About Me

Hi there!
Thanks for stopping by.

I’m Loree, a life-long resident of the Pacific NW who relocated to Portland, OR, from Spokane, WA, in 2004. I also spent 10 years in Seattle, making it a complete PNW triangle.

After purchasing our Portland home in 2005 I got to work designing and planting the garden and quickly fell in love with the vibrant horticulture community here in Oregon.

My love for agaves, cactus and all things spiky—despite the fact I live in "rainy" Oregon—was the inspiration for the blog's name. I publish new stories 3 times a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. These include photos of my own garden, my travels to other private and public gardens, visits to nurseries and other random "planty" things I find interesting. I hope you'll find them useful and inspiring.

I have served on the board of directors for the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon and Pacific Horticulture and I am on the Garden Bloggers Fling advisory committee. Magazines I’ve written for include Pacific Horticulture; the Oregon Association of Nurseries magazine, Digger; the Rock Garden Quarterly, and Better Homes and Gardens. My first book Fearless Gardening: Be Bold, Break the Rules, Grow What You Love was published by Timber Press in 2020.

I practice the fine art of garden cramscaping and I’m a firm believer there is always room for one more plant.

Contact me: email
Instagram: the danger garden 
Facebook: danger garden 



42 comments:

  1. Love your blog - great pics too! Have just shared your blog on my little site. Keep up the great posts :)

    https://www.facebook.com/therentedspade?ref=hl

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  2. Do you have a large picture showing the layout of your backyard?

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    1. No not really. The closest I can come is if you look at this post, the shots my husband took from the roof somewhat capture it:
      http://dangergarden.blogspot.com/2012/12/a-new-angle.html

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    2. I love reading your blog! Very interesting to see what a garden in a climate that's completely different from the climate I live in (just outside of Stockholm, Sweden) can be like.

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  3. AnonymousMay 31, 2013

    Wow, just found your blog, and I am amazed and inspired. I'm a beginning gardener who stumbled on your site looking for a plant I just bought. Your yard is AMAZING! Bravo!

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  4. AnonymousJune 04, 2013

    What is the fuzzy plant in an orange pot below the hanging orange pot. In today's post (6/4/13)

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    1. I think you're asking about the Acacia cognata Cousin Itt: http://www.smgrowers.com/products/plants/plantdisplay.asp?plant_id=3558

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  5. AnonymousJuly 21, 2013

    This is the coolest plant blog ever!!

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  6. Count me in as a fan. Not in the palmy kinda way, but only as a person who appreciates much of what you appreciate. My best, and I look forward (and back!) To each of your posts.

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  7. I found your site by chance today and enjoyed reading about the bamboo plant last year and also about the bishops plant with the flamingos in trees, solar lights. I just watched a video about the 3 different types of bamboo. One for inside, one for outside and one that will take over so its best to contain it. You made a statement about getting permission to use images. I pin a lot on pinterest boards is that allowed?

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    1. Of course! Thank you for asking Sandra and please feel free to pin away! I was referring to publications, newsletters and the like which might be tempted use a photo without attribution.

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  8. just moved here (3 days ago!) from northern new England - zone 5b, usually. Perched in Sellwood at the moment, but looking around for My house/neighborhood. Are there garden websites and nurseries you recommend here? Or a place I can start looking? I'll come back and check this here comments section, but you can also find me at megan (at) mmdevine (dot) (com)

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    1. I just now saw I never replied to you here. I did email you though right?

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  9. I really like your site. I just shared your post about your visit to White Sands on my FB page https://www.facebook.com/michael.gaglio.5. My nusery specializes in the plants you love!! https://www.facebook.com/pages/High-Desert-Native-Plants-LLC/120843358504?ref=hl

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  10. Just realized that my comment may have come off as spam. No spam intended...I just get excited about cactus! Thanks again.

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    1. Thanks Michael, and nope I didn't think it was spammy at all! And I think you need to get High Desert Native Plants LLC on plantlust.com!

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  11. Saw your Plant Lust site. Wow! Looking great! Noticed you have an advert for The Garden Blogger Fling in Portland in '14. I assume you'll attend. Will your garden be on the tour? I'd love to see it! When can one register? I'd like to go--schedule willing.

    Van

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    1. Ah thanks, glad you like the plant lust site. We've still got a lot of work to do but it's certainly coming along. As for the 2014 Fling, yep! I'm part of the planning committee putting the event together...we'll announce when the registration is open on the GBF facebook page and on the blog (http://gardenbloggersfling.blogspot.com). We need to have a better idea of the costs involved before we can open up registration. We're also still narrowing down the list of gardens we'll visit but yes, mine might very well be one of them (scary!).

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  12. I am a college student currently living in Lincoln, NE getting ready to move out west to Corvallis OR and just happened to spot your blog by chance! I love seeing what and how you're growing, we share our love of succulents and hard finds. Thank you for sharing your tips and tricks they are much appreciated.

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  13. I love succulents, not to easy to grow in my humid climate. Great blog!

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  14. Love your blog… I am looking for a bed and breakfast to purchase that is close to a botanical garden and has a garden of it's own. I has no parameters, just potential, and where I can cater to people who love to garden and enjoy touring botanical gardens. I am from Miami and Fairchild Tropical Garden is my local Botanical… It is the largest palm garden in the world.
    Any suggestions…anyone?

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  15. Hold on! You love plants that may potentially hurt you, but you don't like conifers? Well, perhaps you should visit my blog and discover some painfully lovely possibilities to change your mind. I found my way here by way of a Google search and landed on your 'Whipcord' page.
    http://coniferlover.wordpress.com

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  16. Shoot, I was so excited when I googled you up. I thought surely you must be in my neck of the woods, not. Century plants and agave are the most abundant natives and many varieties of catclaw. I'm between an estuary and a bay, between Galveston and Corpus Christi TEXAS. Have you fans near me?

