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Although this could very well be a picture of me finding a new treasure at a favorite nursery, it's actually an illustration by David Catrow for a children's book called Plantzilla.

Friday, April 12, 2013

Savage Plants


On the way home from Dragonfly Farms, there was just enough time to visit Savage Plants and Valley Nursery. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough time to visit Far Reaches Farms, a favorite of mine.  There are only so many hours in a day darn it!  After a wonderful day wandering around the Bloedel Sale and Dragonfly, I was a little weary but If there's an open nursery by the side of a road on which I'm traveling, I simply can't pass  by without a visit.   Fortunately the salmon were running or rather flying.



There's always a lot of great garden art here.  I love the columns in the background and the metal sculpture is gorgeous!   For more garden art from Savage, visit my previous post here.

In the woods, the mushrooms are looking quite shiny.  Do you suppose these are edible?

O.K.  I'm pretty much done with this whole vertical gardening thing but this one is kind of cool.


In the words of  Scott Weber, "For the record, I'm kind of sick of succulents used as decorations. Using succulents has become the gardening equivalent of bedazzling."  When you can't say it any better, why try?  Although succulents are still plants that I love.  A lot.
Although this doesn't appear to be particularly comfortable or very easy to keep clean outside, it looks fabulous and since I so seldom actually sit outside, it would be perfect!  Of course, it would probably help if I had flat and level pavement anywhere in my garden but that's another story.

Perfect use for a fire pit!
 
 
These rusty leaf things are wonderful!
 

These light weight pots look very much like their heavier frost proff clay cousins.  Love the color!
 
Sweet trillium blooming their little heads off. 

There were lots of great plants at Savage but since I'd just been plant shopping all day, there was nothing that I needed.   However, one of these primroses hitched a ride home with me.

And one of these.  This must be the year of the primrose for me as I now have quite a collection of them waiting to be planted.
 
There was also a beautiful Agave 'Jaws' to replace the one below that decided to die this winter.  I'll be more careful with the new one because it's a really great looking plant as can be seen here.
 
Hope you have a great weekend full of gardening!  Lots to do this weekend!  Hardy Plant Society of Oregon's spring plant sale, Hortlandia is happening in Portland, the Old Goat Farm in Orting is holding it's first garden open and plant sale of the year and the Chase Garden, just up the street from the OGF opens for the season.
 

26 comments:

  1. Funny how we all got over the vertical gardening thing at about the same time. I think Loree's photo of the icky goo was the end of it for me. Succulents make great container plants in our climate and I will never give them up for that reason. A nice vine on a good trellis is looking like a fresh idea now.

    They do have some awesome metal pieces and your nursery visits have been full of good planter ideas. Don't pitch it, plant it.












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    1. I remember years ago when the garden gurus were talking about vertical gardening and they were talking about trellises & vines. Funny how trends come and go. Succulents are a favorite of mine. Always had them, always will but not growing sideways. Although I still have a soft spot for succulent wreaths, spheres, etc. as temporary places for succulents before they go into pots or beds.

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  2. I remember that quote from Scott, it says it perfectly. I was never really into the whole hanging sedums on the wall trend, it just seemed like a good way to kill off a bunch of plants all at once. I love all the rusty garden art at Savage Plants. I would have been sorely tempted to bring something home. I lost a Jaws Agave over the winter too. I need to treat the next one better.

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    1. The vertical sedum thing really caught my eye and if the plants would stay happy and healthy in that position for several seasons, maybe we'd all still like the idea. It was our season to experiment with agaves! We've learned lots of good lessons about what to and what not to do if we want to keep Agaves alive. Savage's garden art is always faboo! Fortunately my car was full of plants and that rusty crescent wouldn't fit! Still in love with the columns but not sure where they'd go.

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  3. So at the same nursery you bought a dangerous agave and a pretty little primrose? Now that's exploring both sides of your plant personality!

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    1. I like things that are pretty and things that are dangerous, that's why I'm so fond of you!

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  4. Garden ornaments galore! And thumbs up to Scott's words, although we do like succulents a lot too.

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    1. Savage is one of many wonderful places to find great garden ornaments. I usually try to make my own because I'd rather spend money on plants!

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  5. Fad status can bring on fatigue syndrome for almost anything...even succulents.

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    1. The many charms of succulents have not faded, only some of the ways they have been used.

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  6. Funny, I'm into Primulas as well. I started 3 kinds from seed last year and just got seeds for 3 more. I was surprised how easy they were, and bloomed the next spring. It's so thrilling when something I grow from seed doesn't die over the winter.

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    1. For some reason, I thought that Primulas would be difficult to grow from seed. Good for you for doing that! I really should do more seed sowing!

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    2. I thought Primulas would be hard too, but I had a P. veris that is very old and in a bad place and keeps coming back every year, so I decided they might be worth growing. I had to chill the P. veris and P. elatior in the fridge for a month before putting them under lights.

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    3. Wow! That's dedication. I'm more the nasturtium seed kind of person. If I think of it they might get soaked the night before I throw them in the basically unprepared ground.

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  7. I like the shiny mushrooms and rusty leaf things. And I will put on the record, I still can't get why people get so excited about succulents. They just don't do anything for me.

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    1. I like succulents because they are chunky and funny looking just like me.

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  8. Great metal art features! The rusty leaves are pretty cool! I'm having a good chuckle with the quote from Scott. It's true, but I still like succulents. They provide unique texture and drap in some garden areas :) Lovely primula finds! Cheers, Jenni

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    1. I always wish I had a truck and a much larger garden budget when I visit this place!

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  9. I enjoyed this series of pictures — so pretty! I think I would have bought those primroses too.

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  10. Lovely garden art! Beautiful primroses! You have so many wonderful places to visit.. Happy week, Peter!

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    1. I'm very lucky to have so many wonderful places to visit. Happy week to you too, Sat!

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  11. I like the primroses that hitched a ride back with you - beautiful colours of maroon and yellow. The agave is a handsome specimen but the thorns are mean and vicious. Wouldn't want to go near it.

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    1. The primroses are as lovely as the agave is dangerous. The thorns just remind us to be respectful of agaves!

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  12. Those one-arm mushrooms, or do they have tails? Anyway, they look cute either way. I have to concur that the vertical succulent thing has run its course. I didn't tag along either. My succulents remain firmly horizontal, thank you very much.

    I can't figure out that dining set. :)

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    1. I must admit that I made a really large (and very heavy) succulent ball that was hung in an arbor. It was fun for a season and then all the plants went into the ground where they belonged. I also still like the occasional succulent wreath grown horizontally and occasionally displayed vertically. Succulents are just cool plants!

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Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! I love to hear your thoughts.