Friday, August 31, 2012

A story of inspiration; a blog, a garden and a stop at Thicket...

Inspiration comes from many different places; this story starts with a visit to Growing with Plants, the blog of Matt Mattus. Specifically it was the post “My Container Motif: Inspired by Galvanized Metal and Black” that got me dreaming. There were several drool-worthy photos in that post…

I pinned a couple to my Pinterest board “sexy plants” and couldn’t stop thinking about the idea of planting up a whole group of containers to carry this color theme that Matt describes as “Galvanized metal, slate, black iron combine with silver and black leaved plants.” After all these are some of my favorite plants and colors!

(these three photo collages are from Matt’s blog…used with his permission)

While I was inspired by Matt’s combinations I hadn’t exactly jumped to emulate them.

Next stop is another Hardy Plant Society of Oregon open garden (a visit which I have not yet posted about) where I saw this collection…

The color scheme took me back to Matt's post and I vowed to do something soon!

However as far as I got was moving my Manfreda undulata ‘Chocolate Chips’ from a shady spot in a yucky container to a much more sunny spot and a lovely chocolate brown container. Hoping that mine will eventually look as good as theirs...

So that’s where my motivation to act stalled. Well, until I visited Thicket again…

My first visit was back in mid-July, they had just opened and I was quite impressed.

Great blog posts at Plantwise, Bell and Star, and Sprig to Twig all tell the tale of this hot new garden shop just off Alberta in NE Portland…I saw no need add my voice to the mix.

But damn! So many fabulous vignettes just begged to be photographed? How could I not oblige?

Inspiration everywhere!

And the plant selection is pretty great too…

How lucky are we here in NE Portland?! We’ve got Garden Fever, Digs, and now Thicket just blocks apart.

I am curious what they’ll morph into come winter. There is only one actual building, seen in the distance here…(on the left)

And again here (also on the left)...

A peek inside the building…

Oh, so back to that inspiration thing…there were several of these small metal containers, three different sizes, all inexpensive. I loved their recycled look and was considering the purchase when it hit me…they’re silver; I could do a small version of the color scheme I had been obsessing about.

I even found a spot in my garden that worked perfect for them, what with the corresponding colors of nearby plants...

I’m not sure how successful I was, but the important thing is I got it out of my system, had fun doing it and these will serve as a visual reminder to sometimes be more intentional in my plant and container pairings. (I'm also pretty excited I learned how to make a photo collage with Picasa, I've missed having Adobe InDesign to play with!)...

59 comments:

  1. Beautiful job! I love the color combinations, it really created a very artistic display. Stuff like this makes me want to reconsider my functional clay pots for something a little nicer looking!

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    1. And I sometimes question my decision to abandon terra-cottta. It is such an excellent material for growing succulents (so hard to over water them!) and inexpensive.

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  2. Stunning combination of pots and plants as always! You rock.

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  3. Ohh...so much metal , wood and rust . The perfect planting materials. And the plants, wonderful stuff !!!

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  4. Absolutely stunning........I think of anything else to say!

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  5. WOW WOW WOW. Your sources of inspiration are drool-worthy, as is your personal interpretation. I love those metal containers. I've been tempted so many times to buy some (IKEA has some great ones) but our summer sun is so hot, I'm afraid it would fry the roots. At least ceramic pots provide some protection. But in your climate, they're perfect!

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    1. Yes I am lucky to be able to take advantage of the metal IKEA containers. I've got a couple dozen!

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  6. DANG!!!! I love everything! the inspiration, the nursery, and your collection!!! Is that echeveria glauca on the bottom right!?

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    1. No it's Echeveria x imbricata, not hardy I'm afraid. I'll have to lift them before, well if, winter shows up.

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  7. I WANT THOSE CONTAINERS!!!!!!! I remember reading about that place a while ago too in blogs...but never went because it seemed too stylish more little ol' me. Maybe I'll take a gander after all :-)

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  8. I love that first collage that you did, great colors! I need to figure out how to use Picasa to make a collage too.

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  9. Your new vignette looks great. I love the texture on your new containers.

    Tons of great inspiration here. I'm going to move my galvanized watering can into a better grouping inspired by the third collage.

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    1. Yay...it's the little touches that sometimes make all the difference.

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  10. I love all the smokey greys, grey-greens, burgundies and blacks in your post and Matt's inspiration. The texture and colors in your final planting are terrific!

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  11. So inspiring! Thanks for introducing me to Growing with Plants, letting me know you have a Pinterest account to further fuel my plant lust, and reminding me to make another late Summer trip to Thicket!

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    1. I'm afraid I'm not a very active Pin'er. They need to make it easier to use on the iPad!

