Q. Andrew: “How many Schefflera do we need?”A. Loree: “as many as Mark & Gaz have...”

A quick stop at Garden Fever last weekend yielded an unexpected surprise…a new (for me) Schefflera!

We stopped in looking for the next office plant component for Andrew, but of course I had to do a quick once-through the nursery and what should my wandering eyes discover but a Schefflera! At this point they’re still so rare it’s like spotting a four-leaf clover or a double rainbow. Schefflera brevipedunculata…

Of course a quick Google search reveals that indeed I have seen this one before (I love that Google has a better memory than I do), at Molbaks in July of 2011. Never mind that one was an expensive 5-gallon. This was just a 1-gallon at $15.99. Ya, $15.99!!!

I have no idea where it will go but in instances like this you grab now, and think later; hopefully it can be happy in a container until I find a place for it in the ground. I love its strange leaf pattern of 7(ish) larger leaves on the bottom and 3(or so) smaller ones held above.

This raises the Schefflera species count to 3 (S. delavayi = 1, S. taiwaniana = 3, S. brevipedunculata = 1). Obviously I have a way to go before I can reach Mark and Gaz’s total of 6? 7? 8 different species, what is you guy's count? And why are they so much easier to find in England?

***new information, I just read this on the Monrovia website: "Newly recognized in the Flora of China, the name of Schefflera brevipedunculata is a work in progress. A close ally to Schefflera alpiinia this unique shrub may indeed prove to be a variety of it."***

All material © 2009-2013 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

Echium x wildpretii 'Rocket' is my favorite plant in the garden, this week…

It’s time has come; the monster must be celebrated...

This Echium x wildpretii 'Rocket' is remaining one of a pair I bought at Xera Plants the summer of 2010. Here are the twins the day they came home from the hospital nursery (lower right hand corner).

One went in the front garden that year, this one stayed in a container over winter 2010/11 (insurance based on questionable hardiness).

Then planted in the ground in June of 2011, it was so small then (even smaller than the last photo having lost a few leaves due to transplanting shock). It grew like crazy that year and even developed a branch.

By the time spring 2012 rolled around it was obvious the largest arm was going to bloom. Here’s a photo from June of last year. Andrew (6ft 2in) for scale…

And after I removed the bloomed out arm here’s what was left…

Which has become what’s blooming now.

Andrew appears again this year for scale (with Lila as a bonus)…

This whole section is a long branch that comes off the stump of the original plant.

Stretching out across the ground a good couple of feet.

And that trunk is huge! I can’t get my hand even halfway around it, oh and it’s hairy too…

Isn’t it just incredible? That tiny little plant has produced two 12+ plus bloom spikes and lived for 3 years in my garden. Which brings me to the description from Xera...."Amazing biennial that is worth growing for the rosette of leaves alone. Silvery thin leaves form a rosette to 3' wide and curl up into a spherical shape as tall. VERY COOL. In the second year a 6' tower of scarlet flowers points straight up. Well drained soil in a very warm position with occasional summer water. Overwinters best with good drainage. Great w/ boulders and Cactus, maybe a giant sloth and an alien. Full hot sun."...Wait, did they say 6’ tower? Ha!

Here’s where things get sad. This is the end! There are no more arms pushing out of that stump. When this one is done it’s done. A better gardener than I would leave it in place as long as possible (seeds!). But I’ve already watched it lean in the heavy rain and wind and I don’t want what happened to its much shorter sister in the front garden last year…

…to happen to it, that would be catastrophic. Besides I must be honest, it’s taking up a good bit of real estate that I’ve got plans for. So I close this tribute with a couple more photos, it’s been a pleasure to have you grace my garden Mr E. W. x R….

All material © 2009-2013 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

Out and about...

Yes it's that time again, time to share a random bunch of disconnected photos, the only thing these have in common is the fact that they caught my eye...

Fake succulents are all the rage, want the look but don't have the light? Can't be bothered to water once a month? Fake succulents are for you. What I don't understand is why they're making them complete with some of the very things we hate to see happen to real plants. Look, it's a "pineappled" fake agave (blurry picture, couldn't do a close-up hence the arrow)...

