Wildflower Wednesday Vignette - Elephant Heads

I'm rolling Wildflower Wednesday and Wednesday Vignette into one big ball today!

This is looking north at Long Prairie, on the south side of the Strawberrry Mountain Wilderness. It was SO quiet there, and we were the only people around except one guy who was mending fences a distance away. The meadows were full of flowers, and at the time, I mistakenly thought the beautiful swaths of purple you see here were a species of Blazing Star (Liatris sp.) I didn't get a closeup view, because they were back in the field and I wasn't dressed to go squelching through the wet meadow that day (I'll be better prepared next time!)

But I later learned that Liatris doesn't occur naturally in the west, so I spent some time trying to identify the flowers; I'm pretty sure they are Elephant Heads, Pedicularis groenlandica, so if you think I'm wrong, please let me know in a comment. Take a look at this detail photo of the individual flower I borrowed from Paul Slichter's highly useful site on NW hikes and wildflowers, to see the genesis of the common name.

Pink elephants, even!

Wednesday Vignette is hosted by Anna, at Flutter and Hum, and Wildflower Wednesday is hosted by Gail, at Clay and Limestone. Click on over to see what all the participants have going on for a Wednesday.

Weekend walking to open gardens

I'm training for a nine-day walking vacation I'll be taking in September, so it helps to have a destination to motivate me on longer practice walks. This past weekend, the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon (HPSO) helped me get going with two open gardens that were an excellent distance from my home.

On Saturday, I walked southward along the Willamette River. Destination: almost Sellwood. It was a good opportunity for a full dress rehearsal of my rain gear since rain was predicted nearly all weekend.

On Interstate Avenue, I always admire this commercial planting of privet(?), cistus and lavender; it looks great most of the year. Cistus could be used so much more all over the city, IMHO.

Passing the Rose Quarter, I enjoyed some Rose Festival parade floats and riders queueing for their big moment.

On the Esplanade, the Rose Festival fleet is docked along the waterfront.

Along the way, a man blew enormous, iridescent bubbles, much to the delight of the children -  and a good number of the adults.

Further along, Dragon Boats were practicing for their races.

Portland Opera Company showed their support for Pride Week with a wonderful display of rainbow flags on two sides of the upper terrace.

Finally, I reached Lucy Davenport's Bonsai Akira Nursery and garden. Lucy practices, sells and teaches bonsai using an eclectic group of Northwest nursery stock.

Many of the bonsai were for sale.

The kokedama were lovely.

This bonsai Callistemon nearly came home with me.

Many of the bonsai were in specially made pots by Sherri, a local potter who also had her wares for sale there. I couldn't afford a bonsai, but I did buy a lovely small pot.

On Sunday, I set out in an easterly direction for my second open garden. This walk through Boise, Irvington, Alameda and Roseway was a nice look at some established east-side neighborhoods and gardens. This combo of a flowering Cornus kousa and the Cotinus stopped me in my tracks (apologies for the overexposed image.)

I love it when people "get" the style of their house, and plant accordingly.

This front garden held a collection of curious art made of wood and metal.
A Billy Collins poem. I passed at least four poetry posts on my walk Sunday.

Creative and wonderful stair risers. Someone really had fun here.

Another right-house, right-plants example. I love this simple tropical mix of Tetrapanax, Trachycarpus, Fatsia japonica and black Mondo grass at this mediterranean-style house along Alameda.

I reached Mary DeNoyer's garden after a few hours of walking to discover this delightful welcome as I entered the back garden. I confess I was pretty tired and I didn't explore or photograph the front garden as much as I have on previous visits; I just wanted to sit for a spell.

But I did see these in the front garden as I came through: I have Eremuris envy.

Mary's back garden has gradually become lightly shady, and she has embraced the opportunities beautifully.

Specimen plants are featured nicely, like this intensely-colored dactyhoriza. I took this shot while relaxing in a comfortable chair under Mary's patio cover; I always enjoy sitting and experiencing gardens from the gardener's regular point of view. 

