Tuesday, June 21, 2016

A quick trip back to Spokane...

I spent a week in late March up at my parents place in Spokane. It was lovely, but spring comes later there (USDA Zone 5/6 depending) so I was unable to share much of my parents garden then. However my brother and his family, from Arizona, were up visiting the parents during the weekend of June 10th - 12th so we made a return trip (the fact the Friends of Manito were having a plant sale that weekend was terribly convenient – more on that below). These containers are what greet you just through the back gate...

Is this the Geranium that deters mosquitoes? I know mom is a fan since the mosquitoes love her like a fine wine.

The Ligularia in the back is what drew me close, but then I caught site of those leaves in front, and the interesting container.

It's a Lophospermum erubescens, probably terribly common but I'd never heard of it.

In case you hadn't figured it out already, mom is a fan of the mixed container.

And there are a few artful artifacts peppering the garden. These old wagon wheels (or some just like them) were a feature at the edge of the property where I grew up, along with a healthy stand of Opuntia. Yes indeed!

The Syneilesis aconitifolia I gifted her a few years ago is starting to bulk up.

Variegated Iris look good in her garden.

The Yucca blooms were only a week or teo behind mine.

Oenothera macrocarpa, backed by a sedum.

The Oenothera are very happy here! Mom gave me a plant which grew like crazy but never did bloom.

On the right is Horseradish.

Mom and dad have dug it up repeatedly but it keeps coming back. Let that be a lesson to anyone thinking of planting it out in their garden.

Anytime I've written about my parents garden I've always been careful to exclude the chainsaw "art"...what the heck. Time to share it, maybe you already noticed it up above in the wagon wheel shot? They used to own a shop that catered to the chainsaw (and lawn and garden care) crowd, and thus own several.

Those lilies! I can't imagine the cutting opportunities.

Macleaya cordata (plume poppy) is another of my beloved plants that I've discovered are hardy in Spokane. Interestingly though these stay fairly short (3-4 ft) whereas mine are tall (6-8ft), even with little water – and my parents have luxurious irrigation.

Ha! Another of those fixtures from my youth. This guy has made the rounds, I am surprised he can still stand, he's so old.

So what about that plant sale? Here's my haul, back at our hotel...

And back at home...a huge Ostrich Fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris), only $8!!!

I love it.

What you don't see here – but may have noticed above – is a pair of Salvia discolor. I'd been hunting for them locally but not managed to find them. Finally when we stopped at Judy's there they were! By the time I took this group photo I'd already planted them.

This was the thing I was really hoping to score at the Friend's of Manito sale: Ligularia dentata 'King Kong'. The FOM do a great job of organizing and publicizing the sale. Not only do they have a comprehensive list (in advance) of everything that will be available at the sale, but they also send out plant profile emails. These words had me drooling: "Ligularia ‘Britt Marie Crawford’ is a beloved and classic favorite. Imagine a plant with the same attributes but with leaves twice a large; a whopping 16” across! Ligularia ‘King Kong’ will not disappoint. It has the same dark chocolate, almost black emerging leaves changing to a purple burgundy later in summer. The huge, rounded, thick, leathery leaves have a satiny finish and wavy edges." I was a little disappointed at the small size of the plants available but bought one anyway and hope to see it through to promised size.

This was an unexpected score, Sansevieria 'Twisted'

Although when I went to plant it and it fell out of the pot looking like this, well, I was rather upset. Hopefully it will root and live on. Otherwise I threw away $8.

Finally a couple of cheap impulse purchases. Asparagus densiflorus 'Myers' / Foxtail Fern for $1 each! If you ever find yourself near Spokane in mid June be sure to look up the Friends of Manito, I'm sure you would love the plant sale as well as visiting the park. My parents garden though, that's strictly by invitation.

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

27 comments:

  1. Are you planning to leave the ostrich fern in the pot? Because you know it will spread like crazy in the ground. Nice score on the King Kong. I hope it thrives.

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    1. Yes, it's probably plant abuse but the fern will stay in the container. Have you tried to grow King Kong?

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  2. Love the ostrich fern. I planted 3 last year from 4" pots. Can't wait for them to get that big, and produce their fantastic fertile fronds. That sansevieria will root easily. Just give it a well-drained mix and water it lightly. You don't want to let it go dry like you would normally with a sansevieria, but you don't want to keep it soaked. Actually, even unrooted, $8 isn't a bad deal.

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    1. It's pretty cool right? (the Sanseveria) Fingers crossed I can get it to root.

