Farwest 2013

The Farwest Show is an annual tradeshow put on by the Oregon Association of Nurseries. This is my 5th year at the show, and while I was thrilled to see many an engaged nursery owner taking plant orders (and lots of traffic all three days), the general feel I got at the show was everyone is playing it safe. I saw far less borderline hardy plants than in previous years and fewer succulents too.

However as is usually the case with these horticultural events it wasn’t so much the conference itself that I enjoyed (although walking around looking at plants and plant related products is never a bad thing) but the people who converge on Portland during the event. There are parties and impromptu gatherings, new people to meet and old connections to be revisited.

This year I had the pleasure of attending a couple of the morning seminars, the first was HortiCULTURE: The Gardening Revolution, by Kelly D. Norris. So many things clicked for me while listening to Kelly speak about the importance of gardening and finding the culture in horticulture. He was saying things out loud that I’d been thinking, if you have the chance to hear Kelly speak I urge you to go. Also, I’ll be on the lookout for his next book, tentatively titled Dig This: Stylish Gardening with Kickass Plants (damn I wish I would have thought of that title!!!).

The second seminar was Plantufacturing: How New Plants are Selected and Launched with Kelly again and the addition of Dan Heims. Near the beginning of the talk Dan shared his concept of the Botanical Clock (no, not to be confused with the biological clock), comparing the way plants go in and out of favor to times on the clock. At their height of popularity plants would be at 12:00 (Dan didn’t share if this was am or pm) and then they steadily fall down, down, down, until they bottom out (6:00) and then start to work their way back up to popularity again. Perhaps succulents are nearing 4:00? And in case you’re wondering Dan feels begonias are about to become very very big.

One of the displays I'm always sure to visit is the “New Varieties Showcase”…

If you’re interested in round up of all the entries click here, and if you’re curious Wild Swan™ Anemone won top honors in the showcase (no, I didn’t even take a photo of it!). Personally I was a big fan of the burlap tree, very Wizard of Oz...

Here’s what else I found interesting…

Liriodendron tulipifera 'Little Volunteer,’ a smaller version of the tulip tree, what’s not yo love about that?

This Brugmansia 'Little Angel' was gorgeous! ("Full-size white pendulous blooms on a compact plant make it well suited for containers"...says the marketing materials)

But really how could any of them compete when there was a Schefflera in their midst? Schefflera delavayi…

How exciting right? This should mean this much sought after plant will have better availability next year in the nursery biz (at least at those nurseries which order from T & L Nursery, the source for this plant in the showcase).

After voting for my favorites (we don’t yet know what the “people’s choice” award winner is…but you know what I voted for) I wandered and looked for things that caught my eye. This hybrid Gomphrena ‘Pink Zazzle’ certainly did that. Click here for much better photos and a plant profile from Hank, the Plant Provocateur (whom I had the pleasure of meeting during the SF Garden Bloggers Fling).

As did this Rhamnus frangula ‘Asplenifolia’ (Fernleaf Buckthorn)…

Did you think that dark leafed number (below) was a small phormium? I did too. Nope…Crinum x Purple Dream…

Of course I fell for its foliage but a little online hunting shows the flowers aren’t bad either. Here’s a photo and write up from that Kelly Norris character I mentioned earlier.

Another quasi phormium look-a-like! Dianella prunina Rainbow Twist…

I bought a tiny (4” container, maybe 3” tall) one from Garden World last spring but these were huge!

I fear I won’t be able to resist the pull of a cloud pruned conifer for much longer. I love them so…(I know I shouldn't, but I do!)

Oh and I LOVE this. It’s a hardy version of the dragon tree (Dracaena draco), if you don’t look too close! Okay, actually a Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris).

I’m also drawn to the ornamental peach (Prunus persica 'Bonfire'), but oddly not the saguaro arborvitae.

Taiwanese Parasol Tree (Trochodendron aralioides) from Monrovia (above the Melianthus)…

Interestingly their booth only had one little Schefflera in it!

