Monday, May 28, 2012

How did my garden end up so colorful? The front garden, now…

Coming back from a dog walk and glancing at our garden from across the street the riot of color (by my standards) caught me by surprise. How did I end up with so many things blooming? I’m supposed to be a foliage gardener! So since I’m overdue in sharing an update on how the front garden is filling in since it’s “remodel” last spring here are a few pictures taken last week, in the rain.

Above and below are from the driveway looking northeast.

Standing on the public sidewalk looking northwest.

Moving down the sidewalk, looking west now.

And standing at the end of the neighbor’s driveway looking southwest.

Now I’ve walked up their drive and I’m looking back at the Tetrapanx and Genista Lydia blooming its brains out (if plants had brains). If you look close you can see one of our Genista aetnensis and the ground cover on the left is Ceanothus gloriosa ‘Pt Reyes’…

Under the big window to the north of the front door and in front of the blooming Rhodendron is this mishmash…

The most exciting part of which is this…

And this…

Which are both on the same plant! Verbascum olympicum.

There is no simple way to describe this next group of pictures other than to say it’s the center of the garden, what I can see from right out the front door. The blooming “groundcover” is Grevillea juniperina ‘Molonglo,’ the Calliestemon is C. viridiflorus, there is also a Dasylirion wheeleri and Kniphofia hirstuta…

The light green spidery plant just up from the blue Agave americana is Puya coerulea.

There it is again with a (new to the garden) unlabeled Agave (from the dregs of the Cistus Parking Lot Sale) up front and center…

Rosa sericea ssp. omeiensis f. pteracantha (Wingthorn rose)...I LOVE THIS PLANT!

And here the Rose joined by Echium wildpretti and lots of spikes from Echium russicum.

Leaving that area and walking back over to stand on our driveway here is another Verbascum olympicum getting ready to bloom, and another Genista aetnensis behind it.

In front of the Verbascum the Pulsatilla vulgaris var. rubra is starting to form it’s fabulous seedheads!

Here’s a new (this spring) Agave bracteosa…

Euphorbia lathyris

How perfect are those leaves lined up along the stem? I've realized that somehow the garden has ended up with a lot of plants that are blooming (or going to bloom) and die this summer. The Echium, the Verbascum, this Euphorbia…of course if I can be patient (what?) they should seed around a bit.

My second (new this spring) Agave parryi 'J.C. Raulston'

And a couple of close up views of the southeast corner of the garden…

Finally a picture taken later, after two days of heavy rain…TIMBER!

The leaning Echium x wildpretii 'Rocket' falls to the ground.
Its blooms look good with the Black Mondo grass don’t you think?

41 comments:

  1. Pretty impressive flower color. If only you could coax a bougainvillea into growing there...they do have serious spines on them:-)

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    1. And how happy I would be...I love them!

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  2. I finally gave in to color--to feed hummingbirds if nothing else. So many good plant, what's a girl to do?

    Poor wildpretii...

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  3. I think it's bloomin beautiful! Especially the Echium.

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  4. Stunning. Your echiums are out of this world! I'm seriously jealous of your Puya coerulea! I will get my hands on one ... or two (but don't all things look better in threes?) I finally found a reasonably priced agave bracteosa, but... it as somewhat abused looking! the hunt continues! And just how many opuntias am I counting there?! epic! all that rambling is to say, looks Great!!!!

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    1. I actually bought three Puya coerulea and that's the only one that made it through the winter of 2010-11...I didn't really expect any of them too so one is good! You'll be able to find a great Agave bracteosa or two when you visit Cistus, and yes...I've got a lot of Opuntia, but not too many!

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  5. Looking great. I can't wait to see those Verbascum in bloom. They look like they will be impressive.

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    1. Me too...something to take over as the Echium fade. I hope they get super tall!

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  6. Wow, everything is great. I wouldn't have thought of the wingthorn rose but you're brilliant; it's perfect in your garden.

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    1. Thanks, ever since I first saw those crazy blood red thorns I knew I had to have one.

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  7. Your Wingthorn rose is one of the coolest plants I've seen this spring. Any photos of it in winter? I'm wondering what the stems looks like when it's dormant, if they hold the color in those thorns. If it does, it'd be totally worthwhile even if deciduous.

