The Magic of Sally Priest; WeHop Revisited

 

You may remember a post last September about my first visit to WeHop (Western Horticultural Products.)   It was great fun to see some of the plants that San Marcos Growers and Monterey Bay Growers would have available the next year.  It was also a special treat to be able to buy some plants and an incredible surprise to be given quite a few agaves to share with my pal Loree!  My behavior must not have been too awful because Sally Priest, the Western Washington Sales Representative for WeHop invited me back to see how last years pots fared through the winter and so see some more plants.  After Alison and I visited Valley Nursery and the Heronswood Sale and Garden, we headed on over to visit Sally.  Alison and I had a wonderful time on this Saturday plant spree and having the privilege of seeing these special plants was certainly a high point of the day!

 

 Surprisingly, these echiverias were left outside in this pot all winter and were just fine.  We had a mild winter but there were a few days in the 20's.

The rest of the pots had the shelter of a greenhouse and sailed through the winter (the  big pots  on the right.)  Also, Sally left a Phormium 'Guardsman' outside all winter and it was just fine.  I kept mine in a pot and brought it in for the coldest few weeks of the winter.  Maybe I'll be brave and plant it in the ground.

 

I never tire of echiverias with their flower-like forms and fabulous colors.  Ah to live in zone 9 where we could leave them in the ground all year. 

I don't remember what this plant was other than way cool!

Phormium 'Jubilee' is my new favorite (I still love you 'Guardsman!') Is that a festive color combination or what.  It was discovered as a fan of foliage on its parent 'Jester' which has red leaves with green edges.  This is definitely a pink edged green leaf!  This color combination reminds me of a line from  the musical Wicked  "Pink goes good with green!" This was a new Monterey Bay introduction several years ago but now San Marcos grows this variety as well.

These two inch pots of succulents were so cute that I could barely stand it!  Can't you just see these grouped  in pots or small beds?  (I know it's a fad but I love the geometric, flowing water, or undersea effects that designers have created with succulents.)

It's like a big succulent quilt that looks far out as a whole

and quite interesting up close!  Maybe I like Crassula adromischus cristatus (on the right) so much because the leaves look like a strangely shaped stuffed pasta.  Ravioli anyone? 

More Echiverias. Le Sigh. 

Kalenchoe beharensis, a variety without fur.  This was new to me!

 

 Sure was a looker and was ordered for a customer in another state.

I didn't find the name of this plant but am absolutely in love with its flowers.  The foliage is very similar to Costal Wollybush.

 See how the buds just pop out of the branches?  Can you I.D. this plant?

 

Many thanks to Max P. who correctly identified this beauty as Calothamnus villosus a.k.a. Silky Net Bush.  It's an Australian, a beauty in foliage, and stunning in bloom.  Hardy to 16 degrees F.

Dyckia 'Precious Metal' caught Alison's eye and her hand as she grabbed the pot!

O.K. I have a thing for Echiverias.

Aloe 'Goliath' as the name implies, gets very large.  Glad that I have a hand truck because one of these came home with me.

A fun combination! 

 I'm kicking myself for not taking any pictures of the many HUGE Aeonium 'Cyclops' available.  They were pretty impressive!

 Another of the growers that WeHop represents is creating these nifty mixed sedum pots.

Yes, they are almost a cliché but I liked them before they were the in thing and am reveling in the wide variety succulents that have been made more available due to their popularity. 

 

Sally also brought in some Begonia 'San Miguel' one of the plants that tugged at my heart  last year.  A bush-type begonia growing two to three feet tall and wide  with furry leaves, red on the back side.  Only hardy to 25-30 degrees, it'll spend the winter at work with Begonia luxurians.  The plant is much better in person - not very photogenic but it's quite cool in it's furriness. 

 

And here's the very generous, kind, funny and plant crazy Sally Priest herself showing us some new things that will be released by EuroAmerican Propagators next year: a hardy fuchsia that grows 8 - 10 feet tall. 

