Another House and Garden in Joyce's Neighborhood

On the same walk during which we discovered Joyce's garden, we came across this cool home that reminded us a bit of the Munster's house.

I don't recall the Munster garden being so colorful though.  Of course, it was a black and white show...

A tall shrubbery prevents a public view of the garden inside. 

Not being brave enough to knock on the door and ask to see the inside garden, I just snapped a few shots from the sidewalk.

 O.K. I may have gone up a couple of steps to get these shots of some of the beds overflowing with Dahlias (roses beyond.)

Out in the side parking strip, a good sized apple tree was heavy with this attractive fruit. 

The side of the house is equally interesting.  Because of the big porch on this side,we wondered if this was originally the front of the house, the original house being exclusively this part.  Often houses were built and in subsequent years, additional parts would be added.  Although, it's a bit unusual to have a chimney on the front of a house and side porches were also common.  If you scroll back up, it's entirely possible that the current front entrance, turret, and the rest of the house were a later addition. Maybe not.

Love the sempervivum on th sides of the concrete steps.  I'm trying to get mine to do this but the soil there is very poor, in blazing sun, and gets very little water.  Maybe I'll try small agaves instead.

Must stalk walk by this garden again to maybe be invited to  see more!

Wednesday Vignette/ Flowers of Farewell

Wednesday Vignette is hosted by the talented, creative, and all around great person, Anna, at Flutter and Hum.

During our visit to Henry Hardware in Kingston, I was struck with the great plant combinations that Debbie Teashon put together.  Here are three of them offered as a goodbye to our dear Stryder who died in my arms last night.  Born in November, Stryder would have been thirteen soon. These autumn blooms are, therefore, a fitting farewell for our pal who entered and exited (almost) in this season of change.

The Carex foliage above reminds me of his copious long fur.

He had both a sweet side, displayed almost exclusively to me, and a prickly personality with everyone else.

Just as the blooms we appreciate are fleeting, so too are the lives of our companion animals.  It's sad to see them go but that's what makes their time with us so very dear.  Today, appreciate your blooms and if you're lucky enough to have been chosen by a pet, give him/her an extra bit of love won't you?

Warm summer sun, shine kindly here.

Warm southern wind, blow softly here,

Green sod above, lie light,lie light.

Good night, dear Heart, Good night, good night.

-Mark Twain

Reminds me that now I'll have to set an alarm as he won't be waking me up every morning at 5:30 by licking my eyes.

Music, when soft voices die, 

Vibrates in the memory; 

Odours, when sweet violets sicken,

Live within the sense they quicken.

Rose leaves, when the rose is dead,

Are heap’d for the beloved’s bed;

And so thy thoughts when thou are gone,

Love itself shall slumber on.

                                                                                     -Percy Bysshe Shelley

Some New Plants From Our Last Hurrah of the Season

On Saturday, Alison (Bonnie Lassie) and I drove out to Kitsap County for our last plant hunting spree of the summer.  We hit Valley Nursery where we both bought some spring-flowering bulbs.  I didn't place a bulb order this year so it was nice to find everything that I was going to order right there at the nursery. Next up was the last Heronswood sale of the season, lunch with our friend Debbie Teashon and plant shopping at Henry Hardware in Kingston where she is the manager of the garden department, and then off to Sundquist Nursery's fall open.  Here are some of the plants that came home with me:

Vitis vinifera 'Purpurea'  which doesn't often have ripe fruit in our climate.  This one came from Dancing Oaks in Oregon which is quit a bit hotter than we are so maybe that's why it has grapes.  The foliage color alone is worth growing this plant but the little clusters of grapes are pretty sweet too!

A few things for fall color.

Colchicum giganteum, one I don't have but see growing around town in older gardens.  The folks at Dancing Oaks got theirs at a yard sale years ago.  A lady had dug a wheelbarrow of them to sell, and they bought them all and have been propagating from those bulbs. I love a plant with a story!

More winter interest from Henry Hardware.  I'm a fan of ornamental kale and cabbage and this oh so curly one was new to me.  Look at the way it holds water droplets.  Great for our moist winters!

A Lonicera (Honeysuckle) the mother plant of which I've admired at Far Reaches Farm.  How could I resist it's fragrance and beauty?   The plant on the right is Alstroemeria isabellana that we picked up for a pal who couldn't come to the sale with us.

Exciting new Cyclamn coum and  hederifolium from Bouquet Banque to add to the collection. 

I usually kill heaths and heathers but this one with three colors in one pot was so pretty that it'll get a spot in a pot for fall.  We'll see what happens after that.

Heuchera 'Fire Alarm' is so red and glows in the sun.  Maybe I'll make an effort to divide it when it gets to looking awful (the reason I don't love heucheras - who needs all that lifting and dividing?)

There were also some great ferns from Sundquist but those will have to wait for a future post. When the patio table and chairs are full of pots (the official plant ghetto/pot holding area is full,) I always wonder where on earth they'll be planted and when I'll get around to planting them all.  This Saturday will be a busy one with continuing to get the greenhouse ready for the fall migration and planting, planting, planting!

Joyce's Garden

The garden assistant a.k.a. he who's painting the house have been going on evening walks.  Since there's scaffolding up around two sides of the house and lots to do in the garden, making use of every bit of daylight left after work has moved our walk time to about ten at night.  Even in the dark, there are interesting things to see, gardens that look interesting that I want to revisit during the day.  The other night, we stopped in front of a house that had a lot of great looking plants and some cool garden art.  As we were chatting about the plants, out popped the gardener.  I apologized for alarming her but she didn't seem worried at all, just glad that we were enjoying her garden.  So, one afternoon after an appointment nearby, I went back to see the garden in the light.  Luckily, Joyce came out again and invited me to see the rest of  her garden. What a pleasure to explore the garden of another plant obsessed person!

Every inch of space is packed with plants!  You can see why, even in the dark, it was obvious that this is the home of a gardener!

Joyce's Parking strip.

Looking toward the front of the house.

Part of the front garden.

They always look so soft but yikes, those glochids are painful.  

So full of color and yet there are a number of winter-interest plants, like the Contorted Filbert (Corylus avellana 'Contorta') as well.

 The mosaic turtle and asters create a beautiful color echo.

We grow many of the same plants.  Joyce is also a fan of Jungle Fever Exotics Nursery and many of her plants and a lot  of her garden art was purchased there.

The butterfly bench is a grand place to sit in the evening to enjoy the intoxicating fragrance of the towering brugmansia behind.

Perhaps you recognize the Buddha on the left. We both got them from Jungle Fever.

One of the late Darlene Allard's (Jungle Fever) mosaic bowling balls.

Joyce's tuberous begonias are huge!

Gorgeous Trachycarpus fortunei.

Is that Yucca 'Margaritaville' next to the castor bean that Joyce started from seed?

Another of Darlene's creations.

Datisca cannabina, False Hemp looking quite happy.

More Allard mosaic work.

The blue foliage of Seseli libanotis (Moon carrot) combines wonderfully with just about any other color!

A kindred spirit, Joyce also likes using mirrors in her garden.

We have the same gunnera water feature from Jungle Fever.

Love the dragonfly!

Layers of texture and color.

Another J.F. find beneath Salvia 'Amisted' 

Fencing made by Joyce and a friend.  Isn't it great?

Clematis seed heads.

Here's our gracious host and fab gardener, Joyce.

Thank you so much for the guided tour of your beautiful garden and for sharing your garden knowledge with me!