Schefflera-land, all planted up…

When last I posted about Schefflera-land it had just earned the name after having been planted up with both S. delavayi and S. taiwaniana. Since then I’ve been busy adding to the plantings and I’m happy to say things are filling in nicely…

My only frustration is the plants on either end are so much larger than those in the middle, having been in place long before the hydrangea was removed. Hopefully the new hostas and ferns will catch up (maybe next season?) and the prized Schefflera delavayi will attain its rightful status as king of the border sooner rather than later. The S. taiwaniana has a couple of years on it though...

You might remember when the hydrangea was first removed I was unhappy with the fact I could see all the way to the patio from the backdoor and entrance to the garden. It's not quite so bad anymore…

Of course the fact that Clifford (the Magnolia macrophylla) has leafed out helps too.

Here’s a close up look at the entire planting border starting at the east side as you enter the garden and walking towards the patio. I’ll try to name as many plants as possible. (L-R) Fatsia polycarpa ‘Needhams’s Lace,’ Solomon’s Seal working its way through Disporum cantoniense 'Night Heron,' a couple of hostas whose names I don't know, and up against the garage and rusted metal trellis is the Schefflera delavayi (S. taiwaniana peeking through on the far right).

I love the blue hostas! Unfortuantely so do the slugs and other critters.

The S. delavayi has pushed out several new leaves…

Notice the leaf stems of the older growth have turned red. I love the way this looks and it never occurred to me that it could be a problem until just now when I tried to find the proper plant term for the leaf stems. I found several cannabis forums addressing red leaf stems and evidently it’s a sign of nutrient deficiency. Anyone care to share their thoughts on the red stems, should I be concerned??

I’m very happy with the placement of the Impatiens omeiana peeking out from under the Schefflera.

There are also a few Alchemilla mollis tucked in here and there. These were divisions from my mom’s plant. I wonder did the small hosta come from her garden or somehow from mine?

Here’s the middle, where the smaller plants start; Rodgersia ‘Bronze Peacock,' next to it a painted fern (Athyrium niponicum, not sure which one), planted at the base of the trellis and just starting to grow up is a 'Cardinal Climber' Ipomoea multifida, and Epimedium wushanense in the lower center of the photo.

That same area but with the camera pulled back a bit.

I repeated the Rodgersia (here it’s R. podophylla ‘Bronze Form’) and painted fern combo a few times.

I moved my (long abused) Metapanax delavayi here where it can finally get a little more light and be better appreciated, lots of new bright green growth!

At its feet another Rodgersia ‘Bronze Peacock’ with Pyrrosia hastata (on the left).

In the middle between the two trellis are a Disporopsis pernyi fronted by Ligularia 'Osiris Cafe Noir.'

Paris polyphylla (Heronswood form), which was a gift from a garden visitor last summer (thank you Sutter!), it's come back even bigger this year...

The far west side of this border is made up of established plants, with the exception of a few hosta and a couple painted ferns…

...and this Peltoboykinia watanabei which is tucked in at the base of one of the trellis.

I hope I don’t fall out of love with painted ferns anytime soon. As you can see I included quite a few of them.

I also found room for a few more Adiantum venustum (Himalayan Maidenhair Fern).

Established hostas (I don’t know why but I’ve never managed to hang onto their tags and learn their names), Podophyllum peltatum, and Syneilesis aconitifolia.

And finally a shot of the Clematis tibetana var. vernayi on one of the trellis.

Make that two shots, that last one was kind of hard to see.

I hope you enjoyed your visit to Schefflera-land! (which I probably should be calling Araliaceae-land with the Metapanax delavayi and Fatsia polycarpa in there too but that just doesn’t have the same ring does it?) I can honestly say I don’t miss that hydrangea one bit…

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

The Pacific Connections Garden at the Washington Park Arboretum...

Last Sunday I found myself with an extra hour or so in Seattle before I needed to be on I-5 headed back towards Portland. I remembered the teaser look I took last February at the Gateway to Chile Garden and then the sad news that the garden had been hit by vandals. I decided to see how it's looking now...

The Puya are bigger!

And the Gunnera are looking good, but I'm pretty sure some palms are missing. It's hard to tell for sure because when I previously visited they were all bundled up for winter (some under little houses). Perhaps the vandals did so much damage some didn't make it?

This is the same pair from my opening picture, just taken from the other side.

I wonder what this was?

A different palm and puzzle pair this time...

Here's a rendering of what this corner could look like someday...(Rendering by Mike Kowalski, image provided to the UW website (where I borrowed it from) courtesy of The Berger Partnership).

Having fully surveyed this part of the garden I decided to venture on and see what was just over the hill. True to my typical way of doing things I approached the Pacific Connections Garden backwards. Since I didn't even know it was there how was I to know which direction to go? (a little signage at the bottom of the path would have been appreciated)  As to show you the garden as it should be seen I'm starting your tour where mine ended. Confused? Me too.

From their website: "Wouldn't it be great if you could travel through Cascadia, Australia, China, Chile and New Zealand all in one day? In the Washington Park Arboretum's Pacific Connections Garden, you can! In this garden, you will find amazing plants from five countries connected by the Pacific Ocean...The Pacific Connections Garden gives you the world along a walking path. To learn more about featured plants and climates, visit the Elisabeth C. Miller Library at the Center for Urban Horticulture."

Sounds pretty cool! They seem to be just getting started, this area is very much still under construction, but visit worthy just the same.

The dusty blue of the Eucalyptus leaves contrasted nicely with the fall colors all around me.

I had no idea my morning would take me from Australia to New Zealand all without leaving Seattle!

I do love me some Astelia...

Can you tell the New Zealand section was my favorite?

See...lots of construction going on.

For you bamboo lovers out there...

This was just single lonely bloom...

There were educational signs under this structure...

Backed by these lovely metal leaf cut-outs.

Even the drain covers matched the theme!

Cardiocrinum giganteum seed heads...

And the path winds on...

to Chile!

And finally home again...

This image takes me back to the camping trips of my childhood...the shapes, the colors, just as I remember them. See that fern in the front? On our trips to the Olympic Peninsula my mom was always sure to have a shovel in the trunk, for fern emergencies you know...

That blue conifer is just begging for a little decorating come Christmastime.

The Cascadia section is quite large and in fact leads back down to where this journey began in the "Gateway to Chile" garden.

And so ends our visit. Luckily I had a little time left so I explored Seattle's Japanese Garden next. Those photos will be up sometime next week for your viewing pleasure!

(*I've been struggling with whether or not to say something here on the blog about the disaster on the East Coast. I've appreciated reading others thoughts and concerns on the matter but not really known what I wanted to say, and thus not saying anything. However I just read a post on the Obsessive Neurotic Gardener that I wanted to share with you all*)