The request to visit mosaic artist Jeffrey Bale's garden during the Hortlandia weekend garden touring was unexpected. I'd not thought to include his garden on the itinerary, but was happy for the push to get in touch and see if Jeffrey was up for us stopping by. He'd been traveling around Mexico, but as luck would have it he returned in time for us to stop by on April 4th.
My friend Gerhard did a lovely write-up on Jeffrey and his rock mosaic work, so rather than attempt anything so thorough I'll simply refer you to Gerhard's post—here. I'm afraid we Portland locals take Jeffrey for granted, so it was nice to read Gerhard's post and feel the sparkle.
These are Jeffrey's own eyes, in the front steps up to his garden, watching over things when he's off traveling—which he does a lot. Reading Jeffrey's travelogues on his blog is a major source of inspiration for me during the winter months.
The front porch of the home Jeffrey lives in... (he also owns and rents out the house next door).
Looking to the left.
I was pointing my camera at the metal work above the front steps, but also got Jerry and Gerhard in the photo.
The front porch of the house next door.
And back over to Jeffrey's place, about to wander into the back garden...
Snake mosaic, the head is at the front corner of the pathway between the two homes.
Snaking along...
To the right...
Looking over my shoulder...
And towards the back garden...
Once you step into the back garden and look to your left the rockwork framed pond and niche wall draw your attention.
No matter how long I stare at the wall I don't think I will ever see all the details.
I thought that was a small C-3PO, but it has breasts, and hair.
Under the coverlet and pillows is a bathtub for relaxing.
Epimedium wushinense 'Salted Caramel' (the dark leaves).
This is a garden where you definitely need to look down.
Often.
The back of the house next door (it's all one continuous space). On my first visit to this garden I was attending a party that occurred here, in this house.
The banana (Musa basjoo) were just starting to emerge during our visit in early April.
This photo makes my heart happy, legends in the garden world! It was Marietta and Ernie O'Byrne (the couple in the center of the photo) who had asked to visit Jeffrey Bale's garden, That's Jeffrey on the right, and Marcia Donahue on the left. After this photo we all packed into various cars and headed south to the garden known as Bella Madrona, which will be the next in this series.
The Bit at the End
It feels strange to link to my own blog here, but... I am. Jeffrey Bale designed and built a couple mosaics at the O'Byrne's garden in Eugene, Oregon. Photos are included in a 2023 blog post I wrote here.
— — —
To receive alerts of new danger garden posts by email, subscribe here. Please note: these are sent from a third party, their annoying ads are beyond my control.
Last Saturday was the Beginning of Summer Garden Festival at Sebright Gardens in Salem. Anytime a group of specialty nurseries are gathered together in one location, selling their plants, well, I want to be there—plus I love wandering the garden at Sebright. I didn't take any photos of the nursery booths at the festival, but I did buy a couple plants which I'll share at the end of this post.
Walking the garden at Sebright I was drawn to this variegated Daphniphyllum, one of several different Daphniphyllum variegation versions in the garden. I didn't think to snap a photo of the plant signage, but I believe it's the same (or nearly the same) as the one at the Bellevue Botanical Garden in Washington, which I visited the prior weekend.
The one up in Bellevue wasn't looking as good as in years past, I was glad to see the one at Sebright still looks fabulous.
This fern grows under the Daphniphyllum and in a few other places around the garden, to me it looks like an Anisocampium cuspidatum, but I couldn't find any signage to back that up.
On to the Wollemi pine (Wollemia nobilis).
The wind was blowing pretty hard, and so the undersides of the needles flashing about.
The new growth on the side shoots springing up around the base are such a bright green.
If you're not familiar with the Wollemi pine you might start here. If you are familiar you might have heard of the controversy when a local nursery held a lottery (at $10 a ticket) to decide what two lucky people would get to spend $3,200 on one of the two trees they'd received in from Iseli Nursery. Turns out proceeds from those $10 tickets went to our local Hoyt Arboretum, so they weren't double dipping with the profits, as it first seemed. Here's a video I took of the rare conifer swaying in the wind at Sebright ...
I was sure to visit their blooming Erythrostemon gilliesii (Caesalpinia gilliesii).
New to me this visit—although I guess it's been growing in this spot for 4-5 years—Lomatia ferruginea.
