danger garden

Thursday, April 1, 2021

A visit to Dancing Oaks: the plants

So as I mentioned yesterday, our travels last week had us within shopping distance of Dancing Oaks Nursery...

It was cold, windy, and rainy... but I was determined. I realize now that I skipped the entire sun shrubs area. I passed it initially—headed for a greenhouse due to rain—but meant to go back. I did not, just as well though as I don't have any open sunny space for shrubs!

Fritillaria verticillata, cute!

Inside the first green house now and Diphylleia cymosa caught my eye, which dammit I meant to go back and grab!

This appears to be a table where things looking good can be highlighted, an excellent idea.

No label on this bloomer, a fuchsia of some fashion...

Trillium kurabayashii

Arisaema ringens

Epimedium wushanense 'Sandy Claws'

Outside things were still chilly, breezy, and wet so I wasted no time in heading into the next greenhouse...

There were a few containers from the garden tucked in for the winter...

Sonchus palmensis, I believe.

Tempting blooms...

But don't try and buy! (yet)

Even the foliage is gorgeous.

For some reason I didn't even think to ask about those big, luxurious, leaves.

I was hoping to be tempted by their pyrrosia selection, but no.

So many interesting things! I was however trying to not get to carried away reading every label as Andrew was patiently waiting in the car.

Veltheimia bracteata

Gladiolus tristis

Yep... I really (REALLY) wanted to go back there. Every time.

Another (HUGE!) Arisaema ringens...

Finally I found the spikes...

Note the agave arm on the ground, poor thing.

'Blue Glow' looking good...

I recognized these instantly, and was thrilled: creeping strawberry pine. More info at the end of the post...

A long, long, long table of carnivorous plants.

Sad aloes, winter did a number on many plants here at Dancing Oaks, I bet these will pull through, minus a few arms. The same can be said for the trees that surround the nursery. Lots of them will be powering on minus a few substantial appendages thanks to the wicked ice that blanketed the area in February.

So here's my (little) haul...

A tiny—hopefully hardy, with a ? mark—begonia.

This is a photo I borrowed from their website of the bomarea in bloom, you saw it's bright green leaves above. Truth be told this is actually my second as a friend picked one up for me when he visited DO last month. Since this is most likely an annual for me (Zone 9) two of them will provide maximum bloom enjoyment this summer.

These last two plants were an unexpected, but very exciting, surprise. Microcachrys tetragona, or creeping strawberry pine. I've killed one of these in the past, bought another last spring (paid way to much to mail order it from a nursery in California, an early COVID lockdown stress buy), and immediately grabbed two small plants when I saw them here.

What's so special about this plant? The strawberries! And it's creeping habit. Click over to this story on In Defense of Plants to learn more.

So that's my small—but exciting—haul. Tomorrow I'll share photos from the display garden.

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Weather Diary, March 31: Hi 71, Low 34/ Precip 0

Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Wednesday Vignette, dinosaurs!

Last week Andrew and I visited the Oregon coast, spending four nights in Heceta Beach—which is where you stay when you're visiting Florence, Oregon, but want an ocean view. It was lovely! Photos to come. Our trip home had us (kinda sorta) driving by Dancing Oaks Nursery so of course we paid a visit. Well, I visited and Andrew waited in the car...

I do love a nursery with a sense of humor. Thier "Jurassic Park" greenhouse has more than just plants in residence....

What did I see? What did I buy? More tomorrow...

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Weather Diary, March 30: Hi 55, Low 33/ Precip 0

Tuesday, March 30, 2021

A little "dg side-eye" directed at Crate & Barrel

I will admit to being a longtime customer of Crate & Barrel. So many purchases over the years! From housewares, to planters, to sheets, or even our sofa—C&B are well represented in our home. As such we get the paper catalogue from time to time and I was paging through the "late spring" issue when I found myself asking "What were you thinking!?" (which may have actually came out as #FFS... or "what the..."). A photo from their website...

Although the actual pages (scanned) from the catalogue tell the story best. It's the Abaco collection photo spread that got me all worked up

I mean really! Would anyone actually do this?

Dig up an agave that is, roots and all, and then plop it down on your fancy (white) side table...

It's not like that little table is a potting bench and they'll be back in just a minute with soil and a container to pot that agave up, am I right? No it was placed there by some stylist who thought it looked, well, stylish. Good lord this has me thinking back to the time the Sundance catalogue shared an image of an agave plopped in a dish on a bedside table, however at least this one doesn't look like it would injure someone, sitting there on the end table.

Then there's this awkward photo, ouch! I have a couple of those Lophocereus marginatus (Mexican fence post cactus) and while the spines are short I still wouldn't want to end up with them in my skin, and this chair is just too damn close for comfort! "Oh hey, why not squeeze in there next to the cactus, cozy up!"

On the other hand I really liked—loved—the spread for the Morocco collection...

I'd love a backdrop like that to my patio, rather than the bamboo stock tanks...

Seen any crazy garden photo shoots lately?

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Weather Diary, March 29: Hi 55, Low 37/ Precip .04

Monday, March 29, 2021

A garden twofer (both with Agave ovatifolia sightings)

Once again I was out, acting on a tip. It was late November, in case you're wondering about the decorations near the front door.

I should be able to tell you about this palm, but I cannot. Why can't I remember palm names?

Over there, that's what I was here to see, the Agave ovatifolia. They were behind a fence so getting a photo was difficult.

The garden as a whole had a nice casual modern vibe.

It's a pie-shaped corner lot, here's what you see while deciding to go left or go right...

Since it's on top of a short cement base the fence on this side is even taller.

I peeked through...

And then—I'm not proud of this—I held my camera up over the fence to snap a shot. So much for their privacy...but look at those agaves!

Continuing on to SE Portland (the last garden was in N Portland)—and jumping ahead to early January—I came across this small front garden, also with Agave ovatifolia...and rocks. Lots and lots of rocks.

I think it's really time I declare Agave ovatifolia THE agave of Portland, if I haven't already.

I love the long Corten raised planters here, and I'm sure the plants like the extra drainage.

Weather Diary, March 28: Hi 52, Low 39/Precip .15

Friday, March 26, 2021

Cornelius Pass Roadhouse—do not worry! There were agaves...

So as I teased yesterday, there were agaves to be found at McMenamins Cornelius Pass Roadhouse, thank goodness! At the point I took this shot I still wasn't sure, I was just appreciating the row of bananas (Musa basjoo) along the windows...