And here they've poorly trimmed up some unattractive lower foliage Why???

How exciting is this!? Very exciting, at least to me. You all probably knew something like this existed, but I'd never seen it before. A waterproof cover for your patio umbrella!

I've dutifully hauled my canvas umbrella in and out of the garage (or under the shade pavilion) for years whenever rain was in the forecast, I didn't want it to get all dirty and gross. Now I can just slip this baby on and leave it on the patio! Only $7.99 at IKEA and they had a larger size too.

A couple of months ago I shared photos on Facebook of an unfortunate Opuntia massacre (both planters used to be as full as the one in the back). But guess what? Turns out the hacked on cactus gets the last laugh because it's coming back!

Maybe that's what she had in mind when she left the stumps in place? Either way I'm happy.

I was working in the garden one afternoon when I went to pick up a small twig on a leaf.

But then it moved! Turns out it's a stick caterpillar...I may have let out a little scream (just little one).

Last fall I shared photos of my plant lust partner Patricia’s garden, when I called it “The garden where everything grows faster, bigger, and better than mine…” I wasn’t kidding. Parts of it are only a couple of years old but looks so mature. Last Saturday team plant lust met up here for our trip to Rare Plant Research, this was the first chance I’d had to really look around since last fall...

Everything looked so amazing! Here’s the unbelievable part…they’re seriously thinking about moving, could you leave this garden? It would be hard. Very hard.

What would you take? What could you take? What would you leave behind?

All I know is a very lucky new owner is going to inherit a lot of cool plants, if you know someone whose looking for a gorgeous older home in NE Portland here’s your chance to make them very happy, just don’t get any designs on this eryngium cause I can guarantee I’ll be sneaking it out before the paperwork is even filed.

All material © 2009-2013 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

Rare Plant Research, 2013

The last few years my enthusiasm for the Rare Plant Research Open House had somewhat dwindled, a fact best illustrated by my declining purchases (maybe I already had all their cool stuff?).

However this year I felt a renewed excitement about the event, due primarily to the fact I was attending with my plantlust.com partners. Nothing like fellow plant nuts to encourage your addiction!

Well, that plus cool plants.

No doubt the fact I actually had a list of a few “must haves” helped too, for instance I knew I wanted another couple of bromeliads.

See those light green almost-glowing ones? They were even better in person.

Had to have one.

Oh Furcraea you taunt me so, yes I wanted to take you home but you know you won't be happy there...

The time had finally come, I took the plunge and grabbed one of these Asparagus Ferns...

This beauty was in the "look but don't even try to buy" section. Not that I could have afforded it anyway.

Blooming bromeliad, so pretty.

The trunking Yucca rostrata drew quite a crowd. There were both gasps of delight at the $150 price and gasps of shock. It all depends on your perspective I suppose.

This little beauty was sitting all by itself, not another like it anywhere. I was smitten. And I walked away.

But I came back, and someone else was picking it up! (NO!!!) But then it bit her and she put it down, looking at her finger where it drew blood. That's when I knew I had to have it (insert evil laugh here).

Haemanthus humilis ssp. hirsutus

Yucca whipplei...mine!

Now that's a lot of spikes!

Beautiful colors of Eucomis leaves.

Shocking!

Here's my co-plant lust'er Megan as she swings her purchases around to be paid for. Can that woman shop or what?!!

Makes my haul look downright pathetic! In my defense there is one other plant you can't see, a dark burgundy dyckia is hiding next to the orange aloe. Clockwise from the top...big NOID Bromleiad, Asparagus Fern, that cool variegated yucca,  Aloe dorotheae, Fire Ball Neoregelia (bromeliad), and the Yucca whipplei.

If any one has a guess on the I.D. of the variegated yucca I'd love to hear it, here's another close-up. I asked the owner, Burl, and he said Yucca aloifolia 'Variegata' but then started doubting himself. The Yucca aloifolia  that I'm familiar with has a wider, flatter, softer leaf. These are very narrow, hard and sharp.

Here's the car all loaded up with our purchases...it's a little deceiving too because that's a wagon, deeper than a normal trunk.

Even the backseat was full...I'd call that a successful outing!

All material © 2009-2013 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.