Bellevue Botanical Garden, 2024 visit

Time flies. It seems like just yesterday I was at Bellevue Botanical Garden, but it's been over two weeks now, I visited on Monday Sept 16th. One of my favorite things about this garden is that admission is free to everyone and it's open dawn to dusk everyday of the year. How's that for community access?

As I walked around the garden I was remembering my last visit, October 2020, the first time I was away from home in that year of COVID. I remember having such an amazing sense of openness and freedom.

Love the schefflera and banana combo, not so much the bright pink business.

I saw so many flawless Mahonia eurybracteata 'Soft Caress' in the garden (and in the Seattle/Bellevue area in general), they escaped the winter nasty that befell our 'Soft Caress' here in Portland.

Of course I visited the Daphniphyllum teijsmannii 'Mountain Dove'.

And then strolled out into the rock garden.

Here's a flashback photo from the day before, when I was at the garden to give my talk for the NPA. This was going on out in the rock garden! The sumo wrestler fellow struck many different poses for the camera, it was quite entertaining, if distracting.

My digitalis didn't bloom this year. I hope that means there will be a spectacular show next year.

I do enjoy the foliage rosettes, so all is not lost without the flowers. 

This garden seems to be slug central. I never see this many slugs anywhere else.

Ugh.

Thankfully there were ferns to take my eyes away from the slugs.

Asplenium trichomanes, maidenhair spleenwort.

Perhaps Dryas drummondii.

The rill is a favorite feature that I'm always sure to walk by, I think that filled in space is new...

Probably to make it easier for wheels to roll over? It's well done.

Since I was there early on a Monday morning I almost had the place to myself.

More interesting paving...

Alchemiila mollis collects moisture so beautifully.

Members of the NPA were there working on their border, from the BBG website: Renowned for year-round dramatic displays, the perennial border is an example of a distinctively American-style mixed border and is a living demonstration of what works best in Northwest gardens. Revel in thousands of perennials, shrubs, bulbs, evergreens and trees that provide color and beauty year-round. This is one of the largest public perennial gardens in the U.S. maintained entirely by volunteers. The Northwest Perennial Alliance created and maintains this award-winning garden. It is a source of education and hands-on learning opportunities for NPA members, horticulture students and gardeners throughout the Puget Sound area.

Ah my old friend Nolina 'La Siberica', I wonder why the tips are cut off?

People!

Lagerstroemia fauriei 'Fantasy'

Datisca cannabina (false hemp)

I'm not a fan of the stacked rock sculptures, but I did like how the moss was growing on them.

My ginger (Hedychium coccineum) has gotten shaded out, which is a shame because those orange flowers are fantastic.

There were a few of this 'Color Guard' Yucca filamentosa planted in a sea of black mondo grass, I love the look, it doesn't translate well to a photo.

Happy rodgersia with wet feet (the big leaves on the left).

More black mondo, this as an edging, I like it.

The ferns... I wish I were better at ID. I'm pretty comfortable saying this is a polystichum, but which one! 

Maybe Polystichum neolobatum? 

Onoclea sensibilis, the sensitive fern

I'm so glad they planted a fern in this rotted out trunk.

Another polystichum, I believe...

It's making babies!

Did someone plant that fern under the rock, along the pathway? I doubt it. I love it when ferns plant themselves in fun spots.

Finally this beauty, which looks to be an autumn fern, Dryopteris erythrosora.

The common name refers to the color of the new foliage, which it puts out year round, not just in the autumn.

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Catching up on a few drive-by gardens

Today's post features a few places I've stopped to take photos of, but that didn't warrant a full blog post all their own (they're worthy, I just don't have enough photos). First up the Pat Calvert Greenhouse at the UW Arboretum. I did a quick look-see back in July during the last day of the Fling. You never know what you might find for sale there, plus it's fun to keep an eye on the garden.

The ginormous gunnera, shaggy palms...

... and recovering cordylines. Unlike the ones I showed last Friday (that are only sprouting at the base), these are also growing further up the chunky trunk.

I have no idea why this plant/pot needed to be chained to the greenhouse structure, but it must be valuable in someone's eyes.

Now we're in Portland, where I happened upon this row of Agave ovatifolia when I turned on a random side street to avoid traffic. Score!

Five sexy agaves all in a row (with a nice Yucca rostrata in the background). I have to wonder, were there more agaves in the empty spots that didn't make it?

The spacing seems like that may have been the case.

Full-frontal shot.

Back up in Seattle now, after visiting my friend Scott's garden (post forthcoming) he took me to see this nice commercial planting. 

That healthy Yucca rostrata with the chunky trunk must have bloomed or endured some sort of trauma because it now has several growing points, I think we counted at least five. Behind it is a blooming crepe myrtle...

... and just a little further down the sidewalk an extremely happy mass of opuntia. Look at all that fruit! It must have been incredible in bloom.

And speaking of fruit, there's also a pomegranate with full-size fruit.

Pulled back view.

And including the narrow hellstrip.

Last week I was on the road again, doing a couple garden visits (Tangly Cottage being one of them, future posts!) and stayed at The Salt hotel in Ilwaco, WA.

Things were very quiet there during my visit (it is the off season, and it was a Wednesday night), so I had this container courtyard all to myself...

Just behind the hotel, the harbor...

I drove up to Long Beach with the idea I'd stay for the sunset, but I didn't last that long.

The locals came out to say hi though. I like what they've done with the grass...

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All material © 2009-2024 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.