danger garden

A landlord who landscapes…

2012-01-27T09:24:00.000-08:00

Let’s face it; nobody really wants a rental house next door to their home. Rentals have a bad rap and I’m willing to say that’s usually for good reason. Most landlords only offer a minimum of upkeep; most renters don’t give a care about the house and yard thinking “why invest time and money in something that’s not mine?”

Of course I say most because there are always exceptions. I used to be a renter, and I’m pretty sure I added to the property value rather than took away from it (planting tulip bulbs and regularly mowing for instance). And of course there are good landlords, like this one.

I can’t remember what the property looked like prior, but it wasn’t anything remarkable.

Then one day a transformation began to take place.

Can you see the little figs on the tree? Probably not.

While this isn’t particularly my landscape ideal it is still a vast improvement over a nondescript lawn and they’ve made some pretty interesting plant choices. Naturally I assumed it was the homeowner making the changes and I complimented them one day as they were hauling groceries into the house (I figured if you were hauling groceries you must live there). Their response “isn’t it great, no we just moved in and the landlord had just redone everything!”…so kudos to you Mr. or Mrs. Landlord for not taking the cheap way out and instead beautifying the neighborhood.

Speaking of "the neighborhood" I’ve posted pictures of this overplanted (that’s a compliment) next garden a couple of times…click here for last July, and here for May. I thought you might enjoy seeing it in the winter. Photos taken last Saturday the 21st.

The spark, it’s still there

2012-01-26T09:46:00.000-08:00

Do you ever fear losing the urge to garden? I do.

The spark, the need to get outside and “work” in the garden just hasn’t been there. I’ve been wondering if it is possible to lose that spark, to lose the need and desire to tend to your land, and your plants. Truth be told I’ve even skipped a couple of weeks of taking the yard waste container to the curb for pick-up, a sin in my book. Especially with so much debris around the garden that needs to be cleaned up.

But it turns out all I needed was a little blue sky (something we haven’t seen much of lately) to ignite the spark.

If this keeps up spring fever can’t be far behind.

Thinking of upping the Mahonia Count, and why do “their” plants always look better than mine?

2012-01-25T09:25:00.000-08:00

Mahonia gracilipes

I’ve decided I can’t live without Mahonia gracilipes any longer.

I remember passing it up at the Fall 2011 HPSO Plant Sale. Never again…it must be mine.

Look at those fabulous red stems and the berries that seem to glow from within!

Yep gonna be mine, soon. Of course that’s how I felt about Mahonia eurybracteata 'Soft Caress' too, and I got it…and the poor plant has never been the same. Something has been munching on its leaves and the green groundcovers around it don’t let it shine like a contrasting color would.

In all fairness I kind of forgot about it, a huge Tetrapanax leaf blocked it from my sight for awhile, and things went downhill from there. I was reminded how beautiful this plant could be when I saw these…

Nice huh?

When I got home I started a “plants to move as soon as it stops raining 24/7” list and this Mahonia was the first thing on it.

The next one on the list? My Magnolia laevifolia. I have no idea what I was thinking when I planted it here. I guess I forgot how big the Hakonechloa and Sweet Woodruff would get over the summer.

At least it has formed those wonderful velvety brown nubbins that will eventually become the flower.

Of course if I want it to grow big and strong like this…

I need to move it.

Staying on theme here is their Beschorneria albiflora…

And mine.

Which one looks happier?

Their Melianthus…

And mine…

Oh it’s there, under the leaves, under the burlap, held in place with a couple of rocks. Little did I know I could have left it be, and it might still be growing. Instead I got all into my winter prep and cut it back and mulched it. I suppose I should peek under there soon and see what it’s up to.

(by the way, all of the good looking plants were photographed on a walk around McMenamins Kenndy School)

Gardening on a snowy winters day

2012-01-24T09:32:00.000-08:00

It was time. Three, almost three and a half, months since the prisoners came indoors I was past due to inspect them for signs of life (of the non-plant kind…an insect infestation), death, and growth. Heck maybe I'd even give them a small drink of water if they needed it! It was a pleasurable coincidence that the day I’d set aside for this activity was the most wintery day yet. How wonderful to ignore this…

…and head down to the basement where I could enjoy this!

What I found most interesting was the change in color of many of the plants, and some of them were changing in ways I didn’t expect. No doubt both the quality and quantity of light (outdoors vs indoors under florescent light) is the culprit. The Graptoveria 'Fred Ives' has gone from a beautiful powdery purple/blue outside…

To glossy green/blue inside…

The Senecio vitalis was a powdery green all summer, and the bottom parts of it still are…

However the top is now very blue.

Here’s an attempt to show you the overall gradual color change, a difficult thing to capture with my camera.

Remember the Coteledon orbiculata I bought at Plants of the Southwest in Albuquerque last October? Here’s what it looked like there…

And now it looks like this.

The new growth is shiny green, not powdery blue. Reminds me of something I read on The Desert Edge recently: "Some of the foliage…has a bluish or grayish cast. That's a mechanism to help conserve moisture, which many plants have, where clouds, rain, and humidity are rare."

I’m a little worried about how it will respond to the sun when they are reunited, sunburn seems a distinct possibility.

This Neoregelia has lost its distinctive brown/plum hue…

And instead is a sickly green, but look it has a pup! And experience says it will color up nicely when it returns to the outdoors in the Spring.

Keeping its colorful accents this Echeveria nodulosa 'Painted Beauty' is indeed a beauty.

The succulent bowl (on the left) which spent summer on the patio table has also retained most of it’s color.

Senecio stapeliformis v. minor...

Isn’t it crazy? Here’s its tall new growth with either a purple tinted branch, or maybe a bloom, at the end.

I bought a Dudleya collomiae at Xera Plants in May of 2010, that’s it at the very top of this photo, the day I bought it.

Here it is now.

The center plant died and has been replaced by these smaller branching plants, I hope they plump up this summer.

Finally we’ll end this afternoon of gardening in the basement with a look at my Aloe plicatilis and a banana loaded motorcycle.

This image was part of a photo card we received from relatives who were visiting Vietnam. The husband carefully cut out around the image and it showed up here one day, it looks like they’re just passing through.

making plant lists...

2012-01-23T08:49:00.000-08:00

I’m a list maker; the act of writing down and prioritizing things helps me to feel organized. Knowing this about myself it came as a shock when David C, the Desert Dweller, asked where to find my Agave and Opuntia plant lists on my blog. He thought he’d seen them there at some point.

That’s when I realized I had no plant lists on my blog.

(source)

But, I do now! Of course I really should have thought of (and done) this a long time ago. What a great resource for myself as well as a place for readers to look if they are curious about the plants in my garden. Plus I hope maybe someone here in Portland who’s interested in a little spiky zone-pushing will stumble upon it and ask me some questions. The list is a separate page on the blog. You can click on the link in the upper right hand corner under "pages," or click here.

There is a downside though. I now know I have over 50 different types of Agaves, close to 100 plants if you count the multiples. OH MY!

The list is nowhere near complete; I’m just getting started! So far it’s just the Agaves, Opuntia, Yucca, Arctostaphylos (Manzanita), Grevillea, Mahonia and Callistemon found in my garden (and in containers, some currently not in the garden since it's January). The number in parenthesis is the qty of that particular plant, if there is more than one. And before you start thinking I've got a huge garden remember a lot of these are very small plants.

I only have one other concern...can you still respect me now that you know the true depths of my plant lust?

Cistus Nursery, in the dead of winter

2012-01-20T09:12:00.000-08:00

I needed to get out of the house and stretch my eyes…you know what that means right? I end up at Cistus Nursery. Of course it was a weekday, a COLD weekday. Who would visit a destination nursery on a 35 degree afternoon? Me.

Ok there was one other group there, I got the feeling one of them had brought the other two who were visiting from out of town.

It was nice to wander and have the place to myself.

As you can see they’re all buttoned up for the season.

Things stowed away, and a heater at the ready.

Unfortunately I'm not the only one with spots on my Agaves...misery loves company right?

Opuntia left outside, proving they are tough characters.

This one, Opuntia basilaris 'Sara's Compact' came home with me, how could it not! Look at those brown/orange polka dots, plus it's hardy to zone 5.

Oenothera sp.

If their Echium collection survives the rest of the winter (and odds are looking good) I can't wait to see the blooms next year!

Drimys winteri var. chilensis

I wish this photo had turned out better. To turn around and see the Mahonia glowing in the distance was magical!

Up close...

Here are what's left of the blooms from Clematis tibetana var. vernayi...I should have these at home but for some stupid reason I cut mine back. What was I thinking?

Inside the "big top" things look more lively...

Dudleya cymosa

Opuntia humifusa, mine at home look like this too!

So many beautiful Manzanita (Arctostaphylos)

Arctostaphylos 'Dr. Hurd'...buy this one and you don't have to wait for the amazing bark/twisting branches, they are already there! ($52)

Echeveria runyonii

At first glance I thought these were tiny flowers!

But no, these are the flowers...

I neglected to get the name!

That was an enjoyable afternoon outing, time to head home and get started on dinner...

Fresh PICK now only $78

2012-01-19T09:08:00.000-08:00

I scanned this catalogue page because I was just so darn excited to see such a knarly mass of Agaves complete with a bloom spike. I also liked how the words “Fresh PICK now only $78” appear right next to the bloom stalk, looking like perhaps you could purchase the agave for $78. Can you imagine shipping such a bear?

Do you get excited when you see a favorite, or especially good looking, plant in a catalogue, or perhaps a television show or movie? Like this page it’s often just hanging out in the background, not the focus of whatever is being shown, only a prop, but it catches your attention just the same.

Street-side container plantings in the Pearl District

2012-01-18T08:33:00.000-08:00

Several months before we moved to Portland we made an early winter visit. At the time we had no interest in moving, we were simply here scouting possible art galleries for Andrew to exhibit at. Little did we know just 8 months later the company he was working for would be bought by Schoolhouse Electric and he’d have a job offer here in Portland too good to refuse. Life is truly unpredictable!

During that visit I remember walking around the Pearl District (an area of Portland, Oregon, formerly occupied by warehouses, light industry and railroad yards and now noted for its art galleries, upscale businesses and residences) thinking how lucky people here were. It was winter but yet the street planters still looked fabulous! Back home in Spokane (zone 5) everything was brown and dormant.

