Visiting Clinton Bamboo and then Bunny Falkenberg, it's a wrap on that Seattle visit

We're back up in the Seattle area, it's June 7th, and I've got two more stops before I head for home. Eric (whose garden we'd just visited in real time) had posted in a Facebook plant group about Clinton Bamboo Nursery, saying it's not just bamboo... "they specialize in bog and marginal pond plants, carnivores, jungle effect, shade plants, hostas, grasses and subtropical effect." Naturally Scott and I had to check it out...

Palm frond pressed into the walkway cement...

Eric called the place magical and I agree. 

There's Scott and Vince, one of the owners, talking bamboo.

I made a video to capture the sight and sound of the tall canes moving in the wind but it didn't turn out as I'd hoped, so all you get is another photo.

Acanthus, maybe A. spinosus?

Gunnera

Iris ensata 'Oriental Royalty'

Carnivorous plants for days!

Darlingtonia californica

Sadly the ones for sale have to be kept locked up.

Loquat, Eriobotrya japonica

Hosta

This huge maple (I think) in the corner created such a lovely hidden spot.

I'd aimed my camera at the bananas, but instead found myself focusing on the dead Citrus trifoliata. It was quite fabulous with it's tawny coloration.

Since their website doesn't seem to be active I thought I'd share the business card. They're open Fri-Sun, stop in if you're in the area! It's a super fun place to visit and the owners are knowledgeable and nice guys.

Next stop, Bunny Falkenberg's garden. Bunny was kind enough to let us visit his garden even though it's currently in transition and he's not open for visitors. We walked around the front garden (I was only able to look down into the sunny back garden, but I feel certain there was an agave down there)...

It was interesting to hear his plans for the different spaces and see what he has created in a couple spots, like this area up near the entrance.

A pulled back shot (there's lot clearing and construction going on next door, bonus; it looks like Bunny is going to be hired to do the future garden design).

If I remember right the big rocks came from the construction site, I love that one on the lower far right.

Mahonia marvel (I think), Cyrtomium fortunei, big-leaf Rhododendron...

I want to say this is Rhododendron sinogrande, but that's just a guess. There are other big-leaf Rhododendrons.

Looking across the driveway...

Rodgersia 'Bronze Peacock' perhaps? It's holding the dark color so late in the season, and 'Bronze Peacock' is the only one that performs like that in my garden.

This orange bloomer, Rhododendron hybrid ‘Medusa’, was the most stunning shade...

There's a little pink in the mix.

Woodwardia unigemmata

A decapitated Magnolia macrophylla, I belive this was an windstorm accident.

I asked Bunny for ID on this one (he told me in person, but I couldn't remember) here's his reply: "This is a Rhododendron arboreum. It is an 8 year old specimen grown from seed collected in Bhutan. and ultimately should grow to 25 feet tall and look like a small tree. The flower color varies from deep crimson red to pink and white (the most uncommon). I had hoped for a red toned flower but by chance got a white flower with speckles." 

Rhododendron orbiculare

That purple strawberry pot on the right, massive! I've never seen one so large. 

And this Polystichum setiferum ends the visit. Thanks for letting us stop by Bunny! Aren't gardener's the best?

The Bit at the End

Today is the first of July and the fine folks at the Ruth Bancroft Garden have declared the entire month as Agave Fest; "A month-long celebration of an iconic genus" ..."Celebrate one of the most iconic plants of The Ruth Bancroft Garden with a month-long tribute to agaves – bold, sculptural, and one of the most beloved plants in the Garden!" Naturally I'm completely on board with this idea, especially since July is my birthday month. Since I won't be able to celebrate at the RBG I'll be doing my best to play along and post lots of agave content right here throughout the month... agave fest!

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The Wire Basket Project

I bought this wire basket at Terra Sol Garden Center in Santa Barbara last January, a stop on our trip home from Thousand Oaks.

It was this planting—also at Terra Sol—that inspired me to buy the basket, thinking I'd do something similar, especially the part with the fern growing out the side of the liner.

Over the winter months I replaced rotting burlap on a couple of my epiphytic fence plantings...

This one was challenging since the Pyrrosia rhizomes were actually growing through the burlap, thankfully I was able to work the loose weave apart and thread the rhizomes through.

I saved this large piece to use lining the wire basket, but just could not make it work. The folds got too deep and it just looked sloppy.

So I broke down and bought a premade coir liner.

Then I decided to line the basket with moss and put the liner inside.

 

Nope! The liner was now too big.

As luck would have it I'd originally bought a liner that was too small, so I went with that one.

I also sliced a few openings in the side, to help the ferns grow out through the moss.

Here are the plants I used. There are two Begonia grandis ‘Alba’, two divisions of Pyrrosia lingua 'Ogon Nishiki', and three 4" pots of Blechnum penna-marina. Once I got working I also added a 4" pot of Pyrrosia lingua, as the Pyrrosia divisions I was working with were just too sparsely leafed out to make any impact.

I bought the Begonia grandis at Thicket on Alberta, I think they'd potted up some of the volunteers growing under one of their nursery tables!

Working the Pyrrosia rhizomes through the side.

I wanted to stuff one of the Blechnum penna-marina root balls through the side as well, but couldn't get it to look right. Oh well, this plant is a fast spreader so it will be growing out and around soon enough.

Here you can see the plants all tucked in and the soil topped off. Before I moved the basket into place in the garden I covered the soil with a layer of moss.

I'd tried the empty basket form in several places around the garden and decided my favorite location was on the pathway to the shade pavilion. Can you see it?

There it is...

I've wanted to use Begonia grandis in my garden for years now, but since it's so late to emerge I've held off, knowing I'd grow impatient with the empty space. This planting felt like great excuse to finally use it.

Finally, I added a couple of Tillandsia to fill in and add a different texture. I look forward to watching the plants settle in over the summer months and hope everything (except the Tillandsia) will prove sufficiently hardy to return again next year even better.

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All material © 2009-2026 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.