Rare Plant Research 2014 style...

I’m a sucker for tradition, especially traditions that involve plants. Last weekend was the annual Rare Plant Research open house, I haven’t missed a single year since my first back in 2006! This year I was greeted by a new gate…

Planted with opuntia.

Okay, let’s shop!

There were aeoniums…

Eucomis…

Colocasia…

Bromeliads…

This one was labeled as Alcantarea Odorata and I took note. I bought one last year but it wasn’t signed then and I’ve wondered what I had.

Canna (many others which I didn’t photograph, I was partial to this one).

In short many many fabulous things.

I was tempted by Echium Mr. Happy, but passed.

Several of my agaves have come from Rare Plant Research, but it’s been years since I’ve bought one here.

I found myself trying to convince other shoppers that this was a plant worth having. None of them took me up on it.

An acacia mash-up (the fine leaves).

I take this shot every year…

And consider trying another Furcraea every year (I’ve killed a couple, I resisted…again).

I almost bought one of these Aralia spinosa. Perhaps I should have…

Not tempted by these but love looking at them…

This one I almost bought, and wish I would have.

Look at all those blooms!

I was joined at the sale this year by the dynamic duo in their traveling plant-mobile from Tacoma (that’s the Outlaw and Bonnie Lassie in case you didn’t know). Here’s the Outlaw after deciding against purchasing one of those handsome opuntia…

His purchases (below) were on the less prickly and more colorful side of things.

After looking over the goods for sale we wandered up to the owner’s home on the hill, Villa Catalana. It’s been fun to watch it progress over the last 8 years.

This year there was a bit of vehicular eye candy parked out front.

All of us “zone-pushing” gardeners in the Portland area have losses from the winter cold. This poor Pineapple Guava lost a lot of foliage.

And this cordyline (maybe? on the right), looks like it might have been wrapped for protection what with that damage to the leaves. Or maybe they're bent from the ice storm?

Did anyone notice the long, hard, protuberance on the ground level? Alison noticed and pointed it out, with a giggle. Those of you that know Alison won’t be surprised (and that’s why we love her).

I'm not much for mixed planters but this one really had my attention.

The covered dining area off the kitchen has a view across the pond...

And they've finished the covered atrium between wings of the home. There was a wine tasting going on inside (as if running a nursery wasn't enough work now the owners have started a winery) but the line was too long and I did not partake.

It was fun to look around...and the haze you see was a cooling mist being circulated through the air.

Back outside...

And the view from across the pond.

So what did I buy? The photo below shows the assortment that was in my cardboard flat for the longest time, do you think I was stuck on dark foliage? Canna 'Australia', a pair of Ricinus communis (Castor Bean), and an Aeonium 'Silk'. I was the lucky recipient of a trio of seed grown Castor Bean from Alison at the spring bloggers plant swap but decided you can't have too many big leaf poisonous plants in your garden, right? Besides I have terrible luck with these plants (getting them to grow big) so why not hedge my bets?

I also picked up a striped bromeliad...

And an Acacia dealbata. Perhaps the best acacia for our climate? It can resprout from the base if it freezes back (when it freezes back?). Now where to plant it...

All material © 2009-2014 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.