Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Love ‘em, or Hate ‘em?

Location: University Village Shopping Center, Seattle Washington
Time: Saturday, October 27
Subject: Ornamental Cabbage and Kale

Whoa!

I know some perfectly lovely people who actually like ornamental cabbage and kale. I am not one of them.

Here the fallen leaves distract me from the purple cabbage (kale? both?) so I almost wasn't visually offended by this planting. And yes, the colors really were that bright.

So… love ‘em, or hate ‘em?

Location: Anthropologie, University Village, Seattle Washington
Time: Saturday, October 27
Subject: Staghorn Ferns

I just don’t get the appeal of the Staghorn Fern.

I know they are tremendously popular right now. For me they are more compelling when in a container, rather than mounted on a slab of wood, and I feel like I should like them, but I don’t. However I will say this one actually stopped me in my tracks. I've never seen one this large!

It was only $150. However that container will set you back $598

So… Staghorn Ferns, love ‘em, or hate ‘em?

Location: Ravenna Gardens, University Village, Seattle Washington
Time: Saturday, October 27
Subject: Succulent Wreaths

Another trend that just keeps on keeping on…the mixed succulent wreath or maybe this one isn't a wreath but rather meant for a table top, perhaps to go around a candle holder.

I personally love them, but only if the succulents are affixed in such a way that you can later dismantle the whole thing and root them…what about you? Love ‘em, or hate ‘em?

Finally I’ll end this silliness with a couple more pictures taken at Ravenna Gardens last weekend. Just for the record…I love Ravenna Gardens.

55 comments:

  1. I was going to say "hate 'em!" on the kale and cabbages, because in spite of their amazing colours, the "plunk 'em and pitch 'em in autumn" plants I hardly consider plants at all.
    But then, I must admit that one of my favourite items this year was an ornamentsal kale, very much like your second photo. In fact I ended up buying THREE of them. The thing is, I live in Ontario, Canada. I bought them in March and managed to keep them alive and blooming with their pale yellow flowers from early spring through the summer and into fall. They are still in my vegetable garden today! I think a lot has to do with the fact that they are growing, not simply ...well PLUNKED and DESTROYED. Also, I had a hand in the process of their maturing. I have saved seed to try and repeat my success.

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    1. You make an excellent point Marie, anytime a plant is treated as a temporary "colorspot" to be tossed as soon as it's season is over it devalues it. Congrats on your success!

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  2. Mixed cabbage/kale: mixed emotions. The nasty stench of decomposing cabbage because it rained and they turned to mush makes me absolutely loathe. On the other hand, mixed into a fall planting I understand how it can add colour and interest. Only, if you garden like we do, then there are not really empty spots in need of interest thereby happily removing all need. So therefore, yuck.

    Staghorn fern: again, mixed emotions. I like them in a gnarly kind of way. They look spooky and growth like in a way that I can sooo appreciate. On the other hand, I was at the nursery and picked one up that was full of bugs! So it had me turned off for a while.

    Succulent wreath: LOVE!!!!!!!! Like sooo love. But I should admit to being a neglectful succulent wreath parent and letting mine dry out too much.

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    1. I can totally get a mental picture of you picking up a Staghorn fern full of bugs and being grossed out. A big ole group of ants can do that to me in an instant.

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  3. Cabbage / kale: unable to determine. (I feel like I ought to like them, because they have qualities I appreciate when in other plants, but mostly I'm not feeling it.)

    Staghorn fern: love 'em, with reservations. (I definitely see the appeal and think they're cool plants; on the other hand, attempting to grow them myself has not worked out well for any parties involved.)

    Succulent wreaths: hate 'em. (Is a temporary arrangement by design; seems like it would be a nightmare to do anything with, as leaves would be breaking off all over the place; not particularly pleased by the look; unfond of the species usually used in their design.)

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    1. I was glad to see you weigh in on these matters Mr S...and you've made me wonder. Would you like a Staghorn fern wreath? I mean if you saw it in a store or another's home, somewhere that you didn't have to care for it.

