Or the tiny undersea life forms.
Which are actually on a red lava rock very much above ground, although with the amount of rain we got last weekend perhaps they were confused.
Speaking of last weekend...after a seemingly nonstop day of rain on Saturday, Sunday was for the most part dry. Andrew and I took advantage of the warm temperatures (60F) and got out to do a little exploring. Our location of choice? Elk Rock Garden at the Bishop's Close.
And there was moss.
And the hamamelis were blooming.
And there was moss...
And oak galls!
The Willamette River.
Sky behind the branches? No, still the river.
The Garden allows dog visitors on leash, which is a nice thing.
Seconds before she was looking up over the side of the pond, trying to see what Andrew and I were looking at. I missed getting that shot.
This is what we were looking at...
I think there are baby newts in the making right there, let's give them some privacy.
Up until last weekend Portland was behind in monthly rainfall. You never could have guessed. Viburnum grandiflorum...
Garrya elliptica
Rhododendron sinogrande
Stewartia pseudocamellia
This particular hamamelis will always have a special place in my heart, it's the first one I could ever actually smell. (I first discovered it in February of 2013)
There was one little bloom on the Magnolia delavayi.
No moss, just fire.
Moss.
No worries. There is moss.
All material © 2009-2015 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.
Thanks so much for sharing these lovely photos from your outing with Andrew and Lila. I love moss!
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed!
DeleteThis looks like a beautiful place at this time of year. Gotta Google it!
ReplyDeleteI've only been early and late spring but it is a lovely place, I'd imagine worth a visit any time of year.
DeleteSublime. That green-ness. Here the moss mostly grows where the dogs have left something. What are those red branches in "no moss, just fire"?
ReplyDeleteI was going to say either red twig dogwood or coral bark maple (because I don't know how to tell the difference) but the Outlaw called them coral bark maple (below) so that's what I'm going with!
DeleteWe love moss! Just shows the amount of moisture in the air there, and good quality of it. The place looks so atmospheric and reminds us of some Cornish gardens.
ReplyDelete"atmospheric"...that's the perfect word to describe it.
DeleteBeautiful photos! I loved scrolling through them. Wish moss grew around here.
ReplyDeleteIt is pretty magical. I always find it interesting how it dries up in the summer but as soon as the rains return in the fall, there it is again!
DeleteYou must have a climate very similar to that of SW England, it's all looking very familiar.
ReplyDeleteYes I believe we do. Although we dry out for the summer, do you?
DeleteLess rain than winter, but we rarely dry out. I have put in irrigation but it's really only young plants that need it. The eastern side of the country is much drier than here.
DeleteI'm imagining this great squelchy sound when you walk. Lila better keep moving or she'll have moss growing on her too!
ReplyDeleteOn the gravel paths there was no squelchy, but indeed when I set off across the lawn to photograph the Garrya elliptica I heard it, and felt my shoes sink in a little. If I had been wearing something more loose fitting I may have lost one! Lila would look cute with a little mossy patch behind her ears, don't you think?
DeleteGreat photos. Love the Dr. Seuss lichen/moss stuff. =D
ReplyDeleteI'm going to have to watch it to see what happens during the drier times of the year.
DeleteGorgeous moss! So many interesting things to see in this garden. I must visit it one of these times I'm in Portland! The lava rock alien life forms are way cool. Oak galls are fascinating, I'd never seen spotted ones before. Your picture of the coral bark maple against the gray house is amazing! Lila gets cuter every time you post pictures of her!
ReplyDeleteOh you should! I think you'd really enjoy it. (and Lila appreciates the comment)
DeleteWonderful! I thoroughly enjoyed that.
ReplyDeleteYay!
DeleteMoss is beautiful!! It makes any place mysterious!! and ohhh...those Hamamelis are soooo pretty!
ReplyDeleteThey wouldn't be nearly as fabulous with out the moss dripping off them, would they?
DeleteI always want to lie down and roll around in it. Did Lila do that? Oh, to be a dog (once in a while).
ReplyDeleteShe did not, she favors dry summer-time lawn. It's scratchy. I would however love to see you do this.
DeleteMoss is so fascinating especially since it won't grow here even if it rained that much. Your walk looks amazing but not so dry compared to my area.
ReplyDeleteNot really dry at all, although I did have to water a couple of things just before Saturday's rain.
DeleteOh, I think you must have the perfect climate to grow just about any plant! And of course, the moss! Love it! Those newts are so cute. Beautiful images!
ReplyDeleteThanks PP!
DeleteThat was a lovely tour! I've been enjoying all the photos of moss growing on, well, everything in the PNW. I have a bit too (because we've actually had a bit of rain this year) but nothing to rival you up north.
ReplyDeleteWould you believe there is even some growing on the rubber gasket/seal on my passenger side car window?
DeleteOh my, the edgeworthia! LOVE Bishop's Close. Soon, crocuses (croci?) Great photos. Time to go visit again.
ReplyDeleteThe croci (love that) leaves were peeking out of the lawn. Soon, very soon.
DeleteNice break of the green and mossy, as it's frozen over here! Some of your scenes remind me of the PNW version of the deep south's Spanish Moss, but even more mysterious and other-worldly. Here, moss is so discrete where it grows, and so ephemeral...there, it's dominating everything standing. Lucky you didn't get covered...
ReplyDeleteOh yes, excellent comparison to Spanish Moss!
DeleteI wish I could get more moss to grow! I have some, but in the summer we can go weeks at a time without any rain. Only the toughest mosses survive!
ReplyDeleteWeeks at a time? Us too. From July - September is extremely dry. There must be something more at work here?
DeleteI think part of the moss/ lichen thing is age. As woodies mature these things have a chance to establish. Lichens are very slow. They are found everywhere on a walk in a mature woods here of Garry Oak or Big Leaf Maple. The Polypodiums, Licorice Ferns, are much the same, epiphytes. As bark matures and becomes more deeply textured a kind of 'soil' forms that allows the spores to germinate. I'm no lichenologist (?), moss or fern expert, but it seems like the more we mess with our plants, groom them etc., the more we prevent some of these wonders from occurring naturally. Oh, and Peter Kerr, the garden's original owner and developer was a Scot and wanted to create a place that reminded him of home, hence...we can visit a 'British' garden in the mediterranean PNW!
ReplyDeleteA good point. Years and years of production. That's the only good thing about my inherited Styrax japonica, the branches have developed a lovely covering of lichen.
Deletegreat pics - love me some moss, too. but my favorite pic on this post is the coral bark maple. fun taking that wintry walk with you!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by Barbara.
DeleteThis looks like an incredibly amazing place. I am especially drawn to the moss covered boulders lining the path, so much more interesting than the traditional blobs of boxwood.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't made that comparison but you're right. A similar shape/size/color...but oh so much better.
DeleteI totally adore moss, and I can't wait until my trees and shrubs are covered in the stuff too - it is so cool! That photo of Lila is priceless - she's so cute!
ReplyDeleteThanks, we think so! Have you been to the Elk Rock Garden/Bishop's Close Anna?
DeleteSomehow I missed this post, but it's one of my favorites that you've posted recently. Wonderful photos. The PNW sure knows how to do moss, and I appreciate you sharing with those of us who think we've seen moss in our gardens. :)
ReplyDelete