We Finally Made it to Cistus

Back on the plant play date with Danger, we left Lila and the Danger Garden to visit Cistus and pick up my aeonium collection prize from the Aeonium Challenge.  The collection is so wonderful and in a container decorated by noted plantsman, Sean Hogan, himself that it'll get it's own post later. Here are some impressions of this visit.  I began visiting Cistus many years ago after reading about it in Stephanie Feeney's The Northwest Gardener's Resource Directory, a fabulous book that listed every nursery from British Columbia to Northern California and shared Stephanie's impressions from her visits.  Unfortunately, MS Feeney was taken from us all too soon.  In the last edition of the book (1996, I think) internet resources were added.  Anyway, I've greatly admired this nursery for years and before I knew anything else about the Portland area, I'd drive down just to visit Cistus, fill the car (it wasn't yet named plant mobile) with plants and drive home.  See previous posts from recent years here. 

Beautiful Eucalyptus tree near the parking area. 

 Dudleya brittonii

Dyckia platyphylla

One of my favorites, Agave americana mediopicta alba. I would have taken one home but there are already two in the hoard.  You see, one was purchased as a back up plant because I didn't know if the first would survive.  

Aeoniums

Agave ovatifolia 'Frosty Blue,' a Cistus introduction. 

Oh, that giant cycad is a beautiful sight. 

 "No Plant Is Safe" from the wagon of a plant addicted shopper?   From the four seasons?  

Giant palm fronds.  

Is there any happier sight for a plant addict than a nursery packed with unusual plants on a warm summer day?

One of the Billbergia nutans 'Variegata' on the table wanted to come home with me.  Maybe it'll get to stay with me longer than it's non-variegated couisin that I gave away a couple of years back.

There are more Crepe Myrtles planted around Portland than there are further north.  I've seen some bloom beautifully in more exposed sunny areas here but in my mostly shady garden, I only get leaves.

Cistus is a place that invites discovery, pulls one down a path or around a corner to see what might be there, and then rewards the journey with visuals like this.

Protea cynaroides.  Oh so tempting. 

Vitis vinifera 'Purpurea'    

Agave americana 'Cornelius' 

Yucca rostratas (or is that Yuccas rostrata?)  Anyway, mine will look like this in about five more years.

More green goodness. 

Blue sky, golden bamboo foliage (not to be confused with golden bamboo  or heavenly bamboo which is Nandina and not a bamboo at all.)

 Visiting Cistus is always exciting but what made this visit even more special, besides the ever-present Danger, was that we got to go into the production area, a first for me, not for the dangerous one.

But the sign says....

Nice hips!

It's always a special treat to see the collections and propagation areas of plantsmen/plantswomen that one admires.  In the course of that week I'd visited Far Reaches Farm, Windcliff (posts to come)  and now Cistus and been allowed to peek "behind the curtain" at each of these operations run by world-renowned plantsmen.  If you're not a plant nerd, this is the equivalent of being able to go backstage to meet your favorite three rock stars and sit in on rehearsals of the same all in one week.

Do you want to pull that weed from between these prickly characters?

The multi colored flag coding, the sparse labeling because most plants here are known, the hot air of the hoop houses, the roar of the crowd.  Oh wait, that's something else.

Aeonium 'Starburst' is a lovely thing!

I really want one of these but  don't have the heart to make one myself . Isn't it interesting? 

Senecio cristobalensis, I presume?  I got one of these from Cistus years ago. 

 Manihot grahamii has such groovy foliage.  I need to find a better place for mine next year as it never made it out of it's winter storage spot in the greenhouse.

I have Dichroa febrifuga, some with blue blooms and one with blooms a little lighter but this vibrant pink was new to me.  The label reads Dichroa versicolor.  For further confusion and entertainment click here.

We finally arrive at the office at the back of the entire operation to visit with Sean and, of course, outside there were more faboo plants.

Fasticularia bicolor had been on my list for quite a while and just a few days before, I'd found one that had just been put out that morning at Far Reaches.  Seeing this specimen in Sean's collection made me even happier to have found one!

What a treat to see all of this!  Thank you Loree and Sean for this special opportunity!

How Do You Spell Paradise? C-I-S-T-U-S!

I still remember the first time I went to Cistus Nursery years ago and was blown away by the experience. The car was filled with plants!  As I recall, there was significant emptying of the wallet.  The staff was very kind and gave me a Cistus tshirt. (This was before I liked agaves, yuccas, or palms.)  Even without those, which often get featured in posts about this exceptional nursery, the place is amazing.  For previous visits, look here and here . 

Here are some shots of our recent visit to Cistus after attending Hortlandia.   They get ever larger specimens of yucca rostrata.  Didn't even look at the prices of the ones pictured here behind my gardening partner in crime, Alison.  

 This is what my babies will look like in about 15 years.  Don't mind waiting as they look really sweet when they're tiny as well.

Although these are pretty tempting.  Maybe when I clear out the parking strips, another summer project, there'll be space...

So much to love about these sweet plants!

A random shopper checking out some of the succulents.  I sometimes wonder if Portlanders know how lucky they are to have this place in their back yard?  

A stroll through  Cistus's "Big Top" area is like stepping into California without  that pesky air travel.  If you miss removing your shoes and being patted down, you could certainly  take your shoes off and probably one of the staff would pat you down if you asked - they're really very nice here. 

These plants love our warm, dry summers.  Our soggy winters are another story but let's not talk about that right now o.k?

My rodocoma capensis made it through the winter but it's got a great deal of brown foliage from the winter freezes.  I remained firm in my resolve to be done with restios after 10 years of growing many members of the family and watching them expire during especially cold winters.  Then I saw these... Aren't they gorgeous?  No, I will remain strong until I have a greenhouse large enough to drag one of these into during the coldest part of the winter!  (and I already found a very inexpensive gallon on sale recently...)

Heather, Scott, and Loree shopped with us.  It's always fun to shop with other addicts plant enthusiasts and bloggers.

Hosta 'Hyuga Vrajrro' has cool sword like foliage with nice yellow variegation.  Not this time.

Danae racemosa (poet's laurel) description on the tag:  Out of the Middle East comes a slow-to-propagate and rare evergreen shrub for the shade garden.  Handsome AND drought tolerant, this 3ft shrub has arching stems with waxy green leaves once used to crown atheletes and poets.  A nobel history!  White summer flowers are not showy but produce large red-orange berries that last through autumn and winter.  Part shade to shade with water to establish. Frost hardy to at least 0F, USDA zone 7.

I would love to have this simply so that I could rest on my laurels or at least tell the story of the plant to unwary passers by but I didn't love it so it stayed at Cistus.  Then I saw this article and this.  Maybe it should come home with me on my next visit.  I have an urn that would be perfect for it.

It's always a good time to check out the Schefflera delavayi in the garden.  He was posing so handsomely this day.

 Ginkgo biloba 'Mariken'  is a cutie!

Danger in her element!

Here's Heather's haul.

Loree's lovelies are to the left of the stylish purse while Alison's acquisitions are to the right.

Peter's plants.  I'm very excited about the one to the far right.  It's a hardy variegated yucca but resembles a much less hardy cordyline.  Totally cool!

Time to pack up

And ease on down the road to our next adventure.

I'm pretty sure that Cistus will be on the fling itinerary.  Can't wait!