I learned of the blooming Lomatia ferruginea while chatting with a fellow named Afon, he was selling plants at the festival. Afon works at Sebright, and is also starting up his own nursery, Terra Australis, based Corvallis, OR.
I think this was the first time I've seen the flowers "in real life." I first saw the plant (and a tag, with a photo of the flowers) in Paris back in 2018.
Here's an overall shot... not great thanks to the harsh light.
Back home one of my Lomatia ferruginea (I have two) is also blooming, although not as impressively as the one a Sebright and the blooms aren't open yet. I wonder if this blooming is in response to our mild winter?
Hosta for miles (Sebright specializes in shade plants; hosta, ferns and epimedium)...
Here's the shoppable hoop house. Temps were quite warm on Saturday—91, the forecast for today is 98—so I only wandered the first 20 feet or so, looking at the ferns.
I also peeked at the perfectly dreamy "staff only" greenhouse.
Just a few more plants to swoon over on my way back to the car. NoID Arisaema...
And a sizeable patch of Blechnum chilense (Parablechnum cordatum).
Fabulous in all of its stages...
Their Clematis are so happy they're sprawling across the pathway. I'm jealous.
Next stop, Secret Garden Growers in Canby, OR. Pat (nursery owner) was at the festival at Sebright, but I wanted a plant she hadn't brought, so I swung by the nursery. It had been awhile! These pots are all near the entrance...
It's hard to see the scale, but the leaves on this Pseudopanax crassifolius were huge.
As were the leaves on this Bergenia, perhaps B. ciliata 'Dumbo'.
There were trunks.
It's hard to tell in dappled light, but this planter is covered in stones and looks to have been a bird bath at one time.
The conifer cone mulch was an inspired addition, these large cones are all over the ground here.
The fern is what really caught my eye, it looks a lot like the mystery fern I got from Eric's in Seattle (this post). As luck would have it I found a tag! Dryopteris affinis 'Stableri, it certainly seems like that could be it.
Lots of good stuff under the tables, sadly not for sale.
Bam! Begonia with ginormous leaves...
They weren't quite 3', but maybe half that? It called to me, but at $40 it stayed behind.
Anyone looking for Oxalis palmifrons? They're at SGG.
Ditto for the wonderful Canna 'Cleopatra'.
So what did I buy? The prostrate plant with the fabulous foliage (lower left corner) is Cephalotaxus harringtonia 'Prostrata', it's the one that had me making the trip to SGG.
I have a couple of them, but needed another. Here's my oldest plant, which is producing lots of berries this year.
Banksia repens from Terra Australis. I have no business trying to grow this plant (reportedly cold hardy to 24-26F), but as I stood at his booth talking with Afon I couldn't stop touching those leaves, they're so fuzzy. And I wanted to support his efforts so here we are. I'll grow it in a container for now and maybe (maybe) put it in the ground when it's a little larger.
Trachelospermum asiaticum 'Ogon Nishiki' from SGG at the Fest. I bought a couple of these from another nursery late last autumn and planted them out this spring. They don't look happy. This one will either boost the planting, spur the existing plants into growing like they mean it, or replace them.
Lepisorus bicolor from SGG, I'm refreshing a planter and thought this would be a good addition.
Bergenia ciliata var. ciliata also from SGG. This one is either going in the ground (new project planting, future post) or on the same planter with the Lepisorus. Time will tell!
The Bit at the End
Chatting with Ryan of Alpine Gardens at the Beginning of Summer Garden Festival I was crushed to learn that Andy of Andy's Orchids is no longer going to be traveling to shows. This means Andy's Orchids will NOT be at the 2027 NWFG Fest in Seattle. I am so very bummed. Ryan was selling a few of Andy's plants at the sale, and that's what started the conversation. Thankfully Alpine Gardens will have a selection at the '27 NWFG Fest, so maybe my annual purchase tradition can continue? I can only hope.
Anyway, that conversation reminded me of the visit Joey and his Crime Pays But Botany Doesn'tYouTube channel paid to Andy's Orchids back in 2022, check it our here.
— — —
To receive alerts of new danger garden posts by email, subscribe here. Please note: these are sent from a third party, their annoying ads are beyond my control.
