Wednesday, August 14, 2013

The Miller Garden, part 2

Yesterday we started our tour of the Miller Garden, located just north of Seattle. Today we continue the adventure starting out in the small parking area and then wandering down towards the Puget Sound.

Any notion I had that this wouldn't be a garden for me was instantly dispelled when I saw this yucca, isn't it hot?

And these sexy Arctostaphylos remains. I believe this was once an A. 'Howard McMinn'...while I certainly don't want any of my Arctostaphylos to pass on it's not so bad to be left with this right?

This stone patio and seating area overlooks the lower garden. We'll start off down the stairs in a minute (just out of frame to the left) but first let's look around the parking area.

Do you spy the Echium (E. pininana I believe) on the left? Front and center is a huge Corokia Cotoneaster...

I wandered away from the group to snap this photo, and then I forgot to inquire what this amazing specimen might be.

Aesculus hippocastanum 'Wisselink'

I thought I'd got the name of this one (on the right) but sadly I didn't. Anybody know?

Quercus pontica with a fabulous trough.

Quercus pontica close-up.

Trough close-up.

Richie Steffen, our guide for the day, had a story about the origin of this magnificent stone container. All I can remember is it came from China.

Adenanthos sericeus (Woolly Bush)! It was blooming with it's teeny tiny little red flowers but I couldn't capture them. Thankfully my plant has since bloomed and I'll be sharing them tomorrow for Garden Bloggers Bloomday.

I think that must be another Adenanthos...

Oh my...instant plant lust! Quercus dentata 'Pinnatifida'...I will find a space for this plant.

I'm thinking maybe where the Privet is now. I need one of these...

The garden even had a small collection of carnivorous plants...

And a Schefflera!

Schefflera delavayi

I believe this is Fokienia hodginsii. Richie didn't touch on it during the tour but I swooned and Fokienia hodginsii is on the handout of memorable plants.

Gotta be Wollemia nobilis

We've made our way down to the overlook. A nice large wooden deck that overlooks the Puget Sound and is filled with a potted plant collection.

What a view...

The blue foliage plant is one I really wish I would have remembered the name of.

Wow...that' a field of rodgersia!

And how I would love a greenhouse like this...wouldn't you?

And what about a propagation area? Nice huh?

Here we caught a glimpse of the neighbors house. Not quite the understated abode which the Miller's called home.

I believe the plant on the right is a heather, but I don't know which one.

So that's that and we're back at the bottom of the steps which lead up to the parking area.

I'm not wanting to leave.

Another Wollemia nobilis?

I could easily get lost here but I don't think we've come back around that far to this must be a second one.

So ends a lovely adventure. I want to again mention my visiting the Miller Garden would have never been possible if not for the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon. If you're anywhere near Portland, Oregon, you really should consider membership. After this July tour just a couple of weeks later (in August) I was able to attend a lecture by Bleddyn and Sue Wynn-Jones of Crug Farm Plants and I've visited multiple open member gardens. Next month I'll be attending a lecture by Fred Weisensee of Dancing Oaks Nursery called "Tropicalismo Lives"...(hardy plants that give a garden that tropical look). Heck I even know of people in California and Washington that are members of the HPSO...it's that good!

All material © 2009-2013 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. If this post appears anywhere but danger garden it has been reposted without permission.

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