Tuesday, February 20, 2018

The Outlaw's Hellstrips...

Wednesday February 7th, on our way up to Seattle for the NWFG Festival, we stopped in Tacoma for lunch — and so Andrew could take a peek at the excellent used book offerings there. Meanwhile I zipped over to the Outlaw's place to drop of Alison's branches (I failed as a friend to get them all the way to her, but I got them nine tenths of the way there). Naturally my camera was in hand and I snapped a few photos of the public areas of the Outlaw's garden. Holy Agave ovatifolia!

Peter had suggested I step up on his porch to view the Tetrapanax buds that are (were?) still threatening to bloom. They really are amazing, I wonder if they'll make it unscathed through this cold snap?

My camera accidentally took another shot of the garden to the north (? I think) of the front porch...

And it peeked through the gate to check on the Schefflera delavayi.

But then it remembered its manners and went back to photographing the public spaces...

You know, since the Outlaw wasn't home to welcome us into the private parts (hmm....)...

Daphne odora (I think), about to burst open and fill the air with its lovely fragrance.

This vignette made me all sorts of giddy. Poncirus trifoliata backed by golden grasses.

The same grass with Euphorbia wulfenii and Melianthus major, Peter and Tom's beautiful home in the background.

This Arctostaphylos had me week in the knees.

Peter do you know which one it is?

Lonicera fragrantissima

The trunk of Aralia spinosa (?)

The tassels on his Garrya elliptica were so magical. I had to unwind these to take a photo as the wind had tangled them up.

How nice is it that he shares the shocking yellow beauty of his Pinus contorta var. latifolia 'Chief Joseph' with the whole neighborhood?

Some might lock this beauty away behind a fence, not Peter...

Way back in the fall of 2013 several of us garden bloggers met up at Peter's house — in the wee morning hours — and then headed north for a jaunt around the Olympic Peninsula. We visited Valley Nursery, Heronswood, Celestial Dream Gardens, Far Reaches Farm and The Desert Northwest. Before we left his place Peter happened to point out this plant, Lomatia tinctoria. I was smitten and picked one up at Far Reaches later that day. It's since become a favorite. Thank you Peter!

Look at all that magic ahead! Peter is lucky to have an extra wide hellstrip bordering the long side of his property.

It's a foliage fantasy!

With a healthy dose of flowers mixed in.

And a Paulownia tomentosa that's allowed to flower and set those amazing seed pods.

Let's not forget the stained glass accents.

They definitely let a passer-by know an artist lives here.

Bamboo and Tetrapanax fighting it out for supremacy.

Oh! He's got that new Mahonia, M. 'Soft Caress'! (inside joke)...

I think this is my favorite photo of all that I took that day. I am quite jealous of his healthy Euphorbia stygiana...

Cupressus arizonica ‘Blue Ice’ (?)

It's such a pleasure to stroll around the public parts of Outlaw's Garden.

Aren't his neighbor's lucky?

Weather Diary, Feb 19: Hi 40, Low 30/ Precip 0 — ha! a 30 F low when 19-23 had been forecast, I'll take it!

All material © 2009-2018 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

20 comments:

  1. Peter's neighbors are very lucky to have such a magnificent garden in their neighborhood. I saw a couple of those Hellebores in passing when I was there on Friday to pick the branches up, so they have now made it ten-tenths of the way to their destination. But it was too cold for me to do any exploring, so I really appreciate you pointing out what I didn't have the fortitude to see.

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    1. Glad the branches are home and I can't wait to see what you do with them.

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  2. If I'd been thinking, I could have left a hidden key to the gate so that you could have explored the private parts. hmmm. Not sure which Arctostaphylos that is. It's the one that sometimes gets variegated leaves but the new red growth is always really stunning. It came from Xera Plants a few years before they opened their retail space. Had to cut it way back last year as it was growing into the street. Putting Chief Joseph outside of the fence was mostly because there's not a lot of sunny space inside anymore. Yes, Cupressus arizonica ‘Blue Ice’. Thanks for finding some beauty in my beastly winter garden.

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    1. Some beauty?! Ya, I had to look really hard. (not) Evan thinks the Arctostaphylos might be A. pajaroensis, probably 'Warren Roberts'...and no worries about the key, I would have tested Andrew's patience (timewise) had I been able to explore the whole garden.

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  3. I love seeing these images of the exterior of the house. Plus what great paint colors.

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    1. Can you imagine the time it would take to paint all those details?!

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  4. You made great use of that quick "zip" by Peter's place! I'm sure you just wanted to ensure that Andrew got sufficient time at the bookstores...Thanks for sharing a broader view of Peter's garden.

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  5. I love Peter's exuberant garden. I think that Arctostaphylos is A. pajaroensis, probably 'Warren Roberts'? Your favorite photo is fantastic. I like the other one with the Tetrapanax and bamboo, too.

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    1. Ya the bamboo/Tetrapanax grove is pretty wonderful. Thanks for the Arcto ID, if I discover room in my garden I'd love to plant that one.

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  6. what a beautiful array of images from Outlawville!

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    1. "Outlawville"...a theme park for gardeners!

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  7. Foliage fantasy, indeed! And blooms just ready to burst forth with spring. Awesome peeks at the public (and a few cheating "private" ;-) ) highlights of the Outlaw Garden.

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    1. Maybe someday there will be a "Fling" in Tacoma and everyone can visit the Outlaw's garden...

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  8. Maybe because I'm a lover of conifers, my favorite picture is that of Cupressus arizonica ‘Blue Ice’. I saw the garden last summer, when Peter had an open house. It's a whole new garden in winter.

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    1. It is an entirely different, yet still quite beautiful, garden. I'm so glad you got to see it in person!

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  9. The OG is an amazing, if somewhat modest, plantsman. The number and kinds of plant genera he roams through is incredible.

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  10. A different perspective than we usually see via Peter. Interesting how different things catch another's eye. Really stunning to see so many lovely plants and what a great Victorian!

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  11. Well done, Peter! I like the plants and the stained glass.

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  12. Peter hardly ever shows these parts of his garden, so thank you! I'm actually surprised to see lawn.

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