Tuesday, July 12, 2016

The garden of the BIG chimes...

Garden descriptions are such a tricky thing. On the recent Salem Study Weekend I prioritized each day based on the time I had and the descriptions written by the owners. One of the gardens that turned out to be a favorite I'd actually placed in the "only if you have time" category. Who knew!? I can't remember why I decided I needed to visit this open HPSO garden, on Portland's Westside. But I'm glad I did.

Obviously plant lovers live here...

There's also a healthy dose of DIY. I chatted quite a bit with the male half of the partnership and he was responsible for many (if not all) of the structures you'll see throughout this garden.

Clematis rule here as well. It was hard to not immediately start buying everyone I saw in my post-visit nursery wanderings.

But you're probably wondering about the title of this post? Look up in the tree (below). Super HUGE wind chimes. The size that had me immediately feeling sympathetic towards the neighbors. But get this. They turn them off at night, lower the "ringer" so no matter how hard the wind blows there is no sound. How considerate.

How many gardens have you visited where you're handed a laminated map?

Love this edging.

So much!

More Clematis...

This "trellis" inspired. I've since seen an even better design (and so will you, in due time...)

Another striking Golden Robinia.

There was a pond on the other side of the Hosta backed barrier, I failed to get a good photo.

This was the inset in a custom made gate. I admired their restraint in not growing a vine on it. It must be tempting.

There were great vignettes throughout the garden.

But it was time to bid farewell...

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

34 comments:

  1. It's often so hard to tell from the description which gardens will be worth a visit. Love the interesting metalwork.

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    1. Glad I'm not the only one who feels this way!

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  2. A laminated map? I wonder what came first, the map or the garden. My garden is a patch work of trail and error but I know some folks work according to a plan. This garden is so well executed. I love the meandering paths, the color combos and the attention to detail.

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    1. There was a key - numbers corresponding to plants and features of interest. The big things surely don't change much...and maybe someone got lost on one of the lower paths?

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  3. Descriptions can be very deceiving indeed. And such a clever thing to do with the windchime, so considerate as well. Beautiful garden, and with tasteful individual touches too.

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    1. I do wish I'd been able to hear the chimes, sadly there was no wind that day.

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  4. Some nice touches here, and those chimes are freaking me out a bit -- they match the scale of the tree though!

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  5. It's not often that I see a garden and want to move right in. Loved everything about it and it also makes me confident that our driveway plantings are not overdone. I could add lots more!!

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  6. That looks like a great one. I saw lots of wonderful clematis last weekend at some of the open gardens. I so envy people who are capable of building things.

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  7. Not that the great garden is anything to sneeze at, but that rounded rebar/metal gear combo and the metal gate left me so envious! Note to self: learn how to bend rebar.

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    1. Bend and weld! Or maybe you already know how to weld?

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    2. Note to self #2: learn how to weld....

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  8. Cathi LamoreuxJuly 12, 2016

    Beautiful! I keep buying clematis and wandering around the garden looking for a good spot rather than the other way around!

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    1. Ya, having the right place is the one thing that's holding me back. My husband wouldn't be so thrilled at a house covered in vines.

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  9. Love those clematis... and those enormous trees! They look fabulous after three years in a spot where trees rarely get past 30 ft!
    Just shows it's always great to work in one of those "only if there's time" candidates! Thanks for sharing it :)

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    1. I do take our huge old trees for granted here. Thank you for the reminder to stop and appreciate them.

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  10. Glad you decided to visit this great garden! I kind of wish that they were my neighbors so that I could hear those wind chimes!

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    1. I bet they are deep...unlike the cheap tin-ey ones one of my neighbors put up a few years back.

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  11. Fabulous! Lots of plant love and a good eye for design!

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    1. Indeed - and both of them (husband and wife) were involved!

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  12. This looks like the vision in my mind of a classic PNW garden. Even if it meant giving up many of my favorite Mediterranean plants, I think I could be very happy there.

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    1. Any chance a move may someday be in your future?

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    2. My husband and I've discussed it, although if we were to go north his preference would be the Seattle area as his brother lives on Vashon. If the election goes poorly, I may push for British Columbia.

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  13. Wow, so beautiful! Your photos capture the garden so well. Thanks for sharing.

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  14. Oh, those wind chimes are awesome, and the Clematises are so healthy and full. The property reminds me of one of our destinations at last year's Fling. Interesting that this wasn't one of your top choices and it turned out to be a favorite.

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    1. I can see that (Fling remembered). Are you going this year?

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  15. Immersed in Clematis as I am three days a week, they may soon be making inroads here. One drawback to weekend work is precious few opportunities for garden visits. Hence my heightened appreciation of your excellent reports. Thanks!

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    1. I may be seeking you out for Clematis advice, since you're becoming so familiar with them!

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  16. Diana LambJuly 16, 2016

    Hi, Diana and Colby here (owners). Sadly, we have decided to sell the property and move to a new adventure in Gates, OR. We will be listing it in the next month. If anyone has questions, email me at dlambgarden@gmail.com. Great photos BTW!!

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    1. Gosh, that will be hard won't it? To leave suck a beautiful established garden? Thank you for sharing it before you leave, and who knows - maybe some garden lover who saw this post will become the new owner? (fingers crossed)

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