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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, July 10, 2018

The Countdown Has Begun

Only four days left to get my wreck of a garden whipped into shape for Saturday's open and there's so much left to do.  Here are a few shots of how things are looking at the moment.

'Fragrant Cloud' rose is at it's peak, perfuming the air beautifully.  Of course by the weekend the petals will be falling all over the place, mostly into the pond beneath them. Neat.

Meanwhile 'Chrysler Imperial' has fallen over because it didn't get cut back this year.  Oops.

When one is stashing pots before the blooms emerge, clashes like this frequently happen.  Tasteless.

Oh well, if you can't impress them with color, give them something to laugh at.  Hammer head - get it?  Note to self, slip that Monrovia pot into something else.
 
If I had the energy, I'd futz a bit more with the Danger Gardenette.  

To the right of the danger gardenette, this jungle is unruly.  I would clean it up but the hummingbirds are fond of the Eccremocarpus scaber taking over the palm.  Yes, that's it, the hummingbirds. 
 To the right of the Danger Gardenette  Maybe I should take that hand trowel off of the table.

Of course, there should be a minor disaster.   See that lovely variegated pineapple plant growing oh so nice and straight?  Well, there used to be two of them up there.  The other one was growing a little sideways.

Yes, that sorry thing all trussed up and pouting. It decided to fall off of the shelf where it was before.

And land, splat atop this Begonia boliviensis, flattening it.  Oh well, 


Some of these have taken a turn in the Danger Gardenette in years past.  Many of these get hauled back into the house for the winter.

Somehow the shelves still look full.  They just get more cramped  in the winter.

Amorphous konjac is looking gorgeous.  I really should find space for it outside.  Since it's winter dormant, though it gets stored under a table for the winter.

This is just about ready.  I do love spending time in here, but like the rest of the garden, I seldom just sit and enjoy it but find pleasure in working around the plants.

The floor could use a nice spray down with 30 second cleaner but the smell is awful and lingers for a while so we'll just be happy with the natural algae look.


Yes, the glass table top got cleaned.  When you spray neem oil on the plant above it every week to control spider mites, it gets pretty grungy looking.


Just outside the greenhouse a hanging begonia that I purchased a couple of months ago is looking terrible.  Meanwhile the one to the right of it which lived through our mild winter, much to my surprise, looks fabulous.  Maybe I'll bring a begonia from the front garden down here to replace it.  The pot ghetto is supposed to be a holding area for new plants but it's full of other stuff now, like that dahlia that was planted in a pot a couple of years ago with plans to plant it out in the garden.  That never happened but the plant survives under the eaves of the greenhouse where it doesn't get any winter water.  It's so hard to get rid of something that survives and blooms,

Old bamboo culms die from time to time.  Removing them is such a chore.  Why not just paint them and leave them in place? 

 It's not a pot ghetto if the pots are decorative, right? 

Most of the rest of the garden looks something like this at the moment, this post is getting long, and I need to go to bed so that I can be up at the crack of dawn to blow, sweep, pick up, and rake the damned bamboo litter which is everywhere.  (One day, I'll get rid of it!)  I'd be lost without my collection of plastic buckets

One of these days, when hoses, tools, and piles of manure aren't everywhere,  I'll show some other parts of the garden. 

28 comments:

  1. That Konjac is fabulous. My little A. impressus just pushed out a leaf and I was worried it wasn't going to bother. And I love the idea of painting the old bamboo culms. I hope somebody takes photos of the tour!

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  2. "paint them and leave them in place?" YES. A spectacular idea, and a bold choice of color. I love peaking in your greenhouse and looking at all those fun treasures. Because of a scheduling conflict, I will not be able to visit this year's open house; I'm totally bummed about it. A close look through the post is the next best thing. The little armchairs with hens&chicks is a riot. I don't remember seeing them before.

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    1. Good eye! The armchairs are new. Found them at Fred Meyer. Chava, you're always welcome to come by another time if you wish. Just drop me an email or call me.

