Friday, March 14, 2014

Winter Walk-off in Salem, Oregon...

It's a blogging tradition, every spring Les, at A Tidewater Gardener, has a "Winter Walk-Off" post where he goes for a walk and posts pictures he takes along the way. He invites other bloggers to join in the fun and do the same in our own city (we just have to avoid photos of our own gardens). Last year I stayed close to home and crossed over to the "wrong side of the tracks." This year my Walk-Off post is from Salem, Oregon, our state capital. Andrew and I passed through Salem last weekend on our way home from a get-away, Andrew was busy soaking up the ambiance of a used bookstore so I set off to take some pictures and enjoy a dry afternoon...

Of course I had to begin with a shot of the capital building, however I made a nice surprise in the carvings flanking the front steps. Look, opuntia! And that plant on the far right bears a striking resemblance to an agave, don't you think?

On the other side...

More opuntia! Poor pony, I hope he didn't step too close.

Okay, off to stroll through a neighborhood. This complex was striking for the quantity of bricks used in the fencing as well as the number of buildings.





This one was more to my taste.

Although the lawn would have to go in favor of a Mediterranean garden.

The lion would stay.

Last years walk off included a pink ribes, since one presented itself on this walk I had to continue the tradition.

This park along the river (it looks more river like on the other side) screams 1970's landscape architecture to me...

A wishing well, flamingos, lions, Christmas lights, solar lights, plastic flowers, stepping stones, a white spider (on the wishing well lattice roof), a couple of plastic frogs...this house has it all...and it's for sale!

They have more moss than I do.

This one has mid-century mod potential, but they really need to loose the Christmas wreath, it's March for goodness sakes.

This one is odd. I can't quite figure out what it's all about.

This just might be our state "flower" Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolium)...

Those arches are far enough apart that a small child or a dog could fall through, oh the days when everything didn't have to be "safe"....

This was a very sad discovery. I don't know who landscaped the Salem Convention Center but it is pathetic. I took far too many photos and could have done a whole post about how awful it was. Instead I'll just share a select few.

Look there's art! At least I think that's what the shiny metal cube on the right is supposed to be...

Aren't those 3-teir things supposed to be used in the kitchen to hold bananas and avocados?

Oh and why bother to actually plant the plants? They're just going to die anyway and this makes them much easier to remove.

After that I think I need a drink, thankfully Magoo's has cold beer.

A cheery palate cleanser...

There were quite a few amazing old buildings in the downtown area.

This huge old bank (now US Bank) was gorgeous, for some reason it made me feel I was back in Venice, just for a moment.



I wonder what the story is behind the newspaper on the windows? Are they newsprint blinds?

I spy a garden store!

Sadly they were closed, it was Sunday afterall.

I loved these metal buckets/planters. Of course the price tag was turned away from the window so I have no idea if I could have afforded them.

Oh look, an alley with overhanging vines, I love a good alley!

Those are serious, this plant has been here awhile.

I wish I could see it all leafed out...

And a balcony! On the left we have a crispy Christmas tree...

On the right an interesting wall of planters and table and chairs which look to have been recently used.

Does this door lead upstairs to the balcony? I wonder. Either way someone is gardening in the space they have available.

Next door was this Liv, nicely done with the corrugated wall and the bright green steps!

Just like that we come to the end of my walk. Check out A Tidewater Gardener on the 19th when Les will recap all the participating bloggers.

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

25 comments:

  1. A fun walk! I've never been to Salem, OR, although I have been many times to its namesake, Salem, MA., home of witches. That alley is pretty cool. Too bad the shop wasn't open, I love those metal buckets too.

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    1. It might have been better for my wallet that they were closed.

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  2. I like the idea of walk-off. Will do one right here in the People's Republic of Davis. I spotted a yard full of Echium wildpretii this morning after I dropped my daughter off at school; will do a walkoff in that neighborhood.

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  3. I've never been to either the witchy or witchless Salem but your pictures make me want to change that! You've even found a house for me that would be perfect because we wouldn't even need to bring our own flamingos, wishing well, etc. Thanks for an interesting walk! I'd better get busy this weekend on my own winter walk off post!

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    1. I look forward to what you will discover in your walk-off, and I hope you act fact to secure that house, I don't think it's going to be around for long.

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  4. What interesting contrasts you came upon on your walk. Leave it to you to notice the Opuntia in the stone mural - I'm not sure I would have caught that without your pointer. The photo of the Ribes made me think I need to move mine so maybe it can look like that one someday!

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    1. It made me so happy to see those opuntia!

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  5. I lived in Salem for three and a half years, so thank you for tempering the awful memories I have of that city. That garden shop was definitely not there before!

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    1. I can see there are a lot of less than beautiful bits (the convention center for example), and I definitely wouldn't want to live there!

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  6. Salem is unexplored territory, but you make it look worth a visit. I will avoid the convention center though. It shows how a good idea can go horribly wrong (remember how much we all liked the painted low walls at YGPS?)

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    1. Ya those walls were nothing like the YGP walls, not even close...

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  7. What an interesting collection of architecture. One might expect to see a brick house surrounded by all that brick fencing, pillars and arches. The mid-century reminded me of a Unitarian church or a reformed temple, and the odd one looked like a mausoleum or a columbarium. I think my favorite structure was the one with the turret, because there just aren't enough turrets being put on houses these days. Thanks for joining my Walk-Off.

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    1. Indeed I almost called that one "church architecture" and mausoleum is what first came to mind with the white one. Funny thing they were right next to each other too!

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  8. I have been to - or more like *through* - Salem a couple of times but never slowed down enough to see what you saw. I would probably never have noticed the carved stone opuntia. And what an oddball combo with all that brick surrounding that little wood house. So quirky... Well, you definitely made me think I need to slow down next time. Some of those buildings are beautiful!

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    1. Salem is pretty much made for driving through, maybe a stop for lunch...

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  9. I knew it would be a great tour when you found an Opuntia first off! The vine-covered alley, the last store, among scattered neglect, sounds like a good mix. I should've posted a winter walk-off...but winter's long gone here.

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    1. It could be just that...your "winter's long gone here walk-off"...

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  10. This was fun. And c'mon, the landscaping at the convention centre is wonderful. I might incorporate some of those ideas into my own garden ;)

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    1. Oh Amy...your garden would go from only okay to spectacular! (don't you dare...)

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  11. I love the daffs and the old buildings. Thanks for the tour!

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  12. Put me in alleys. (Or build a house in them ...) Salem's alley was a bit scary with the War of the Worlds Martian lights overhead. Or the Wizard of Oz tangled branches. I feel a childhood nightmare coming on.
    Ray

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  13. You are right about the bank building making you think of Venice! It is in fact directly modeled on the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana.

    There's a bit on it in the post here -
    http://breakfastonbikes.blogspot.com/2013/08/ice-cream-water-beer-and-fall-hints.html

    (I found your post while looking for out-of-town assessments of the lousy landscaping at the Convention Center, btw!)

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    1. Oh gosh, thanks for the follow up...that's great! As for the Convention Center landscaping I don't even have to look back at the photos to remember how dismal it was. Hopefully it looks better when summer is in full swing?

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  14. This place is work a look if you ever pass through again:
    deepwoodmuseum.org

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