I am happy to say lawns are not a front yard standard here in Portland. Sure there are still plenty (especially on my street) but it isn't at all unusual to see a front yard completely void of lawn and instead wild with plants. On a walk a couple of weeks ago I discovered this pair, they’re next to each other (just a house in between) on a quiet street. This is what first caught my eye…
A beautiful variegated Echium, in the hell-strip, this is not a common plant here in Portland.
There was also a small Arctostaphylos…
An Echinops, still blooming!
Maybe a Barberry?
And another Echium...
And so much cool stuff! This garden really could have done a fabulous December Bloomday post (I took these pictures on December 12th)…
There was still a happy Alocasia…
And blooming Dahlias!
Some pretty cool moss and lichen too.
Anyone know what this one is?
Heck their Albizia julibrissin 'Summer Chocolate' even still had leaves!
Looking back at the first house…
And the arbor at the second house.
There was a lot of beautiful foliage in this garden.
And a couple of nice Mahonia (‘charity’ maybe?)...
Their Tetrapanax was working out blooms in the same stage as mine.
There were also many artistic touches here…
I think these little ceramic pieces were hose guards?
And finally there was a hell-strip mosaic carpet…(done by Jeffrey Bale)
Sometimes I’m just so darn happy to live in Portland!