Visiting Far Reaches Farm, in Port Townsend, WA

The final stop on last Saturday's day of plant fun, with Peter and Alison, was Far Reaches Farm in Port Townsend, Washington — and no, you haven't missed my other posts, I rarely do things in order, they'll show up eventually.

While most of the PNW I-5 corridor — from Portland to Seattle — was enjoying the first cloudy, cool (under 80) day in several weeks (with sprinkles! .01" recorded in Portland), Port Townsend actually experienced downpours.

We were rained on in route and I joked that the skies would clear and the sun would come out once we pulled into the nursery, and what do you know, that's pretty much what happened.

Just moments after we arrived, I grabbed this Syneilesis, it's so different from the ones I currently grow (label: Syneilesis Sp. (as intermedia) DJHT12101 ex Taiwan), I had to have it.

Disporium nantouense, from a Crug Farm collection.

I took several photos of brightly colored Roscoea during our visit. I've tried, and failed, multiple times with this plant. Thus I adored them, and left them behind.

Sinopanax formosanus, Far Reaches is where my Sinopanax came from.

Saxifraga paniculata ‘Rosea’

So many plants...

Far Reaches has several crazy good Crocosmia.

Cirsium rivulare 'Atropurpureum', tempting, but I passed.

Ha! This planting made me laugh. So much empty space...come on, cramscape!

I've signed up for the Far Reaches newsletter (you should too) and it's not uncommon to hear that a section of the nursery is off limits because some creature has decided to call it home (Killdeer come to mind). I have no idea what created this nest, but it was fun to see.

I asked about this exceptional thistle, but there were none currently available.

See what I meant about the rain?

Lily down.

This one caused me some confusion and I meant to ask Kelly or Sue about it. My eyes said Daphniphyllum, the label said Diplopanax stachyanthus

Anybody?

Diphylleia cymosa

OMG, so cute!

Relaxing in the sun...

The Outlaw, in his element.

In addition to the fabulous nursery keeping them busy Kelly and Sue recently formed Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy, which is "focused on introducing new plants to North America with attendant conservation and education. This is important work that is racing the clock as native ecosystems and key ornamental collections overseas are increasingly imperiled and your financial support is critical to continue to make this happen." (more here) Thank god someone (some pair?) is willing to take on this important work.

If my memory is correct this shelter was built thanks to the kindness ($) of a spouse of dedicated Far Reaches shopper. He needed a place to sit (out of the weather) while she shopped.

I think that's Kelly and Sue's homestead, as lovely as it is my camera was actually focused on the blooming Nolina. That's something you don't see every day.

Beautiful.

Eryngium maritimum

The Tetrapanax are lovely but wowsa!...

Check out that Schefflera delavayi!

Heading back to the nursery proper this stopped me in my tracks. The foliage says Lyonothamnus floribundus, but those huge blooms? And it can get cold up here in Port Townsend.

Could it be?

Heading into the greenhouse to pay I caught sight of another of the dogs. What a life!

Clethra aff. petelotii was my final temptation, but I managed to walk away.

So what did I bring home? Well that Syneilesis at the top of the post was my only purchase. But I'd done a little favor for Kelly and Sue awhile back, so Kelly tossed in a couple of plants. This interesting guy being one of them...

I do love me a plant that looks dead and this one almost fits that bill. Plus once I was home and researching it I discovered a few online photos that included translucent blue berries...

Kind of like these. Which belong to Coprosma brunnea which I feel in love with at the VanDusen Botanical Garden in Vancouver BC way back in 2010. I will be thrilled if I see berries like that on my plant.

My other gifted treasure is this guy, Bupleurum angulosum. I knew nothing about it when I accepted it but a little research shows me it's got green flowers which means I am thrilled.

Here's the description from the Far Reaches website: "A quietly fun perennial that should be on every green flower afficionado's hit list.  Lance-shaped leaves and branched stems bearing dull yellow tiny button flowers arising from green buds and all surrounded by a prominent green collar.  Lovely green effect with plenty of structural detail.  Archibald collection from the Pyrenees/Cantabrian Mts.  Jim and Jenny Archibald were great plant hunters with a fabulous seed business and we have one of greenhouses named for them."

So that's our most wonderful outing to Far Reaches. If you're in the Portland area you'll want to come out to hear Kelly and Sue talk ("It’s All About the Plants") at the HPSO Fall PlantFest on September 15th...more info here (oh, and there's a plant sale afterward!).

Weather Diary, Aug 16: Hi 83, Low 61/ Precip 0

All material © 2009-2018 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

Off to Far Reaches Farm, to see ferns

Ah Far Reaches Farm, such great plants, so far away. Thankfully Kelly Dodson and Sue Milliken (owners of Far Reaches) aren't afraid to hit the road, and have brought plants down to many a sale in the Portland area. I've also made the trek up to the nursery, first in 2012, then 2013 and again in 2018. They've not kept regular retail hours since COVID though, so getting to visit with the Hardy Fern Foundation (and tour those off-limits greenhouses!) was a fantastic opportunity...

screenshot from the Far Reaches Farm website

The group gathered in the former sales area of the nursery (Andrew dropped me off just inside the gate and I took this photo as I walked in) and enjoyed snacks and tables of plants available for purchase.

