danger garden

Wednesday, July 3, 2024

A garden visit in Battle Ground, Washington

Mid-June I made the trek up to Battle Ground, Washington (a suburb of Vancouver, WA, just 30 minutes north of Portland), to visit the private garden of Lori and Richard Vollmer, names that will sound familiar to those who shopped at NE Portland's Garden Fever!—as they were the founders and long time owners.

I must take a moment and give thanks to Lori and Richard. As a long time gardener, but one who was new to the Portland area back in 2005, Garden Fever was hugely educational and inspirational to me as I found my way as a gardener here. I hit the jackpot buying a home less than two miles from their nursery!

The photo below is of the same container vignette as in the intro photo above, but from the side. I share it because I want to draw your attention to the two trees—or rather tree trunks—to the far right of the photo. To enter the property the drive takes you between those two trees, it's close, and a little unnerving, but at the same time sets the scene quite perfectly for the reverence with which the botanical residents of the property are treated.

We started the garden tour by enjoying a rhubarb treat on the deck, which gave me time to appreciate the many container plantings there.

Containers and seating options. There were many throughout the garden.

Note the chunky rebar and woven metal panel.

Comfy seating, and don't you love the house trim colors?

It was time to begin the tour proper...

Their Schefflera delavayi was a thing of beauty, it had me feeling sorry for my own versions of this plant that can't stretch their arms far and wide.

Cypripedium ‘Memoriam Shawna Austin’

The deck as seen through a scrim of foliage.

Rhododendron pachysanthum

A pair of shy but colorful visitors.

Elaeagnus, maybe E. 'Quicksilver'.

So elegantly silver...

I think this might just be the best parking spot ever. And look how they're parking to avoid the volunteer Eryngium giganteum, remember what I said about botanical reverence?

Spikes and ferns, yes I am going to say that again; SPIKES and FERNS. Yep, this is what I'm talking about. On the right Yucca rostrata and (maybe) Yucca faxoniana, on the left native Athyrium filix-femina, lady fern.

Looking at this rather inviting spot I was torn. I really wanted to just sit here and soak up the beauty for a bit. But there was still so much garden to see...

Angelica stricta purpurea

Abies koreana, I mean seriously... how gorgeous are these?

Quercus dentata 'Pinnatifida' (Japanese Emperor Oak), and a fine form it is.

It didn't seem fair how many fantastic Eryngium giganteum there were in this garden. I have tried to get this reseeder established in my garden and yet... I've got nothing.

The very charming boardwalk in the meadow.

Maybe Lupinus rivularis? I'm spacing the exact ID, but that color was dreamy.

The only photo I took of the veggie garden. I'm not sure why I didn't take others when we were actually in the garden, admiring the tomatoes and peppers, but c'est la vie.

Verbena officinalis var. grandiflora 'Bampton', I think.

This shot was an attempt to capture the different shades of green in the patch of Adiantum venustum, (Himalayan maidenhair) at the base of the trees. It was magic.

If you're wondering just how big this garden is, it's 2 acres, and they've been there for 34 years! What I can't quite comprehend is how Lori and Richard managed to care for this garden, while also running a demanding small business.

If you've never walked on a path of natural wood Excelsior you don't know what you're missing. It was so soft and springy. As a former retail person I unpacked many many boxes filled with this stuff. I never would have imagined it would make such a great pathway material.

Magnolia insignis

This was my first view of their bocce ball court. I was very intrigued and wanted to get closer, but Lori assured me that we'd work our way over there eventually.

We then walked though the veggie garden, maybe that's why I didn't take any photos there? I was so preoccupied with getting over to the bocce ball area! I did however snap a shot of the Agave weberi, and A. salmiana growing in the ground undercover of a greenhouse. Agaves are always a priority.

This charming Lily ‘Corsage’ was in the cutting garden.

Pineapple broom, Argyrocytisus battandieri

Now I'm looking out over the bocce ball court...

Such a great space, it seems to be a party waiting to happen.

Look at that Eryngium giganteum!

I think I made an audible gasp when Lori pointed out this new acquisition, Rhododendron oreotrephes 'Blue Leaf'.

There was no jealousy over this other new plant purchase, Rhododendron pseudochrysanthum only because I already have one—mine is not this lovely however.

I couldn't stop remarking on these containers on the roof, which of course they're not, but it felt like it when I first saw them.

Rhododendron ‘Polarnacht’

One of the ornamental oregano

And more spikes...

