I should explain…I am writing about my experience gardening in Zone 8. For those of you gardening in warmer climates I’m sure these plants are the perennials they are meant to be, and you are able to enjoy them year after year. (you know who you are, and I am jealous of you).
On with my story…this was my first year growing a Melianthus major in the garden. I bought my little plant at the Spring Hardy Plant Society sale for something near $10 (I try not to track the actual prices, nothing good can come from that) and it was tiny. Here it is the day I bought it. That’s it in the upper left hand corner.
Here it is the day I planted it.
And on November 3rd.
Quite the impressive growth don’t you think? I’m relatively certain that come spring this beauty will be dead, it’s only marginally hardy here in Zone 8. I’m also fairly certain that I’ll buy another. The deep cuts in the foliage...
And the shadows they cast are gorgeous. Now that I've had it I can’t imagine a summer without it.
And I've discovered a bonus! Since we’ve got cold temps in the forecast (25 degrees Tuesday night) I’ve started wrapping and protecting things, that meant cutting back the Melianthus…but I’ve discovered they work great as cut stems too!
Another fav, this Echium wildpretii bought from Cistus for under $15 (by a kind friend watching out for me). It’s grown from this tiny speck…
To this!
It seriously looks like it might just reach out and wrap it’s tentacles around your ankle if you pause too long too close.
Only hardy to 20F I doubt it will see another summer, but given the opportunity I’ll be replacing it. They make a fetching pair don’t you think?
And another Echium, this one Echium fastuosum “Pride of Madeira” from
Annie Annuals, only $7.95. When planted it this spring was this size.
November 3rd this is what it looks like.
Now granted there were no blooms. But with foliage like this does it really matter?
So big…So beautiful…So Zone 9…I can’t imagine not growing this one again. In fact I’m experimenting with a few soft wood cuttings thanks to Joseph over at Greensparrow Gardens.
Click here to read the excellent “sciencey answer” he posted when I asked him about the technique. I’ll share my success, or lack of, in a future post.
Lastly the Papyrus, definitely an annual must have.
How can you not love a plant that grows to 10 ft+ in a season and is topped with such a crazy foliage explosion?
And it too works great cut in a vase, lasting for weeks.
I will be growing these again next year for sure. (….sounds like I’m already shopping for spring planting doesn’t it? Whatever it takes to get me through the winter...)
After waiting months to see the blooms of my silver Tillandsia xerographica I must admit the reality is a bit of a letdown, I was hoping for bright tropical-esque blooms, but it’s not to be. After spending the summer hanging in the shade pavilion…
It was moved indoors in early October. 
The blooms finally started to “open” in early November.
They are pretty, in a subtle way. But every time I look at the blooms I hear Peggy Lee singing “is that all there is”
Mahonia gracilipes, another Mahonia must have to add to my lust list.
The Stone Garden.
And the shortest Ginger blooms I’ve ever seen!
Entering the Fern Dell there were Birds Nest Ferns…
Maidenhair Ferns…
And even more fabulous Tree Ferns.
Evidently their Fern Dell is home to over 40 different kinds of ferns, or so said the sign.
Here is a full grown one in the distance as we round the side of the maze.
And at the center of their maze is another. We did walk the maze, even in broad daylight I was a little spooked. One too many times of watching The Shining I suppose. We did make it to the Monkey Puzzle in the center after a few wrong turns and back-tracking.
Do you notice anything a little odd about the trunk of this Paulownia tomentosa? Oh like the fact that it HAS EYES! 
Isn’t it the freakiest thing? 
The smell of these Strawberry Begonias was amazing (correction - perhaps actually Begonia grandis? Thanks Ryan!).
The smell near the Himalayan Pines was also pretty strong. We finally identified it as the resin dripping from the cones.
I couldn’t get a great close up but it was remarkable how covered they were.
And they had 2 distinctly different looking cones. Odd eh? (or maybe it’s just odd to a tree ignorant person like me). 
Look! There are agaves lurking in that crazy planting!
White Nicotiana and Castor Beans.
And then we happened upon the Big Dig. The Banana’s and Canna’s being pulled for wintering over elsewhere. 
This giant Banana had not yet been pulled, I wonder if it stays in place? Probably not.
They must be planning to pull the Sago too?
Are these beauties Cordylines or Yuccas? And why don't I know? I should.
Guess these Agave americana variegata are also being removed.
And no doubt the Agave americana will follow. This moving things is a lot of work! (wait, what am I saying? I do this too only without a staff!) 
Maybe this next site will be commonplace to some of you. To us it was nothing short of jaw-dropping. A black squirrel!
Squirrels are brown/grey not black! We couldn’t believe what we were seeing. They were pretty fast movers so this blurry action shot was the best I could manage. Evidently this is a not a separate species but a sub-group of the common grey squirrel and the opposite of albinism, at least that’s what my brief internet research told me.
And a stately Agave americana v. medio picta 'Alba' in a fancy urn. That’s a nice image to close with. Next time you find yourself in Vancouver BC you really should stop by the VanDusen, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. 
