Thursday, April 17, 2014

After the sale, making a day of it...

As I mentioned yesterday my friends Peter and Alison made the trip down from Tacoma for the big HPSO plant sale. Since they were in town they had to make the trip out Highway 30 and invited me to come along. First stop Cistus, of course. There was so much to see...

This Epimedium wushanense (I believe) was theatrically lit for our visit.

As was the Schefflera delavayi.

I was so enchanted by these yucca I forgot to record their name. Bad blogger!

Yucca faxoniana, perhaps? Or maybe Yucca filifera...

Yellow flowering Hesperaloe parviflora, you don't see that everyday...

And more beautiful abutilon flowers.

Pittosporum patulum

Leptospermum lanigerum - purple leaf form

New foliage on a Dendropanax...

Another Elegia capensis tempting me (I saw one weekend before last and wanted it too)...

And a freaky variant of Echium candicans 'Star of Madeira', I think Peter ended up with one of these.

This photo reminds me of something very sad. My Sonchus canariensis has passed on to the compost pile in the sky. Late last summer I didn't notice the container it was in wasn't draining properly until the foliage started to wither. Root rot. It was too far gone to save. So very sad...

Ugh! Another death. My Musella lasiocarpa hasn't recovered from our winter cold. It should have been brought into the house or s.p. greenhouse, not left in the unheated garage. But there were so many things to care for during that time, something was bound to slip through the cracks.

Happier thoughts! (lots of spiky things)...

Here's most of my group getting ready to check out. That's Nathan behind the counter (yes, he works there), Heather in front of the counter, Scott with the hat, and Alison in the orange t-shirt. Peter can't be seen because he's off...

Falling in love with a yucca...

Cistus is the center of the PNW universe if you're looking for fabulous Yucca rostrata...

Dyckia 'Naked Lady', for those afraid of extra spikes.

Didn't get the name of this one but I'm pretty sure I should have bought it. (*and we have a name: Synadenium grantii, thank you Mr Subjunctive*)

Leucadendrons!

So what did I buy? Well this fabulous Nolina microcarpa...

And a couple of Othonna cheirifolia (below) as well as an (unpictured) Cerinthe major 'Purpurascens'...

We spent so much time at Cistus that our stop at Joy Creek Nursery (just up the road a bit) was cut short since they close at 5pm. I did buy a fabulous Persicaria Brushstrokes, which I neglected to take a photo of. Instead I was transfixed by this Melianthus major 'Antonow's Blue'...looking very purple.

And several choice Euphorbia glowing in the late afternoon sun...a day spent plant shopping with friends, does it get any better than that?

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

  1. mr_subjunctiveApril 17, 2014

    Didn't get the name of this one but I'm pretty sure I should have bought it.

    It's a Synadenium grantii. (Officially Euphorbia umbellata, now.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. danger gardenApril 17, 2014

      Thank you Mr. S...and do you agree that I should have bought it?

      Delete
    2. mr_subjunctiveApril 18, 2014

      Well, yeah, probably. Most of the pros and cons overlap with those of Euphorbia tirucalli (sap is poisonous and very irritating to eyes, almost impossibly fast-growing, prone to some kind of ineradicable fungus; pretty, endlessly restartable from cuttings, and the easiest damn plant to grow in containers, like, ever), so they're not for everybody.

      I'd offer to just send you a cutting of mine, but I couldn't guarantee that I wouldn't be sending the fungus too, alas.

      Delete
    3. danger gardenApril 18, 2014

      Uhmm, thank you, but no thank you? Seriously thanks for the offer, but I will probably just pick one up the next time I'm out there...

      Delete
  2. AlisonApril 17, 2014

    That was such fun! You should post a link to this post on the Fling Facebook page. We are going to both nurseries, right?

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousApril 17, 2014

    I never get tired of going to Cistus. Went there yesterday. My 11 month old son doesn't let me browse very long, but I did get one of those E. candicans and a Kniphofia caulescens. I wonder how the echium's bright top will look as it grows. I have a growing appreciation of leucadendrons after looking at the ones by the register. Love that dendropanax too!
    Jim N. Tabor

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. danger gardenApril 18, 2014

      I swear I could visit weekly and always see something new, so glad you made it out there and bought a couple of fabulous plants.

      Delete
  4. Patricia CApril 17, 2014

    this makes me happy. thanks for the inspiration.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Chickadee GardensApril 17, 2014

    Gorgeous pics, looks like an ideal outing! What fun. Good haul on the plants, too. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Amy CampionApril 17, 2014

    Love, love, love the photos. I am struck by how there are two completely different landscapes in Portland--the ones with all the familiar plants (to me) grown in the Eastern US, like Japanese maples, lilacs, purpleleaf plums... and gardens like yours with a totally different plant palette. It's like two different worlds. Exciting possibilities!

