Monday, July 21, 2014

The Garden Conservancy Tour 2014, garden #1

Since I had already pre-visited most the gardens we saw during the 2014 Garden Bloggers Fling (and posted about them) I made it a priority to attend this year’s open gardens through the Garden Conservancy Program and the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon, one needs a certain amount of "new material" (for the brain and the blog) every summer don't ya know. This tour took place on a Saturday in late June and the theme for the event was "Within the City Limits: Minimum Space - Maximum Results" in other words small gardens just like mine!

I'm starting my coverage of the day in the same garden where I began. Here's the blurb from the guide: "We were drawn to our 1927 Mock’s Crest home by the double city lot and charm of our elm-lined street, but as everyone who lives with large trees knows, the shade they provide can create challenges and limitations in the garden. Kevin added to the problem early on by indulging his tree planting obsession! So...in hopes of creating more light and a healthier garden, we began the process of editing some of the trees and plantings that had outgrown their spaces, including a bamboo glade that was threatening to burst its barrier and take over. This created some opportunities for “redecorating” several of the outdoor “rooms”, which we have been happily doing over the past two years. Our garden is more about interesting foliage shapes and colors than producing food or flowers. Giant plants that look like they could eat you and a dramatic color palette of bright chartreuse, purples, maroons and even a bit of black keep us entertained. The backyard Koi pond and two bee houses keep us busy. Always a work in progress."

I was in awe of multiple phormium next to the driveway and searched out the owner/gardener to inquire if he had just planted them this year or if they overwintered last year (which would be amazing). I was told they were newly planted this spring AND they weren't phormium but rather cordylines (!!!) and they were purchased at Marbott's Greenhouse.

This looks like damage from a mid-June hail storm.

They had veggies growing (stylishly) on both sides of the driveway.

And a covered area off the garage that I'm sure is utilized year-round (it was home base for Garden Conservancy raffle tickets during my visit)...

You know how near and dear to my heart containers are...

And yuccas too.

The bee houses were designed and painted to be features rather than strictly utilitarian objects.

And this, a built up pond, was lovely. This is what I saw from across the garden. Soon we'll have a closer look.

Up close. There were many friendly Koi but I couldn't get a good photo of them.

Well this is just about the end of this garden, but I've got 4 more to share with you (there was another on the tour but I skipped it, having seen it last summer)...

The End.

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

21 comments:

  1. Some really great foliage combination ideas to steal I mean borrow! The koi pond looks cool and I like the idea of the raised edges which I would be too tempted to line with pots!

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    1. Ah go ahead and steal them, they'll never know!

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  2. It's nice to see all the large-leaved plants. I like the description of plants that "look like they could eat you," although this garden was no Little Shop of Horrors.

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    1. There was one lady who would have disagreed with you, she let out a holler when she saw the bees and started running away.

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  3. It was so fun to run into you on this tour, my friend Annette and I had a lovely time. I'm so behind on blogging, and having a hard time getting posts together. I really should look over my pictures from that day and decide what to do about them. I'm curious which one you skipped, and if you had a favorite.

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    1. I skipped the one called "Outdoor Living Room Garden" as I'd seen it before on a HPSO open garden night (one of the Monday evenings). Now the challenge is going to be remembering that I have a ticket to use next year! As for a favorite no, not really. I would have said the Manzanita garden but there were elements of the Ferrante Garden and the Urban Garden which I loved just as much.

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  4. They really packed a lot of interest into their small garden from plantings to features. I love that water feature too. A beautifully maintained garden. Thanks for taking us along.

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    1. I'm still sad that you didn't make it to Portland for the Fling...

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  5. It must feel a bit odd, in a nice sort of way that a lot of the gardens being featured now on flingers blog are ones you are very familiar with, blogged about before, including your very own garden. Great to see others we didn't get to see via your blog. It just came to my mind now how popular the yellow variegated grass Hakonechloa macra is there, which I've spotted once again in this garden. Nice koi pond :)

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    1. Indeed Hakonechloa is very popular here. It grows effortlessly.

      I am enjoying seeing what others see in the gardens of Portland. Some have surprised me with their angles or thoughts on a garden.

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  6. You'd think I would have had my fill of Portland gardens for a while (that's jealousy talking), but I haven't -- this is really nice! Since they have a double lot though, not really on the same scale as your garden, right?

    I'm also noticing a few plants that everybody seems to have. They're beauties, but everywhere! (Not a bad thing)

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    1. You're right, the scale is entirely different than my garden. I went to 3 open gardens last night (HPSO occasionally has a Monday night open in the summer) and those were on small lots, still a little bigger than mine.

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  7. This is a lovely garden...I love foliage! Love the pond and the bee hives!

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    1. I am still quite taken with the pond...

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  8. Very very beautiful, love that raised pond.

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    1. I'm picturing one in the center of my (tiny) lawn...

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  9. Great foliage everywhere, especially that cordyline! I love the hakone grass and ferns at the far end of that covered area. I should do something like that along my shaded borders.

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  10. Oooh, I love the idea of growing orderly veggies alongside the driveway. I might have to borrow that idea! The potted plants are lovely, too. And the above-ground pond--very nice!

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    1. It works for me (veggies along the drive). The tomatoes especially love the heat from all the concrete.

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  11. I'll take my tours virtually for a little while...tour on, oh intrepid one!

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