Monday, November 19, 2012

Denial Garden 2012


Last year about this time I came up with the name “denial garden” for the planters in our driveway. From late spring through fall these are home to our vegetable garden, but over winter 2011/12 they were primarily filled with the plants I brought back from our trip through Arizona, New Mexico and the corners of Colorado and Utah. Plants that would not have enjoyed being planted out in my wet cold Oregon soil so late in the season (plants that also helped me deny the fact that it was winter), once spring arrived they were moved into their permanent homes and a fresh round of vegetables starts moved back in.

Seeing those plants as we came and went all winter was a huge boost to my mood, so I took advantage of the space to replant a similar garden this winter, even though there was no trip through the desert to supply the plants. Instead the this version is filled with treasures picked up from the Portland Garden Bloggers plant exchange, the plantlust.com plant swap, the Cistus “tough love” sale and other things that just haven’t found a home yet.

Starting at the far west end...just visible on the left is a black planter full of herbs and a Cardoon. This tank has a mixture of things...

Helleborus argutifolius, I scored this one at the plant lust plant swap. When the Hydrangea comes out early this spring it will move to it's "forever home" for now it's happy here...

This Agave americana 'Variegata' came to me as a gift from my Phoenix brother, it was just a small pup back then. It spends summers in the ground in the back garden, a focal spot next to the path to the patio, but that area doesn't have adequate drainage for the winter rains, so out it comes...

Same story for this cutie...

There are also a few assorted small pups in there, ones I'm practicing a little "tough love" on.

This monster Agave weberi has had a rough life. A gift from my friend JJ (she's not the abuser but rather the original rescuer who passed it along to me) I amputated a few arms and this is the best place I could offer it for rehab. It's a sunny spot, the black container soaks up what ever sun we have and dries out the sharp draining potting mix fast. Plus as you can see the dryer vent right behind it helps to keep things a little warmer and on the dry side too.

The second tank...

The Acacia caven is a current favorite, not just for it's fabulous little leaves...

But for the shadows it casts on the side of the house.

I'm also in love with this Grevillea 'Neil Bell' on the right, to it's left is one of the small Echium candicans 'Star of Madeira' I picked up hoping to overwinter and get a cheap jump start next spring. It's twin is in the shade pavilion greenhouse, I figured by splitting them up I had a better chance of one living.

Aren't those red spikes fabulous?

Speaking of spikes...

These (and above) were gifts from Steven (Beech Street Gardens) at the last Garden Bloggers plant exchange.

Don't these new pads look a little like deep sea creatures?

Astelia banksii

A few more pups that came to me as "trades"...

And sharing the pups container, my Clematis tibetana var. vernayi, waiting until it can move into it's home in the spring.

From above...

This fabulous Yucca (maybe Yucca gloriosa 'Variegata'?)...

Already has a trunk! I can't wait to find a spot for it next spring.

As well as for this Beschorneria decosteriana I picked up at Flora Grubb, poor thing has definitely outgrown the small container I put it in.

And finally what's a denial garden without some Opuntia? While most people are into the idea of fall planting I like to save a few things back, just in case winter happens to "open up" a few empty spots in the garden. Where these big guys end up is entirely based on whether or not a few questionable Opuntia already planted out are hardy enough for our winter.

I've already gotten so much enjoyment from this transitional space, I think planting up a temporary garden is officially a winter-time tradition now.

23 comments:

  1. Great mix of plants! I'm dubious about the dryer vent keeping anything dry though. Warm, yes, but dry? You do put wet clothes into the dryer, right? ;-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. But you answered your own question...the heat of the dryer dries the clothes yes? I'm not saying it's any great help but once a week to have 3 or 4 hours of hot air pumping out at the containers and heating them up...well it's got to do something!

      Delete
    2. Yes, but the water that's in the clothes goes out the vent and blows onto your plants (as vapor of course).

