Friday, June 3, 2016

The Taft Garden, Part 2

We're back at the Taft...if you clicked on yesterday's link and read Denise's post then you already saw photos of this house. I'd forgotten it was part of the garden and was hesitant to get too close, my loss! I should have marched right up there and inspected those plants, instead I let my camera get closer for me.

You may be thinking the house and its possible occupants are who I referred to at the end of yesterday's post when I said I wasn't alone?

Nope...

There were a couple of them and they were terribly curious about what I was up to.

Ah Xanthorrhoea...outstanding!

Why stop at one, two, or three...when you can have hundreds!

Little bird beaks begging to be fed.

OMG! Over there in the distance...

Cussonia paniculata like I've never experienced them (obviously)...

If my garden were in Ojai, California...

Okay but seriously, if I could grow all of these magnificent plants how would I ever decide???

Here begins the long driveway back to the parking area, which means my visit is coming to an end soon. At least there are lots of Agaves to look at on the way...

Buckets of bulbils!

Declining mama plant, A. angustifolia I believe?

I want to call the leaning one Agave shawii, but I have nothing to back that up with.

Crazy curvy...

And zany zig-zags...

The mix of black and red/brown is attractive...a fire?

And there is just the black. Must have been a fire.

I hope you enjoyed this visit and truly hope that someday you'll get to experience the magic firsthand. In the mean time here's another peek courtesy of my friend Max Parker who visited in March.
All material © 2009-2016 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

20 comments:

  1. Thoroughly enjoyed it! And especially liked how naturalistic and harmonious everything are, with so many great and architectural plants together!

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  2. It really is a remarkable garden. Even the burned trunks look decorative. It has me thinking that I "need" some more succulents.

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  3. Truly stunning. I've good to put my feelers out to see if can squeak in, too, on my next visit.

    That creeping agave is indeed A. shawii, one of the few species that forms a stem. It's a California native (Alta and Baja).

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  4. Wow, that's amazing. I've got some of those agaves in huge pots in my greenhouse. They are almost too big to drag out now. How lovely to see them in their natural setting. I feel I ought to set mine free....

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    1. If you can, you should! (you know, depending on where you live)

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  5. I can't find a "like" button, so I am adding here that I very much enjoyed your photos.

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  6. How would you choose what to grow in such a climate? Of course, we have trouble choosing from the many possibilities here. The deer were a sweet surprise. Who gets to live in that house and how do we apply for the job?

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  7. So beautiful, and many plants I am completely unfamiliar with! Love the "bird beaks" observation (and photo)!

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    1. Less creepy than yesterday's Banksia men.

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  8. Those Cussonia are amazing. I never really understood their appeal because I'd only seen photos of small, potted specimens. The shape, texture and color is spectacular. Definitely had another moment of wondering if your next photo was going to be of the resident Lorax....

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    1. Perhaps that's what was making the strange noises I couldn't identify!

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  9. I felt as excited by the garden back when it was still open to public tours, and got the tour with both Mr Taft and Jo O'Connell, and appreciate the history of the garden's creation. There's a good article in an old issue of Pacific Horticulture Magazine work looking for. For me, the South African plants were neck and neck with the Australian Plants for most impressive. I think it was almost 20 years ago now that I first saw the gardens, along with Lotusland and a few other fabulous estate gardens in Montecito.

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  10. Thanks...I needed that.

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