On second thought…

As it turned out my concern was unfounded, Andrew willingly agreed to the laborious chore of digging out the Sasa bamboo. All he asked was that I cut back the culms first, so he had easy access to the soil and roots. No problem! As I chopped I noticed all the new growth.

Twenty-five new shoots!

And those big leaves, they sure are pretty…

Then I got to looking at the patterns on the culms as I cut them down, and I remembered Mark and Gaz commenting about the striped effect this bamboo is known for…

And then I looked even closer…wow! Beautiful…

So my friends this is the story of how I had a change of heart and the bamboo will be given a second chance. I really had no intention of keeping it, as evidenced by my purchasing the replacement plant already! I figure by the time we're regularly occupying the patio those new shoots will have grown up and there will be leaves...

Now I have a nice 5-gallon Ceanothus ‘Dark Star’ that I need to find a place for...

All material © 2009-2013 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

Garden World, finally

I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve driven past Garden World on I-5 about 30 miles south of Portland. It’s one of those unfortunate locations that you can see from the Interstate but there is no easy way to get to. That meant in order for me to finally visit it needed to be a destination.

Remember how I was leaning towards a Ceanothus ‘Dark Star’ to replace the U.G.L.Y. bamboo? I was very tempted by many of the other suggestions, especially Garrya elliptica, but in the end decided to go with the ceanothus and bump it up a bit with a couple of purple leafed Ricinus communis in the same container for the first summer (thanks Deanne for that idea). As it happens Garden World has a handy online inventory system, so I knew they had a 5-gallon of said plant for only $23.95, looks like I had a reason to make the trip (and it's really not that hard to get to after all)...

I picked a great day to visit, my drive down was sunny but as I pulled into the parking lot the sky got dark and everything became a little mysterious, which of course made this huge Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar even creepier!

Then the sky opened and the downpour started. I ran for a covered greenhouse.

If you’ve ever been in a greenhouse when it’s raining then you’re familiar with how the sound is magnified. Even gentle raindrop makes a powerful thud.

Luckily I had plenty to look at undercover.

Agave 'Mateo' was on that cart of new arrivals...

And a couple of old stock agaves were 50% off!

This beauty was new to me, Dianella prunina Rainbow Twist...

Naturally I had to buy one.

Phormium...I was tempted, but no.

Beautiful!

For only $130 this huge (20 gallon) Gunnera could be yours!

Eventually the rain let up so I ventured out from under cover...

I like the metal work, but not as a $700 arbor.

Pediestals built from comon cement blocks, I like it.

Cunninghamia lanceolata 'Glauca'

Moss on Blue Atlas Cedar!

This place is huge...

Kerria japonica 'Pleniflora'

Finally it was time to track down what I came for!

This one looks suitably deformed to join my garden of misfits, what is that? A handle?

There was a gorgeous Poncirus trifoliata up by the cash-stand.

And more half price agaves, but I passed on the spikes*.

I've got my Ceanothus...and I couldn't be happier!

(*okay I lie...I'm regretting not buying every single one of those half price agaves, what was I thinking???)

All material © 2009-2013 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

The Santa Barbara Botanical Garden

At least I can’t be accused of rushing things; here I am in September finally posting pictures from our visit to the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden back in May.

We didn’t plan to visit the SBBG, and had I known we would find ourselves with a free day in Santa Barbara I would have schemed another visit to Lotusland (just 5 miles away from the SBBG). However it was Memorial Day and Lotusland does require reservations in advance, and after all there is something to be said for branching out and visiting new places! So we set out for the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden…

The most important thing for you to know is the SBBG has an emphasis on California native plants. As a lover of most everything Californian this sounded like a good thing, however some in my party weren’t so impressed, comparing our outing to a walk we could have taken anywhere. Just warning you…

Agave shawii, beautiful! There were many more of these along the path so don’t worry I’ve got a couple more pictures to share.

There was a nursery right near the gift shop; we took a peek in there before beginning our treck. So many good things...

I really wanted to bring home one of these Nolina parryi, and I should have. Hindsight is so much clearer...

We started out  in the Desert Section: “This section features species that thrive in California’s coastal or interior desert regions, such as California fan palm (Washingtonia filifera), the only palm tree native to the state”... (from their brochure).

I don’t know for sure but I’m guessing these are Agave celsii…

Opuntia oricola, Chaparral Prickly pear. It's kind of amazing how the green pads are growing out of what looks to be dead wood.

I can’t help it, I love these signs telling you what plants have been used for over the years. I still hope to try some Yucca soap or shampoo someday.

Here are the other Agave shawii I promised you…

That Nolina parryi I should have bought, planted out.

Yucca brevifolia, better known as the Joshua Tree.

Epipactis gigantea (Stream Orchid)

Arctostaphylos glauca (Bigberry Manzanita). At the end of the garden there was an entire section devoted to Manzanitas, but I found the most interesting specimens (like this one) dotted throughout the garden.

Look at that bright green new growth! (I believe it's a Sequoia)

Andrew found this adorable little caterpillar…

Now we come to the Dudleya Collection, I had no idea how beautiful these plants are! Why are they called “Live-forever?” because they are extremely long lived plants and with the right care can live to be 100 years old. “Dudleya is a genus of succulent perennials, consisting of about 45 species in southwest North America. Many plants in the Dudleya genus were formerly classified as Echeveria… The genus is named after William Russell Dudley, the first head of the botany department at Stanford University. In horticulture, Dudleya should be planted at an angle. This allows accumulated water to drain from the nestlike center of the plant, thus preventing microbial decay” (source).

Dudleya abramsii, San Luis Obispo Live-forever

Dudleya viscida, Sticky Live-forever

Not a Dudleya but very cool…Coreopsis gigantea

Dudleya albiflora, White-flowered Live-forever

Dudleya cultrata

Aesculus californica (California Buckeye)

And the flowers…

In the Meadow Section…Solidago canadensis ssp. elongata (Canada Goldenrod)

And Eriogonum giganteum (St. Catherine's Lace)

Next we walked over to the Ceanothus Section; however since we were there after they’d finished blooming they weren’t terribly prominent. However the blooming Yuccas were…

Yucca whipplei

A Fremontodendron

Anyone able to identify this ground cover?

Arctostaphylos glauca x 'Canyon Blush' (Canyon Blush Manzanita)

And some late blooming Ceanothus behind the Poppies…

I think Andrew was was practicing his Pinocchio impersonation...

Here’s what it looks like to stare up into a massive group of Yucca flowers…

And the tiny plant producing such a monster…

With that our visit comes to an end, hope you enjoyed it! In my book Santa Barbara is a plant mecca, and I enjoyed visiting the SBBG where it isn't all glitz and glam but rather lots and lots of hardworking native plants.