Garden Path Traveler
"If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden." Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden
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You Can Grow That!
This is a departure from my normal trip to a garden. Please let me know if you would like me to continue with only the garden trip blogs or if an occasional plant topic is okay. This posting also appears in my other blog at http://gardencenterwriter.com/you-can-grow-that.
A group of fellow garden bloggers, led by C.L. Fornari, came up with a great idea to introduce more people to gardening. The campaign is You Can Grow That! The concept is simple, on the fourth of every month, we're each going to write our own blog to answer a question. The answer will be "You can grow that" followed with an explanation about a favorite plant or group of plants, emphasizing how easy it is to grow that plant. Sssssh, don't tell anyone, but we're going to gradually convert every non-gardener to our own green side!
For my first in this series, I'm presenting one of my all-time favorite plants....Sarcococca!
SWEET BOX MIRACLE
Are you looking for a winter-flowering, wonderfully scented, shade-growing evergreen plant? You can grow that!, so look no further. "Sweet Box," otherwise known as Sarcococca, tops the chart.
Sarcococca solves many landscaping problems. It grows well in difficult places such as under eaves, in entryways, and under other evergreens. The slow growth and clean tidy appearance makes these ideal solution plants. It resists most pests--including deer-- and is available in several heights.
Sarcococca confusa
The Sarcaccocca genus, a member of the Boxwood family, contains several species. Most commonly grown are S. hookerana humilis and S. ruscifolia. Both bloom in the late winter or early spring. Tiny fragrant white flowers hide under the glossy dark-green foliage.
S. hookerana humilis shines as an ideal groundcover. It seldom exceeds 18 inches in height and spreads by underground runners to 8', sometimes more. The fruit is glossy blue-black. The taller species, S. ruscifolia grows to approximately 5 feet tall with a 3-5 foot spread and produces red fruit. Similar in size, S. confusa produces black fruit.
No need to baby this plant! The best growth occurs in soil amended with organic materials such as peat moss or bark, creating a rich well-drained bed. Hardy in zones 7 -10, it survives to zero degrees. They usually do not require additional water unless located in very dry places. A reasonable expectation, I would say.
Sarcococca may be difficult to spell, but very easy to use!
To the Bat Cave, Robin!
What?
Prior to attending the Green Centre tradeshow in Kansas City in January, we visited Bird's Botancials (www.birdsbotanicals.com), the most unusual "nursery" I've ever seen. Literally, it was in a cave! These "caves" remained when mining limestone, rather than using an open pit quarry, was discontinued. Now known as the Interstate Underground Warehouse, it houses a variety of businesses.
Entrance into The Interstate Underground Warehouse Caves
One business taking advantage of the cave's characteristics is Bird's Botanicals. After entering the imposing entrance and driving around (not to mention getting lost!) we finally found ourselves at the door to this underground greenhouse. The artificial lights beckoned us through the gift shop and into the nursery.
I have to hand to it to David Bird, when he chose a nursery location to grow orchids, he really knew what he was doing! The cave stays at a constant 70 degrees all year with a fairly consistent humidity level. By using the overhead lights, he controls the growing season to maximize the conditions for over 100 species and 200 varieties of orchids without heat or cooling bills.
Paphiopedalum
The fragrance of the oncidiums, cattleyas and miltonias was sweet, heady and wonderful to this nose. I doubt I've ever seen so many different colored and types of orchids all blooming at once. The jumble overwhelmed me and I swear my camera took pictures by itself. Alas, I forgot to write the names as the camera was snapping.
David Bird has created many beautiful hybrids, naming them after members of his family. The cave also allows him to experiment with plants, plant miniature gardens in terrariums and create beautiful arrangements. Like most gardeners, he suffers from an acute case of "obsessive compulsive plant acquisition disorder" and collects a number of plant genera. And, like most gardeners, he was very generous by divulging hard-learned secrets. Did you know a Phalaenopsis is likely to bloom again if the flower stalk is cut prior to the last two flowers opening? y
Firebird Moth Orchid Arrangement for Sweet Melissa Fashion Show
David allowed us a sneak peek at his entry to the Sweet Melissa Fashion Show. This beautiful arrangement highlights the Firebird Moth Orchid (Doritaenopsis OX 'Firebird'). Later, it was proudly strutted down the runway. The contrast between the hot pick and purple petals was magnificent and received high accolades from the appreciative audience. Very sexy!
