Tuesday, July 14, 2015

A gardener's work is never done...(and we wouldn't have it any other way)

Those of you that have been reading my ramblings for awhile will, no doubt, recognize this house and garden. I wrote about it back in July of 2013 and then did a follow up in December of that same year. The second post detailed the impressive (custom) winter enclosure that protects all the not-hardy plants that are lifted and moved for the winter...

Like those beefy Aeoniums on the right.

Isn't this a gorgeous dark Mimosa tree? (Albizia julibrissin 'Summer Chocolate')


Such a lovely collection of potted gems on the front steps...

We (my plant lust partner, Patricia, joined me on this visit) were told the Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae) blooms all winter, inside of course.

Eryngium agavifolium

The Sedum is obscured by all its flowers! It's there somewhere, under the foamy white.

Look at all those pups around Mama Agave!

I would love to watch passers-by, as they stop to stare at these.

We're now on the back patio, and how could I not stop to admire this gorgeous Bromeliad?

The fountain is the perfect accent to the wonderful view...

So why exactly we were back for another visit? And what's up with the title of this post? Well in mid June I got an email from Dale, the homeowner/gardener: "I thought you might be interested in my latest project: I am almost done with the installation of a series of recycled concrete rubble terraces on my steep south-facing back slope"...(previously un-garden-able)..."Now for the REALLY FUN PART: planning and planting the terraces and walls with some very showy, dangerous-looking plants that complement my Mediterranean house and southerly setting with great soil drainage. I'm looking for plants that will be visible from the street below because [it] gets a lot of walking and biking traffic."

Check out a new project? How could we refuse? So Patricia and I showed up, ogled the front garden, were handed a glass of wine, and then we went to explore the new territory. This is the section just off the kitchen, there's a door that opens on to those temporary steps. The palms are there simply because he wanted them to be in the ground, where they'd be happy. They'll be moved soon now that the work is done. Dale told us that he plans to plant a low hedge along the edge of this level of the terrace (behind (on the house side) that row of concrete rubble). He asked for planting suggestions. What do you recommend?

We traveled onward, down the very steep slope. I was a little concerned, a glass of wine on an empty stomach, a steep drop off...you know, things could have gone bad. However the ground was very solid. Any pathways we walked on were wide and the stairs were well placed. It's an empty space with so much possibility!

From this angle things are deceiving. You see so much soil and don't really grasp just how much concrete you are standing on. You will soon.

This mature Madrone (Arbutus menziesii) anchors the otherwise empty space (those stairs are temporary, to aid in the construction of the terraces).

Here you can start to see a little of how the space is broken up into different planting areas.

This is what defines each level.

That is the edge of his property.

What would you plant here? Dale (and I) would love to hear your suggestions! Patricia and I gave him a list of our favorites but I bet you can think of several things we did not.

There will be some irrigation available, but whatever is planted here will have to be plenty heat tolerant as this is south-facing and all that cement is going to reflect a lot of heat...

Here's a view from below the property. Dale has been given permission to plant up the neighbor's land (on the right) as well.

This gives you a great look at just how much material was brought in to create the terraces, and what a feature the Madrone is. Dale plans to install rusted wire trellis panels along that bottom wall, then cut into the cement below and plant vines, thus obscuring a blank canvas currently used for graffiti. Pretty impressive undertaking isn't it all? If it were your garden what would you be planting? Oh and thanks so much for sharing it with us Dale!

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

42 comments:

  1. Very impressive indeed! There are lots of agaves of course but it could have a serious collection of Nolinas and Yuccas. Proteas as well...

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    1. You know what (and this is going to be a shock), I don't think we mentioned a single agave. I guess they were just so obvious that we assumed they'd play a big part. I need to email him a list of my fav's just in case!

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    2. Thanks! I'll add them to my list. I need an agave that grows BIG!

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  2. I can't believe this house is in Portland. It looks like it would be perfectly at home in Southern California.