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    2. I doubt I'd have strong feelings about it one way or another, if it belonged to someone else and was going to continue to belong to someone else. If someone had two staghorn wreaths and was like, hey, why don't you take one of these home, I'd probably decline weakly at first (on the grounds that I don't need more plants that don't do well for me), and accept it if pressured to do so (the reasoning being that it might work out for me this time, or I might find a way to give or sell it to someone else).

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  4. Oh you know how much I like my games ;)

    Cabbage/Kale: Hate, that one is simple

    Staghorn fern: Hate the way it tends to be used, love in habitat used grown on trees but you never see this.

    Succulent wreaths: Hate, I know that should be the one I love, but there is something sad about wreaths, used in vertical planting or any other way, it would be love of course!

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    1. Just remember nothing was being left to die in this game! So are all wreaths sad or just the succulent ones?

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  5. Kale, love it probably because it won't grow here--too hot and dry in winter.

    Platyceriums--love them! Your "big" example is relatively small--thar be monsters out here, and a popular place for bird nests--a tiny litte bird face peaking out of one is cool.

    Succulent wreaths--meh!

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    1. Oh yes there is always the "love it because you can't grow it" rule in gardening. I'm very familiar with that one...

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  6. I do not like ornamental kales/cabbages. In fact, they scare me a bit. To me they look like a completely alien life form. I like weird plants, but these are just too weird for me.

    Ditto for the staghorn ferns. Alien in a slightly repulsive way.

    Succulent wreaths: Don't get me started on all the unfortunate things suculents are being subjected to these days...

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    1. Have you seen the succulent ornaments that have a wire stuck in them? Or worse the ones with a big ole glob of hot glue? So sad...

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  7. I like the big white ornamental cabbages the way they're used in your photos, but the grids/clumps of purple ones clash with autumn colors and look generally out of place- maybe that's just my own color bias against purple speaking, though. I wouldn't use any of them in my garden, but I get why they're used in municipal & commercial plantings, since they're so hardy and low-maintenance.

    I like the staghorn ferns (especially mounted on walls), but they're a pain in the butt to grow in Seattle.

    I'm fond of the succulent wreaths, but only if they're in a practical arrangement, like on an outdoor table, where you don't have to move them to a sink to water them, and generally just don't need to water them as often. Also, ideally the wreaths should designed to be semi-permanent, just needing a few of the succulents changed out every year.

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    1. I have to say I share that purple color bias, at least when it comes to fall plantings and decor.

      The idea of a semi-permanent wreath is an interesting one, but wouldn't the succulents eventually outgrow the space?

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  8. Kale: Dislike - it's the new pansy or chrysanthemum and I can't work up any enthusiasm for it. But it's hard to say "hate" about a plant that's not a weed.

    Staghorn: LOVE! I've seen such fabulous huge ones. I'll send you a picture of the cutest green frog on one in the south of France.

    Succulent wreaths: Like. But it totally depends on the design and appropriateness for the location.

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    1. "it's the new pansy or chrysanthemum"....hahaha! I love it, so well said.

      I can't wait to see the frog picture!

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  9. Kale: Secretly love it but don't tell anyone and whatever you do, don't look at my post on Friday!

    Staghorn fern: They're interesting as a novelty and probably amazing in their natural habitat but not something I feel the need to grow.

    Succulent wreaths: I agree with you, the plants need to be reused.

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    1. Okay note to self...be sure to visit Peter's blog on Friday so I can be amazed at how he manages to make me like the Kale monster.

      Of course YOU were one of those perfectly lovely people I was referring to. Sometimes there's just no accounting for taste!

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  10. P.S. I've gotta get to Ravenna Gardens as I always drool over your pictures of the place!

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    1. Yes you really do need to. And of course visit the Miller Library while your in the neighborhood. Horticultural book heaven!

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  11. Cabbage/Kale: Hate 'em. Waste of time and money. Lack of imagination.
    Staghorn fern: Ambivalent. Places like Anthropologie can make anything look amazing. But I would never be able to recreate that look (or afford it in that pot!) at home. Not worth the effort.
    Succulent wreath: Unless you have the staff of Flora Grubb coming to your house to mainting that wreath, then forget it. Looks amazing, but in reality not really sustainable and you will end up throwing it away, wasting perfectly good succulents.

