Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Visiting Campiello Maurizio

One of the earliest local garden bloggers that I followed was Ann, aka the Amateur Bot-ANN-ist. Even though she was local, a fellow Portlander, I didn't cross paths with her until the first Garden Bloggers Fling I attended, in Seattle in 2011. I might have known she was going to be there, but I honestly don't remember. I do remember meeting her, face to face though, when Pam Penick introduced us the first morning as we were boarding the buses to head out for the day. Not long after that I was invited over to see her garden...

One of the initial things I noticed? She has the world's smallest hellstrip! Seriously.
It can't even be a foot wide...

Marrubium rotundifolium, you don't see that around here very often.

Ann, and her husband John, had a new fence built earlier this year, it's really changed the feel of the front garden.

Lots of new plants went in the ground before this weekend (Sept 9/10), Ann's first open garden for the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon and her fellow garden bloggers.

Paul Bonine, of Xera plants, mentioned Ann had considered tossing these cement cylinder planters — oh the horror! They're wonderful...

So why Campiello Maurizio?  In Ann's words: "My garden is named "Campiello Maurizio" after my late cat Maurice. A "campiello" is the Italian name for a typical little Venetian square. You will find them throughout the city, and they have been meeting places for the residents for generations. My campiello was Maurice's domain and his favorite place to sit."

Here's a glimpse back into the private garden, but before we can poke around back there we have to complete the tour of the front garden.

Spikes!

More of those wonderful cement cylinders.

Love this combination.

The long walk back, on the opposite side of the house from what we earlier saw.

Lovely Rhododendron sinogrande.

Ann also has a sweet spot for pink flamingos.

Every garden needs a place to nap.

Anemone x hybrida 'Honorine Jobert', I believe.

Cryptomeria japonica 'Spiraliter Falcata'

Ann recently tried her hand at kokedama, quite successfully too.

Perhaps Dahlia  'Cafe au Lait'?

This is — for me at least — is Ann's signature piece, the willow arbor in her back garden. Grown from tiny whips it's become a natural enclosure over the sitting area.

The trunks at the four corners have become rather substantial, gardening in the same location over time pays off!

Excellent use of black mondo grass.

The color scheme echoed in chairs nearby.

And the door to Ann's laboratory (aka the old garage)...

Ann must be rather disappointed I've made it this far into writing about her garden and not mentioned she's Italian, and proud of her heritage.

Looking back down the pathway we saw towards the beginning of this visit.

Ann's one of those lucky gardeners with a dedicated potting bench, which just may have been staged for the open garden visitors.

The final bit of garden, fairly recently reclaimed from chaos.

But now designed for relaxing.

And enjoying the plants! Thanks for opening your garden Ann, I'm sure you inspired your many visitors...

Weather Diary, Sept 25: Hi 69, Low 55/ Precip T

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

20 comments:

  1. OMG, I would kill (well, not a human, really, but I've certainly killed plenty of plants) for those cement cylinders. So glad she kept them. We had a swap at Ann's garden a few years ago, but she upped her game for this open, I think. It's looking so fabulous.

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    1. I was admiring those cylinders when Paul walked up next to me and said “you know she was going to get rid do those...” Ha! I almost screamed. They’re so good! And yes, she (and several friends) worked very hard preparing for this open. It showed!

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    2. I wasn't really going to get rid of those cylinders. I told him that but I meant from the area where they were. I love those things. He made them look great though and the other batch of them was organized by Vanessa.

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  2. That first image of the big tree and the porch is just a dream home/garden view. You are right about the cement cylinders. Love them and the black mondo grass and chairs. Between apples, pine cones and black walnuts we pretty much limit our seating to the deck. It's the only place where you won't get conked on the head. Love those seating areas she has but can only dream.

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    1. Oh! Being conked on the head. Is not relaxing, not at all...

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  3. Lots of interesting plants! I loved the potted cans lined up on the fence.

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    1. I meant to warn her about rust. I had a series of cans potted up on our patio table (years ago) and the left rust rings.

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  4. So much to love about this garden full of gret plants and interesting stuff! Ann's latest projects turned out really great. This garden seems very welcoming - sophisticated but not stuffy. How funny that you two Portland bloggers were introduced by a Texan in Seattle!

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    1. Sophisticated but not stuffy is the perfect descriptor!

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  5. Looks like such a nice space, and that Rhododendron sinogrande stopped my scrolling cold -- wow!

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  6. Marvelous, eclectic garden - I just loved the hellstrip!

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    1. I think I’d be tempted to go extreme and do the whole hell strip in Opuntia and Agaves....

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  7. Thank you for the meticulously organized walk around. Just what I like! I, too, am glad she kept the cylinders, and I want to steal a bit of her idea for showing off the black mondo grass. The willow arbor could solve my what to do problem with a corner I just cleared out...if I live long enough for it to knit together.

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    1. Wish you could have been there, you would have really enjoyed it. Happy to show it off.

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  8. Great appeal from the side walk; I love that skinny hell strip. It has a pretty disciplined color scheme with shades of black grays and greens. I'm going to shamelessly "borrow" from her use of black mondo grass.

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    1. I have to give my friend Vanessa the credit for the mondo grass idea. I had the pieces and she made sense of it all.

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  9. Love how she has reused the tin Cans. Don’t throw anything interesting away you might find a new use for them is my motto. Love the cement planters, great DYI’s.

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  10. It's all lovely but I really stopped in awe at the willow arbor. It looks so disciplined and lovely. I'd like to try something like that but I'm afraid the top would get away from me and it would look a mess. Thanks for the tour.

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  11. Our Italian friend really pulled it all together here (what an inspiration is an open garden). Many poachable ideas and I will definitely be on the lookout for Marrubium rotundiflorum.

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