Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Another garden visit (flashback to September)...

On a rainy Saturday back in early September I went on a couple garden visits. My goal was to see the garden of Barbara Blossom Ashmun, but as sometimes happens when one is opening their garden for the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon (HPSO) a neighbor joins in and all of a sudden you have multiple gardens to visit on the same street.

Because I am a bad blogger I can't tell you whose garden I took these first few photos in. He was just up the street and loved Dahlias...

He told me the name of this one, it was something like 'Bad Hair Day'...

But I eventually sauntered down to Barbara's garden, word has it she's been gardening here since 1986, can you even imagine?

This was just one of the fabulous Hebe I fell in love with that day (no, I don't know which one it is).

You'll see this becomes a repeated theme, a trio of creatures in the foliage. Here it's fish.

A Schefflera! (far right)

And one of my new fav's Fatsia japonica 'Variegata'...

Entering the back garden...

There was a matching sign on the other side too, as I left. Luckily not in use on this day.

The front garden was small, but stepping into the back garden I discovered a very large space, what fun!

More Hebes along with dark leaved Heuchera.

Memory is foggy, I think that's a Eucalyptus?

Abies concolor, I think.

Finally, the clouds parted to let in a little sunshine. From the mostly dormant lawn you can see the rainy season was just beginning.

For me this was one of the major highlights of this garden. A vintage Sturdi-built greenhouse.

Seriously!? Want...

Have you noticed the severe edging? I love it for it's simplicity and sharpness.

This was magic.

Inside...

And the smell, unless you know the distinct smell of Concord grapes you have no idea. It was thick and heavy and I was overwhelmed. My grandparents grew Concords and I was instantly 14 again and in their back yard. I sampled a couple. I'm not proud of that (sorry Barbara) but there is no way I could resist. Delicious!

Back out from under the grape arbor...another trio of critters!

And another.

Common, but I never can remember the name.

Again but with a Physocarpus opulifolius/Diablo.

The moody sky does wonders, the fog on the lens...not so much.

Oh to have a garden large enough that you can get away with artfully parking a wheel-barrow full of debris!

I remember I was in awe of her blooming Castor Bean, mine weren't there yet.

Even better with a Hibiscus.

Physocarpus opulifolius/Diablo?

And I have no idea what the silver shrub is. I asked another visitor and heard others asking others. Barbara was busy when I saw her again so I was unable to inquire.

Back drooling over the greenhouse as I made my way out of the garden.

The plant ghetto!

And a poetry box...

All material © 2009-2016 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

36 comments:

  1. I saw Barbara's garden back in June during the Plant Study weekend, and it was just full of flowers then, including lots of daylilies, which overwhelmed any interesting foliage contrasts. It's good to know that when it's not in flower, it's just as fabulous to look at. Good planning on her part. Thanks for sharing your photos.

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    1. Ah...and it's good to know what I missed earlier in the season! (kinda glad I got the foliage version)

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  2. The second pic looks so crisp and the red border on the petals seems to jump out of my screen! Lovely garden and the love the protea look of the hebe.

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    1. I was surprised how good some of the dahlia photos turned out, what with the rain and all.

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  3. Has to be one of my favorite gardens you've shown. It has an easiness, a playfulness, about it that would make me feel comfortable being there. Yet there are many large, beautiful and colorful plants. Poem is a sweet, splendid addition. The dahlias are superb especially the one with the red edge.

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    1. Well I'm very glad you happened by to see it.

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  4. What a wonderful garden! So rich with layers, textures and color! I love the green house : ) I am terrible at plant name myself. I think the hibiscus is Roselle, Hibiscus sabdariffa. I saw it recently and have tracked down seeds. Here is does best as annual but easy to grow from seed. Love the color!

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    1. Wow...I'm not sure it that's the same hibiscus but the photos I get from Google for H. sabdariffa are gorgeous!

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  5. Hers was the first HPSO open garden I visited. I have plants (that have been renamed since) to prove it. It was pre-greenhouse, so obviously it's time to go back.

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    1. Wow...I don't think I can remember my first HPSO garden visit. Yes, hopefully she'll open in 2016 and you can go back!

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  6. Spectacular! Just the thing for winter-weary, rained-in gardeners to see today. Oh to have so much space and to use it as well as Barbara has. How clever to have a fenced pot ghetto. The poem brought a tear- so sweet.

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    1. The fenced pot ghetto was genius! Oh to have the space...

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  7. The golden plant with the dripping flowers is Leycesteria formosa. I prefer to remember it by it's common name: Himalayan honeysuckle (gold form). I don't know if it is from the Himalaya or if it is similar to a honeysuckle - but it's a great common name. The hummingbirds and bees go crazy for this pretty shrub. Keep that sunshine coming during these dark and cloudy days! It's like Vitamin D on the Internet.

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    1. Thank you Lisa! You're right Himalayan honeysuckle IS a much better name. Sunshine...ya, it's definitely left us once again. Guess I better start editing down more of those California photos.

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  8. Ok, I'm bored with my greenhouse now. I want one like that! Was that shrub actually silver or was it just really reflective? It looks a lot like a dwarf Chinese elm, but I need to take a look on a bigger screen than my phone.

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    1. Right? It's so cool it can be a feature in the garden rather than tucked away somewhere.

      Looks like you were on the right track for the shrub ID. cirmaraki (below) called it...Jacqueline Hillier elm: http://www.quackingrassnursery.com/plant/Ulmus-x%20hollandica-Jacqueline-Hillier not quite as silver as my photo made it look.

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  9. This was fun!!!!! Thank you for the tour of Barbara's lovely garden and I liked that greenhouse as well.

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  10. That is 1 awesome garden. Yes, the greenhouse is very you.

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  11. I sighed through the entire post...

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  12. Oh that silver shrub is fabu-fabu ! I would have one of those in a minute if a. I knew what it was and b. it grows here. What do you think she uses to get the sharp edge Loree ?

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    1. Maybe? http://www.quackingrassnursery.com/plant/Ulmus-x%20hollandica-Jacqueline-Hillier

      I'm guessing just precise work with a half moon edger?

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  13. So green and full looking! And it's especially nice to see that in the middle of winter...

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    1. I've got another VERY sunny August garden visit I've yet to share too. Better get on that...

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  14. The mystery shrub is a Jacqueline Hillier elm. http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=257194&isprofile=0&

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  15. Wow, what an incredible garden. Love the fish in the foliage, and the frogs in the grass. Also the arbor of grapes.

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    1. "fish in the foliage/frogs in the grass"...someone needs to write a song.

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  16. Oh my. So lush and eye catching. Living in Pdx exposes lucky people to such range in layout style and texture. My style borrows more from yours but Barbara's inspires me to fill in spaces more. Those hebes are so cool!
    Jim North Tabor

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    1. There was a time when I adored big-leaf Hebe but couldn't be bothered with the small leaf ones. Glad that's over!

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  17. Loree, I am not sure if it is the same but your picture looks like the ones I saw IRL and was given the name Roselle. I bought seed from Trade Wind Fruit > http://www.tradewindsfruit.com/content/roselle.html The package says a plant of many edible uses, the Roselle is also a pretty, ornamental type of hibiscus. The bright red calyces are widely used to flavor beverages and color foods. Can be grown as an annual. Hardy perennial, will stand some frost. Planing to plant them early spring.

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  18. Oh, that was wonderful. And then to have poetry written to one! Be still my beating heart.

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  19. wow, that place is magical! And I totally agree about the severe edging. Love it.

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  20. Oh my gosh, to have that much space!

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