Agave hunting at Kalama Harbor Lodge

It had been a good long while since I put eyes on the gardens at McMenamins Kalama Harbor Lodge, so here we are.

It's pretty amazing how mature the plants are, then again when I stop to do the math I realize this garden is over five years old. I first visited late in 2018, and posted about it in early 2019—here.

The Hesperantha coccinea / Schizostylis coccinea (I think?) were amazing. I rarely see this plant massed and in bloom. Well done!

I think this is a Franklinia alatamaha flower?

Flawless Melianthus major.

I was going to call this Woodwardia unigemmata...

Until I saw this, which looks even more like Woodwardia unigemmata. Even though they look a little different, I think that's what they both were—they were growing at opposite ends of the building.

Lots of repetition in this part of the garden. It's powerful.

Now we're looking at the border along the paved walkway. On the other side of the plants is a strip of sandy beach and then the Columbia River. The City of Kalama is in Washington State, the land visible across the water is Oregon. I rather like what they've done with the barrel rings here.

I wonder what creature has been eating on the Yucca rostrata to get the leaves bound up like that?

The large, dense, shrub on the right is a Fabiana imbricata.

At least that's what I surmised based on the flowers.

Grevillea some something

Yucca linearifolia and Agave parryi

The day was as chilly as it looks, so that (plus it was a weekday) helped to keep the beach clear of people.

I didn't realize I was holding my breath, wondering if this big guy (Agave americana) would still be here, until I saw it and relaxed.

Last winter was a very bad one for agaves in the area, I was worried.

I see spikes! I guess I'm going to have to go down and walk along the other side of the border and see what's hiding down there.

But first there are a couple more agaves to admire up here, a pair of Agave 'Mateo'...

And a trio of Agave parryi.

Over on the beach side I found an Agave ovatifolia...

Along with a blooming colletia, for extra spiky fun.

Agave parryi v. parryi, maybe? (are you starting to understand the title of this post? It really did feel like the agave version of an easter egg hunt)

The Euphorbia characias 'Tasmanian Tiger'  were the best I've ever seen.

Now I've walked out on the metal "pier" visible behind the first photo of the large Agave americana. The pier is new since I last visited, and provides a great view of the lodge and the narrow garden that separates it from the beach.

Walking back to my car I spied this arctostaphylos being grown as a single trunked specimen.

Headed home I pulled into the small McMenamins Ahles Point Cabin just about a half-mile down river from the lodge.

I'm not sure why, maybe I was still in agave hunt mode, but I walked around to the backside of the cabin. Curious if the plantings extended that far.

Look what I found...

Judging by their looks (the pups for example) I suspect they've been there awhile, which probably means they were planted by Ryan Miller. Ryan is the gardener responsible taking a chance and planting the big Agave americana. Ryan is also no longer with McMenamins, I will miss running into him when walking through the gardens at Kennedy School .

My favorite weed, verbascum.

This poor fellow is alive, which if he was in place thru last winter is an accomplishment.

Better from this angle.

There were lots of opuntia tucked in the rocks too...

It was pretty amazing how many agaves there were, I'm really glad I wandered down. 

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