In order to join Anna (Flutter and Hum) for her Wednesday Vignette, I was scrolling through photos. When I came across this stately tree, seen near Ecola Park earlier in the summer (escaping searing heat in the city) I thought “this is it”. Do click through to see Anna’s eye for pattern, on display with this week’s offering.
Begonia boliviensis ‘Bonfire Orange’
As promised, I want to show you some of the things I picked up on my road trip with Amy. For seventy-five cents, how could I resist Begonia boliviensis ‘Bonfire Orange’? It might seem silly this late in the season, but I hear taking cuttings is quite effective. I’m going to find out.
Helenium ‘Ruby Tuesday’
The Helenium I had by the fence line disappeared, and now I know why. They like to be kept moist. Time to try again with Helenium ‘Ruby Tuesday’.
I was smitten by the flower color and its stature (nice and tall).
I didn’t even know there was such a thing as White Star Creeper. Get a load of those plummy berries and that one remaining white flower. If this takes hold, I will be back for more. I also picked up a wooly thyme and a Sedum pluricale ‘Isle of Saklahlin’. All of the above came from Starkey’s Corner, formerly Larsen Farms.
Polypodium vulgare ‘Bifidomultifidum’
On to Dancing Oaks, where it was the ferns that called out to me. This Licorice Fern was spectacular growing in their display garden, still in tip-top shape after our extended heat wave.
Blechnum penna-marina
One of the perks of traveling with Amy is her sharp eye for things I might otherwise overlook. Once she called my attention to the Alpine Water Fern, I knew I had to have it.
Asplenium ebenoides
Dragon Tail Fern is pretty darn cute. Factor in the name and I’m hooked. A week of clouds and rain (whew) gave me the opportunity to get all of these new treasures into the ground. Which reminds me: better get out there and give them a drink to fortify against the latest heat wave.
What great form that tree has! Good luck with your purchases. It’s always fun to get new plants.
Just about the best fun ever.
If I forget, please remind me. This bargain plant gives me plenty of leeway to experiment.
My sentiments exactly.
That must have been fun. 75 cents!?! You know how to shop!
Well, at least when I stumble upon a real bargain I know enough to jump on it.
I see we share a love of ferns. I can’t get enough. That nubby and gnarly tree is pretty darn cool. I imagine it in a scary Halloween thriller.
We do, and those maidenhairs you featured are gorgeous.
Love you choice of ferns, they are something I want to add when I have created more shade! Love the tree, the coast is the ONLY place to be confortable when it is really hot.
It’s only an hour drive to get to that great coastal escape. I don’t know why we don’t do it more often.
I’ll move the Begonia inside , for sure, but will also take cuttings so there can be MORE. The Helenium is already crying out for more water.
That tree certainly has character! Great plant haul. If you want to keep B. b. ‘Bonfire’ in a pot, simply bring it in after frost cuts the plant back or cut it off yourself when you’re ready, throw the whole pot in a dry place (doesn’t have to be very warm at all, and neglect it for the winter. (mine get thrown in the dark basement.) Around the end of February or beginning of March, you’ll see foliage emerging. Give it some water, light and a bit of fertilizer and you’ll have an even bigger plant. They’re cold hardy here but the rain gets to them and if they’re in the ground, they take forever to emerge (late June)
Those sound like my kind of instructions. I do neglect very well. Thanks for the tips, Peter.
I’m so ready to begin fall transplanting. That tree looks like it has stories to tell. 🙂
Wouldn’t it be great if the trees could talk? I guess Tolkein had that figured out.
I love that white star creeper and looked it up. I was pleased to find that it’s suited to zone 10 but then disappointed to find it wants more water than I can give it or Mother Nature will provide it here. Oh well…
More water? I may need to rethink where to put it. Thanks for the tip.
I also like the color of ‘Ruby Tuesday’. This year I planted Helenium ‘Short and Sassy’ and was very pleased with it. Though now I wonder if it’s getting enough moisture …
Somehow I got the idea that Heleniums were draught tolerant: my mistake.
Tips always more than welcome…thanks.
I love seeing big Sitka spruces on the coast. Nice acquisitions!
A trip to the coast is always filoed with nice surprises.