Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Wednesday Vignette, who needs boxwood?

Who needs boxwood or any of the other "standard" hedging plants? Tomatoes...now that's the best hedge of all. At least in the summertime...

I should have gotten a close up of the mouth-wateringly ripe fruit, there was plenty of it.

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, August 30, 2016

Sometimes we just need a little extra support...

I'm always on the lookout for easy trellis ideas. If not easy then at least innovative, something that gets my wheels turning. While I appreciate the creative "pot and piece" stacking here it's not really my style.

But it's something I can build upon, and make my own. I'm still not exactly sure how, but I'm enjoying thinking about it. And I love the idea of a grid panel hanging from a horizontal piece.

In the same garden (the Eckerdt garden —  Deerly Missed — part of the Salem Study Weekend, full post yet to come) was this great re-purposed lampshade / plant cage. I think I might have taken all the fabric off, but maybe they're enjoying seeing how long it takes to decompose?

The plant being protected is an Oak, Quercus robur 'General Pulaski'.

Maybe it's because of my background in lighting (and memories of sweet old ladies who needed to replace their disintegrating silk lampshades and were overwhelmed by the choices) but this just makes me smile.

Another garden we toured that weekend (Schreiner, yes...a future blog post) used this simple rebar design...

I really like this one and need to shop it around to someone capable of welding.

Such a small footprint but rocketing skyward,...

Looks like it has other uses besides holding up your vines...

One more design, this borrowed from gardenista.com. I don't think I would use bamboo and twine but maybe. Ideas are percolating....

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

Monday, August 29, 2016

Yes, what he said!

My friend Peter (aka the Outlaw) recently wrote a series of blog posts about his visit to Portland in early August, including one with many sexy photos from Cistus Nursery (see that here). We visited several nurseries that day but my camera stayed in my bag, I just didn't feel like being a blogger (it does happen, occasionally). Well that was until we got to Cistus. I just can't visit Cistus and not take photos!

Peter wrote about his early days of his visiting the nursery, reading his words took me back to the first time I visited this horticultural wonderland. I'd heard about the nursery but wouldn't let myself visit until we bought a house (we rented for our first year in Portland while house hunting). Once I did visit, oh my! It was magical. I felt like I had been transported to another world, a feeling I still get every time I pull into the parking lot, where these first few photos were taken.

I thought this was some crazy-cool bi-colored Calycanthus until I touched the flower. Those are crispy petals...

I've never met an Eryngium I don't adore, well except for maybe that Eryngium planum 'Jade Frost', I don't care for that one.

I missed the bloom!

I think it's a Beschorneria, and still quite fabulous, even in decay.

Didn't think to get a name on the blooming Aloe...

Agave ovatifolia, perhaps 'Frosty Blue'...

Did you know ferns are the new succulents? (sorry, I'm still determined on that one...)

Is there anything better than a fabulous nursery under a blue blue sky? No. No there is not.

Yucca rostrata and friends.

Hesperaloe parviflora 'Yellow'

Lyonothamnus floribundus, Catalina ironwood.

Vitis vinifera 'Purpurea

Libertia ixioides 'Taupo Blaze'

Forgot to take a pic of the label so I can't tell you which Astelia this is!

If you could skip the blooms and go right to the hips...

Well then I might just need to grow this rose!

Peter and I toured through a few of the production houses, so many treasures lurking within...

Like this!

At first I thought it was a Furcraea but now that I look at it again I'm thinking Agave? Whatever it is...

These little bulbils are forming on the stem of the bloom.

Which reminds me to show you this, in my garden...

A baby Eryngium agavifolium forming on a bloom stem. I occasionally get baby plants from seed that falls to the ground but this is a first for me, plants are so cool!

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

Friday, August 26, 2016

August Favs...but wait, how is this the last Friday of August!!!???

So this is it, the last Friday in August. What the, really? Around these parts — and since we don't have kids (no "back to school")  September is still very much summer, so I'm not quite in panic mode yet...

As is my tradition for the last Friday of the month I'm gonna share a few favorites. Funny most of these are in the shady parts of the garden. Ya, it's been hot here the last couple of weeks (finally). First we're taking a look at that small variegated Farfugium...

I love it! Picked up at Cistus Nursery recently, here it is still at the nursery — or rather I think that was a couple of plants  when I was holding the beauty contest to see which one got to come home with me...

The Cistus description: "Farfugium japonicum 'Argenteum — an evergreen form in cultivation for many years though never common, this slow grower for dappled shade and moist soil produces 6-8" delicately rounded leaves streaked dark green and white. Great plant for containers or to add brightness to a shade spot. Frost hardy and evergreen to mid USDA zone 8; regrows in spring with mulch in zone 7."

I don't really feel like "streaked dark green and white" convays the magic happening on those leaves. The Joy Creek Nursery description does a little bit better job: "The 10-inch cupped leaves of Farfugium japonicum 'Argenteum' are very thick and have irregular cream white margins and some blue green streaks in their centers. Their undersides and the surfaces of young leaves are coated in fine hairs. The purple stems are woolly. Yellow daisy-like flowers late in the season." Ugh! Those damn yellow "daisy-like" flowers!!!

It's in a container still because I'm scheming on a new planting area which I'll probably do in the fall. That Ligularia to it's left will be part of it too. Moving on to the next "fav" see that dramatically variegated Aspidistra at the bottom of this shot?...

It was a gift from the Outlaw a last year and I couldn't decide where exactly to plant it, thus it's living in a container too. I'm hopeful it can be a part of the future shade planting alluded to above.

Aspidistra elatior 'Variegata' is hardy in USDA Zones 7-10, wants part sun to shade (mine is in bright shade) and even moisture. It should get those strange ground level flowers someday.

Next I want to talk about that purple business, in the green hanging planter. I think it might go by the name Tradescantia zebrina var. purpusii?

I bought it in a 4" pot simply labeled "annual"...it's one of those "grandma" plants that I used to run from, but this year looked at with fresh eyes. I needed something that would contrast with the odd green of the ceramic pot and not mind being in the shade.

Although the sun does hit the leaves every so often and really light them up — the back sides even sparkle.

And for only $1.99 it's performed marvelously! (and it's grown A LOT) Heck I might even take cuttings and call it a houseplant over the winter, we shall see.

Next up is another gift from Peter (aka the Outlaw) Strobilanthes gossypinus...

I first saw this plant at the NWFG Show last February and immediately had a bad case of plant lust. I never expected it to be fulfilled so soon! Peter was kind enough to grab one for me at a spring plant sale where Dan Hinkley's Windcliff Plants were for sale. Dan's description: "Sensational evergreen species from South Africa is sadly only appropriate for container culture in our region, but long lived and easy to overwinter in a cool, bright location.  Spidery webbed leaves in tones of mercury possess a near iridescent like quality in the waning light of evening.  Full sun and even moisture"

I think it partners very nicely with the Rhododendron pachysanthum I recently purchased from Gossler Farms nursery.

One more "fav" to talk about...Aeschynomene fluitans (Giant Sensitive Fern).

Early in the spring I started to get another bad case of red algae bloom in the stock tank and purchased several water hyacinth to help combat the problem. They did a great job put I never have really like the look of them so finally gathered them all up and tossed 'em a few weeks ago. I was yearning for another of the Giant Sensitive Fern (last year was my first year growing it, but it died over the winter) and was lucky enough to score one at Portland Nursery on Division St.

The foliage on it's long ropey arms is what I love about this plant...

Eventually yellow pea-like flowers will bloom and black pods might follow. Plus it's a very fast grower. Both good things...

So those are a few of the plants I'm loving in my August garden, what about you???

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