Out doing a little shopping a couple weeks ago I realized I now walk right past those same plantings taking them for granted. Time to step back and appreciate what was all around me…I even found myself admiring this color combo, and I’m not a fan of ornamental cabbage/kale!

Hope you enjoyed walking the Pearl District with me, and maybe even got a few ideas for future container plantings. I've realized that I’m starting to think about trying that variegated Euphorbia again after tearing out 3 plants in my garden because I decided I hated them. Of course that orange wall is helping their presentation. And the Creeping Wire Vine (Muehlenbeckia axillaris)…I’ve resisted it for years but now it’s a must have after seeing it planted with the bamboo in the white planters at the very top of this post. Check out it's fabulous tiny little white blooms on It’s Not Work It’s Gardening.

It’s garden show time again!

2012-01-17T09:30:00.000-08:00

Finally we’ve hit the sweet spot, January is more than halfway over and the garden shows are right around the corner. That means another gardening season is almost ready to be kicked-off, yippee!

Folks on Twitter (#NWFGS) have been all abuzz about the Northwest Flower and Garden Show (Feb 8-12 in Seattle) and I’m excited to say I’ll be there again this year.

The week after that is the Yard Garden and Patio Show here in Portland (Feb 17-19)...

I was trying to explain to a friend the other day why I get so excited about these shows. Most of all it’s the promise of Spring and the chance to completely immerse myself in all things gardening. Wandering around the show floor looking at all the tools and gadgets, the display gardens, the plants (the PLANTS!) and listening to the people all around me, I love it. She got that part, but that could be done in one day, why do I go back for another (and possibly another after that)? It’s the seminars!

In Seattle you’ll have the opportunity to listen to Dan Hinkley talk about the survivors at his garden in Indianola, WA “High-Performance Plants That Outlasted Winter 2012-2011” or Kelly Dodson & Sue Milliken (of Far Reaches Farm) discuss shade gardens in their talk “Shade Gardens Rule! The Best & Most Unusual Plants for Shade.” If you’re there on the last day of the show, Sunday, you’ll have the opportunity to hear Debra Lee Baldwin share “Fresh Ideas with Succulents, Innovative Ways to Use Succulents in Home & Garden.” Click here for a link to the full schedule of Seminars at the Seattle NWFG Show. Buy your show tickets early (by Feb 7) and save $4 off the price you’d pay at the door!

Things get even better at the Portland show because you don’t have to buy a ticket to the show to attend the seminars, that’s right…they are free! Free! How cool is that? Of course you’ll want to attend the show at least one day ($12 admission) but you can come back for a seminar or two and it will cost you nothing. Click here for links to the full YG&P Show seminar schedule, and in case you’re curious here are a few of the highlights as I see them…

Sean Hogan (owner of Cistus Nursery) is speaking again this year and I’ll definitely be there for “What Plants Want” as “Sean looks at why we yearn for and need to grow so many different kinds of plants from divergent global locations and climates. He'll identify traits that help break plants down into categories and guide you in satisfying your plant lust, knowing how to locate and care for plants from far-flung places, keeping it simple, cost effective and intuitive” actually I feel like this one is just for me! He also talks about native plants and design in “Best and New Natives for Design” noting that “Native Plantings don't have to look like we're punishing ourselves”… it’s true!

Marty Wingate, the author of Landscaping for Privacy, will speak on that topic. Lucy Hardiman (principal of Perennial Partners, a garden collaborative group) will help to restore, reclaim and revision your garden in “Editing Your Garden: Time Marches On” she also gives you pointers on how to handle too many plants and not enough space (who has that problem?) in “From Sidewalk to Treetop: Making the Most of Your Space.”

Since I missed his earlier talk for the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon I am going to enjoy Paul Bonine’s (co-owner of Xera Plants) talk “The Ways of Weather in the Garden”… “a fascinating discussion of how weather affects the garden, as understanding our climate brings an important perspective on what plants to grow, where to grow them, and how to tend to them in relationship to weather. Tips from a geography buff on how to watch the weather to understand how it interacts with the garden.”

Finally Fred Weisensee (co-owner of Dancing Oaks Nursery) gives a talk entitled “Foliage Makes a Garden”… and I bet Fred brings plenty of images of the beautiful display gardens at Dancing Oaks. I’ll be part of a “sneak peek” tour before the YG&P Show opens so check back on Thursday the 16th for a preview of that show if you still need a little more encouragement to go…

Is there an early spring/late winter show where you live, or at least within driving distance? (I’ll be making a 3 hour trek to Seattle). Do you plan on going? What’s the highlight of the show for you?

Foliage Follow-up, Cryptanthus

2012-01-16T09:06:00.000-08:00

When the glow of the holidays fades and the prospect of the long, dark, month of January stretches out ahead I usually brighten up the house with flowers. Often this means taking advantage of clearance sales on Amaryllis and Paperwhite Narcissus bulbs. This year it meant Cryptanthus.

These small Bromeliads come from Brazil and are often referred to as ‘earth stars’ because of “their flat star-shaped appearance and terrestrial habit” (from the book Bromeliads for the Contemporary Garden by Andrew Steens).

Their leaves are thick and fairly stiff with tiny teeth along the margins. A big part of the appeal is their coloring…pinks, greens, purples and almost black. They are fairly inexpensive and it’s easy to find yourself accumulating a small collection in no time (or maybe that’s just me!).

When I bought a couple at Portland Nursery the fellow behind the counter was so excited that someone was “finally” purchasing them, evidently they are a little under-appreciated. He did warn me they love humidity so I’ve been misting them regularly. In fact they’re on the same schedule as the Tillandsia, when the air plants take a bath then it’s time to mist the Cryptanthus. Some people’s lives revolve around their children’s soccer practice and dance recitals; mine revolves around care of my plants.

When I purchased the first one, on a whim one day during a nursery visit, I thought it was practically an epiphyte, but I was wrong. These terrestrial plants need nutrient, hummus rich soil around their roots, roots that tend to grow out rather than down. They don’t put up with cold temperatures and direct frost will kill them. Mine won’t venture outdoors until late spring when I think I’ll plant them all up in one large container.

Foliage Follow-up is celebrated on the 16th of every month, the day after the very popular Bloomday fête. Pam Penick started the tradition as a way to appreciate the ever present backbone of our gardens, the foliage. Visit her blog Digging for a round up of all the many Foliage Follow-up posts. Thanks Pam!

January 2012, Bloomday

2012-01-15T09:09:00.000-08:00

Saved by the Mahonia…

It would have been a bloomless Bloomday without my Mahonia × media‘Charity’

I’ve got plenty of “almost blooms” including a couple of Hellebores that I thought for sure were going be part of the January show. Nope, they’ll have to wait for February; in the meantime I’ll soak up these sunny yellow blooms…

I also want to share the blooms I’m currently enjoying indoors, for the simple reason that I rarely have had cut Leucadendron stems open this far…

Only $2 for a tall branched stem resulted in 3 vases worth of shorter stems. I’m glad I fell for the temptation, but I really wish I could grow these in my garden, zonal envy rears it's ugly head again.

Happy January Bloomday to you all, visit May Dreams Gardens for the official round-up of all the Bloomday posts. A note about my blog...I've been making a few updates, one of which is the larger photos that you may have noticed debuted on this post. Hopefully my photography can stand up to such exposure! If you notice any formatting that seems a bit off I would appreciate your letting me know.

uh-oh*

2012-01-13T09:08:00.000-08:00

(* actual verbal outburst censored to achieve desired G rating rather than a likely PG-13, or possible R) I’ve had very little to worry about this year as far as my tender plants are concerned. So far the worst we’ve seen are a few nights at 28 and a very brief flirt with 26. Combine that with the fact that we’ve been almost eerily dry and you’ll understand why I was so surprised to see this… Agave leaves are not supposed to look like, or move like, that. Its sister across the way (the canary in the coal mine so to speak, since it was my test subject in this same spot of ground through last winter) has no soggy mushy arms. Just a few acne blemishes. Speaking of ache blemishes, one on my third Agave Americana… …has gone from subtle to terrifying. Yuck. It doesn’t end there. One of my Agave ovatifolia has also got spots on a leaf. Although the other one looks fine. One of my little Agave Montana also has a few spots. I suppose this is the price you pay, for pushing the zone and pretending you live in the desert, when you really live in the rain forest (okay not really…I exaggerate for effect). But all is not bad. The Agave bracteosa looks perfect! As does the Agave parryi 'J.C. Raulston'…should have bought more than one of this one. Agave americana 'Opal' is also unscathed. It’s only damage coming from some little critter that ate right through several leaves (when they were still curled together) last summer. Not so for its tiny pups who are suffering some sort of ghosting disease (yes I made that up). Both of them have a leaf that has turned utterly translucent. This concludes our front garden Agave tour for January. Let’s hope February doesn’t bring anything worse okay?

Back on the sidewalk

2012-01-12T08:32:00.000-08:00

One afternoon last week it was so nice outside that I found myself driving to a new part of town in which to take an extended, extra-long dog walk. Knowing I might see a few things worth recording I brought along the camera. I was quickly rewarded with these lovely, old, cement ‘things”… Ya, I have no idea what to call them. Along with the chain they are making a sort of fence, or at least a marker for the property line. I love them. Here we have a gardener that loves Coral Bark Japanese Maples, they had several planted in their hell-strip. They also want passer-byes to know what they are, and how much they cost. Strange garden art. A low cost/low maintenance Portland green-roof! And a great lawn alternative... And wish I would have seen it when it was newly planted, so I knew how long it took to grow in. Stucco houses are few and far between here in Portland (naturally), I’ve always wanted to live in a stucco home. Can you see the vine growing over the neighbor’s driveway? I love that too. The stucco house has a very nicely pruned Pieris japonica on the corner. I’m so glad I didn’t tear out the two we inherited with the house. These can be beautiful shrubs. I vow to keep maintaining mine so someday they’ll hopefully look this good. One more look at the house… Can't you just about get lost in the spirals of Euphorbia myrsinites? I rarely see a Monkey Puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana) with branches all the way to the ground. Wow this looks like the perfect set up in which to grow some front yard food. And the ~~Rosemary~~ Lithodora diffusa 'Grace Ward' (thanks Brian) is incredibly lush. Finally almost back to the car I came upon a small shrub filled with sweet white Camellia blossoms. So pretty…

A couple of spiky fences and the winner of the book 'Landscaping for Privacy'…

2012-01-11T09:47:00.000-08:00

Before I announce the winner of the book giveaway I want to share a couple photos of alternate, “living fences,” for those of you who like the spiky side of life. This first one I spotted in Tucson, AZ last fall, and there's a similar (although much better) photo in the book. Nothing is getting through there right? The other uses a fence material I dreamed about using in my own garden when I saw the movie Freda and an image of the fence around the two artist’s homes… (photo source) My memory of that image was triggered by an article in this month’s Garden Design magazine on the Mexican treasure Jardín Etnobotánico… (photo source) (photo source) If you haven’t already seen the Jan/Feb issue of Garden Design it’s worth picking up for that article alone.

