I visited the Miller Garden again; Part Two

On Wednesday I shared the first half of my September visit to the Miller Garden, just north of Seattle. Today we resume the visit, stepping down to the lower garden—where of course I had to stop and photograph this Eryngium agavifolium growing in the cracks.

So many textures! Corokia cotoneaster making the biggest statement on the far left.

There were a few more containers on this level...

Including...agaves!

Yes I wanted to get closer and really examine these spiky beauties up close, but I just never managed to do so.

Down more steps! My (broken and repaired) ankle was at about 70% of normal at this point and I was trying to play it cool. No worries here! (while I really was worrying)...

Looking to my left, and towards the pathway we'll take on our way back up to house level, where my car is parked.

These steps and the ones that came before—if I am remembering correctly—are part COVID lockdown project, part a reaction to some flooding and reworking of a lower section of the garden. It's a testament to how well the work was done that they do not scream "new"...

Tree ferns! It used to be just the Amazon Spheres that were growing tree ferns (Dicksonia antarctica) in the Seattle area. Now they're at Heronswood and here at the Miller Garden.

Now we arrive at the deck overlooking Puget Sound. I wonder if this view could ever get old?

First, a closer look at some of the plants, including more pyrrosia!

Pyrrosia lingua 'Eboshi'

And an interesting golden leaved Pyrrosia lingua, Richie shared that there's a fine line between the fronds getting enough light to turn this yellow-tint, but no so much that they start to look sick.

My favorite Pyrrosia lingua, the variegated leaf...

Then there is the queen, the one pyrrosia to rule them all, P. sheareri—*swoon*—there were actually a few of these about but I won't bore you by sharing them all.

Of course, there is also the view...

And another Cordyline indivisa...

Heading back thru the garden.

Turning to look back at where we'd been.

What a great patch of Blechnum chilense, which now goes by the name of Parablechnum cordatum...

...but is still known as the Chilean hard fern. I guess that's one upside to common names, they aren't changed as new plant DNA reveals previously unknown associations.

Looking back towards the propagation area, I didn't take photos there but instead drooled over the plants. I was given two Mahonia—Richie plucked them from the tables—both are Mahonia x sevillana; a rare hybrid between M. eurybracteata and M. gracilipes. Each of my plants favors a different parent, so it will be interesting to see what they develop into.

Begonia and bamboo fern (Coniogramme japonica var. gracilis) make a nice combination, don't you think?

According to Richie this umbrella palm (Cyperus alternifolius) is looking to be hardy at the Miller Garden, an interesting development for sure.

This is a bad photo but I had to include it because I love how the bark on the arctostaphylos branch plays with the texture of the nearby plant, whatever it is.

Wollemi pine! AKA Wollemia nobilis, on the left. Reports post-cold snap are that the Miller Garden specimens of this rare conifer from Australia are damaged, but should pull thru.

Here was another question I asked of Del Brummet, Head Gardener at the Miller Garden. I remembered that one of these arctostaphylos was 'Monica', the same species as the middle manzanita in my front garden—but which one? Del says it's the one closest, the other is A. densiflora ‘Howard McMinn’.

More containers to admire...

The largest (and most stunning) Iris confusa I've ever seen...

Yep, you got it! We passed those darn cordylines again on the way back to my car—heaven!

I had to include this photo of a Woodwardia unigemmata frond, memories of my previous visit to the garden (2013) came flooding back as we walked past. Back then Richie held up a frond as he described the plant and I was in instant plant lust. A fern I'd never heard of then, but I now grow and love. 

This visit's "fern lust" happened right by where I parked. 

Meet Parablechnum novae-zelandiae. My new must-have...

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