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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.

Monday, April 29, 2013

The Highway 30 Triumvirate Part One; Cistus Design Nursery

Alison posted here about  part one of our grand adventure in the Portland, Oregon area on April 20.   Being much lazier than she (well, I've been playing in the garden o.k.) I'm just getting around to posting.  There was a very special reason that we drove down on that day about which you can read in  Rainy Day Gardener's wonderful post  here.  Alison and I were invited to be honorary Portland area bloggers for the day & participate in their plant exchange. 

Whenever I'm in the area, I try my darndest to visit three nurseries that are on or fairly near Highway 30, Cistus, Means, and Joy Creek.  I love them all for different reasons.   Alison had never been to Portland before having recently moved from the Boston area so it was fun to accompany her to these great spots.

We began at Cistus Nursery, one of my favorite places on the planet and before I knew about the other nurseries in proximity, I'd drive nearly three hours each way just to visit this fabulous business.

By the time we turn in to this driveway to the parking lot, my heart is always pounding with the thrill of being here.

 Looking back.
 
Beautiful glaucous leaves and exfoliating bark of a eucalyptus tree along the drive.
 
Checking out the opuntias.  This is not really an area for shopping but it's close to the restrooms at the end of the parking lot so it's fun to look around.   Please forgive us if we've committed a Cistus Sin. 

That's a lot of spiky sharpness!
 
What do you see?  Cute little teddy bear ears? Soft wooly cuteness?  I see pain.  They are pretty cool looking though.
 
Walking toward the main entrance...
 

Having moved from zone 6 to zone 8, Alison's  excitement at seeing such a broad palette of plant options was palpable and brought back memories of my own zone shifting amazement!  Kids on Christmas morning, fun; plant geek at a really cool nursery full of a few extra zones worth of plants, orgasmic.

Here we are at the entrance to the main house.  We've made it through the enchanted forest drive and the prickly maze, now one test remains, will the fearsome beast find us worthy to pass?

If your riddle answering and sorcery skills are not expertly honed, you may wish to bring dog treats.  Seriously, this dog is extremely sweet.  We made it!  Louis, I see your yucca rostratas.  They're calling out to you!

 
Take me home Louis!
 
Agave safety.  Clever.
 
What's better than an Agave americana variegata?
 
 
  Four Agave americana variegatas!


An Agave americana 'Mediopicta Alba' came home with me. 



I'll shut up and let you enjoy the plants. Some are from the nursery and some are growing in the faboo gardens that surround it.

Magnolia bevifolia in bloom. 

Senecio petasitis
 
 Solanum pyracanthum
 
 Made in the shade.


Dioon somethingorother

Solanum quitoense


Rhodocoma capensis, so beautiful, so tempting.  Two is enough for my tiny garden.  Must say no.  But look how soft & sweet they are, like kittens or puppies...hard to resist...one gallons so reasonably priced...Finally able to break away.  These plants are in the Restio family which, with the exception of one Tasmanian cousin, are native to the Fynbos area of South Africa.

Petasites palmatus 'Golden Palms'  a form of our PNW native Coltsfoot with yellow leaves.
 Next trip, that glaucous-leaved palm may need to come home with me.

 So many palms, so little car.



Symphytum x uplandicum 'Axminster Gold' which has partly reverted to green.  My entire sepcimen reverted  so it became compost. See Sue's great growing tips for this one here.

Nolinas? 
Blue spruce, eucalyptus, yucca rostratas. color echoes.
In this part of the grounds, we can see the outlaw garden influence.  Notice the clever combination of natives like horsetail with exotics like Dandelions from Eurasia and  Ajuga from Europe among others.  Throw in some Spanish Bluebells and you've got a picture of my yard.

NOID Camellia japonica with waxy deep red blooms.  Yum.

Loving this color & those veins!  I'll check their plant list to see if they sell these.

Epimedium wushanense
 

Hypericum 'Albury Purple' (guessing about the Albury Purple part.)

Fatsia polycarpa 'Needham Lace'

More gorgemundous palms! 

 
 
This one, whose name has left my memory with a lot of other useful information, has fronds that emerge joined like this and then split apart.  Aren't plants amazing?

Care for a little piece of desert for dessert

The beauty just keeps going. 


Considering a Beaucarnea 'Gold Star' but I really don't need another winter houseguest.  Sure is pretty though.


Echium candicans 'Star of Madeira'   Has anyone seen my socks?  They seem to have been knocked off. 


Note to self: make a point of asking the identity of this sweet opuntia next visit.  I've admired it several times but get carried away by all the offerings inside and forget to inquire.   The sedum pairing is lovely!

This one had me stumped. Kniphofia?  No, there's a trunk.  Yucca?  Agave?  No, the trunk but then some agaves...   Can you identify this? 


One of the red Camellia japonicas pictured earlier was just across and up the path from this huge red pot.


Love this Hedera growing in the bamboo litter.  

 
Podophyllum delavayi, one of my all time favorites, never ceases to thrill me.



Eucalyptus blooms
 
Here's our wagon.  My plants are on the right (there were actually eight of them but  some are hiding) Alison's are on the left.
 
Hope you enjoyed our visit to Cistus.  Somehow there were several hundred images on my camera taken here but to see more, you'll simply have to visit the nursery yourself, you'll be glad you did!

30 comments:

  1. Well, I can certainly see why you would want to search out this particular nursery. What a fine selection of plants, and that Echium candicans is gorgeous!

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    1. It's a special place! Echium candicans may just find itself in my cart next time I visit!

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  2. I don't remember seeing that Solanum pyracanthum! Was that in the garden or the nursery? That trip was such fun! I had to laugh at you saying you were lazy. I haven't blogged in a week, and you've been blogging up a storm. I got so much done last week.

