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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.

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Rare Plant Research Part 2: The Place

Yesterday we walked through the greenhouses and lower part of RPR; today we'll walk up the hill and explore a whole different world.  The driveway is lined with eucalyptus and laburnum (Golden Chain Tree.)


Rockery where bromeliads are plunked in along with hardier permanent residents.

Rhapsody in blue - ceanothus and iris. 

More iris begging to be photographed. 



Front of the house which now has the name Villa Catalana.

Walking around the right side of the house there's this lovely view of one of the man-made lakes.

I love the contrast of spiky dangerous cacti with their delicate-looking flowers. 

Looking up from the cactus bloom.  How does one make a lake one wonders.

Sweet ribbon of Kalanchoe thyrsiflora.  No, these aren't hardy here but they can be dug up and wintered over under glass or plastic as the case may be.

Sitting on the side porch/pergola  there's a fab view as well. 

This rose is grown all over the walls of one part of the garden.  Anyone know what it is?   

Growing almost poetically on this balustrade. 
 
Furcraea gigantea 'Variegata' is so handsome!

Looking back at part of the porch/pergola from below.

An herb garden 'round the back of the house. 

Love this combination of purples and gold!

Down the path a bit is this view of a garden shed across another man-made lake. 


The ducks seem to enjoy it!

View across the first lake back at the house.  The steps form a kind of amphitheater.  Great place for a wedding, concert or to sacrifice your children to the lake god as the mother in this picture is obviously preparing to do.

All that and pond lilies to boot.


This is a bit random  - below the pergola/porch is a great terrace also enjoying the stellar views.  This place was made for entertaining!  There's also a vineyard on the grounds.

I like how other people's combination pots look as mine never work out as well. 
 The walk between the lake and the vegetable garden. 
 Can you believe that Burl built all of these "stone" walls? Don't they look ancient?  From exotic blooming bromeliad to common vegetable garden. Not really so common, this veggie garden is larger than my entire yard.



Asparagus, yum!

A laburnum allee.  
Across from the veggie garden are steps up to an even higher lawn which gives way to meadow and trees.

Kitchen? door leading out to the herb garden. 

A new favorite combination: Setcreasea with neon yellow geraniums (pelargonium.)  I think it's 'Crystal Palace Gem.' Can you imagine the riot when the fluorescent pink blooms join the mix.  I've gotta try this, especially since I have both of these kicking around.

Inside the solarium.  These Musa 'Ai Ai' were less than half this size last year.  It's truly an experience to see these huge, beautifully leaves!  You can buy and drink wine in this area which is another experience.

There are several specimens of this rarest of all bananas in the solarium.  I couldn't stop staring at them.  Others were in the queue for the wine bar and were more interested in that.  Can you imagine?

Back outside.

Walking from the back of the house approaching the porte-cochère of which I didn't take a picture.  If you'd like to see it, Loree posted a great picture of it here

Nice niche!

After building lakes, this must have been a piece of cake. 


We're back at the front of the house. 
 What a special place!  Burl has incredible vision!  This didn't all happen at once, but over time.  I remember seeing earlier pictures of the grounds on the RPR website years ago.  The transformation has been amazing and each year I visit, something new has been added!

 If you'd like a chance to see RPR, there's an end of spring open and sale on June 20.  Also see their website for information about their summer dinner series.  Wouldn't it be grand to dine on the terrace?

Hope you enjoyed our little walk around these beautiful grounds. 

36 comments:

  1. So nice! It still has a bit of a "new garden" feel to it -- I want to see it in 10 years. (Mark your calendar)

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    1. I bet by then you could plan another trip out west to see it. Marking my calendar just in case you don't make it!

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  2. Wow! Is the vegetable garden new, or did we just not go there last year? I don't remember it. There's a second lake somewhere?

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    1. I think it was there but it's blocked a bit from view. There are three lakes I think. The house looks over the middle lake.

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  3. A wonderful tour. My favorite picture is the view from the porch, under the pergola (with a glass of wind in hand...). It's remarkable how ancient everything looks: from the rounded wooden back door to the niche in the wall, such attention to details. I love the light fixtures in the solarium!

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    1. Isn't it a fun place? Burl is amazing! It's only a three hour drive from your garden and there's a one day open on June 20!

