I cannot get over the thrill of plants emerging in spring, tender vibrant leaves bursting forth from earth. And it happens every year. How is nature so smart? Also every year, I’m taken by surprise when I swoon over flowers. I claim I garden primarily for foliage. But you know what? It’s a damn lie.
I’m not sure why, but my mind has been wandering back to a few of the gardens I had the pleasure of visiting during the 2013 Garden Bloggers Fling in San Francisco. This one in particular stands out, it’s obviously a garden created by a plant lover, plants are tucked in every available spot — containers line the steps, epiphytes adorn the palm trunk — it’s a bit of heaven on earth. Of course the plant palette helps turn the lust meter up a notch or two as well.
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Oh boy, talk about a good thing, and perchance too much of it? The jury is out. But if year one is any indication, Flamingo Park, we may have a problem.
Last week I shared photos from a visit to Sebright Gardens, this week we venture on to Dancing Oaks Nursery in Monmouth, Oregon. For those who live in Portland Dancing Oaks is a bit of a destination nursery — about an hour and a half south of town. It’s a beautiful drive though, once you get off the interstate.
It’s been a few years since I’ve felt like showing off my garden, after multiple forces converged and took it from a wild lush jungle, to a big sad mess, with the occasional interesting plant hinting that a gardener used to tend these parts. Not the way I like to think of my garden.
Last year was a rebuilding year with some good progress, but it didn’t really reach my vision of a garden bursting at the seams with mature, happy healthy plants with fabulous foliage.
Starting over was a bit daunting at first, but with spring erupting, things are starting to look up. For the first time in a long time, I look out there and see potential.
Don’t you love this time of year, that is if you’re not still buried in snow. I’m so sorry for those yet battling dastardly weather. We had a mild winter in the Pacific Northwest, and that means all manner of things are bursting from the earth.
As I may have mentioned, one (or twelve) times before, in Oregon we are rich with independent nurseries. We have so many to chose from it’s almost mind-boggling. Last week I had a chance to visit a couple in the Salem area, south of Portland, ones I only get to once a season — if that. Today we’ll look at Sebright Gardens and next week I’ll share photos from Dancing Oaks Nursery. (more…)
You may recall, I posted about the Lan Su Chinese Garden before. I said that I hardly ever go–because I have a yearly membership, which means I can go any time I want. Hmmm. That doesn’t make sense, does it?
As some of you may have read in Patricia’s last post I recently stumbled upon a treasure trove of Echium candicans at Garden Fever. I was just walking along admiring the flowers and other offerings when bam! I’m suddenly confronted with beautiful variegation, what’s a gardener to do? (more…)
I’ve got it. How about you? What’s are you pining for? My problem is remembering what I want in the face of so many temptations when I actually do make it to the nursery. I’m dazzled by the abundance. And, of course, the pesky brain injury, blah blah, no help there either. (In truth, I was a tad ADD before the smack to the head; now I’m ADD supersized. Every place feels like Powell’s Bookstore.) I so envy people who can keep it all straight.
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