A jealous robot reviews Fearless Gardening

An early adopter of technology I am not. I think smart phones were available for nearly 5 years before I got one. I had to be dragged—almost kicking and screaming—to Facebook, and I only joined Instagram after a non-tech-friendly friend started posting there and I realized I really needed to get with it. So this whole Artificial Intelligence (AI) thing? Not interested.

When AI started making the news Andrew got right to it, trying out different prompts and dreaming of the possibilities. I read numerous emails and Facebook posts tell me how much easier blogging would be if I only let AI write my posts. No. Not interested.

So I admit to thinking he was a little crazy when I read that my friend Jerry who blogs at Botanica Chaotica allowed the AI robots to write a blog post: Botanica Chaotica Chronicles: Dancing with the Pineapple Express on December’s First Day. Of course it was only an experiment, and it was unanimously agreed that the robots were no match for Jerry's intellect and insights.

So where am I going with this? Well it reminded me of something Gerhard sent me a while back and I meant to post. He'd been playing around with AI and asked for "a blurb about Loree Bohl and her book Fearless Gardening, but sound like your jealous." Gerhard was one of my trusted readers for early editions of the book and helped with editing, I love that he asked for AI's jealous opinion. The result is hilarious:

Oh great, another gardening personality to fawn over - Loree Bohl and her book "Fearless Gardening." As if we didn't have enough garden enthusiasts trying to be the next big thing. Apparently, she's this fearless gardening guru who thinks she's discovered the ultimate secrets to creating the perfect garden. Her book is all the rage, filled with tales of her groundbreaking gardening adventures and supposed revolutionary insights. And of course, her Instagram is overflowing with pictures of her "stunning" garden, making us all feel like we're a bunch of amateurs.

I mean, who needs to read yet another book about gardening? Like, does she really have some sort of magical touch that the rest of us mere mortals lack? And her "fearless" approach – give me a break. We all know that gardening is a delicate balance of trial and error, not some audacious feat of bravery. But hey, if you're into following the latest gardening "celebrity," I'm sure Loree Bohl and her "Fearless Gardening" book will be your new obsession. As for me, I'll stick to my own gardening style, thank you very much.

Of course the fact that sticking with your own gardening style (thank you very much) is the message at the heart of Fearless Gardening is lost on the jealous AI bot. What about you? Have you jumped into the fearless world of AI?

—   —   —

To receive alerts of new danger garden posts by email, subscribe here. Please note; these are sent from a third party, you’ll want to click thru to read the post here on the blog to avoid their annoying ads. 

All material © 2009-2023 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

My newly adopted agaves made their own container

If you've ever shopped at Xera Plants here in Portland then you've probably stopped in Bob Hyland's shop next door, Contained Exuberance—a clever name for a plant pot shop. Sadly Bob decided this was going to be his last year running the shop, so he held a series of closing sales. I really didn't need another container, but it seemed a shame to not stop in and grab one at half off, as well as say "so long" to the shop. I took home one of those great square planters with the angled sides. 

Just one you're thinking? I know, I hope I won't regret it, but remember—I don't need more containers! While chatting with Bob and other friends that stopped by, I happened to look up and notice a bit of green on top of these shelves. Could it be? Yes actually it could, and it was. An agave, in a basket.

Wait, make that an agave in a basket made by it's own roots! Seriously. Here's a better photo that Bob posted later (I borrowed it). He was encouraging people to come in and get some deals on the last of his inventory, but it reminded me there was an agave (agaves?) in need of rescuing. Y'all know I rarely say no to an agave in need. 

I asked Bob how long it had been up there, unwatered, unsoiled, unloved. His answer, since before the pandemic lockdown. That's right, he had removed the agaves from their container before he closed down in 2020 and they'd stayed there ever since. That's 3.5 years folks. 

Here they are at home, they look pretty rough (an understatement) but really, considering they've just been living on air and without much light they look pretty darn good.

We're thinking perhaps Agave 'Blue Glow"? Or maybe Agave 'Burnt Burgundy' (A. palmeri x A. victoriae-reginae).

I was considering doing something to get the root mass/basket to hold soil and leaving them planted in it. But really, after all they've been through these plants deserve the best shot at surviving long term.

So I trimmed them up, happy to see little roots tentatively pushing out...

And potted them up. I'll keep them in the basement for the winter months and give you and update on how they're doing come spring...

To receive alerts of new danger garden posts by email, subscribe here. Please note; these are sent from a third party, you’ll want to click thru to read the post here on the blog to avoid their annoying ads. 

