Portland Area Garden Bloggers' Plant Exchange Spring 2015

Twice a year, spring and fall, Portland area bloggers have a plant exchange hosted by a different blogger each time.  I don't remember how long they've been doing this but about three years ago, my pal Alison (Bonny Lassie) and I were made honorary members.  It's always worth the trip to see all of these wonderful people whose blogs we read and admire.  Throw in free plants, food, wine, and the chance to see in person a fabulous garden and it's a slam dunk.

This year Patricia (Plant Lust) hosted the party.  I parked down the hill a bit from her lovely new home and Ann (Amateur Bot-Ann-Ist)  met me with a cart to help haul Alison and my plants. Thoughtful!   Alison couldn't attend this time but sent a lot of plants to the exchange.

Here's Rickii (Sprig To Twig) arriving.

Linda (Whatsit Garden)  in ultra cute shoes.  Notice the plants, just a fraction of what was there. 

 Out in back the party had already started (check out the mimosas) Amy (The World's Best Garden Blog) is cleverly hiding hers behind Beth (Goodnight Gleanings) In the middle, is Jenni (The Rainy Day Gardener) and behind her is Heather (Just a Girl With A Hammer) talking with someone whose name has slipped my mind.  Can you help me with her name?  With the fabulous blonde hair on the move is Laura along with her Pirate Charlie (Gravy Lessons)

I love this picture of these two beautiful women who look like they're not at all pleased by what they're hearing.  That's Heather on the left and our wonderful host, Patricia.

Another sight to behold were these HUGE peonies brought by Derek (Plantgasm) They came with his new home in Portland and he's no idea what variety they are.  Do you know?  They sure are gorgeous!

Here's Derek holding them so that you can see how large they are.

The farmer in the dell, the farmer in the dell, high ho the derry-o, the farmer in the dell.  These folks know to have a good time at a party! Left to right:  Amy, Paul, someone I don't recognize from the back (do you remember?) Heather, and Loree (Danger Garden)

 The plant shopping begins. 

Cardoons and lilies and peonies, oh my!

A lovely floral arrangement brought by Mindy (Rindy Mae)

Patricia has only been in this garden for a year but she's already done a great deal with it!

 Newly planted part of her front garden. 

Ensete maurelii leaf waking from a long winter's nap 

An all- grass back yard is transforming into a garden!

This sempervivum caught everyone's attention.  Although you can't tell in the picture, it was exceptionally lage and looked very happy.

Purty peonies!

Soft grey mullein starting to bloom. 

Patricia does the empty pot as focal point thing very well!  Isn't the contrast in foliage of the Rhodocoma capensis and Fatsia japonica delicious?

A very handsome gentleman enjoying the shade. 

I'm sure I missed photographing (Scott) and mentioning several people who participated in this fun event for which I'm truly sorry.  This event is always a blast!  Thank you Patricia for hosting in your beautiful garden!

Happy new week.  If you live in the U.S. I hope you're thinking of and are grateful for those who died in service to our country and for our many freedoms. (Like three day weekends)  No, like life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness and the freedom of speech and the press.  Extra points if you can name the documents from which those came without the help of the internet. 

Wandering Around Watson's

Gardeners who work during the day are grateful as the daylight lengthens and we have time to squeeze in some gardening tasks after work.  Many nurseries have longer hours in the spring and it's possible to shop after work as well.  Who wouldn't be happy about that?   One day after work, I stopped by Watson's. See many previous posts here.  We've been here together frequently you and I.

If memory serves, the grafted tomato potato plant has been around for a long time.  Gurney's Seed and Nursery used to carry them in the 70's.  However, someone's marketing department decided that this was the year to push this plant and give it a fun name, "Ketchup 'n' Fries by Tomtato."  Kind of cute.

However, at this price, one could grow a lot of tomatoes and potatoes separately or make their own grafted plants to maximize limited garden space. See how to do it yourself here. 

Digiplexis 'Illumination Flame' which didn't return in my garden this spring, is now joined by Digiplexis 'Raspberry.'  Pretty for sure but I'm equally fond of Digitalis which is quite reliable!

This year I will rip out the cursed inherited vinca on a sunny slope and replace it with iris! (I just got an Iris catalog in the mail and want them all.)   Here's 'That's All Folks' looking as sunny as Doris Day.

'Edith Wolford' is very popular.

This time of year when nurseries are full to the gills is so much fun!

 Peony 'Bartzlla'  a true yellow herbaceous peony is quite unusual.

