Monday, October 28, 2024

A neighborhood walkabout on a sunny afternoon

Last Friday afternoon there was a gorgeous sunny blue sky overhead, and I was looking for an excuse to spend an hour outside before I started on dinner. It was too windy to clean up fallen leaves in the garden, so instead I went for a stroll. It's been quite a while since I took a neighborhood walkabout, let alone shared what I saw here on the blog. 

This skeleton tree produced a good crop this year, I counted at least three or four ready for picking.


A planting like this always gives me pause, especially late in the year. Did they plant these succulents knowing they aren't hardy here? Or are they going to get an unwelcome surprise when the temperatures fall? 

The banana that swallowed half a house...

The loquat that's swallowing a palm...

The ripening persimmon fruit is always a welcome surprise. I usually don't notice it until the leaves have fallen and the fruit is silhouetted against the sky.

So true. 

I don't know how I am going to spend next Tuesday. Will I avoid the news until late in the day? Or will I be glued to every report? 

This planting always makes me smile when I drive by. The shapes and colors are just so right, I don't know. It's hard to explain.

The next series of photos are from McMenamins Kennedy School. Anyone know what this beauty is?


Oh! That's a harsh haircut. I wonder if it was done by the gardener, or someone upset about the sharp leaves?

There is so much spiky goodness at Kennedy School...


It's good to know I can still visit this pair when I miss my Nolina 'La Siberica'.


Poncirus trifoliata, perhaps 'Flying Dragon' as it does seem rather contorted (in a good way).

A nice container welcome by the backdoor.

And the saddest Pyrrosia sheareri in all the land, poor thing. I'd rescue it but that would be wrong (don't steal plants!).

Colletia some somebody (spiky!).

Blechnum penna-marina with Acorus calamus.

I never would have thought this combo—Athyrium niponicum with hakonechloa—would be attractive, but I kinda like it.

Kennedy School has the best Mahonia gracilipes...


Rhododendron makinoi (thanks Roger Gossler for ID) with Calluna vulgaris (I think...they look great together).

New growth on the rhododendron.

I've been watching this leaning eucalyptus, praying it doesn't get so low that they have to take it out.

One of their outside seating pavilions, nicely done up for the season.

Oh my, the tetrapanax is definitely taking over! There are windows back there somewhere. I wonder what it looks like from the inside?

The tall shrub in the middle of this photo is a Schefflera taiwaniana, I remember when it was newly planted and just a tiny thing. It was also very rare and hard to find.

Aconitum variegatum?

I've been watching this Agave utahensis in a neighbor's hellstrip and expecting it to succumb to winter's wet. So far (3 years?) it is not.

Same garden, Agave parryi.

And another!

Our neighbors across the street have been decorating for their annual Halloween party...

They're going all out!

Home now.

This is the time year when it feels like all of the neighbor's dogwood leaves end up in my garden.

Oh, Wednesday and Adam flew in, they've been enjoying the last of the basil.

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13 comments:

  1. That's a pretty nice walk! I love the Colletia - I found one in a local garden center once but it was in a huge pot with a hefty pricetag. Could the mystery plant at McMenamins be Hibscus acetosella (aka African rosemallow)? It reminds me of the one I had last year, although bushier. It's nice to see Wednesday and Adam back for the season too.

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    1. I think you're right re: the hibiscus! It's growing in the food garden at McMenamins and a quick search revealed that the leaves are edible and packed with antioxidants.

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  2. A nice walk, I'm so glad you shared the Kennedy School photos -I haven't been there for 14? years. That haircut, they took out the middle and left a funny low-rise skirt! The rhododendron is great, its leaves are so looong and slender. I cannot believe an agave utahensis has withstood the rain, maybe it's planted in pure rock? Your front looks great, even with the leaves. I do sympathize, I've got to clean mine up a bit today. It's too much. AND walk my ballot over to City Hall to drop off.

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    1. Exactly! I will be back to see if the haircut is completed or left as is. The Agave utahensis is on a small piece of land surrounded by asphalt, maybe that helps? It's crazy.

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  3. Thanks for taking us along on your walk. The foliage and succulents are lovely, and I'm salivating over the Persimmons. Tee hee.

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    1. I've never ate a persimmon, how do you prepare them?

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  4. I bought a Mahonia gracilipes because of your influence. Now to figure out where to put it. Meanwhile, I am going to put my head in the sand for a few weeks. That cool leafy thing - I was thinking some type of Ricinus, but I think Kris has it right as Hibiscus acetosella. Not sure if I will come back up or not.

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    1. Congrats, it's a great plant! (the mahonia) I agree that Kris called it as far as the hibiscus. I've let myself take a deep dive the last couple of days in reading about some of Trumps recent deeds. I am terrified.

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  5. For some reason, as I started reading today's post I fondly recalled the Tidewater Gardener Winter Walk-Off...
    You are fortunate to live so close to McMenamins: check on beloved plants any time you wish. The harsh hair cut wouldn't look quite as harsh if it was applied equally on all sides. (Maybe it's a temporary Halloween look).
    The planted tender succulents: if it's someone new to gardening or new to Portland, hopefully they would not be discouraged from trying again!
    Chavli

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    1. Wasn't the Winter Walk-Off fun? So many bloggers have come and gone over the years. The tender succulents are in a redone front garden of a house that sold a year or two ago. They've done a lot of work on it, but I think this section of the garden was new this summer. Looking at them I can practically see the display at Fred Meyer where they picked them up. I wish FM labeled their plants better re: hardiness.

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  6. I agree with Kris on the mystery plant. I do think the harsh hair cut yucca just needs some googly eyes about two inch down from the top of the cut leaves. At least for the Halloween season. I certainly enjoyed your walk about.

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  7. The Kennedy School is such a gem. That schefflera is statuesque above the grasses. Your yard looks incredible, even post-winter move.
    Jim N Tabor

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