As I emerged from the cave, my brain still swirling with visions of orchids, I couldn't help but think how much nicer Batman and Robin's cave would have been with a few thousand orchids along the walls. To the orchid cave, everyone!
Northwest Flower and Garden Show--A HIT!!!
I've always loved the Northwest Flower and Garden Show. That being said, it was starting to be a bit tired. Last year, no one really knew if there was going to be a show until almost the last minute. The feeling of uncertainty combined with the economy made last year's show feel rather solemn.
BUT, this year? No Way! Things are very different this year! Everything seems fresh and exciting and especially well designed. OK, I confess, I had a sneaky peeky Monday evening while construction continued on many of the display gardens. But I could see them coming together. The designs are fresh,vibrant, and, well, just different!
How's this for a welcome...from a vendor's booth! Try to find this at the Show. You shouldn't have much trouble.
The garden displays outside the exhibition are also quite colorful.
Beautiful bromiliad in central hall
Here is how much of the show looks as it starts to be built:
Remember, the whole show starts with a bare flat floor
Not an easy task to plant on concrete in an exhibition hall...
This is NOT easy!
This lucky dog looks almost real! Wait until you see the display he's in...
Cute dog and pretty flowers...what else?
Volunteers and exhibitors work tirelessly for hours! Everything has to be just right.
No detail is too small
Here is a cool vendor product, a hanging wall succulent.
One succulent surrounded by smaller
A neat conifer and deciduous arrangement in a display garden.
I want this in my new garden!
The natural look is recreated in a different display garden.
This path is at the back of a garden
Be sure to spend time at the small displays. There are so many great ideas, you should remember your camera and a note-pad!
Really cute vignette, what's on the other side of the wall?
This had to be my favorite big item. The "sun" turns and the "rays" are mesmerizing.
This is amazing to watch as it spins around
I know it's not spring outside, so go to the Northwest Flower and Garden Show and pretend. Then when spring does come (it will!) you'll have lots of new ideas for plants, arrangements, and life style. Go...enjoy!
Shore Acres: A Beacon of Lights at Christmas
Here's a story about a piece of land, purchased for $4,000 in 1905. It housed a mansion that burned down and then a bigger replacement mansion, a Roman bath room with a 26x52" swimming pool, prize Holsteins in a dairy farm complex, and it also contained a five-acre formal garden. Planted with exotic plants from around the world brought back on the sailing ship, the garden included a Japanese garden built with a 100-foot lily pond. Hugging the Oregon Coast, the property not only saw crashing storm waves, but also crashing economics.
Now, 106 years later, the mansions are gone as are the cows, swimming pool and many of the plants. However, year around, visitors joyfully make the trek along the Cape Arago Highway (just south of Coos Bay and Highway 101) to enjoy the ocean view, photograph the seasonal blooming periods and watch migrating whales.
Walkway leading to the Observation Building
Amazingly, this little park has a huge following of repeat visitors. The staff of two full-time rangers, five seasonal rangers and an incredible crew of volunteers have, over the years since acquisition by the State of Oregon, created, grown and maintained an impressive botanical garden.
Tulips and other spring bulbs create a riot of color in February and March. Annuals and perennials bedazzle visitors from May through September. More than 600 roses flower from June through September and are followed by dahlias in August through October.
Then, when one would expect the little park to be deserted, 300,000+ L.E.D. lights begin to twinkle. Large "holiday" trees, every planted shrub and tree, and even inanimate objects are festively lit beckoning 40,000 to 50,000 visitors to "Holiday Lights at Shore Acres." It is THE event of the southern coast!
In 1987, a "string of a few lights" along with a decorated Garden House and Christmas tree attracted 9,000 visitors. And the rest, as they say, is history.
"Ay, Cap't, it's a Christmas Ship"
I can't wait to go back next Christmas, eat cookies, drink cider and take in the lights. Me and about a thousand other people... Are you coming, too?
Meat-eating Plants on the Oregon Coast!
The winds swirled ominously...we were pelted by rain... drawn irresistibly to the death scene spread before us. Hundreds of death traps causing the deaths of untold thousands...
