My friend Lauren held a Monday evening open garden a couple of weeks ago, I had to stop by and see how her garden looks this year...beautiful of course!
That's it, I'm growing Castor Bean next year for sure!
And I'm probably going to need to plant some Dichondra 'Silver Falls' too, doesn't it look lovely cascading over the edge of the planter? Can you believe those beautiful big leaves belong to Nicotiana?
I need to grow these again too.
Nobody does Musa basjoo like Lauren, always amazing. Plus this year I think every single one was blooming!
I seem to always visit Lauren's garden in harsh light conditions, making it difficult to photograph. However I think this might be my favorite photo ever in her garden...
Oh my...what the heck are those!
Variegated Comfrey (Symphytum 'Axminster Gold'), seriously...who knew?
Once again I'm drooling over those planters...AND the Schefflera delavayi in the background.
The other planter (there's a matching pair)...
Lauren's new patio furniture is to die for...I love the simple clean lines.
A final look at the Edgeworthia and Metapanax delavayi as we leave Lauren's garden...
And arrive at the next! Why stop at just one garden visit when there's another open garden nearby? Exactly!
When you're greeted by multiple palms you know things are going to be good.
It's that darn Cunninghamia lanceolata again...it's following me! (did you notice the hammock in the background? perfect!)
This home and garden are on a double lot, pretty much my dream come true...so much space.
Who's that cutie pretending to ignore us? We'll meet up again in a bit, let's finish checking out the plants.
There's cutie #2...
I wish I could remember their names, they were just adorable. Makes me want another dog...but I can't do that to our princess, she wouldn't approve.
Okay time to head home...thanks for coming along on another evening of garden visits!
All material © 2009-2013 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Enjoyed the garden visits. Both gardens are amazingly lush and green. Quite a treat for my eyes which are used to our brown, crunchy August.
ReplyDeleteI love those metal planters too. All the container and plant selections are so pretty.
Lush is a great word to describe them Shirley. And Lauren designed those planters! Pretty talented that lady...
DeleteAbout those metal planters, only the base is metal. The pots are actually ceramic and just happen to match the metal base. Very deceiving! I wish I could find those pots.
DeleteThanks for the reminder Lisa, I suppose I knew that but forgot. Cistus had some similar ones when I was out there yesterday. A bit bigger though (and 30% off)...
DeleteSo lovely! I wish I had friends with gardens like this!
ReplyDeleteThose basjoo in the first garden *are* really nice, but if they are all flowering that's a bad thing. AFAIK once a banana flowers, it dies -- that's why they are always producing "pups".
The second garden has some really great (and dangerous) elements... like the potted Opuntia at shin level in the walkway. :)
Lauren is a garden designer by profession, it shows in her garden! And I exaggerated a bit when I said they were all flowering, but there were quite a few! She had talked about taking the bananas out a couple of years ago so I doubt she sees their flowering as a bad thing.
DeleteIf there are summer evening garden tours anywhere in my vicinity, I've yet to hear of them. Thanks for sharing yours. You truly live in a gardening mecca.
ReplyDeleteI do Kris, there's no doubt about it.
DeleteI must have been hot on your trail that evening. I also enjoyed both gardens and talking to the owners. The house in the second garden was moved to that location many decades ago when they put in the highway. I was so jealous of the healthy abutalons and thought my new one from Cistus might achieve that perfection someday. But alas, I was told they dig them all up and move them into a greenhouse in the winter. I give up!
ReplyDeleteI wish we would have crossed paths Lisa! And I should have shared a bit more about the history of the second house. Can you believe he's lived in it his entire life? Crazy.
DeleteLauren's garden is always a treat! And I'm so glad you had a chance to see the second garden. I really enjoyed that one when I saw it with all of its disparate but harmonious elements - including the doglets, of course!
ReplyDeleteThe second garden was full of "disparate but harmonious elements" - well put Jane! And the owner was so excited to share information, a fun visit!
DeleteThese photos are balm for my sore eyes and overworked brain. As Alan said, I wish I knew people with gardens like these.
ReplyDeleteI know that looking at Portland through your blog gives people the impression that *everybody* is a gardener, but still. Portland does seem to have a disproportionately high number of stunning gardens--and nurseries/garden centers.
You've given me inspiration for another post "does everyone garden in Portland"...we'll see. However I do think you're right. We have an above average gardening community.
DeleteThe Portland Fling crew is going to have a hard time whittling down the list of private gardens for us to visit. These are both wonderful! Have you shared Lauren's garden before? That planter with the screen across the path from it looks familiar. Her bananas are drool-worthy.
ReplyDeleteIndeed Alison...there are so many good ones! I have shared Lauren's garden, maybe even 3 times! I love it.
DeleteTwo more incredible gardens! Especially love the cuties. Lauren is magic with the variegated comfrey. I bet she cuts the flowers off to preserve the gorgeous foliage. There's at least one of these growing at Cistus but Lauren's takes the prize for best foliage! So many drool-worthy plants...sigh. The abutilons in the second garden are stunning. Love the jungle feel of the second garden and the beautiful lines of the first. Can I have them both?
ReplyDeleteI saw one at Cistus yesterday (by the front entrance) but it seemed to be only partially variegated. And yes...you can have them both.
DeleteOh my how beautiful! I absolutely adore Symphytum 'Axminster Gold'. It's a superb perennial. So many beautiful specimens in these gardens and so tastefully arranged
ReplyDeleteThey were also a great combination to see on the same night.
DeleteIf you really plan on growing castor bean, I will save you some seeds. I would mail them, but, you know. It would have to be an in-person drop off. :)
ReplyDeleteTo speed along the growth I'll probably try to buy them already growing from a greenhouse...but if you're ever down this way and want to stop by just let me know!!!
DeleteSeriously-open gardens on a school night? You'd be hard pressed to find anything that good open on the weekends around here. With distractions like that I would never get anything done. :)
ReplyDeleteCastor Bean, Musa basjoo, Dichondra, Symphytum 'Axminster Gold'...some of my favorite plants and all combined so well.
Variegated Comfrey? Wow, I want a root! Just a wonderful post as usual to brighten my morning break from teaching. I would love it if sometime you could cover walkways...like how did the Nursery do that wood walk that you mentioned yesterday and how do people lay their cement slabs and how do they put down flag stones and cement them together...What layers are underneath things like that? Sand? gravel? weed barrier or do they just lay it on the dirt? I'm learning soooo much from you. Thanks! Gerry down in Talent Oregon near Medford
ReplyDeleteThank you for the suggestion Gerry, I'll think about it. Of course I'm only really an expert on what we did here but I could ask others and compile a post.
DeleteI'm enjoying watching your blog every time!
ReplyDeleteThank you for commenting! I am excited to find your blog.
Deletelovely! what a lush garden!!
ReplyDeleteGardens in fact (assuming you missed that there were two, since I think they are both pretty lush)
DeleteThey're both beautiful, inspirational gardens Loree! We can always rely on you to continually share us wonderful and inspirational gardens.
ReplyDeleteThanks guys...as I recall you've shared plenty of inspiration over the years too. Just doing my part...
DeleteThanks for sharing Loree. We don't have open gardens locally so I envy your community for that as well as the garden walks I also read about.
ReplyDeleteNo, thank YOU, Loree. What a treat to see these lush, lovely gardens, esp. during Austin's blah late-summer days. It's a perfect windup to our own fall garden tours.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen variegated comfrey before. Down here in Southern CA,I can't even find any of the "plain old" green one to replace the one I lost.
ReplyDelete(I've been feasting my eyes on your blog for a couple of years; I thought it was about time I posted a comment.)
Janis in Orange County