But onward to the book winner!

I used the magical online random number generator to select the winner. All the U.S. commenter’s (sorry Adam D, Bom and Delphine) were listed in the numerical order in which they commented...then the True Random Number Generator selected number 3, Alan of the blog It's Not Work, It's Gardening, as the winner! Congratulations Alan! I hope you enjoy the book and thank you to everyone who commented.

My perfect potting bench

2012-01-10T09:29:00.000-08:00

Recently on the blog Gardening Gone Wild Deborah Lee Baldwin (the Queen of Succulents) shared a few images of what she labeled “the perfect potting area” as well as a link to video that includes her own version.

I don’t have a potting area, or even a potting bench, and I’m fine with that. If I did I would want it to be out if sight and our lot isn’t big enough for that. Instead I just plop down in the driveway behind my car, in front of the garage and next to a bamboo filled stock tank. Clean up is easy, I just sweep up any soil, leaves, or gravel left behind. However my “can do without that” attitude changed when I saw this. THIS is my PERFECT potting bench… It’s huge, strong and on wheels! The bottom shelf could hold pails of soil, gravel, and chicken grit along with a bin for my tools. The top has a lovely metal surface on which to work (ignore that wodden trap contraption sitting on it...I should have moved it for these pictures). And those wheels would make it easy to move in and out of the garage (we don’t park our cars in there anyway), where it could remain out of site until I needed to use it. Plus it could double as a bar or buffet when we entertain! I was in love! Never mind that it was $295…and used to be a gurney. Oh and look at these! The small pail would be put to work on the lower shelf of the potting gurney, full of soil. The tall one would be a planter, for a huge Agave of course. And whose garden wouldn’t be improved with their very own slide? It could be yours… Finally these metal screens were just screaming to be used for all sorts of climbing plants. My clematis would finally have a worthy backdrop. Are you wondering where I found all of these fabulous things? Seek the Unique, in SE Portland. Just remember I’m going to be so jealous if you buy my potting gurney.

A little escapism

2012-01-09T09:17:00.000-08:00

Even though we've been enjoying a mild winter here in the PNW I still occasionally find myself yearning for summer sunshine and warmth. The magic of the garden alive, growing and blooming. A recent visit to Portland Nursery was just the thing… They’ve got a great indoor houseplant/succulent area where with the blue sky visible outside you can almost believe you’re in sunny South Africa, the Tropics or maybe Southern California, without the pesky TSA pat-down/x-ray en-route. Look there are blooming Aloes, you don’t find those on every corner in Portland, Oregon… Aloe spinosissima. This poor Aloe seems to have aborted the bloom before it could even get going. This one isn’t blooming but was still a traffic stopper just based on its thick “flaming” leaves, Aloe peglarae. This one (possibly Aloe saponaria?) is very prolific with pups popping up all over… Kalanchoe blossfeldiana Euphorbia punicea And a couple of other Euphorbia that I couldn’t see a name on so I’m not sure about their specific name. Echeveria ‘Super Star’ And another Echeveria. Their Jade tree was blooming… Is this another Echeveria? Whatever it is the leaves were positively glowing. Gasteria croucheri, beautiful thick leaves. If I had this plant it would be called Mr. Grouchy. This Agave is planted in an in-ground display area at the nursery, mayy be Agave gypsophila? There were other plants (ones I’ve dismissed as common houseplants) planted in the large in-ground planting areas. I found myself stopping to admire them and realize (I know…this makes me sound really stupid) that they are house plants to me but in their natural habitat they must be amazing. Finally there were the Bromeliads, so bright and colorful, so beautiful. So I’m curious…where do you go when you need to escape winter and pretend you’re somewhere else? (assuming of course you've got a winter to escape from)

the best (spikiest) green-roof yet…

2012-01-08T11:23:00.000-08:00

You really need to go here and check this out, really. Thanks to David C, Desert Dweller, for the link.

Really I mean it. Click here.

More from T or C, New Mexico

2012-01-06T10:27:00.000-08:00

Last Friday we visited Buffalo Bill’s Exotic Cactus Ranch, today I thought I’d share a bit more of Truth or Consequences with you. T or C is kind of a hardscrabble little town with a population of approximately 7,289. The average high temperature is 91 in August and the average low is 27 in both December and January. The month with the smallest percentage of sunshine is December where it’s sunny only 76% of the time (compared with June’s 89%). I don’t even want to know what that statistic is for Portland…seriously. That would be just too depressing.

In the past my in-laws (who live in T or C) have tended quite the vegetable garden and enjoyed a healthy harvest of pecans too (we’ve been the lucky recipients of a couple shipments over the years). As they’ve gotten older they've naturally cut back on the gardening and much has been done lighten the maintenance load in the yards and garden. Here’s the front of their home, with a few happy Yuccas and a Mesquite tree. There used to be a few huge Agave americana dotted around the landscape but after the last bloom fell towards the house, and did a little damage, they had them all removed. I try not to think about that too much. They have a wonderful private courtyard with a covered area to relax in the shade. A vine (whose name I can’t remember) covers several of the arched openings with lush green leaves and bright orange flowers. An early piece of my husband Andrew’s artwork leans in the corner. He’s always a little unnerved by the amount of past artwork his parents have hung onto and would rather they burn it all. I however enjoy getting to see this bit of his past, if your parents can’t hold on to the things you’ve created then who can? Across the street a neighbor was enjoying the final, grand moments of their Agave. Are you surprised when I say I didn’t peek over the wall to see what the Agave looked like and what other plants were on the other side? Two words…’barking dog’ an angry one at that. I didn’t want to take a trip to the local hospital. I did get close enough to enjoy their polka dot Opuntia… While I was hard at work scouring the neighborhood for available Agave pups I discovered this group in the alley behind another neighbor. Downtown I spotted this survivor. Views around town and beyond… I wish I could have captured the sunset, the colors went on forever. Across the street from the Geronimo Springs Museum I spotted this pretty blooming Fairy Duster (Calliandra eriophylla?) And the tail end of a few Ocotillo blooms… Still with leaves too! These metal cutouts were mounted along the top of one of the museum buildings. Trunked Yuccas, real and otherwise, loom large in the landscape. However the only Saguaros to be seen are made of stove-pipe… Or plaster. So many Opuntia fruit! They were all over town on different kinds of Opuntia too. Here a stock tank has been turned into a kiddie-pool, at least I assumed it was for the kids. And finally I spotted a pair of flamingos… Stopping for a rest in a desert landscape. So far from home…

Landscaping for Privacy, Innovative Ways to Turn Your Outdoor Space into a Peaceful Retreat

2012-01-05T09:25:00.000-08:00

When house hunting in 2005 the top item on my list of priorities was a private backyard. The home I left behind in Spokane featured a neighbor who looked right down on my "private" patio as well as a right-of-way which allowed them to drive through my backyard.

The house we were renting in Portland had a backyard that was anything but private. There were fences, but they were just the right height to lean on while you chatted with (or stared at) your neighbor. I could stand in the back yard and enjoy an uninterrupted view of the next 4 properties. No thank you!

Of course it was my impatient nature that had me wanting to inherit a private space, rather than create it myself. Now I realize that when you create it, you control it. Meaning you don’t learn one day that your neighbor is going to cut down the 20ft tall Laurel hedge (on her property, which you thought was on your property) and build a 5ft tall wood fence.

This is my long winded way of saying that I jumped at the chance to review Marty Wingate’s new book Landscaping for Privacy, Innovative Ways to Turn Your Outdoor Space into a Peaceful Retreat from Timber Press. After all two of the three sides of our backyard are still largely based on things (fences and plantings) not entirely ours, I need to start thinking and planning about how to take control of our privacy.

(photo by Andrew Buchanan)

This book is divided into chapters on Buffers, Barriers, Screens and finally at the back of the book, Plant Lists. The chapter on Buffers gives you detailed ideas on “Softening the Impact of Nuisances” whether they are manmade or natural. Barriers discusses options for keeping out trespassers and Screens helps you to hide the things you would rather not see, be they in your garden or a neighbor’s property. There are plenty photos to illustrate examples, most of which practical solutions that are do-able on any regular size city lot.

(photo by Rob Cardillo)

In the introduction Marty writes “…our choices are broader than any easy way out. An evergreen hedge may provide an easy solution to screen off the view of your neighbor’s hot tub, but it might not be the best idea for screening out traffic noise. Every spring, an army of arborvitae appears at garden centers everywhere. They provide a quick fix, but they are not necessarily the most appropriate answer to the question, “How can I make the ugly view go away?” Good design requires commitment. A tall, thin, “wall” of hedge plants can disguise a chain-link fence, but if those plants grow to 25 ft. tall and wide, you need to make the commitment to keep the hedge in check”

(photo by Andrew Drake)

It’s that kind of thinking combined with exceptional plant recommendations which make this book an excellent resource. In the section on planting a hedgerow Marty suggests the evergreen strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) next to a “showy ninebark” (Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Mindia’) and for a “broader assortment of interest, intersperse…with tall Oregon grape” (Mahonia aquifolium)….sounds beautiful! Definitely not another boring Arborvitae hedge.

In the section on screening areas inside your property Marty reminds those wanting to hide garbage and recycling bins from sight to also keep in mind the view your neighbors have of these items.

