A Spectacular and Mysterious Garden

More than 20 years ago, I admired this garden from the outside and it's gardener, who was working outside, invited me to view the garden inside the gate.  She said that she wished she hadn't planted ornamental cherry trees in the front as they're so prone to disease.  As I recall, those trees were sizeable. 

They were obviously been replaced by maples quite a while ago. I'm seldom in this neighborhood and always forget the exact cross streets so coming upon this garden is always a surprise to me. 

What lies behind the well manicured shrubbery is a magical treat of a garden that can be enjoyed from the sidewalk.

One simply cannot walk briskly down this part of the sidewalk as there are surprises tucked away in every corner of the garden.  Everything is exquisitely well manicured, coiffed, fluffed, and trimmed and yet the garden is exuberant and welcoming.

Some years ago, this gardener won a prize for her garden design from Thompson & Morgan Seeds. 

Feeling especially bold, I knocked on the door but no one answered.  What a treat it would be to once again see the inside garden and all the changes that must have taken place in the last 20 years or so.

An imaginative and talented colorist came up with this great mostly-evergreen combination with coleus and tuberous begonia jewels.

In a sunny corner, near the intersection of the sidewalks on this corner lot stands this perfect pairing of Yucca rostrata  and pot. 

Even the gravel is special. 

Another view of the sunny corner. 

Here's the other street side of the garden.

This garden must bring great joy to both the gardener and passersby.  What a great space.  Perhaps one day I'll get a peek at the inside garden again. 

Can you believe that this is the last day of May already? 

Wednesday Vignette -What is That?

Costume idea for Handmaid's Tale?

(Image lifted from the interweb.)

No, that's not it.  

It's Lupinus 'Westcountry Blacksmith' 

Wednesday Vignette is hosted by Anna at Flutter and Hum.  Click here to join the party.

Drawing Inspiration from Friends

Okay so the title was a nice way to say stealing ideas from blogging pals.  In keeping with the theme, I'm stealing some photographs to illustrate this post.  I'd long admired Pam Penick's fabulous entry planting of Dasyliron longissimum in her entry garden.

Photo by Loree Bohl, stolen from Danger Garden.  You can see Pam's post about installing this here. 

Back in April, I saw A dasylirion longissimum at Cistus Nursery and decided that I'd make this work somehow in my own garden even though it's way overcrowded.  

I almost gave the plant away because there is simply no place in my garden that would allow the same kind of empty plane that Pam's entry has but a couple of weeks ago, Loree reminded me of how well her dish planters worked in her garden without the negative space. 

Photo by Loree Bohl.

Then this post of Gerhard's Garden showed his Dasylirion  growing beautifully in a metal planter.  The universe must be trying to tell me something. 

While I love the look of rusty steel, it's heavy and often expensive.  However a recent stroll through a local hardware store (a big plant sale and 50% off all pots had nothing to do with the visit) had me contemplating shiny aluminum tubes that were inexpensive and light. 

The hottest and sunniest location at my place is out front but when standing the tube here it just didn't  work very well so the tube went into the greenhouse perhaps for use as a plant stand but it didn't  work there either

The pipe/Dasylirion idea still made me want to find a place for it  so it got put in near the Danger Gardenette. This isn't the hottest spot in my garden but perhaps the plant will still grow in this mash-up area.  

I

Cecile Brunner In a Vase on Monday

One might say that Cecile Brunner is in her cups on Monday but casting aspersions on such a sweet little thing might not be the best way to start the week.   On the other hand,  the climbing Cecile Brunner in my garden, planted on the previous site of a compost heap, grows is such a wild way that it might seem inebriated.  Rose experts call it vigorous and healthy.    Even in a jungly/casual garden like my own,  frequent pruning is  requited to keep it from taking over the world.  The tiny, perfectly-formed blooms are so endearing that a few got rescued from being tossed into the yard waste bin.

The cheery blooms and luxurious fragrance are a joy to experience as we pass through the butler's pantry.  Of course, the yard waste bin smells pretty nice at the moment too.

In the U.S. today is Memorial Day, originally Decoration (of graves) Day, which originated after the Civil War, a conflict which claimed more lives than any  U.S. history and required the establishment of the country's first national cemeteries.  Today is day of remembrance of all the men and women who've lost their lives in the service of their country and is unofficially the beginning of summer.   The civil war ended in  1865 and communities began holding ceremonies of remembrance shortly thereafter.  Cecile Brunner was introduced in 1881.  I wonder how many graves she's decorated.  As we remember the fallen, let us cling to the hope for peace.

 In a Vase on Monday is hosted by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.  Click here to see what others have cut to enjoy this week.

A Little Friday Fun at Digs Inside and Out

After thirteen years, Digs Inside and Out is moving from it's Alberta Street location in Northeast Portland to a new location in Sellwood, an area of Southeast Portland.  As packing boxes were being filled and the move was imminent we visited the Alberta Street location one last time.

They're hoping to open in their new location on June first.  Do check their website for updates.

Those of you who've had the pleasure of visiting the private garden of JJ DeSousa, the owner of Digs, will recognize her eclectic style and sense of humor.

As an object, this string bean vase is cool but just think how great it would look filled with blooms.  It would look almost as if the flowers were standing on their stems right on the table.

I love this shop but am glad that it's 150 miles from my house or I'd be broke in short order. 

Looking one last time out at Alberta Street from inside Digs.   See those orange stools?

Things aren't always what they seem and although the loss of Digs will be felt on Alberta Street, I'm certain that the creative force behind this special store will work it's magic in their new home. (A cool historical building which you can check out on google maps.)

Happy weekend!

Xera Plants and Contained Exuberance

As we drove up to Xera Plants in Portland, the bright color of this rose caught my eye. One also caught a ride home with me.

Xera had been a great wholesale grower of plants for many years before they opened their own retail space.  Luckily, their plants are still carried by other retailers but there's nothing like visiting their own space which is always packed with fabulous plants.

Sweet and tiny Polygonatum humile.

Epimedium x  'Pierre's Purple' has great purple flowers but the color of it's new foliage is also very attractive.

Acanthus  syriacus is a gorgeous thing.

Arthropodium candidum 'Maculatum' caught a ride home with Danger along with a brown aeonium.  Can't wait to see what she does with them.  

Xera and Hyland Garden Design/Contained Exuberance flow together nicely.  

This is my kind of pot shop!

Anne Boleyn? Catherine Howard?   Looks like someone's axe or sword needs sharpening.  

Allium seed heads are a repeated  theme at CE.  Aren't they cool?

A burlap bag tree seems like it could hold up the whole building. 

 Pots by apotspot.  

Happy Friday Eve!