danger garden

Friday, November 29, 2024

There was a Vancouver nursery visit too; behind the scenes at Phoenix Perennials

In 2023—when I was in Vancouver, BC, for Study Weekend—I stopped in Phoenix Perennials, to see what they had on offer, and left with several things on my wish list (that visit is here). My second visit took place earlier this month, but this time I got to wander the off-limits greenhouse. Of course we walked through the nursery on the way, where I was awe-struck by the echium offerings.

Wowsa! Echium pininana with a few Echium wildpretii along the front.

Cyclamen coum 'Christmas Tree Group', love that foliage.

Damn, how sad is this? They put an incredibly positive spin on it (Rare Succulent Shopping: for the security of our rare succulents, we now have them displayed in this new "jewel box"...) but basically it boils down to the fact people have been stealing plants.

It's heartbreaking.

Hey it's my frog friend and a pyrrosia from Little Prince of Oregon!

Wollemia nobilis

With cones...

Interesting rock planting.

Okay, now we're in the greenhouse, full of treasures.

I love it anytime I see ferns and agaves grouped together, cause you know they're my favorites.

Dry sun lovers up top, moisture-loving shady characters below.

It's always special to see a flowering protea in a greenhouse.

Aeonium (Greenovia) aureum 'Gran Canaria'

Crassula spiralis wraps up this post and concludes my posts on my Vancouver adventure. What a weekend!

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Wednesday, November 27, 2024

The fourth (and final) Vancouver garden stop, at Gary's

On the way to the airport Dana managed to squeeze in one more garden visit while I was up in Vancouver, at the home of Gary Lewis. Gary owns Phoenix Perennials—which we also visited, that will be Friday's post—and is the author of The Complete Book of Ground Covers (which I own, and still need to write a review of). This is the view from the sidewalk...

It's so much better than just a fence, isn't it? A plant smorgasbord for those walking past.

Although the sections with a fence were pretty great as well. I thought maybe this style was unique to the property but saw a couple of similar nearby.

Once into the garden proper...

The sidewalk to the front door includes a planting pocket, how fabulous!

There's another planter up next to the house, under the eaves and the big window.

Did you spot the palm trunk with vines growing up it?

There's a pair!

You've gotta love a fern that dies back so beautifully.

And then there's this. You knew it was coming right? A greenhouse has been the constant through all of my Vancouver BG garden visits.

Yucca and a type of verbascum?

I have to fully appreciate the view from the outside, before going inside.

Wowsa!

Many of the plants had tags, but I was just enjoying the experience of being overwhelmed with plant goodness and didn't go fishing for names.

Of course I can see that these are Aeonium 'Green Ripples'.

And I know these are Agave albopilosa.

A variegated Agave parryi.

Pachyphytum compactum

Into the back garden now...

Gary was traveling during our visit, so I didn't get to pester him with a bunch of questions.

Can you see the roofline beyond the plantings?

That's another greenhouse! I think a sort of garage/greenhouse refurbishment. We weren't able to go inside however as there's a problem with the door.

No worries as I had plenty to feast my eyes on.

And I needed to catch a flight back home! One last look at this greenhouse...

I don't think I caught the Yucca linearifolia in the earlier yucca photo.

We were about to walk under the entry/exit pergola when I looked up and noticed...

The guard dogoyle! Thanks for letting us visit Gary, wish you had been there.

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