This area with built up blocks and planting pockets was a rather fabulous end to a stunning garden tour. I think that's an Agave ovatifolia on the far left, and at least one of the other big guys is Agave parryi ssp. huachucensis.

I hope you enjoyed this fantastic garden as much as I did. I came home with all sorts of wonderful garden thoughts dancing in my head, and then I got to see it all over again editing my photos and writing this post. Thank you for inviting me over Lori!

Lewisia'Soranda Sunset' hybrids to wrap up the fun...

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Monday, July 1, 2024

Plants doing exceptionally well (and one that's still not)

As I've written about (at length), last winter was a nightmare, there was so much plant death. However, on the flip side, I've noticed there are a few plants in the garden that are doing exceptionally well this year. Why? I attribute their happiness to the consistent rain this spring, rain that alternated with nice warm sunny days. There wasn't too much of either, just enough of both to get plants growing. There's also increased open airy sky—aka sunlight. Plant death means increased light for the nearby plants that live.

Galium odoratum, sweet woodruff, came with me from my Spokane garden (hitchhiked with another plant), and went in the ground back in 2005. It had all but disappeared, only a leaf or two showing up, that is until this year.

I suppose rather than look at its reappearance as a good thing, I should probably be terrified that a plant can lay in wait for over a decade, and then pop up all lush and happy almost over night.

Speaking of things showing up unexpectedly, see those terracotta shards on the lower right (above). My garden has been producing terracotta bits for years. Sometimes it's when I dig, but most of the time they just show up on the surface of the soil in unexpected places.

Another green ground cover, Soleirolia soleirolii (baby's tears), is also doing fantastic.

I never would have dreamt this Zone 9 plant—that I stuck in the ground on a whim—would have lived through last winter and look so good now.

I planted these Blechnum chilense (Parablechnum cordatum, the Chilean hard fern) back in 2020 and they promptly died back, or perhaps were chomped on by rabbits, or both.

Last year I think there may have been one sickly sad little leaf from each plant.

But this year!

Wowsa, it's beginning to look like I'm going to get the Blechnum chilense planting I intended back when I planted them.

Nearby is my Rhododendron pachysanthum. The new foliage starts out white frosted...

And then slowly turns cinnamon, it's in the process in the photo below. This is one that's definitely appreciating the increased light levels.

And a plant that's appreciated the rain that's fallen further into the season, Rodgersia, I think perhaps R. rotlaub. Those big leaves are just so fabulous...

Without equal, actually.

One more happy plant surprise, I bought this NoID orchid years ago, on sale. It was budded up and I figured "why not?". When the flower faded I hung onto the plant, because the foliage was interesting. Eventually I worked the plant into the bromeliad panels I made back in 2022 (very little soil, mostly growing in moss, hanging on the fence in summer, in the basement in the winter). Not only has that orchid lived, but it's going to bloom. Pretty fabulous!

Mahonia x media 'Marvel' made a quick recovery from its winter damage.

I have three marvels and they're all looking good.

The sad plant in the mix is another mahonia, Mahonia eurybracteata 'Soft Caress', it's still not doing so well.

I have (or rather had) five of them; three plants that are just a couple years old and had overheard protection in the form of trees, and two plants that had been planted out in garden for 10 plus years, but were in the path of extremely high (frigid) wind. The young but "protected" plants (above and below) are finally pushing out new leaves, but one of the oldies was recently tossed, it was either dead, or at least dead to me. Bye-bye.

We're going on a bit of a detour before we get to the fourth Mahonia eurybracteata 'Soft Caress', and taking a look at the Mahonia eurybracteata 'Indianola Silver'. That's it dead center of the photo below, with the beautiful flush of pearly green new growth...

This plant was knocked back just as harshly as the 'Soft Caress', but it's rebounded much quicker. My two other "silver" Mahonia eurybracteata, 'Cistus Silvers' have also pushed out new growth, proving they're better adapted to my growing conditions.

Since my fifth 'Soft Caress' was nothing but a curvy stump...

I decided to make the trip out to Cistus and buy a couple of 'Silvers' to replace it, of course when I went to dig out the stump just two days later, this is what I saw... new growth!

The timing!

I went ahead and cut back the stump to the new growth point, and then planted the three Mahonia eurybracteata, 'Cistus Silvers' I bought nearby. Since they're seed-grown they all differ greatly. Those bright green leaves belong to one of the new plants...

They should develop a bit more of a silver cast as they age.

And here are the other two. It will be interesting to see how they all grow, and what future winters hold for them all.