When I was doing my student teaching a billion years ago, I bought my first Washington fuchsia basket at Watson's.  They'd opened that spring and the fuchsias were on sale in September.  Coming from an area with a three-month growing season, I was delighted that the plant would bloom for at least that long.  Who could have known then how large and popular the nursery was to become?

This gorgeous hibiscus was tempting but I already have one like it that sailed through the winter in the greenhouse.  

Interesting idea!  You can purchase kits for these raised beds, assemble  and fill them with soil and voila a garden!

Watson's grows most of their own annuals. 

Meanwhile in the "stuff" area.  Isn't the ginkgo leaf vase cool? 

And  the sea urchin vase.

The peach colored foliage of Acer pseudoplatanus 'Esk Sunset' purple leaved beach and sky blue hydrangeas make a very nice combination.

So much more to explore but that'll have to wait for another day!

Happy weekend and happy gardening! 

A Happy Surprise!

Did you sing the song "Way Down Yonder in the Paw Paw Patch" as a child?  I did and often wondered what a Paw Paw was since they don't so much grow in Alaska.

Turns out, it's a tree fruit native to Eastern, Southern, and Midwestern United States and adjacent southernmost Ontario, Canada, from New York west to southeastern Nebraska, and south to northern Florida and eastern Texas.  About six years ago, I saw Asimina triloba (doesn't fit the song as well as Paw Paw, right?) trees at a local nursery and fairly small male and female trees came home with me.  Each tree has bloomed but never both of them together until this year.

A few years ago, I ordered some Paw Paws online to see what they tasted like.  The fruit doesn't have a long shelf life so, unless you live in a part of the country where they are native, you probably won't see them at your local grocery store.  The fruit is delicious with a custard-like consistency and a rich flavor somewhat like ripe banana mixed with pineapple.

The flowers aren't large and probably wouldn't win a beauty contest but the sight of them on both trees at the same time is thrilling to me!

Fingers crossed that this was pollinated and those are baby fruit!

And more fruit forming while the trees have even more blooms!  Interesting the little things that excite gardeners isn't it?

Have you grown paw paws?  Do you live in a part of the country where there are wild paw paw patches?  If so, do you go down yonder and pick the fruit? 

Wednesday Vignette

I'm joining blogging pal Anna's Wednesday Vignette meme. Check out more at Flutter and Hum here.

Euphorbia wulfenii puts on a great show for quite some time.  Even the seed pods are  pretty and a bit odd.  Are those little dark looking things eyes? 

Joy Creek and Means, The Last Two Stops on the Post-Hortlandia Nursery Romp.

Joy Creek is a nursery which I frequently visit on the way home from Portland.  See previous posts here.

Joy Creek is a great retail nursery but they have even more extensive offerings in their mail order catalog here. 

Last summer, when the Garden Bloggers' Fling was in Portland, many of us fell in love with Clematis 'Oshikiri' in bloom in J.C's garden. See description and photo here.   The nursery had sold out but recommended checking their mail order list when it came out in January.  I remembered but forgot to order.  When we got to the nursery, I couldn't find one among the large selection of clematis.  Rats!  However, I asked the kind folks about it (I didn't remember the name)  and a nice young man went off somewhere and produced one.  This may be one that they bring in as the tag, including planting directions was in Japanese.  Anyway, I was so excited to have captured one of the last ones for this year (their site shows that there are now 0 available) that I forgot to take more pictures.  Oops!

 Oh well, it's always a Joy to visit Joy Creek!

Next stop, Means Nursery just down the hill and across highway 30.  Here the intrepid plant hunters Vickie and Alison check out the perennial offerings.

You may remember that Means is a large wholesale grower with fields in a couple places in Oregon and in Ohio where the corporate offices are located.  This is their only retail outlet and prices are often crazy low.  For more information, go here.

You never know when you'll find 8 foot tall magnolias on sale for ten dollars.  Their specials are sometimes out of this world.

They supply several big box stores on the east coast among other clients.  This deciduous azalea was as fragrant as it is beautiful.  Wish I had more sunny space in my garden!

Always great prices on their Acers!

 Labeled Ficus cardota 'Italian Black' (Maybe Ficus carica 'Black Italian'?) with that handsome foliage was tempting!

Again feeling a bit silly for starting tomatoes from seed this year.  The "Mighty Mato" was new to me.

I knew about grafted tomatoes but the two variety idea was really interesting. 

 So many possibilities. 

Meanwhile, in my greenhouse, the seedlings that I planted into four inch pots are ready to go into gallon pots, and the two that I bought in gallons were planted into five gallon pots and are now as tall as I and have green tomatoes that will be ready in a couple of weeks.  

Hey there experienced tomato growers, what is your opinion about pruning suckers from indeterminate tomato varieties?