(photo by Andrew Drake)

In the process of creating a pleasant view in your garden don’t create an eyesore for someone else. Yes! Imagine not having to stare at your neighbor’s plastic bins which they've hidden from their sight by placing right in yours. (I may have a bit of a personal issue with the bright electric Blue, Green and Yellow bins the City of Portland has issued to us all)

(photo by Andrew Drake)

As mentioned there is a plant list at the back of the book, and this section is invaluable. After devouring the terrific ideas in the preceding chapters you are then given the information you need to make good plant choices. The list is divided into groupings; Evergreen Shrubs, Plants for Hedgerows, Plants for Seaside Gardens, Plants for Windy Sites, Thorny Plants, and many more. Some of these groups are further broken down by regions and their unique growing climates. A short description is given for each plant along with its typical size, cultural requirements and USDA hardiness zone.

(photo by Ellen Spector Platt)

I believe that Landscaping for Privacy is a great resource in creating a truly private garden. Do you want to see for yourself? Timber Press has generously supplied me with copy to give away! How do you enter? Just leave a comment on this post by midnight on Tuesday the 10th. I’ll draw the name of a (completely random) lucky winner on Wednesday the 11th, please make sure I have a way to contact you if you win, and sorry U.S. residents only please.

(photo by Andrew Buchanan)

Also for those of you who will be attending the NW Flower and Garden Show in Seattle, or the Yard Garden & Patio Show in Portland (both shows in February) Marty will be speaking on this topic at the shows, I had the pleasure of meeting Marty at the Garden Bloggers Fling last summer and I bet she will be an energetic and engaging speaker.

Disclaimer: I received an advance copy of this book from Timber Press for the purpose of a review. In other words, it was free…free however does not buy a positive review. If I didn’t think this is a good book I wouldn’t be posting about it. All photos used by permission from Timber Press and photo credit given under each photo.

Today's post is brought to you by the letter "O"

2012-01-04T09:46:00.000-08:00

This is not the usual angle at which I see this giant tree. But that straight-on view is from a heavily traveled street and it wasn’t worth risking my life to get the better shot. Every time I see it I can’t help but see a giant O, and hear it say “Ouch! Noooooooo…I wasn’t meant to grow like this!” Poor tree.

Genista aetnensis, or Mt. Etna Broom

2012-01-03T08:47:00.000-08:00

One sunny cold morning a couple weeks ago thick frost coated one of my Genista aetnensis in such a way that its graceful outlines were highlighted and I could finally get a picture of it… This odd tree is one of the favorite things I planted in our front garden this year (actually I love it so much I planted two) but it’s the very thing I love about it that also makes it nearly impossible to get a photo of; it doesn’t really have any leaves and it’s virtually see-through when it’s not blooming. (that is a bamboo pole in there helping support it's small trunk) Speaking of blooming here it is last July… It’s that see-through quality that I love and makes it the perfect tree for my garden; it allows me to have tree height, but not sacrifice sun for the surrounding plants. My love affair with this plant started years ago. I admired a couple of mature trees in another garden even before I knew what they were. Theirs are older so the trunk and branches are thick enough to photograph well. Last summer I got a bit of a shock when I saw just how big they can get. This photo was taken at Jungle Fever Exotics in Tacoma, WA. Why is seeing a 15-20 ft tall so much different than reading that one will eventually get to be that size? Do you have this disconnect too or is it just my issue?

Need more information? Here are a few descriptions of this plant from local nurseries…

Cistus Nursery
Graceful and elegant, small tree with sparse, silky leaves and stems that act like leaves. Nearly invisible to the eye until it covers itself in yellow, fragrant pea flowers in mid summer to early fall. Can reach 12-15 ft tall or so with a narrow, weeping habit. This native of Sicily takes full sun, lean soil that drains well, and little summer water once established. Does not reseed! Frost hardy to 5F, USDA zone 7b.

Xera Plants
Mt. Etna Broom, from the lava covered slopes of Italy and for that matter Europe’s tallest volcano makes a wonderful “shade-less” tree for hot sun. Rush-like weeping stems actually have tiny leaves that are barely noticeable. In summer you will notice the clouds of golden yellow pea flowers that emit the powerful perfume of Jasmine. To 14’ tall, best in full hot sun and poor, well drained soil. Little summer water when established. A great small tree for a see-through vertical effect, without being oppressive. Grows quickly, and is best without extra encouragement. Zn7b (5º to 10ºF) Papillionaceae

Gossler Farms
This Mediterranean native will make a small graceful tree to 20'. The deep green stems carry a few small leaves but the ground beneath the plant looks like its full sun because there are so few leaves. Genista aetnensis has small bright yellow Scotch Broom flowers that are wonderfully scented. We know what you think of a Scotch Broom, but please try this lovely small, graceful tree.

And Kate over at Portland Monthly did a great post on Genista aetnensis back in July, click here to read it.

Maybe you'll considering adding a Mt. Etna Broom to your garden?

What’s wrong with my Loquat?

2012-01-02T09:13:00.000-08:00

Last Friday I took advantage of a brief break in the nearly nonstop rain (the last week of the month made up for the very dry first 3 weeks) and took a walk around the garden. That’s when I saw this… I’d noticed a few spots on a couple of leaves before, but employed my classic “ignore it and it will go away” response (laziness, that's my version of organic gardening). That didn’t work because it’s not gone away but gotten worse! That’s the Musa Basjoo behind it, wrapped in a burlap coffee bag. I love this plant and don’t want to lose it, or have its leaves be an ugly mottled mess. Please advise…

2012, wow…HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2012-01-01T00:03:00.000-08:00

I remember playing the “how old will we be when the year 2000 is here” game with my brothers when we were kids (that would be 34, 29 and 27…and I’m not telling which one was which). Back then the sound of “the year 2000,” and our future ages, was nothing short of awe inspiring. Now its 2012, wow. How exactly did that happen? Speaking of big numbers this is danger garden blog post #799, somehow I’ve managed to be on the brink of 800 posts, that’s a lot of words and photos! Since I’ve enjoyed reading posts from other bloggers with a snapshot look at their “stats” I decided to do something similar. Yes, I’m starting 2012 by looking back at 2011…

For the year 2011 I had 108,413 visitors, 63,391 of them “unique”
(I assume this is the number of people who actually opened the blog in their web browser? So folks who read it in Google Reader or via email subscription are not counted in that stat? I've always wondered about that, love to know the answer).

Visitors from 168 countries spent time here over the year, with the top ten being the U.S., Canada, the UK, Australia, France, India, Spain, Italy, Germany and Hungary. Squeaking in at #168 was Yemen with one visitor who stayed on the site for 10 minutes and looked at 3 pages.

In the U.S. the top four visiting states were the obvious ones, my state followed by the rest of the West Coast, and then Texas. After that things get less predictable…

1 Oregon: 18,269 visits
2 California: 15,964
3 Washington: 6,215
4 Texas: 5,059
5 New York: 2,215
6 Florida: 2,134
7 Ohio: 1,409
8 North Carolina: 1,260
9 Arizona: 1,206
10 Pennsylvania: 1,124

Below are the top ten most visited posts of the year. It is worth noting that most of these posts are from previous years, so this stat just reflects which posts were being read in 2011 (all post titles are links, I never am sure if people can see my links). It's also worth noting that these posts are nowhere near what I would have picked as my top ten of the year, it’s an odd group reflecting popular search terms no doubt:

1 Yucca Love
2 Resurrection Fern, Selaginella lepidophylla
3 Rock Shopping
4 Urban walls and planters
5 Walking Alberta Street
6 Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola' or Japanese Forest Grass
7 The Huntington Gardens, Part 2 The Desert Garden
8 San Francisco Botanical Gardens Part 2
9 A fence that doubles as a grape arbor
10 Bromeliads – they aren’t just super-market florist plants!

The most commented on post of the year was actually a tie between the post I did on JJ De Sousa’s amazing garden: This garden is Crazy Colorfully Cool! And one where I updated you on my birthday goings on (Including a visit from Pam @ Digging) and the fact that I’d been in Seattle for the garden bloggers fling: Happy Birthday to me! (and here's what the heck I’ve been up to…).

And finally my favorite post about my garden this year wasn’t on my blog at all, but on Digging: Foliage fantasia in Portland’s Danger Garden Pam took some great photos which managed to make me forget it was my garden I was looking at!

Happy New Year to You and thank you SO MUCH for visiting danger garden in 2011. The best part about blogging is all the wonderful people around the world that I get to interact with via your blogs or your comments here. I hope you’ll be back here often during 2012!

(the fine image at the top of this post borrowed from http://zoom-dg.com.ar/media.html)

Buffalo Bill’s Exotic Cactus Ranch

2011-12-30T10:02:00.000-08:00

I just couldn’t get inspired to write the post I’d planned for today, so instead we’re going back to the Desert SW and a stop at Buffalo Bill’s Exotic Cactus Ranch, yeeha! I realize the sign just says ‘Exotic Cactus Ranch’ but trust me on the name, after all there is a buffalo on the sign. And isn’t the phrase “cactus ranch” just the best? I want to own a cactus ranch! That way Andrew could say things like: “nope Loree’s not in town this week, she’s out at the ranch, the cactus ranch”….ah that would be the life. I also love this little scene, just look at those fabulous old street lights… Anyway, the Cactus Ranch is located in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, also home to my in-laws (click here if you wonder how Truth or Consequences got its name). Last time we visited T or C the nursery was closed, but we still poked around, looked at the plants outside and peeked in the greenhouse. Remembering that visit I was disappointed to see how small their selection was this time. I assumed it was the economy causing them to scale back, but I was wrong. Turns out it was the weather…a one two punch of a freak cold winter and a freak wind storm. The cold took out a lot of the large potted Agaves which sat outside, and the wind storm was so powerful plants ended up across the street. They had a very old and huge Pachypodium lamerei which was snapped in half. So sad. Still I found plenty to gawk at… These guys looked like they’d been rescued from a construction site or maybe a gardener who didn’t appreciate them, can you imagine planting these? You’d need excellent gloves. This Euphorbia trigona v. Rubry stopped me cold (hot?). If I’ve ever seen this color on this plant before (I’m used to see a dark green) then I don’t remember it. Gorgeous! They had smaller sizes too; one of those came back to Oregon with me. What a tall Kalanchoe! And babies… Euphorbia horrida 'Snowflake' Spikes! And flowers… And fur! So many wonderful things! One of these little Aloes came home with me too; I couldn’t resist the powdery blue color combined with the pink stripe along the edge. Of course now I can’t remember what it’s called! I had to leave these tall Aloes behind. Here is evidence of a past Agave bloom (A. vilmoriniana perhaps?). If I remember right they said a friend or neighbor had a plant bloom and offered them the little "plantlets" (or bulbils) that formed along the spike. The tiny white tag has 11/5 written on it, which would mean these little guys are almost one year old, we visited on 10/15. Well I guess it was fitting that I wrap up 2011 with a spiky post from the desert and pictures of baby agaves. Hope you all have a wonderful New Years Eve, be safe…and I’ll see you in 2012!