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  12. How have I missed this nursery?! I'm going there this weekend.

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    1. Enjoy! (I think it's because they are just off Alberta...that street is so chaotic that you can miss a lot)

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  13. Lots of great stuff -- both living and not -- in these photos. I think I'm going to have to add some chains to my garden somewhere...

    Most importantly though, what is the stripy-leaved plant in "thicket+113.jpg"? ME MUST HAVE!!

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    1. Didn't that chain look so good? Especially nice to have a vine growing on it.

      I'm afraid I can't help you with a plant i.d. on Mr Stripes...anybody?

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  14. Love te pulley and the rusty urns and the rootbeer box...those tin planters ware too coool! Love the huge allium..Is chocolate chips a bromiiad...in which cas I must have some!!!!!

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    1. Nope, chocolate chips is a Manfreda, but you still should have one!

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  15. I think you outdid the inspiration! Looks AWESOME.

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  16. Damn right back at you! Between you, Grace and Scott I want to move to Oregon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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    1. That's quite the move...you probably better wait until spring though, that way you've got the best ahead of you before settling in for a long grey winter. Now if you could just summer here that might be the best idea!

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  17. So glad you decided to chime in...we need to sing the praises of places like Thicket. I asked them what winter would bring, and learned that they have their eye on the building across the street, facing Alberta. Hope it works out.

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  18. Christmas tree lot? Your area appears to be a hotbed of plant design and plant love. Lucky, lucky...

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    1. I am very lucky...and yes no doubt there will probably some pretty great Christmas trees (or alternatives...maybe a Christmas Palm!) popping up there in the early winter.

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  19. They are fantastic! The purples, blues and greys are absolutely striking on those first pictures. Gorgeous shots of some of my favorite plants! Enjoy your 3 day!

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    1. I can (and have) stared at Matt's pictures forever...such depth in those images!

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  20. Being more intentional in plant and container pairings is a lesson I need again and again. Your silvery planted containers look wonderful in the garden. And Thicket is a shop I need to visit soon (just how have I managed to miss it this long?)

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    1. For me it usually goes something like "oh must have that plant...now what will I put it in..." not exactly the time one makes great design choices. Hope you enjoy your visit to Thicket!

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  21. Thanks for showing the pics from my blog! Such a great post, that I want to rush out and redo my containers! I can't believe how nice those containers are that garden center. If only we had such nice ones near us on the East coast!

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    1. Thank you for giving your approval, and providing so much design inspiration to me and many others!

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  22. SoCal certainly needs more of what's happening in NE Portland. Maybe our land is too expensive? Jeez, if I was 20 years younger I might give it a go. My garden would certainly improve if I played with plants elsewhere. Could the stripey plant be a ledebouria? Loved seeing a reprise of this great post from Matt's blog.

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    1. How wonderful it would be to have you join us here in Portland Denise! Thanks for the possible plant i.d., I think you may be right!

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  23. I also follow Matt's blog and thought the galvanized vignettes were way cool. Every year I do one what I call "dark side" pot. Maybe I'll take things a little further next year.

    Lucky? Hell yes! Every nursery I visited out there was beyond swoon worthy and I see Thicket is no exception. Great post!

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    1. Oh I love that name! I think I'll have to have a "dark side" pot too!

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  24. Great pictures and inspiring planting mixes

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  25. Well I was cursing around the blog world and I heard somebody pining for old galvanized iron and I had to stop by because growing up with grandparents on the edge of the Outback, we adored the stuff. Come to mind, Mad Max had old Mel with a bunch of iron in most frames. That and my beloved cattle dog. So I loved all of the salutes to gray, iron and rust.
    But while reminiscing, I was thrown into a garden shop to die for. I enjoyed it so much because I'm stuck here and haven't been out looking at new garden shops since I was paralyzed ten years ago. So a big thanks for getting me a big garden thrill during a drought. Cheers.

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    1. I'm so glad you could be transported back in time as well as out to a nursery visit! I'll hopefully be able to share a few other sights with you in the future!

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  26. A great source of inspiration Loree! I love that colour combination, silver, puprles, etc. Quite an ethereal, and at the same time contemporary mix of hues!

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    1. For about a day I wanted to get rid of all my bright oranges and greens and go with just a "dark side" theme. It passed thank goodness! ($$$)

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  27. Gosh, I didn't know about Thicket...thank you!!!!!!!

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    1. So glad to help...now get out there and visit!

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  28. Wow! I really love those ideas. I find succulents very interesting. I just can't help but be amazed. Nice post!

    Loren @ www.cheapsheds.co.nz

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