Friday, November 4, 2016

Visiting Wild Ginger Farm

Last August, during the Farwest Show weekend, some friends and I hit a couple of "new to me" nurseries. How fabulous is it that after 11 years in Portland there are still nurseries in the area that I haven't visited? Of course these are a little further out than the general metro area but still, not that far...

Today I'm sharing images from Wild Ginger Farm: "Our specialties include alpine, rock garden, select Western native and woodland plants. We grow many hard-to-find perennials from around the world, offering the adventurous gardener a diverse selection of interesting and uncommon plants."

Even though I hadn't visited the nursery I have shopped their plants at our HPSO plant sales, and I'd spoke with co-owner Truls Jensen when writing a story on crevice gardens for Digger Magazine. I knew their plants to be outstanding and Truls to be a genuinely nice fellow with amazing plant knowledge.

The nursery (which also appears to be the owner's home) had a small, but wonderful, display garden showcasing their plants.

While I expected to see things like this...

I didn't expect this (Podophyllum 'Spotty Dotty')...

Or this...

Or this! Still, what do you expect from plant people, the good ones love them all.

Asplenium scolopendrium, I believe...

This cutie is named Lucy.

There were carnivorous plants bordering the stream...

I loved this part of the garden.

Now it's time to shop!

Notice the arching wands of Dierama (aka Angel's Fishing Rod)...

A close-up of the seeds.

The Saxifraga section was of particular interest to me, I love these little beauties.

Sadly I wasn't on my game as far as tracking names of the individual Saxifraga plants that day.

Clematis tibetana...

With its puffy seed-heads! This was fun to see, mine usually forms these so late in the season the rain makes a mess of them.

Ah the lovely fragrance! (I was careful to not end up with orange pollen on my nose)

Graptopetalum paraguayense

Eucomis (I didn't manage to get the specific species name)

Mimulus aurantiacus 'Firewalker'

So many places to explore...

Cautleya 'Songbird'

Cautleya 'Shangri-La' foliage (the back side)

Cautleya 'Shangri-La' flower...say it with me now...why didn't I buy this one!?

I didn't see a label on this but loved the center growth. I think it's a Primula?

Lovely Lewisia

Who doesn't love a big bowl filled with Sempervivum?

Or a nice trough planting? Wild Ginger Farm did not dissapoint!

Here's what I had to have, well...what I bought at least. I wanted oh so much more! Clockwise starting with the thinnest leaves: Saxifraga crustata, S. 'Lantoscana Suberba' and S. cartilaginea. I've been thinking on where I could plant a Cautleya 'Shangri-La' or two. I suspect the next time I see Wild Ginger at a plant sale I will make the purchase...

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

21 comments:

  1. While I can't grow most of these in my climate, your post make me realize that I could garden just about anywhere because there are enough cool plants in the world to keep me engaged.

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  2. Going through photos after-the-fact often spurs that "why didn't I buy" question for me too. I can see why you went for the Saxifragas. I love those plants but they're pretty much un-growable here.

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    1. They are such fabulous plants, a little on the pricey side but most of them do really well for me.

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  3. Nice....I love that place. They have amazing plants and such a charming nursery. I'd go any time (hint hint)!!

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  4. That 'Shangri la' looks suspiciously just like Cautleya spicata. It is gorgeous in fall bloom, and there's a whole hillside of it up in the Asian garden above the pond at the UC Berkeley Botanic Garden. Multiplies quickly, but my experience using it in garden designs has been it's a dud unless it gets enough sun to allow it to bloom. Full shade equals just foliage :-(

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    1. Good to know, as I ponder where I could plant one.

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  5. Love the big planted bowl! I Need to check out the nurseries near me that I have never been to, or haven't written about. I tend to favor a few and ignore others.

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    1. It's good to get out and see new things!

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  6. What fun to visit a new nursery! I've ordered online from them. Now I want to plant a big bowl of Semps.

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    1. To bad you're not down here this weekend Alison, you could buy a big bowl at Bob Hyland's sale and then go over to Xera and buy the Semps!

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  7. Wow. So much great stuff. That saxifrage section would have had me whipping out my credit card without bothering to check hardiness. Just stellar!

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    1. Luckily they're all pretty hardy. Come to town and do a little shopping!

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  8. Nice place, great selections! Thanks for the tour and view of what are, here, exotic plants.

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  9. Oh the succulent bowl! I always seek out their booth at the Clackamas Co. Master Gardener show. I'll have to look closer at the saxifrage collection :)

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    1. They are amazing plants Jennifer. With this purchase I've got 10 of them, I think I could easily double that.

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  10. You must have been in heaven! Sempervivums I have, and Saxifraga I might just be able to manage. Most of those other lovelies are beyond me (and my climate). By coincidence (and I just wrote a post about coincidences), I came across your excellent crevice garden story while research a post I'll be writing about crevice gardens! I intend to link to it, and will give you link love at the same time.

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    1. Thanks so much Helen, I appreciate the kind words. It still kind of freaks me out when people I know read things that I've wrote. Not the blog, but things where I'm supposed to be knowledgeable.

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  11. How fun to find a new to you nursery! I share your fondness for Saxifraga. Those things are tough as nails, even growing in my niece's Alaska garden. You got some beauties!

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