Gladiolus 'Ruby'

You'll notice there are a few of those gladiolus in the flats of plants our group had purchased in advance.

I remember a talk Kelly and Sue gave years ago and Kelly telling the story of a customer's spouse building this shade building so he'd have a spot to wait for his wife to shop. True? I have no idea, but it's fun to imagine.

Crambe maritima

Under the shade structure...

Once we were all gathered Kelly and Sue spoke and then turned things over to Silas Zoeller (collections manager for Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy) who shared his thoughts. After that we toured the crevice garden (that will be Monday's post) and then walked to the new shade house, which you can see in the photo at the top of the post on the far left (although I think that might actually be a temporary structure, pre-lathhouse).

Inside the shade structure...

Looking the opposite direction...

And a few close ups, this gorgeous thing is labeled as Drynaria sp. MD 12. 

You'll see similar throughout this (extremely long) post. MD is for Sue Milliken and Kelly Dodson. They are very upfront about not being fern experts and never setting out to collect and grow ferns. It just happened, cause ferns are cool. They are still trying to get proper ID on a lot of the ferns they've collected in their travels.

This one is Drynaria sp. MD 17-69. It's actually available for purchase and I almost took the leap, almost (questionable hardiness being the issue, and money, of course).

The first drynaria from another angle. The hypertufa wall was inspired by a talk given by Remko Beuving for the Hardy Fern Foundation last winter. Free talks as part of the HFF + BPS + DFS Winter Lecture Series are a great benefit of HFF membership!

Lepisorus cf. macrosphaerus MD 15-09, it's worth mentioning this plant lived through last winter in my garden with no protection.

Pyrrosia sheareri - Doonan Collection

Check it out! A ginger blooming at ground level, possibly Zingiber mioga 'Crug's Zing' BSWJ4379.

And a beautifully variegated Fatsia polycarpa...

Time to walk on to one of the greenhouses (scanning the treasures as I go)...

This fern-heavy avenue had been set-up for visiting experts from Dutch and German fern societies.

If this area was all I saw during this trip my eyes would have been very very happy.

The tall guy there is Pteris wallichiana.

There were a lot of pyrrosia, many with only tentative ID.

Selliguea cf. YuGu 373

Aeschynanthus tengchungensis

Lemmaphyllum microphyllum

Drynaria sp. MD 12-32

Labeled as Fern sp, I believe this is a neolepisorus sp.

The label had elaphoglossum written on it, followed by NOT! So...who knows, but it's HOT!

Handsome pyrrosia...

Another...

The tag on this one said Pyrrosia angustissima with a “?” but when I posted on Instagram Silas commented saying it was  likely a Vittaria sp. not pyrrosia. Makes sense to look at it.

Pyrrosia lingua ‘O Kan’

Another possible elaphoglossum.

No clue, but wow.

A few dryland ferns, starting with Notholaena californica.

Bommeria hispida SBH 9550, collected by Sean Hogan in AZ.

Notholaena aff standleyi

I think this is Pleopeltis lepidopteris. I have no memory of taking this photo and I know I told someone that I didn't see any pleopeltis at Far Reaches. Huh.

Moving on to another greenhouse...

Bam! There's my love, Dryopteris polylepis! I've only seen this one previously at the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden, and the last time I visited it was not looking good. I am thrilled to see it here. Now hopefully spore will be collected and someday... plants will be offered for sale.

I did warn you this post was going to go on forever, didn't I? Well...

Maybe Lepisorus sp. MD 15-13?

Pyrrosia! Pretty sure there's a few Pyrrosia lingua 'Tachiba Koryu' in that mix.

Parablechnum cordatum / Blechnum chilense

Another shot of our group...

And more Drynaria, because I was experiencing some major fern lust...

At this point our walk and talk had pretty much wrapped up and we were all wandering around the sales tables and thru the oldest lath house (visible on the far right of the photo at the top of the post). Here blooms of Lobelia tupa mingle nicely with Melianthus major foliage.

Saxifrage I believe?

Entering the lath house...

Phlebodium pseudoaureum

Adiantum aleuticum var. subpumilim

One of the painted ferns I assume, but I can't venture an ID beyond that.

Pyrrosia sheareri

Salix × boydii, I believe.

And I'll wrap-up with this, Coprosma rugosa.

Kelly gave me a small one of these on a previous visit. It grew slowly in my front garden, it wasn't until seeing this one that I realized it had disappeared (winter?). Did I buy a replacement? No. I'd already spent enough thank you. My haul and a look at the crevice garden on Monday.

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All material © 2009-2024 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.