I missed bloom day and the foliage frenzy ... but here it is late!

I missed posting on June bloom day and on the June foliage follow-up (or foliage frenzy) as my heart refers to it as. But I thought I would share some of my June happiness a little late in a combined post!

As most of my garden meandering starts in this spot, I thought I would share it first. This is where I go in my garden. The pindo palm was planted almost immediately after my grandfathers death and so it has always meant something special to me. It just so happens to be one of the most sheltered and warm spots in the garden. So I find myself here quite often.

And when the sun shines through this area magic happens. I have my shadow rock in behind the agave and yucca and the beautiful scent of lemon thyme.

And because I promised some bloom in my post...

This "hot tamale" rose is much welcomed. I love the hot colours of red, orange, yellow and pink all on one plant!

Picking up the same colour tones are the blooms on echeveria glauca! I can't get enough of the gorgeous blue rosettes!

In the soon to be blooming and epic foliage category comes my arbequina olive. This thing is loaded with buds!

And just in case you thought I didn't plant any flowers, this side angle of a patio pot shows some nice 'piña colada' lantana and lavender.

And of course palms! This potted canary island date palm is getting big quick!

The trachys are loving this spring. We have had a unique combination of much rain and much sun. I recently hacked back the leccino olive. It was going gangbusters and needed some shaping. The lower branches were so full and heavy that they were drooping down and resting on the earth beneath them.

The schefflera taiwaniana 'yuan shan' is looking really happy right now. I was a bit concerned as throughout spring I had some yellowing to the lower leaves. But It sent out a healthy flush of new growth and seems to be happy as can be. It's even about to flower!

Here you can see the spent flower stalks of this chamaerops humilis.

Moving around to a different angle shows just how big this palm is getting. I always feel conflicted as to whether or not I want to trim back some of the lower fronds and show the trunk off, or if I should let it look full and wild! (Obviously I always side with the full and wild)

This summer is going to be a good one for these bananas. They are huge!!!

The tasmanian tree fern is having a good year! I love seeing the beautiful new foliage emerge. (If you look closely you can see a new frond opening on the right)

My largest phormium is looking particularly happy this year. This one remains potted and probably always will be. It can be moved around and provides a nice screen on the patio. They are idea plants for privacy screens if needed!

And this is a foliage combination I'm quite pleased with... bamboo and loquat! After realizing how quickly my "small" loquat was turning into a loquat tree, I decided to plant it out. The spot has slightly more shade than I would normally plant it in, but the spot is ideal in terms of shelter and space.

Finally, on the subject of foliage, one of my favourite sights is and always will be an illuminated palm frond. I hope you enjoyed my June blooms and foliage! Have an epic Wednesday!!

A wonderfully wonderful tale .... Free agaves!!!

I feel as though my mood has been one of magical tales. And perhaps you will understand my belief in the magic momentarily. But like most of my tales, I believe this one requires a preface - or two. Part one of my preface is more a statement of fact. The fact being: there are very few agaves found in yards around Vancouver. You just don't see it. Preface part two being that my magic tale had a very happy beginning. I had been visiting my dear friend Becca in Vancouver. The mood and feel of the day was set by great company, delicious food, and a beautiful sunset along the beach at English Bay.

That is where my tale begins... Becca and I had just finished a wonderful walk and were headed back to her house to conclude what was already a fantastic evening. But something was off. Out of the corner of my eye, in the dark, driving at a decent speed, I spotted something poky. And by poky I mean agave like. Could it be? Did I just see a big agave in Vancouver? So I slammed on the breaks. Put the car in reverse (something you don't really do in Vancouver) and investigated. Was I dreaming? Crazy? No. Not one agave but three! And here's where things get even more exciting. Not only were there three agaves, but they had a FREE sign!!

Here's my caution: the pictures you are about to see are of incredibly poor cell phone quality and taken in the dark in the back seat of the car.

Here's the biggest and most impressive of the agave finds! Check out this beautiful agave americana variegata!!

Another angle shows how it completely fills out the seat of my car! EPIC! This one was to stay with Becca because she needs some big agave loving action in her life. And do you notice the other two?

Yes here are the other two baby agave americana variegata. I was very impressed with the legitimate 4inch nursery pots for these little guys. Whoever potted them up knew what they were doing. They were a little bit too wet but I figure they had just been put out and owners wanted to ensure they would be well taken care of for a little while.

Needless to say, I feel like there is hope for agave lovers in the PNW! What a random act of agave loving kindness! And better yet, all agave went to loving families that will love and care for them!!!

A wise woman once said ... schefflera lovin'

My tale for today started years ago reading gardening blogs from the UK and drooling over all the hardy scheffleras. Fast forward a couple of years where one Mrs. Danger visits Mark and Gaz and tells of all the beautiful scheffleras growing in their garden. That pretty much brings me to present day and the wisdom in which my post is inspired. When asked by her husband Andrew how many schefflera they needed, danger (Loree) replied: "as many as Mark and Gaz have" (danger garden). And in that same spirit I say of the same question: "as many as danger has!!"

And with that I find it only fitting to introduce the latest and greatest addition to the garden ... Schefflera  brevipedunculata!! 

I just love this little beauty of a schefflera.

I still don't know where it will go and will keep you all posted. But I was just so very excited that I had to share.

it's been a while... the trouble I've been up to

It has been quite a while and so I thought I needed to share some of the plant trouble I've been getting myself into. To be honest, it has been quite the disciplined planting season. But there are some treasures that have found their way into the garden and I am thrilled to share.

First off is yucca land. The yucca 'margarittaville' and yucca aloifolia purpurea on the bottom right and top of this photo both were planted today! I'm hoping the sunny slope will provide a good home for them to grow.

Here's another look. Notice the yucca aloifolia being slightly under the fronds of the trachycarpus. I'm hoping that provides a good amount of shelter for it.

And I shared about my Cistus order a while ago, but these next two nolina 'la siberica' came on my order from them a few weeks ago. They had been sitting in their pots in the I don't know where to plant this pile and finally made it into the ground today.

I hope these are fast growing! anyone with experience care to weigh in?

And here's where the plant purchasing trouble really starts to ramp up. A new palm has entered the garden! I finally got my hands on a sabal! Though I've been hoping for sabal minor, I had zero will power when the prospect of a sabal palmetto came about! I know it will be painfully slow here, but I'm hoping that the southern exposure and rock in behind will give it a bit of an edge.

Another exciting plant purchase came last week when I gave into the temptations of this callistemon citrinus. I am still yet to find 'woodlanders hardy red' - the object of my plant hunting desires - but I am loving this one. Who knows, maybe this will be the beginning of a callistemon purchasing addiction?

And in true Louis fashion, I couldn't buy just one sabal, I needed two!! This one is larger and sits potted in the hottest location in the yard.

 And last but not least, the other yucca corner received a new hesperaloe parviflora. I had been lusting after a huge 5 gallon one with multiple bloom stalks but they sold before I gave myself permission to buy it! Darn! Lesson learnt: always give into impulse plant lust. But this wonderful one gallon found it's way home and into my garden. I feel as though I want to soften/hide the rhodo in behind with some mexican feather grass. The other thought is to pull it out all together and plant a new tree - maybe arbutus?

Anyways that's the wonderful trouble I have been up to! how about you!? what plant lust trouble have you gotten yourself into?