Monday, August 26, 2013

Farwest 2013


The Farwest Show is an annual tradeshow put on by the Oregon Association of Nurseries. This is my 5th year at the show, and while I was thrilled to see many an engaged nursery owner taking plant orders (and lots of traffic all three days), the general feel I got at the show was everyone is playing it safe. I saw far less borderline hardy plants than in previous years and fewer succulents too.

However as is usually the case with these horticultural events it wasn’t so much the conference itself that I enjoyed (although walking around looking at plants and plant related products is never a bad thing) but the people who converge on Portland during the event. There are parties and impromptu gatherings, new people to meet and old connections to be revisited.

This year I had the pleasure of attending a couple of the morning seminars, the first was HortiCULTURE: The Gardening Revolution, by Kelly D. Norris. So many things clicked for me while listening to Kelly speak about the importance of gardening and finding the culture in horticulture. He was saying things out loud that I’d been thinking, if you have the chance to hear Kelly speak I urge you to go. Also, I’ll be on the lookout for his next book, tentatively titled Dig This: Stylish Gardening with Kickass Plants (damn I wish I would have thought of that title!!!).

The second seminar was Plantufacturing: How New Plants are Selected and Launched with Kelly again and the addition of Dan Heims. Near the beginning of the talk Dan shared his concept of the Botanical Clock (no, not to be confused with the biological clock), comparing the way plants go in and out of favor to times on the clock. At their height of popularity plants would be at 12:00 (Dan didn’t share if this was am or pm) and then they steadily fall down, down, down, until they bottom out (6:00) and then start to work their way back up to popularity again. Perhaps succulents are nearing 4:00? And in case you’re wondering Dan feels begonias are about to become very very big.

One of the displays I'm always sure to visit is the “New Varieties Showcase”…

If you’re interested in round up of all the entries click here, and if you’re curious Wild Swan™ Anemone won top honors in the showcase (no, I didn’t even take a photo of it!). Personally I was a big fan of the burlap tree, very Wizard of Oz...

Here’s what else I found interesting…

Liriodendron tulipifera 'Little Volunteer,’ a smaller version of the tulip tree, what’s not yo love about that?

This Brugmansia 'Little Angel' was gorgeous! ("Full-size white pendulous blooms on a compact plant make it well suited for containers"...says the marketing materials)

But really how could any of them compete when there was a Schefflera in their midst? Schefflera delavayi…

How exciting right? This should mean this much sought after plant will have better availability next year in the nursery biz (at least at those nurseries which order from T & L Nursery, the source for this plant in the showcase).

After voting for my favorites (we don’t yet know what the “people’s choice” award winner is…but you know what I voted for) I wandered and looked for things that caught my eye. This hybrid Gomphrena ‘Pink Zazzle’ certainly did that. Click here for much better photos and a plant profile from Hank, the Plant Provocateur (whom I had the pleasure of meeting during the SF Garden Bloggers Fling).

As did this Rhamnus frangula ‘Asplenifolia’ (Fernleaf Buckthorn)…

Did you think that dark leafed number (below) was a small phormium? I did too. Nope…Crinum x Purple Dream

Of course I fell for its foliage but a little online hunting shows the flowers aren’t bad either. Here’s a photo and write up from that Kelly Norris character I mentioned earlier.

Another quasi phormium look-a-like! Dianella prunina Rainbow Twist…

I bought a tiny (4” container, maybe 3” tall) one from Garden World last spring but these were huge!

I fear I won’t be able to resist the pull of a cloud pruned conifer for much longer. I love them so…(I know I shouldn't, but I do!)

Oh and I LOVE this. It’s a hardy version of the dragon tree (Dracaena draco), if you don’t look too close! Okay, actually a Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris).

I’m also drawn to the ornamental peach (Prunus persica 'Bonfire'), but oddly not the saguaro arborvitae.

Taiwanese Parasol Tree (Trochodendron aralioides) from Monrovia (above the Melianthus)…

Interestingly their booth only had one little Schefflera in it!

So even though this isn’t really a buying show (sure lots of orders are placed, but it’s not set up for retail monetary exchanges) I managed to purchase a couple of things. First at the Flora & Fauna booksellers booth.

The owner David is a (welcome) institution at the OAN shows, both Farwest and the Yard, Garden & Patio Show in the spring. Sadly I’ve never visited his store in Seattle but hope to make it there someday. He brought several boxes of used books this time around and I grabbed a handful.

The decorative one without it’s dust jacket is Garrett Eckbo’s Art of Home Landscaping published in 1956. When was the last time you saw one of these?

Of course there were a few plant purchases as well. If you’ve got cash in hand and are present when the show closes on Saturday you just might be able to walk away with a couple of treasures...

Mine included two of those Crinum x Purple Dream and a pair of the Dianella from Hines Growers, plus one of the Schefflera delavayi from the New Varieties Showcase (T & L Nurseries). No I didn’t “need” and another S. delavayi but it was an amazing (AMAZING) deal that I just couldn’t pass up. Surely you understand?

All material © 2009-2013 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

25 comments:

  1. I really love that Crinum. It makes a great pond plant, got mine at Home Cheapo.
    -Max P.

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    1. Ah good to know Max! I hope to include another stock tank pond in the garden next spring (when we remove the privet) and since it will be in (almost) full sun maybe these would be happy there.

      (Home Cheapo huh? You never know what you might find...)