OK, I'll never write the great American murder novel, but the scene would be considered gruesome... by an insect!
Let me explain.
A quick Christmas escape to the Oregon Coast found us dodging storms, watching waves and cruising south on Highway 101. We whizzed by a sign...and I yelled, "Whoa!" A U-turn and few moments later, the car nestled into the tiny parking lot of one of Oregon's most unique little parks. It's the only Oregon state park dedicated to the protection of a sole plant species, the Darlingtonia californica, also known as the cobra lily, the individual member of the pitcher plant family (Sarraceniaceae) in Oregon.
Introductory sign at trailhead
The Darlingtonia is found only in specific types of boggy areas that are rich in dissolved minerals but generally lacking in the nutrients required by a plant. These plants have developed an interesting way to compensate for the lack of nutrients in the soil...they "eat" bugs. The picture below describes the plant.
The pitcher plants lure the insects to their slow deaths
It's a short level walk from the parking lot to the site. With the mist and cool temperatures, surrounded by tall conifers slowly dripping raindrops, it was eerily quiet. A dank boggy smell drifted on the intermittent breeze. I felt like I had just entered a primordial forest of eons past...I could tell there was something waiting for me, just around the next curve...
There WAS! a large open area full of insect murdering pitcher plants! Oh, my!
Pitcher plants awaiting their next victims
Although the temperatures had been chilly, the majority of the pitcher plants were standing at attention awaiting their next meals. Approximately 12 to 14 inches tall, a light green color, and appearing very fragile, it was obvious their appearance belies their ability to survive.
Ferns and pitcher plants go together like love and marriage?
I'm in awe of nature and how plants adapt to specific places. This was truly an "otherworldly" place. Visit...and be glad you're not an insect! http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_115.php
An afterthought: I think I now feel like planting a terrarium...I know a nursery that usually has nursery grown pitcher plants for sale....I can create my own little Darlingtonia bog. Care to join me?
The Oddity of Computers
A few minutes ago, I posted about poinsettias at Molbak's Garden and Home Store.
When I received my copy through the e-mail, it looked pretty ugly. However, when I go directly to the website, www.gardenpathtraveler.com, it looks okay.
I hope you received a "nice" copy, but if you didn't, please try the link above. It must be Monday...those silly computers! Thank you.
Euphorbia pulcherrima? I say "poinsettia"
A Christmas trip to Molbak's Garden and Home Store in Woodinville is a colorful poinsettia event.<< MORE >>
A What-ery? A Stumpery!
Well, they were sort of right. In my opinion this form of gardening visually demonstrates beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Apparently, in the 19th century, when fern interest raged, the cutting edge Victorian gardeners paired the ferns with the unusual beauty of an overturned tree stump. With roots waving in the air, the overall effect resembled a wild forest, a sharp contrast to the constraints of that era.
This almost feels primeval, doesn't it?
As all trends do, the stumpery fell out of favor. But, lo and behold, it is back!
In my last posting, I told you of my visit to the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden (RSBG). It was there I became memorized by this strange form of gardening. Checking into the history of this small and unusual garden has been both educational and fascinating. You have to hand it to the Victorians for their passion, zeal and appreciation of nature.
In March of 2009, Liisa Wihman, writer of The Intercontinental Gardener's Blog, visited the RSBG as the stumpery garden was beginning construction. She describes her visit and provides some historical background at http://www.intercontinentalgardener.com/2009/03/stumpery-in-progress.html. Compare her pictures of the site in March of 2009 with mine below.
Overturned log planted with ferns and Rhododendrons
It's pretty amazing how quickly the "native" look returned to the stumps.
This is a newer section of the stumpery.
In case you were wondering...the largest stumpery in the United States in located on Vashon Island! You can bet I've added a visit to that garden to my "to-do" list. In the meantime, I'm hoping for a windstorm so I can begin scoping out fallen trees...
Undiscovered Garden...In Federal Way?
Do you have pet peeves? I do. One is garden articles or blogs that begin with a phrase something like "this undiscovered jewel of a garden..." I mean, really? "Undiscovered?"