So even though this isn’t really a buying show (sure lots of orders are placed, but it’s not set up for retail monetary exchanges) I managed to purchase a couple of things. First at the Flora & Fauna booksellers booth.

The owner David is a (welcome) institution at the OAN shows, both Farwest and the Yard, Garden & Patio Show in the spring. Sadly I’ve never visited his store in Seattle but hope to make it there someday. He brought several boxes of used books this time around and I grabbed a handful.

The decorative one without it’s dust jacket is Garrett Eckbo’s Art of Home Landscaping published in 1956. When was the last time you saw one of these?

Of course there were a few plant purchases as well. If you’ve got cash in hand and are present when the show closes on Saturday you just might be able to walk away with a couple of treasures...

Mine included two of those Crinum x Purple Dream and a pair of the Dianella from Hines Growers, plus one of the Schefflera delavayi from the New Varieties Showcase (T & L Nurseries). No I didn’t “need” and another S. delavayi but it was an amazing (AMAZING) deal that I just couldn’t pass up. Surely you understand?

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

Fine Foliage, for Foliage Follow-up…

Over the last few weeks I’ve taken quite a few photos of this Grevillea victoriae 'Murray Queen' intending to post about it for a “favorite plant of the week” feature, however something a little louder kept stealing the show. Funny thing though, my eye keeps being drawn to it…

Perhaps even more compelling is this Magnolia laevifolia 'Snowbird' I could stare at it for hours, just like this…no bloom (although the blooms are pretty sweet).

Of course you see what they have in common; it’s the combination of green foliage and orangey brown bud that gets me, I’m drawn like a moth to flame. I think that’s why I find the mahogany bark on Arctostaphylos is so appealing, the green/brown combo again.

Or the dark red new growth on Mahonia gracilipes…

And why Phormium ‘Tom Thumb’ will always be my favorite small Phormium.

But of course Mother Nature makes it easy when great color combos occur naturally, on the same plant. It’s a little more challenging when you’ve got a wealth of different plants, all ones you love, to know which ones will harmonize and create a spectacular combination. Do you go for contrast, or tones that blend? What about texture, or mixing variegation? We can all use a little help from the experts, and that’s where the new book Fine Foliage by Karen Chapman and Christina Salwitz comes in...

Reading it was a treat. Here are two ladies (three if you count the photographer) who spent months dreaming up foliage groupings, naming them, and then braking down the elements to tell us why they feel each combo works. Now I’ll admit personally there were a few too many Heucheras for me (I still don’t care for them), but even I could see beyond that and understand the particular feature that plant brought to each collection. Now for my favorite image from the book…

photo by Karen Chapman courtesy of St. Lynn’s Press

Isn’t that gorgeous? Not only is it green and orangey but it’s fuzzy too! The big leaf is Rhodoendron pachysanthum and the grass is Carex testacea. What to see more fabulous foliage? Today is "foliage follow-up" hosted by Pam Penick at her blog Digging, if you visit you'll see a list of other bloggers participating in the event. Let’s look at that photo again, because I’m in love…

photo by Karen Chapman courtesy of St. Lynn’s Press

(I received a complementary review copy of Fine Foliage from St Lynn’s Press, however was under no obligation to write about it.)

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

And the winner is…

There were 119 eligible comments (comments from England, Scotland and Canada as well as a couple from me were taken out) on my Lawn Gone! book party post. I used random.org to generate a random number between 1 and 119 and "ExoticGardeningFarms" from Marion, Indiana, is the winner of the $50 gift card from Plant Delights Nursery...congratulations! I'll email you shortly.

Thank you to everyone who commented I really enjoyed reading about all of your efforts to downsize (or get rid of) your lawns! And thank you to Pam for inviting me to be a part of your book party.

More garden, less lawn…it’s a Lawn Gone book party!

We never really discussed the matter, but both my husband and I knew one of the first projects we’d tackle after buying our home in 2005 was the removal of the front lawn. What a waste of space…

Our house before it was ours, May of 2005

Since we moved at the end of June, and that first summer was pretty crazy just getting settled, we didn't act until the rains let up the following spring. Come a dry day in March every bit of the sod was removed, including the parking strip. I’ll admit that once it was done and I stood there looking at all that empty space I was a little intimidated, so much possibility…of course the plant lover in me was also very excited.

