Simplicity, in wreath form

So, it seems I've got that hankering again. Must. Make. Wreaths. The first urge to create resulted in a sort of lavish, partially decorated, twig wreath. That one included a lot of different elements and as a reaction this time I needed to go simple. Inspired by a fallen Oak leaf (Quercus dentata 'Pinnatifida') I decided my wreath would include only those fabulously "cut" specimens and an evergreen element.

After surveying the garden for something appropriate, I decided the evergreen component would be being cuttings from a couple of my Arctostaphylos (Manzanita).

Normally when covering a wire wreath form I start by making small bundles of all the elements, which are then - one by one - wired into place around the form. This time I wanted to try something different. I wrapped a few of the Arctostaphylos branches around the form, very loosely wiring them in place.

Once I had a green circle (with lots of random offshoots) it was time to hang it up on the door and start threading in the oak leaves.

As I worked I had the strangest feeling that I was being watched...

The finished wreath. Instead of working the leaves around in a clockwise fashion I decided to take the two sides down from the top and have them meet at the bottom, like the reverse of the traditional Laurel leaf wreath.

An old piece of wired ribbon holds the whole thing in place.

Days have gone by now, since I built this wreath, and it's holding up great. The Manzanita is drying wonderfully.

I think what I appreciate most about this wreath is its simplicity. The over-blown color and sparkle of Christmas (and I mean that in a good way) is just around the corner, this is a bit of calm before the storm.

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

"We met in front of a dragon sculpture..."

I was recently invited to tour the garden of a Facebook friend. He reminded me that we'd met before, in front of a dragon sculpture at the Yard, Garden and Patio Show back in 2014. Indeed we did! He gave me his address then, and I had every intention of doing a drive-by, but never managed to do it. Thank goodness for second chances! This is the scene that greets you as you enter the garden. That forest of Canna? Wayne grew them all from seed, ditto for the monster Castor Bean.

I was sent home with a handful of seeds from that garden eating beauty, hopefully I'll get similar results next year.

Wayne lives on a huge corner lot in NE Portland, he's been gardening here for 8 years. I visited late on a drizzly-autumn day, the light was poor. Yes, that's my way of apologizing to Wayne because I am not showing his garden in the best possible way. I'll just have to go back next summer and capture it at its sunny peak.

Isn't this cool? Wayne is reworking it with different plants (hence the bare-spots). What a great focal point.

This combination stopped me cold. Who knew Podophyllum could be happy tucked under a Nolina 'La Siberica'?

And this Hebe is a beauty!

Tree ferns...

A mini-forest of them! I'll show you were they spend the winter in just a few photos.

Iris confusa

Some might shudder at this image (Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae) but I think it's rather lovely. Wayne cuts it back hard every spring (with a lawnmower) to keep it looking fresh.

Stachyurus salicifolius, its structure nicely highlighted by an under-planting of yellowing Hosta. Wayne was very gracious to let me visit in early November, many gardeners wouldn't dream of sharing their garden with a pesky, camera-toting, blogger so late in the season.

Wayne mentioned that his Schefflera delavayi was hit hard by a bad winter (must have been 2013-14) but it's rebounded nicely and now has multiple trunks.

We've only seen a tiny fraction of the garden so far...

What's that? A Monstera, in Oregon!? Yes, and no it's not hardy here.

Nor is that red flower real (although the plant is), Wayne obviously likes to have fun with his garden.

Another ginormous Castor Bean.

Oh that blue Abies, so beautiful. It's glowing...

If my memory is correct that white flower is also an impostor (I'm trying not to use the word fake).

Just think, back before the PKW's there were Phormium this big all over Portland. Not anymore...

Check out that Colocasia! It looks big right?

It is! That's Wayne, he's 6ft 2in...meet Colocasia gigantea Thai Giant 

That little door opens into a root cellar. Original to the property, it's where the Tree Ferns spend winter.

Canna 'Stuttgart'

Ah...Daphniphyllum macropodum, another great plant that you don't see often enough!

Farfugium japonicum 'Giganteum'

Okay...we've walked through a large vegetable garden with raised beds and are now standing at the side of the garden. The lawn you see here...

And here...is actually beyond what would be considered a hell-strip in some parts of Portland. Here it's just a nice wide buffer from the side-street.

A handsome Cupressus arizonica var. glabra 'Blue Ice' (I think) ends this fabulous garden visit...thank you Wayne!

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

I’d admit I have a problem – if it were a problem

How many is too many? Did Imelda have too many shoes? Does Evan have too many Bromeliads? Do I have too many Agaves? Well, in order to answer that question we need to know just how many I have right? Let's count! There are 9 in the driveway...

Agave weberi and friends in the driveway

The back garden, surprisingly, has quite a few Agaves in the ground.

Agave bracteosa, in the back garden

Many of them are planted in what I refer to as the Agave mounds.

The "newest" (2.5 years old) Agave mound, in the back garden

But there are a few in containers.

Agave parryi dish planters

All counted up there are 39 Agaves in the back garden. So we're at 48 total, thus far.

Parts of a couple other Agave mounds - so called because the soil is built up, to help with drainage

And in case you're wondering I did count pups, but only if they were separated from mom and at least 3" wide. This photo has 6, the yucca looking green guy is actually A. striata Espadina form. There were a few pups here too small to count.

The final mound, and a Grevillea x gaudichaudii, heading into it's second winter in the ground 

It's been too wet to take the covers off the containers for over a week now.

Agave 'Sharkskin' - under protective cover

They don't seem to mind though.

Agave ovatifolia, I built covers for just the two Agaves in containers, so they would stay dry

Truth be told I was shocked at the count in the back garden, of course they're all on the smaller side. No monster Arizona Agaves here (sadly).

Agave bracteosa, planted in the ground - the silver ring is completely open at the bottom

Okay next area to be counted, the shade pavilion...

In the shade pavilion greenhouse, which I really should call a dryhouse instead - since that's its real purpose

There are 47, which brings the Agave total to 95.

Another look inside the dryhouse

Time to go out to the front garden...

Agave americana in the front garden - yes, it really is an A. americana, stunted in our climate

Like the back garden I was a little shocked as the number started going up, up, up...

At first glance you probably see 4 Agaves, but if you look close there's another visible in the upper left corner

But there are 6 Agave parryi 'JC Raulston' alone, what was I expecting?

Agave parryi 'JC Raulston'

So the front garden count = 35 (now at 130 total)

Agaves and ornamental cabbage...who knew?

I really should measure this one, it's getting quite large. See the damaged leaf on the lower right? That happened with the new widows going in last spring. Everything up from there is new growth.

Agave ovatifolia

Okay, the final frontier: the basement. For those of you just tuning in these are all outside in the summer, they're the ones of questionable winter hardiness who spend winter inside, where it's safe.

The basement gang

The basement has 48, which means the grand total of Agaves in my possession is 178! Oh my.

Agave attenuata

Well, make that 179, an Agave ocahui 'Wavy Gravy' just arrived from Gerhard.

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