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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.

Thursday, August 22, 2013

A Saturday without Alison

Is like a day without sunshine. Thank you Orange Juice Council, your writers did a much better job than those responsible for hiring spokesmen.  (Anita Bryant, OJ Simpson)

So, on the first Saturday for quite a while that Alison and I didn't have plans, I thought it would be a good idea to stay home and get some work done in my garden.  So Tom and I got in the car to see where the car, having a mind of its own, would take us. (Poor neglected garden)  I know you'll be shocked to hear that the car drove us to some nurseries.  (I may have a problem.)  Our first stop was Elandan Gardens.  You can read about  a visit here nearly a year ago here. 


There are great things lying around everywhere outside.  Such a  great place to find unusual pieces. 
  
The inside of the shop is filled with an incredible variety of offerings ranging from jewelry, world music c.d.'s, and artwork to houseplants, Chinese and Indonesian antique carved fragments, merchandise from gift shows and just about anything else you can imagine.  The place is so stuffed with treasure that you could spend a whole day just taking it all in.  Unfortunately,  picture taking is not allowed inside the store because of the proprietary nature of some of the original artwork and because the owner fears the practice of showrooming.   The store is a wonder and if you're in the area, you should stop by.  Here are a few of the many outdoor offerings that caught my eye.


Elandan is on a smallish (6 acres) piece of land that juts out into the bay so the smell of the sea and the sound of the waves gently lapping  the shore is ever present as you walk around.  This pot, new but looking as if it just came up from the ocean floor looks totally at home in this setting.

Elandan sits on a site that was once a landfill.  Go here for the fascinating story of  the reclamation of the parcel.


I've a soft spot for head planters.  These weren't priced  and I didn't know if they were for sale or were just display pieces.

They don't look like they could stay out all winter in our climate so they'd be perfect for tender succulents that also want  a frost-free winter.  (I'm ready for a frost-free winter myself come to think of it.)  This hardy sempervivum is a perfect choice.

Shirley  at Rock-Oak-Deer posts about faux bois every now and then.  I'd not thought much about it before but now whenever I see an example, I think of her.

This piece was available this way or filled with concrete to make a table.  I'm thinking that they're sold empty to make moving them easier.  Could also be cool sans water,  glass over the top and an interesting collection of something inside.


More of Will Robinson's sculpture.  Calling the PNW home, Mr. Robinson is currently represented by galleries in Seattle, Los Angeles, Sun Valley and Toronto.

Will the circle be unbroken?  Just wondering is all.
 
The exuberance of this one makes me love it.


A little nautical yard art.  For some reason, they've not included any concrete seagulls.  Try to contain your disappointment.

We were just going to stop here but the car had other plans.  I mean, we'd already crossed the bridge and they charge us to go back to Tacoma so we might as well stay a while, right?  Which is more disturbing, that the car is talking to me or that it's reasoning makes sense?   Wonder where the car will take us tomorrow?

32 comments:

  1. Thanks for the post. I've always wanted to check out this place. Looks like I need to stop in. I love the sculpture. The one that looks like a bird is amazing. Keep cruising Peter and Tom I love the tours.

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    1. You should check it out. They have lots of cool stuff. Fairly expensive but very interesting to look at.

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  2. It's good to let the car do the talking, thinking, and driving from time to time. It can lead you into interesting places indeed :)

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    1. The car does end up at lots of fun places. Nice to let someone else think.

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  3. I REALLY liked the "exuberant" sculpture! And the head planters--though I know full-well we'll not have a frost-free winter here. I try to avoid the carry-in/carry-out seasonal activity to my utmost ability!

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    1. That's one of my favorite ones there (there are many favorites.) I should cut way back on the seasonal plant migration, it would make things much easier but I keep falling in love with tender plants. You're very wise!

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  4. I love your car. Whatever it is. Take good care of it because if you get a new one it will probably just take you to Fry's or Ikea.

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    1. This one does a great job although all too often it finds the Dairy Queen drive through window. The car is of the opinion that Blizzards are a food group.

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  5. Sorry you're missing me...Next time we're up this way, we should stop in at Elandan. They have some cool sculptures. I like those rusty metal things in one of your first pictures, with the big clay pots behind.

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    1. I'm glad you're having/had a good time with your son! We can start plotting our garden visits for next summer as soon as the NPA yellow book comes out!

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    2. Have you two applied for that grant yet? I really want a travel channel show of you two cavorting through the NW. Fab tour, but needs more Alison. :p

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    3. That's a fabulous idea! Now where do we apply?

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  6. I look forward to seeing where your car takes us in a couple of weeks!

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  7. Looks like a fun place! Wonder what my yard would look like with a faux pier and an old boat planted with petunias?!?

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    1. It would be fabulous! You should do it right away!

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  8. I do think it's interesting that you did not show any bonsai. That's what Dan Robinson is famous for.

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    1. I didn't see the signs or the chain across the entry to the garden this time but there used to be a fee to go through the door leading out to the bonsai garden them so I never developed the habit of visiting that area. The Weyerhauser Bonsai collection is only a few minutes from where I work and I usually get my fix there.

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  9. Wow, great stuff!!!! So many wonderful things. I lust for those urns in photo number 2

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    1. This is a small fraction of the inventory. Those urns are fabulous!

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  10. Your car does have a great mind of its own to find such interesting places to take you. The art is very good and, no, I didn't miss the concrete seagulls one bit.

    Fun to see such nice faux bois around your area too. The table would be a bit heavy.

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    1. Real seagulls are much more interesting.

      I don't se faux bois very much here but don't know why that is. Maybe because we have so much real bois everywhere?

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  11. Not only are YOU a shopaholic, Peter, but now you have infected your car. Where will it end?

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    1. I'm now connected to the cell phone grid so I plan to infect the world with plant lust bwa ha ha!

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  12. Love the front entrance in the first shot, it looks so enchanting, I also love the rustic looking pot.

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    1. The front entrance is wonderful. So much of this amazing stuff is scattered willy nilly around the place but the front is more structured or staged.

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  13. Incredibly wonderful sculpture! The circular piece reminds me of the a piece outside the Seattle Conservatory(?) (you know, the glass house in Volunteer Park.) I don't remember the sculptor's name.

    Let the car do more driving and talking, Peter!

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    1. I'm embarrassed to say that I've never been to Volunteer Park. Must visit soon! Some people worry when they start to hear the voices.

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  14. What a treasure trove! Such great stuff - your car has great taste! Alison definitely missed out...

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    1. It's a fun place alright! Alison was having a great time playing with her son who was out west for a week-long visit which was much more fun for her than visiting plant places!

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