Friday, July 28, 2017

Favorites for the end of July: we're heading to the north side...

I don't remember where I was, or whom I was talking to, but I was recently singing the praises of Adiantum venustum, aka Himalayan maidenhair fern. They thought it too delicate too precious...I tried to convince them it was anything but...

Way back in October of 2011 I wrote about my experience planting a Mahonia × media ‘Charity’, on the north side of our house, next to the neighbor's driveway. The post included several photos of those ferns, back when they were first planted — from a 4" pot — tiny babies, just specks in the gravel! My work that day was a comedy of errors — but that was almost 6 years ago. In the mean time everything has grown and amazingly, I haven't changed up these plantings at all, it's a great experiment in just letting things get on with virtually no interference from the gardener. Here's a photo of how they look now...

And then...


Ha! Can you even?

And it's not like these things are spoiled. I water them only when I realize how hot and dry it's been. Out of sight out of mind?

I originally planted a pair of Hakonechloa, but one of them was a little too exposed to the evening sun and ended up sulking with the extra rays and lack of water. This one's fine...

The sulking one was replaced by a Leucothoe fontanesiana 'Rainbow', which is doing great.

The Mahonia fortunei 'Curlyque' got a bit knocked back by winter. Ice build-up broke a few stems and it lost a couple feet of height.

Thankfully the plant as a whole couldn't have cared less.

The Angustifolia’ Hart’s Tongue Fern definitely has stayed compact, the Adiantum want to swallow it.

Then there's the Mahonia × media ‘Charity’ it was so small when I planted it! Now...

Then...(2011)...

It's a bit prickly to be planted so close to the neighbor's drive, and we like our neighbors! Then again we back into our driveway, better to step out onto your own property (the edges of our driveways are the property line).

At the end of the thin stretch of "north-side land" was an ugly wooden fence...no more! Now it's nothin but foliage...

The rest of my garden changes so frequently (plants in, plants out), I love having this time capsule of almost 6 years undisturbed growth. Once again (just because I can!)... now...

And then...


Moving towards the front garden we must stop and admire our rebuilt ($3,000 later) chimney...who knew it was on the verge of falling over?....

And look! That little volunteer Sedum is still going. Happy happy.

The Fatsia japonica has put on a lot of growth too...it barely met the 8th run of bricks back in 2011, now look at it!

Funny the window blockage isn't as bad as it looks, when viewed from the inside.

And I like it's legginess.

The bloodgrass at the far NE corner of the house gets great early morning and evening light.

I'm tempted to take this end-of-month "love-fest" out into the front garden but really, do we have time for that? No. No we do not.

Let's just pause to admire the Rhamnus frangula (Fine Line Buckthorn)...

And look back at the subjects of this month-end "favorites"...what are you admiring at the end of July? Please tell us about it...

Weather Diary, July 27: Hi 78, Low 59/ Precip 0 (day 40, no rain)

All material © 2009-2017 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

27 comments:

  1. I don't actually have any favorites, I'm still trying to play catch-up in my garden from my year of doing nothing. But I had to say this combo of plants in north side shade is inspiring. I have a north side that collects nothing but junk because I never thought anything would thrive there with so little light. I may be changing my tune. Unfortunately, any plants there will have to share with our air conditioner and our trash and yard waste barrels.

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    1. Funny I would have guessed that side of your house was the south side. Glad to provide a little inspiration!

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  2. That's an impressive amount of growth in the northlands! Adiantum venustum is such an awesome spreader and seems to thrive where other plants fear to go and it's evergreen. Who could ask for anything more?

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    1. Right!? Have you ever cut it completely back in the spring? Richie Steffen advised it in a talk I went to. I don't think I have the guts to do it.

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  3. Some of my best looking plants are growing on the north side of the house. Love Adiantum pedatum so I'll have to look for venustum. Last night I spent a few minutes in my garden for the first time in almost a week. Although it may seem a bit pedestrian, I have a Joe Pye Weed Eupatorium, or I guess now Eutrochium purpureum(why do they keep changing the latin on me?) taller than me. I'm pretty sure it's the cultivar 'Baby Joe' but it's no baby. All I could do was stare.

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    1. There's a huge stand of one of the Joe Pye's at a local-ish nursery. The first time I saw it I was blown away, so I get it!

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  4. That maidenhair fern was a great filler in my old (shady and more well-watered) garden. You've tempted me to try it again, even though I've come to the general conclusion that all ferns hate it here, but I'll wait until the start of our rainy season to experiment. Your Mahonia 'Charity' has me a little scared - the one I planted last year is zooming upward a bit faster than I anticipated. And now that I've embraced red foliage, that bloodgrass is very tempting but may be too thirsty for my conditions.

    Re the Alternanthera, I thought that might be the same one you picked up at Merrifield's. I hadn't seen it here before but it magically appeared earlier this month. In the case of this genus, the flowers are the only things I DON"T like about these plants.

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    1. These ferns really don't get much water from me, they might be okay in your garden! As for the Alternanthera flowers, it never occurred to me to wonder what they were like, so I just looked them up. Ya, not great. Have you actually had them flower?

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  5. That looks really really good, with your signature tidiness adding to it. Lots of good texture.

    When you end up with too many Tillandsias, they would have a nice summering spot tucked into the Fatsia's "Y"s.

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    1. Hmm...tempting, but I'd never get to see them (the Tillandsia). On the other hand I do have another Fatsia over by the driveway...

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  6. Looks wonderful, Loree. Although I was aware of Adiantum venustum, I became completely devoted to it after seeing it in the woodland gardens of north Salem during the Plant Study Weekend last year. Your application proves how versatile the plant is. Love it!

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    1. Well now you've got me wanting to look back over my Salem photos. I still have so many of those gardens left to write about!

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  7. I love looking back at pictures to see how an area has changed. My problem is leaving stuff put long enough for it to really take off.

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  8. I love that fern and agree it is not as delicate as it looks. But yours takes the cake!

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  9. Ferns are so resilient, I've forgotten to water so many times and they've bounced back every time. Cutting some to the ground and they renew their growth. Now if only I could train my cat not to use the tree fern trunks as a scratching post!

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    1. Oh my...I bet that makes quite the mess, and isn't good for the plants.

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  10. My favorite right now is easy: Agave 'Arizona Star'. It was put into a bigger pot this year and has a new spot, and it has responded! When you said "North Side" I thought "chimney?", so I'm glad to see the volunteer sedum still there! :) How did it survive a rebuild? ??

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    1. The chimney didn't come all the way down (thank god). Just to a little below the roofline.

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  11. Oh, I took the plunge with an Adiantum this summer knowing full well that if it dries out for 5 minutes it's DOA. Your success is encouraging !

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    1. And so far so good for you? Updates please!

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  12. my favorite this month is my Hoya Kerrii - enjoying it's summer outside and having been freed from the dove's nest. It's my equivalent of a shade plant! Your ferns are gorgeous, and would take one look at my desert and die just to get out!

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  13. So great when plants follow orders, like your ferns and mahonia. They look supremely happy on the north side!

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  14. I'm so glad you posted these pictures: I just love before and after themes and marvel at the progress plant make in just a few years. I always hesitate to buy maidenhair fern because it looks so delicate... I must give it a try.

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  15. I LOVE the blood grass. I want to try that. I did try the forest grass, and liked it. Sadly the rabbits loved it the most.

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  16. Late to the party (catching up on old news!) ... but wanted to chime in that Adiantum venustum is in my top 5 ground covers at the moment. Sun, shade, water, no water, it's happy. And so beautiful with its deceptively dainty looks. That whole side looks great -- lucky neighbors!

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