I do love a before-and-after so I went right to Mary's display of early garden pictures. So much has changed.

Multiple container plantings allow her to feature succulents and other small specimens, as well as plants that may need winter protection.

I didn't ask, but I think this small rock garden area at the end of the driveway is newer.

Shade-lovers and a few roses along the driveway.

My Mukdenia rossii is obviously in too much shade because it's not turning this fabulous red along its margins.

 One last shot of the foliage contrasts surrounding the deck. The brugmansia already has a bloom!

I'm so appreciative of the HPSO Open Garden program (just one of many benefits of membership) and I want to thank all the gardeners who open their gardens to members each year. Thank you particularly, Lucy and Mary, for this past weekend's motivational (and inspirational!) walk to, and around, your gardens.

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day - May 2018

What an amazing month! I got back from looking at beautiful Austin, Texas gardens to find my garden had practically exploded with color. I just walked around the whole first day I was back saying "Wow!" and "Look!" and "Wow!" over and over.

Allow me to share some of the "wow" moments with you for Garden Blogger's Bloom Day, as we do a color-wheel look at my blossoms, beginning with red.

Helianthemum 'Henfield Brilliant' is a show this month.

Abutilon megapotamicum has been blooming for months already.

Delosperma 'Firespinner'. I love this happy green groundcover most of the year, but when those fabulous orange and pink blossoms start up in spring - wow!

I bought a packet of California poppies years ago, in a mixture of colors from cream to orange. Guess which color seeds itself every year since?

 The crazy big blossoms of Trachycarpus fortunei.

Sisyrinchium striatum. Commonly called pale yellow-eyed grass, or Satin flower.

Halimiocistus wintonensis 'Merrist Woods Cream'. One of my favorites.

Rosa 'Sally Holmes'

Rosa 'Perle d'Or'. You have now seen my entire collection of two roses.

Lewisia longipetala 'Little Peach'.

Lewisia cotyledon 'Sunset Series'. This is the Lewisia's moment to shine.

Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum 'Sizzling Pink'.

Penstemon davidsonii.

The last few Camellia 'April Kiss' are hanging on into May.

Echium russicum is a happy self-seeder, poking out in front of a Catmint that's bent on world domination.

The silvery foliage of Lupinus sericatus is beautiful with no flowers, so the fun, grape-colored blossoms are a bonus.

The extreme color of Rhododendron 'Ahna Kruske' (with last year's unfortunate foliar notching I think we have successfully addressed now.)

This looks to me like Iris tenax, our lovely native Northwest iris, but I have moved the iris around too many times to be sure. If anyone can confirm or correct, I'd welcome the input.

Penstemon cardwellii responds to warmer, sunny days with a flush of bloom.

Scilla peruviana is hitting its stride.

Iris pallida is another plant I'd grow just for its variegated foliage; the flowers just add to the spring riot of color in the garden.

Ceanothus 'Joan Mirov'

Ceanothus 'Victoria' is still young, but firmly established. I'm looking forward to it working like its predecessor to screen our patio from the sidewalk.

It's already working for some of the garden residents.

On to the white flowers: Pyracantha x 'Mohave' gets fireblight every spring, but for a brief, shining moment, the flowers are lovely.

Saxifraga cotyledon 'Caterhamensis' forms a nice stiff mound with these surprisingly large flowers in spring.

The grassy flowers of Luzula nivea.

All of the volunteer Foxgloves in the Northwest Territory are white this year.

Cistus obtusifolius.

Pretty little  Lewisia columbiana var. rupicola.

That's a lot of flowers for my usually foliage-focused garden, but the lusty month of May will not be denied!

I'm joining with Carol at May Dreams Gardens to celebrate Garden Blogger's Bloom Day. Click over to check out more flowers from all over this month.

Happy Bloom Day!