Some plants I grow and some plants I lust after, at the RSBG

I've been shopping at the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden on-site nursery long enough to have accumulated a nice little collection of their plants. In addition, there are several plants I've bought elsewhere, but they're growing at the garden and I like to check in on them and see how they're doing whenever I visit.

Rhododendron 'Ever Red' grows in a large container right next to the nursery area. I lust after it every single visit, that's it on the left/top. On the bottom are some of the 'Ever Red' that were for sale during my February visit. Since I bought one at the Hardy Fern Foundation's FernFest last September (RSBG was a guest vendor at the sale) I didn't have to stop and ponder the purchase!

I don't think I've ever shared a photo of the garden's Rutherford Conservatory, instead focusing on the plants inside. Can you make out that planting island in the shadows in front of the conservatory?

That's where this creeping strawberry pine, Microcachrys tetragona is growing. The dwarf conifer from Tasmania is planted in the perfect spot, where it can cascade down over the rock wall...

...and show off it's small fruit, the "strawberries", which of course aren't really strawberries at all, and this isn't a pine either, but rather part of the podocarp family.

My plants (I have a couple) have never looked this good!

I always take time to admire the toughs in front of the conservatory, but I don't remember them ever being grouped together like this, perhaps it's a winter thing.

That little cutie is Asplenium ceterach. I was given a pair last summer from a Portland gardener. Mine have kind of disappeared over the winter which is a problem since they're evergreen. Perhaps I need to lift them and plant them in one of my (smaller, not as cool) troughs.

I believe this Cassiope 'Askival', I was able to bring one home on this visit.

I also grow Cassiope lycopodioides, which this might be?

And I'm fairly certain this is another cassiope...

Sinopanax formosanus, I think there are three of them growing here, mixed in with the ferns, rhododendrons and other characters.

Here's the same planting from the opposite side. The Sinopanax formosanus are the shrubs with leaves vaguely shaped like a maple leaf. I only have one and last spring I moved it to the far west end of the garden to grow up in front of the neighbor's fence.

Rhododendron forrestii ssp. forrestii

I'm on my third attempt to grow this plant, but I think maybe this one might make it, yay! This is another plant I purchased from the RSBG at last September's FernFest.

I'm going out on a limb frond here, perhaps getting a little too confident with my fern ID. I think this might be Polystichum tsus-simense aka Polystichum luctuosum (Korean Rock Fern).

If that's the case then I'm currently growing this one inside the house on the fern tray I put together after the holidays.

I was very excited to find this plant again on my February visit (as I mentioned Wednesday, sometimes it can be a bit of a challenge to retrace your steps and re-find a plant off the beaten path), Rhododendron cardiobasis...

Another score last September at FernFest and a plant I was sure to protect over our brief bit of winter this year, since it had only been in the ground for a few months. Fingers crossed mine looks this good eventually!

Just one more "I grow that!" plant, the ground cover Lonicera crassifolia. I was stunned to see it carpet a the ground like this...

For the second part of this post, a few plants I don't grow, but lust after at the garden, Rhododendron platypodum...

And another, in different light.

I'm not sure if this little cliffbrake fern (pellaea) is new since my last visit, or if I just never noticed it before.

It's a tiny thing!

I have no idea what this little creature is, but it's leaves had a sort of oily sheen that reminded me of the Microsorum thailandicum (blue oil fern) I got at Little Prince.

Agapetes serpens SEH#25095

This one's growing inside the conservatory though, so likely not hardy.

Rhododendron mallotum, such a distinctive plant, that indumentum is thick! 

Rhododendron roxieanum var. oreonasters

I want one just like that with the green furry trunk.

Just one last plant, this one I may have actually grown briefly, and it succumbed to a bad winter (planted in the fall, something I rarely do). Polygonatum mengtzense f. tonkinense

How cool is that!?

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All material © 2009-2025 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

Got plant lust?

As part of our plantlust.com holiday email we're giving away a canvas tote bag* to ten people (chosen randomly) who reply to this very important question: what is your favorite plant for winter interest in the garden? Email your answer to "info at plant lust dot com" by December 31st...and good luck!

*plants not included

All material © 2009-2015 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

Announcing plant lust, the blog!

