Visiting the Darlingtonia Wayside

When Andrew proposed that we take a COVID-safe trip to the Oregon coast and mentioned going further south than we'd been before—maybe to Florence—my first thought was ...yes! Darlingtonia!

This small state park—just 18 acres—is the only Oregon state park property "dedicated to the protection of a single plant species. Concurrently, the plants it protects are the only carnivorous flora in the system." (source)

"Darlingtonia californica is a carnivorous plant native to Oregon and northern California’s few areas of boglands and meadows that have acidic soils with low nitrogen." (source)

The main event is just a short stroll across this bridge and through the trees...

Since I'd seen a few dozen skunk cabbage from the windows of the car, as we sped along the highways, it was nice to finally get a chance to snap a photo or two.

Ditto for the dear fern, Blechnum spicant.

I know skunk cabbage (Lysichiton americanus) is named for it's distinctive odor, but I was unable to smell a skunky smell.

Andrew for scale as we arrive at the boardwalk through/over the darlingtonia-scape...

And there they are!

Okay I won't lie. I really wanted to get down in there and clean things up. Yes it's true, I am a tidy gardener. All of those old bits need to be cleaned out so the newer bits could shine...

It was an impressive sight, so many in one place!

And the fact we could walk above them and not disturb was a nice thing.

The general wisdom is that in order to grow these plants successfully you need to not only meet their requirements for the proper soil acidity but that they need moving water, not river-type moving, but also not still. 

Several years ago I was given a division of the Darlingtonia californica growing at Floramagoria, thankfully I didn't know then just how challenging these are to grow. Ignorance can be a blessing! I plopped them in a non-draining container and they've done well for me ever since. I think maybe the fact I top off the water level frequently during the summer, with a spray from the hose, must help. Acting almost like moving water?...

More deer fern...

Headed back to the car now.

Mossy tree octopus!

To wrap up things I thought I would include a couple photos of my plants at home, from prior years. The blooms during the summertime...

And an arty shot of the insect-fooling windows at the tops of the cobra-like shaped plant.

Weather Diary, April 5: Hi 62, Low 36/ Precip 0 

All material © 2009-2021 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

I'm in Old House Journal!

During "COVID Summer 2020" I was contacted by author Brian D Coleman, who was working on a book chronicling private gardens of the Pacific Northwest, he was interested in including my garden. These type of books typically focus on estate gardens, I was sure he had the wrong idea about my garden and tried to convince him he didn't need to bother. Still, he stopped by, along with photographer William Wright, for a scouting visit. That visit ended up turning into a photo shoot (yikes... garden not ready!) and while they were here Brian floated the idea of a story in Old House Journal. Long story short here we are, the June 2021 issue...

...includes a story on the use of salvage materials in my garden—or as I call it Upcycle and Plant. This is a strange bit of my past and current lives colliding. When I was the Sales and Marketing Director for a vintage lighting company in Spokane, Washington, I used to regularly place ads in the OHJ. Now they're featuring a story Brian wrote about containers in my garden, with William's photos.

And my book! How sweet is that? They did a nice little block all about Fearless Gardening. Pretty cool! The magazine is on newsstands now, if you're curious.

Weather Diary, April 4: Hi 59, Low 42/ Precip 0 

All material © 2009-2021 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

A visit to Dancing Oaks: the garden

I promised photos of the display gardens at Dancing Oaks Nursery and I intend to deliver. I however must warn you that even I—who took these photos—was surprised by just how dark they are. It was not a nice day to wander and photograph a garden.

The building that I think of as the events facility is surrounded by gardens. Some tree damage (from the February ice storm) was evident in person but I don't think it will show up in these photos. The huge schefflera looked great...

As did the dripping planters in the ponds/raised beds...

I've always admired these huge planters in the warmer months and enjoyed seeing them now, when the garden that surrounds—envelops—them is dormant. It's been such a cool spring that everything seems behind schedule.

Behind the pond/raised bed on the left there used to be a forest of large bamboo, this is what it looks like now. Shocking! 

Turns out this wasn't because of ice load but rather something the owners decided to do last fall. The tall bamboo was a maintenance nightmare and shading the adjacent greenhouse in a way that was not helpful, so they cut it down. Some will be allowed to regrow, but it won't ever become as dense as it used to be.

Other bamboo remains...

I've long appreciated the way they use terracotta planters and chimney flues/pipes.

It's so strange to see this pond exposed, I am used to seeing it completely surrounded by foliage.

Yes please to this little vignette.

The pond from the other side.

That might be a Wissel's Saguaro Cypress in the center? Dunno, it looks a bit thick.

A good looking arctostaphylos, which I can't ID...

Solar panels!

And off in the distance, my agave friends which I look forward to seeing every time I visit.

Have I ever been able to make a positive ID? I'm not sure. I'm guessing maybe one of the Agave parryis or Agave neomexicana.

They look pretty flawless!

This was a sad sight to see. I knew from a Facebook post that the long arbor had succumbed to rot and ice load, but seeing it gone was just so shocking.

Two photos from better days, these are summer shots too, which makes a big difference...

Back to current times. I was tempted by a Euphorbia stygiana I saw in one of the greenhouses, however having lost it twice I decided to pass.

What a luxurious patch of Veratrum californicum!

Why not plant a clump of cyclamen in your steps?

More terracotta...

And Echium pininana still under protection. 

We've had several nights at freezing here in Portland so I imagine things have been even cooler out in the country where Dancing Oaks is located.

Just a couple more photos; this very patch of Arachniodes simplicior 'Variegata' was where I fist fell in love with this fern. It never looks good in a container but once you put it in the ground it takes off and is a winner.

The bleached out banana stalks are rather beautiful in their dead state...

And the yuccas make me wish I had more garden space to plant up...

Weather Diary, April 1: Hi 68, Low 47/ Precip 0 

All material © 2009-2021 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.