Thursday, December 10, 2020

Visiting the garden of another Portland agave lover...(Part 1)

I believe this may be the third time I've visited my friend Linda Callahan's garden, but it's the first time I've actually taken photos to do a blog post... finally!

Of course I wanted to press pause and start snapping photos the very first time I stopped by, but when you start talking and walking, taking photos just slips your mind.

Okay I lie, it never actually slips my mind, but it takes a back seat. This visit I decided to finally make photos a priority.

The date was November 8th, and I can say with confidence the garden looked just as amazing as if I was visiting on a summer day. Of course before we go any further I have to point out those adorable barrel cactus in the window. How cute are they?

So this bad boy, isn't it gorgeous? Unfortunately I can't tell you which agave it is because it came unlabeled, but it's pretty fabulous (and I got a pup!).

Here we have the ultra-sexy combination of the dark mahogany bark of an arctostaphylos, with the red leaf margins of an Agave 'Blue Glow'...

In front there is a Yucca pallida, the remaining one of what used to be a pair, the white rocks are what's left of a successful cat deterrent (and much nicer than my kitty skewers).

This stunner is a pup of an agave we'll look at in a minute, on the other side of the driveway.

Agave parryi and Agave bracteosa.

There's also a sweet Tetrapanax working it's magic in the front garden, you may have seen it in the previous photos? It's that perfect height, making a statement but where you can still really get a good look at the leaves. 

Spikes!

We've walked up the drive now and are very near the front of the house. Agave ovatifolia 'Frosty Blue'.

Agave parryi and I think a Dasylirion wheeleri.

You probably spotted the Yucca rostrata in an earlier photo, it needed a close-up.

If you page back up to the beginning of this post you'll see just how small Linda's front garden is, yet we're still looking at the plants to the right of the driveway, how is that even possible?

Two Agave parryi, backed by a Beschorneria yuccoides.

In case you're wondering about the soil all these magnificent plants are growing in, Linda started with a lovely compact clay but has worked in pumice and grit to the point she's got several inches of well draining goodness in which to plant. It's definitely paying off!

She also has a fondness for conifers, like this beauty...

Pinus densiflora 'Cesarini's Variegated'

One last look at this side of the garden...

And then we move to the thin strip next to the driveway.

Damn! Check out that beauty! It's the momma of the pup I pointed out earlier, as well as one in my garden and one growing in Gerhard's garden in Davis, CA. 

It's another NOID although I think it has Agave salmiana tendencies.


Hugging up to it is a sweet (yet dangerous) Yucca whipplei.

And this amazing Agave americana 'Variegata' is where we'll end this visit for today. Come back tomorrow for a look at the back garden!


Weather Diary, Dec 9: Hi 54, Low 40/ Precip 0 

All material © 2009-2020 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

22 comments:

  1. Amazing what's in such a small space. Those silvery blue agaves stand out so well in drearier winter weather. Amongst a plethora of beautiful specimens my favorite is the Yucca rostrata. Gorgeous!

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    1. It's a perfect little slice of the desert isn't it? What the front garden lacks in space the back garden more than makes up for.

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  2. Great garden with a lot of super plants in it.

    I must admit that it is nice to see some space around the plants, particularly the spikies.

    A first for me today - I have never seen a variegated conifer before :)

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    1. Ha! I remember the first time I saw one, I think it was at a local plant sale. I was in awe.

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  3. You had me at arctostaphylos bark and Agave 'Blue Glow'... what a duo. Agave americana 'Variegata' in the tub is pretty cool.

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    1. I should have bent lower and got a shot of that pair lined up, oh well. Sounds like the magic was evident even in my poor shot.

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  4. What a great inspiration for a lush dry land garden in a small space! The arctostaphylos makes me want to take a can of cinnamon spray paint to the limbs of one of my shrubs! Magnificent plant combinations! A few large leaves really compliment the spiky ones.

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    1. Oh my... let me know if you do. I mean people do spray paint seed heads and dead trees, so why not?

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  5. Really spectacular! I'm so impressed with those agaves... most look completely unblemished! Does Linda end up covering any of them during the winter? Does her front yard face south? Clearly she's got the soil down right! Thanks for taking us to this amazing garden.

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    1. Glad you enjoyed! Yes I believe the front garden does have southern exposure and I don't think she covers any of her plants in the ground.

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  6. I can see why you two are good friends - she has an equally dangerous garden! The combo of Arctostaphylos with the red leaf margins of the Agave 'Blue Glow' is brilliant.

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    1. Spiky plant lovers have to stick together (ha!)....

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  7. You have presented this garden so good. I can see the beauty so easily.

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    1. Thank you for that, I always worry that I haven't conveyed the magic.

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  8. The first unknown might be tequilana. Agree the other looks salmiana-like.

    Great garden! The plants look healthy and happy--the grit/pumice looks as though it worked really well.

    Amazing variegated pine looks healthy and happy, too. It's always a joy to see plants beautifully grown.

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    1. I see the resemblance, but San Macros lists tequilana as hardy to 25-30. We've had a couple of warm winters but I think even then it probably wouldn't have made it. Who knows though!

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  9. Wonderful pairings of plants throughout! The Agave 'Blue Glow'-Arctostaphylos combination had me realizing I missed an opportunity - I should have sited one of my 'Blue Glows' with my Arbutus 'Marina'.

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  10. doug BallingerDecember 12, 2020

    do the blue glows winter outside?

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    1. I believe this will be it's first winter in the ground and I doubt that she has any plans to bring it in.

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  11. Wow, this is exactly my kind of garden! On to part 2...

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  12. That variegated pine makes me think of a porcupine :D

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