Beauty From Neglect

Sedum 'Angelina' and Violets
I have to preface this post by admitting that I'm always on the lookout for gardens, wherever they can be found. Even a single pot with a few plants can lift my spirits. Often, however, it's the random, wild and, yes, even WEEDY that grabs my attention.


Here is the roof-top deck at the building where I work downtown. There are quite a few large pots that have been planted with a myriad of different plants over the years I've worked here...with varying degrees of success. After that last round of plants died during a summer where our drip irrigation system broke (and sadly , went unnoticed for too long) they were replanted hastily last fall with a few annuals, just to tide us over. I rarely go onto the deck (rainy all winter, hot as hell in summer), but occasionally will pop my head out to see how the plants are doing. As can be expected, the annuals have not returned...but there are a few things left over from the first plantings years ago that continue to return every year! In addition to that, there are some volunteer weeds that have colonized the space...some of which are as lovely as any cultivated species.


Here are a few such pots...at first glance...a riot of weeds.


Look closer, however, even this plant, which I see growing as a weed all over Portland, gains something here...growing all by itself, filling this large pot. It's light, airy, ephemeral...charming as any potted herb (but likely less palatable). Just look at those wiry stems and those delicate sprays of yellow blooms.


A closer inspection of the neighboring pot reveals a colony of Violets. I'm assuming these were planted at some point, as they appear in several pots on the deck. Still, the fact that they've survived for several years with almost no intervention by us humans is remarkable.

Here are two adjacent pots, one full of Sedum 'Angelina', the other with more of the Violets and some mystery weeds/grass. I love how the Sedum was just a single plant a few years ago, planted as a cascading accent to larger things...those have all passed on, and now the Sedum fills the entire pot...testament to it's durability! I don't know what the grasses are, or the frothy little weeds with the Violets...but you have to admit, they are quite a lovely textural contrast to the Violets!


Next up is a pot full with some sort of grass...I'd guess maybe a variety of Nasella? Either way, I was struck by it's lovely architectural form, in counterpoint to its softly graceful flowers, which sway and dance in the slightest breeze.


Look at these beautiful awns...love how they are tipped in pink...from a distance, it has a gauzey effect.


The stems of the mystery grass are even more colorful, red, blue and purple!


Here is the base of the clump, again showing the lovely red blush creeping up the stems.


Lastly is a small pot I found behind the door...probably just used recently to prop it open. Even here, a lovely and humble pairing of dark-leaved Oxalis and Violet.