We Portland-area garden bloggers/Instagramers generally get together in the spring, and again in the fall, for a plant swap and a garden tour. As I shared
on Wednesday, this spring's event was held in Jerry's garden in Monmouth, Oregon—about 80 miles south of where I live in NE Portland. Jerry's been blogging at
Botanica Chaotica since April of 2021, if you don't already read his blog you should start!
I shared this same photo in my last post, but since it's where I started the tour I had to repeat it here for context.
The vine you can see on the side of the building above is an Aristolochia californica, and there is fruit!
I don't remember the name of this fabulous conifer foliage (sadly my not remembering will be a theme throughout this post), but it was in a container along the side of the house. I doubt I would love it as much in it's full grown size, but here it was just perfect.
It's not a great photo, but I had to capture this image of an Agave bracteosa growing on the back border of the garden. I imagine this is a very dry area later in the summertime.
Nearby opuntia...
I think this is a Notholithocarpus densiflorus... love those leaves!
Floral goodness beyond the building with the Aristolochia californica growing on it. I think this area is roughly NE of the house?
Heading towards the area behind the house, I was quite taken with this bark pathway. Bark chunks were laid like large rustic bricks, it was wonderful to walk on.
Collomia grandiflora according to Google images (because I forgot and had to look it up).
Ah! A step project I
read about on the blog, that I get to see in real life...
I think they turned out wonderfully.
Ditto for the
deer fence gate off in the distance. I meant to go closer and get a good look at it, but I must have been distracted by something else, as this is as close as I got.
Looking down at the area with the bark pathway. Those suited up visitors are
Alan (left) and
Jane (right).
Looking in the other direction...
Lilium columbianum, maybe?
Oh! With a visitor...
A nice big patch of Comptonia peregrina.
Looking back at the greenhouse. The photos where I was looking down on things were taken from the white canopy/tent on the far left. Jerry and Luis were kind to put it up so we'd have a place to gather undercover and out of the rain.
We're on what I think is the SW side of the house now. That oddly shaped character on the right was growing in a half barrel that's now fallen apart and been removed. I forget what Jerry said his long term plans were for it (not that he needs to have any, it looks pretty happy as is).
Looking to the right...
And to the left...
This was the blog project I was most excited to see IRL, the work of the
Flagstone Cowboy. WOW!
Agave! Maybe Agave parryi 'JC Raulston'?
Yucca nana I think? With a fabulous Muehlenbeckia astonii on the right.
I forget which arctostaphylos that is (isn't the pathway gorgeous?)
Ah, I miss my Cornus sanguinea 'Compressa'.
Heading towards the front of the house now...
Blooming callistemon...
Maybe Oenothera Missouriensis?
Cactus!
If you read Jerry's blog then you might remember the saga of
the bridge replacement. It seems very solid now...
Darmera peltata, as seen from the bridge (there's a creek down there).
The last part of the garden we explored were the plantings along the main road, these are out in an area where the deer can freely browse and thus many (most?) of them are toxic. A beautiful "I dare you..." planting.
I'll end this part of the post with this absolutely stunning Eryngium paniculatum, wow!
And then we were off to
Dancing Oaks! Since we were just 10 or so minutes away we had to visit! I'd had not spotted Batman at the nursery on prior visits. Now that I know he frequents the place I'll have to keep an eye out.
Dierama pulcherrimum with the water garden in the background.
Holy gunnera! (I wonder if Batman ever spends time here?)
This combo was rather unexpected. Hebe ochracea 'James Stirling'...
With Aristolochia sempervirens growing up through it.
Berkheya purpurea
When I returned to my car THIS was waiting for me. That is a seriously huge slug. Thank god we do not have slugs like that (it's a banana slug) in my garden. Good lord!
What did I buy? Just three plants, and they're already in the ground!
Astelia alpina...
Berberis nevinii, aka mahonia nevinii (here's it's listing
at San Marcos Growers, it wasn't on the DO website)...
And
Bomarea caldasii, which is not quite winter hardy here, so it's growing in a container I can move over the winter. Here's one of it's stems vining around a Dasylirion wheeleri. Be sure to click on the link to see the striking blooms.
This was such a fabulous day. I loved seeing Jerry's garden in person (it's so much more impressive than he makes it out to be), spending time with my fellow gardeners, and getting to visit Dancing Oaks!
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Jerry's garden is impressive, I'm in love with the stone work - the borders & especially the pathway. He definitely needs to strut his stuff! The Bomarea you brought home is ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteIt is impressive, it's obvious he's put a lot of thought, care, and work into the garden.
DeleteWow, it all looks so lush and incredible. I know the rain can sometimes make garden touring uncomfortable, but sometimes the photos are more magical under those conditions. Thanks for sharing the memories. I don't think I've ever seen the fruit of Aristolochia californica before--fascinating. And that slug! Wow!
