Epic tree ferns!

So If you've been following my misadventures over the last few months you would know that I stumbled upon these beauties not too long ago in Vancouver.  So when I was in town the other weekend I had to stop by.  I actually could not control myself.  The mystery location is right by the jj bean at Alberni and Bute (which I might say is serving up the best coffee in Van - IMHO).  Anyways, I was considering how I could include them in my English Bay or Sunset posts and I decided... no, they are EPIC enough to get their very own shout out!  So I apologize for the redundancy, but I really loove tree ferns.

I think part of the reason I had to go back was in attempt to truly capture the grandeur and size of these guys.  Which once again I feel has evaded me.  Tree ferns are hard to capture!!  What I did find quite wonderful were the little white globe lights that hang from the tops of the trunks and make them look like coconuts! Just me?

There are few plants that I find quite as stunning.  The drama of their fronds is second to none.  I am always overwhelmed by the sheer size of them.  Are you seeing the coconuts yet?

Anyhow, I hope you enjoy the drama as much as I do! And remember, feed your dicksonia fish fertilizer!

fern lovin'

Recently, I find myself in a rather happy kind of place.  You see the sun has been shining, temperatures hot, and an overwhelming sense of happiness that it is now summer.  With all the happiness of summer I am left with one emotion ... love.  I love summer.  So its no coincidence that I can't help but share my garden loves.  Today, ferns.  Either I'm super PNWesterner and it's just in my dna, or there is something extra special about these wonderful plants.  To me, they are both lush/tropical, and rustic/woodland all at the same time.  Whats not to love about that?

Dicksonia Antarctica has to be one of my favourite of all the ferns.  Tender in our zone 8 climate but well worth it.  This one I got at the Pacific Northwest Palm and Exotic Plant Society plant sale a while back has the longest fronds of any Dicksonia Antarctica I have seen for a fern of this size.  Maybe it will be a vigorous grower for me (wishful thinking I know).

Ferns ferns ferns.  They pop up everywhere in the yard and I never really seem to mind.

One of my favourite things is watching the fiddle heads develop and unfurl like this one.

Slowly the small and compacted little fiddle heads turn into graceful fronds.

Hopefully one day my tree ferns will look like these ones (Pooh Corner - Disneyland).

Or these beauties planted along side chamaerops humils (Disney's California Adventure Park).  It just goes to show their versatility to be grown in both sun or shade.

Keeping with the Disney theme, "FERNS are friends, not food!" Well fiddle heads are, but I've never been able to eat them for the reason that I feel as though I'm killing a fern.

Happy Summer!!!

It's summertime officially!! I for one am so VERY excited.  I thought I would share some early summer photos from the yard with everyone now so that I can look back at the end of the season at how things have grown and or been changed - and each year it does in fact change.  Things are still looking a little bit neglected compared to where I am most years.  But hopefully if the sun decides to stick around that will all change! Today is a pressure washing, lawn cutting, nursery visiting day!

The summer Luau's are just around the corner!!! This sign always comes out for a party.  And summer itself is one massive party in the palm garden!!!

Agave parryi has pups!!! That means even more agaves!

See there are a few flowers in the garden.... a few.

My monster chamaerops humilis sure looks happy with some warm sun.  This is the absolute best spot in the garden! It's kind of the place of honor.

And not too much longer to wait till yuccas are blooming...

My new yucca rostrata loving the sunshine! hmm... I think it needs another rostrata friend dont you?

Glorious spikes!

This is about as flowery as I can handle.

I'll leave you with the palms on the first day of summer.  I can't wait to see how much everything grows over the next months.  These palms will happily put on 1.5 feet of trunk!  It's going to be a jungle in no time!!

