Thursday, April 23, 2015

Toto, I Don't Think We're in Kansas Anymore...

Each year on the Thursday before the big Hortlandia plant sale a group of friends and I spend the day touring nurseries. Lots of fun and lots of plant buying. This year we visited Portland powerhouse nurseries Xera, Joy Creek and Cistus and yes, we even stopped at Means. However I didn't feel the need to pull the camera out until we regrouped later in the day at the garden of Sean Hogan (owner of Cistus) I just had to photograph this, because really when EVER do you see this many aeoniums grouped together in one garden in Portland, Oregon?

The answer is never, well until now.

The light for photographing was poor, too contrasty. In person it was softer and had that magic feel of the end of a day well spent.

And even though you'll see labels stuck in the pots of many, I didn't grab and record a single one. Too awestruck to act.

Instead I just soaked it all up.

Feeling blessed to enjoy this moment.

As though I'd been transported south, to a place where aeoniums grow like weeds.

Which is very much not the case here, in Oregon.

I originally thought I would amend this album with a couple photos of my aeonium collection (do three plants make a collection?). Then I decided it would be better to not bring everyone down, mine are rather sad looking after a long winter in the house.

Let's just look at the beauties...

*SIGH*...thanks for letting me take photos Sean! A reminder for those of you compelled to participate: tomorrow is the last Friday of the month, and thus the day I write about the plants I've been appreciating this month, or at least some of them. Hope you'll join in with your own "favorites" post!

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

25 comments:

  1. So a couple of days before a huge plant sale you spend an entire day buying plants? That's the way to do it! I suppose that helps you show some restraint at Hortlandia... :)

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    1. Would you believe me if I told you it's really more about hanging out with fellow plant nuts?

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  2. That is quite a fabulous display of Aeoniums!

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    1. Do you grow these Alison? I can't remember.

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  3. Gorgeous! And, I love reading about your nursery haunts with buddies! I can always feel the joy in your posts :)

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  4. **Sigh** indeed. Just splendid. Thank you Sean for bringing us such lovelies. And you for the fab photography.

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    1. Oh Tamara you're too kind. It was much better in real life!

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  5. That's a lot of Aeoniums for a PNW garden! Sean must have an amazing collection of plants housed on the island from which he chooses cool stuff to rotate through his home garden.

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    1. Must be nice huh? Kind of reminds me of a certain guy with a garage/greenhouse conversion who can cycle plants in and out...

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  6. Brings back memories!

    Loved visiting Portland last year, and staying with Sean. We really do hope to get back sometime soon!

    Gaz

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  7. Love Aeoniums, but must worship from afar...well, at least as far as your blog.

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    1. They just never seem to do well for me...must be some sort of personality clash.

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  8. I knew I'd seen even MORE aeoniums than that -- http://www.thedangergarden.com/2013/07/where-aeoniums-are.html

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    1. Ha! How quickly I forget! Thanks for the excellent recall...

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  9. Luckily, that's one plant that loves the hot, dry conditions of SoCal. Whenever I don't know what to plant in a particular location, or if I have an area in which nothing thrives, I pop in an Aeonium or 2 or 3. In one area, I've just decided I'm going to give up on alternatives and blanket it in Aeoniums so they become a design element.

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    1. Such a fabulous plant to be able to use in those difficult spots! Part of me is jealous but I know the conditions you're gardening in are no picnic.

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  10. What a joy, and also a frustration, to be surrounded by one's favorite plants and to have to exercise restraint. It happens to me all the time. Your photos are great. My most recent post I think will fit your meme, so I'll try to remember to link in tomorrow.

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  11. Very pretty plants!
    Sounds like a day well spent.

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  12. This is great!!! beautiful! How does Sean overwinter them? I was with no internet last week so I missed posts like this one. I´m happy to see it now.

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    1. Winter lodging in the greenhouses at the nursery, there have to be some benefits to being a nursery owner!

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