Visiting the farm on Dairy Creek...

Many of you have toured the garden known as Floramagoria: it's been open nearly every year for HPSO members, PNW Study Weekend attendees were able to visit in both 2015 and 2019, and Fling attendees stopped by in 2014. It's a garden that lives large in my memories, and it's a garden that will be open no more. The owners of Floramagoria, Craig Quirk and Larry Neill have moved roughly 30 miles west and onto 30 acres. I'll be honest, when I first learned about the move I was stunned, but I've come around.

It was the greenhouse that got me...

Am I right? But wait, there's more! That's just the front building, check out this overhead shot from Craig's Instagram feed, there's a second building!

In late October Craig toured my friend Tim and me around the farm, I can honestly say the greenhouse is even more impressive in person.

Imagine this full of plants... it's a cold winter's day but it's toasty warm inside as you're dreaming on the new gardening season ahead. Heaven right?

There are so many cool projects in the works here, these rocks are going to be part of a crevice garden wrapping around the exterior of the greenhouse.

Here's a better shot showing the greenhouse size, and in case you're curious, it's from Hartley Botanic.

While things are still very much in process here, there's already a young garden in place. This Sedum (one of the Sunsparkler series I believe) looked absolutely amazing!

Just one growing season in the garden is off and running.

Miscanthus sinensis 'Ruby Cute' in the foreground.

Yes, my eyes kept getting drawn back to the greenhouse.

The pink flags you're seeing around are marking spots for bulb planting. Eryngium yuccifolium

I kept catching sight of this spectacular verbascum out of the corner of my eye and doing a double take, it has the same glorious presence as an agave—almost.

The grama grass was also a standout.

I know another grass, but look at this...

Schizachyrium scoparium 'Standing Ovation', positively dreamy.

I've never seen Eryngium bourgatii looking so succulent.

Moving on now to the wilder parts of the land, I kinda loved this miscellaneous pile of metal.

Dairy Creek...

The greenhouse pulled me in, but it was this view that had me thinking, ya, I could live here. I want to live here!

Craig identified a spot in the creek deep enough to act as a plunge pool—just the thing for a hot summer day.

The day before my visit here, Andrew and I were out at at the Molalla River recreation site I mentioned in Monday's post. Spending the day there I was filled with gratitude to live in a place where I could be surrounded by such natural beauty in an hour or less. Now Craig and Larry have it just out their front door...

Definitely gilded with moss.

We saw many photogenic fungi as we walked around the property. Here Tim's taking a photo of a nice clump.

I couldn't resist.

This one looked like it had been covered in sauteed garlic.

Ferns on top, mushrooms on the bottom.

I hope Craig won't mind my sharing this photo, I loved the look of curiosity on his face as he crouched down examining the details. This special piece of land is in very good hands.

We're back in the area around the house now. The former owners had completed a few improvements. Some will stay, some will go, most will be modified.

This pond is located just beyond the lawn area in the above photo.

Thanks for sharing your new garden with us Craig, I can't wait to see what you, and Larry, and your team of experts do with this slice of paradise!

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