Visiting Iseli Nursery

I finally toured Iseli Nursery in Boring, Oregon. Back in 2020 I'd lined up all the necessary permissions (they're wholesale and not open to the public), but then horrible wildfires hit and the roads into the area were closed off, I never got around to rescheduling.

This is Iseli's 50th year in business. They're known for conifers, dwarf conifers, Japanese maples, and other ornamental trees and shrubs. I toured the display garden and production areas with Marketing Director Roby Babcock, he was very generous with his time, and made sure I saw all the different parts of the nursery. 

I've had a long standing crush on this one, Sciadopitys verticillata, Japanese umbrella pine.

A trio of Juniperus communis 'Compressa'. These are funny looking creatures who kind of reminded me of Heat Miser's hair.

Picea pungens Moonstone

Part of the "blues collection".

Arctostaphylos hookeri 'Buena Vista', Iseli is now growing arctostaphylos!

This oddity (on the far right) is an experiment in grafting, Pinus sylvestris ‘Glauca Nana’ meets Larix decidua ‘Pendula’, I won't lie, I rather like it.

Pinus koraiensis 'Blue Ball' 

Thuja occidentalis Primo

Close-up of the bronzed winter color...

I liked that odd character in the center, but didn't catch its name.

Agaves!

These were a pleasant surprise, Agave havardiana.

Cephalotaxus harringtonia 'Prostrata'

A long-term crush from when I first saw them during the Capital Region Garden Fling back in 2017.

I do love me some topiary! Picea glauca 'Conica'

I should have cleaned off the fallen needles before snapping this shot, the Cotoneaster microphyllus 'Cooperi' was a nice dense groundcover.

Cryptomeria japonica 'Spiralis' and a fine mossy rock.

Pinus parviflora 'Fubuki'

Another of the many amazing mossy rocks...

I mean seriously, how good is this!?

Pinus parviflora 'Koru'

Pinus strobus 'Louie'

Are you surprised to see me appreciating conifers? I know I am. Growing up in Eastern Washington, conifers were pretty much everywhere and usually the only evergreen in the landscape. Thus, since familiarity breeds contempt, I grew to dislike them. All of them. It's only recently that I've come to accept there are cool conifers, plants I appreciate even if I don't want to grow them (and honestly I'd be happy to grow that Pinus parviflora 'Koru' if I had the space!).

I love these planters...

You might be tempted to think the mondo grass was just brought in for planting in the display garden, but you would be wrong. Wait 'till you see one of the greenhouse shots.

Picea abies 'Cobra', OMG...

A vantage point out over some of the potted inventory and their pruned mobius strip.

Just a couple more shots in the display garden, of their marvelous trough planters.

A poster in the office showing growing time...

And then we were off to tour the production side of nursery, starting with the shipping area. Pretty impressive right? And since I didn't bring a drone with me to the tour, it's probably obvious that I borrowed this photo from Iseli's Instagram feed. Those big trucks, they're being loaded up bottom to top, front to back, with plants. 

These plants (or ones very similar)...

Where's all the action? Roby waited to start this part of the tour until folks were on lunch break, that way we wouldn't be in their way (I got to wear an orange vest though, just in case).

Here's one of the trucks being loaded up. 

Next stop, the greenhouses!

First the propagation area...

Woodwardia fimbriata

So many plant babies!

Just a couple more stops...I experienced major plant lust when we visited the Wollemia nobilis, which they are NOT currently selling. 

They're beefing up their stock levels before making these beauties available again.

Another rarity, Thuja plicata 'Haley Bop', I was told collectors go a little mad for this plant and I can see why.

Isn't it cute?

Finally, that black mondo I mentioned. Have you ever seen so much Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens' in one place? I had not. Thank you for the tour Roby!

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All material © 2009-2025 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

Be the one who says no (and my trip to Hortlandia)

I intended today's post to be about the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon's spring plant sale, Hortlandia, which took place last weekend. I'll give a recap of that event below, but first I want to write about something else. 

It's been all plants all the time here since last November 6th, when I "paused" to share my pre-election anxiety and then ask, WTF? The continued plant focus hasn't been because I'm unaware of the horrible acts this President and his cadre of loyal followers are committing, but because I know those of us who care deeply also need to tend to our mental health. Plants, gardens, and nature are key in that for me, and if you're reading probably for you too. However there's something I want to share. 