However, in spite of that, this posting is about the local Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden (RSBG), operated by the non-profit Rhododendron Species Foundation (RSF), in Federal Way. This undiscovered jewel of a garden has me completely enamored with Rhododendrons. I've always liked Rhododendrons, and have enjoyed my long walks at the Washington Park Arboretum in Seattle. But this bot garden really pushed my enthusiasm button. So much, in fact, that I bought two plants in spite of my saying I wouldn't buy outdoor plants until I had a garden plan!
Begun in 1964 with the lofty goal of conservation and research of Rhododendron species, the Rhododendron Species Foundation established its first garden in Mount Pleasant, Oregon, in 1968. This site was quickly outgrown as more plants were added to the collection. In 1975, the Weyerhaeuser Company leased 24 acres of its corporate campus to the RSF at no cost.
A beautiful hedge of Rhododendrons
The Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden now houses one of the largest collections of rhododendrons and azaleas in the world. Examples of the huge diversity of the species include tall specimen from the Himalayan Mountains and dwarf alpine species from China and Tibet. Over 450 species from North America, Europe, Asia and Australia thrive in the RSBG.
The RSBG is a wonderful spot to visit. It's well laid out with a gazebo in the center providing a wonderful overview of the garden. The Alpine and Pond Gardens are fascinating. But even more so, was the "stumpery." Overturned trees planted with ferns, azaleas, small rhododendrons and other shade plants create a mysterious, almost eerie, thought-provoking atmosphere.
Nevertheless, the rhododendrons are the stars.
Rhododendron williamsianum
My favorite rhododendron was the one above. From China, it slowly grows to a round shrub about 4' tall by 4' wide. I can't wait to see mine when it flowers with rose-pink flowers! The other one I bought was the Rhododendron orbiculare ssp. orbiculare. It's also from China and has a darker more intense pink flower. Supposedly, in ten years it will grow to be a perfectly round 3' mound. However, as the leaves are much larger than the R. williamsianum, I think it will exceed the 3' tall. The tag says, "This is a plant with year-round interest, great for those who don't even like rhododendrons!" How's that for a sales pitch?
Obviously, since I have admitted I bought two, the RSBG sells plants. A varied assortment of many of the species in addition to other plants of the Garden is for sale. A shopper would call the Garden's Gift Shop "a treasure trove of unusual and beautiful items." Classes, rental facilities and special events are offered.
What surprised me was how few people were there. On a nice Saturday afternoon, I counted nine cars in the parking lot. Wouldn't you agree that's close to "undiscovered?"
Obviously, the bees have discovered the RSBG!
Lovin' Life...Slogging Through The West Seattle Garden Tour
It was just past 9:30 AM. A Sunday, but definitely not a sunny day. Just about the worst possible of weather conditions...drizzling, upper 50s, breezy...and the drizzle was turning to light rain. Hats appeared, umbrellas popped open, and collars turned up.
Still, they came. Resolutely marching through the ten sites, designated A through I, the throng held out its books to be stamped. Oohing and aahing...exclamations of "oh, look at this" or "wow, how did they do that?" were the standards, interspersed with "what's this plant?" and "I didn't know this would grow here."
The rain continued to fall and the people kept coming to all ten gardens and the lunch presentation. Yes, the West Seattle Garden Tour proved once again that gardeners are the most intrepid and passionate of addicts. Even those wearing shorts and flops and without hats enjoyed the ten small gardens in spite of the chill and wet.
Small only in size, the ten sites incorporate a variety of color themes, design concepts and current trends. The "Whirligig Garden" includes a rainwater-collecting cistern to provide garden water. Sustainability, container plantings and fruit/vegetable beds were highly evident.
I took so many pictures it was hard to chose the ones you might enjoy the most. But, let's do some visual exploration:
The cistern is located on the northeast side of the house and collects 1350 gallons of water
Espaliered apple in a very unusual shape... Isn't this great?
Cute little combo tucked away between the stones in a rockery
This is an entire landscape in about 20 square feet!
I completely love the color combo...Here's a puzzle...
I'll buy a latte for the person who can give me the scientific name for the "blue plant"
You just have to love the sense of humor!
See you next year at the West Seattle Garden Tour. It's a fundraiser for great causes. You'll see gardening feats you've never seen before. You'll be inspired!
You'll recognize me...I'll be the one in the rain hat!