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    Replies
    1. danger gardenApril 18, 2014

      Thanks Amy! Have you been to Cistus yet?

      Delete
  7. rickiApril 17, 2014

    The Epimedium and the Dendropanax look amazingly similar. True, or just a photographic trick? I tend to take these places for granted since they are so close, but you always prick up my interest.

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    Replies
    1. danger gardenApril 18, 2014

      Definitely just a photographic trick. And I can't imagine living as close as you do, it would be very dangerous!

      Delete
  8. Gerhard Bock (Succulents and More)April 17, 2014

    I'm salivating at the thought of visiting Cistus in just three short months :-).

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    Replies
    1. danger gardenApril 18, 2014

      You might have to visit twice, just to soak it all up.

      Delete
  9. outlawgardenerApril 17, 2014

    What a fun day that was! Your pictures make me want to go back already but I'd better get what I have situated before I drag more plants home! Your post makes me even more glad that I'll be driving to the fling! Thanks again for encouraging me to come to the HPSO sale; it was an amazing experience for a plant addict, especially since I had just gotten paid for sevaral glass classes!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. danger gardenApril 18, 2014

      Yes, plant your plants! Then go buy more. And oh an empty car coming to Portland...I'm sure you'll do you best to fill it up while here. Maybe an outing to Dancing Oaks before you head home?

      Delete
  10. LouisApril 17, 2014

    AHHHH I simply must get down to cistus! Incredible!!!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Mark and GazApril 17, 2014

    That Dendropanax, that Pittosporum, hmmm...shopping list increasing (just remembered we did have them before, killed two, oops).

    Can't wait to see Cistus in the flesh!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. danger gardenApril 18, 2014

      I'm sure there death was just a fluke and success will be had next time!

      Delete
  12. Adam DavisApril 17, 2014

    I have bought some Epimedium for my garden recently and the one that you have pictured looks like the one I have labelled as "Spine Tingler". I have planted it out in the front garden close to some of the shrubs and hope that it will act as an interesting ground cover.

    I think that your unknown Yucca is a filifera. The filaments made me think of it. They are good looking Yucca, but not as tough as rostrata, linearifolia, etc.

    I like the look of the Leucadendron, one for me to google I think.

    You seem to be blessed with lots of really interesting nurseries fairly close to you. Is that the case or do you have to drive a lot to them? How many decent ones are within say an hour's drive from you?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. danger gardenApril 18, 2014

      "Spine Tingler"...oh now that's a good name! Yes indeed Yucca filifera looks like a good fit.

      How many decent ones are with an hours drive...oh gosh! Well there are a handful that are on the superb level but if "decent" is the qualifier then I can easily think of a couple dozen more. I am blessed, indeed.

      Delete
    2. Adam DavisApril 18, 2014

      "Spine Tingler" is a super name, eh!

      A couple of dozen within an hour, gosh, I have one okay one and 2 not bad within an hour. You are definitely blessed!

      Delete
  13. Evan BeanApril 17, 2014

    That Pittosporum is so cool! I really love the purple Leptospermum, too. I think I'll keep that one on the wishlist for my dream garden though. My folks don't have the best microclimate for borderline plants. Definitely want to try some of the hardier forms though!

    I just started seeds of Cerinthe major 'Purpurascens' a few days ago and they're coming up nicely. Hopefully I haven't started them too late to do something this summer, but I couldn't wait until next spring.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. danger gardenApril 18, 2014

      I went into winter some volunteer cerinthe seedlings which, of course, perished. I also put out a few seeds but since I suck at the seed thing I thought a little bloom insurance was a good thing.

      Delete
  14. vbdbApril 17, 2014

    Sigh ... 3 months is soooooo long! Thank goodness Cistus shipped me a fix last month to tide me over.

    ReplyDelete
  15. GRACE PETERSONApril 17, 2014

    No. It doesn't get any better than that. Are any of the Leucadendrons hardy here? Nolina microcarpa is a dandy! Great score.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. danger gardenApril 18, 2014

      Only hardy if we have a mind winter, or you've got mad protection skills...

      Delete
  16. Rainy Day GardenerApril 17, 2014

    You guys looks to happy! I'm so glad the weather was warm and sunny for you all to enjoy a fun trip!

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    Replies
    1. danger gardenApril 18, 2014

      Jenni the weather was amazing! I had a couple of "summer-like" moments. Heaven...

      Delete
  17. Beth at PlantPostingsApril 17, 2014

    Oh yeah, the Yuccas are fabulous! Looks like a must-see stop for any plant lover who happens by. Congrats on your new additions!

    ReplyDelete
  18. ksApril 17, 2014

    Leptospermum lanigerum ? Wrong pic with name ? ....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. danger gardenApril 18, 2014

      Nope, don't the words "purple leaf form" help?

      Delete

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