Wednesday, February 29, 2012

My evolution as plant lover… what’s yours?

Recently it seems that every plant I’m drawn to is a “shrub”… I appear to be obsessed. Ten years from now my garden might be a very scary place. Or maybe since my “zone identity” is decidedly warmer than my zone reality…things will be kept in check.
Garrya elliptica growing in the Washington Park Arboretum, Seattle, it’s a shrub I’m lusting after.

I’ve been trying to figure out exactly when this happened, the shrub infatuation I mean. For the longest time I was inclined to garden with only perennials. Tender ones too! Going back further there was the grass phase, the bulb phase and stretching wayyyyy back I even had my “pretty flower” phase.
Another ‘shrub’ I wish I had room for Argyrocytisus battandieri (Pineapple Broom).

I’ve never gone through the tall tree phase, mainly because I think small trees look goofy, I’m impatient, and I’ve never had the budget for big ones. That’s a blessing in disguise though because I do want all the sun I can get and trees inevitably cast shade. Why the sun craving? Because I’ve always been in an Agave phase.
Acca sellowiana (Pineapple Guava)…tropical flowers and hardy in Portland, how could I not want one!

So has your planting profile evolved over time? Maybe you did it the "right" way and first planted a tree or two, followed by a few shrubs and then (only then) filled in with perennials, gasses and bulbs? Or maybe you're a flowering perennial/grass loving gardener like my friend Scott? Please share…

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

More from Seattle…a quick visit to a couple of public spaces...

When we travel we make a point of seeing the museums, gardens, parks, etc., of the cities we visit. However often we ignore these same attractions in the city we call home. Such is the case with Freeway Park in Seattle. I lived a mere mile from the park for 7 years, and worked only 3 blocks away for 4 years, yet I had never set foot in the park until I was there for the Northwest Flower and Garden Show a few weeks ago.
The park caps Interstate 5 as it travels through downtown Seattle and abuts the Washington State Convention Center (the glass building, where the NWFG Show is held). Designed by Lawrence Halprin’s office it had a bad (violent) reputation during the time I lived in Seattle, maybe that’s part of why I never explored it. Yet I couldn’t have felt safer as I wandered its paths this February.
Look that’s Washington’s profile….
More from around Freeway Park...
Another Seattle Park I failed to visit when I lived there is the Washington Park Arboretum. Taking a leisurely stroll around the park is something I’ve still yet to do, however I almost always find an excuse to drive Lake Washington Blvd as it meanders through the park, a beautiful short scenic interlude. It was on one of those quick jaunts through the park that I spotted this…
…and slammed on my brakes. What could be so important that it has its own little house to protect it? Ah…a Palm Tree! (a Chilean Wine Palm I will later learn)
There were little houses too...
But what else is going on here? More investigation required…Gateway to Chile Garden…Oh My! Chilean Wine Palm Grove (is that where I am standing?)…Chilean Fire Tree Grove….but, but where, how far? And it’s only February; would there be anything to see? And I’m late to pick up the husband…oh damn…I better not go wandering off. But next time!
In the mean time I discovered Puya’s (I think) around the base of a very a sculptural trunk…
And lots of Monkey Puzzle Trees (Araucaria araucana, from Chile of course)...
Pruned by Mother Nature or man?
Whatever the case this is definitely a not-to-be-missed destination next time I’m in Seattle! Chilean Fire Tree Grove…the mind spins at the possibilities…

Monday, February 27, 2012

minimalistic garden "art"

As you may have picked up I’m not the biggest fan of Garden Art. I do however adore this minimalist combination of highly pruned shrubs, a simple stone orb and the water filled bowl…
Would it be as lovely if it weren’t so simple? Probably not.
I would be tempted to drill and plant the bowl and there is no way I could have kept the plantings this simple, just a Rhododendron and an Azalea. Dealing with a severe case of plant lust means I overplant every inch of soil, thus I admire minimalism when I see it in other’s gardens.

Friday, February 24, 2012

A winter of death and destruction, avoided

Whenever I entertained the idea of writing a "what if" post (“what if” winter never really happens) then, as if on cue, the weathermen would start talking about a cold snap. Not wanting to tempt Mother Nature I held off on posting. Of course now wouldn’t you know there is chilly weather coming in for the weekend a 28 degree night in the forecast? (but it is only 28, not exactly arctic conditions).
As with many parts of the country our winter here in Portland has been incredibly mild. Every Fall I take stock of the garden, a making metal note of the borderline hardy plants and where the holes will be come Spring. However with the exception of the Agaves, winter has been very good to my garden. Remember the Echium whose passing I pre-mourned last fall? It's still alive! I did nothing to protect it; in fact I even lobbed off two of its arms last Fall wanting to give the plants under it a bit of light. It powered on…
Actually all five marginally hardy Echiums lived thought the winter; I'm hoping this means several crazy blooms will grace the garden this summer. Hummingbirds from miles around will stake their claim…

The saddest of the lot is the variegated Echium candicans 'Star of Madeira' it was hit hard…

But still alive! This is my 3rd or 4th plant (good not to pay close attention to death) and the first to live through the winter…zero protection too!
There are a couple of other plants in gardens here in town (not naming any names but they belong to my plant lust partners) that look way better than mine, but I’m not complaining because it’s alive!

In addition to my Echium collection the Salvia clevelandii lives on to perfume the garden for another summer.

Of the original three Puya coerulea that I planted in June of 2010 one lived through the winter of 2010/11…so naturally it powered right through this winter. What if I actually had Puya blooms someday in my garden?! I can’t even imagine how cool that would be.
There wasn't any “Phormium melt” Portland this year, for the first time since the winter of 2008/09.
Naturally, since I didn't replant any large specimens in the ground.

Prior to the winter of 2008/09 we had a row of three 6ft + tall Cordylines, that winter knocked them back to the ground. Even though they have responded with growth from the roots every year since they’ve never exceeded being a 2-3 ft tall plant by November, which again gets killed to the ground and the cycle repeats. Not this year! They didn’t get zapped at all; I wonder what they’ll look like this November?

Tetrapanax not knocked back by winter…it could be a jungle by August!

Here are a couple of plants that should have died back to the ground, but did not. Disporum cantoniense 'Green Giant'…

And Rubus lineatus…

I’ll admit I was moderately worried about the Schefflera taiwaniana, especially when we got the wet snow. But it’s fine…
My Abutilon hybrid ‘Fairy Coral Red’ not only is alive…but has little flower buds on it. I guess I better take it out of its too-small container and plant it properly.
Most surprisingly the Anigozanthos 'Amber Velvet' (Kangaroo Paw) is still alive. Granted it doesn’t look like much, and I doubt it will bloom (which is the only point in growing it as far as I’m concerned). Since I thought it was dead for sure I only cared about keeping the pot from cracking so I stuck it in the garage last fall. No light, no water (until a couple of weeks ago when I realized it was alive). Amazing!
What are you surprised is still alive in your garden?