    When I saw the first few pictures of the slope I thought, well, it isn't THAT steep. Boy, was I wrong. The last photo is fantastic because it shows how INSANELY steep the slope is.

    If this house were in our climate, I'd have a long list of plants to suggest but Portland is altogether different. But I'd definitely add a bunch of different manzanitas to play off the madrone.

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    1. We suggested a manzanita hedge at the top terrace too, I think that would look fabulous.

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    2. Thanks for the suggestion. Does anyone know of a manzanita hedge I can view in Portland? I looked at one suggested by Xera staff but it looked too spindly.

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  3. What a fabulous new garden area, and so much hard work putting that recycled concrete wall together. Well done. I adore Arbutus, they're so lucky that they had an established one there to build the garden around. I so wish there had been one here when they built the house. There's one in a wildish area just down the street, that I admire every time I drive to the grocery store. If I were planting this up, I'd definitely use some Arctostaphylos, but they'd need to select carefully, so they don't end up with a variety that will get too big for the width of the beds (they probably already know that). As far as a hedge, I'd do a mixed hedge, to avoid the one-or-two dead, unmatched look. You know one or two always die, and then you either end up with a hole, or one that's not the same size as all the others. I hope you show this garden again in a couple of years.

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    1. Ah yes, excellent point about the mixed hedge. It seems inevitable that there will always be die off.

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    2. Thanks for the idea. I've never seen a mixed hedge. Any ideas?

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  4. I don't have any good plant suggestions -- I'm just marveling at the slope and amount of stonework. Will Dale be planting for the view from the house (above, looking down) or from the vantage point of the last photo? (Or both?) I imagine there could be some very different plant choices depending on the answer.

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    1. Both. He wants to create something that looks good for passers-by, neighbors, and of course him and his wife.

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    2. Thanks for the compliment! I'd like it to especially be visible and striking from the street so I'll definitely need some large (eventually) dangerous looking plants.

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  5. Beautiful garden, and I'm also considering making an enclosure to use on cold nights. As for the plant suggestions, I'd go with Bromelia pinguin on one tier and feathery grasses on the others... and maybe a small tree in the upper right hand corner to echo the big one and create an illusion of distance and depth.

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    1. Hey stranger! Thanks for stopping by. Would Bromelia pinguin be hardy here in Portland? (USDA Zone 8), and yes...excellent call on the feathery grasses.

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    2. Thanks Steve. I really appreciate your design suggestion. I really want to resist the temptation to just plant cool plants without a plan but I have no experience (almost) in this type of garden design. I'd be glan to share my experience designing and building the winter garden enclosure. It wasn't that expensive for the joy I am getting from it.

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  6. Holy cow! That's a LOT of work...and nicely done, too! I'm looking forward to seeing updates as the planting is completed.

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    1. A lot of work. And it hasn't exactly been cool around these parts either. Yes, updates will definitely be needed.

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  7. Having draping plants spilling over the urbanite chunks will considerably reduce reflected heat, which may or may not be helpful, depending on what you plant. There's a lot of urbanite there and drapers would balance that out. Prostrate rosemary drapes really well and lives a long time--here anyway--what ever the equivalent is in your climate.

    Glorious Madrone--anything planted should not interfere with its magnificence or health.

    Not my climate, so can't really get specific, but how can you go wrong with Agaves?
    What is the soil like? Clay? Loam?

    Cool house & garden!

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    1. Drapers (love that!) will definitely be utilized and prostrate rosemary is an excellent idea. Are you're right...can't ever go wrong with Agaves!

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  8. What an amazing feet of time and patience! It is going to be spectacular. I thought vines and tall plants that fit the scale of the slope like yuccas. I love Gerhards idea of manzanitas. I can't wait to see how it all progresses over time!

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    1. Yuccas in bloom, wouldn't that be a magnificent picture?

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    2. Thanks for your plant and design suggestions. It will take more patience to make it showy!