Lawn gone! March 2006

Front lawns are such an automatic default, even in “anything goes” Portland, Oregon, where nobody thinks it the slightest bit strange to see a front yard vegetable garden. Of course all that turf is allowed to go dormant in our dry summers, hence the descriptor “Portland Gold.” It’s so depressing to go for a walk on a lovely summer day and see blocks and blocks of crispy turf. I can quickly get myself all worked up thinking “Why don’t they want more? Why are they content with ugly dead grass?” But then I think back to how overwhelming it was for me, faced with that big public opportunity to fail, and it’s no wonder most people stick with the “easiest” answer…lawn. Which is why I wish I could place a copy of Pam Penick’s book “Lawn Gone! Low-maintenance, Sustainable, Attractive Alternatives for Your Yard” in every one of my neighbors hands, she breaks the process down and gives the reader everything they need to know to be successful.

Our "lawn free" front yard, July of 2012

If you read Pam’s blog Digging you already know how approachable her writing style is, you feel like you’re reading a letter from an old friend; thankfully that voice carries through to her book. Plus having torn up a couple of her own lawns, as well as a few in gardens she designs for her clients, Pam really knows what she’s talking about. If she doesn't, like when it comes to recommending plants for parts of the country she’s not familiar with, then she seeks out the advice of others.

The book is broken into three sections, in “Part One: Beyond the Lawn” she explores the possibilities of a lawn free yard and gives you alternatives for all that empty space. She also uses her design experience to point out important elements like paths and seating options. Part two “Out with the Grass, In with a Garden” looks at the facts…pros, cons and how-to’s as well as the important considerations of installing hardscape and planting preparation. In “Part Three: The Politics, Health and Safety of Going Lawnless” she deals with all sorts of practicalities I didn't even have to consider when we tackled our project like HOA’s (homeowner associations), city codes and yes, even the dreaded skeptical neighbors. At the end of the book she wraps it all up with regional plant recommendations and resources complete with an additional reading list.

I think I’m most appreciative that Pam isn't adamant about getting rid of every bit of lawn, she recognizes there is a place for a smaller patch of turf and writes about that in Chapter 7 “Downsizing the Lawn.” I've had many people scoff at the fact I still have bit of lawn in my back garden but I love that little patch of green, it serves a purpose as Pam points out when she writes...“In such a jam-packed plant lover’s garden as this, a simple patch of lawn can be an asset in setting off the varying textures and colors of surrounding beds.”

Our back garden, spring of 2013

Which brings me to something I’m admittedly pretty proud of; Pam included photos of my garden and patio in her book! When she visited back in July of 2011 she snapped several photos which turned up on her blog, and now in her book…it’s enough to make a gardener blush!

Okay so enough of my rambling about Pam’s fabulous book (check out her book page for more), what about that party I mentioned in the title? Well in true Pam fashion she’s making her book party all about giving to others…there are 7 amazing giveaways, all with cool lawn alternative themed prizes! I am beyond thrilled to be celebrating with Pam by giving away a $50 gift card from Plant Delights Nursery! Ya…you read that right fifty bucks to spend at Plant Delights…

“a mail-order nursery that’s a plant lover’s dream. Since 1988, Plant Delights Nursery has been the choice of serious gardeners and plant collectors looking for the best and rarest perennial plants. They have an enticing selection of groundcovers, ornamental grasses, and small perennials, all of which make excellent substitutes for lawn grass.”

Photo credit: Plant Delights. A new 2013 offering is Carex oshimensis 'Everillo'

Just leave a comment below before 11:59 pm Pacific Time on Sunday, March 10 be entered to win, I’ll announce the winner on Monday, March 11. Because of mailing issues you must reside in the continental U.S. to enter. Of course all comments will be entered but I’d love to hear about your lawn…are you thinking of replacing it? Already have? What did your neighbors say?