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    1. Good for you for getting a lot done! Solanum pyracanthum was in the main house not far from Solanum quitoense. Never fear, Jungle Fever, Dragonfly and a few other local nurseries get this one in each summer!

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  3. We have yet to make it to Cistus. Thanks for the great tour. So many tempting plants to bring home. Looking forward to seeing the other two nurseries. We've been to Joy Creek but many years ago. The mystery plant might also be some type of cordyline. They can have trunks.

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    1. Glad you enjoyed the tour but if you ever find yourself going in that direction, do visit Cistus as it's so much better in person. The fragrances, cute little tree frogs and later in the year the wall of cannas as high as a corn field all add to the experience!

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  4. I never get too much of Cistus, even though they are practically our neighbors (can you imagine?). Nice to see it through your lens.

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    1. You are lucky to live so close! I'd hang out there far too often and would be much poorer. I'm already looking forward to visiting again!

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  5. Nice cannas in the trolley there. I'm starting afresh with cannas this year.

    I too covet that blue leaved palm. Mind, i've killed off most of my palms this winter.

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    1. The canna is 'Blueberry Sparkler.' The leaf coloration reminds me of one of my favorite cannas, 'Intrigue.' Intrigue has narrower and more graceful leaves and scarlett/orange flowers though.

      I don't believe that you killed most of your palms, it must have beeen the horrible weather that was the culprit!

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  6. Oh my gosh. Thank you for this post. I enjoyed every second of it. I have never been to Cistus, but I've always wanted to make the trip. Now I REALLY want to. I just saw that Podophyllum at Dancing Oaks. They didn't have it for sale but it was in their display garden. Never have a been more tempted to grab a shovel. Such a cool plant. Great post!

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    1. Glad you enjoyed the tour! That Podophyllum is availabl at Far Reaches Farm and at Keeping it Green Nurseries. Others carry it too but those two almost always have it. It's a great plant & I love mine!

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  7. Humph. I would say the Pacific north west has way more than its share of fantastic nurseries. Leave a few for the rest of us, ok?

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    1. I concur wholeheartedly with your statement! As for your request, that's out of my control but you could always move out west.

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  8. How inspired of a place visit - I need to dig out my Cistus pics from 2007. (?) Amazing visit you made, but a nursery that turned onto possibilities has such an effect. Big post!

    Your cactus is Spineless or Cacanapa Prickly Pear / Opuntia ellisiana. Mostly spineless.

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    1. It's a great place. Are you coming up to the G.B. Fling next year?

      Thanks so much for the Opuntia I.D. David! I've written it down and will order it so it'll be waiting for me next time I visit!

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  9. I'd be thrilled too, if I could visit there! Such a lovely place. Happy first of May, Peter!

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    1. Thank you, Satu. Happy first day of May to you, too! Soon you'll be able to move your jungle outside. It's an exciting time for gardeners!

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  10. Jaw dropping Cistus Nursery, ahhhh! I so, sooo would love to visit this nursery in the flesh soon. Who knows, perhaps next year ;)

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    1. What fun! Are you considering coming to th Garden Bloggers' Fling in Portland next summer? Cistus in on the list of places to vist!

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  11. I understand the thrill as you approach your favourite nursery. This one certainly has lots of plants to tempt you. I am biased (like everyone!) but i love the eucalypts best. I don't need any plants right now but after reading this post feel like making a special trip to my fave nursery (3 hours there and back) to share it too.

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    1. The thrill of a plant addict about to get a fix...mmm. There are so many Australian plants that we love here! I'd love to see a visit to your favorite nursery!

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  12. What a great adventure. I'm really enjoying your posts. I have not yet developed a love for spiky plants but, I admit that on my visit to Garden Fever this past weekend, I did stop and linger, looking at some aloes. You and Danger Gardener are having a bad influence! :) Cheers, Jenni

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    1. My love of spiky plants is relatively new. Other than yuccas, I avoided them because I love being among my plants, brushing against leaves, etc. and it shouldn't be an exercise S&M. However, the structural beauty and year round interest of these plants along with the Dangerous one's enthusiasm for them has won me over. Every rose has its thorn.

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  13. After a very long drive home from Spokane yesterday this was a wonderful treat to read before bed (my arms were too tired to comment though after fighting the horrible wind for hours to keep the car on the road). You captured the magic and beauty that is Cistus so well, it's been almost 2 months since I've been there, a crime really. I love that photo of Brodie guarding the entrance, glad he deemed you and Alison okay to enter.

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    1. Funny, it's often the cool places in our own back yards that we don't visit as frequently. I finally got to Jungle fever for the first time this season & was surprised (you'd think I'd be used to it by now) by some of the great plants. (two or three varieties of yucca rostrata...mmm & some nice midsized Agave alba mediopicta among many others.)

      I never get tired of looking at Cistus! Sweet Brodie had actually just arrived with Sean just as we were leaving but when he was younger, he'd follow me through the nursery (Brodie, not Sean;) and even came to sit in the shade of my car one warm summer day. He was actually seeing that the plants were going to an acceptable home.

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  14. Peter. I see you had nice time in this nursery!
    I love your photo of Blue spruce and eucalyptus and yucca ---nice combination if colors and shapes.
    Camellias are always beautiful, it's pity they don't grow here.
    Have a nice week!

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    1. This is a wonderful nursery and you're right, we had a very nice time there! I wish you a nice week too, Nadezda!

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  15. That is one lust worthy trip!!!! I'm literally drooling over those rostratas! I think a road trip is in order!!!! thanks for sharing

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    1. Oh yes Louis! Cistus is full of so many of your favorite kinds of plants! You'd be on cloud nine!

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