Okay, here we are again, in the back garden at the Kuzma/Halme home as seen last August (
Part One of the tour here). Isn't that blooming agave a sight?
Aerial lily pads of blooms, that's what I see.
The bees were working their way around those lily pads and making them vibrate a bit. A spent bloom dropped to the plant below as I stood there watching.
Over to the sad Jubaea chilensis now, which is pushing out new growth (this is a different plant than
the one I showed Wednesday). Last week John Kuzma sent me a photo with crown protection in place around the top of this plant, for winter. It's gonna take awhile, but it will be beautiful once again (fingers crossed).
Around it's base. I assume those are babies from the mama plant?
There was a lot of color in the garden during my visit...
Looking back across the back courtyard...
John has left the wind-damaged, cattywampus trachycarpus fronds in place, which is what you're supposed to do (the old fronds help to feed the new growth). I just couldn't take looking at them and pruned mine off early in the summer. John is a good palm daddy...
Notholithocarpus densiflorus, I think?
It's really time to give Melianthus major another go in my garden. That foliage is just fantastic.
So many colocasia!
I think that's a new Aloiampelos striatula / Aloe striatula planting, or maybe John pulled and protected it.
I have one tiny (2" tall) plant that's attempting to regrow from the roots of the plant I lost in my garden.
The anigozanthos / kangaroo paw were lush with blooms...
Same for the Erythrostemon gilliesii, the garden really was looking fantastic!
Positively dreamy...
The size of the datura is pretty amazing isn't it?
I think this abutilon is my favorite in the garden.
I didn't manage to capture anything for scale but the gunnera was enormous.
This orange/red urn is such an iconic visual place-maker in the garden. I looked back to see if it showed up in
my first post from 2011 and it did not.
It was there in 2012 though, and has been every year since.
I remember first seeing these palms as little short things dotted around the garden in (what felt like at the time) odd places. Now their trunks are all I could get in the photo and they set the tone for this whole section of the garden. Oh, and they look fabulous with the Trachelospermum asiaticum 'Theta' established on their trunks.
A new plant to me during this visit (which I've since bought and hope mine looks this good next year), Hemiboea subacaulis var. jiangxiensis.
Another good-looking abutilon.
Ferny goodness with a few arisaema mixed in.
And with the fabulous foliage of a variegated daphniphyllum, this year's visit comes to a close. I can't wait to see what the garden looks like this summer...
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Another good-looking abutilon.
Man, this is lush. The Jubaea chilensis has a strong will to live, pushing growth up top and sending out pups. As always, you've introduced some new gorgeous things I'd not heard of. The palms with the 'Theta' running up their trunks and the 'dreamy' agave photo are utterly entrancing. What a beautiful garden!
ReplyDeleteIt is a very beautiful garden, I'm glad you enjoyed the tour!
DeleteJUST WOW AND THEN SOME!
ReplyDeleteyes!
DeleteMuch as I would hate to see any of my Agave ovatifolia bloom, that flower stalk (canopy?!) is incredible. Actually, I found myself exclaiming over one plant after another from that point on. The Colocasia with the stained glass-like bottom leaves left me breathless.
ReplyDeleteI was glad to have caught that colocasia at just the right time! And I share your thoughts on the blooming Agave ovatifolia. My two big plants by the front door went in the ground in 2013, they were a few years old at that point. In other words they're getting dangerously close to blooming age.
DeleteAbutilons are amazing. I got one a couple of years back and have to keep hacking it back! They bloom here almost all year and the hummers love 'em, too!
ReplyDeleteWhen they're happy, they're very happy! Sadly mine perished in last January's cold.
DeleteThat large orange pot (maybe there's a second pot in the front?), is how I recognize this garden, my memory anchors. When I looked at the 2012 photo, there was a crevice garden behind the pot. Is it still there?
ReplyDeleteThe orange blooms of kangaroo paws, chartreuse when still in bud and purple (sage?) spires: a spectacularly hot summer vision.
Chavli
There is a second pot out front, it's a sort of blue/green—memory anchors, I love that! The rocks of the crevice garden have been moved around a bit, but are still there. The plants have moved in to cover most of the area however.
Delete😊 The large pots arrived mid 2011
DeleteI'd like to see more about locations/orientation of gardens affecting the plants that are grown and the amount of irrigation needed to keep this lush foliage! Also hours spent. How many are maintained by owners vs hired help? How do they keep kangaroo paws? Fantastic.
ReplyDeleteI can't speak to the water used, but I know there is occasionally help that comes in, although the owners do a lot of the work too. There's a greenhouse (not pictured in this post, but I've shared it in the past) where things like the kangaroo paws are overwintered. The location is south of Portland proper, at about 591 ft (where as my garden is north of Portland and at 123ft). The front of the house faces north, the back south.
DeleteI am amazed that all these plants are doing so well in the winter, like the Hemiboea subacaulis var. jiangxiensis. I love this garden!!!
ReplyDeleteThis tour was last August! I mentioned that in Part One, but may have forgotten to do so here in Part Two.
DeleteOh, my goodness! That makes more sense to me! Maybe I missed it in part 2!
DeleteThis is such a fantastic garden. More like visiting in a tropical country. The Jubeae has a very structural trunk so is still has an interesting contribution to the garden. I too love Abutilon so wonderful to see them thriving here.
ReplyDeleteHi Loree, I found your amazing website last year while googling for images of Manzanita. I loved your pics of the Monica and Austin Griffiths so much, that I decided to pull the trigger and put both into the ground in my front yard. They aren't the usual varieties that are offered in the nurseries around where I live, but luckily I was able to source them from a fantastic horticulturist in Carmel Valley. I just wanted to let you know what an inspiration your blog is for my garden. I was wondering if you could ask your friend where he got that eye catching orange urn from? Could you also tell me roughly how tall it is? It's such a brilliant color and choice to place in the center of that clearing, such a showstopper! I'm looking for something similar as a centerpiece for my front yard and would appreciate knowing the manufacturer/name/model or simply the seller or store. Thank you very much in advance.
ReplyDeleteHi Jasmine, I am thrilled to read your comment and hear your excitement about the arctostaphylos and your garden! The container came from a company called Champa, it stands about 5 ft tall. Hope that helps!
DeleteThat helps tremendously, thank you! 5 ft tall is nearly as tall as I am, so I could probably squeeze into that jar ala Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves... Cheers from San Jose!
Delete