Junuary 2012

It's official, the beginning of June has marked by the return of Junuary.  This Junuary could possibly be the coldest yet - thus far.  With highs of 54F and 57F the last couple of days I have been asking myself how it is even possible to sustain life this far north of the equator.  What's worse, the once sarcastic reference to Junuary has become common place language.  I find this greatly disturbing on so many levels.  You see, I am a summer person of heart.  But recently I find myself opening the jars to the cinnamon scented comfort candles, adding extra blankets at night, and drinking gallons of hot tea.  But I have a dream.  A dream with days soaring into the 90's, a dream with a jug of sweet tea, hammocks, ice cream, and the smell of BBQ.

I wonder when the funk of Junuary will ever leave.  I've considered a ceremonial sun dance - if only it would work.  I have to admit, it has slowed down the garden fervour.  Thankfully, the garden seems to take it in stride.  The Dicksonia Antarctica (Tasmanian Tree Fern) seems to love this weather.

Little Sheffy seems happy in his new home.  I'm not sure what conditions these plants do their best under but I'm sure all this rain is helping it settle into place quite nicely.  (Can you tell I'm really trying to convince myself to be alright with Junuary ... but I'm so not)

What I'm holding out for is agave growing weather - the real test of summer!

West Vancouver garden mecca!

I went to West Vancouver garden mecca - as I have been calling it. This place was absolutely insane in the membrane!  It was actually apart of the North Vancouver Art in the Garden Tour 2012.  I knew that this house existed because of various palm society pictures over the years but I never in my wildest dreams imagined I would be able to tour it! So when I noticed it was one of the showcase gardens for this years tour, there was no way to stay away!  It actually has quite the history.  The famed palm lined streets of English Bay owe their existence to this mans father Rudi Pinkowski.  Years ago he had to convince the city that Windmill palms could and should be grown and was apart of an initial donation of palms to the English Bay waterfront with the Pacific Northwest Palm and Exotic Plant Society.

And you certainly can tell when you arrive at his home.  These palms tower over your head. It was somewhat humbling for me to see.  My "large" palms are mere babies in comparison... one day.  (look to the lower left hand corner ... is that tree fern fronds?!)

I loved this!  It made me want to do much more along the lines of annuals.  These alocasias were stunning.

Acanthus Mollis - I'm really warming up to this plant in a major way.  It adds an almost classic yet wildly tropical affect to the garden.

But wait... Have you ever seen Dicksonia Antarctica this large?! I actually had to pinch myself.  Is this some wildly entertaining dream or am I actually standing in front of the most beautiful tree ferns I ever did see?!?!

I was absolutely speechless.  Understand why I say mecca yet?

The treasures just continued as you wandered throughout the garden.  I have been plant lusting over one of these chamaedorea microspadix for years but have never seen one in the flesh!

sable minor I'm guessing.  I don't think most people appreciated how rare these are up in Canada.

Check out that view!!!

I was particularly taken by all the yucca rostrata around the back garden.

I definitely need some of these around the yard.

Poncirus Trifoliata "flying dragon"

Theres a large Jubaea Chilensis stump in the lower right corner.  It has obviously taken some damage along the way but seems to be recovering... I wonder what that will be like in a few years!!

Danger! Chamaerops, hebe, euphorbia, yucca, and cactus!!!!!

This bed was like a mini landscape all of its own.

tree ferns, echium, sunshine and ocean... Am I really in Vancouver?!?!

Walking down the beach the adventure just continues.

I fell in love with this yucca gloriosa superba.

This yard feels like somewhere in Southern California or the Mediterranean.

Gunnera Manicata.

Oh no you didn't! CORDYLINE INDIVISA! At this point my plant lust radar was through the roof.  I couldn't believe me eyes!

Close up of echium bloom.  I'm not too knowledgeable about these so I don't have an i.d. at first I thought candicans but it seems too small.

Brahea Armata - again plant lust through the roof! I had to console myself by reminding myself of how it would probably not survive a hard winter for me.

But this might! It was labelled chamaerops humilis cerifera but seems very green for a cerifera.  Kind of how my green chamaerops sometimes looks blueish.

One last show of those tree ferns for good measure.... I could never get enough of this.

Euphorbia griffithii maybe?

And lastly, one last street shot.  I hope you enjoyed garden mecca.