Last weekend was the annual migration — tender plants up from the basement, shade pavilion greenhouse walls down and those plants set free. It really is quite the production, I was fortunate my husband helped move a lot of them.
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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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.
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…)
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…)
We have such a wealth of amazing nurseries here in the Pacific Northwest that I’ll admit to not doing much online plant shopping. While it’s fun to browse, I usually default to visiting a local establishment where I am seduced by the plants that surround me. However what happens when there’s a certain plant I simply must have and I can’t find it locally? An online order is placed, post haste! (more…)
Last week my partners each wrote plant features: one a new discovery and one an old favorite — both dramatic beauties with sexy texture for days. Wanting to be one of the cool kids I thought “what plant should I write about?” and looked around my garden for some showstopper to introduce you to. But my eyes kept returning to the Aucuba japonica ‘Longifolia’…which is really the opposite of flashy, more like a dependable old friend. (more…)
It’s happening all around the garden…new growth is appearing on the evergreen ferns, shrubs and trees. Plants that disappeared for the winter are making a return. A new gardening season is upon us!
I am a long time proponent of the one-plant-per-pot style of container gardening. Even with succulents I prefer to keep it simple and let that one strong plant stand alone — all the better to appreciate its features. However as I’ve said before (for example here) never say never… (more…)
Since Megan shared the exciting news yesterday that plantlust.com is now shipping plants I thought it would be fun timing to share a few images I’ve been collecting of shopping cart gardens. Get it? Online shopping/shopping carts? “You have 2 items in your shopping cart, proceed to checkout or keep shopping?” — oh ya, that’s right — if you have to explain a joke it’s not funny. Anyway… (more…)