Heronswood February 2023 visit, the rock garden

When we were in Seattle last year for the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival I somehow talked Andrew into a visit to Heronswood Garden. The trip began on a ferry from the Seattle waterfront.

That's Andrew paying our admission...

While I was checking out the plants in those wooden planters, like Maihuenia poeppigii.

And Stylidium graminifolium, aka grass triggerplant.

I never got around to sharing these photos last winter (our visit was on February 18th) and once spring rolled around I didn't want to revisit winter images, so I've been hanging on to them until time was right, which is now! The first area we walked through was the rock garden, which had definitely expanded and settled in since my visit in 2021.

This area is planted up with an enviable collection of xeric ferns, and I got the names of most of them. Myriopteris aurea...

Myriopteris fendleri

Astrolepis integerrima

There were cactus mixed in too, I think this might be Opuntia fragilis (on the left).

Myriopteris rufa

Myriopteris tomentosa

And my biggest fern crush of the day, Pellaea truncata, aka spiny cliffbrake.

Didn't get the name of this spiny fellow. Don't you want to hug him?

More to explore...

Dudleya lanceolata on the left.

During my first visit this little bog planting looked much more promising. Maybe it just had the winter blues?

I remember crushing on this fellow, Polystichum imbricans. 

You can definitely tell these photos are from winter, I look forward to exploring in July when The Garden Fling visits and it's all a little "lusher." Notholaena standleyi...

There were agaves too—agaves and ferns in the same planting, you know I was happy! Agave parryi ssp. neomexicana on the left.

Agave gracilipes

Astrolepis sinuata

Yucca baccata I think?

I found this on the Heronswood website: "Created during the pandemic, and now honoring its victims and its heroes, the Rock Garden incorporates five rocky islands, each studded with miniature treasures that grow at high elevation. The garden currently showcases alpine plants from North America’s western mountains and southwestern deserts but will expand to include other regions plus Mediterranean landscapes."

Agave parryi var. truncata 

Agave americana 'Grey Ghost', living up to it's name. These agaves were definitely showing how they felt about the winter storms the PNW delt with last winter.  

There is a small on-site nursery under the awning in the distance, and I think classes are held there too. 

Ferocactus hamatacanthus

Opuntia sp. PL10028951

Before I wrap it up, the plantings that surround the rock garden and parking lot deserve a closer look.

Agave salmiana var. ferox

Agave 'Baccarat' on top of the wall and Agave parryi tucked in.

A colorful patch of Sedum palmeri

Agave bracteosa, enjoying a vertical lifestyle in the wall (I didn't get the name of the agave in the back). Come back on Friday and we'll check out the rest of this fabled garden!

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