Catching up on a few drive-by gardens

Today's post features a few places I've stopped to take photos of, but that didn't warrant a full blog post all their own (they're worthy, I just don't have enough photos). First up the Pat Calvert Greenhouse at the UW Arboretum. I did a quick look-see back in July during the last day of the Fling. You never know what you might find for sale there, plus it's fun to keep an eye on the garden.

The ginormous gunnera, shaggy palms...

... and recovering cordylines. Unlike the ones I showed last Friday (that are only sprouting at the base), these are also growing further up the chunky trunk.

I have no idea why this plant/pot needed to be chained to the greenhouse structure, but it must be valuable in someone's eyes.

Now we're in Portland, where I happened upon this row of Agave ovatifolia when I turned on a random side street to avoid traffic. Score!

Five sexy agaves all in a row (with a nice Yucca rostrata in the background). I have to wonder, were there more agaves in the empty spots that didn't make it?

The spacing seems like that may have been the case.

Full-frontal shot.

Back up in Seattle now, after visiting my friend Scott's garden (post forthcoming) he took me to see this nice commercial planting. 

That healthy Yucca rostrata with the chunky trunk must have bloomed or endured some sort of trauma because it now has several growing points, I think we counted at least five. Behind it is a blooming crepe myrtle...

... and just a little further down the sidewalk an extremely happy mass of opuntia. Look at all that fruit! It must have been incredible in bloom.

And speaking of fruit, there's also a pomegranate with full-size fruit.

Pulled back view.

And including the narrow hellstrip.

Last week I was on the road again, doing a couple garden visits (Tangly Cottage being one of them, future posts!) and stayed at The Salt hotel in Ilwaco, WA.

Things were very quiet there during my visit (it is the off season, and it was a Wednesday night), so I had this container courtyard all to myself...

Just behind the hotel, the harbor...

I drove up to Long Beach with the idea I'd stay for the sunset, but I didn't last that long.

The locals came out to say hi though. I like what they've done with the grass...

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Botanical Garden roadtrip to Kalama, WA...

What, you didn't know there was a botanical garden in Kalama, Washington? That's probably because it's cleverly disguised as a McMenamins hotel and restaurant, Kalama Harbor Lodge.

Okay in all seriousness. I needed to get out on the road, even if it was just a 45 minute drive north on I-5. I knew it would do my head good, and since I had just sent someone a photo I took of an agave at this property last year, well, it was on my mind. Let's have a look around...

Great combo of Woodwardia unigemmata and Schefflera taiwaniana.

This is perhaps the only plant in the collection that looks better in my garden than it does here, Magnolia macrophylla.

Perhaps the wind is a little too much for it?

I've no clue which bamboo this is...

But it's pretty fabulous.

As are the Melianthus major blooms! Wow...

I used to grow this beauty for the foliage.

But I did get flowers one year, that was memorable.

This display however was over-the-top good.

Yucca linearifolia, I believe.

Two of them!

Another wowsa moment, look at those beschorneria!

Those are some seriously sturdy boom stalks.

Since I last visited the rocky slope down to the river's edge has been replaced by a beach, I believe the city's work, not McMenamins. I rather like it, although it does mean the garden can be walked through, which is never a good thing.

I find the mix of plants to be quite exciting. So many spiky things! It's going to be amazing to watch them grow in.

The beach had a view visitors the morning I was there, I bet on a hot summer day—in non-COVID times—it could get quite packed.

Ah, the Agave americana clump I came to see is still there, and looking good. 

I spotted this pup, off to the left, but completely missed one that's growing up through a seam in the asphalt pathway, I heard about it via Instagram when I was back home.

Beautiful!

The (somewhat unlikely) success of the Agave americana seems to have inspired the McMenamins gardeners, there were so many more agaves! I eventually went around to the other side of the planting to see if I could identify these three, no luck.

Agave ovatifolia, I believe. This one should quickly turn into a monster here (yay).

These blend in so it's kind of hard to tell, but that's at least seven small clumps of Agave bracteosa. 

Here's one that's been in place for awhile.

There were people dining just out of frame, so I tried to be sensitive in my photo taking. The tall clump of grass like leaves on the left is Aloe cooperi, I didn't see any blooms, but then I also couldn't see the far side.

Wow, in addition to multiple new agaves they've also planted a saguaro! Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Wissel's Saguaro' that is.

Now I'm down on the beach-side, scoping out more agaves. Agave parryi...

More Agave bracteosa

Taking this shot I noticed the umbrellas on the roof and later learned there's a near-rooftop bar "with expansive views of the Columbia"... I might have to check that out in person someday.

Another A. ovatifolia.

As is this, but I already shot this one from up on the pathway.

Here is one of the three I was unsure about. It's lovely, but just doesn't have any identifiable characteristics for me.

Maybe Agave chrysantha?

I couldn't resist, another image of the A. americana clump.

And another group of Agave parryi.

As I was leaving I spotted this bunch of juicy berries...yum.

And this! There are a few huge gunnera around the parking lot, in the run-off bioswales. This paring however is pretty genius. Huge leaves, meet tiny leaves.

The tiny leaves belonging to Sophora prostrata 'Little Baby'.

Weather Diary, Aug 30: Hi 77, Low 51/ Precip 0 

All material © 2009-2020 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.