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  4. When I first saw this bit of RPR featured I was impressed by the rather 'romantic' looking building and surroundings, looks so inviting and takes RPR to a whole new level :)

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    1. It's a fab place to visit for plants but it would also be way cool to dine there one of these days!

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  5. It's an astounding property, isn't it? :-)

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  6. I think the sheer amount of people stuffed into the solarium detracted from my noticing the multiple Musa 'Ai Ai'...thanks for the photos! They really are gorgeous.

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    1. People? There were people there? All I saw was those big plants. I pushed through and stepped on some large mushy things and there were some screams and swearing - must have been the people. Oops.

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  7. What a marvelous tour. You always see the best things. Setcresea and yellow-green is my favorite combo, especially for a little shade where it lights up. I'll watch for the pelargonium, which will light up a sunny spot.

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    1. We're lucky to have so many great things to see in this neck of the woods! My favorite geraniums are those with interesting leaves like this one. In the sun it's this gold color but with less sun it's more of a chartreuse which is also nice with the screaming hot pink flowers.

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  8. Speechless. The only thing I can think to say is the rose might be 'Eden.' (Burl built the stone walls?) Oh, I thought of another thing to say. When I think of all the time I spend staring at my little garden, how does that work when your garden is of this scale? Doesn't your head explode at some point?

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    1. I don't know if Burl personally laid every piece of urbanite but for a project, nursery and garden of this scale, one would imagine that he has help. All was his vision and I know he likes to play with concrete. No cranial explosions have been reported. Like you, whenever I see gardens on this scale, my head swims with the thought of having the time to do it all.

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  9. It is a special place! Amazing! And not only plants, but everything - buildings, structures, garden accessories.. Thank you Peter!

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    1. I'm so glad you enjoyed it. They are having a one day end of spring open and sale on June 20 if you're free that day. In addition, they also do a summer dinner series on several evenings. A chef prepares a five course meal which patrons enjoy on the gorgeous terraces. Only two and a half hours away.

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  10. What an amazing place, wonderful plants with just the right setting for them. You must have had a wonderful time there, thank you for sharing your photos with us!

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    1. It's always a delight to visit and see what Burl has added each year. I'm glad you came along on the tour!

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  11. Wow, this place is awesome!!! thanks for the tour. I can't imagine how cool it must be in person.

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    1. I'm glad you enjoyed this little piece of the Mediterranean in Oregon. It is much better in person so you'll have to come and visit us in the PNW again sometime!

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  12. What a beautiful place ! Needs to go on the bucket list for sure ! Denise is right, the rose is Eden , there is no mistaking that rose once you know it.

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    1. Oh yes, it's definitely worth seeing! Thanks for confirming Denise's hunch! I found Eden online very quickly and almost clicked the submit order button when my more sensible self said something like "you have no space in your garden for any more plants and there is a pot ghetto full of plants waiting to be planted, including three roses." I hate that bitchy voice in my head!

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  13. That place is an absolute jewel. All your photos are wonderful but I particularly liked the one of the Iris with Ceanothus in the background - if only I could create a vignette like that!

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    1. It's a great place and one that you'll definitely have to see on your PNW extended stay! You have many beautiful vignettes in your garden Ms. P!

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  14. This place is amazing! I had to Google it to see where it is located. Oh my gosh, it's practically where I grew up in Oregon!
    Peter, please remind us next year when it is open to the public. I won't be able to make it on June 20th of this year.

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  15. I'm so mad at myself for forgetting about the solarium! Maybe I was just subconsciously avoiding the winos. That purple and gold combo was one of my favorite elements in the garden, too. I also loved all the eucalyptus. So beautiful.

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    1. It is a wonderful place! Only sorry that we didn't see you there. Next year, I'll plan better and we can meet in a specific area and time.

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  16. What a lovely spot! The garden and building look very romantic, especially with the little lake - all in all, it looks like a great day out!

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    1. It's a great day out indeed. Shopping for plants and wandering a beautiful garden; who could ask for anything more?

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  17. Haven't been back since the garden has really settled in. Now I KNOW I must make time for this next year.

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  18. This is just such an amazing place and I love seeing all the posts each year. The romantic stonework reminds me of the Festival Hill gardens I visited back in March.

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    1. Yes, there is a resemblance to the Festival Hill Gardens. I really enjoyed your posts of that place!

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