Friday, June 29, 2012

My week in pictures, again…

No, I’m not planning to make this a permanent feature, but it just worked out that I had another random group of photos from the week gone by that I wanted to share.

Last weekend I stayed with my friends Erin and Matt up in Seattle, the nursery loop was our primary agenda item, but just hanging out on their patio and enjoying a glass of wine was a close #2. The first night was a washout but the second proved to be exactly what we hoped for. Naturally I had to snap a couple photos of Erin’s container garden on the patio (containers = doggie proof).

Her objective for our nursery visits had been to fill the empty containers (9 of them!). While she found a few treasures there are still a few with no occupants. Luckily she’s planning a trip to Portland in July…more plant shopping!

I’m counting on someone (Louis?) being able to identify this Palm. She picked it up at the big box store for pennies on the dollar last fall and it made it through the winter.

Is it a Trachycarpus just without a furry trunk?

On the way back to Portland on Sunday I stopped in at Jungle Fever (in Tacoma). I had reached my plant purchasing limit (I know, you didn’t think I had one did you?) so after a quick tour through the nursery (not lingering too long for fear of temptation) I headed up to check out the owners personal garden.

I’ve posted about this garden before (here and here), but like all gardens it’s constantly changing so I figured a few more pictures were in order…

What a wonderful mass of Veratrum californicum...

I didn't expect last summers bloom spike to still be standing, it makes me really happy that it is!

Melianthus blooms!

Tuesday rolled around and it was time to take the yard waste container out to the curb. I HATE to take it out partially empty, and I knew the Echium bloom was coming down soon so I started chopping. I know...it's almost a sin, but it was feeling oppressive and starting to look ragged. The hummingbirds had even stopped visiting, although the bees were still loving it. Here's the after...

And a "before" to memorialize, taken in early June...

It's so nice to be able to see the patio, and to walk by without feeling like it was going to fall on you (after all of the heavy rain it was leaning quite significantly).

Here's the stump, along with the branch that extends over to...

...this! Boy if this guy lives through the winter to bloom next year it's going to be HUGE!

Later in the week, on another dog-walk, I spot this...

...you know it's summer when there are forts being built!

I wonder what a caulisiter is? Well there are none allowed...

Just down from the fort I spotted this. After confirming it was a cast off I took it home. Painted and planted up with an Agave it could be pretty cool, or it could end up looking like this big mistake.

Time for a haircut (for me)...every visit the salon I end-up parking right in front of this stock tank planter. I've enjoyed watching it mature and fill in.

The Opuntia looks fabulous!

But the poor Blue Fescue ends up being an ashtray...

Another day...I pulled this Agave from it's container to give it to a friend (and use the container for something else) and was surprised to find a pup trapped at the bottom, going around and around...

That's almost 40" of pup...

I leave you with a combination I've been enjoying just outside my front door. Callistemon 'Woodlander's Hardy Red' with Eryngium giganteum 'Miss Wilmott's Ghost'...

Guess what...it's almost July!

23 comments:

  1. I think "My week in pictures" is a great idea. I may borrow it myself :-).

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    1. I hope you do (and truth be told I borrowed it too)...

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  2. Replies
    1. If I was a more patient gardener of the "let it be" type it would probably still be standing, but I was ready for the pink tower to go away so I could really bask in the orange glow of my garden for the summer months!

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  3. I love the week in pictures. You should start a new blogging meme. I planted one tiny Echium in my gravel garden. I wasn't sure it would survive all our rain, but it's slowly getting bigger, I guess that area really does have good drainage. It may be quite a few years before it's big enough to flower. I love that red Callistemon with the Eryngium. I'm going to steal that combo.

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    1. Oh, I also meant to say -- I went to Jungle Fever last week too. That dude is cool, I had forgotten he has his own garden somewhere nearby. I got some interesting plants there.

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    2. I'm not much of a meme'r...if you'd like to start one...

      What type of Echium do you have? If it makes it through the winter I bet it will flower next year, mine were tiny when I planted them and then Pow! They exploded.

      Yay! I am so glad to hear you're shopping at Jungle Fever...such a cool spot.

