Friday, May 30, 2014

The (former) privet-lands, now…

This week's blog posts have all featured small bits of what I will always think of as “the privet-lands,” so it's high time we look at the big picture right? Yes, I think it is…but first a reminder…

The photo above was taken right before the guys showed up to remove the privet, the one below right after they completed the fence.

And here is a series of three images showing what that area looks like now, under slightly stormy (yet sunny) skies...

Did you notice the loquat I moved (and posted about here) is gone? It just kept looking worse until I finally came to terms with the fact it wasn’t going to pull through without a trip to the intensive care unit. Here’s how it was looking the day I dug it out…

I potted it up in some rich potting soil, gave it a dose of fertilizer and adopted it out to my neighbor who is keeping it watered and in the shade until it grows some new feeder roots and can once again be planted out, in her garden. Then I planted this in its spot…

It’s a Daphniphyllum macropodum v. humile and was a gift from the kind Mr. Hogan at Cistus Nursery. He’s probably wincing looking at that photo because he’d encouraged me to give it a careful pruning, but I like its crazy Dr. Seuss look! What you can’t see (but I was trying to show you in the photo below) is how blue the undersides of the leaves are.

And look at all that growth at the base just ready to explode! This plant had been their propagation plant for years (producing lots of cuttings, hence its odd shape), I hope it will be happy living out the rest of its life here in my garden.

Speaking of gifts there’s another loquat! This one came from my friend Peter (the Outlaw). It had been kicking around his garden in a nursery pot for a while and he assured me it needed to find a happy place in the soil. Don’t worry it’s not quite as close to the fence(s) as it looks in this photo…

My long suffering Sambucus nigra 'Black Lace' finally has the light it wants (believe it or not it was planted under the privet in that top photo, not in this same spot though).

I couldn’t resist planting my new Acacia dealbata in front of it, the foliage combo was just too good. Its eventual size says I’m crazy but we’ll deal with that when/if it happens.

And while we’re talking crazy I planted a Paulownia tomentosa (Empress tree) too! Why? Because the words "FAST GROWER" Kept appearing when I looked it up, and after all I've got that view to hide.

How much do I love my pair of Azara microphylla? So very much...

As do I love the Ajuga reptans 'Black Scallop' shared with me by Alison, and now I understand why she kept telling me I'd have more in no time...

Persicaria 'Brushstrokes'

Astelia 'Red Devil' was in the speckled container next to Mr. Big but it didn't seem happy in the container so in the ground it went.

Check out the intense new foliage on my Rhododendron 'Ebony Pearl'...

And it just gets better!

Another Persicaria, this one P. runcinata 'Purple Majesty' via Scott.

Here are a couple of plants I've previously blogged about the variegated Daphniphyllum and Quercus dentata 'Pinnatifida' joined by a unknown hebe (big, green, bottom of photo).

Grevillea australis

Close-up

And a view new to me, I looked up after taking that last photo and liked what I saw.

Sean (Cistus) also made sure I had a couple of Pittosporum illicioides 'Strappy' to work in here and there. Behind the one below is an orange blooming crocosmia, from Scott. Are you getting the idea a lot of these plants came from my friends? Indeed! I am lucky to know so many generous gardeners and nursery owners.

Speaking of, a variegated ginkgo also from Peter, a gift when he first visited my garden years ago. This poor tree had been in a container on the patio, it's finally in the ground now!

The potted collection continues to evolve. L-R is Pseudopanax ferox, a new Puya coerulea var. coerulea and of course Mr. Big.

Close-up...

This is Maytenus boaria 'Green Showers'...

And this is what it will look like in a few years, with those long weeping green branches (photo taken at Cistus).

I'd threatened to put my Acacia baileyana 'Purpurea' in the ground but instead just planted it up into a larger pot and now it's hanging out behind the tank pond, leaning over and mingling with the water plants.

So all of those fabulous plants and even I can almost forget the nightmare above of the former privet-lands...the new view! I've planted the area with the goal of things growing up and hiding the view. Luckily some of the plants in the upper garden area are destined to provide screening as well.