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  3. So your parents still live in the house you grew up in? That's so cool. Your mom is quite a gardener; it definitely runs in the family!

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    1. No, I guess I confused that matter. They moved into this house while I was living in Seattle, in the 1990's. The house I grew up in was on 3 acres out in the "country"...and I realized I failed to take any pics of my dad's veggie garden! I've inherited it from both of them.

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  4. Your Ostrich Fern is perfect where you've put it! Maybe a bigger pot sunk into the ground? Great prices, cool finds. Sansevieria 'Twisted' will root I'm sure! Your mom does mixed pots very well! Wow, two gardening parents? Your roots run deep!

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    1. I did pot it up from the one I bought it in, do you think it needs even bigger right away?

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  5. Your sansseviera reminds me of a beautiful, expensive aloe I purchased at a plant sale. The aloe fell out its pot when I was checking out. The young man(volunteer) was so horrified that he didn't charge me. The aloe is rooting and doing fine.

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    1. Yikes! Happy ending though, hopefully I'll have one too.

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  6. I like your parent's garden and containers. Very nice. The nice thing about the chainsaw sculptures is that the wood ages and gets a patina; although not in my wheelhouse, they don't seem to stick out like sore thumbs.
    Nice plant score at the sale and good idea keeping Mr. giant running fern in a pot. I grow weary of yanking runners out in my garden.
    Your fern dish planters have really grown in nicely. The Impatiens omeiana really caught my eye. I had forgotten you put some in there when you posted the new plantings.

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    1. Mr. giant running fern, that will forever be his name.

      The Impatiens omeiana are being eaten by something even up high in the sky. I give up.

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  7. I also like your parents' garden and those first two pix of containers. I can take a mix of plants if the container is subdued. I usually do 1 plant per pot if I do pots at all. You know ostrich fern is a runner? Nasty to dig out. My neighbors on the other side of the fence have a swath of it, so it is always coming into my garden.

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    1. Yes "Mr. giant running fern" (see Tim's comment above) will be forever in a container. I just don't have room for a thug.

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  8. So cool that you can swap plants with your mom. Never heard of a lophospermum either, FWIW, but the leaves looked familiar, so I checked -- yep, used to be known as asarina.

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    1. The name game. One day it's an Agave, the next day...oh wait, they're still Agaves!

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  9. Cathi LamoreuxJune 21, 2016

    Lophospermum erubescens is pretty common here in containers. Hasse's Greenhouse always has lots and use them in their famous hanging baskets. I was there yesterday and there were some baskets where it was already 6 ft long hanging down almost to the ground! I was just at Judy's today and can you believe that I didn't buy anything?? I am having eye surgery tomorrow and knew that I wouldn't get anything into the ground before then, so will wait a week and go back. And, in case anyone is interested, The Friends of Manito also have a fall sale. This year it is on September 10.

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    1. Augh! I forgot all about Hasse's Greenhouse and haven't been there for years. Darnit. You didn't buy anything at Judy's, how is that possible? Well I guess you had a good reason, I hope the surgery goes smoothly!

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  10. So do your credit your parents with developing your interest in gardening? Their garden looks robust despite the tough climate (even if it seems light on spiky elements). I love 'King Kong' - I might even be tempted to grow that Ligularia despite what I suspect is a serious drinking problem.

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    1. Indeed I do, and my grandfather too. It wasn't ever something I thought about, gardening is just what you did! I've got a Ligularia in a container (my way to keep the slugs away) and darn but that thing is thirsty. A drinking problem indeed.

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  11. Great pics of the parents' garden Loree. Looks like the garden gene was handed down. I have visited the gardens at Manito-several years ago. I never have transportation when I'm in Spokane, but one year I 'had' to stay at the Davenport and they have a courtesy limo. The limo dude drove me up there and dropped me off and came back and picked me up when I was done !

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    1. Poor you, having to stay at the Davenport. Good think your a "make lemonade" kind of gal.

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  12. your parent's garden looks great! And I admit, I love that wood carved owl. :)

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    1. If it ever is slated for removal I'll let you know!

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  13. The ostrich feather travelled so well! We can all see now where your gardening tendencies came from, great foundation there :)

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    1. See that blue band on the fern in the "hotel" shot? It's a doggie-poop bag. Always have one in my pocket and it came in handy for keeping the fronds safe!

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  14. Geraniums deter mosquitoes? I'm getting some! They may not love me like a fine wine, more like a good craft beer. Don't be embarrassed by your parents taste in art. My parents thought the greatest music ever recorded was the score from "Fiddler on a Roof".

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