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  4. Awesome week in pictures! I love it!! I am sooo jealous of your visit to jungle fever! that place looks soo cool. I have gone on many google street view walks around the exterior... one day I'll visit. The palm is a Washingtonia Robusta (the super tall skinny ones you see in southern california). They will grow fast as long as they get good heat but they hate our winter wet weather. So she will have to protect it or bring it in on the cold nights. They are incredibly cold hardy but not in combination with wet. They are often tried in the PNW and can actually live for a few years at a time but a cold wet winter will do it in - unless given protection.

    I think your Callistemon 'woodlanders hardy red' steals the show this week! I LOVE IT!!!!

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    1. When you make your trek down to Cistus you'll have to plan to stop at Jungle Fever too!

      Thanks for the palm info, I'll let her know!

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  5. Your random shots show a great, plant-filled week. That shot of the Agave parryi cozying up to a sword fern at the Jungle Fever owner's garden - only in the PNW!!

    Is there a way to repot that last agave without damaging its 40" pup?

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    1. You know I hadn't considered that (I was going to pull the pup off) but maybe I should pass it on to my friend with the pup attached and see if she can get it to prosper!

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  6. That was some week! Are ALL of your friends stellar gardeners?

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    1. Stellar...or at least practicing and very engaged with the idea. This is why I find it so incredible when I hear people moaning about "the next generation not gardening"...ok granted I'm Gen X not Y but my generation is FULL of gardeners. Even the friends I've had for years (pre-blog/pre-plant lust) are into it. Maybe it's the fact we all live in such a garden friendly climate? (the Pacific Northwest) Or maybe I'm just lucky to have such super cool friends?

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  7. I am in awe of how large my Echium 'Mr. Happy' is now considering it was put in as a 4" pot about 4 months ago. It is at least 4 feet across and probably about as high. It is planted in a majorly windy spot right in my front garden so I'm curious to see if it is going to be able to stand up straight when it blooms next spring.

    I have about a dozen E. pinninana that I just potted up into gallons. Hopefully I'll be able to find spots or homes for all of them.

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    1. Isn't amazing how fast the Echiums grow when they're really happy? I can't even imagine how beautiful a dozen blooming E. pinninana would be, I hope you find space for them.

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  8. Your garden looks wicked! I linked you in my blog today - not sure on the etiquette - letting you know. :) I found THE ALOE you blogged about a couple of months ago! SOOOooooooo happy! At least I think it is....please have a look. :) - CHEERS!

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    1. Thanks for the link Heather, and your Aloe is fabulous!

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  9. Beautiful plants and I love that nursery you visited. The mystery palm is probably a Trachycarpus, but Washingtonia filifera can take down to 20 degrees with no damage. Some say 15 and others say even 10! It has the little split ends coming off the fronds like a Washingtonia, so that's why I mention the possibility.

    OK, so what is that gorgeous tree you have in the backyard....the one with the GIANT leaves? Is it a Cucumber Magnolia? I'm stumped.
    Thanks for solving the riddle. Your garden is looking fantastic.
    David/:0)

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    1. Yes David I believe some people do call it a Cucumber Magnolia...it's a Magnolia macrophylla, I LOVE it!

      (and Louis agrees with you on the Washingtonia ID)

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  10. OMGosh! Such great pics and so many garden activities! I love it! I haven't checked in for awhile because I've been traveling so much and trying to keep my real garden going! Is that your patio with the cool furniture and the Echium bloom in the "before" shot? That is gorgeous and I hope you get it shown in a garden mag. The design is wonderfully pleasing to the eye! Can't leave without saying I LOVE the last shot! Beautiful color and one of my fav plants that is on my "to get" list - eryngium.

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    1. Traveling in the summer months when one has a garden at home to care for can be so difficult! That is my patio, and thank you for the kind words. More pictures of it coming up later this week!

      One can never have too many Eryngium!

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  11. The garden is looking great as always Loree! Especially love the photo with the big leafed Magnolia (macrophylla?) to the left. I think a week in pictures is a good idea, a nice glimpse of what someone has been up to especially if it's been a particularly garden intense week :)

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    1. Aren't they all garden intense weeks? (I kid...)

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