Thursday, June 30, 2016

"You and everyone else..."

I happened into Anthopologie the other day, it's always good for a little inspiration. I love the cast planting cubes they're currently displaying.

Evidently I'm not the only one.

I turned to ask a salesperson if it was okay that I take photos, gesturing at them as I started to speak and she snapped "No they're not for sale, you and everyone else cannot buy them!"...

Well alrighty then, guess I poked at a sore spot.

They are pretty cool, and would be easy to make. That is if you're handy with the hypertufa.

And unlike West Elm (up the street a bit  I'd just been there) these plant choices are mostly good for an interior space, short term.

West Elm was selling succulents again. Light starved, near death, succulents. Oy vey...

These two reminded me a bit of the ones Claire (apotspot) makes, Only her's are better (IMHO).

Anyway nice work Anthropologie display people!

But maybe you should consider making some to sell?

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

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Wednesday Vignette, 3 to Inspire

Three vignettes (none of them my work) to inspire you to take up The Aeonium Challenge. This first one is the work of Riz Reyes, part of his design for the City Living display at the 2015 Northwest Flower and Garden Show.

I discovered this planter during a visit to Secret Garden Growers in Canby, OR  it's a great nursery to visit!

And finally Aeoniums strutting their stuff in the garden of Bob Hyland (of Contained Exuberance). You've got until Monday to get in your entry! (details)

Wednesday Vignettes are hosted by Anna at Flutter & Hum. All material © 2009-2016 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

The McKee Garden, a stop on the Salem Study Weekend

Most of you are probably familiar with the annual Garden Bloggers Fling, where 80 or so lucky bloggers spend 3 days touring private and public gardens, and nurseries, in the host city (this year is in Minneapolis). Here in the Pacific Northwest we have our own version, called Study Weekend. The location rotates between Portland, Eugene, Vancouver/Victoria (BC) and Seattle, the local Hardy Plant Society in each city organizes the events. Last year was in Portland, this year was scheduled to be in Eugene, Oregon, but the Olympic team track and field trials are being held there so the Salem HPS stepped up and hosted 400 people last weekend. Since I am not attending the Fling this year decided it was time to do a Study Weekend – it was great fun!

I'll start my SW coverage here, an an atrium/greenhouse/potting shed addition off the garage/guest house. Yes, this property was massive with views of the Willamette river and valley beyond. The driveway was lined with huge boulders peppered with plants, most people walked back up to view the garden proper, but I felt this little space needed exploring. It wasn't a garden prop but a real working space.

This was an aha moment! We have an old double laundry sink just like this, and it leaks. In fact when I got home from the weekend away Andrew happened to mention the need to replace it. I think my excitement at the idea may have alarmed him.

Can you imagine the luxury of a fixture like this? One side filled with potting soil, the other pea gravel, or pumice, or some other amendment. Yep, I'm already scheming on where in the garage it will go.

This disc planter must have been in for freshening.

That's the space I was in – under glass – above it is the guest house where the kind home/garden owners let us touring folk use the restroom, very much appreciated.

Hello sunshine!

These steps lead up from the lower level to the garden/house proper.

On the left was a massive rock wall.

Talking with Sharon McKee she told of mentioning her wish for a rock wall to her husband. That Christmas she received a toy dump truck with a rock in it, her husband's way of saying he was going to make it happen.

It's quite the wall!

I saw several leggy Graptopetalum in the gardens we visited over the weekend. It's not a look I normally like but it's growing on me.

This is the best looking Kalanchoe thyrsiflora I've ever seen...

The first bed at the top of the stairs gives a slight hint of what you'll see when you turn to the right.

Suddenly I didn't feel like I was in Oregon any longer.

But I was soon pulled back into place.

The owners love of rocks, in all shapes and sizes is apparent.

But that love seems to extend to even old concrete and bricks. I loved the mix!

And the view.

We progress from open and sunny into the tall trees...

With a view of the conservatory attached to the house.

I must share one of my best overheard conversations of the weekend that took place under the trees: the ground was covered with crunchy hazelnut shells. A pair of older ladies found them particularly attractive and were discussing their merits. One of them mentioned she'd heard that "morals grow in the nut shells!" Now I'm the last person to comment on a grammatical error (I make many) but she clearly said "morals" – when I think she meant "morels". Silly fun but thinking about growing morals had me smiling for awhile.

The long driveway was bordered by nice big rocks like these, all planted up.

Here's the other side of the conservatory. The homeowners built an entire scale version from wood to make sure they liked how it looked before going forward with the addition. That's attention to detail.

Golden Robina seemed to be one of the signature trees of the area – there were many – all beautiful.

I don't know if this is a project in the making but I couldn't help but see this planted up with different Sedum or Sempervivum in the sections.

That concludes this visit, but we saw so many gardens. I've got a lot to share over the next few weeks!

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

Monday, June 27, 2016

In a vase on Monday, love those Eryngium

Readers of Peter's blog The Outlaw Gardener may recognize the small white vase below.

Peter shared images of the vase (with accessories) earlier in the month, and announced he'd be giving it away to celebrate the anniversary of his blog. Naturally I entered to win, which I did not, and naturally when I spied the same vase at Powell's last week I bought it. I mean how could I not, it's a barrel cactus!

Looking around the garden for something to put in it I seriously considered one of the many Opuntia blooming right now. But they're so short lived I couldn't bring myself to do it.

Ah, how about this spiky, ghostly, Eryngium maritimum...

And a few Eryngium agavifolium blooms for good measure?

I also cut a couple of the extra lethal E. venustum leaves. Ya, I do love me some Eryngium...

The finished grouping, which is VERY spiky.

As I worked – outside in the driveway – several bees dive-bombed me. It's kind of freaky how much they adore Eryngium flowers.

But then again so do I.

Especially the ones from E. maritimum.

Since the "cactus" vase is rather small I wanted something else to go with it...perhaps a vase filled with white flowers? I walked all around the garden but the only white flowers I could find were tiny and not really suitable for what I wanted to create. Duh.

Really? Could these Yucca flowers be any larger and in my face?

There was a third spike here, growing up and into the Fatsia, you couldn't see it, so it's the one I chopped to fill the vase.

There are also a few Eryngium agavifolium leaves (the wide serrated ones), and blooms and leaves from the E. venustum. My attempt at a little continuity between the two.

The final grouping, outside in good light...

And inside where they'll live.

After finishing and walking over to sit on the couch I realized how perfectly the colors went with the chair upholstery. Maybe I'm going to have to use that yellow vase more often!

As always "In a Vase on Monday" is hosted by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden. Visit her blog for links to all the other bloggers putting together a vase with cuttings from their garden.

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