Oh and what else can you win? Here’s the list (visit these blogs and comment for a chance to win)…

• Meems at Hoe & Shovel is giving away a cool Moss Rock in a medium/Cobble size and Toadstool color.
• Rebecca Sweet of Gossip in the Garden is giving away a 5-lb. bag of Eco-Lawn seed, from Wildflower Farm in Ontario, Canada.
• Dee Nash at Red Dirt Ramblings is giving away a fantastic tool package from CobraHead: a CobraHead Weeder and Cultivator, a CobraHead Long Handle Weeder and Cultivator, and a set of 15 BioMarker weatherproof plant markers.
• Genevieve Schmidt at North Coast Gardening is giving away a $50 gift certificate to none other than Annie’s Annuals!
• Benjamin Vogt at The Deep Middle is giving away a 5-lb. bag of No Mow Lawn seed mix from Prairie Nursery.
• At Digging, Pam herself is giving away "the only patch of lawn you may ever need" – a tongue-in-cheek, 13x13-inch “grass” pillow from Potted in L.A. (you know, the circle pot people!)

Good luck, I can’t wait to find out who wins, and if you're thinking about getting rid of your lawn I really believe you'll find Lawn Gone! to be a valuable resource! (oh and the legal bit: I received a complementary copy of Pam's book for review purposes)

Roots, literal and otherwise...

Several of the succulent cuttings I took last fall have developed air roots.

There is something a little unnerving about them, kind of like old man ear hairs (I know…and yes, I’m sorry).

As January progresses I've been thinking about Spring Fever, one of my favorite essays from The Roots of My Obsession. It was written by William Cullina and this particular passage I can’t seem to forget:

“In truth my gardening life would be greatly diminished without winter. The blanket of snow puts the tangible parts of gardening out of sight and out of mind, so when spring comes, it is the very first spring. Without winter, there would be no end–and no beginning. Last year’s season would trail on into this like a dull conversation filtering in from the room next door and preventing me from sleep. Still, I can’t wait for spring.”

“Without winter there would be no end–and no beginning” makes me wonder…what would it be like to garden with no end and no beginning? Would I love it? I think I would, but until you experience something for yourself how do you really know?

I also got a little lost in this comment from Tom on a recent Alternative Eden post by Mark and Gaz…

“Sometimes I really hate the winter but then I realize it's a blessing in disguise. Every time I visit a tropical climate in the winter everyone’s gardens look tired and unkempt, probably because they're just tired of gardening. At least here we have a forced break from gardening which allows us to be excited about it all over again. I think having a spring time where EVERYTHING is fresh and new again is also really helpful, I imagine living in a climate where everything is growing all the time there really wouldn't be any one single time where everything is fresh and new.”

Imagine…

Decorative Cacti, the book

I picked up Decorative Cacti in Tucson in 2011. It’s an oldie, published in 1973 by Spring Books and printed in Czechoslovakia, Olga Kuthanová is listed as the translator of text by Rudolk Šubik. The book begins with a 17 page introduction to growing cacti and succulents followed by a section with over 100 pages of full page color illustrations with lengthy plant descriptions on the facing pages.

The illustrations are done by Jiřina Kaplická who has quite the botanical illustration resume; these are why I bought the book.

Opuntia microdasys

And here’s where I’ll lose several of you…I’ve taken the book apart. I know, to some that’s a high crime, but I wanted to frame a few of the illustrations (they fit an 8 x 10” frame perfectly). They really are quite lovely…

Agave victoriae reginae

Aloe concinna

Aloe variegata

I paid $7.50, although there is an ancient Kmart price tag on the inner flap for $2.87 and a new copy will run you over $300 on Amazon, seriously (I pity the fool…). Luckily there are several used copies available for $.01 (+ $3.99 shipping), if you’re in the market for some inexpensive botanical illustrations of cacti and succulents this seems like the perfect source.

Euphorbia grandicornis

Since I’ve got another 50 plates with no plans for them I’m looking for ideas…anyone really creative out there? What would you do with these illustrations?

Euphorbia obesa