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  17. Allan RoseApril 07, 2014

    I love your blog! I wish we had known each other when I lived in Portland. I just moved to Tucson last July, 2013 after 30 years in Western Oregon/Portland.
    Though I miss fuchsias and ferns, I can now plant (and have!) for Tucson's 9a climate (maybe 9b).
    I have planted Jacaranda, Thevetia, Grevillea robusta and many other delights that do grow and bloom here though are listed as marginal.
    My house came with mature Valencia orange trees and a mature grapefruit with ocotillos by the dozen.
    Needless to say, I'm in plant Nirvana with bougainvillea blooming in January and Feb.
    Please look me up when you visit Tucson again!
    I'll continue to enjoy your blog in the mean-time!

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  18. Just found your blog and I love it!! Like you I love the desert climates and planting but your garden is also so exotic compared to my garden in England! Do you post on Instagram too? All the best to you, and maybe I'll be up your way in the future to see dangerous gardens. Helena.

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  19. I work for City People's Garden Store in Seattle. Great site! Can I use your close up Edgeworthia 'Nanjing' picture in our e-newsletter? City People's Garden Store is a small independent nursery. Happy to credit you. I imagine there are other pictures I will be interested in as well. - Kyra
    gardenstore@citypeoples.com

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  20. Since you have such enthusiasm for pointy plants, I feel that I should share this quote from Tim Toula's rock climbing guide to Oak Creek Canyon near Sedona AZ. Tim writes that "Climbers in Oak Creek need to become amateur botanists. This is an easy task as the plants can be divided into two groups: 1.) those that hurt, maim, or kill 2.) those found elsewhere."
    I don't know if Tim is a gardener, but I am and I love your blog.

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    1. I love that! Thanks so much for sharing it.

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  21. I know nothing about gardening but continue to find looking for ideas on landscape design. i'm drawn to succulents and cactus of course but i live in SE Portland. Any ideas for plants that would make a great barrier wall? I'm searching for something that grows high but not wide as I have a narrow walkway I need to keep open. I have 3 neighbors whose homes back up to mine and trying to maintain some sense of privacy. Oh- and they can't be leaf bearing as theres a pool. I want so badly to line that wall with big spiky cactus!

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    1. Big spiky cactus would be fabulous wouldn't it? I wish...

      Maybe check out this book: http://www.thedangergarden.com/2012/01/landscaping-for-privacy-innovative-ways.html

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  22. I am addicted to your blogs and now finding my own interest in possibly becoming a blogger.I have forwarded your posts to many garden friends who may be getting the bug. I am an active Master Gardener and president of my garden club here in Corvallis. Would you be open to presenting to our mixed groups an hour presentation on blogging..sometime in 2017-18 calendar(yes we are a college town)year? Your blog is the best I have seen for balance of presentation and homepage organizing. I believe my partner in the NPK project(Christina Clark) has contacted you about possible reposting in the NPKpost.blogspot.com

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    1. Thank you! Could you email me some info on what you're after? What your speaker programs usually entail? (spiky plants at gmail dot com)

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  23. I ran across an older blog that spoke of "Flying Dragon". Do you still have it? How is it doing? I just got one and am very, very excited about it!

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    1. It's doing fine. I should probably move it to a sunnier location, as the plants around it are now shading more than it likes. My straight Poncirus trifoliata (not as twisty, grows taller) bloomed and set fruit last year.

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  24. i bought 3 varieties of opuntia today and found your blog to be helpful in realizing i'm not crazy for putting cacti in my portland yard! (and hey, i'm from spokane too! small world.)

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    1. Nice work! Pleased to know the blog was helpful.

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  25. Hello, I just discovered your blog while searching for ways to cover my ugly brick wall with plants. I live in Glendale, AZ and got curious. Anyway, the next time you come to Phoenix, I suggest you take a jaunt downtown to the Phoenix Convention Center at Washington and 5th St. They have a wall of plants there that are purely watered from the AC runoff from the building. It's a big wall. You can sort of see it on google maps but it's better in person. Thanks for the entertaining posts! I will be browsing your site more in the future!

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    1. Ah, thanks for the tip! I will definitely check it out. And I hope you find some useful info here, good luck with your wall!

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  26. Loree,

    ​I was lucky enough to do a garden tour with the Northwest Horticultural Society this past summer and had the opportunity to visit your ​amazing succulent ​garden. ​​I'm a member of Harbor Gardens, an NPA garden group here on the Kitsap Penninsula, and I'm helping to organize a garden tour for this upcoming summer. ​There are usually about 35 women on tour and we travel on a large bus which has its undercarriage filled with plants when we head home at the end of our trip. ​Gillian Mat​h​ews shared your contact information and we are hopeful that we​'ll be able​ visit your ​unique​ garden. ​Our tour stretches over three days and I have already confirmed our visit to Lucy Hardiman and her friend Nancy Goldman's gardens along with two of their neighbors on Tuesday, June 5th​. We are staying at the Oregon Garden Resort and will nursery shop on the Wednesday between those two dates. I'm hoping that ​the morning or early afternoon of Thursday, June the 7th​ will work for you and that you will be able to welcome us into your garden.​ ​Looking forward to hearing from you.
    Wasn't sure how to contact you hope this works. My email is hawkinskj66@gmail.com

    Happy Gardening

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  27. I'm so excited to learn about your garden. I'm going to lose sleep over it until I see it with my own eyes. I'm so excited 🤩🌴🌵🌱

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