      Delete
    3. Touché...but I still think the heat helps to dry much more than the vapor has any negative effects...(smiley face here, if I did that sort of thing)

      Delete
  2. Your Denial Garden collection is great! Do you cover the plants during rain storms to keep them a little drier? Or do you simply let them fend for themselves? I put up a tarp this past weekend to keep my potted succulents dry.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No I don't, they fend for themselves. If the temps are supposed to dip below 20 I through covers over, but that's all (and hopefully, maybe that won't happen this year?). The soil mix that I have in there is quite quick draining, much better than my regular garden soil (clay).

      Delete
  3. I love your denial garden!!!!! I suppose I too have some big denials going on. I have my potted flax, red cordylines, agaves, aloes, phoenix canariensis and a few others that all huddle together under a large douglas fir and then the rest of them tight up against the west side of the house. KEEP THE DENIAL GOING!!! I LOVE IT!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Smart placement to keep those babies on the dry side! Besides what's here and inside the wrapped shade pavilion (sp) I've also got a few plants lined up along the north side of the sp, they are a tiny bit under the eaves and the way most of the rain falls they stay pretty dry. As for my cactus and agaves in the ground though they are on their own. Poor things, I don't know if your weather has been like ours but I expect an ark to float down our street any minute.

      Delete
    2. Sounds like you are experiencing the same thing as up here then... I was commenting that I might drown and die if I went outside. Our poor in ground agaves. I've done just about everything that I could, southern exposure (not that it would help right now), raised beds, quick draining soil, slightly slanted to let water out, etc. This weather will certainly test their tolerances. I say, whatever survives will be the true winners for next seasons plantings.

      Delete
  4. PS: I'm going to CALIFORNIA TOMORROW! HOORAY!!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If anyone else told me that I would be so jealous but you going is the next best thing to my getting to go! Have fun, soak up the sun and please take lots of pictures!

      Delete
    2. thanks :) ! I will be sure to take plenty of pictures!!! Much palm tree and agave love!

      Delete
  5. The Denial Garden is a great tradition. Most gardeners have some form of denial, here it's tropicals and rain loving plants.

    The spiky plant rescue center is all set for winter.



    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes indeed, denial is a must for gardeners everywhere!

      Delete
  6. Denial is a wonderful thing. While Alan is dubious about the dryer vent thing I'm. Wondering when you saw sun to make those shadows.l

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ya, it's been pretty horrendous hasn't it? I took these pictures the day I got to go out and clean up/inspect the agaves you gave me. Seems a lifetime ago that we were warm and dry doesn't it?

      Delete
  7. It's a great idea, and has given us ideas, instead of having containers planted with the usual winter flowering beddings, why not have containers planted with some of our surplus exotics? Interesting to know about the advantage of using black pots, makes perfect sense...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There were a couple of times last summer (now granted it was warm, dry and sunny then) but I watered the veggies in the morning and later that day they looked wilted, sure enough the soil was bone dry. It's interesting to dig in there in the spring too. Even when the garden soil is still too wet to work the soil here is dry. I'm wondering just how long I can keep putting the veggies in...someday I think the idea of having such a successful spot for dry loving plants might just become a year-round thing...

      Delete
    2. That's a definite option, especially if you decide to have more permanent plants in those pots (and spots!). More proteas would do well too, as they don't drying out every so often, and kept on the dry side in winter. You may even get blooms in the winter too

      Delete
  8. I would forfeit edibles for those plantings any day...but it looks like there is still plenty of room in the driveway if you jettison the car. Oh wait! How, then, would you get about to procure ever more plants? I have confidence that you will work something out.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Uhm...the drive way is long...we could stop pulling our cars in all the way and I could take over!

      Delete
  9. I agree, winter has to be managed proactively. The stash of tulips in the fridge that I plant up next week is part of my winter plan. Good score on the corsican hellebore -- mine is budding up already. Such a good, sturdy reliable plant. Yes, the denial garden must become tradition!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "good, sturdy reliable plant"...can't go wrong there! (btw no flower buds on my Aloe, sad)

      Delete

Thank you for taking the time to comment. Comment moderation is on (because you know: spam), I will approve and post your comment as soon as possible!