{"id":6090,"date":"2015-07-01T08:35:41","date_gmt":"2015-07-01T15:35:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogadmin.plantlust.com\/blog\/?p=6090"},"modified":"2024-01-24T10:12:30","modified_gmt":"2024-01-24T18:12:30","slug":"knowing-your-site-and-making-the-most-of-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/plantlust.com\/blog\/gardens\/knowing-your-site-and-making-the-most-of-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Knowing your site, and making the most of it…"},"content":{"rendered":"

I am blessed to live in an area with great nurseries and great gardeners. That point was driven home again last weekend when I crashed a friend’s open garden. Our local Hardy Plant Society<\/a> was playing host to gardeners from all over the Pacific Northwest (and beyond) for the annual Study Weekend<\/a>. The event alternates between Portland, Salem\/Eugene, Seattle and Vancouver\/Victoria BC (all great gardening cities).
\n\"Lance<\/a><\/p>\n


\nLance, the\u00a0owner of this garden, who blogs at Garden Riots<\/a>, has been gardening on this bit of land for 25 years. He knows his site well, taking advantage of it’s benefits (chief among them a warm microclimate) and working with it’s challenges.
\n\"Lance<\/a><\/p>\n

That warm microclimate comes from the\u00a0overall location in the city, as well as living on the corner of a man-made heat island (also known as an intersection).
\n\"Lance<\/a><\/p>\n

His blog posts are not a “quick read,” but rather\u00a0dense with information\u00a0on\u00a0subjects such as planting in drought conditions (here<\/a>), or an overview of his garden and site (here<\/a>). This one<\/a> is a wrap-up on opening the\u00a0garden, with several photos of things I wasn’t able to capture due to the number of visitors enjoying\u00a0the garden…
\n\"Lance<\/a><\/p>\n

Eryngium giganteum<\/a> (Miss Willmott’s ghost)
\n\"Lance<\/a><\/p>\n

I first discovered this garden<\/a>\u00a0as a drive-by in September of 2011,\u00a0I remember how thrilled I was to see this monster Callistemon (below, only the bottom 1\/3 is visible in the photo). You just don’t see many of them around Portland, especially this size. The Agaves were all there then too. I vowed to stalk the garden.
\n\"Lance<\/a><\/p>\n

Of course this being Portland it didn’t take me long to get a name, and meet the owner. Lance invited me over for a\u00a0private tour just a few weeks later, photos here<\/a>. Aren’t gardeners the best?
\n\"Lance<\/a><\/p>\n

During this weekend’s visit I heard many people exclaim “they can grow Oleander in Portland!?”…well, some people can (remember that warm microclimate I mentioned?).
\n\"Lance<\/a><\/p>\n

Agave montana<\/a>, in the ground for\u00a0\u00a015 years – and yes all the plants thus far are in the hell-strip or along the public sidewalk. Gardening in the public eye at it’s best!
\n\"Lance<\/a><\/p>\n

I suspect he’s hoping for Echium\u00a0wildpretii<\/a>\u00a0seedlings…
\n\"Lance<\/a><\/p>\n

A bright\u00a0Dyckia<\/a>, the planting of which was inspired by…
\n\"Lance<\/a><\/p>\n

…the blooming Puya dyckioides just behind it (partially overtaken by the Oleander).
\n\"Lance<\/a><\/p>\n

There’s the gardener himself…
\n\"Lance<\/a><\/p>\n

Now it’s time to climb a couple of stairs and visit the private garden beside the house. First (of course) we have to stop to appreciate the\u00a0Agave parryii \u2018Hauchuca Blue\u2019 <\/a>(in the ground, unprotected, for 6 years) and the\u00a0Butia capitata<\/a>, which has also survived a few cold winters.
\n\"Lance<\/a><\/p>\n

If I remember right the\u00a0Beschorneria<\/a>\u00a0spent last winter in the ground, the Aeonium however did not.
\n\"Lance<\/a><\/p>\n

See that\u00a0Ensete ventricosum ‘Maurelii’ on the right? It’s probably the oldest Ensete in Portland. The story of it’s winter storage\u00a0is detailed here<\/a>.
\n\"Lance<\/a><\/p>\n

Okay, time for me to be quiet and just let you soak up the beauty…
\n\"Lance<\/a>
\n\"Lance<\/a>
\n\"Lance<\/a>
\n\"Lance<\/a>
\n\"Lance<\/a>
\n\"Lance<\/a>
\n\"Lance<\/a><\/p>\n

I do love this! I’d want to grow a vine on it.
\n\"Lance<\/a><\/p>\n

Must remember to ask where I can find one of my own. Lance?
\n\"Lance<\/a><\/p>\n

Finally a single, parting shot, of a few of the potted Agaves up on the deck. Such a beautiful garden, thank you Lance for sharing it!
\n\"Lance<\/a><\/p>\n

A few of the plants you may have noticed…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I am blessed to live in an area with great nurseries and great gardeners. That point was driven home again last weekend when I crashed a friend’s open garden. Our local Hardy Plant Society was playing host to gardeners from all over the Pacific Northwest (and beyond) for the annual Study Weekend. The event alternates […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":6095,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[188,48,1591,1593,386,1594,67,1592,666,1452,675],"yoast_head":"\nKnowing your site, and making the most of it... - Plant Lust<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"I am blessed to live in an area with great nurseries and great gardeners. 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