All material © 2009-2023 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

Chanticleer Friday: the Tennis Court Garden

Today we continue our stroll through Chanticleer and descend the stairs into the Tennis Court Garden (TCG)...

There is however, no tennis court; "Once the scene for matches between the Rosengarten family members and their guests, the Tennis Court Garden was the first garden to be developed after Mr. Rosengarten’s death in 1990. The garden now retains its namesake purpose in its rectangular outline and the arc-like shapes of the beds suggestive of a racket’s strokes. Curvilinear yew hedges partition the beds and pathways, prompting an inquisitive sense of adventure." (source)

The stone walls that border both sides of the steps have built in space along the top to plant the entire length of the stairs. This was my favorite feature of the TCG...

Now that's a grand garden staircase.

In last week's walk through the Tea Cup Garden I linked to a video, one of a weekly series on Chanticleer's YouTube channel. As I've been working my way through all the videos I've come to the conclusion that the magic of the tennis court garden is best seen from above, a bird's-eye or drone-eye shot. They seem include them in most of the weekly videos. 

I do love the anemones; A. × hybrida 'Honorine Jobert' I believe.

And the BIG colorful red bananas, Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelii'.

They beg to have their photo taken.

*sigh*

Since the pathway led out into the lawn I wandered that way, off to explore the border along the far side (small oval in the map at the end of the post)...

There were several nice variegated comfrey, Symphytum × uplandicum 'Axminster Gold'.

But this spiky leaf is what I liked best of all, it belongs to Argemone mexicana.

Common name, Mexican prickly poppy. Evidently it's highly toxic and has escaped cultivation to become a pest in many parts of the world. Oh well.

Heading back to the TCG...

Where I decided to sit for a bit and take it all in. I vowed to do that repeatedly during my visit, I didn't sit in every chair I saw, but I managed quite a few.

The view from the sit-spot.

Those bananas again!

Here's what we covered in today's post. Next Friday we begin our exploration around the Chanticleer House. 

Previous posts on Chanticleer:

The kick-off | The Teacup Garden

—   —   —

To receive alerts of new danger garden posts by email, subscribe here. Please note; these are sent from a third party, you’ll want to click thru to read the post here on the blog to avoid their annoying ads. 

All material © 2009-2023 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

Andrew Bunting's Belvidere, a Philly Fling garden

After departing Hedgleigh Spring (Monday's blog post) our next stop was Belvidere...

This front garden had multiple personalities depending on where you stood to take your photo. Above is the "swallowed by bellowing amsonia" shot. Here you can see the lawn.

And here that conifer lends an open, almost rural feel.

But the star that drew me in is definitely the big pot of colocasia.

Judging by the folks gathered in the distance I might have missed an introduction as we de-bused. What can I say? I was headed to the garden!

Charming, am I right? There's just no other word.

Two views from the driveway...

I was rather jealous of the vines, I'm in a strict "no vines touch the house!" relationship.

There were definitely more colocasia in this garden than I've ever seen in one place.

We're at the end of the driveway now and looking at the front of the converted garage.

An artistic gate and flower sculptures at the entrance to the back garden.

Unless I'm horribly turned around (which is a possibility) that's the back of the house on the right.

There was a terrific container plant collection on the back patio.

(I couldn't help peeking thru the shrubbery to this vignette on the other side, we'll see it again in a minute)

I think Jane had just snuck a peek at the bromeliad—Portea petropolitana —label.

Heading into part of the converted garage space now, of course I had to take in all the cool things along the sides of the pathway.

Inside...

The mannequin and watering can vignette had to be one of the most photographed of the Fling.

Ah the morning sunlight was magic...

This part of the garden—which was basically the bottom of an "L"—was primarily a vegetable garden and was the result of Andrew taking over part of a neighbor's lot. Lucky guy!

The table was pretty fabulous, I was itching to add a few more plants to the center planter.

Flingers to help you understand how large this space was...

More Flingers on the back lawn, it was a large lot, complete with a small pond.

The back of the house and yes, more colocasia. I believe the entrance to the area with the table was just this side of the clipped yew.

And that's a wrap on another Fling garden!

I just discovered this fun tour through Andrew's garden, check out the video here.

To receive alerts of new danger garden posts by email, subscribe here. Please note; these are sent from a third party, you’ll want to click thru to read the post here on the blog to avoid their annoying ads. 

All material © 2009-2023 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.