An errand had me parking next to
McMenamins Chapel Pub (previously a funeral home built in the 1930’s known as the Little Chapel of the Chimes) so I figured a walk around the garden was in order. First a visit to the Lyonothamnus floribundus (Catalina ironwood)…
Such fabulous bark, and the foliage is pretty sweet as well.
Moss, fern, palm… what’s not to love.
I don’t know what this yellow thready business is, but there were a few small red berries.
Autumn color in full swing…
Mahonia doing their bloom thing.
Flowers and fruit of Arbutus unedo (the strawberry tree).
It does make a bit of a mess.
Parking lot Gingko.
I am at a loss as to the ID of the small tree on the far left…
Maybe a Daphniphyllum?
Abutilon doesn’t stop flowering just because it’s November…
Anyone know the ID of the low rosette?
No one was eating outside on the drippy, cool, day of my visit.
Trachelospermum asiaticum ‘Theta’ (I think).
Taxus baccata (I think)
Nearby, Cunninghamia lanceolata ‘Glauca’ with cool cones and fabulous foliage.
Another Trachelospermum climbing the wall and palm, T. asiaticum ‘Ogon Nishiki’
This was an unexpected sighting, Cussonia paniculata.
Not hardy here in Portland, the gardeners must tuck it away for the winter.
Oh, I missed exploring that far corner, must go check it out...
Cryptomeria japonica ‘Rasen’
And a sweet Mahonia eurybracteata.
Berberis some somebody?
In another outdoor dining area, Mahonia gracilipes.
So fabulous!
The paving here was interesting.
I like the small aggregate sections mixed in.
Everyone who can grow them needs at least one Arctostaphylos.
Finally, I had to peek in the gardeners work space behind the building. Always interesting to see the proof of gardeners at work.
Now time to head over to the North Portland library…
And pick up the hold that had me parking there in the first place, I can’t wait to dig in!
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That's a fabulous garden and I'm happy to see that McMenamins saw fit to maintain (and I expect improve) it. I also think it's great that a former funeral home is now a pub! The "yellow thready business" with the red berry made me think of asparagus fern - mine don't turn that yellow but then we don't get as cold that you do. I hope my Ginkgo tree looks that good someday!
ReplyDeleteYep, it's an asparagus of some kind.
DeleteI wish I knew what was there gardenwise before McMenamins remodeled the place, but I suspect most all of the plantings (minus a few trees) actually date to their ownership. Good call on the asparagus! I remembered it looking like a vine but I suppose it was just using a neighbor to lean on.
DeleteThe amount of green lushness just blows me away. The growbox cage (that those cabbage-like plants are in) is pretty cool. That Mahona gracilipes leaf shape is something else, gorgeous with the pink stalked berries, wow. So many wonderful things to see here, the cone on the Cunninghamia lanceolata ‘Glauca’ looks like an overgrown hops.
ReplyDeleteI thought hops too, and yes, the Mahona gracilipes flower and then berry stage is nothing short of amazing. Nature is incredible!
DeleteGreat photos, and thanks for the tour! Some sort of asparagus, maybe even just regular old edible asparagus. The small tree is a Pittosporum of some kind, maybe a wide leaf form of illicioides. And the plant under the abutilon looks like Erigeron pulchellus 'Meadow Muffin'.
ReplyDeleteErigeron pulchellus 'Meadow Muffin'? Good lord... who names these things!? ;) Thanks for the ID on the plants!
DeleteThis is a lovely tour of the Chapel Pub garden and I love the brick building. (I was going to say that gorgeous building is to die for, but refrained...).
ReplyDeleteIs there a downside to growing Lyonothamnus floribundus? Other than its name that sounds straight out of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody, it seems so perfect in every way and being an evergreen, there isn't even leaf litter to worry about.
Mahonia gracilipes... Love.
Chavli
Oh trust me, that tree drops a lot of leaf litter, and peeling bark. It can get knocked back pretty severely in a bad winter too, but of course it's fabulousness makes up for all that. As for "to die for".... ha!
DeleteWonderful, as always, Loree! I am happy to see Lyonothamnus growing in the ground, even in a very protected corner. I bought one from Sean this year. I will be putting it in the ground once it is too big to overwinter in my greenhouse.
ReplyDeleteIt's such a great tree. For awhile I had the dream to plant them in my hellstrip, but of course the city crushed that idea with their ridicules rules about removing trees. It's probably for the best though as the cold East wind in the winter would have done a number on it. I hope yours does fabulously!
Delete