Savage Art (Garden Art at Savage Plants)

Recently, Savage Plants had their garden art event which I caught by accident as I noticed the sign as the plant mobile sped past on the way home from Heronswood.   Savage always has lots of cool work by local artists but during their event, artists bring even more.  Here's a teaser.

This guy would be right at home in my garden if there was an inch of space left. 

This piece intrigues me.  If the topiary tree in my garden ever got cut down, this would take it's place.

Speaking of art, Glass Eye Studio's fall Sidewalk Sale takes place on Saturday, October 7 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

 Fly on over there to get some great bargains (1/2 off of wholesale prices) on all sorts of glass art.

Would any of these pieces have found a home in your garden? 

Wednesday Vignette

Wednesday Vignette is hosted by Anna at Flutter and Hum.  Click on the link to join in the fun!

Back in June, visiting Cornell Nursery in Portland, I admired this new area of their garden.  The raised beds of Corten steel contrast nicely with the decomposed granite (or something like that.)

Oh to be able to exercise such restraint and not crowd every inch of soil with plants.

Random Outlaw Fun

Recently, pal Alison and I attended the Heronswood Fall plant sale and my heart skipped a beat when I saw this Trevisia affinis palmata on the Windcliff Plants table.  Earlier this summer, exceptional gardener and plant freak, Mary Palmer,  posted a picture of hers and created instant plant lust.  Dan Hinkley says that his specimen has been hardy outside during even the coldest winters in his zone 8b garden.  This beautiful thing comes from the mountains of NE Vietnam.   My Trevesia palmata 'Micholitzii' and Trevesia palmata are hardy only to 25-30 degrees and  their even more deeply-lobed and cut leaves (Snowflake aralia is a common name)  have made it worth lugging them in and out of the house each year.

Birthday money was meant to be spent on something frivolous, right?  Sometimes I wonder why, when there are so many perfectly fabulous, hardy, tried and true plants available,  I'm  so easily excited by something new and unusual.  Crazy.   

Staying with palmate leaves but moving from Araliaceae to Euphorbiaceae, Jatropha multifida, purchased three years ago as a seedling from Etsy, lost it's leaves in the greenhouse a couple of winters ago so last winter, I decided to keep it indoors.  It lost it's leaves again during the coldest, darkest part of the year.  However, they keep growing back once it gets brighter and warmer again. Bare branches may not be everyone's idea of an attractive houseplant but the naked stick look is more than made up for by the foliage when it's present. 

Hey, what's that? 

This is the second time blooms have appeared this season.  

Gentiana 'Alex Duguid' is an older variety of autumn-flowering Gentian.  They had me at autumn-flowering.  From the Far Reaches table at the Heronswood sale.

There were some Valley Nursery reward dollars in my account that needed to be spent so this beauty came home with me. (Like I need another bromeliad...)

From the Odd Plant Sale came these new additions.  Those name tags are around here somewhere...

Many years ago, I planted Tropaeolum speciosum at the feet of Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Van Pelt's Blue' thinking that the brilliant vermilion blooms would look good clambering up the oh-so-blue foliage.  That Tropaeolum  never did much but this year,  one nearby jumped over and decided to climb toward the sun on the blue Chamaecyparis (A.K.A. Port Orford Cedar) which made me exceedingly happy.

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Van Pelt's Blue' appeared briefly at a couple of nurseries about eight years ago and I got three tiny saplings.  They then seemed to vanish from the trade, perhaps because of the fungal problem that beset the Port Orford Cedars.   However, recently Youngblood has been delivering them to several area nurseries.  This is such a stunning blue color which gets even better in the winter.  If you see one, snap it up as one never knows how long this window of availability will be open.  By the way, my three little saplings are now about ten feet tall and don't seem to mind a bit of pruning.

In a Vase on Monday - A Season of Neglect

In a Vase on Monday is hosted by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.  Click here to join in the fun!

It's a strange time in my garden.  Not a lot of vase-worthy blooms.  The garden has slowed down and there are, as always, plants that should go into the ground.  Fall is in the air but it's not quite time for the plant migration although I'm beginning to squash things together in the greenhouse to make space and contemplate which plants might be houseplants for the winter.  The sun has returned but I'm not feeling particularly motivated to do a whole lot in the garden right now.  Today's containers salute to cacti and succulents that don't mind being ignored for weeks at a time.

Contents are Eryngium 'Big Blue' and seed heads of Angelica stricta 'Purpurea'

Happy new week everyone!

Myrna Torrie's Seattle Garden

While the calendar says that today is the autumnal equinox and the cold, windy, and wet weather caused me to turn the furnace on for the first time last night, I'm still holding on to those warm and wonderful days of summer and pretending that they'll return any day now.  To help with this seasonal denial, today let's relive another beautiful July day in Seattle as we tour the garden of Myrna Torrie.

"Step down into my garden under a clematis covered arbor."

"Stop to take in all the visual pleasures of texture, color and form in this small space."

"Stroll around to see an array of trees, shrubs, roses, more clematis, climbing hydrangea, perennials, containers, garden art, and a small fountain to greet you."

"I have worked on my garden for 16 years to grow some of my favorite plants to attract birds, bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds."

"Check out some of my favorites such as Double Otto hardy fuchsia, Daphne marianni, Abutillon 'Windcliff Coral', Selaginellas and much more."

"Descend the gravel steps lined with Daphne 'Maijima,' Phlox 'Lilac Flame,'  Dichroa febrifuga, red Eccremocarpus vine and small treasures like Leptinella."

Looking like piece of garden art, the angel (with purse) descending the stairs  is pal Alison. 

Even the edibles in this garden were pristine and gorgeous.

"Continue down around to admire my 'Endless Summer,' 'Blushing Bride,' and 'Lady in Red' hydrangeas."

Ledebouria cooperi

"I hope you will enjoy your brief respite from life's hectic pace."  

Thank you, Myrna, for opening your beautiful garden for so many to enjoy!

Happy first day of autumn, happy weekend, and happy gardening everyone!