2011 NWF&G Show - the Plants

What's a garden show without plants? However much I love to see the display gardens and hear fascinating speakers, I admit I really go to see (and hopefully buy) the Plants. That's plants with a capital "P", as in the tree Palms that Loree of danger garden observed in her post about the show, was the plant of the year.

Tree palms certainly took center stage in at least five of the gardens I saw, and were featured in others I didn't record.

This is Cyathea Brownii.

Also appearing in several gardens, especially those with a woodsy feel, was Gaultheria procumbens. I love the dark reddish leaves and berries on this prostrate eastern relative of our native salal.

Euphorbia were used in many of the gardens. Here with Carex testacea, is E. 'Ascot Rainbow' .

And Euphorbia 'Blackbird'.

I'm not a big fan of the standard garden, brilliantly-colored rhododendrons. Although I admit I have some in my garden, I'd love to figure out how to change them out for some of the more unusual varieties, especially those whose foliage is the focal point like some of these. 

Rhododendron protistum.

Rhododendron hodgsonii. Aren't those huge leathery leaves just the BEST?!

Rhododendron bureavii, from Northern China.

There were other foliage plants I haven't tried, but that tempt my zone 9-10 wannabe soul.

Schefflera delaveyi.

Eriobotrya japonica (loquat). I actually saw one for sale at Marbotts here in Portland this past weekend. It seemed a bit daring for a "flower-baskets-are-us" kind of nursery, or maybe they really are hardier than I thought.

Palm Leaf Begonia, Begonia luxuriens. Sorry about the dark image, but trust me, it was gorgeous!

The many orchid vendors in the Green Marketplace were well supported in the gardens and by a big display from the  Northwest Orchid Society.

Mazdevallia princeps, above.

This isn't an orchid, but this wonderful pitcher plant was for sale (no, it didn't come home with me.)

Other plants that I focused on:

 A weeping Nootka Cedar, Chameacyparis nootkatensis 'Pendula'.

A gorgeous variegated abutilon.

I was excited when I saw this beautiful heather in one of the  display gardens.

I was thrilled when I spotted it for sale by one of the vendors.

I was crushed when I realized Erica 'Winter Fire' wouldn't make it through even a mild Portland winter in my garden.

So what did I bring home with me?

Melianthus major 'Purple Haze'. The 'Antonow's Blue' cultivar was not available at the show, but after seeing it all over the display gardens, I had to have one Melianthus major... any one.

A cheesecake shot of the fabulous foliage:

Hesperaloe parviflora. Finally I have my Red Yucca! It's funny that I went all the way to Seattle to get a Xera selection that was probably grown right outside of Portland.

From Keeping it Green Nursery, Mahonia gracilipes. This Mahonia from China likes moist, well-drained soil and part shade.

A striking feature of this species is the chalky white indumentum on the underside of its leaves.

I had forgotten I wanted Hosta 'Sum and Substance' until I saw it at the Naylor Creek Nursery booth. It's perfect for my shady front garden.

From those certified plant geeks at Far Reaches Farm, Sue Milliken and Kelly Dodson, I got a Pagoda Primrose, Primula vialii, and one I've been hunting: our native Tiger Lily, Lilium columbianum.

This is the one that got away: Crocosmia 'Culzean Pink'. Is that an amazing color for a crocosmia, or what? But they were sold out of it by Friday. Unfortunately, Far Reaches Farm doesn't yet do mail order, but I see that Joy Creek grows it, too.

Continuing in a pink vein, I twice bought Kniphofia 'Timothy': apparently crazed by Kniphofia lust, I forgot I had managed to buy it Wednesday and I bought it again Friday. Better two than none!

From my favorite Italian seed company, Franchi, I bought seeds for Lacinato kale (Cavolo Lacinato) and Fennel bulb (Finocchio). Just last Friday my Master Gardener class was on seed propagation, so I'm all set for the gardening season!

We interrupt our regularly-scheduled post...

I promised (threatened?) to continue my posting on the Northwest Flower and Garden Show with a report on the plants. But first, an alert for Portland-area gardeners about the Lan Su Chinese Garden's plant sale coming up in just two short weeks on Saturday, March 19.

This sale features plants of Chinese origin, although in my experience there are plenty of others to choose from too. Admission is free and hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Lan Su members can enter at 9 a.m.) Although the lineup of nurseries looks a little different from last year's list, there are some great vendors. I love the opportunity to shop from over 20 high-quality nurseries in one place. Check here for a list of this year's vendors.

Not to mention, Lan Su will give you a two-for-one admission coupon to the garden with each purchase. See you there!

2011 NWF&G Show - the Display Gardens

For most attendees of a garden show, display gardens are a big reason they go. I am definitely in that camp, and I have to say some of the designers outdid themselves this year. For some reason, I was actually prepared to be underwhelmed by the display gardens, but NO!

The several visually lush, but elementally simple gardens were my favorites among the over 20 gardens. I spent a little while talking to Karen Stefonick, the designer of this garden, "A Wrinkle in Time."

We discussed the value of repeating elements to achieve rhythm, and she mentioned that there were only about twenty different plants used in the entire garden.

Karen used a new introduction of Melianthus major 'Antonow's Blue', pairing it with what I'm guessing is Choisya ternata 'Sundance' for a fabulous color contrast.

The simple, geometric shapes of the pavers add to the garden's appeal, while the alternating layout and river rock filler keep it from feeling stiff.

More Melianthus and Choisya, with something purple in there for more contrast.

Aloes, and tree ferns also figured in, with widely diverging textures and striking results.

The front of the garden used golden spike moss and dark purple heuchera for color impact, with some type of low grass for great textural contrast. I also spotted bright green and dark purple colocasias in the pond.

"The Japanese Garden" was designed by the Arboretum Foundation to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Seattle Japanese Garden. I love this kind of serene eastern style. The huge boulders and sea of green mondo grass just drew me in.

This garden appeared to have even fewer than the aforementioned 20 plants, but the designers used their limited plant palette with beautiful results.

I like the use of rounded flat rocks and irregular pavers. It's a very different approach from the first garden, but equally successful.

And now for something completely different: This garden, "Alice's Labyrinth", was over-the-top color and craziness in one place. But it had pink flamingos in it, so how could I hate it?!

The designers even included a white rabbit.

The Alice in Wonderland theme ran riot through the garden. Perhaps this colocasia (c. esculenta 'Black Magic'?) represented spades?

The 'labyrinth" was created from long fabric tunnels filled with something mulchy and pocketed with all kinds of small plants. It was Wooly Pocket on steroids.

If you click on this small picture to enlarge it, you can better appreciate "Stepping Through a Timeless Tranquil Forest" and the scale of this garden with its amazing waterfall. 

Then there were a few little details that caught my eye.

This green glass cattail sculpture was about two feet high and lit from underneath. It was in The Wind in the Willows garden. I'd be happy to have this in my garden.

In another garden, English Daisies and Babies Tears had been carefully tucked into the corners of the steps. The cottage garden isn't really my style, but this garden was so nicely thought out and finished, it was a delight.

Outside an otherwise unremarkable garden (really just raised platforms full of various plants and "walls" hung with white filmy fabric) perched goofy little papier mache birds - some with crowns.

Next up, if you're still with me: 2011 NWF&G Show - the Plants, and what I brought home with me.