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.

15 comments:

  1. I've never seen a baby plant like that on one of my Agave yuccifolium. Are you going to break it off eventually and pot it up? I don't like 'Jade Frost' either! A couple of years ago I dug up a couple intending to pot them up and give them away at one of the swaps, and then I ended up being so lazy, I just let them die. Isn't that awful of me? I hope they still have those whale's tongue Agaves next month.

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    1. Yes I will probably try to grow in the Eryngium baby, but in the ground. And those Agave ovatifolia are quite large, FYI...

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  2. "Is there anything better than a fabulous nursery under a blue blue sky?" Yes there is. A fabulous nursery under a blue sky that you can drive to in under 2 hours. (I might be able to make it to Cistus in 2 days of solid driving...)

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  3. Thanks for that fun day! We must do it again sometime. Cistus is such an amazing nursery. Wait, did you say ferns are the new succulents? What?

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  4. Calycanthus occidentalis does unfortunately want a bit more moisture and humidity, like right along the coast. Well, unfortunate unless you think that bicolor look is kind of cool, like I do! Rosa moyesii does have beautiful hips. I must admit, I even like the flowers on that one.

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    1. I do think it 's terribly cool, but crunchy flowers just seem kind of wrong somehow.

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  5. Your enthusiasm for Cistus is evident in every photo! I hope I can visit it in person one day.

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  6. Yummy to say the least. We have some nice nurseries but nothing really that compares with the options in the PNW. You guys garden and shop in paradise.


    in heaven

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  7. Ferns are the new succulents: I wouldn't mind that if you can find me some ferns that are happy in the hot dry shade.

    Furcraea vs. agave: I think it's a Furcraea foetida 'Mediopicta'. Please let us know what Sean says.

    Cistus is looking gooooood. Wish it were as easy for me to pop over as it is for you :-)

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    1. I do have a couple of dry-loving ferns out in the front garden. They've done great this summer. Sean planted a few at the Berkeley Botanical Garden...

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  8. whenever i go to Cistus, I get carried away by the same fantasy: I live there and sleep in a hammock in the greenhouse and have fabulous summer time parties...*sigh*...Love that place.

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