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  3. At least your army of plastic buckets isn't bright orange like mine. Your garden is going to delight everyone, just like last year. I'm sure everyone knows how much work a garden like yours takes, if a few tools or buckets get left out or within sight, it just proves someone works (very hard) to keep the garden looking good.

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    1. Oh, I'll definitely stow the buckets before the open.

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  4. Love those red culms. Very Jack Lenor Larsen.

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    1. They are fun. I was originally thinking of bright yellow or orange but red won out.

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  5. If I had *anybody* visiting my garden -- let alone a TOUR -- I'd have to enlist a small army of neighbors to help with tasks. Doing it all alone (mostly alone?) is just crazy.

    BTW, how high up do you go with the paint on the culms? To me it's the top parts of the dead ones that look the worst.

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    1. Yup, I do it alone. The only way it works is that I'm on summer break from my jobs and can spend time in the garden catching up. I paint about 10 or 12 feet up. Usually I cut the dead tops off but I hate to see a really big culm go so painting lets me enjoy them longer.

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  6. Your work post is building anticipation for our visit!

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    1. Oh, I'm so glad you're planning on coming again!

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  7. Oh my goodness. I'd be freaked out having to get ready for people to visit my garden, especially LOTS of them. Seeing your plant filled spaces really inspires me. Thank you. People will love seeing the variety and the whimsy.

    FlowerLady

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    1. It gives me a reason to pull the garden together and catch up on tasks. The nice thing is that after the open all I have to do is a little dead heading and keep the pots watered until it's time to plant bulbs in the fall.

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  8. Whoa, a lot of work to make the garden ready for touring. I don't think I could stand the pressure (or should I say my spouse couldn't? ;D )
    Hope you have a great time. I'm sure your visitors will. :)

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    1. Last year, I felt more pressure because it was the first time I opened the garden but this year I'm a little more laid back about it. The nice thing about the organization (Northwest Perennial Alliance) is that we all share a love of gardening whether we practice alone on a small urban lot or a sprawling estate with a garden staff. Each garden has something interesting & it's fun to see what others are doing with their spaces.

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  9. I'm sure your visitors are going to be so excited about the abundance in your garden their heads will be jerking this way and that (squirrel!) and they'll miss any odd issues you miss or don't get to. Breathe!

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    1. I'm not really too worried about it. The garden is so full of plants and stuff that it's like being in a three dimensional collage with no place for the eye to rest, just continuous visual assaults. Fun!

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  10. You should leave your trowel out...along with a pair of gloves or a cap that you wear in the garden and or a list of things to do. People love that stuff. Your garden looks ready to me. Nothing like a tour to get one off their duff and moving. Wish I could be there.

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    1. It's fun for people to think that the chaos just happens all by itself. You could be here...just jump on a plane or if you start driving now, you might be able to make it:)

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  11. P.S. Hammer head nutted me up. My BIL used to call me a hammerhead when I would mess up when playing Euchre as his partner. Fond memories.

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  12. Looks good to me! I love your garden. I'm sure folks will have a great time at the open garden event.

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    1. It'll be fun to share the garden and a few cookies. I don't drink very often, but maybe a glass or two of wine would help make the day even more fun.

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  13. I think it looks very, very impressive, and if I lived closer I'd join you, for sure! I'm sure it will be a hit (especially the hammer head)!

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    1. Thanks, you're very kind. Clever camera angles cover a multitude of sins.

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  14. I have no doubt it’s gonna be a hit. People who have been before will bring friends, all will love it. Hope you don’t work your fingers to the bone beforehand...

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    1. Not too worried. After today, it's just continuing to pick up the falling bamboo leaves and maybe pressure washing one particularly green brick walkway or maybe not.

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  15. You're being too hard on yourself. They are going to love your garden. But I know opening your garden to strangers can be nerve wracking.

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