Back to the Hildreth's to see their tropical makeover

Last August I shared photos of the "foliage paradise at the Heldreth's," the Heldreths being my friends, Laura and Charlie. I think many of you agreed with my "paradise" assessment, as that blog post was very popular. I had the great fortune to return to Laura and Charlie's Vancouver, Washington, garden last month and things are looking very different out in the front garden, it's now a tropical foliage paradise. This is the inviting view from the public sidewalk...

Looking down the front of the garden as it borders the sidewalk...

And starting up the steps (which are new and take you up into the front garden on the far side from the driveway)...

I remember this Anemone (A. × hybrida 'Honorine Jobert') from the back garden, now it's a connector plant between the front and back.

As I climbed I was completely enveloped in the foliage (a feeling I love).

There was a stylized "not a thru pathway" blockage that told visitors the rest of the rock stepping stone path was not open.

So I turned to the right. Wow.

Double WOW.

Thanks to Facebook I'd seen what Laura and Charlie were up to with the big metal rings from BBC Steel, but nothing compares to seeing it all in person. I asked Laura about the tropical bananas (Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelii' and others), the big-leaf Colocasia, and the general re-design of the front garden. Here's her response: "When I learned that I have an internal injury that puts me at high risk and my surgeon said, “You shouldn’t be alive right now.”—I decided that I wanted to finish my front garden design that I’ve been sketching for the past decade. My husband insisted that he wanted to continue growing the garden if I don’t survive this injury, so I tweaked my design into a big leaved tropical love letter for him."

"I mail ordered massive Colocasia from Brian’s Botanicals to see how big we could grow them here in our climate. Then, we continued buying tropicals from Hughes Water Gardens, N&M Herb Nursery, and the Rare Plant Research sale. I spent the summer teaching him how to tend it, just in case. And we’ve had the best summer playing out in the garden watching the big leaf tropicals grow and grow past our expectations."

"For the first time, I’m watching my husband grapple with the upcoming winter and what it means for the new plants that he loves. He initially wanted to bring them all inside the house for the winter. And now, he’s researching other methods for overwintering them which has led to lively discussions. A greenhouse? A massive grow tent in the garage? Do we really need to use the second bathroom? We’ll get there." 

In case you're worried about Laura and that internal injury, she's at a point where surgery can be scheduled and we're all somewhere between hopeful and confident she'll be sticking around, helping Charlie tend their beautiful "new" garden.

Turning back towards the landing of the stone steps, that variegated vine on the right-hand side caught my eye.

Laura says it's Lonicera japonica ‘Mint Crisp’. I think I'm in love...

Of course the rusty metal tubes planted up with succulents spoke to me.

And I love Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelii' leaves!

Turning to look back at where I'd been. 

Melianthus major

And now towards the driveway, which is just on the other side of the Petasites japonicus and Tetrapanax papyrifer. That's Charlie visible on the left, he was in conversation with a garden visitor.

A handsome dark-leafed Ipomoea (sweet potato vine).

If I were to pan to the right here you'd see the driveway (and Charlie) but I was still transfixed by the plants... 

Colocasia 'Pharaoh's Mask', C.  'Redemption' and at the back Canna 'Cleopatra'. Damn! 

I'm growing a few 'Pharaoh's Mask' but they've yet to do that strong veined curl back thing.

A look back towards the sweet potato vine...

And then we turn to walk up towards the front of the house.

To the left side of the above photo.

The Heldreths have a tucked in sit-spot where they can admire the results of all their hard work and eavesdrop on passers-by.

The view directly in front of those chairs.

A metal and plant carpet...

And Laura's succulent table planting...

I saw this metal piece (the base) on a visit to BBC Steel's remnant yard and thought long and hard about bringing it home. Oh the possibilities! I'm glad I didn't buy it though because Laura has made magic with it.

On the tilted metal base she placed countless metal circles, squares and rectangles and then planted them with various succulents. It's so good!

Okay, time to make my way over to the driveway to say high to Charile (I'd already chatted with Laura) and get around to their back garden...

Oh! A special treat, Bella is posing in front of the mural Laura painted with her on the garage door. Good dog!

Working my way around the side of the house...

I had to laugh, something else I'd almost bought! I had my eye on this metal hanging pot/shelf at Garden Fever for quite sometime, it was wonderful to see it (and another) looking fabulous here.

Calligraphy on the green door reads "parallel universe"...

Shade shack off in the distance, lots of interesting plants between here and there...

Turning back towards where we came from...

I suspect Bella regularly has a tummy full of Azola since the stock tank is right about at her drinking height.

Pyrrosia! I'm going light on the back garden coverage in this post, since I did a deep dive last year (here), but I had to include a close up of their pyrrosia trio again! (Pyrrosia sheareri, P. lingua and P. hastata).

Laura was also kind enough to take me and a couple other garden visitors inside for a look at her anthurium collection...(girl's got it bad!)...

What a visit! Thank you for sharing your gorgeous garden and your love of cool plants!

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

My dryland ferns

In my last post we took a look at the xerophytic fern display at the UC Botanic Garden at Berkeley, today we're touring through my dryland fern collection. These plants are all in the sunny (and dry, unless I'm watering to establish), front garden. Why am I calling them dryland ferns when the UC Botanic Garden at Berkeley calls them xerophytic ferns? Because that's the name I started using after reading this 2023 article from Dr. Patrick McMillan and Plant Delights Nursery. Personally I would much rather call them sunny ferns. That's the big difference in my way of planting them. They don't mind (even prefer) the sun.

