Wednesday, August 26, 2009

A trip to Arizona

How I love the beautiful southwest landscape! Prickly pear cactus, yucca, agave…wait a minute!…where the heck am I?
Did I take a wrong turn on my way home and end up in Arizona? Nope, still at home in Portland, Oregon. But I am standing in front of my new favorite Portland garden, ever, period. With a front garden like this can you imagine what the back garden must look like? I wanted to go knock on the door and find out the story. Are these folks from Arizona and missed their homeland? Do they have simply the best taste ever in plants and garden design? (uhm, yes) Are they landscape designers? Do they ever have to water? As I was taking pictures and working up the courage to go intrude upon the residents peaceful Saturday afternoon a man walked up to me, wanting to sell me citrus fruit “just brought up from Arizona”. I’m not kidding…I’m standing there feeling like I am in Arizona and here is this guy holding a grapefruit in his hand telling me he just brought them up from Arizona! I passed on the offer; he went up to the front door and knocked. No answer. Ok so they weren’t home or didn’t want to be bothered. I guess that was my cue to leave them alone too.
I took pictures, scribbled a note on one of my danger garden calling cards, and tucked it in the mailbox. I’m hoping they’re curious, visit danger garden and comment, so I (and we) can learn more about what inspired this spectacular landscape. I am in awe.

8 comments:

  1. These people are obviously soulmates. How could they possibly fail to respond, once they poke around your blog (if they choose to do so, of course).
    I did a lot of that leaving notes business when I was doing a column for a nursery newsletter about streetside gardens. No gardener, in my experience, failed to feel flattered by the attention and to to react with the generosity of spirit we have come to expect from gardeners.

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  2. I love that blue and silver foliage! Did you get any long shots, Loree? I'd love to see the full effect.

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  3. I tried to talk to someone about their garden for my blog once but they seemed to think I was crazy. I think the word 'blog' mystified them. Never heard back. I hope we get the story on your find.

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  4. what a fantastic find !
    I hope they respond.

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  5. What a find! Where is it? How do they get good enough drainage to make it work? It doesn't even look like they're doing your signature pea gravel mulch.

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  6. Loree,
    Thanks for your comment on my blog. I'll be checking in here a lot too!

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  7. ricki, hope you are right! But no response yet. I think I may have to visit them again. Or is that stalking?

    Pam, as I was posting these pictures I was cursing myself for not have those overall shots. So I went back, thanks for the push!

    how it grows, isn't it interesting the people who "get it" and those that don't? I still have hope that we will connect.

    DD, it is! And it's so close to my house!

    Megan, a neighbor told me about it, who knows if I would have found it on my own, even though it's so close to me! Maybe we can get your mom working on them too? Oh and avoid pea gravel at all costs! Go for the bigger stuff (ours is the next size up), kitty's look at pea gravel as kitty litter. Not a good thing.

    Elizabeth, definitely! See you 'round.

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  8. OH WOW! this is my yard! OMG! come by anytime!

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