Thursday, June 16, 2016

Personal inspiration from the 2016 ANLD Tour

I felt it was important that I first do an overview post on the 2016 ANLD Tour – to give those who might be tempted to go a look at all the gardens and the great things that professional designers can help with. But...since I tour all gardens with an eye to things I want to steal, I also needed to do this follow-up – with a look at the things that inspired me, like this wrap around edging in the garden of Linda Hannan...

I've long been crushing on this image taken by Kelly Kilpatrick of Floradora Gardens, and I am all about circles, but these rusty steel squares are just HOT.

The graduated sizes and that angled bit at the end – I want this to replace the concrete blocks at the edge of our driveway.

Same garden, and I've shared the blue wall previously, but...wow, look at that Verbascum! I really need to explore beyond the yellow blooming ones I've grown in the past (look at all the options here).

On a table in her transformed garage (now a "garden room") were these little vases, smaller versions similar to my Polynesian head vase.

I wonder if the necklace is original?

In another garden (the King garden) I spied a very inventive way to create a raised bed. Cement pavers and rebar!

I love the look.

There were other rusted metal accents in this garden.

Although I'm not sure though about the mixing of straight and squiggly lines. I think I'd rather stick with one design.

More steel squares...a coincidence? These were in the Ohlson garden.

I want them too! (they kind of remind me of Patricia's recent foray into the world of metal scrap - I wonder if she found anything like these?)

In the same garden these crazy things. Why aren't I growing artichokes? Forget eating them...I just want to look at them.

Holy Big Leaves! Look at the size of the leaves on that Asarum (no clue which one it is). If I ever find one with leaves that large I'll definitely grow it in a container – so the slugs don't make it dinner.

Another smart container choice in the Bebernes-Gawf garden, the Ligularia (aka slug salad) is planted in a container with a wide copper band around the top, which is sunk into the ground (copper is supposed to keep the slugs away).

Finally I really loved this little water garden. You don't need a big pond to enjoy the look of water plants in a small garden. I'm scheming on where I can add one about this size...

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

30 comments:

  1. I have a couple of Ligularias that I need to dig up and plant in containers, for slug control reasons, as well as water control. I wonder if I'll get around to it this year?

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  2. I put a big Hosta in front of my Ligularia to screen it when it gets ugly. We have a low ceramic platter with water but no plants. I thought Pam Penick had some good water ideas in her new book.

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    1. No plants? You're missing an opportunity!

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  3. Love the metal pipe edging. We wanted to do something similar in our front garden around the central bed, but costed it and thought again. Even scrap it was just too much. A small section like that would be far more manageable.

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  4. I saw huge wild gingers like that at Nowlens Bridge Perennials when they were open for the Cascade Nursery Trail Spring Fever Open House. I think they were 'Ling Ling."

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    1. Good to know, thanks Jennifer!

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    2. Jennifer--You nailed it! That ginger is 'Ling Ling,' and it's from Donna at Nowlens Bridge nursery (that's what I have to call it for myself--because its way more than perennials). And I got it at the Cascade Nursery Trail open house weekend! The foliage is huge, and the flowers are cool too--still hanging in there, even though you have to really look for them.
      ~Alyse
      http://plantlust.com/plants/asarum-maximum-ling-ling/

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    3. Thanks Alyse, and Jennifer you rock!

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  5. Love me some rust! Those square metal things in a border are so awesome. I'm crazy about the big Asarum, too. If you find out what it is, do share.
    Not only is the container pond super awesome, but I love that container. Now I'm regretting that my container pond was temporary and now has a dwarf pine in it.....

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    1. You can always buy another container you know...

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  6. Gorgeous. Alas, I did not see those metal dudes, though I wonder if Alan espied at the place in Canby. They are fabulous.

    And that little water feature, I'm drooling. I've seen some similarish looking pots at Garden Fever--and haven't been to the wholesale pot place in ages. Maybe a field trip is in order.

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    1. The planters were customized with little feet, but the others looked like pipe that was maybe cut to size? BTW the Steel Yard moved! I noticed that on my way to IKEA today...

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  7. Where does one find steel squares like those? They are beyond cool. I want some too--lots of them. Please let us know if you find a source.

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    1. Good question! I emailed the designer to ask if she'd share her source. Do I see a field trip in your future???

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    2. They have scraps of it at BBC Steel in Canby. They're in the remnants yard (across the street from the main yard).

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    3. A friend just recently discovered BBC Steel, guess it's time I make the trip!

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    4. Everett Steel...if you're in the greater Puget Sound area...and they will cut them for you

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  8. I've been looking at edging treatments for beds lately, too. Those metal squares are great, but I'd need something more easily implemented on a large scale. My parents are terrible about trimming around the beds. One of these weekends maybe I won't be too busy to take advantage of all these garden tours.

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    1. Did you miss the Garden Conservancy/HPSO tour last weekend? Bummer...it was "relatively" close to you.

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  9. Now you're giving me ideas, especially with the square metal planters on rebar. I wonder how easy it is to replicate using square pots on rebar?

    Scrap metal that can be recycled like that can be tricky to source here. Square metal fence post are the nearest ones off the peg but still needs to be cut at different lengths for that fab effect.

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    1. You guys are so creative that if you set your mind to it I'm sure you'll come up with something even more fabulous!

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  10. AnonymousJune 17, 2016

    A lot of good ideas in that garden! I also like Verbascum but I have noticed it growing along side roads and other human disturbed spaces. It might not be long before the plant police list it like two other attractive plants, Scotch broom and David butterfly bushes as weeds.

    John(Aberdeen)

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    1. Verbascum in Eastern Oregon was the reason I purchased the book "Weeds of the West"...

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  11. As a lover of rusty metal things, I'm entranced with those square metal blocks too. I bet they'd work well on my back slope.

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  12. OMG, those rusty square planters and edging are do die for. While I still love the cylindrical ones, these are great too!

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  13. That square tubing is fun to play with. In college, I'd slice it, and weld the pieces together into screens. Oh, to have access to tools again....! The concrete paver/rebar raised beds are genius! Works beautifully AND look good! Can't even remember the last time I saw an attractive raised bed - thanks for sharing!

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  14. The square rusty planters - do it!

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  15. You are the Billy the Kid of the gardening set. When it comes to stealing ideas, nobody does it better.

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