One sunny hot Sunday in August my plant lust partner Patricia and I spent the afternoon touring open gardens. This one, the garden of Bob Hyland and Andrew Beckman was the second we visited that day. The first, and the last, belonged to Paul and Greg the co-owners of Xera Plants (I posted about Paul's garden here and will post about Greg's next week).
If you haven't had the pleasure of meeting Bob or Andrew just know they are a very creative, and garden/plant centric duo. Bob has a past in public garden work (Longwood Gardens, Strybing Arboretum, Brooklyn Botanic Garden) and since moving to Portland has opened Contained Exuberance (which shares space with Xera) and Hyland Garden Design. Andrew was previously the Garden Editor for Martha Stewart Living and is now the Editorial Director at Timber Press.
Their garden is located in the hills northwest of downtown Portland. For those of you who've been out to Cistus Nursery on Sauvie island you've drive right by (under) their garden. I believe they've been gardening here for 3 years now...
The above and below (4) photos are of the plantings along their driveway.
I was relieved to spot this agave right away, otherwise I would have been holding my breath wondering, if (when) I would see one.
This is the uppermost terrace of the garden, a smart person would have taken a photo of the view those chairs are positioned to appreciate. Not me, I was concentrating on the plants.
Pretty wonderful right?
The next level down is all about raised veggie plantings.
View back up taken from the veggie level.
When I took the photo above I was sitting in one of those chairs.
Now I'm about to descend to the final (house) level.
Turning back to look at the side of the garage (behind the raised veggie beds) I see this fabulous old stock tank. The photo turned out rather flat but it is quite a beautiful container.
At the bottom of the steps looking back up...
Greenovia aurea ‘Gran Canaria Form’ perhaps?
And now at the nothern most edge of their property looking back to where I started.
The home has a large wrap-around deck.
With plenty of space to relax.
And display your exuberant contained plant collection...
I spy a Hover Dish! Bob's shop is the only place in town (that I know of) where you can purchase them.
This is looking from the edge of the deck back out the driveway where we entered.
Off the deck is a stone patio/path that leads back around the house (and you can see the driveway again here) past a greenhouse (empty and very hot on the day of our visit) and back to the base of the stone stairs by the garage.
Thank you for opening your beautiful garden Bob and Andrew!
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