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    1. You almost sound like you're speaking from experience with that wreath comment?

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  12. Kale: Like, but in a self deprecating sort of way...

    Staghorn Fern: Like, but only if it's big and looking healthy. Most of the time you see small ones suffering in homes and garden centres.

    Succulent Wreaths: Neither. It's a good idea to use succulents in various ways, but it's a good idea gone wild recently and there are so many twee creations out there. And I agree, they should be reusable.

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    1. "a self deprecating sort of way"...you mean like how I feel when I admit that I LOVE Billy Joel?

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  13. Kale: okay to look at, but LOVE if you eat them after done looking. They're 100 times better than mums.

    Staghorn fern: Hate is probably too strong a word since I've never seen one in person, but I don't like them in photos.

    Succulent wreath: Hate. I'm opposed to any wreath that doesn't smell like a forest and doesn't start dropping needles after a couple of weeks.

    (Your nurseries are a lot less depressing than the ones around here, with loads of empty shelves)

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    1. This nursery always manages to have amazing displays no matter the season I've never seen it looking bad.

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  14. Cabbage/Kale: Not a big fan, but are okay here since we can't grow them until January so they do brighten the winter garden and bright colors work pretty well in our corner of the world. That said, I skip them.

    Staghorn fern: I've never had much interest. My gardening friends consider epiphyllum a better choice.

    Succulent wreath: I did like them. Tried to make one once and it was mess, ended up with a flat table arrangement instead. If I can't DIY it, I don't need it.

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    1. A flat succulent table arrangement hardly sounds like a fail, I bet it was lovely!

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  15. I think the Kale is quite handsome, but suffers from being poorly used in most cases. Not for me, but appreciated on the rare occasions when I have seen it used well. Ask your neighbor...Poppy Box could pull it off.

    Staghorn fern: similar sentiments. I wouldn't choose it, but have seen some pretty dramatic uses.

    Succulent wreath: OK, but not my favorite use of a favorite group of plants.

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    1. Damn I wish I'd been around to see Poppy Box, it just keeps sounding more and more interesting.

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  16. Actually, the kale combo photos you posted are lovely! I don't do them but I like these.

    We have one staghorn at the moment. We've been contemplating mounting it but oh, that pot is something to take into consideration. I've always loved this photo from Sunset:

    http://pinterest.com/pin/76068681175550680/

    And this is from Julianne Moore's house, featured in AD:

    http://pinterest.com/pin/76068681176309638/

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    1. I love everything about that picture from Sunset except the Staghorns. Ick! But the image from Julianne Moore's house is interesting. Especially the ivy colored wall with the ferns sort of flopping out of the ivy...thanks for the links!

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  17. Kale: bought one last year for the first time probably since the 80's. Put it in a pot that I keep at my front dore with some stock and something else -- I liked having it there . This year I bought several plants of dinosaur kale and put them in the front garden as ornamentals . Spring display will hopefully be cool d. kale leaves, Laurens Grape poppies, orange and yellow, tulips and a double outageously orange snapdragon that's on my Annies wish list.

    Staghorn..would love if I still lived in San Diego. They need to be big IMHO.

    I'm ok with anything that includes succulents.

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    1. I had to look up dinosaur kale, not being familiar with that one...agreed that the color combo with orange could be lovely!

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  18. Flowering Kale and Cabbage.....hate due to the fact they are aphid magnets!

    Staghorn Fern....like it, but I would not have one. I know thats not one of the choices.

    Succulent wreath: Love the succulents, hate the whole wreath idea!

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    1. Sure you can opt to like but not want one...that's allowed in this game we're playing.

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  19. Cabbage/Kale: I love cabbage & kale! But here's the thing - they need friends. The pic of the white cabbage around the maple in the pot is a perfect example of what ricki said about them being poorly used. Yeah, a bit too in-your-face. The rest of the cabbage photos showcase, imo, how they *should* be used in arrangements - not the main attraction but as a unique piece that complements the whole. Lots of texture and rich fall colors. The one covered in leaves is beautiful! Being from Minnesota, there's not much in the way of color or interest right now since all the trees have dropped their leaves and we're working on cutting down the perennials, leaving a brownish expanse until it becomes a white expanse. Any color between now and then is greatly appreciated!