 

A new Tagetes that has a divine fragrance.  (Similar to 'Lemon Gem')

Another new introduction - forgot the name.

The angel wing shape of these pelargonium leaves is unusual.  This will be fun to see in nurseries!

 

Sally also gave Alison and me a cutting of a Christmas cactus that had been in her family for years.  It's  different in appearance from any I've seen before & I'll give it lots of love!

This Adenanthos sericus or Costal Wollybush is being held for a certain Portland gardener pal.

The foliage of this Grevillea is  delicate looking. 

 An interesting Austrailian called Hakea trifurcata that eventually has these leaves and also needle like leaves on the same plant.  Here's another example of flora from down under does this sort of immature to mature leaf shape shift (Eucalyptus, pseudopanax ferox) Fascinating!

Russelia equisetiformis 'Yellow' 

Impatiens niamniamensis but with a flower that is white where the yellow part usually is.

 

I fell hard for the foliage of Grevillea 'Ned Kelly' last year and nearly bought one at the Bloedel Reserve Sale.  Sally had several in 5 gallon pots from Monterey Bay.

 

 

Seeing these incredible  blooms on the fabulous foliage again this year encouraged me to drag yet another plant inside for the coldest part of winter.  Reading this story from the Monterey Bay Nursery site made me extra glad that I bought this plant:

 

"The first name bestowed was 'Mason's Hybrid,' but 'Ned Kelly' is such a much better handle, and also a much better story. Ned was one of the very few Australian bushrangers (outlaws) of the 1800's. He is famous because he and his mates got the bright idea to make suits and helmets of riveted sheet metal for a showdown with the police. But the police got the brighter idea of shooting at least two of them in the legs (d'oooooh!!!). He was tried, hanged, and then buried in an unmarked grave, and his remains were just recently located. The best thing about Ned Kelly was his iron suit, because if he hadn't made it he wouldn't be famous."

 

If any of these plants appeal to you, make sure to check out WeHop's  site here to see more pictures of the 2012 trial pots and inquire about these plants at your local retailer.  In addition, Sally will have lots of her plants available at a special event at Valley Nursery in Poulsbo this weekend.  Here's a picture of the sign I saw at Valley earlier in the day. 

 

 

Thanks again, Sally for sharing your wonderful world of plants with Alison and me!



Heroswood Part Two: The Garden

The legend that is Heronswood had a lot to do with the evolution of the garden, each new area that was opened up, every new group of plants, it was a wonder!  Having a staff of gardeners working daily at the garden yielded especially finished results.  Many of the garden's plants have been removed and even though  a dedicated group of volunteers has done a great deal of work, it's obvious that the garden was neglected for a few years.  The volunteers are doing a great job and I don't wish, in any way, to disrespect their dedication and amount of work.  You can read Alison's post about the sale and garden here.

Azara serrata's yellow puffs of bloom greet us as we enter.

Cool ghostly looking NOID plant. Liriope muscari 'Okina' perhaps?  Not really clumping like that though.  Do you know it?

The paths are familiar but in it's heyday, the beds would have been mulched and full of horticultural treasures. 

I remember seeing these columns in crates in the driveway before they were assembled on site.  Another visitor said that he missed the great pots of sculptural plants that used to sit atop each one.  Alison mentioned that she saw the pots on her visit in the fall but that they were falling apart.

Cardiocrinum giganteum seems to still be happy here.  I remember coming down a path through the tree ferns, petasides, gunnera, banana, and palm foliage and seeing a huge group of these blooming in front of me.  It made one feel small to be among all of the huge foliage and giant blooms!

 This Lysichiton americanus is huge and quite healthy!

The gorgeous texture of the mahonia cnotrasts beautifully with all of the soft big leafed plants..

More large foliage.  I didn't notice a single Arisaema in this garden which used to be full of them.

Partner in horticultural raiding of nurseries, Alison is surprised by the size of the Astilboides tabularis.  Pretty amazing what they'll do if their feet are a little moist! (The Astilboides, not the Alison.)

