Thursday, October 31, 2019

May you have an appropriately scary fun Halloween...

A few images of our Halloween decor. Some you've seen before, some is new. The paper decorations are vintage...

Hope you have a scary fun day full of treats, with maybe just a few good tricks.


Weather Diary, Oct 30: Hi 54, Low 31/ Precip 0

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

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

The the other pool with clam shells, at Lotusland

On Monday I shared photos of the Aloe Garden at Lotusland, complete with its fabulous clam shell fountains. But there's another pool at Lotusland with clam shells, and here they're on the beach...

The photo above was borrowed from the Lotusland website. I was so focused on the shells during my visit last April that I didn't get a great overall shot.

I always forget where exactly this pool is, and end up consulting a map. There it is in the orange circle, above the Fern Garden.

One side seems quite formal...

But the other side, well, not so much...

I love to come here and just stare at the shells and ask; "why?" Madame Ganna Walska was not one for half-measures. She must have had a vision and this was it. I just feel like there should be more. Or they shouldn't be so evenly distributed. I dunno. I'm still working this one out.

The wall behind the shells is pretty much perfect, with its random planting pockets full of dudleya and other succulents.

And I do appreciate there are a few shells turned over, so they're not all facing the same direction.

On Monday's post Hoover Boo commented: "The abalone pond is the quirkiest feature of Lotusland--seems like the most personal feature of a generally very elegant garden. Madame Walska must have been a hoot." She's referring to the pond in the Aloe Garden, and while it's definitely got its quirks, for me this wins the title of quirkiest. I do agree however, Madame Walska must have been a hoot.

Weather Diary, Oct 29: Hi 47, Low 34/ Precip 0

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

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

The Fern Garden, at Lotusland

Unfortunately I don't seem to ever give myself enough time to properly explore the Fern Garden at Lotusland. Even when I had the whole day there, as I did last April, I still ended up running through this part of the property.

It's a shame, as it's a beautiful space with lovely specimens. From the website: "Lotusland’s original Fern Garden was designed in 1968 around Madame Walska’s collection of Australian tree ferns (Sphaeropteris cooperi). It features giant staghorn ferns (Platycerium) hanging from the branches of coast live oak trees (Quercus agrifolia) as well as different types of tree ferns under-planted with many other fern species and Begonia species and cultivars."

Tree ferns are definitely high on the list of things I wish I could grow.

A bird's-nest fern large enough for a small human to nest in?

Now that's a staghorn fern!

Just a few more dreamy tree fern photos...

Weather Diary, Oct 28: Hi 56, Low 33/ Precip 0

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

Monday, October 28, 2019

The Aloe Garden, at Lotusland

According to the Lotusland website there are more than 140 kinds of aloes in the Aloe Garden.

While I enjoy wandering the paths and admiring the aloes I find the pool and clam shell fountains are my main draw to this part of the garden.

From the website: "A shallow kidney-shaped pool, dating from when Erastus and Marie Gavit owned the property (1915 – 1939), is one of Lotusland’s most recognizable features. Madame Walska converted it into a white-bottomed “abalone shell pond” with two large cascading fountains of giant clam shells. The brick pathways here are also from the Gavit era, and a row of Chilean wine palms (Jubaea chilensis), also dating to the estate’s earliest days"

Okay, on to the aloes...

My visit was last April, several aloes were in bloom...but since I'm aloe-ignorant you'll get no ID from me.

And we're back at the abalone shell pool...

I love its over the top, "why the hell not" nature.

I would definitely have a clam shell fountain in my garden, if I had a pond, and giant clam shells. Would you?

Time to make my exit...

One last look back.

Weather Diary, Oct 27: Hi 59, Low 33/ Precip 0

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