We Portland-area garden bloggers/Instagramers generally get together in the spring, and again in the fall, for a plant swap and a garden tour. As I shared
on Wednesday, this spring's event was held in Jerry's garden in Monmouth, Oregon—about 80 miles south of where I live in NE Portland. Jerry's been blogging at
Botanica Chaotica since April of 2021, if you don't already read his blog you should start!
I shared this same photo in my last post, but since it's where I started the tour I had to repeat it here for context.
The vine you can see on the side of the building above is an Aristolochia californica, and there is fruit!
I don't remember the name of this fabulous conifer foliage (sadly my not remembering will be a theme throughout this post), but it was in a container along the side of the house. I doubt I would love it as much in it's full grown size, but here it was just perfect.
It's not a great photo, but I had to capture this image of an Agave bracteosa growing on the back border of the garden. I imagine this is a very dry area later in the summertime.
Nearby opuntia...
I think this is a Notholithocarpus densiflorus... love those leaves!
Floral goodness beyond the building with the Aristolochia californica growing on it. I think this area is roughly NE of the house?
Heading towards the area behind the house, I was quite taken with this bark pathway. Bark chunks were laid like large rustic bricks, it was wonderful to walk on.
Collomia grandiflora according to Google images (because I forgot and had to look it up).
Ah! A step project I
read about on the blog, that I get to see in real life...
I think they turned out wonderfully.
Ditto for the
deer fence gate off in the distance. I meant to go closer and get a good look at it, but I must have been distracted by something else, as this is as close as I got.
Looking down at the area with the bark pathway. Those suited up visitors are
Alan (left) and
Jane (right).
Looking in the other direction...
Lilium columbianum, maybe?
Oh! With a visitor...
A nice big patch of Comptonia peregrina.
Looking back at the greenhouse. The photos where I was looking down on things were taken from the white canopy/tent on the far left. Jerry and Luis were kind to put it up so we'd have a place to gather undercover and out of the rain.
We're on what I think is the SW side of the house now. That oddly shaped character on the right was growing in a half barrel that's now fallen apart and been removed. I forget what Jerry said his long term plans were for it (not that he needs to have any, it looks pretty happy as is).
Looking to the right...
And to the left...
This was the blog project I was most excited to see IRL, the work of the
Flagstone Cowboy. WOW!
Agave! Maybe Agave parryi 'JC Raulston'?
Yucca nana I think? With a fabulous Muehlenbeckia astonii on the right.
I forget which arctostaphylos that is (isn't the pathway gorgeous?)
Ah, I miss my Cornus sanguinea 'Compressa'.
Heading towards the front of the house now...
Blooming callistemon...
Maybe Oenothera Missouriensis?
Cactus!
If you read Jerry's blog then you might remember the saga of
the bridge replacement. It seems very solid now...
Darmera peltata, as seen from the bridge (there's a creek down there).
The last part of the garden we explored were the plantings along the main road, these are out in an area where the deer can freely browse and thus many (most?) of them are toxic. A beautiful "I dare you..." planting.
I'll end this part of the post with this absolutely stunning Eryngium paniculatum, wow!
And then we were off to
Dancing Oaks! Since we were just 10 or so minutes away we had to visit! I'd had not spotted Batman at the nursery on prior visits. Now that I know he frequents the place I'll have to keep an eye out.
Dierama pulcherrimum with the water garden in the background.
Holy gunnera! (I wonder if Batman ever spends time here?)
This combo was rather unexpected. Hebe ochracea 'James Stirling'...
With Aristolochia sempervirens growing up through it.
Berkheya purpurea
When I returned to my car THIS was waiting for me. That is a seriously huge slug. Thank god we do not have slugs like that (it's a banana slug) in my garden. Good lord!
What did I buy? Just three plants, and they're already in the ground!
Astelia alpina...
Berberis nevinii, aka mahonia nevinii (here's it's listing
at San Marcos Growers, it wasn't on the DO website)...
And
Bomarea caldasii, which is not quite winter hardy here, so it's growing in a container I can move over the winter. Here's one of it's stems vining around a Dasylirion wheeleri. Be sure to click on the link to see the striking blooms.
This was such a fabulous day. I loved seeing Jerry's garden in person (it's so much more impressive than he makes it out to be), spending time with my fellow gardeners, and getting to visit Dancing Oaks!
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