ReplyDeleteI hadn't seen Aristolochia californica fruit before either, they're so big I thought there was no way that's what it was!
Deletewhat a great country garden and such a cool place to explore! As his vignettes/taborets show, he is truly a creative collaborator with the natural world. The forest setting is stunning and the house and garden fit so well in the landscape.
ReplyDelete"A creative collaborator with the natural world"... I like that description of Jerry a lot.
DeleteYour post gives me a better idea of the sheer size of Jerry's garden. I appreciated the opportunity to see the deer fence gate and the flagstone path again. I love the raised planters near the house.
ReplyDeleteJerry does have a lot of space to work his magic.
DeleteIt's such a woodsy PNW garden. The agaves and opuntias are such a weird and wonderful contrast. Your photos make Jerry's garden look huge!
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely a large garden, and with a buffer of natural space around it.
DeleteReally needed this inspiring post today. So many ideas. Now I know what to do with that pile of bark that’s been sitting around in my potting area for awhile. I was going to use for another project but it just wasn’t happening. Problem solved. Line pathway with bark.
ReplyDeleteYay! We gardeners are good at giving each other inspiration aren't we?
DeleteDespite the rain Jerry's garden looks like it was enjoyed by all. The rain always makes things fresh and clean looking. What are all the black rocks he has distributed throughout the garden? The Bomerea is gorgeous. Will have to look for it. DO water garden reminds me very much of a Little and Little installation. Gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteJerry answered your rock question below, and I agree completely about the water garden at DO.
DeleteThe flowers of Bomarea caldasii are striking! Hope you get a bunch. I bet that slug could eat a lot of greenery!
ReplyDeleteI have a Bomarea that a friend gave me years back, it climbs my tallest palm and now blooms up where I can't get a good look at the flowers. I'm planning to keep this one low, where the flowers can be enjoyed!
DeleteIt was lovely to enjoy a digital tour of Jerry's garden. I remember all those projects... the stone paths, the bridge saga, the steps and the gate in the deer fence. I was thinking of the many challenges a gardener faces when living in the midst of a forested area, welcoming nature, mingling with it and yet keeping it at bay.
ReplyDeleteThe Comptonia peregrina patch is gorgeous, so is the blooming callistemon.
I planted a small Astelia in my garden after finding it in my neighborhood nursery, though I think of it as an annual and expect its demise over winter.
Chavli
Astelia are tricky in winter cold for sure. I'm hoping that with "alpina" in the name this one will be tougher.
DeleteThanks for coming down! It was fun hosting the garden bloggers group and we all had fun despite the rain. Answering questions as they arise in the post/comments.
ReplyDelete1. The conifer is Thujopsis dolobrata.
2. The Agave bracteosa was from one of the plant exchanges. That area is already powder dry - probably one of the hottest, driest parts of the garden under the dougfirs. Full SE exposure.
3. Yup, Notholithocarpus from seed I harvested in North CA.
4. Floral goodness pics - Yes, NE of house, over the septic field, trying to establish "prairie" plants like goldenrod, asters and other vigorous plants like Lobelia tupa and Helenium to compete with the rampant horsetail.
5. So much bark from cutting down dead/hazard trees. This was a very muddy pathway, so I decided to cover with the bark chunks left over after splitting wood all winter.
6. Looking down at the area with the suited visitors - all that rampant growth is annual Clarkia amoena, a native wildflower that is in full bloom now.
7. Yes, Lilium columbianum.
8. Conifer in the rotted half barrel is Calocedrus decurrens. I am trying to get cuttings from it to root before cutting it down. However, it does provide much needed shade for the rock garden in the hot afternoon sun for now.
9. Yes, JC Raulston, Yucca nana, and that is Arctostaphylos manzanita, the Callistemon is Mt. Kosciusco, and the Oenothera is O. macrocarpa.
10. Deer garden. Plants that are toxic, prickly, hairy, scented, and drought tolerant.
11. Yah, I need to accept it is more impressive than I think. I focus on the faults and how "messy" it is when it's more a matter of getting used to the wildness that living in the country brings - we've got weed and pest pressure that city gardeners don't have to deal with. The next step in my gardening adventure is learning how to incorporate/accept that wildness.
12. We've got about 3/4 of an acre. I probably garden on half an acre.
13. I also break the bark into smaller chunks about 3-4" in diameter to mulch container plants to keep the chipmunks, mice, squirrels, and jays out.
14. All the black rocks are basalt, from a local quarry about 5-10 miles from the house.
Thanks again! It's always interesting to see how other gardeners see one's own garden and what they key in on. And thanks to everyone for all the ideas of what to do with some problem areas.
I think this is both the most thorough and the longest comment I have ever received on the blog. Thank you! I knew the rock was basalt, but I've never seen such small even chunks on offer at a rock yard. I like them!
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