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    1. They hold the color for quite a while. I'd say it was mid to late December before it started to fade, then about February I cut it all back so there were just a few inches of the old stems remaining. I have no desire to see it get big...just lots of colorful new growth!

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  8. Beautiful colors, and a combination of plants I can only dream about.

    It's all in the context since colorful here San Antonio would be much more a riot of color.

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    1. Thank you Shirley!

      Context indeed, most Portland gardeners would laugh at the idea of my garden being a riot of color, but to me...

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  9. That is looking great, you must be really pleased with the way everything has grown.

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    1. I am...everything is still pretty small but compared to last year it's wonderful!

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  10. That wingthorn rose is incredible! I love that all of your blooms are analogous in color.

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    1. And believe me that was totally NOT planned and I am not a fan of pink. Yikes.

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  11. Your front yard looks better and better every time you post about it. That rose is totally wild!

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    1. Thanks Hoover. I still worry about what you'd say if you walked by...

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  12. Love that rose also. Very cool. The verbascum o., what color do they bloom? My mullien is 7' tall...with the 240,000 seeds in the bloom. yikes.

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    1. They will be yellow...at least they are supposed to be, hope so! And like yours packed with seeds...and eventually lots of babies!

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  13. That whole garden looks dangerous...dangerously beautiful that is!
    Your plants seem very, very happy and I'm sure they love you for giving them all that room to grow. You have great flowers, but I still love all those textures and foliage even more.
    David/:0)

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    1. Thank you David! I can't wait until they are bigger and a little more packed together.

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  14. No matter how much of a foliage gardener anyone is, flowers will always make its way :) Front garden is looking lovely Loree, and love your Echiums and that Wingthorn Rose!

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    1. Thanks guys...how is your rose doing?

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    2. colouring up nicely but not as nice as yours yet :)

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  15. Oh no...your poor Echium! I actually wondered about your Echiums on Saturday when we had that rain storm :-( LIke everyone else, the Wingthorn Rose is utterly beautiful...you've got me pacing the garden, trying to find a spot for it ;-)

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    1. I worried too as we were in Los Angeles when I heard about the rain. Luckily I've got great neighbors who did an Echium email report for me the next day. The one that fell over was before that record setting hour, and the others remained standing! And keep in mind with the rose as long as you chop it back each spring you get colorful new growth AND it stays small...

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  16. It's a flowery, colorful time of year here, but I think you're showing a little of JJ's influence as well. Your G.'Molonglo' is stunning - the color is so unusual. I've been seeing Puyas in a few gardens, and like yours, they look great. I need to find one that's hardier than my P. alpestris so it can stay outdoors...

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    1. Actually everything planted in the front garden went in before I visited JJ's garden or had hung out with her...but you just wait until I show some pictures of the back garden, that has lots of JJ-ness going on!

      I love that Grevillea too, luckily Cistus had them predominantly displayed when I went looking for more.

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  17. Love that wingthorn rose! Like Scott, I'm trying to figure out where to put one. Yours has a very nice form. I've seen it in other gardens but not usually looking quite so good. I really en joyed this close look at your front garden, thanks so much for putting it together. It's interesting how hard it is to really see our own gardens sometimes, until something happens and suddenly we see it in a new way.

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    1. Thank you for saying so Alison, and seriously think about getting that rose!

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  18. hey you're a flower gardener! Would you like some dahlia tubers? That Verbascum looks great! Let me know if you get some seeds, I'd love to add that one to my verbascum collection.

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    1. Seeds will be yours, should I get them. As for the Dahlias...love them, and I will enjoy them in your garden and on your blog, now that you're posting again!

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  19. I dream of having an Agave bracteosa but cannot find any specimen here. Your garden is looking great, Echium and Verbascum, especially.

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  20. LOved, loved, loved the wide shots of your garden to give a real good idea of HOW you are using all of your great plants!
    Did I say Loved it, yet?

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  21. Dang, Loree, this is really a cool garden. So much different from last year. You must be thrilled. That Rosa sericea is to. die. for! Fingers crossed that the biennials seed around for you.

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  22. I believe that the unidentified agave from the parking lot sale is a variety of lechuguilla. The wind-swept look of the specimen tipped me off, as it's a signature. Love your garden, as always.

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