The garden of Linda Hostetler, a stop on the 2017 Garden Bloggers Fling

I've been on a roll, writing about the the Smithsonian Garden stops on the 2017 Garden Bloggers Fling. But as much as I love the public gardens we visit during a "Fling" the really magical moments are the ones spent in the private gardens, so let's take a break and visit one...

Several of my Fling-mates were seriously hyped to see the garden of Linda Hostetler, sadly I was out of the loop, but now I get it. Here's the description from our Fling materials: "Linda is a graphic designer turned landscape designer who is happiest playing in the dirt with primary colors. Her incredible garden started with poison ivy and three dead cherry trees and has become an exuberant red and blue playground threaded with vignettes created by a collector gone mad. She and her husband dug a 90’ stream and a 16x24 foot pond for their resident amphibians." (You will see those amphibians in just a bit).

The photo above began to show the long driveway to the back of the property. Here's a wide view to help you begin to grasp the scale of this garden.

Along the drive...

Looking from the drive to the house.

So this house is only 100 years older than our house, give or take a few of years (ours dates to 1948).

The front door...

Looking back towards the main street that passes through this picturesque little town (and our buses parked across the street).

I usually try for garden photos sans people, but everyone was just so happy to be here! It's fun to see them soaking it all up.

We were here on June 25th and her Albizia julibrissin ‘Summer Chocolate’ was already in bloom. Mine back at home wouldn't start up until mid-July.

My Lonicera refuses to bloom. I'm a little heartbroken about that.

The pathway to the back garden...

The Grey Gardens of bird houses.

Oh! Remember those amphibians?

Here they are...

Well just a couple of them. There were many more...

At the back of the house, the end point of that long graveled drive out front. But now...

We're about to walk into a very large back garden...

Sweet!

All sorts of variegation, all playing very nicely together.

There were many (many!) blue accents in the garden, including a wire gazebo. In the center of the gazebo was this cage...

Containing a potted Agave. You know I wanted to free it. But I was a good garden visitor and just walked on by...

More blue...

This! We'd seen it before in a couple other gardens, so ordinary, yet so exotic looking (to me). Cephalotaxus harringtonia 'Prostrata', aka Spreading Japanese Plum Yew.

I don't recall ever seeing this plant back in Portland, yet it's perfectly hardy in my Zone AND rumored to be grown by several of our nurseries, they just ship it back east before we can buy it. I am a girl on a mission.

Right about here the call came out to head back to the buses.

Since lunch was the next stop we all paid attention, eventually.

Thanks for sharing your garden Linda! (back of the house)

Weather Diary, Aug 23: Hi 83, Low 61/ Precip tbd

All material © 2009-2017 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

Wednesday Vignette, what the sun does

I don't know about your part of the world, but mine — it was nothing but talk of the impending eclipse for the last few weeks. As I planned out my blog posts for the week (cause ya, that's what I do) I thought surely I'd have some photo from the eclipse to share for my Wednesday Vignette. But then I thought better of it, why not just experience it? Besides since Portland was "only" in the 99% totality range I wouldn't want to risk frying my phone or camera trying to take a photo, there are experts for that.

So instead I'm reaching back to my October visit to the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix (still so many photos I haven't posted!). I thought it would be fun to see what the sun does to Cylindropuntia ramosissima, aka Diamond Cholla...

The sun certainly does make those long spikes shine...

So many spikes!

Okay who do I think I'm kidding?! Of course I took a couple of eclipse photos, but of the fabulous dancing crescent shapes that were everywhere a foliage shadow fell. Magic! How was the eclipse where you live?

Weather Diary, August 22: Hi 88, Low 61/ Precip 0

Wednesday Vignettes are hosted by Anna at Flutter & Hum. All material © 2009-2017 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

Garden Design Magazine, win a year's subscription!

Corresponding recently with Dayna Springfield, of Garden Design Magazine, I was surprised to realize I've never written about the magazine here on my blog. Back when I was part of plantlust.com I did a piece there — titled Making Connections — but never here...

Summer 2014 was the first issue of the current magazine — although it wasn't a completely new title — Garden Design in another form was a well-known (and loved, by some) publication. Once the earlier version ceased to publish Jim Peterson bought the brand and reinvented it. The "new" Garden Design is completely ad free, published four times a year, and bookshelf worthy.

I've had the pleasure of meeting Jim, and his wife Valerie, on multiple occasions (Garden Bloggers Flings, which the magazine generously sponsors, the Northwest Flower and Garden Show, etc) I know the people behind this magazine are warm, genuine, human beings who support the gardening community beyond the pages of the magazine. This feels very much like a family affair, one which just happens to write about amazing gardens, take gorgeous photos, and feature them in print. If you've never seen the magazine in person, here's a short (2 minute) video that gives you an idea of the stories they cover, and the way in which they do it.

In addition to what appears on the glossy pages of the magazine there's a treasure-trove of information online. For example, a story on my fellow Portland-area garden blogger, Tamara's, old garden (here)...

And a story on the Elizabeth Miller Garden in Seattle here...

If you're not signed up for their weekly newsletter you really should be, seriously. It arrives in your inbox every Thursday and has links to great stories on their website, a calendar of events happening around the country, other blogs you should be reading (I'm a little biased, they have featured danger garden a couple of times) and so much more. Sign up here.

So enough of my chatter...are you interested? Perhaps you've seen the magazine and liked it, but never taken the plunge and subscribed? Perhaps you're already a subscriber (good for you!) but you'd like to give a subscription to a friend, or family member? Well... here's your chance. The fine folks at Garden Design are letting me give away a year's subscription!

This coming Friday, August 25th I will draw one lucky winner from all who comment on this post by midnight on the 24th. As always you MUST leave a way for me to get a hold of you, so I can get your mailing address. If your comment doesn't link to an active blog (no Google Plus accounts) then leave an email. You can write it out like "audrey at gmail dot com" if you want to deter the spam-bots from finding you. Oh and U.S. residents only please, I'm sorry but you know...shipping costs.

Or...
Maybe you want to go ahead and subscribe right now? Then I've still got a deal for you — get your first issue free! That means the summer issue ships to you now, then you've still got a whole year ahead to enjoy your subscription! Go online www.gardendesign.com/2017 or call (855) 624-5110 Monday – Friday, 8am–5pm PST and mention this offer. Enjoy!

Weather Diary, Aug 21: Hi 91, Low 59/ Precip 0

All material © 2009-2017 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.