Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Visiting my friend Dale's garden, finally...

A couple of weeks ago the Portland Garden Bloggers group got together for our fall plant swap, this time we gathered at Dale's garden in Vancouver, WA (Dale blogs at Bear & Briar). 

As usual at these gatherings I snap a couple of photos and then chat with friends, move a few feet, snap a few photos and stop to talk again. This makes for a very disjointed blog post, still... I'll try. The photo at the top is what you see just after entering the back garden. Dale has been working to remove overgrown vines from the back slope of the property and create short terracing to keep everything in place. In the process he's creating more planting space where there was none. Oh and by the way, this was also the only time that comfy and attractive furniture was empty!

This vignette and the next three are just to the left of the seating above.



I never got around to asking Dale if he over-winters the Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelii' (red banana) or if it's treated as an incredible annual.

Grevillea 'Ivanhoe', I love the foliage on this plant. It's borderline hardy here, I probably should plant one again this coming spring.

I think these blooms are Eryngium proteiflorum.

A view of the whole plant(s).

Every time I passed by the crevice garden I snapped a couple of photos, so the lighting is going to very, but isn't it fabulous?






Such an interesting mix of plants and stones. I also grow this Aloinopsis spathulata and I didn't think mine had increased in size at all. However in going back to look up the name I saw the size of the plants I originally bought and realized they have. Still, Dale's are way more impressive.


The Agave bracteosa looks quite at home in the rocks as well.

I love it when you can catch the sunlight illuminating the paddles of Kalanchoe thyrsiflora.

And this! I cannot for the life if me get Agave americana ‘Mediopicta Alba’ to survive in a container, let alone thrive as this one is clearly doing. Well done Dale!

Fellow bloggers Scott, Matthew and Alan.

And I know you were eyeing that large Tetrapanax! Pretty amazing isn't it?

As are the pair of Agave ovatifolia at it's feet.

I've snuck back around to the front of the house now to take a few shots of this sheltered planting area.

The darn bright sun is making photography challenging, but there are some very choice plants, like that Aloe dorotheae in the center. I think Dale has successfully over-wintered it here which is pretty amazing considering it's not cold hardy for us.

Here's the flip side shady planting in the same spot but at the back of the house.

I'm jealous, another friend who has succcess with Caesalpinia gilliesii (Erythrostemon gilliesii), and hey, what do you know!? I thought I'd failed to get a photo of Dale for this post but there he is, just to the left of the flower, he's much taller than that in real life.

And finally the thin spikes of Yucca linearifolia. Thanks for hosting our plant swap Dale and I'm so glad I finally got to see your spiky and fabulous garden!

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

15 comments:

  1. What a fabulous garden. He really got the scale with the rocks and pebbles perfect in that crevice garden.

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    1. I wish I would have gotten an over all shot, one that shows how well that area is integrated with the rest of the garden...

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  2. An annual swap event, where you meet up with fellow gardeners that you may not otherwise get a chance to see in person... How cool is that? I can appreciate the hard work and great effort going into removing vines and 'terracing' a slope. I love the beautiful crevice garden and the dark gray slate that was used.
    Photo #25: can you ID the unusual fern at the top-center?

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    1. I think it's some sort of pteris but I am not sure which one.

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  3. I can appreciate your focus on that crevice garden - it's wonderful! There are so many great plants that would be at home here in SoCal but are unexpected in Vancouver. I loved the gargoyle sitting among rocks of a similar height and agaves - I may steal that idea.

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  4. Thanks, Loree! It was so fun to see my garden through your lens! I had so much fun hosting, thank you all for coming. I do overwinter the Ensete in my cold dark garage.

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    1. Ah... good on you. It's such a big gorgeous plant.

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  5. Its easy to really appreciate the work that went into Dale's garden when I remember that space when it was just overgrown weeds and ivy.

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    1. Oh... I should have asked for some before shots!

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  6. Jeanne DeBenedetti KeyesOctober 21, 2021

    Amazing crevice garden! Great pics, Loree, even with the bright sunlight. Yeah, I envy his caesalpinia flowers too. My plant grows but no flowers yet. Maybe in a couple of years. Hey, I have a couple of baby Agave americana ‘Mediopicta Alba’ if you are interested!

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    1. Thanks for the offer Jeanne, I've tortured a few of them already, so I think I'll pass. So do you have success with it then?

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  7. Jeanne DeBenedetti KeyesOctober 21, 2021

    Well, it hasn't died yet. The mama and two babies have been in the ground for a year and a half. All three made it through the February freeze, although they weren't very happy. They look much better now! Haha. I have them in the gravel bed near my front porch which faces South. They get a lot of hot baking sun. We'll see if they make through what is supposed to be a wetter winter. I guess I will pot up the babies, just in case the mama dies. So, the offer is there if you change your mind!

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  8. A fabulous garden, so many wonderful vignettes. I loved the head planter holding various succulents and the Kalanchoe thyrsiflora (I agree it is terrific when backlit).

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  9. So great to see Dale's garden through your eyes. Many beautiful vignettes, but I kept going back to the photos of the crevice beds. So well done! I have major crevice envy now!

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