Blue Fox Garden: fake

Yes it's that time again, time to share a random bunch of disconnected photos, the only thing these have in common is the fact that they caught my eye...

Fake succulents are all the rage, want the look but don't have the light? Can't be bothered to water once a month? Fake succulents are for you. What I don't understand is why they're making them complete with some of the very things we hate to see happen to real plants. Look, it's a "pineappled" fake agave (blurry picture, couldn't do a close-up hence the arrow)...

And here they've poorly trimmed up some unattractive lower foliage Why???

How exciting is this!? Very exciting, at least to me. You all probably knew something like this existed, but I'd never seen it before. A waterproof cover for your patio umbrella!

I've dutifully hauled my canvas umbrella in and out of the garage (or under the shade pavilion) for years whenever rain was in the forecast, I didn't want it to get all dirty and gross. Now I can just slip this baby on and leave it on the patio! Only $7.99 at IKEA and they had a larger size too.

A couple of months ago I shared photos on Facebook of an unfortunate Opuntia massacre (both planters used to be as full as the one in the back). But guess what? Turns out the hacked on cactus gets the last laugh because it's coming back!

Maybe that's what she had in mind when she left the stumps in place? Either way I'm happy.

I was working in the garden one afternoon when I went to pick up a small twig on a leaf.

But then it moved! Turns out it's a stick caterpillar...I may have let out a little scream (just little one).

Last fall I shared photos of my plant lust partner Patricia’s garden, when I called it “The garden where everything grows faster, bigger, and better than mine…” I wasn’t kidding. Parts of it are only a couple of years old but looks so mature. Last Saturday team plant lust met up here for our trip to Rare Plant Research, this was the first chance I’d had to really look around since last fall...

Everything looked so amazing! Here’s the unbelievable part…they’re seriously thinking about moving, could you leave this garden? It would be hard. Very hard.

What would you take? What could you take? What would you leave behind?

All I know is a very lucky new owner is going to inherit a lot of cool plants, if you know someone whose looking for a gorgeous older home in NE Portland here’s your chance to make them very happy, just don’t get any designs on this eryngium cause I can guarantee I’ll be sneaking it out before the paperwork is even filed.

During our recent venture north to Seattle (for the garden show) we stayed at a new-to-us hotel, one that was part of the show sponsored hotel pricing specials (a great deal that I recommend checking out if you go next year). This shallow planted bowl caught my eye as we pulled into the parking lot.

The plantings are fine, nothing to rave or rant about but that planter itself…oh how I would love LOVE to have a trio of those in my front garden. Yes indeed.

Later we parked in the underground garage, just outside the elevator vestibule I spied the saddest little Cast Iron plant ever…

The leaf and two halves looked healthy enough but just a little overwhelmed by the container. Maybe they could've at least planted the poor thing? Or just made it look like they did?