It was inevitable really. When you get three plant-crazy people like myself and my business partners, Megan and Patricia, together we aren't going to be happy keeping the plant talk to ourselves. We've got to share the passion and get others excited about the possibilities, thus we've started a blog.

Blogging is part of our history at plantlust.com, if not for our respective blogs we never would have met back in 2009 and now, finally, we’re all blogging together. Those of you who miss Megan’s fabulous blog, Nestmaker, will be thrilled to know she’s back online. Patricia, a bit of a new comer to the blogging world, has got a lot to say about plants, and gardening, and won’t hold back. Of course you already know me. We’ll be posting three times a week, and we hope you’ll join us and be part of the conversation at plant lust the blog...

All material © 2009-2014 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

Rhododendron lust

I happened by Cornell Farms last week, you know…one has to keep up on the latest at all the local nurseries. It was a terribly windy day, a bit rainy and quite cold, this never stops me from visiting the outdoor tables but I do prefer the covered spaces under those circumstances. Once inside I came upon this table of Rhododendron goodness...

I can’t guess how large this Rhododendron sinogrande looks to you, I wonder does it look as big as it really was (huge)?

Here’s my thumb for scale…

If I didn’t already own a struggling little plant I might have been tempted to scoop this one up, “only” $49.99! (okay I kid, I wouldn't be spending fifty bucks on this, but a girl can dream)

Oh the indumentum! Rhododendron pachysanthum…

I would have made the purchase ( $26.99) but for this...mention of pink flowers.

Pink flowers with that coppery indumentum? No.

So that was all on Tuesday, then I visited the Yard Garden & Patio Show on Friday. At the show I came face to face with this beauty (Rhododendron 'Ebony Pearl') at the Gossler Farms booth in the "Remarkable Green Market" ...

Back in March 2013 I took the photo below of a Rhododendron 'Ebony Pearl' in a friend's garden, and posted it along with several others. At the time I wrote "If I were to buy another Rhododendron (and I'm not) this might be the one..."

Well I bought it, of course I did, pink/purple flowers be damned! Just look at those luscious (dark) leaves...I can pick off the flowers right?

Tomorrow I'll share what else I bought at the show...

All material © 2009-2014 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

Plant Lust plant swap at Schoolhouse Electric!

Portland area gardeners mark your calendars…Saturday October 20th from 11am to 3pm is the inaugural plant lust plant swap at Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Company!

There’s plenty of rain in the forecast, and although I’m not personally celebrating that fact, why not take advantage of it and get out in the garden and conquer all the things you've wanted to do for months but it's been to dry? Then bring your plant divisions, plants you don’t have a good home for, or one you've just gotten tired of, and swap them for something new!

(actual plants may vary)

What’s the catch? There isn't one. My plant lust partners and I were given the opportunity to do something at Schoolhouse and we thought a good old-school community plant swap sounded like fun. The only rule is that your plants must be labeled with their name and in a container.

Plus…anyone who brings a plant to the swap will receive 10% off at Schoolhouse all weekend! (Saturday and Sunday, so you don’t have to shop the day of the swap if you’d rather get home and plant). Time to finally buy those sconces, pillows, or that rug you've been eyeing!

And…Anna Mara Flowers (located just inside the Schoolhouse showroom) is also offering 10% all flowers and plants the day of the swap, fabulous!

Naturally team plant lust will be on hand during the swap to help with your plant choices and soak up all the plant happiness. I wish you all could come to our swap, but if you’re not in the Portland area I strongly encourage you to organize a plant swap of your own. The Portland Garden Bloggers group has had a couple now and it’s been so much fun to see everyone, check out the plants they bring, and I’m not going to lie… free plants rock, hope to see you there!

plant lust plant swap at Schoolhouse Electric
When: Saturday October 20th from 11am – 3pm*
Where: On the loading dock at Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co. at 2181 NW Nicolai Street, Portland, OR 97210 (on NW Nicolai St. between Front Ave & Hwy 30), free parking on the street. And if it’s raining fear not…we’ll be undercover!

(*Hardy Plant Society of Oregon members this is the same day as the Autumn library event at the HPSO Office, just blocks away. Why not make a day of it?!)