The plant just to the right of the Yucca rostrata (Lil' Sanford) is Stachyurus salicifolius, which can reach 8ft tall...

And the other loquat (every garden needs two, right?) is just ready to explode with growth now that it's out from under the privet cover, eventual size could be 20ft tall and 15ft wide.

And besides all the new planting space there is another upside to the new view, more sky and a view of tall trees in the distance...

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

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Sedum ochroleucum 'Crested Centaurus' is my favorite plant in the garden (this week)…

I don’t normally like fasciation (or cresting) of plants, especially succulents. While some prize the odd growths that appear, they usually make my skin crawl. However (being a woman of contradictions) I adore cockscomb flowers (Celosia cristata) and still fondly remember seeing this Cryptomeria japonica 'Cristata' (Cockscomb Cryptomeria) back in 2009...

So imagine my surprise when I discovered a crested sedum!

We made an impromptu overnight trip up to Tacoma, WA, last weekend and stopped at Bark & Garden in Olympia on our way back to Portland. I discovered these little oddities tucked in with the rest of the sedum and sempervivum.

I wanted them all, but settled for two.

The most bizarre two of course...

I accidentally broke off a piece getting them out of their nursery containers. Being a sedum I’m sure it will take root and grow with ease.

There isn’t much to discover online about Sedum ochroleucum 'Crested Centaurus' and in fact most of the photos show regular (not crested) sedum.

I did learn that Sedum ochroleucum is native to Europe and Turkey, and at least one website listed it as hardy to USDA Zones 4-9. It will be interesting to watch how these grow, if the plant increases in size and stays crested, or if bits revert.

So that's my current favorite. Anything new, bizarre, or just plain fabulous in your garden this week?

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

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

#12

On March 22nd we borrowed the truck from Andrew’s employer and headed east to Burns Feed Store in Gresham, Oregon. Our mission? To purchase stock tank #12. Twelve galvanized stock tanks! We must live on acreage right? Nope our urban lot measures 45.36’ wide by 111.2’ deep.

So many choices!

However I'd done my homework and knew just how large a tank we were after, yes that's my attempt at measuring and staking out the new tank below. This was to be our new "full sun" stock-tank pond located in the former privet lands. There are so many more water plants that can grow in full sun, I'd filled the old tank with soil and was thrilled to be getting a new, larger version.

At 4 ft round this was going to be fun to fill!

Of course right now it also looked very exposed and "farm-ish"...

I may be biased but I don't think any of our other 11 tanks really scream out "tank farm!"...here's the first we bought. It helped fill the gap between our house and the neighbors garage, at the end of their driveway.

Next up where the trio next to the patio. All full of bamboo...

The tetrapanax and gunnera tanks anchor the SW corner next to the shade pavilion.

This pair is the summer veggie garden in the driveway, planted up shortly after taking this photo. They also act as the pot ghetto during the plant "buying season" here they were holding my purchases from Rare Plant Research and a couple plant gifts from a friend.

Two more tanks were added to the SE corner, behind our garage.

And finally, what I thought was our final (#11) tank on the edge of our driveway helping to hide the neighbors backyard. There had been a wall-o-photinia there but we came home one day to see he'd cut it all down. The bamboo helped to obscure a myriad of unsightly things.

But this post is supposed to be about #12, so here it is filled with water and plants...

I love this Arundo donax 'Gold', which was bought before moving Mr. Big into the green container to it's side. Their yellow and powder blue stripes compliment each other nicely.

I overwintered this umbrella palm (Cyperus involucratus)...

And recently purchased my annual Cyperus papyrus...

Another new purchase Thalia dealbata (hardy water canna).

And of course my water lily, Nymphaea 'Marliacea Chromatella' purchased at Hughes Water Gardens. We also brought home a few tadpoles from Hughes (they have a per customer limit of 6), so far I know there are still at least 3 alive. No froggies yet though...

I just had to include another close up of that Arundo.

Before I shared an image with the agave (sans the burlap surround I later added).

With other pots grouped around it I think (I hope) it looks less tank like. Okay, #12, I think that's finally the last one...

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