Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Catching up with an old favorite...

Where does time go? I mean really. I swear I drove by this garden not too long ago and those Yucca rostrata were not anywhere near this tall, it's like they've grown two feet since I saw them last.

Does the garden look familiar? Back when I knew the owners, and Lila and I still took long walks, I was by here all the time. Then the house sold, twice, and Lila didn't get much more than around the block, if that.

The timing of this visit—don't let that sun fool you, it was FRIGID when I took these pictures—had me thinking back to 2009 when I visited during another cold snap (here). This current walk-by occurred last Wednesday, pre-weekend snow.

This massive blooming Arctostaphylos is about to take over their driveway, I bet the hummingbirds love it, although none were out on this cold day.

The Melianthus is a fun addition, and it doesn't seem at all bothered by the cold.

Do you like the look of the untrimmed Yucca rostrata trunks? I'm not sure I do. Then again maybe I'm just biased because mine are trimmed. This is certainly less work!

I have vague memories of this Eucalyptus being damaged in a winter storm. If so It's recovered nicely.

I do remember those Opuntia pads flopped over from the cold one year, and many broken off.

It looks quite nice these days.

Looks like there is some Opuntia flopping happening behind the Arctostaphylos.

Take a good look at that Euphorbia between the two Yucca, I'm going to reference it again at the end of this post.

This Agave is recovering from previous damage quite nicely. Although you can see the new growth hasn't quite achieved the size of the old (the lower, longer, leaves).

Happy Agave parryi.

And pups.

Love the colored up Mahonia.

And this pair of Y. rostrata too, of course.

Looking at the hellstrip plants...

The biggest Cylindropuntia to be seen for miles.

Yucca linearifolia, I think? It looks like there was some pruning done nearby that's exposed it a bit more than it's used to.

These Euphorbia rigida look about like mine.

But remember that earlier one I showed you? I'm reminded of a post I did last spring "Euphorbia rigida, never the same plant twice" so strange!

Okay, I was getting cold, time to walk on.

I so wanted to move those hideous containers, they are the thorn in the side of many a Portland garden photographer!

Weather Diary, Feb 11: Hi 46, Low 37/ Precip .61"

All material © 2009-2019 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

24 comments:

  1. How nice to see a beautiful garden maintained by new owners. So often it's either removed and returned to grass or completely ignored. Fun for you to see how it has evolved over time.

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    1. I've watched so many gardens be plowed under for lawn, such a sad thing! Oddly within a year or two many of them then rip out the lawn to replant a garden. It's cycle...

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  2. Luckily our city garbage/recycling cans are dark green!

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    1. It's like the city tried to come up with the most annoyingly FAKE plastic colors possible. I hate those cans so much.

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  3. Yay. Properly documented. So happy to see this. Do you know which Manzanita that is? So beautiful. Lovely post.

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    1. Not sure which one you're referring to but I got an ID of Arctostaphylos viscida for one of them on FB.

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  4. I rather like the untrimmed Yucca rostrata trunks. So nice to see how this garden is maturing. I have a lot of neighbors who leave their containers out at the street all the time. I try to at least tuck the recycling ones back in a certain out-of-sight spot once they've been collected. The yard waste ones get used so much they're always being moved around the garden.

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    1. I have those neighbors as well. THEY DRIVE ME CRAZY!

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  5. The blooming Arctostaphylos is absolutely wonderful. If only I had the space, I love everything about them, especially a well pruned one that shows off branch stucture.
    Oh, and my vote goes to the trimmed trunks; I prefer the "well kept" look.

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  6. Good to see this garden again, full of great plants and not covered in snow. I like Yucca rostrata both ways. More dramatic/handsome trimmed but the shaggy look is a bit like a friendly shaggy dog.

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    1. I'm trying to think of a Y. rostrata in your garden and I'm coming up empty. Do you have one?

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    2. I have two tiny ones out front in one of the parking strips. It'll be years until they start to show any trunk.

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  7. I was just thinking that those rosatas had on their winter coats. I think I like the trimmed look but these will be warmer in this weather.

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    1. They do look like a warming layer, not really needed here, but once you trim there's no going back.

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  8. The untrimmed yucca look a bit like wooly Muppets. I wonder since this is their natural state, there might be a reason/benefit. I expect there is a veritable treasure trove of invertebrates coexisting within. Good bat habitat, too.

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    1. Yes indeed, whenever I trim a section of browning leaves off my Y. rostrata I'm guaranteed to find a whole cast of characters, spiders and earwigs mainly.

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  9. I would never have guessed that Cylindropuntia could grow so well without protection in Portland. I am rooting a piece from my family's property in TX, which I hope will be happy planted under the south eaves here in Seattle.

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    1. Personally I've not had much success, but I think this one gets the right amount of baking southern exposure with lots of asphalt to pump up the heat.

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  10. They have some nice touches there. I really like the Euphorbia patch, and wow--the Manzanita is huge. Yes, I'll bet on a warmer day the hummingbirds go crazy for it. I really don't have a preference re: the Yucca rostrata. It's not hardy here, but I can imagine it either way, depending on the style of the garden and its placement in a garden. This is a lovely garden, though.

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    1. I happened to meet the guy who planted it YEARS ago quite by accident one day. That was fun.

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  11. The success of Yucca rostrata in your area never ceases to amaze me. Do they like cold? It's always surprised me that I almost never see the plants in local garden centers here and, when I do, they're in huge containers with exorbitant price tags.

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    1. I don't think you could accurately say they like cold, but they are from the desert SW where nighttime temps can plummet in the winter, so they can deal with it. For the record it's rare to see them in mainstream nurseries here, they're typically a specialty nursery item.

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  12. How heartening to see a garden continuing to be well maintained through multiple owners.
    rickii

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