The neighborhood message board

2011-12-29T09:12:00.000-08:00

I post this as a warning to anyone who lives on a corner lot and is considering a landscape redo. If you plant like this: Then the poor little shrubby plant on the corner (sorry I have no idea what it is) is destined to become the neighborhood message board, for the dogs. I can’t walk past here without Lila having to stop and catch up on the gossip; it seems that every dog that passes must leave a message. Being a gardener I am extra sensitive to the possibility of her disturbing a landscape. She isn’t allowed to squat in a yard, she can sniff for information from those that have gone before, but can’t add a message of her own. You can tell from the bark dust on the sidewalk that many other dog owners have had to pull an unwilling canine way from the lil’shrub. I’m not sure what would have been a better choice for the corner, maybe a tree? Its trunk would be popular but might withstand the constant assault a bit better. Lawn, while never being an ideal choice in my book, would most likely go unnoticed by the four-legged set, maybe rocks? I just hope this little plant can “weather the storm” so to speak…I fear come spring it will show signs of too much "attention."

There were succulent stamps in my stocking!

2011-12-28T08:31:00.000-08:00

My Christmas stocking that is.

On December 11, 1981 in Tucson, AZ, the USPS issued this se-tenant (se-ten•ant; a block of commemorative stamps printed together on the same sheet but differing in design, color, value, or overprint) of four stamps depicting U.S. desert plants. The stamps were designed by Frank Waslick. The dealer who sold Santa Andrew the succulent stamps also sent along these ‘11th International Botanical Congress’ stamps as freebies… Only 6 cents, I wonder when stamps were that cheap? Research time…

“On August 23, 1969, the U.S. Post Office released a set of four stamps to mark the meeting of the 11th International Botanical Congress in Seattle, Washington. Portrayed on the 6-cent stamps were famous plants associated with the four regions of the country.

Northwest: Douglas Fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii
Northeast: Lady's Slipper, Cypripedium reginae
Southwest: Ocotillo, Fouquieria splendens
Southeast: Franklinia, Fanklinia alatamaha

First day of issue ceremonies were held in Seattle on the day prior to the opening of the Botanical Congress. The Franklinia, now extinct in the wild, was once native to Georgia.” (source) "The International Botanical Congress (IBC) is an international meeting of botanists in all scientific fields, authorized by the International Association of Botanical and Mycological Societies (IABMS) and held every six years, with the location rotating between different continents. The IBC has the power to alter the ICN (International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants), which was renamed from the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN) at the XVIII IBC. Formally the power resides with the Plenary Session; in practice this approves the decisions of the Nomenclature Section. The Nomenclature Section meets before the actual Congress and deals with all proposals to modify the Code: this includes ratifying recommendations from sub-committees on conservation. To reduce the risk of a hasty decision the Nomenclature Section adopts a 60% majority requirement for any change not already recommended by a committee." (source)

Good to know they have safe guards in place against hasty decisions isn't it?...

When I went looking to learn what went on at this International Botanical Congress in Seattle I stumbled on the photo below (source) taken during a field trip of the Seattle Botanical Congress goers to Oregon. They look like a fun bunch don’t they? I wonder where they visited; it looks more like Eastern Oregon than Western. By the way I’m not a stamp collector...there was a theme running through many of the holiday gifts from my husband this year, images of my favorite plants. I've got a several vintage photograph reproductions and a couple of new art prints to get framed. I see a great succulent wall grouping in my future!

Oh and this was going to be a simple Wordless Wednesday post with just images of the stamps, but I’ve never been any good at the wordless thing. I hope some of you found this interesting!

Signs of Spring, on the Winter Solstice

2011-12-27T09:30:00.000-08:00

Last Week on Winter Solstice, or as I like to think to it “the day the promise of light returns to the sky” I saw definite signs of Spring in the garden. What’s that? A bit early you say? Well it doesn’t get much more “Springy” than Daffodils right? And those are Daffodils just starting to emerge… Since this small patch is on the north side of the house, out of sight, it’s been allowed to remain over the years. Truth be told I really enjoy it. Buoyed by the Daffodil sighting I went off to see what other signs of life I could find. Ah! Ceanothus flower buds! And Manzanita flower buds! Even a few small buds on a Grevillea… And the promise of pendulous greenish-yellow flowers on the Willlow Leaf Stachyurus. Inside the “greenhouse” the Acacia is covered in buds… And back outside the Edgeworthia blooms are starting to form… I pray some freak weather event doesn't come along and damage these buds before they have a chance to fully develop. Only 85(ish) more days until the first day of Spring!

More from Spokane…

2011-12-26T09:18:00.000-08:00

During most of our recent visit to Spokane there was a heavy fog obscuring the landscape, shortening your sight-lines and making everything a little mysterious. Since Spokane in the winter is brown (the grass usually goes dormant and it seems everything is buff colored), dirty (snow and ice means lots of sanding the roadways…which leaves everything with a nice coat of grit) and just plain ugly (look I was born there and have logged almost 25 yrs there off and on in my lifetime, I’ve earned the right to call it ugly), I welcomed the effects of the fog. When the fog it finally lifted we were along the river and got to enjoy a bit of blue sky right before sunset. That’s part of the Spokane River with Riverfront Park (buildings left over from the 1974 World’s Fair) and a bit of downtown in the distance. These orange berries were glowing in the fading afternoon light. Sometimes I get all sweet on my hometown. This would be one of those times.

‘Tis the day to say Merry Christmas…

2011-12-25T08:09:00.000-08:00

To those who celebrate the holiday I hope you have a wonderful day…danger garden style! Merry Christmas...

Mother Nature’s holiday ornaments…

2011-12-23T08:56:00.000-08:00

This year I’ve noticed several trees specially decorated for the season, decked out by none other than Mother Nature herself. Figs, Apples, Persimmons look like ornaments placed upon the trees… Small berries look like tiny lights along the branches… And Clerodendrum trichotomum (Harlequin glorybower) berries are little stars… The magic of the season is everywhere, you just have to look...

So what did I do with those Blue Atlas Cedar branches?

2011-12-22T08:53:00.000-08:00

I had such high hopes for my $8.99 blue cedar branches (click here if you want to read about the hunt), I was confident I could come up with some clever way of using them that would make me forget all about wanting a Blue Atlas Cedar tree…no problem! But you know what? Sometimes there just is no substitute for what you really want. Since we are spending Christmas at home this year I wanted a tree, branches alone weren’t going to cut it. So up went the vintage aluminum tree. I do love it! For the Blue Atlas Cedar branches…I thought about making a garland/swag for the mantle, but in the end just made sort of a centerpiece and mixed in some silver balls, stars, and Tillandsia. I planned to put the tallest branches in several vases, and distribute them throughout the house. But they were far too heavy, and curved in such a way that only the strongest of vases would stay upright, so only one vase full of branches was done up. At least it went right where I could stare at the blue needle clusters… I used a few more cuttings to fill a metal bowl as a centerpiece on our dining table, and tucked in a few ornaments. I should explain they look old because they are, I love the crackled and faded look of vintage ornaments and they’re all I use. What was left got mixed in with some greens I scavenged on a long walk after a windy night, along with a little Eucalyptus left over from a cheap Trader Joes bouquet, to make a wreath for the inside of our front door. I was happy with things until the day I unexpectedly came face to face with a potted Blue Atlas Cedar tree at a quick nursery visit…my heart skipped a beat and then sunk. Sometimes there is no substitute for what you really want.

Christmas in Spokane, WA…

2011-12-21T09:28:00.000-08:00

We were able to get away last weekend and spend a few days in my hometown to celebrate an early Christmas with my family. One of the things I hoped to do while there was visit Manito Park and the Gaiser Conservatory. I have fond memories of this Agave lit only by blue Christmas lights. It was an odd combination, an Agave wrapped in Christmas lights, but it was beautiful. I wanted to see it again and luckily my family was up for the adventure. Turns out we weren’t alone. There were almost as many people at the park to see the Conservatory lights as were there for the plant sale last June, since this is a week and a half long event, with two weekends, I found that surprising. I know people love to view Christmas lights but this wasn’t a drive around in your car and point event. I couldn’t help but think they were getting so much more out of this display as they stopped to read the plant labels and marvel at things they hadn’t seen before. It was a very good thing… There are more than 30,000 lights strung for this event, the annual show dates back to 1994 and takes two people five weeks to complete. The real magic starts once it’s dark enough that the plants are illuminated only by the lights and you don’t see all the wires. But my lack of suitable technology to capture that moment means you see the plants while the wires are still visible. The big draw (according to an article in the local paper) is the 105 yr old blooming Christmas cactus… And that’s not the only senior plant in the Conservatory…this Jade Tree is 75 years old… As we made our way around the desert/cactus section of the Conservatory, and I snapped more than a few photos, my family moved on ahead of me and I ended up eavesdropping on an older couple behind me. I shared a bit of knowledge, trying not to be an irritating “know it all” (should be easy since I don’t know it all right?) and I was eventually rewarded with a family story. After viewing the lights for the first time years ago, and being quite impressed with the display, they decided to replicate it at their son’s home on the Kitsap Peninsula in Western Washington, where he owns a small nursery. One of them stayed behind and strung lights all around the nursery greenhouse, while the other went on an errand with the son. Their return was timed perfectly for the lights to illuminate the greenhouse and create that sense of wonder and awe as they drove closer. Except for one little problem. Red was the predominant color of the lights…and their son thought the greenhouse was on fire and leapt out of the car in a panic. The bit of holiday magic they had hoped to create had backfired.

