Wednesday Vignette, Musella lasiocarpa

A roll of plant tags left alone long enough to become a small moss garden, in a greenhouse at Rare Plant Research...

Wednesday Vignettes are hosted by Flutter & Hum. All material © 2009-2016 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

Well, maybe I'll just drive around and see if I can find something interesting...

After leaving the Ventura Botanical Gardens I had a couple hours to kill before meeting up with Andrew. I'd hoped to visit a special private garden in the area, but since I hadn't planned ahead and only called for directions that morning (and it was Christmas Eve...) it didn't look like that was going to happen. What to do what to do...well how about driving aimlessly around town? Ya I kind of have a thing for just exploring to see what I can find, driving (or better yet walking) through neighborhoods looking for interesting gardens. As luck would have it I spotted this on a main street...

There was no sign, and these were all in front of a house. Public or private? I guessed I'd find out!

This was not a small toy car, I think it's the kind that little kids can actually get in and drive.

Hmm, so it's looking more like a nursery...but still there's nobody around.

Lots of cool plants! (Leuchtenbergia principis)

Looking back toward the entrance...

The side yard/pathway to the back...

Looking back towards the front (and wondering exactly what I've gotten myself into...).

OMG!

This is where I finally spotted someone, Parvin Niv, in fact I'm surprised she's not in the photo. She and her husband, Abdi, own this nursery Ventura Cactus and Succulents. They propagate most of the stock themselves.

You know what, I should have bought this one.

So many immaculate little plants!

And not so little.

I wonder if they live on-site?

This vertical installation was interesting, I like the exposed framework.

If you ever find yourself just aimlessly driving around Ventura stop in! Oh and as I was getting in the car my phone rang and I got directions to the private garden...(to be continued)...

All material © 2009-2016 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

In a Vase on Monday, cabinet de curiosite

Out on a dog-walk last week I paused to snap this photo of fallen Liriodendron tulipifera flowers for Instagram. Once back home I regretted not picking them up for a vase...

A few days later I returned to see what I could forage. Here are my riches...

Not enough really, for an arrangement. Then I remembered years back I'd picked up a few seed pods. What are the chances I still have them?

Time to look in the cabinet de curiosite...

Okay not really, but it's got a small collection of things I find interesting.

Like dried Banksia/Protea flowers...

And long since bleached out Eryngium blooms, in a small vase I picked up at a Cactus and Succulent Society sale last summer.

Being a proper barrister bookcase (which I inherited from my Grandma) there are glass doors, but I've opened them to reduce the glare in these photos.

The top shelf showcases some of Andrew's work. They're on books because when the glass doors are closed the wooden frame hides the bottom inch and a half or so.

After my paper flower spree ended I gave away most of them, only keeping a few. This one is resting on several seed pods collected from my in-laws Mesquite tree in New Mexico.

You'd probably never know it by looking but I recently went through and culled a lot of things. Seriously!

Monkey puzzle branch and another paper flower...

A long dead cactus is remembered via it's spikes...

I try to remember to resurrect this fern ever so often.

Aha! Here's what I was looking for, I'm so glad I kept them.

Now that's a proper arrangement, befitting an "In a Vase on Monday" post.

It's on the stainless work table in a corner of the kitchen.

Under more of Andrew's artwork.

"weed devil blooming"

Aren't those flowers just magical?

This "stripped" seedpod is a new addition, but will stick around with the others, once the wilted flowers are tossed.

I'm thrilled their papery goodness has held up so well.

The orange gift vase was the perfect container for this arrangement.

As always visit Rambling in the Garden where Cathy hosts a weekly round-up of  gardeny vases, created by other bloggers.

I'll be sitting here enjoying a cup of coffee and admiring those fantastical blooms...

All material © 2009-2016 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.