Wednesday, December 31, 2014

A trip back to the The Gardens at Cornerstone


In 2012 I was able to make a quick run through The Gardens at Cornerstone. From their website: "Situated along the main gateway between Sonoma Valley and Napa Valley, The Gardens at Cornerstone Sonoma are a series of walk-through gardens showcasing new and innovative designs from the world's finest landscape architects and designers. When commissioned, these artists were given the freedom to create anything from traditional gardens to modern, conceptual installations. Each designer was provided a garden parcel of approximately 1,800 square feet, a few practical considerations and infinite opportunity."

I would have loved to have spent more time there, but a quick visit is better than no visit at all. My original post about the garden is here. In that post I mention their website being out of date, it looks to have been improved some over the last couple of years.

I toyed with the idea of returning this last September when we visited the Bay Area but decided to forgo the drive. Maybe next time.

I still think about those large agaves in the swaying grass...

This post is part of a week long series looking back at earlier garden visits and my posts on them. All material © 2009-2014 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

A trip back to the The Bloedel Reserve


The Bloedel Reserve was a stop on the 2011 Garden Bloggers Fling held in Seattle, WA. I'll be honest, I wasn't thrilled at the idea of visiting, however the garden won me over with it's serene (green) vistas.

It was quintessentially Pacific Northwest, in more ways than one...

Want to see more? My original post on the visit is here.

I have a feeling I'm going to be saying this on every post this week (as I relive a few garden destinations) but I really do need to go back and spend some time here, soon...

This post is part of a week long series looking back at earlier garden visits and my posts on them. All material © 2009-2014 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

Monday, December 29, 2014

Vacation! A trip back to the Desert Botanical Garden


I’ve decided to do something I’ve never done before: take a week off! Crazy right? I know. However I can’t accept complete radio silence here on the blog, so instead each day this week I’m going to tempt you to visit a past post, one from my garden travels over the years. Today we start with a 2011 visit to the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, AZ. I took so many photos it’s a two part post: Part 1 is here, Part 2 is here.

Visits to this garden rank very high on my magical moments lists, it's a very special place.

With lots of amazing plants, like this Agave x ‘Dianita’ - honestly I can't believe it's been 3 years since I've been there. I must return soon!

Oh and I'm not really away on vacation (although I was last week, more on that soon) so if you have any comments or questions please, as always, feel free to talk to me!

This post is part of a week long series looking back at earlier garden visits and my posts on them. All material © 2009-2014 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

Friday, December 26, 2014

Embothrium coccineum is my favorite plant in the garden, this week (and the monthly wrap-up)

That's it, on the left (bamboo on the right).

This is what it looked like in 2012, when I bought the tiny little guy at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show, not even a foot tall.

I have to admit the common name is a lot more romantic.

Here it is shortly after planting.

And then it exploded.

I didn't think to protect it last winter, during our December cold or February snow. It didn't care.

As it's grown over the last two and a half years it's gone through a couple of interesting changes in the leaf shape and arrangement.

But I should back up. Usually a favorite just jumps out at me and I dutifully snap photos and post about it. That's what happened with the Embothrium coccineum and I took photos above, but then I noticed how good that opuntia was looking and then the Aloe Haworthioides bloomed, and by the time I finally got back around to the embothrium look at what is happening...

Yikes, that's a lot of yellow.

We haven't even seen severe cold temps. Nor have we had a drought or big rains.

Just a few blocks away there are two established embothrium at the Kennedy School. These photos were taken in the spring, but now they are also turning yellow. I've heard it can go deciduous when the temps stay in the teens (which they haven't).

I was kind of hoping I'd see flowers like this on my tree this spring. Now I'm just hoping it's still alive in the spring.

Cistus Nursery says; "A slender tree, to 25 ft eventually in full to part sun, with regular water. Loves cool ground so best in a north aspect and/or with ground covering plants to protect the roots. No phosphorous fertilizer! Cold hardy to USDA zone 7b." Annies Annuals says: "It’s a slow grower for the first two years. You might want to keep it in a container for at least a year." Slow grower? Not here!

So this, the last Friday of the month, serves as the wrap up of all my (and your) favorites for December. I previously posted about the NOID Opuntia and last week about the Aloe. What have you admired during this last (!!!) month of 2014?

All material © 2009-2014 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Merry Christmas!

Wishing all of you who celebrate the holiday a most wonderful day..

(of course the same wish goes out to those of you who don't celebrate)

All material © 2009-2014 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

WWTT #18

This is another "garden" from our September trip to the Bay Area. In fact TBT (truth be told) it was on the same street as yesterdays awesomeness. I just didn't have the heart to include it in that post.

I'm sure there must be a reason for those container fragments strewn around the front garden? Right? I mean there must be. They didn't just end up there.

What were they thinking?

All material © 2009-2014 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

Monday, December 22, 2014

Strolling the Boulevard...

Here we are, back on the streets in the Bay Area...

There were many amazing plants competing for the title of the "it" plant of this vacation, but I think the winner was the loquat, Eriobotrya japonica. While I saw a few Eriobotrya deflexa, the bronze loquat, most were the plain old, plain old, which to me is neither plain or old. Of course when they're growing behind a gorgeous agave it helps.

You should know by now I love a good poodle/cake/cloud prune. Of course the odd conical shape in the sidewalk (emerging from a red brick scalloped edged circle, no less) throws me a bit.

Still those are sweet.

I wanted to follow that pathway around back to see what there was to see...

I want to live in this neighborhood, love the houses.

Oh yes I do...and the gardens too...

*sigh*...

One of just a few Agave bovicornuta I've planted seen in the ground. It's a beauty.

Palms, yucca, grevillea, leucadendron...(oh my!)

What's not to love?

This photo almost became a post all on it's own. How amazing is this combination? So perfect.

Clearly they're happy together.

That's a lot of pups!

When I snapped this photo of the Grevillea 'Moonlight' (?) I didn't even see the hummingbird.

An unintentional capture that turned out pretty terrific!

I really am a Californian gardener at heart. I mean just look at those phormium!

And that. All that...

All material © 2009-2014 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.