The corner living room…

2011-12-20T08:24:00.000-08:00

I should never curse the sun for shining in Portland, but these pictures would have been so much better if the sun had just been a little less vibrant on the afternoon I turned this corner. The harsh shadows and sun-flare made capturing this vignette nearly impossible. Still I think you can hopefully make out most of the details of this very unique corner garden in SE Portland. Believe it or not the first thing to grab my eye was not the tall Yucca rostrata, although once I noticed it I did see this whole arrangement in a different way. I think it’s playing the part of a tall floor lamp, between the sofa and chair. Here’s a close up so you can see the construction. I wonder if it was more grown-in over the summer, and fall/early winter has played a little rough with the “upholstery?” The “fence” around this installation is made of bits of bike frames, with bike chain running through the hollows… Bike chain also makes up the “do not sit” ropes across the chair and sofa, something straight out of a high-end antique store…only of course they would be silk ropes not bike chain. Can you make out the face, peeking over the right hand corner of the sofa? He has a yucca or agave for hair; I couldn’t get close enough to see which in the bad light. And I have no idea what the structure on the corner is all about. On the bottom left is a memorial plaque with a name and dates, but it somehow seemed disrespectful to photograph it for a blog post.

Butcher's Broom

2011-12-19T09:24:00.000-08:00

A couple of Sunday's ago I was curled up on the couch with a blanket, a mug of coffee and the (extremely thick) Sunday paper. Andrew came home from walking the dog and presented me with a leaf, and then drew me a map.

The leaf looked like these: And the map was to the treasure located on the Northwest corner of McMenamins Kennedy School. The plant is Ruscus aculeatus or Butcher's Broom and I’ve learned that isn’t really a leaf it’s a “cladode.” A cladode is a stem modified for photosynthesis that looks like a leaf. It is flat for increasing the surface area, thick for storing water and green for photosynthesis (definition found here)

Of course the most interesting thing about this plant and its leaf cladode is the little “about to flower” bit right in the middle. Here’s a better photo of the flower… (photo by Réginald Hulhoven, found on Wikimedia Commons)

And of the berry that comes later… (photo by Biopics, found on Wikimedia Commons)

Pretty cool huh? Naturally since I was at Kennedy School I wandered around a bit as there are always things to see, especially on sunny December afternoon. I wish you could have seen how the sun was lighting these auburn leaves, the light post peeking out from behind add to the mood. Last Monday I posted a photo of this same sedum in my garden. Theirs is much more colorful. This agave has powered through a couple of winters now, hopefully it will do the same again this year. This must be Melianthus major 'Purple Haze'…if my regular old Melianthus lives through another winter (this will be its second) maybe I’ll have to add this one to the garden. Love that purple blush!

Foliage Follow-up, December 2011

2011-12-16T09:28:00.000-08:00

I couldn't decide what to showcase for December’s Foliage Follow-up. First I thought I’d do a photo inventory of the in-ground Agaves, for comparisons sake come spring with sort of a “who survived and how they’re looking” post. But I was afraid you’re all bored with photos of my Agaves.

So then I thought I’d share what my Echium collection is looking like…both first thing in the chilly morning (25/27/30 degrees...it’s not pretty, think a sad wet long haired dog), and then later when they warm up. The change is remarkable and I’m so happy they all still appear to be alive! (both of these shots are after they’ve warmed up) Don’t you think they look like sea creatures? But lordy I’ve been talking a lot about the Echiums lately too, no those just won’t do. Then I thought…oh! A Prickly Pear post…they are looking fabulous right now! But an entire post of nothing but Opuntia paddles might be a little dull. I could show how the Yucca rostrata shimmer in the sun with a slight breeze… But it’s hard to capture a breeze with a still photo. I’m loving the Manzanita right now… But I talk about them a lot too… Oh maybe this little pairing, after all I love chocolate brown and chartreuse, and I don’t think I’ve ever taken a picture of it. And the Sempervivum look good too… But then maybe the Fatsia polycarpa ‘Needham’s Lace’ would be a worthy subject all on its own? Or the Loquat, now that the big ole Musa Basjoo has been wrapped and pulled out of the picture and it’s the star? Or I could go with the Yucca aloifolia 'Purpurea'…after all they’re showing great color. But then again maybe I should go with the Agaves...

Visit Pam at her blog Digging for links to what others decided to feature for Foliage Follow-up!

Bloomday, December 2011

2011-12-15T08:10:00.000-08:00

I came very close to cheating this Bloomday and posting pictures of blooming Ocotillo from our recent SW desert vacation. But instead I decided to trot out the old standby: Fatsia Japonica. Say what you will about this plant (I know many people don’t care for it) but at least it’s reliable! After snapping a couple of pictures I took a walk around the garden to see how the 25 degree low the night before had affected things. That’s when I saw it! A little purple Vinca flower, showing up just for me on Bloomday. And to think of all the times I’ve cursed this damn Vinca. Then my eyes fell on the trio of hydrangeas the neighbors planted next to their house and along our driveway. That bright rectangle is one of our kitchen windows reflecting the sun…that’s how close we are… Even though this technically isn’t my garden I did water them a few times last summer when they were showing thirst and I do see them more than I see parts of my garden. Good enough! They’re in too. I love that each of the three plants has a single (almost freeze dried) flower cluster. Come to think of it my Hydrangea still has flowers on it too, sort of. And if you look up at the tall branches and the blue sky, well you could almost believe it was summer… If it wasn’t for the fact your fingers and toes are numb and your nose is running from the cold air! Visit May Dreams Gardens for the full flower line-up from garden bloggers around the world…

What I would be giving this Christmas, if I were in a slightly higher income bracket: planted gifts from Potted...

2011-12-14T08:07:00.000-08:00

This must be the year of the list; it seems every other garden blog I read has a list of gift ideas for the gardener. Some mention an item or two that I wouldn’t mind receiving, but sadly most are full of things I would be horrified to receive. My favorite list so far…Top Ten Gardening Gifts From Hell, from the blog Black Walnut Dispatch…unfortunately you know someone is going to end up with at least one of those gifts, I pray it isn’t you.

I vowed this was the year I wouldn’t give a single plant-related gift; I could tell my tendency towards horticultural presents was wearing a little thin on my friends and relatives. Last June, when opening his father’s day gift, my dad said “let me guess…it’s a plant” and he was right. You see he’d never grown the Sungold tomato, it was practically my duty to give him one, since he is the tomato king of Eastern Washington. But that was the final hint I needed to hear, I was in a gift-giving rut.

So since I’m taking this year off from plant oriented gifts (mostly, I admit there are two small ones...pathetic!) I thought I would share with you what I wish I were giving everyone on my list…and honestly, I wish I were receiving as well. In a word…Potted, as in the store in Los Angeles. My first obsession was the Circle Pot... Simple perfection! My succulent-loving, design-savvy friends would LOVE one of these planted up with any number of things…or donkey tail sedum just exactly as it’s shown here.

And if that wasn’t quite right then the Bauer Biltmore might fit the bill, picture it with a lovely Agave parryi huachucensis at least to start with, until it needed to go in the ground... Still not quite right? Then the Wedding Cake Planter with a small agave on top and succulents around the bottom… Or the Julius, exactly as shown with a Sansevieria or a small Astelia nervosa 'Westland' (I think that’s what it is…regardless it would be perfect). This one would be great for even a non Mid-Century Modern lover. Heck even the Bauer Canoe is wonderful, right? Stick a Tillandsia in there and you're done. Of course even if I were giving plant gifts this year, these beauties are all way out of my budget, but still a girl can dream. And then visit a local thrift shop or antique store to find something “inspired by” like this Bauer Canoe “wannabe” which was part of my Christmas decor last year…and a bargain too! Since there has been a bit of a fire-storm in the garden blogging world the last week or so about undisclosed gifts or sponsored posts let me finish this by saying that in no way have I been paid or perked from the folks at Potted for this post. I’ve never been there, I’ve never ordered from them, and I don’t know them personally. I just wanted to talk about a gorgeous selection of containers that I’ve been lusting after. However if they feel the need to send me a Circle Pot as a thank you I’d really like an orange one, please…and I’ll blog about it too, once I’ve got it all potted up. Oh and I did borrow most of these images from their website…I hope they don’t mind.

But where do you garden?

2011-12-13T09:20:00.000-08:00

This home was on the front of the Oregonian’s Sunday Real Estate section. (photo by John M. Vincent / The Oregonian)

I looked at it with horror. Oh I’m sure it’s a well built home (if you like new construction) and the article points out the many quality details. But this 1,972 sq ft home sits on a lot just barely larger than the homes footprint. Where will the occupants garden? Upon reading the article I discover that no space to garden is actually a selling point, and what little yard there is (that L shaped ribbon of green) will be maintained by the homeowners association. This is pretty much my worst nightmare...

It’s the small things…

2011-12-12T09:42:00.000-08:00

This time of year I find myself noticing and appreciating the little things in the garden. The ones that I completely overlook when the sun is warm and the garden is a full riot of foliage. Things like the colorful new growth on a (semi hardy) Callistemon, of course the cool temperatures are really bringing out the color. The same for the pink edges of this Sedum. The smallest bit of sunshine sets this little Sedum palmeri aglow. And this tiny (6” across) volunteer fern which is hidden by the Hosta foliage all summer, only revealed once the huge Hosta leaves die back. I can’t help but notice the way the moss fills in cracks and divots in our sidewalk and driveway; they are tiny gardens all their own. This time of year the black strap leaves of Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens' are almost out done by the glossy berries. And a small patch of sun is noted, and appreciated…for as long as it might last.

my temporary denial garden

2011-12-09T09:20:00.000-08:00

The driveway planters (a couple of stock tanks, a trio of thick black pottery cast-offs from the ex-office job and a couple other galvanized containers, which are normally our vegetable garden), are pulling double duty this year. For the winter months they are my token bit of the desert, plopped down here in Portland, reminding me of warmer times. I first planted them with a few things I’d dug to keep an eye on over the winter, plants I could give special treatment to on cold days and nights. Then I moved our tree fern (Dicksonia Antarctica) up next to the house too, for extra protection… These agaves had been very happy in the ground, but over the winter months when things get really wet...not so much, since they were in an area without great drainage. Planting them in the better draining "fluffy" soil of the stock tanks will help with that. Then I started filling in with a few more plants, late purchases or gifts, things I hadn’t managed to find a home for in the ground. This Yucca faxoniana was a bargain Cistus parking lot sale find. No time to find it a home before winter though… Then things got really fun after our trip to the desert SW; I had brought back a lot of plants that technically should be hardy here in Portland, with adequate drainage of course. Where better to let them experience their first PNW winter than in this protected area in containers with fast draining soil?