 Musa basjoo and Gunnera  manicata used to complete this big leaved swampy area but are no longer here. The path has been closed for some reason.

The Little and Lewis temple viewed from the side because of path closure.

 Trachycarpus fortunei 

 

Gorgeous tree ferns.

 One of the few Paris plants still in the garden.  These used to be everywhere.

As I compare these images to those in my mind (I didn't take any pictures before now, there seem to be a lot of missing players. The  Meconopsis sisters grandis,  betonicifolia,  paniculata, and napaulensis  must have caught a train out of the place as I didn't notice any furry foliage.  These gals can be a little high maintenance though.

 

 Impatiens omeiana showing what a tough cookie it is!

I've no idea what this is but ain't it grand?    Can you I.D. it?

The sweet little bells of  Enkianthus  flowers are very sweet!

Podophyllum pleianthum  looking rather unhappy.  Another group of plants that used to have larger representation in the garden.

 After coming down any of several paths or the driveway through the huge shade garden, the famous blue and yellow border comes into sight.

Again, I don't wish to cast aspersions on the fine folks who have done so much work since the tribe purchased the place and it will take a long time and a lot of man hours to reclaim what once was but this is a mess!   One year the black grass/golden Lysimachia nummularia combination  appeared in the foreground.  Another year, an ajuga took the  place of  the Lysimachia. 

It will be beautiful again and for that I'm truly grateful!  Past the blue and yellow border  the drive leads to the front of the house.

Moving to the right side of the house, this bed is looking particularly good!

The amazing pleached elm wall is still thrilling visitors.

 

 

Inside the walls.

 

I remember when this potager was brand new. It's just beyond the ulmus walled garden and is looking fantastic. It alone is worth  a visit! Perhaps the crews are working from this side of the garden  outward.

 

That beautiful pink Acer palmatum at the far end of the garden called my name!  Very pretty!

 

 

 Acer pseudoplatanus 'Esk Sunset' drew a lot of attention!

Kniphofias are so bold that they seem to have embarrassed the dainty columbines below who are turning their faces away!

 Another Little and Lewis piece graces the potager.

 A last look back.

Here we come around the back of the house.  Do you notice the Embothrium coccineum in bloom?

This black diamond  is echoed behind us on the path

by this watery one..

 Coming around the back of the house to the other side.  We're behind the blue and yellow border.

Lots of great plants!

 Lovely Quercus robur 'Atropurpurea' on the left.

 The foliage is breathtaking when backlit by the sun!

 

 

So much beauty but so much is missing.  I miss the potted agaves and Ensete ventricosum among many others. 

There was a time when Dan went crazy for abutilons and they were all over the garden.

Taking another path back up through the shade garden we encounter this group of Cypripedium formosanum (I think.)

 

 

 When a windstorm took this tree down,  instead of removing it, the roots were  planted with hardy bromeliads.  Very clever!

Thanks to the Port Gamble S'klallam Tribe's purchase,  the future of Heronswood  seems secure.  Hooray!

A place where future generations of gardeners can come, explore, learn, and be excited by plants is a truly special thing to preserve.

 

What lies down the path for this spectacular douglas fir columned cathedral of a garden?  The gentle unfolding of time will make it clear but for now it's in good hands!  Thank you Dan and Robert for creating this place and for helping to bring it back.  Thank you S'klallam Tribe for preserving this marvelous garden.  Thank you volunteers who have and will continue to put so much time and sweat into bringing  back this legendary place of horticultural inspiration, education, and beauty! 

It was an interesting experience to go back again after these years.  It was wonderful to see that parts of the garden were in good shape, and that the bones of the place were still intact.  I missed many of the plants in the shade gardens especially.

Tennyson kept running through my head: 'Though much is taken, much abides; and though we are not now that strength which in old days moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are; One equal temper of heroic hearts, made weak by time and fate, but strong in will to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."