Monday, February 22, 2021

Potted Elephant a mental health "pick-me-up" visit

Back in late January I spent a few hours in the greenhouses of the Potted Elephant. I felt lucky to get a special "behind the scenes" look at this local grower, it was a little bit of heaven on a cold (and later in the afternoon snowy) day.

I visited with friends who were also ready for a little plant-centered socially distant visiting, here's Ann, the Amateur Bot-Ann-ist, don't you love her sweatshirt? ("Tell me about your plants")

I really wanted to abscond with this box of goodness, but of course I did not.

There are elephant pots, at the Potted Elephant. I think I photographed this one the last time I visited (in 2019), it's a fabulous combination with the bright orange aloe.

Agave applanata 'Cream Spike'

Some fine euphorbia...


For some reason I used to to not like aeonium when they get kinda tall and rangy like this, now I think they're my very favorite version of aeoniums.

Oh! It's a apotspot pot, it's hot.

Jungle cactus propagation...

And now we're in another greenhouse.

Rhipsalis propagation...

A fruit!

I love the thick white lines on the edge of  this epiphyllum.

I was about to say that if this AMAZING hanging container of Rhipsalis ramulosa ever goes missing don't check my garden, when I remembered the horrid incident that occurred last year when someone did serious theft of plants from the Potted Elephant. So I should not joke about something like that, which I would never do. But I do covet this plant!

This is one of those plants where I know the name but cannot think of it at the moment.

Some of my fellow plant folks that day, from left to right Cory Paul, one of the owners of the Potted Elephant, Ann, Theo (The Fuchsietum) and Dan (PDXBot)—Evan (The Practical Plant Geek) was with us too but somehow escaped my camera.

In another greenhouse there were a few monstera...



And interesting nepenthes.

Jewel orchids (Ludisia discolor)

And things I can not ID...

The final greenhouse includes a small retail area (shopping by appointment) and the back half is their shipping department.

Myrtillocactus geometrizans ($275)


I can't remember how much this dark sansevieria was going for. I really want one of these, but I'm too old school to spend the $ they cost these days. It's a sansevieria for god sakes!

Finally, this little cutie (Syngonium rayii) spoke to me, thankfully Ann took it home. Tomorrow I'll share a few "inspirational" photos and what I bought.

Weather Diary, Feb 21: Hi 51, Low 45/ Precip trace 

All material © 2009-2021 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

16 comments:

  1. Loree,
    The theft you mentioned (I did visit the link you provided) is nothing new. I worked at a local nursery and saw plenty of thievery - from "holes" in 6-packs of annuals, to empty houseplant pots, to one lady happily "harvesting" blue berries (Her excuse was that she thought they were going to go to waste. We had to explain to this adult woman that fruiting plants sell more readily than ones without fruit.) At one point we had to install heavy-duty wire around the fenced-in perimeter because people were plucking entire 6-packs of plants from INSIDE the fence. We even had some large succulents stolen from display containers planted outside the store.

    Theft like this just boggles my mind. These aren't kids, either. They are grown adults. The blueberry-stealing lady was clearly my age or older. I was brought-up differently, I guess.

    Thank you, Mom and Dad.

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    1. I don't understand how people can think this is okay behavior, it just doesn't equate. I am so glad that I, like you, was taught right from wrong.

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  2. WOW! Can you take me there the next time I'm in Portland? It looks amazing!

    In case you were wondering, the bright orange aloe looks like Aloe aculeata. And the darkish sansevieria looks like S. kirkii 'Coppertone'.

    Speaking of sansevierias, did you know that they're considered dracaenas now? Sansevieria kirkii, for example, is now Dracaena pethera. Not sure I'm on board with this...

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    1. Ha, maybe? They aren't usually open for this kind of thing but I bet Ann and I can sweet talk our way in, hopefully. And yes I suppose I did hear of the sansevieria/dracaena change up. It will take awhile before I warm to that one, if ever.

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  3. Love all those wavy edges. At this point I would be happy just to smell wet earth.

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  4. The hanging Rhipsalis ramulosa is a thing of beauty. I'll find out tomorrow if you splurged...
    Interesting comment from Gerhard about renaming sansevieria. At a recent visit to Sky nursery I spotted a magnificent variegated whale fin sansevieria: a SINGLE large leaf in a half gallon pot for $99. It stayed on the shelf.

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    1. Oh it's not for sale, many of these plants aren't. And yes... I've seen similarly priced single "fins"... yikes!

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  5. So much to covet, from jewel orchids to Monsteras to succulents! Was that $35 one-gallon variegated agave 'Cornelius', aka 'Quasimoto'?

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  6. Nothing like a nursery visit to stave the winter blues away! Glad you managed to spend some time with plant friends too. And I must resurrect out elephant pots..

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    1. It was quite the welcome outing, with spring coming hopefully there will be opportunities for even more.

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  7. Ugh I wish I lived closer; I want the behind the scenes tour! Every summer I decide I am finally over the houseplant bug and in control of my plant addiction. Then late December rolls around and I lose all control and am ordering tender tropicals from anywhere that will ship.

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    1. Ha! The cold is a tempering factor for me, I do have to admit I've shopped for a few things that haven't made it to the check out stage.

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  8. Nothing like a good dose of retail plant therapy... I'm envious!

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