Monday, March 9, 2015

Stems and branches of inspiration...

Back when I was a 20-something, frustrated, apartment window-sill gardening, Seattleite the floral display component to the Northwest Flower & Garden Show was one of my favorite things. This part of the show was of a scale that I could relate to (there were no "small space gardens" in those days). Now that I'm a 40-something gardener (with soil to play!) in I still enjoy it for the creativity and inspiration...

This entry was from Debra Prinzing of Slow Flowers fame. I think she might have a bigger vintage pottery collection than I do!

White proteas...beautiful!

This particular entry had A LOT going on. So much that when taken as a whole it was a little too much.

Broken down into pieces I rather liked it.

This slice of "Woodland Wedding Cake" had to be one of the most photographed elements of the show.

The "cake" itself...

If I were getting married soon I'd steal this idea for the top of my cake.

This one nicely incorporated the Valentine's Day timing of the show. I wonder how many people couldn't resist getting their photo taken here?

Such great color and texture!

So that was at the NWFG Show. Now we're fast forwarding to the YG&P Show (in Portland) and the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon's botanical display. HPSO members take cuttings of things around their garden, or nurseries, (mostly foliage), they're labeled, and put on display for the duration of the show. The booth is also staffed by HPSO volunteers who answer questions. This display has been a major source of inspiration for me over the years. Many of the plants in my garden I first heard of here...

I'm pretty sure I've drooled over this one before, Hermodactylus tuberosus. The problem with sweet little blooms like this is I soon forget them when I'm faced with big fabulous foliage. I need these! Thank you to Lucy Hardiman for cutting a couple of blooms from her garden. I'm not sure I could be so generous.

Laurus nobilis - narrow leaf form

Metapanax delavayi, I have this one...and love it.

Osmanthus heterophyllus 'Sasaba'...I have no osmanthus, seems wrong doesn't it? Especially if you click on the link and see that some of our plantlust.com photos are ones I've taken at past HPSO displays. (note to self = just buy the darn thing already!

Pittosporum illicioides 'Fine Green' - I've been the lucky recipient of a few P. illicioides from Sean Hogan (Cistus) over the years. This is a very cool plant that not enough people are growing.

Quercus greggii 'La Siberia' I keep repeating, "I do not have room for an oak, I do not have room for an oak, I do not have room for an oak, I do not have room for an oak, I do not have room for an oak"...but maybe you do?

Brachyglottis monroi, from Xera. Perhaps available there right now? Uhm....

Choisya arizonica 'Whetstone' from Cistus. It looks kind of like the spider azalea I lust after but don't particularly want in my garden...because of the pink flowers...this one has white flowers, and they smell good.

And finally Daphniphyllum macropodum, a cutting from Gossler Farms, which must mean I missed a big mature speciman in their display garden when I was there last year. I feel a road-trip south calling to me...

All material © 2009-2015 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

18 comments:

  1. I really like the HPSO cuttings display idea! How many different plants were represented by the cuttings this year?

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    1. Oh gosh, I wish I had done a count. There were tables and tables. I shied away from a lot of the things I've shown before or already have in my garden. Totally just pulling a number out of the sky I'd guess at least 100, probably many more.

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  2. I can see and understand why the slice of earth cake was the most photographed, top notch for creativity and uniqueness! Funny enough the sponge bit of it does remind me of chocolate and after seeing it I quite fancy a slice of cake too....real cake that is :)

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  3. I love osmanthus! 'Sasaba' is going on my wishlist.I like that choysia, too. I'm not a fan of pink, either, so I'd choose that over the spider azalea, too.

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    1. So many plants, so little garden! (well, mine...yours on the other hand...)

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  4. It looks as even now, with soil to play, you still appreciate floral and foliage displays, and you make your own pieces in the form of wreaths and other treats!

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    1. You're right Lisa, it's all so much fun!

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  5. The HPSO cuttings display was great! What a wonderful educational tool. Eating that slice of cake would certainly add more fiber to one's diet.

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    1. You'd need a really tall glass of water after that.

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  6. I do love that woodland wedding cake. The HPSO cuttings are a great idea for showing a lot in a relatively small space. Now, I have a list of things to go look up...

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  7. That Choisya is quite cool; the white Protea, breathtaking!

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  8. Great post - in rushing through the NWFGS in one day, I missed most of what you showed from there, wedding cake included. Very fun indeed!

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    1. There is so much to see, you really need a couple of days - if you can swing it.

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  9. I love their logo and slogan! The plants are nice, too.

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  10. That slice of cake is so good. I would've been photographing it along with the rest of them. Agree about the white protea, whew!

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