Here we're looking at the bit of land I wrote about in the post titled Yes actually, I will be making this a lifetime project. I can't remember if I did a proper "reveal" post after I planted it up, but there are several fantastic dryland ferns in the mix, along with agaves! (a reminder, the planting is sparse by my standards because I'm battling Yucca filamentosa sprouts).

This big beauty was bought as a Cheilanthes tomentosa. I suppose that's another distinction worth making. I'm using the names I bought these plants under, not what they might properly be called now. It's such an evolving science...

I stopped at a nursery way out east of town (Boring Square Garden Center) when I was running an errand and just happened to spot this fern. It's such a healthy specimen I'm glad I grabbed it. It's looked fantastic all summer.

This little cutie is a Cheilanthes lanosa (from Little Prince). There were two but one of them shriveled up and has not yet made a come back.

Cheilanthes argentea, a gift from the Hardy Fern Foundation when they came through with a tour group.

And finally (for this spot), Pellaea mucronata, a plant I brought back from my Bay Area visit at the end of March (purchased at East Bay Wilds)...

When it went in the ground it was down to just a single "frond"... but it's settled in and is growing. I am thrilled.

The new agaves in this area are Agave 'Mateo', I've had great success with them in both the front and back gardens so I took a bit of a deep dive this year thanks again to Little Prince.

Just to the right of the area shown above is this little fellow. I'm sad he's so small, but thankful he's still alive. Asplenium ceterach, a gift from a man named Fred.

OMG! This is what it's all about! A fern and agaves growing together... so so so fabulous! 

The fern hottie is Pleopeltis lepidopteris 'Morro dos Conventos'...

Just inches away, another Asplenium ceterach, this one barely hanging on. I moved it here because I think it's a better spot. Fingers crossed I'm right!

On the other side of the front steps...

More Pleopeltis lepidopteris 'Morro dos Conventos'. This plant, in a container, is the first I grew of the species. Purchased from Plant Delights it was a little expensive and I didn't want to loose it so I put it in a pot where I could protect it.

Then I spotted a plants at Dancing Oaks and decided I needed to experiment with them in the ground. So far so good.

This was my first major dryland fern love, Bommeria hispida from Cistus Nursery. I love this plant so much! It scares me when it goes mostly dormant in the wintertime (it is said to be evergreen), but it comes back strong in the spring.

A few plants in pots while I puzzle out where to put them in the ground (or not)...included are another Cheilanthes argentea (purchased last summer from Windcliff) and a Bommeria hispida (from Far Reaches Farm, also last summer).

I think this is a Polystichum imbricans, although it came to me without a label, and in its second season is growing smaller than I would expect. Still, I quite adore it.

This crazy good Pellaea atropurpurea is another from Little Prince.

"Pellaea atropurpurea is an evergreen, rocky, alkaline growing fern from North America. It features blue-green, leathery, oblong lance-shaped leaflets carried on dark purple or brown stems. Forms clumps of arching fronds."

It's evergreen and hardy to Zone 5... *swoon*

Under the protective "blades" of Dasylirion wheeleri (a little shade and hopefully a rabbit deterrent) is this NoID fern from David (slow__boat), I brought it back from the Bay Area Adventure. It's thought to be a Pleopeltis of some sort.

It wasn't terribly happy with our days in the upper 90's/lower 100's (the fronds curled up), but as it settled in (grew some roots out into the soil) it started to deal with them better. I hope it handles the winter months okay, since it's a NoID I'm a little nervous.

Just to the left of the NoID Pleopeltis is Cheilanthes sieberi, yet another from Little Prince. I planted this one (and others of the same) in early July, not an ideal time! It's been more thirsty than I expected, but I'm blaming the fact I planted it in the summertime. 

Moving south along the sidewalk the next fern in line is my first ever Cheilanthes argentea, that's it in the orange circle.

It's recovering from bunny browsing.

Two more Cheilanthes sieberi are growing under this Dasylirion wheeleri.

"Cheilanthes sieberi, also called Poison Rock Fern or Mulga Fern, is a dwarf Australian and New Zealand native fern known for being more sun tolerant. Features olive green, lanceolate fronds" this one is only Zone 8 hardy so who knows how it will perform in a hard winter?

Another Pellaea atropurpurea out there between the Yucca filamentosa 'Color Guard' and Agave 'Baccarat'.

Close-up

I cannot give you definitive ID on this one, as it came to me unlabeled, but it's obviously a Cheilanthes...

Tomentosa? Lanosa? What's the difference? I certainly can't tell.

Can you spot the fern?

Astrolepis sinuata from Blooming Junction.

Such a dreamy addition to the garden! I've previously tried to grow this from 4" pots, but buying a gallon sized plant seems to have made all the difference.

Okay, just two more plants and I've lost track of what they are, other than being more Cheilanthes. Here's the first...

Again, C. tomentosa or lanosa?

And there's the second, in the orange circle...

These two plants get virtually no water during our long dry (dare I say hot?) summer. Just a drink once a month when I get around to pulling out the hose.

They're troopers! I've babied the other ferns this summer, since most of them are newly planted. I'm looking forward to testing their endurance next year.

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