Walking before the deluge

Last Sunday afternoon was partly sunny and 59 degrees, downright heavenly... especially compared to what was predicted for the next three days. We'd been told to prepare for a series of atmospheric rivers aimed right at SW Washington and NW Oregon; multiple inches of rain (3.12" so far), and warm temperatures befitting of the name "pineapple express" (weather coming from the tropics). I took this photo of my Rhapidophyllum hystrix (Needle Palm) when I went out to survey the garden and make sure there wasn't anything I needed to move before the rain.

It was then that I realized the time was perfect to go for a long walk, before the rain sent me indoors for days. Of course when I started out I wasn't intending to take photos—but since all of these very photographable things just presented themselves and how could I not?

I'm sure I've shared photos of this vignette before, I've coveted that bowl and orb for as long as we've lived in our house (20 years last July).

Another garden, another orb—this one backed by a very happy and healthy Acanthus mollis.

Symphoricarpos albus (snowberry) I think? 

OMG, yes. I love this. 

And this! (same house) Look at the perfect little Charlie Brown Christmas tree...

Pigpen and his snowman...

And other Peanuts characters were skating. I bet this looks great after dark with the rope lights.

And I bet this is super spooky after dark! I should have taken a video, they were all, ever so slightly, rotating left and right.

Ditto for these two characters.

PDX... saws, and an angel, and icicles.

Simple and elegant.

I do love a well grown Yucca filamentosa 'Color Guard'.

I have no idea what this is. I was going to walk on by without really seeing, it but managed to look down and notice a perfect close-up.

The overall isn't much to see...

I wish I could grow Hebe ochracea this well.

Erica arborea, maybe?

Callicarpa americana. They really are beautiful berries, but the purple color just seems like such a misfit this time of year.

Half a dahlia for your thoughts.

As I mentioned there was an intense rain forecast in our future, but we'd also had an inch and a half over the preceding three days. Perfect for a swim.

Nice 1970's daisies.

Parts of NE Portland have these extra-wide hellstrips—I'm jealous. Also, the simple cement block raised bed looks nice with a mossy cap. 

Begonia still going strong in December!

Normally I'm not a "dusty miller" (Senecio cineraria?) fan, but every once in awhile...

Especially when it's grown so well.

Personally I hate to see pumpkins as decor after December 1st. When they're as fun as this however, even a Grinch like me has to smile.

So oak, so brown.

Monkey puzzle, Araucaria araucana.

There used to be agaves along that sweet rectangular slab sidewalk. 

A little bridge over a front yard swale.

Portland's version of Mehmet Ali Uysal's giant clothespin sculpture.

Scabiosa atropurpurea

I think this may be a Helleborus 'Pacific Frost', which I've always been both attracted to, and repulsed by. Normally I find myself thinking "is it sick? Or is it supposed to look like that?"... this one though, I think it's sick?

I want to give these folks some brown twine to use to tie up their hydrangea.

I like the idea, but at this point I think I'd need to light so many candles that our whole house would burn down.

Cyclamen!

Well thank god. I was afraid my multi-mile walk was going to end without an agave! Agave ovatifolia.

Since these ten lessons on fighting tyranny are a little hard to read, here's a link to an online version of all twenty. 

Where two properties meet.

Another agave! I have to admit I've seen this A. ovatifolia before, although I'd forgotten where exactly it was.

The front of the house with that last agave. I met these folks back during COVID, when talking to people on the sidewalk had a tinge of danger.

Such a head-scratcher. Why two so close together, and so close to the house? 

Walking past McMenamins Kennedy School now, close to home.

And here we are, home.

I got a call towards the end of my walk, so I went to the back garden to finish chatting. It was nice to sit on the patio in December. Crazy warm weather...

The Bit at the End

I wonder if I've linked to this YouTube channel before? Probably, but it's so good that it bears repeating, it's the Chanticleer Garden channel. Once a week or so, all year round, the garden staff uploads videos taken in the garden. No words, just a random musical soundtrack to their walking and working. I tend to save up the videos until I have a few to watch together, they're wonderful.

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