danger garden

Wednesday, February 23, 2022

Visiting Mickey Hargitay Plants in Los Angeles

Last November my friends Ann and Evan visited the the Los Angeles area just a week or so before Andrew and I did, naturally I followed their travels with mine in mind. One of their stops was of particular interest, Mickey Hargitay Plants—a spot I had read about but then promptly forgot about. I made plans to visit...

Following mickeysplants on Instagram I knew to expect trendy houseplants—this is LA after all, and a much warmer climate than my own.

There were so many fabulous jungle cactus! I really wanted to take this Lepismium cruciforme home with me, but since we were flying I left it behind. Thankfully I've since found once almost as fabulous here in Portland.

I did grab one of these Rhipsalis paradoxa and managed to get it home without breaking it.

So many Selenicereus chrysocardium!

And happy Epiphyllum anguliger.

What a great way to grow staghorns, these were $45 ea...

We were there at dusk, just before closing, so I was shopping and snapping photos rather frantically. Hopefully you get an idea just how dense the inventory is.

Looking back at the entrance.

And looking up! I was very enamored with the planters on the roof, these are more of the same you saw in the first photo, at the top of this post.

I wonder if these are replanted often, or if they stay this good looking year-round?

Also, I wonder if Andrew would be okay with my putting planters up on our roof? (fat chance)

So many plants!

Of course I had to take a peek into the employees only area, just a peek!

I think it was about here that I realized I'd lost Andrew in the plants.

And I almost missed this whole section at the front of the nursery!

I saw a few Deuterocohnia brevifolia for sale during this trip, these were going for $35, $85 for the large one.

Finally, there was a small shop selling gear, I almost bought a t-shirt. Should you find yourself in the area I highly recommend a visit...

Monday, February 21, 2022

Like a moth to flame, I'm back at the Elk Rock Garden

It seems every February I feel a pull to visit Portland's Elk Rock Garden the garden of the Bishop’s Close, this year was no different.

Sarcococca, sweet box.

My plan was to take just photos if I was sure I was sharing something different than I have in previous years. I only somewhat succeeded.

There's always one isn't there?

Proper cement urns aren't really my thing, but I always love them when I see them used like this.

One of many hamamelis in the garden.

Maybe I'll just let the photos do the talking—with a few comments sprinkled in when I can't resist.

Hmmm, I'd be planting up that root mass.

Two trunks where there was once one.

I am rather obsessed with cyclamen seed coils.

Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Nana Lutea'

Troughs from the Berry Botanic Garden—a garden I wish I'd been able to visit before it closed for good.

Umbilicus rupestris, the navelwort.

"Petrophytum cinerascens is a rare species of flowering plant in the rose family known by the common names halfshrub rockmat and Chelan rockmat. It is endemic to the state of Washington in the United States, where it occurs in just a few locations along the Columbia River in Chelan and Douglas Counties." (source)

More hamamelis and moss!

I hope you enjoyed this walk as much as I did.