Tuesday, April 13, 2021

My own private Hortlandia

Hortlandia is the name of the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon's spring plant sale. Independent nurseries from all over the PNW gather under one roof and fill tables with their plant offerings. The sale runs one weekend in April, hundreds of volunteers staff the event—from set up, to holding area, check out, loading and tear down. Hundreds of people attend and buy several thousand plants. It is an awe inspiring event. I've attended every year since we moved to Portland, that is until last year, when COVID cancelled the fun. Obviously the 2021 event has met a similar demise—cancelled. There is talk of a mini (make-up) Hortlandia in June, but until then, I've decided to create my own private Hortlandia...

What does that mean? Let's define it as this... all out brazen, audacious, plant purchasing. Yep! Let the spending begin! This was my haul after doing the Highway 30 Triumvirate of Means, Joy Creek and Cistus Nurseries—a name I use in dedication to the Outlaw Gardener.

First the Means Nursery haul...Astilbe 'Chocolate Shogun'

And a 5-gallon size Agave 'Blue Glow', yes please!

Together...

From Joy Creek...

Asarum europaeum, European wild ginger. Those leaves!

I hit the saxifrage hard, as I do every spring, Saxifraga x macnabiana

Saxifraga x longifolia hybrid

And (thanks for digging this one out for me Tamara!), Salvia discolor. It's been a few years since this beauty has graced my garden and I am very, VERY, excited to be growing it again. It's all about the little black flowers it will produce, photos here.

A Joy Creek haul shot...

Next stop, Cistus, where I was thrilled to pick up this Mahonia lomariifolia ssp. tenuifolia, oh yah! 

Mahonia gracilis, the "graceful" mahonia—and yes, I was on a bit of a mahonia binge.

Mahonia eurybracteata 'Cistus Silvers'

Because it wasn't all Mahonia, Astelia 'Red Devil' (x3)...

Epimedium grandiflorum 'Purple Pixie'

And last, but not least, Pyrossia lingua 'Nokogiri-ba'...

Cause you know I want all the Pyrrosia and this one is extra cool because it was grown from spore by my friend Ann.

The Cistus haul...

Oh, can't forget the big, beautiful mahonia.

The weekend before my Highway 30 spending-spree I visited Secret Garden Growers and did a little damage there too...

I bought a pair of Begonia pedatifida, a Dan Hinkley collection.

A pair of Aspidistra 'China Star'

Another Pyrrosia (or two), P. lingua Ogon Nishiki (aka variegated tongue fern).

Those little leaves send me!

After experiencing my first arisaema success with an A. ringens I bought at Secret Garden Growers last year, I bought two more...which will go very near my first.

And lastly this! It's a tiny Cephalotaxus harringtonia 'Prostrata' and I am very excited! One of these already growing in my garden but adding another is huge—they are very hard to find. This one is a rooted cutting (again thanks to my plant propagating friend Ann) from a plant in Alyse Lansing's garden. Yay! (that's friends times three Ann, Alyse and Pat—owner of Secret Garden Growers who gave me this plant as a gift)

Last week I also spent a Gift Certificate I had for Garden Fever, this Epimedium wushanense 'Sandy Claws'... 

Struthiopteris spicant/Blechnum spicant/deer fern...

And Adiantum pedatum ‘Imbricatum’ came home with me.

So that's the plant purchasing! Now some of you might be wondering where in the hell I plan on planting all of these things! Well, here and there, but there are four areas that I've been working on opening up that need a lot of plants if I am to maintain my cramscaping reputation. First is under the loquat, which I am finally—slowly—limbing up to let it be the tree it wants to be is finally becoming.

And what do you know!? There's bare soil under there!

Oh and look! Three other plants I recently purchased are stashed under there, a trio of Mahonia eurybracteata 'Soft Caress' from Tony's Garden Center.

And since we're talking Tony's, I bought three Asarum maximum 'Ling Ling' there too, can't forget those!

Back to the "empty" space photos... at the north end of the patio I made good on my threat to remove the overgrown and looming Ceanothus 'Dark Star', so there is a lot of space that needs to be planted (I also got rid of that metal vent planter shortly after this photo was taken).



Out in the front garden there's still a big empty space where I removed the Grevillea 'rivularis' and company.

Sadly both of my Acca sellowiana (Pineapple Guava) have lost a significant number of leaves thanks to the freak cold snap in February. The defoliated branches aren't helping how this corner of the garden looks.