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  9. The front of this house brought to mind the one Thomas Hobbs acquired (and perhaps still owns?) in Vancouver, which he featured in his book, "The Jewel Box Garden" as "Casa Triangulo." If Dale & Marilyn aren't already familiar with the book, they may want to look to it for some inspiration as that climate is probably closer to yours than California's and hauling plants in under cover from that slope in the winter, even with its wonderful terraces, would be treacherous. I agree with HooverBoo that the terraces call out for some prostrate rosemary. Euphorbias, Carex, and Phormium would be wonderful. Some of the Australian natives (Grevilleas, Leptospermum) would be good choices too if they can handle the winter low temps.

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    1. Indeed, you called it! Dale credits those books for the color of the house and some of the planting choices.

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    2. Thanks for these suggestions. I am hoping it might be a suitable microclimate for phormiums. I like your other suggestions too.

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  10. Amazing project, such a lot of work. Such possibilities obviously the yuccas and agaves and puyas, mixed in with a few ore leafy plants like scheffi growing up and then things that hang down.

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    1. Too sunny for a Schefflera but indeed some big leafy plants are needed.

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    2. Pumas!! Thanks. I'll add them to the list.

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  11. I kept meaning to go back and look from street side. Wow. So well executed. I'm working on a more detailed list of ideas. I love the look of mass planted Miscanthus for one of the layers. M. sinensis 'Morning Light' would be gorgeous. Certainly the Manzanitas we mentioned, and Zauschneria, Leptospermum humifusum (rupestre), and of course, Crape Myrtles. Can't remember if we suggested any Jasmines, but yes. What a fabulous opportunity. Oh, and meant to add Nolinas and Yuccas to the list--but I see Mark and Gaz got there. I also can't remember exactly everything we suggested, but I do know it was lots of fun. I sure hope we get to go back soon...

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    1. I was driving home the other day and realized "hey - I should stop and get that shot"...it's kind of remarkable how different it looks from below.

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    2. Passersby tell me it looks like the Great Pyramids or a Mayan Temple! Without plants to break it up, from below you can't tell where one terrace stops and the next one begins. Thanks again to both of you and to everyone who reads your wonderful blog.

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  12. Gosh I wouldn't know where to begin. Super excited to see how it turns out though! That's a huge area and is going to look SO good.

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  13. I'm blown away by the magnitude of this project! In addition to the other suggestions, I'll bet some Arctostaphylos might work well. Wow! This is going to be incredible!

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    1. Reading these comments I'm reminded of a blogger who once posted how blown away he was when he realized that Arctostaphylos and Manzantia were the same thing. I wonder if there's any of that going on here?

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    2. I've got so many "votes" for manzanita that I better be sure they are featured! Thanks.

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  14. That next-to-last shot reveals an organic look to the terracing rather than the stair step configuration I was imagining. It will look less forbidding as plants take hold and begin to cloak the surfaces. In fact, I would like to continue to see a good bit of that undulating hardscape showing through. Lots of good suggestions here. The only other thing that occurs to me is ornamental oregano spilling over the lowest tiers where it can be appreciated up close.

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    1. Thanks! I appreciate the compliment and the oregano suggestion. I'll add it!

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  15. I love the new garden area. I know steep slopes like this are difficult to garden on, but I envy the gardener who has a space like this. I would fill it with Mediterranean plants, especially fragrant ones like the resinous Cistus species and cultivars, most notably Cistus ladanifer. I second Ricki's suggestion of an ornamental oregano like 'Amethyst Falls'. Manzanitas, of course, but be careful because some are from cool summer areas on the California coast and don't like too much heat. With a slope like this, I would try Dudleyas, too.

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    1. Thanks Evan! I appreciate each of these suggestions and will add them to my list.

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  16. The steepness of the slope is impressive...I'll be happy to see how it is arranged!

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  17. I know someone spoke about using plants that drape, but I would also use some vines to cling their way up the concrete, whatever works for Portland, and is still well behaved. Maintenance for this area will be tricky, especially as everything matures, so I wouldn't put anything in that will need much tending too. For drama, maybe add a tall grass or clump forming bamboo.

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