When I flew out of Portland recently (headed to Sacramento and the Bay Area Garden Extravaganza) I noticed the now ubiquitous sign at the airport's TSA security checkpoint notifying fliers of their right to opt out of the facial recognition software. While the software is promoted as a quick and easy way to verify identity prior to boarding an airplane (don't get me wrong, airport security is very important), there are those who've raised concerns, chief among them that facial recognition software creates the potential for mass surveillance, which could restrict individual freedom (there is also a strong potential for racial bias). While I was mulling over whether or not to comply—would it really matter? I've participated the last few times I've flown, I didn't want to cause any delays and inconvenience the people behind me in line—the person two in front of me stated she wanted to opt out, and then so did her companion. Emboldened by their choice, and the fact the TSA agent wasn't slowed down, I too opted out, as did the person behind me, and the next, and the next, and the next. I eventually stopped paying attention and hurried on to the line for luggage scanning, but I can't stop thinking about how that one person saying no made it so much easier for the rest of us to say no. 

Be the one who says no.

Will Cory Booker's record setting 25-hour speech on the senate floor change anything? Not by itself. But what he did makes it easier for the next legislator to stand up and say "no, what is happening is wrong," and then the one after that, and the one after that. Another wildly successful moment was last weekend's huge Hands Off! protest. The people are unhappy, we are not okay with what's happening to our country, and the people said NO!

Be the one who says no. Maybe it will be just a small thing, maybe it will be a small thing that turns into a big thing and protects someone in a vulnerable situation. Taking care of each other makes all the difference right now. On my flight home I opted out as well. I didn't stick around to hear what happened behind me, but the person who had gone before me turned around and asked what opting out entailed. We had a good conversation.

—   —   —

On to Hortlandia! I signed up to volunteer for load-in and set-up on Friday afternoon, that meant I got to check in nurseries when they arrived, and point them to their space on the floor (below, Secret Garden Growers).

Watching them all hustle I couldn't help but think (again) about how hard nursery people work. They loaded up the plants to bring them to the show, drove for miles, unloaded the plants, set up their booths and then were all smiles at 5pm when the shoppers were allowed in. That's 3 hours of answering questions and processing payments after already working a full day of physical labor (on cement floors!). Then, they were back the next morning before 9am to work another day and then break it down and load out (below, Out in the Garden Nursery) 

Little Prince plants, color!

Molly and her Rancho Cacto put together a great display...

I hope lots of people bought a bean fern! I really wanted to grab another, but I'm on a budget and didn't "need" another one.

Pyrrosia lingua 'Cristata'

Dan Hinkley (Windcliff) drove all the way down from Indianola, WA, for the event.

Speaking of things I wanted to buy, he brought some fine looking Pleopeltis lepidopteris 'Morro dos Conventos' ($45, too rich for me).

The Sebright Gardens booth is a treasure hunt. 

Rather than grouping like items together, they mix it all up and you have to look at every single plant to make sure you're not missing anything. I found a sweet fern in the mix... (more info below).

The deal of the show was at Rita Lee's booth.

This large Aloe erinacea was going for just $23! I tried to sell it to a couple of friends (yes I wanted it, but I already have one about this same size [which I paid more for!] and didn't "need" another) but I have no idea who ended up with it, it was gone quickly.

Love the blooms on their Rebutia albiflora.

I'm trying to be better about remembering to take people photos. On the left and sporting a fabulous dandelion shirt (does that make him a dandy?) is none other than Jerry Weiland, on the right, Theo Margelony not wearing a fuchsia shirt but looking happy to be there.

Jerry even shared his coordinated socks!

Ann Amato and Jason Chen were also smiles...

I was happy to see a choice Rhododendron stenopetalum 'Linearifolium' on offer, such a good plant.

I scanned the small plant offerings at the Illahe booth twice and still managed to miss their Pellaea atropurpurea, but Ann went home with a pair (at least a friend got them).

So here's my small but spectacular haul, just 4 plants!

The fern came from Sebright, the colorful fronds were poking through the surrounding plants and so I had to dig to see what they belonged to...

Parablechnum wattsii, aka Blechnum wattsii, aka hard water fern.

From the Cistus booth I grabbed a small Lupinus albifrons, aka silver lupine. This plant is tricky, but I'm hoping it will live for at least a season, maybe even two.

The Windsciff booth is where I found this Paris thibetica, "One of the most garden worthy of all Paris species, this with elegant whorls of narrow foliage atop 15" stems above which rise richly understated flowers of green sepals and golden thread-like petals. Quick to establish and multiply in woodland conditions. From Yunnan, 1996."

Here's one a little further along opening up, and click here to see a great photo on the Far Reaches Farm website.

Last summer when the Fling visited Windcliff I bought a couple Pseudopanax crassifolius, but not a P. ferox. Since there were so many to chose from here (and only $7!) I went ahead and got one (photo credit to Mary DeNoyer who let me use her photo since I neglected to snap one).

This small pot had three seedlings in it, how could I say no?

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All material © 2009-2025 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.