The final area I'm buying for is this chronically ugly spot to the south of our front steps.

Yes, those are all dropped Acca sellowiana leaves.

The plant itself (in the pot) is looking pretty sad. I hope they both will regrow some of their leaves, only time will tell. I might need to start thinking about replacing them if ugly is the new normal there.

Now I need to get started planting!

—   —   —

Weather Diary, April 12: Hi 66, Low 36/ Precip 0 

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

23 comments:

  1. So exciting to go on a garden shopping spree... I can't think of anything I'd rather do. I joined a friend last Saturday on such a shopping adventure, and had as much fun as if I was the one spending the money...
    Love that Epimedium wushanense 'Sandy Claws', and Astilbe 'Chocolate Shogun' is on my want list as well. Limbing a mature tree clears up so much space below, it's a great opportunity for more cramscaping.

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    1. I am lucky to be at a place in my life where I'm able to spend money on the plants I want.

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  2. What a fabulous haul. Chocolate Shogun has whitish flowers which I find a bore. But I love that foliage. My European ginger (and native) are more aggressive than I would prefer, always showing up where I don't want them — like in the middle of Hakonechloa. Ugh. But that shiny foliage is so attractive.

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    1. Ya the flowers might even be cut off my plant, I am not a big fan of them. Good to know about the thuggish nature of the ginger. It's a tough site that they're going in so I think (hope) that will keep them a little in check.

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  3. Now that's a plant shopping spree! Not counting my mail order purchases, I've yet to shop beyond the confines of my local garden center but I've 2 trips planned, one next week and another a couple weeks later. I doubt my haul will be on the order of yours but I too have blank spots in my garden (beyond that still waiting for the ginkgo tree)...

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    1. Happy shopping! I noticed yesterday that my ginkgo is starting to leaf-out. Hopefully yours will be in your garden soon.

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  4. Wow, you were BUSY! So many cool plants, all of which I'd gladly give it a home in my own garden. If only :-).

    I've been drooling over saxifrages for years but it's just too hot here in the Sacramento Valley.

    The Mahonia 'Cistus Silvers' I got years ago is still one of my favorite plants in the backyard.

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    1. I planted my 'Cistus Silvers' just a few feet away from my 'Indianola Silver'—it will be interesting to see how they compare/contrast.

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  5. Jeanne M DeBenedetti KeyesApril 13, 2021

    Terrific haul there, Loree! Love that Agave! It's A. 'Blue Glow', right? Love that red edging! Oh, and who can pass up those gorgeous Mahonias? Oh and the Pyrrosias????? I have been planning to get out to Cistus. Might have to do the Triumvirate. Nice way to spend the day!

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    1. It is 'Blue Glow'... not a new cultivar that's sticky! Yes... definitely make a day of it.

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  6. Nothing like a spring plant haul to make a gardener happy. Bon chance!

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    1. Exactly! Now to keep them all alive through our unseasonable dry warm spell...

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    2. IKR? I couldn't believe that you're getting summer in April!

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  7. Ha ha Loree-my comment was going to be where in the hell are you going to put all those ? I should have known you had a plan !

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    1. I anticipated at least a couple people would be wondering just that.

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  8. It's nice to see the Fatsia that was hiding behind the Ceanothus, and I need that Mahonia and Pyrrosia.

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    1. Yes indeed, the fatsia and the variegated daphniphyllum are both part of the garden again, which is so very nice.

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  9. What fun. I love Salvia discolor and have struggled to find it too. As fast as plants are coming into the garden centers here they are flying out the door. Panic buying again as there will be shortages. Good for you for getting out early. Have fun planting.

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    1. Yes I am hearing of lots of shortages here too. And overworked nursery shipping departments!

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  10. Cistus is one of my favorite places to go. It’s just so unique
    with so many rarities. And the drive out to Sauvie is just part of the whole experience of getting away and checking out exotic plants in a gorgeous setting. Plus, the dump is on the way there! “Honey, I’m taking the station wagon to the dump. Be back in four hours! Bye!” Jim N. Tabor

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    1. Ha! The dump. Never thought of that! Nice work.

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  11. A mini Hortlandia - what a great idea! I've been on an Aspidistra kick lately. That Mahonia lomarifolia is to die for.... so gorgeous! So sorry about your Guavas. I hope they recover.

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