Visiting Clinton Bamboo and then Bunny Falkenberg, it's a wrap on that Seattle visit

We're back up in the Seattle area, it's June 7th, and I've got two more stops before I head for home. Eric (whose garden we'd just visited in real time) had posted in a Facebook plant group about Clinton Bamboo Nursery, saying it's not just bamboo... "they specialize in bog and marginal pond plants, carnivores, jungle effect, shade plants, hostas, grasses and subtropical effect." Naturally Scott and I had to check it out...

Palm frond pressed into the walkway cement...

Eric called the place magical and I agree. 

There's Scott and Vince, one of the owners, talking bamboo.

I made a video to capture the sight and sound of the tall canes moving in the wind but it didn't turn out as I'd hoped, so all you get is another photo.

Acanthus, maybe A. spinosus?

Gunnera

Iris ensata 'Oriental Royalty'

Carnivorous plants for days!

Darlingtonia californica

Sadly the ones for sale have to be kept locked up.

Loquat, Eriobotrya japonica

Hosta

This huge maple (I think) in the corner created such a lovely hidden spot.

I'd aimed my camera at the bananas, but instead found myself focusing on the dead Citrus trifoliata. It was quite fabulous with it's tawny coloration.

Since their website doesn't seem to be active I thought I'd share the business card. They're open Fri-Sun, stop in if you're in the area! It's a super fun place to visit and the owners are knowledgeable and nice guys.

Next stop, Bunny Falkenberg's garden. Bunny was kind enough to let us visit his garden even though it's currently in transition and he's not open for visitors. We walked around the front garden (I was only able to look down into the sunny back garden, but I feel certain there was an agave down there)...

It was interesting to hear his plans for the different spaces and see what he has created in a couple spots, like this area up near the entrance.

A pulled back shot (there's lot clearing and construction going on next door, bonus; it looks like Bunny is going to be hired to do the future garden design).

If I remember right the big rocks came from the construction site, I love that one on the lower far right.

Mahonia marvel (I think), Cyrtomium fortunei, big-leaf Rhododendron...

I want to say this is Rhododendron sinogrande, but that's just a guess. There are other big-leaf Rhododendrons.

Looking across the driveway...

Rodgersia 'Bronze Peacock' perhaps? It's holding the dark color so late in the season, and 'Bronze Peacock' is the only one that performs like that in my garden.

This orange bloomer, Rhododendron hybrid ‘Medusa’, was the most stunning shade...

There's a little pink in the mix.

Woodwardia unigemmata

A decapitated Magnolia macrophylla, I belive this was an windstorm accident.

I asked Bunny for ID on this one (he told me in person, but I couldn't remember) here's his reply: "This is a Rhododendron arboreum. It is an 8 year old specimen grown from seed collected in Bhutan. and ultimately should grow to 25 feet tall and look like a small tree. The flower color varies from deep crimson red to pink and white (the most uncommon). I had hoped for a red toned flower but by chance got a white flower with speckles." 

Rhododendron orbiculare

That purple strawberry pot on the right, massive! I've never seen one so large. 

And this Polystichum setiferum ends the visit. Thanks for letting us stop by Bunny! Aren't gardener's the best?

The Bit at the End

Today is the first of July and the fine folks at the Ruth Bancroft Garden have declared the entire month as Agave Fest; "A month-long celebration of an iconic genus" ..."Celebrate one of the most iconic plants of The Ruth Bancroft Garden with a month-long tribute to agaves – bold, sculptural, and one of the most beloved plants in the Garden!" Naturally I'm completely on board with this idea, especially since July is my birthday month. Since I won't be able to celebrate at the RBG I'll be doing my best to play along and post lots of agave content right here throughout the month... agave fest!

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The Pinguicula Project

I am not worthy. 

Yet, during an April visit to Little Prince of Oregon, I was given several Pinguicula (butterworts) and a few Heliamphora. These are not plants I've been able to keep alive in the past. To add to my worry, the butterworts came unpotted and I was on day one of a 4-day garden visiting marathon and didn't have the time to do more than just lay them this tray of chunky mix, water them, leave them and hope for the best.

The Heliamphora were potted, but I know these plants are finicky and I wasn't able to do anything special to care for them either. At least not right away... 

...or actually for two months. Ya, it took me eight weeks to get around to planting both of these carnivorous treasures. But they were all still alive, so there's that.

I knew I wanted to put some of the Pinguicula in this hanging pot. A popular way to grow them is tucked into small holes in a porous rock... so I found a good chunk, tried it out in the pot, and there it stayed for about a month until I got around to doing the planting.

Which I finally did at the end of May. I waited a few weeks to write about the project because I wanted to see how they performed, the good news is they still look great. The bad news is I didn't manage to take any process photos...

I have three of the pots, there are Pyrrosia lingua in the other two.

I really love how this planting turned out.

I filled the spaces around the rock with a mix of peat moss and black pumice—both of which I had on hand. This whole thing turned out to be a "buy nothing" project, using materials I already had.

Yes, there are already small flying insects stuck on the leaves.

After reading that the roots of Heliamphora like to stay cool I worked one of the plants into this hand cast stone pot, figuring its extremely thick walls would do just that.

It's tucked into the carnivorous corner (which includes a couple Aeoniums and potted Pseudopanax ferox and P. crassifolius).

After completing the hanging Pinguicula pot I still had a few plants left, so I decided to work them, and the remaining Heliamphora, (as well as a couple Nepenthes) into a metal container. Here's what I pulled together for the project, although I didn't end up using the small metal round on the right, because I was concerned it might rust and I didn't know how these sensitive plants would react to that.

Again, no process shots, but here's the finished project...

As before the rock was mixed with a little peat and sphagnum moss. There's a small hole in the bottom of the metal cap, so it's not completely water-tight.

When I finished the planting and went to take pictures the sun was hitting the patio table just right for nice photos. I had a hard time knowing when to quit. I got a little carried away...

Eventually I might move the container back to the table, but for now it's parked on a bench. Wish me luck! I still feel like I'm living on borrowed time with these, as though they're going to realize I have no idea what I'm doing.

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All material © 2009-2026 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.