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  2. When you revealed the name Crinum x purple dream I literally gasped. That is such a special plant and going on my must-have list which is the point of a show like this. I agree on the arborvitae saguaro. Cloud pruning just might take over the world. From "no conifers" to "I so love this"? It would work in your garden if done well and I know you would.

    Of course you couldn't pass up an amazing deal on a plant which works so well in your garden.

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    1. I'm kind freaked out about how much my eyes are being drawn to conifers these days, there are many cool ones! I hope you can find that crinum in your neck of the woods!

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  3. My neighbor cut down a peach like that (not the coloration, but the form was the same): heartbreaking. He claimed it was too much trouble. Love that parasol tree...and all the things you so astutely picked out.

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    1. Too much trouble? Sounds like a garden grump to me.

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  4. I planted a couple of those Rainbow Twist Dianellas this spring, they are doing well, but I'm looking forward to seeing them get big. I really should go to this show. I'll be on the lookout for that dark-leafed Crinum.

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    1. Alison if you were to pick only one show to come down to Portland for I would strongly suggest the Yard, Garden & Patio Show over this one. The YGP is targeted at the gardener (with a ton of FREE seminars) where as this show is for the professional and retail garden center owners (with most of the seminars targeted at them, not us). A lot of it would be of no interest to you at all. Still if you happened to be here you should go, always interesting!

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  5. I am so sad right now that I missed all of the fun! Still feeling unwell though so I know I wasn't well enough to get out.

    I have a vintage copy of that Eckbo book. I love his stuff. I like that you picked up a plant hunters book too!

    As for the plants, insert my confused and boggled mind here. So many things I want now but I have to make a plan this time around. Restraint. Must control myself.

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    1. More vintage than 1956? I read (and enjoyed) Garrett Eckbo: Modern Landscapes for Living several years ago so I figured this was a natural progression.

      I admire your restraint, it is probably the better path...

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  6. Wow, looks like a great time! I absolutely love that Dianella prunina Rainbow Twist…

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    1. Me too! Here's hoping it likes life in my garden.

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  7. Sounds like it was very educational. I'm not surprised that Dan Heims said the next big thing is Begonias. His website is full of them. Maybe that was a little horticultural brainwashing. :)

    Ann and Mark from Fry Road were there with one of my potted species Impatiens. I don't know how big of a splash their Impatiens breeding program made but with all of the fungus problems of I. walleriana of late, I think the larger species Impatiens might be on the rise in popularity... perhaps only a 6:30 right now though.

    The Gomphrena is a must have next year. Very nice. Also, I could go for Prunus persica 'Bonfire'too. Wowzers. More hardy succulents, please.

    Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Which comes first, the demand or the supply? Indeed.

      I saw the Fry Road booth but it was small and FULL of people. I meant to circle back but forgot to. I know someone who would be very happy with your impatiens prediction!

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  8. Your posts so often prove how foliage needs no blooms to be interesting, but blooms almost always need foliage to do the same. The foliage in your region always impresses me in so many forms, colors, and looks...

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    1. You'll be here in person next summer to enjoy all the region has to offer right?

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  9. Certainly do understand. And begonias predicted to be very very big soon.... interesting! A dwarf or smaller growing tulip tree is up out street, hope we get hold of one here soon.

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    1. Ah so you're wanting to plant one in your garden? Super! I hope you can track one down.

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  10. The seminars sound interesting. It's true that there are fashions in plants but I don't think succulents are near being "over" - they're too useful with drought conditions taking over, although I can believe that people will continue to find new ways to present them. I actually have noticed the appearance of more begonias but I can't say I understand why they may be trending, not that I have anything against them. Did Heims say anything about what drives the plant trends (other than self-serving propaganda from growers and sellers)?

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    1. I agree, succulents are such fabulous plants they will always be needed and wanted...especially in your part of the country. What I meant was the proliferation of non-hardy succulents around the country. They've been the "it" plant for quite awhile (many times tortured and abused as decoration) and that is certain to change at some point.

      There was very little talk about what drives trends (that would be a great conversation though) it was more about the process of bringing a "new" plant to market. When he talked about begonias he did share a slide with a multitude of gorgeous leaves (similar to another we saw of heuchera). So one might think it had to do with their fabulous foliage.

      Of course as you allude to is the trend grass roots or driven by "self-serving propaganda from growers and sellers"...what do you think? Perhaps a little of both.

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  11. O.K. you know the comment about begonias being the next big thing makes my heart sing. There are so many of them with gorgeous foliage and I've loved them for years! I've read the Christopher Lloyd book and re read both of Henry Mitchell's books every now and then; love his voice. Of course we all understand about getting plants that you don't need just because they're faves! Sounds like you had a great time at the show!

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    1. Oh yes, I immediately thought of you and how happy you'd be to hear that! He also mentioned coleus as another "on the horizon" but I thought they'd already had their resurgence a couple of hears ago.

      Thanks for understanding about the plants...

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  12. Great book choices (you'll enjoy the Henry Mitchell) and fabulous plant choices! I didn't realize the plants would be for sale or you'd have been deputized to buy a Shefflera for me, too!

    And of course you should love Niwaki conifers: they're mid-century, they're Pacific Rim, and they will soon be so Portland!

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    1. Ah! I'm sorry Jane, I wish I'd known. Although I'm not sure I could have managed to bargain for two, it was a case of "okay how much cash ya got" and I gave what I had.

      Glad you're in agreement about the conifers. Will we be seeing one in your garden soon?

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  13. That Lloyd book is a good one, even though 90% of the plants he talks about are un-growable in my climate. He's fun to read.

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