The collecting first began at my in-laws in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. They had a few unplanted/unwanted Yuccas (elata and glauca, I believe) popping up around their property. These clearly needed to be liberated and brought to a good home in Oregon. There was this little volunteer Cylinderopuntia…clearly needing a little love. And Andrew spotted the world’s tiniest little cactus, or at least the smallest in my collection… Since our last visit in 2008 my in-laws had gotten rid of any and all Agaves on their property (let’s not talk about that) but on a quick walk around the neighborhood I spotted a neighbors plant that was producing a healthy crop of pups…neither mom or the babies appeared to be particular “cared for”…I hatched a plan. My knocks at the door went unanswered, so later the next day my father-in-law went to their door. Before I knew it he was back with permission for me to dig. Wasn’t that the sweetest thing for him to do? I’m sure having a daughter-in-law from Oregon who loves these “weeds” isn’t a point of pride, yet he just went right over there and asked for me. Thank you Daryl! Andrew quickly got to work liberating a few of the pups. The haul... A couple of New Mexican Opuntia pads, acquired in a less than proper manner, also came home with us. There was an overgrown and uninhabited lot near my in-laws that had several unusual (to me) Opuntias almost taking over. I plucked a couple of pads, including a Cows-tongue (Opuntia linguiformis)… …and this rather tough looking one… Now I must point out that these plants were not in someone’s garden, or a public planting. I realize someone owned the lot, and thus the plants, but of the 20,000 pads growing there I don’t think they’ll miss a couple…I would never, ever, pluck a pad from a garden, that would be evil (although of course I do covet them!). Oh and just so you know a little cosmic justice did get me. No matter how careful I thought I was being I still ended up with a handful of glochids, which I was picking out for days.

The next round of scavenging took place in my brother’s garden in Phoenix. Pups from this cluster of Agave macroacantha were offered…in “u-pick” style (dig them and they’re yours). With those handsome black spines how could I say no? This Agave isn’t one of the more cold hardy…only listed as a zone 9, yet they lived through the unusually cold winter Phoenix had last year. Still…20 F degrees in Phoenix is not the same as 20 degrees in Portland…(ya, one’s a little wetter). I should probably pull these guys inside for the winter… I also plucked a couple of pups from an unknown thin leafed blue Agave and two survivors from his wheelbarrow of agave madness. These plants along with a few others purchased along the way were all packed up during the last day of our vacation and shipped home UPS. We beat them home by a few days, when the package finally showed up it was a most welcome opportunity to mentally return to the desert for a few hours while I unpacked and planted. What could be a better treat over the winter than to gaze upon containers full of spiky dangerous plants every time you leave the house?

The Vig, Uptown

2011-12-08T09:19:00.000-08:00

While in Phoenix last October we met my brother for lunch at a restaurant called The Vig, I do believe my dear brother picked this restaurant because he knew I would love these… Of course the fact that the building was a midcentury modern bank that’s recently been remodeled didn’t hurt either. Our table was in the walled in, used-to-be the drive through area, and the old teller window is now a bar. There’s a Bocce ball court too. As well as a killer fireplace… Which I’m sure gets a lot of use, even in Phoenix, as the large windows at the top of the walls all rotate open to let in a cool breeze. But we all want to stare at those metal Agave and Aloe columns a little more don’t we? Did you notice this little guy in the earlier pictures? He took a tumble, don’t worry we tucked him back in. Planted up with the right cold-hardy species these could work in my garden… I just need a metal fabricator with a great eye (and affordable rates).

Bach's Cactus Nursery

2011-12-07T09:05:00.000-08:00

I’ve been jumping all over the place when posting about our October Desert Southwest vacation, but it’s time to go back to the beginning. Our first "plant focused" stop was at Bach's Cactus Nursery on our way into Tucson. A friend who used to live there had told me about this place years ago, I was excited to visit. I should also mention at this point, having only been in Arizona for a little over two hours, I was giddy. Everywhere I looked was something amazing and gorgeous. I was in heaven. I took a million pictures here (264 to be exact, lucky for you I whittled them down to “only” 79…). We started our visit by walking through their huge display garden; did I mention I was in heaven? Oh so definitely in heaven. Even the uninhabited lot next door was exotic. We finally made our way into the greenhouses and sales area… Kalanchoe, or “Mother of Thousands” indeed! Propagation? One of my goals for this trip was to get a mature Agave victoriae-reginae with really wide white lines. For $225 this one is definitely not it, besides the lines are still pretty thin. These were only $35, but not quite what I wanted and since this was our first nursery I wasn’t willing to settle… …I wanted one more like these (which of course weren’t for sale). Melocactus Matanzanus Black spined Prickly Pear…I wanted it and wish now that I had spent the $25 to get it. Hesperaloe “Brake Lights”…oh ya! And finally we made it into their Cactus display house… Exhausted and a little overheated (it was in the upper 90’s, and we’d come from rainy 50's), but oh so happy, it was time to go check in to our hotel. I didn't even have the energy to pick over these sick little patients on their FREE table…

Look! A Rhododendron blooming, in December…

2011-12-06T09:43:00.000-08:00

As frequent readers probably know I’m no Rhododendron expert, but I thought it was remarkable to see a Rhody blooming in December. I apologize that I didn’t get a better photo. Chalk it up to an inexpensive camera and my personal rule to stay on the sidewalk, unless invited closer by the homeowner. So, why the December blooms? We’ve had a cool, but not cold fall. Spring was almost non-existent, summer was late and only a few weeks long. Maybe it’s confused by our wacky weather year? Or maybe not…I found this list of Twelve Months of Flowering Rhododendrons and sure enough there’s a pink flowering plant (Nobleanum Venustum) listed as a possible bloomer for mild November and December’s “in the Puget Sound area”…which obviously NE Portland is not. But since the nursery who published the PDF is located on an island in Puget Sound I’ll forgive them their specificity and just be happy that my climate mirrors theirs, at least sometimes.

The same garden (a neighbors) had a couple of other stray December bloomers…

A glimpse of my garden, at the beginning of December

2011-12-05T09:12:00.000-08:00

I’m not a good record keeper. I wish I could list all the dates that the killing frost first hit my garden, but I can’t. I can say my memory thinks rarely before Thanksgiving, but often right about that time. Last year we got an unwelcome hit, not having any frost at all and then the week before Thanksgiving BOOM! It hit 31, then 24, then 18, so much for giving the plants an opportunity to go dormant. This year we’ve flirted with a freeze, getting a light frost, then a few a bit heavier. Some of the Calla leaves are a little toasted, while others power on. This is bittersweet. Of course part of me enjoys the extended fall, hoping maybe winter will forget about us this year. On the other hand I want the plants to get the hint and shut down…so when the really cold weather shows up they will be ready…unless…maybe it never does show up!? (dream on right? after all it’s another La Nina winter…).

The banana (Musa Basjoo) still looks great; in fact the happy greens along with the butterscotch Hakonechloa against the brown house are making me very happy. It’s a much richer color palette than when our house was white. This is our most colorful Tetrapanax… The leaves of the others in more protected spots are slowly turning a sickly yellow, letting me know they’re feeling the cooler temps, but none have this great purple tinge like the ones in the front garden. This one stalk of the Wingthorn Rose retains its color and green leaves… While the others look like this… I think this Echium and its twin in the front garden are still small enough I can protect them this winter, at least I'll try. Shortly after taking this picture I cut back the Melianthus and covered it with a thick blanket of Magnolia leaves and a piece of burlap secured with a couple of rocks. I’ve already caught the neighbor’s cat napping on the pile, which would be fine if it showed up with the temperatures dip and then left without using the rest of the garden as its toilet.

The Osmunda cinnamomea (Cinnamon Fern) has colored up wonderfully. I may need to add a couple more of these to the garden next year. As the weather continues to be relatively mild I keep looking at other plants, ones I’d decided to just let be and deciding to lift them and protect them. For example I just potted this Knife-leaf Acacia and put it in the greenhouse. When I planted it I knew chances were slim it would make it through the winter (the Knife-leaf Acacia (Acacia cultriformis) is less hardy than the Ovens Wattle (Acacia pravissima) which itself is only borderline) and at the time thought “que sera sera”…but I’ve grown to love it and can’t bear to just let it die.

I am leaving this little Phormium in the ground though…I love its bright leaves and hope it makes it but just don’t want to make room to over-winter it. I glance at my “perfect” (no winter freeze blemishes) agaves and wonder what they’ll look like in May. This one caught has the eye of a passer-by last week and we had a conversation about over-wintering agaves in Portland. Evidently he’d been wondering what I planned to do with this one over the winter, because he has a similar one at home in a container, unwilling to let it die in the ground. I explained that as long as the plant was cold hardy the real issue was good drainage. Mine will be his “litmus test,” I hope it doesn’t disappoint. Our extended forecast calls for lots of dry weather (unusual for this time of the year, and I’ll take it!) with possible sunny afternoons once the fog burns off. The nights continue to be chilly, with plenty of 29’s and a possible 25F low later in the week…that should finally send things to sleep for the season.

