Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Wednesday Vignette, dinosaurs!

Last week Andrew and I visited the Oregon coast, spending four nights in Heceta Beach—which is where you stay when you're visiting Florence, Oregon, but want an ocean view. It was lovely! Photos to come. Our trip home had us (kinda sorta) driving by Dancing Oaks Nursery so of course we paid a visit. Well, I visited and Andrew waited in the car...

I do love a nursery with a sense of humor. Thier "Jurassic Park" greenhouse has more than just plants in residence....


What did I see? What did I buy? More tomorrow...

—   —   —

Weather Diary, March 30: Hi 55, Low 33/ Precip 0 

Wednesday Vignettes are hosted by Anna at Flutter & Hum. All material © 2009-2021 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

Tuesday, March 30, 2021

A little "dg side-eye" directed at Crate & Barrel

I will admit to being a longtime customer of Crate & Barrel. So many purchases over the years! From housewares, to planters, to sheets, or even our sofa—C&B are well represented in our home. As such we get the paper catalogue from time to time and I was paging through the "late spring" issue when I found myself asking "What were you thinking!?"  (which may have actually came out as #FFS... or "what the..."). A photo from their website...
Although the actual pages (scanned) from the catalogue tell the story best. It's the Abaco collection photo spread that got me all worked up

I mean really! Would anyone actually do this?

Dig up an agave that is, roots and all, and then plop it down on your fancy (white) side table...

It's not like that little table is a potting bench and they'll be back in just a minute with soil and a container to pot that agave up, am I right? No it was placed there by some stylist who thought it looked, well, stylish. Good lord this has me thinking back to the time the Sundance catalogue shared an image of an agave plopped in a dish on a bedside table, however at least this one doesn't look like it would injure someone, sitting there on the end table. 

Then there's this awkward photo, ouch! I have a couple of those Lophocereus marginatus (Mexican fence post cactus) and while the spines are short I still wouldn't want to end up with them in my skin, and this chair is just too damn close for comfort! "Oh hey, why not squeeze in there next to the cactus, cozy up!"

On the other hand I really liked—loved—the spread for the Morocco collection...

I'd love a backdrop like that to my patio, rather than the bamboo stock tanks...

Seen any crazy garden photo shoots lately?

—   —   —

Weather Diary, March 29: Hi 55, Low 37/ Precip .04 

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

Monday, March 29, 2021

A garden twofer (both with Agave ovatifolia sightings)

Once again I was out, acting on a tip. It was late November, in case you're wondering about the decorations near the front door. 

I should be able to tell you about this palm, but I cannot. Why can't I remember palm names?

Over there, that's what I was here to see, the Agave ovatifolia. They were behind a fence so getting a photo was difficult.


The garden as a whole had a nice casual modern vibe.

It's a pie-shaped corner lot, here's what you see while deciding to go left or go right...

Since it's on top of a short cement base the fence on this side is even taller.

I peeked through...

And then—I'm not proud of this—I held my camera up over the fence to snap a shot. So much for their privacy...but look at those agaves!

Continuing on to SE Portland (the last garden was in N Portland)—and jumping ahead to early January—I came across this small front garden, also with Agave ovatifolia...and rocks. Lots and lots of rocks.

I think it's really time I declare Agave ovatifolia THE agave of Portland, if I haven't already.

I love the long Corten raised planters here, and I'm sure the plants like the extra drainage.

Weather Diary, March 28: Hi 52, Low 39/Precip .15 

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

Friday, March 26, 2021

Cornelius Pass Roadhouse—do not worry! There were agaves...

So as I teased yesterday, there were agaves to be found at McMenamins Cornelius Pass Roadhouse, thank goodness! At the point I took this shot I still wasn't sure, I was just appreciating the row of bananas (Musa basjoo) along the windows...

But walking on just a few feet I found the agaves, A. 'Blue Glow' to be exact...


That rusty metal contraption caught my eye, briefly.

But then it was back to the agaves...


All of them outdoors just like this through the winter.

The wine-barrel-ring fence was also a nice touch.


So many agaves! And to think I was concerned there would be none.


I find myself wanting to get creative with hanging containers and agaves now. I've not really explored that combination much.


Agaves + moss! Where are we? Yep... Oregon.


What can I say? Once again, McMenamins does not disappoint.

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

Thursday, March 25, 2021

Cornelius Pass Roadhouse, a "new to me" garden visit

I love to travel and visit new places, especially nurseries, as well as public and private gardens. That's all been on hold of course, with COVID. So it was an especially fun treat when I ended up near McMenamins Cornelius Pass Roadhouse recently...

I've been here a few times, dining with friends, but rarely—maybe only once—in the daytime and never with extra time to walk around the gardens, so this was a very welcome event. 

Illicium mexicanum, I believe...

Such an interesting flower.

The entire plant...

Wall of Stachyurus salicifolius, which certainly had me looking differently at my plant.
Edgeworthia planted next to a pathway is always a nice treat.


Also along the pathway were several hollowed out stumps planted up with various succulents, heavy on the Aloe aristata, some looking better than others.



This green (mossy) roof was visible from around the garden. We'll see it again soon.

Daphne some something, the good smelling one that's in a lot of gardens it seems (but not mine).

This is a large property, six acres total, located roughly 20 miles west of my home in NE Portland.



That mossy roof from earlier...


Lots of room here for big events on the lawn.

And here we are, at the base of the mossy roof building.

Love this trellis.


Love that roof!



Cunninghamia lanceolata 'Glauca'

A nice little patch of aspidistra...

Lots of space to dine under the trees...


Rake head as vine support?



Wire vine alert!

The main dining space...

Adjacent to an outdoor dining space.


And even more room to spread out.

This was a head-scratcher. No visible signs of damage, but an obviously unhappy Daphniphyllum.

I wonder what's got it down?

And can it be saved?

A near-by Schefflera taiwaniana looked great.


And the many patches of euphorbia around the garden were lush and healthy.

This installation was at the edge of another open event space. From the side I could see there was a food-service area "hidden" between the two fences, clever! 

Finally a few shots of the lovely loquats and their blooms...


Tomorrow we'll return to look at a few containers near the outdoor dining area, let me just give you a single word teaser... agaves!

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