Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Lilyvilla Gardens, 2012 visit...

In addition to the usual weekend list of open gardens for Hardy Plant Society of Oregon members there was a special Monday evening series last week. It was then that I revisited my friend Lauren’s garden.

It seems every year her garden goes through some transformation. Being a designer she is always trying out new ideas.

I loved this combination of Eucomis and feather grass!

I’m not growing any Nicotiana this year, and now I’m regretting it.

Ditto for the Castor Bean.

I’m thankful Lauren hasn’t decided to tear down and redo her entry gate, it’s too cool!

Musa basjoo…(just wait, there are more)…

That’s a huge old apple tree. How do I know? Because an apple fell to the ground right in front of me, you can see it on the left.

Can’t you just see Easter eggs hidden right here?

Lauren said she relocated these Sempervivum from the rocks along the street-side of her property. They sure look happy tucked in with a trio of Agave bracteosa.

Metapanax delavayi, or whatever the heck they’re calling it this month.

I love me some sharp corners!

Last time I was here the water feature was still in the works, but the cool planters were in place.

Love the Astelia, here’s hoping it all lives through this coming winter.

I’m also pretty partial to the massing of Water Lettuce…I wish my stock tank pond were sunny enough for this.

Looking backwards.

Both JJ’s garden (yesterday’s post) and Laurens have gorgeous orange Abutilon planted right where you can walk up and touch them. I planted mine too far back in the border.

Here’s the money-shot of the Musa basjoo. Can you even believe it?

And get this…she doesn’t wrap them over the winter.

Here’s her Schefflera delavayi, I don’t know why I couldn’t get the color on this picture to resemble anything that might occur in the natural world, still I had to include it.

I believe it went in the ground early last summer. I love the leaf variation!

And so ends our visit…thanks Lauren!

27 comments:

  1. Super beyond jealous! Those rusted gates, those bananas, pretty much everything!!!! Dang I gotta visit Portland!!

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    1. Louis my pictures don't even really tell the story of how great those bananas are...you'd love them!

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    2. that's insane! I want towering bananas like that!!!!

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  2. Another gorgeous garden! Lauren's entry and bananas are incredible!

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    1. And how she manages to be so controlled in her plant choices...how does she do it?

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  3. Dang! I don't know how I missed this garden on last Monday night's tour. I've always wanted to see this garden too. Thanks for the great pictures. Her plant combonations gave me some great ideas - or I might just outright copy them.

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    1. Lisa! Bummer...it's such a great garden! Glad I got some pictures to share with you.

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  4. Very nice. I love the silver falls cascading over the walls and the one container. Do her bromeliad do okay in the winter? hmm

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    1. Good eye Darla, to tell the truth the Bromeliads weren't even planted in the ground...since it looked like they were I didn't mention any thing not to ruin the illusion!

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  5. What a wonderful garden/outdoor space, it is really well designed.

    I love that Metapanax. I have just googled it and there is one nursery listed as selling it in the UK (not listed on their site though). I have emailed them anyway, but I bet it will be borderline hardy here, sigh!

    Have you ever seen the garden at night time Loree? I can imagine that it has some pretty cool lighting in it and looks a treat :)

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    1. How much would you hate me if I told you I picked up a sickly little Metapanax at the Cistus parking lot sale a couple years back for something like $3? It had maybe 5 leaves then but is actually looking really good now!

      I haven't seen this garden at night, and I bet your right, it probably does have some dramatic lighting!

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    2. $3?

      I have just removed you from my Christmas card list! Ha, ha!

      I had a reply from the nursery I spotted one on this morning and it will cost me over $30 for a 3 litre plant. Hmmm, I will have to give it some more thought.

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  6. Love that rusty entryway :-)

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    1. Doesn't it just say "there are cool things in this garden"???

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  7. Wow! I LOVE this garden! All that metal, and the sharp corners. Some day I hope to have enough Semps to mass them like that. And the banana grove, just wonderful. There was a garden this past weekend on the Olympia Garden Conservancy tour that had lots of bananas too, and she didn't wrap hers either. Thanks so much for posting your pictures.

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    1. I find that the Semps I get from my mom grow longer and get to be bigger clumps before blooming than the ones I buy in the nurseries. If you have any friends or neighbors with big old patches maybe they'd share a few with you?

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  8. Gorgeous garden, very LA-looking (is that an insult in Portland?). Thanks for the tour.

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    1. I certainly don't think it's an insult! But of course the larger Portland population tends to not be as full of California-lovin as I am.

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  9. Wow, wow, wow... I adore this garden. Your friends' gardens are amazing.

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    1. Of course it helps that they are both designers!

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  10. Some fantastic ideas here! Thanks Loree (and Lauren)!

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  11. Hey, FYI my garden will be open again September 15th as part of a fundraiser for the Portland Reading Foundation. The tour will include 6 Northeast gardens and the cost is $20 for a great cause. For more info:
    www.portlandreading.org

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  12. Wow. All these large-leaved trees and shrubs and the succulents and the gravel paths. And so tidy. Not a weed to be seen. I'm in awe.

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  13. Hot Damn! SOOO many perfect combinations of color and texture and drama and serenity! Plus it's sophisticated AND fun, which is a hard thing to achieve I think. Lilyvilla Gardens, I'm coming to see you in September!

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  14. That's a very touchable garden - so much texture and lushness. I enjoyed the tour and especially the top shot of that gorgeous gate.

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