar.
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I assume you won't mind a few more greenhouse photos? (this one with a giant tetrapanax)
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Eric said the copper shingles are meant to represent dragon scales.
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All of the upper the windows are operable; tilting in, out, or rotating.
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"if pigs could fly"...
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And just a couple more photos from when the lights came on...
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I can't remember where Eric said he picked up this cactus full of personality.
Towering bananas and another "by hand" project, the fireplace.
Sadly I neglected to take photos of the front garden, although I did get this one if the hellstrip, snapped when we went to pick up take-out dinner.
Oh! And Yucca rostrata rescue five of five is the final shot of the visit. Hard work, artistic vision, and a lot of can-do attitude have made a most amazing garden. I'm so lucky to know these guys!![]()
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