Tuesday, October 25, 2011

It’s time for some more sidewalk spying!

I’ve been collecting pictures taken “from the sidewalk” planning to put together a short post of inspiration, and I realized I’ve never shared this garden! It’s near our home in NE Portland but I discovered it when we were still house hunting (that would have been over 6 years ago). Naturally it’s the spiky Yucca rostrata that caught my eye. I wish I had pictures from years ago so I could compare and see how they’ve grown, my memory is that the tallest one was just barely starting to trunk back then, is that possible? I was also intrigued by their use of gravel and visited this garden several times when trying to decide what gravel to use in our front garden. I love the look of the small black stone but knew it would highlight all of the debris from the neighbor’s tree that blows into our yard. Moving on...I would be one very happy girl if I could replace our hell-strip Japanese Snowbells with these large Trachycarpus fortunei! The same strip also has a Callistemon… And this! Anyone know what it is? Perhaps a Hakea lissosperma? Up against the house there was what looks to be another of my lusted after plants, a Restio. I love me some big Musa basjoo! And here are a couple more large Trachycarpus, this time not in a parking strip but hugging the side of the house. I wonder if they were planted there to benefit from radiant heat from the brick chimney? For whatever reason it’s nice to see I’m not the only one who plants things too close to the house!

10 comments:

  1. Great pics. I don't know the names (those beauties won't grow in my neck of the woods.) I love to skulk about the neighborhood and see what other gardeners are up to..

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  2. i love it! every parking strip should have trachycarpus fortunei!!!! maybe some guerilla gardening? Just wait till those trachycarpus are full of seed and spread it all the way down your street!!!! oh a person can dream :) ... btw those rostratas are super fab!

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  3. Looks like a lot of fun. I also like to spy:)and see what's growing. Great plants to have in their yard....although the black mulch does show off dead leaves and other rubbish.

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  4. Wow! I love those Yuccas! They really do look healthy and happy.

    You are very lucky to have people living in your neighbourhood who are into the same style of planting as yourself.

    Things are quite different around here. I would say that 90% do not bother and the other 10% are mainly into traditional plants.

    Mind you, the last two winters have killed anything that isn't ultra-hardy and over here we tend to have killer winters every decade or so and I can sort of understand why most people don't do too much with their garden in the way of exciting stuff.

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  5. Nice to have neighbors like that. Where I am, few do anything to their landscape beyond what the builder gave them. What you show is mostly ordinary and common here, it only needs to be used uncommonly or with some design to really wow!

    Those Trachys don"t get big overnight. That is vision...

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  6. I've left trails of drool in many a garden featuring restios. Want one ! I love your snoopy sidewalk posts. Wouldn't that be a great meme? Sidewalk Saturday. I'm in !

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  7. You can't go wrong with Yucca rostratas, I love 'em! And the ones on your photos looks so 'lush' and stunning!

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  8. You've just given me a great idea for a street tree! We're pretty sure we need to remove an ailing crabapple, so if the city lets us take it out, we could possibly replace it with a Trachy.

    Do love those yucca rostrada - they look so healthy!

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  9. I love your "snoopy" posts, too! I'll have to tell you about some of my groovy neighborhood gardens so you can come snooping over here!

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  10. Kate, these trips sometimes provide inspiration, sometimes a head scratch along with a WWTT, but they are always fun.

    Louis, wouldn't that be great? A whole street with mature T. fortunei growing along both sides...wonderful.

    Roherbot, which is why I'm still happy I didn't go the black gravel route.

    Adam D, oh there are plenty of "do not bothers" in my neighborhood...I could do a whole series of posts on them, but it's not as fun.

    DD, I was tipped off to the Trachy parking strip by a plant loving/knowledgeable friend. Evidently there is a gorgeous back garden to go along with it!

    ks, this is a good idea! Except I usually take Saturdays off from posting, maybe I'll have to rethink that!

    Mark and Gaz, true! Lush indeed.

    MulchMaid, yay! Glad I could help, and good luck with the city. I hear horror stories.

    kate, yes please!

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