    Staghorn fern: Fascinating plant, but don't like how it's used in the photos. It doesn't seem to be a stand-alone plant, even the large one. I think it would look better in a fern room at a conservatory, or at the very least grouped with other tropical plants.

    Succulent wreath: I think it's a unique concept and they're pretty, very autumnal. But I agree that they should be able to be replanted later.

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    1. In one of the photos Evita (above) links to the Staghorns are on an ivy covered wall and I didn't hate it. That supports your feeling that they shouldn't be a stand alone plant.

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  20. Three simple words:
    Hate!
    Love!!!
    Hate!
    One would think I cannot decide, but I don't think this leaves much ambivalence does it?

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    1. I would have never pegged you as a minimalist...

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  21. There is something of the triffid about platyceriums. They look alive in a creepy way. To me that's a good thing, to others maybe not. This thing of featuring them on plaques like staghorns just makes them look humiliated. It looks like a fad too, but platyceriums being a fad is A Good Thing regardless.

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    1. "alive in a creepy way"...certainly fitting for the day.

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  22. Hmmm....although there are plenty of plants I hate...not sure I really love or hate any of those...I'm sort of ambivalent, I guess :-) The Kale totally don't bother me...but I don't think I'd plant any, since I generally don't plant annuals anyway. I don't mind them in other people's gardens, though, it's a nice break from all the green around town during winter. The fern probably has it's place...but agree with many of the above...it needs to be a part of a bigger-scale woodland-style garden, otherwise it just looks floppy and sad. Not a fan of succulent wreaths...they are pretty, but seem kind of impractical. I feel kind of bad for succulents these days...treated like more accessory than plant...sort of the plant version of bedazzling ;-)

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    1. bedazzling...there is a very apt word. I need to stay just this side of bedazzed in all things plant related.

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  23. Ugh ..one of my few garden dislikes O cabbage .

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    1. Just a few dislikes? What else is on the short list?

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  24. While I like Kale and Ornamental Cabbage, not in my garden, thank you. THe only Cabbage I want growing in my garden, is the kind used in cole slaw}:P

    I do, however, really like Staghorn Ferns. Never thought about putting one in a container. Hmmm. I can get one at a local greenhouse here, but I really don't think it'd do well in my house, it tends to get too dry.

    The Succulant wreath is neat. But not for me.

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    1. Very true...the real cabbage is pretty enough why go with the ornamental stuff.

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  25. I actually like these cabbages better than roses!

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    1. I'm no rose fan but I think I'd prefer a nice big bouquet of red ones.

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  26. Jeesh, I really love ornamental kale and cabbage, they can be very intersting when used well. I have to agree that the first image you posted is a shocker! The Japanese Maple is probably writhing in embarassement.

    Love Staghorn Fern and succulent wreaths but don't grow either at this time.

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    1. Actually that arrangement was the first I saw and I actually did stop in my tracks and say something like "damn that's just wrong"...

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  27. I do hate ornamental cabbage/kale, but I think it is a PNW thing. My mom in Portland would stick them in her flower pots in front of the house every fall when I was a kid. But I don't really see much of them in LA. Probably because enough plants bloom all through the winter here.

    Staghorns I do love, but they are hard to keep healthy and alive. Rainforest Flora near my house, a nursery you would absolutely love, has some amazing giant staghorn fern balls hanging from the celling. But those ones do cost something like $500 I think.

    I made a succulent wreath more than five years ago, which with a few plant swap outs, is still doing fairly ok. It now lives outside laying flat on a shelf though. It was not happy hanging on a door that was always opening and closing. That made quite a mess.

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  28. These pictures are absolutely beautiful. Looking at them can also give great ideas for a personal garden around our home. Thanks for sharing.
    http://www.onlineplantnursery.com/shrubs/

    ReplyDelete

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