Plants of the Southwest, a nursery visit

2011-12-02T09:21:00.000-08:00

On the advice of Albuquerque resident (blogger, and Landscape Architect) David Cristiani we stopped to visit Plants of the Southwest on our recent trip to the Southwest.Plants of the Southwest is based in Santa Fe, NM, but our visit was to the satellite nursery in Albuquerque. We thoroughly enjoyed it! This nursery is rangy and wild, yet very organized and staffed with extremely helpful people. Their signage was also wonderful. I do love a sign with lots of information! There were a few plants I was startled to see in the desert, like this Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus). Which is actually native to New Mexico despite the fact that it looks like something I could findwing in the wilds of Oregon. And this Cutleaf Sumac. It’s striking tones a reminder of the fall color that I was missing at home… I had been charmed by sightings of their native Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis) trees and was happy to finally have an ID on it. Texas Tuberose (Manfreda x ‘Silver Leopard’) And so many Nolina! I had no idea; here are just a couple…Texas Beargrass (Nolina texana) Blue Nolina (Nolina nelsoni) There were also so many beautiful Yucca! Broadleaf Yucca (Yucca baccata), which I also know as Banana Yucca. Soapweed Yucca (Yucca glauca) New Mexico Yucca (Yucca neomexicana) Tree Yucca (Yucca torreyi) Mexican Blue Yucca (Yucca rigida) Soaptree Yucca (Yucca elata) Schott’s Yucca (Yucca schottii) Here we have a collection of seriously tough characters! Now granted all Opuntia are a little on the “don’t mess with me” side but these guys just say “STAY AWAY”… I loved this slightly chaotic trellis… With its shapely gourds. That’s a word from home! Mahonia…Mahonia haematocarpa Leadplant (Amorpha canescens) Pinon Pine (Pinus edulis), New Mexico’s state tree. So cute, I totally should have gotten one of these. But then again, cute when their tiny...not so much when they're big! Agave lechuguilla, Shin Dagger Agave, doesn’t that sound like something the danger garden needs!? Darn right! I got two. I also bought two of these, Giant Spatula (Coteledon orbiculata)… Total for all 4 plants, just over $7…they were on end-of-season sale! Notice how packable my purchases were! I was being a good girl, and it was difficult…

Chaco Canyon

2011-12-01T09:28:00.000-08:00

During our recent desert SW vacation we paid a visit to the Pueblo ruins at Chaco Canyon, located in northwestern New Mexico. In 1987 this site was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List… “the honor recognizes the uniqueness of the civilization centered at Chaco Canyon from 850AD to 1250AD, the park is one of only twenty World heritage sites in the United States.”
These plants caught my eye at the visitor’s center, can anyone identify them? We first we looked at the ruins of Chetro Ketl (The meaning and origin of this name are unknown). This is large Kiva in front of Chetro Ketl. The larger of the two ruins we visited was Pueblo Bonito, which was unearthed and preserved by seven expeditions (1920-27) of the National Geographic Society. The expeditions removed 100,000 tons of rubble and sand accumulated over the centuries. They also reconstructed parts of walls that had been destroyed to match the ancient masonry. From the National Park Service website on the subject of the original construction… “Using masonry techniques unique for their time, they constructed massive stone buildings (Great Houses) of multiple stories containing hundreds of rooms much larger than any they had previously built. The buildings were planned from the start, in contrast to the usual practiced of adding rooms to existing structures as needed. Constructions on some of these buildings spanned decades and even centuries.” Yes you read that right. Built between 850AD-1250AD these huge structures were multiple stories high and contained hundreds of rooms. Building materials (like the wooden logs used to support ceilings and floors) had to be brought in over hundreds of miles. The question of “where did they go” and “why did they choose to build here” was often repeated on park literature and by the Park Ranger who was giving a guided tour that we happened upon. While Andrew stayed with the tour for a bit I wandered off on my own to explore, this little guy was not at all camera shy. Here you can see the remains of the wooden beams which sported additional floors. Another plant I can't identify, although I suspect it may be the same as the first plant in this post, with less blooms... Leaving the park we saw this Elk munching next to the road, his harem was waiting nearby.

Let’s play the “what if” game!

2011-11-30T09:21:00.001-08:00

If my mother were asked to write a guest post on this blog and the topic was “how did Loree drive you crazy when she was a little girl” she would probably write about my propensity for the question “what if” … I’ve been told I was very good at coming up with a whole litany of “what if’s” on any subject, at any time. So…what do you think? Are you up for a little game of “what if?”

Last week we received over 4” of rain in 2 days, which is a lot of rain! As I was cleaning up a little river running accross our basement floor (nothing like a good drenching to let you know the power washing last summer for your house paint job removed some much needed concrete patch along the driveway and house foundation, thank god that our basement floor is unfinished and slopped toward a drain)...anyway...I got to thinking about all the gardeners out there who would love to have a share of my rain-weath, and how much I would love to share it with them. So I started thinking "what if"...

What if you could magically garden in your version of the perfect climate? What would your average summer highs be? Your winter lows? What USDA climate zone would your perfect garden be in?

How much annual rainfall would you receive, and when would it fall? What would your gardens ratio of full sun/part sun and shade be? And…how big would your garden be?

Fun to think about isn’t it? Yes…this is pure child-like silliness.

My answers…

Summer highs: this is a dream world so I’d like to see summer highs in the 80’s with very low humidity and a lot of sun. There would be approximately 15 days in the summer months (June, July, and August) with highs in the 90’s and half of those would be over 100. As I said there would be low humidity and of course my home would have excellent and efficient air conditioning and it would cool off outdoors at night for perfect sleeping with the windows open. Spring and fall would be long seasons with tons of glorious sunny 75 degree days.

Winter lows: a nighttime low of 25 would be thought of as obscene, but they may occasionally happen, like every few years, just to keep things interesting. A dusting of snow is a pretty sight…but it shouldn’t stick around too long as to wear out its welcome, and we’d have none of that wet heavy snow that breaks branches. Lows in the mid 30’s would be the usual extreme.

What USDA Zone: 9 leaning toward a 10.

Annual rainfall: let’s go with 23”…Portland, OR, typically gets about 37,” Santa Barbara, CA, 15” and Phoenix, AZ, only 8”… San Francisco, CA, 22”

When would it fall: More in the winter, with an occasional summer shower to freshen things up.

What ratio of full sun/part sun and shade: full sun 45%, part sun 35%, shade 20%

How big: Our current lot is 45.38’ x 111.2’…I suppose ideally I would like double that. Then I’d have a lot more room for trees, while still allowing for full sun spots. There would be a great (out of the way) area for composting, a dedicated vegetable garden (rather than just stock tanks in the drive way) and even room for a greenhouse.

Your turn!

Cornell Farms, a nursery in Portland that I’d never been to!

2011-11-29T09:15:00.000-08:00

My tireless quest for Blue Atlas Cedar eventually took me to Cornell Farms, I’d heard they had a good selection and I discovered they are a mere 20 minutes from home. I’d never visited because I thought it was much further away and (being honest) I was afraid it solely catered to the petunia, pansy and cement pig crowd. I was wrong! (although I did see a few pansies and cement frogs). This is where I found the branches I told you about yesterday, but I could have bought so much more… My visit was on the day before Thanksgiving, there were employees scurrying around getting ready for an impending Christmas tree shipment, still parts of the place looked like it was July. These succulent planters’ days are seriously numbered! I’ve been to a handful of nurseries in the area over the last few weeks and they all have an almost shut-down-for-the-season feel to them. Other than the wreaths and other cut holiday greens, this one felt like they hadn’t noticed it was November. I enjoyed that. This is Parahebe perfoliata, I love it. Naturally since it’s a zone 9 plant according to the label. Although a little research at home says it may be hardier…and it also gets silly little blue flowers. Maybe it’s a good thing I left it behind. A peek inside one of their “out-buildings.” I neglected to take a picture of the side filled with bulbs, lots of bulbs. Instead you get white Cyclamen, paperwhites, and the previously mentioned cement frogs. And a few succulents that were brought in from the cold. Blechnum spicata, or Deer Fern. I love wreaths, and I love Magnolia leaves. But for $64 these stayed behind. Pink flamingos! I don’t get the door. There were several of them throughout the nursery. I get the need for height, and color in a display, but why a door, outside? Could it be just as a place to hang a wreath? Maybe. 40% off…let’s see… Dasylirion wheeleri are surprisingly hard to find (in Portland), and here are two of nice size for 40% off $49.99. Someone please come scoop these up! Unfortunately the graceful and yet hefty presence of this old fig tree doesn't read in this picture. It was a thing of beauty. They have several greenhouses…
This nursery really is quite huge! I wonder what it looks like in the height of the season? I wish my Mahonia eurybracteata 'Soft Caress' looked this good. At least I can say my Mahonia x media 'Charity' does look this good… Another of those plants I’m just dying to find a place for (I clearly need to annex a neighbors garden right?), Arbutus unedo…gorgeous. Look at this color, wow! Even their Melianthis still looks great. Yes I will definitely be visiting Cornell Farms again someday.

danger garden

A landlord who landscapes…

The spark, it’s still there

Thinking of upping the Mahonia Count, and why do “their” plants always look better than mine?

Gardening on a snowy winters day

making plant lists...

Cistus Nursery, in the dead of winter

Fresh PICK now only $78

Street-side container plantings in the Pearl District

It’s garden show time again!

Foliage Follow-up, Cryptanthus

January 2012, Bloomday

uh-oh*

Back on the sidewalk

A couple of spiky fences and the winner of the book 'Landscaping for Privacy'…

My perfect potting bench

A little escapism

the best (spikiest) green-roof yet…

More from T or C, New Mexico

Landscaping for Privacy, Innovative Ways to Turn Your Outdoor Space into a Peaceful Retreat

Today's post is brought to you by the letter "O"

Genista aetnensis, or Mt. Etna Broom

What’s wrong with my Loquat?

2012, wow…HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Buffalo Bill’s Exotic Cactus Ranch

The neighborhood message board

There were succulent stamps in my stocking!

Signs of Spring, on the Winter Solstice

More from Spokane…

‘Tis the day to say Merry Christmas…

Mother Nature’s holiday ornaments…

So what did I do with those Blue Atlas Cedar branches?

Christmas in Spokane, WA…

The corner living room…

Butcher's Broom

Foliage Follow-up, December 2011

Bloomday, December 2011

What I would be giving this Christmas, if I were in a *slightly* higher income bracket: planted gifts from Potted...

But where do you garden?

It’s the small things…

my *temporary* denial garden

The Vig, Uptown

Bach's Cactus Nursery

Look! A Rhododendron blooming, in December…

A glimpse of my garden, at the beginning of December

Plants of the Southwest, a nursery visit

Chaco Canyon

Let’s play the “what if” game!

Cornell Farms, a nursery in Portland that I’d never been to!

What I would be giving this Christmas, if I were in a slightly higher income bracket: planted gifts from Potted...

my temporary denial garden