The Ligularia Garden...

This garden was the last stop on Day Two of the Toronto Garden Bloggers Fling. Understandably many of the private garden owners didn't want to have their name, or address, shared on the internet, and unlike many of the Portland gardens we visited last year these gardens weren't named (which I actually like, not every garden needs a name!). So I'm referring to this one as The Ligularia Garden, because it's where I rediscovered a forgotten genus.

Of course there were other plants too!

Is that a cut-leaf Ligularia? Or am I getting a little carried away and seeing them where they aren't?

Some of you may recognize this photo from my post "who messed with my color?" on the plant lust blog. I was lamenting the loss of dark on many of my foliage favorites, and swooning anew at those dark leaves.

There was a nice massing of plants in this garden, almost everywhere you looked.

And in case you're wondering I've since added two Ligularia 'Britt Marie Crawford' to my garden...

But no Alliums (it's not really the season for that is it? Plus, well, I don't adore them).

That dark foliage looks good with everything!

It picks up the dark base on the Iris flowers.

And adds a nice balance to the yellow flower spires.

Now we're in the back garden...

I do love the dark leaved Beech trees, although I'm not so sure about this form.

A little flower drama (blood color!) is always a good thing.

The back of the house. I spy a lot of empty space up there on the upper deck = lots of room for containers!

I wonder why I've never planted an Arisaema?

Look, on the left, another Ligularia! I think why I've largely forgotten about these plants is they were mainstays back in my Spokane garden, a much colder zone - like Toronto. Well, and the slugs in Portland find them tasty.

There was another, lower, level to this garden...

And another, well, you know...

Down on the lower level I discovered this. Pool mechanics, or where the bodies are kept?

Pulsatilla vulgaris seed heads are so photogenic.

And so is...

All material © 2009-2015 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

A week ago I was...

At Bauman Farms...

A week ago was my birthday, it was a nice relaxing day. I decided to take Lila with me and go on a little afternoon road trip down through bits of the Willamette Valley (nearly 3-1/2 hours round trip...an hour-ish to get there, an hour-ish while there (because having Lila with you slows everything down), and an hour and a half home, cause there's always traffic in the afternoon). I thought about going to Cistus but decided it was time to make a trip to Bauman's, I hadn't been since 2013, I'll visit Cistus soon - don't you worry.

So, let's have look around, shall we? It's a Ligustrum delavayanum (aka Privet) fountain...

$249.99 and it can be yours.

It's actually quite well done, if you're into topiary.

And it's portable too!

These succulent plantings have been here awhile, I imagine they spruce them up every spring.

I love curly willow, it takes me back to my childhood.

The dark-leaved Ninbark just might top a list of plants I think about buying, but don't.

So pretty!

Okay, time to see what's inside the greenhouse.

I bought a gorgeous Gunnera earlier this spring, to replace an older one that up and died. I thought it (my established plant) suffered from lack of water last summer, and combined with my failing to cover it before cold temps, well that's why it failed to come back this spring. No, I think it was shaded out by encroaching Laurel and big Tetrapanax leaves. The new one isn't looking so good and I've stayed on top of the watering. Damn.

It's the Little Prince frog!

I like this planter.

And this pattern.

And this plant!

I bought a nice Sharkskin Agave like this when I last visited here in 2013.

What? October Daphne? Have you ever heard of a Sedum referred to by that name?

A tropical island...

And there are more succulents. I wish Sedum hakonense ‘Chocolate Ball’ was a stronger plant. I love the look but they just tend to disappear after a season (in my experience).

Wow, did TL of Casa Mariposa get a hold of these Agaves? They've had they're spikes removed, and she's an admited hater of spikes.

So what did I leave with? (it was my birthday, I had to buys something!). Well I didn't need another Agave 'Sharkskin' but that big, bad, boy was only $16.99! It's HUGE.

Of course it came home with me.

Ceanothus griseus var. horizontalis 'Diamond Heights', after cutting back my Euphorbia 'Excalibur' there was a patch of empty soil. This will cover that up nicely while still allowing the Euphorbia to come back as it can.

And a Kalanchoe pumila jumped in the cart too. I like the serrated leaves.

All material © 2009-2015 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.