Flirting With Danger

Continuing my visits to fellow Portland Garden Bloggers' gardens, I had the fortune of visiting the Danger Garden this weekend!


As we got closer, my partner, Norm (who I had convinced to go with me) asked what the house number was. "You'll know it when you see it," was my reply...and when we pulled up, he didn't dispute me!

Wingthorn Rose		Verbascum bombciferum

As anyone who already follows her blog knows, Loree (a.k.a, Mrs. Danger Garden herself) has a fondness for anything that is spiky, spiny or just plain...well...dangerous! Even a rose here is grown for it's decorative spines, rather than it's flowers. I adore this Verbascum...I'd almost rather it stay a nice, felty little rosette and not flower, if it meant it would be truly perennial (rather than die after flowering).


Stipa tenuissima & Opuntia
Loree lamented the somewhat lax nature of this Stipa...and indeed, it has the nasty habit of falling over and splitting just when it should be looking it's best. Still, hers looked lovely at the moment, and did a wonderful job of softening the harder plants around them, like this Opuntia.

Verbascum olympicum		Stipa tenuissima

There were several tall spires of Verbascum olympicum...adding nice exclamation points to the front garden.


Eryngium giganteum
One of my favorite Eryngiums, I love how it looks amazing, even after the flowers fade...those papery bracts catch the light quite fetchingly, yes?

Eucomis 'Sparkling Burgundy'
The bees seemed to be loving the Eucomis that flanked the front sidewalk.


Another wonderful pairing, as a silky Stipa caresses the rapier blades of a yucca.

Arctostaphylos densiflora ‘Harmony'		Tender Succulent

Don't you just love the peeling bark on Mazanitas...so cool!


As we head into the backyard, I leave you with a vignette that exemplifies the "danger" style.


While there are a few pots in the front yard, it's only when you enter the back yard that you realize how many containers Loree truly has...and they aren't just on the ground, either. She has utilized a lot of vertical space as well...like these pots hanging on the side of their garage!


One of the focal points of the back yard is the Shade Pavilion...a beautiful structure that was built by Loree's husband, Andrew.


More pots...more plants! I'm amazed at how she manages to have so many pots...but each of them is unique...both in style of the pot, and in plants used.


This long, low planters was stuffed to the gills with little Agaves...Agave-lets, if you will.

More pots!		Magnolia macrophylla

If I were to say the backyard is defined by any one plant, it would be Loree's Magnolia macrophylla (affectionately named Clifford). Clifford has an imposing presence...but is surprisingly airy. He serves a dual purpose of dividing the space and providing morning shade to the wonderful paver patio.


A spiny Aloe glows with early afternoon sun.


I loved these narrow black pots!


I was totally crushing on these cool, crennelated concrete containers.


I was transfixed by the curling, almost sinister-looking arms of this aloe.


Bocconia frutescens (Tree Poppy)
I had to ask Loree what this particular plant was...love those silvery undersides!


Don't you love how the spines of this Barrel Cactus catch the light?


Another of the plants that immediately springs to mind when I think of the Danger Garden is this Yucca Rostrata...which, along with it's smallere bed-mate, ads a wonderful bit of spiky bulk at one end of a newly-planted area.


Another Aloe out for blood!


Pots can even hang from trees like spider webs in the Danger Garden!


Dinner Plate Aeonium
I think we all took turns exclaiming our surprise at this unusual Aeonium.


As we headed out, I snapped one last pic of the Shade Pavilion, fronted with a lovely Shredded Umbrella Plant.

Thanks again for letting us visit, Loree. I hope it's the first of many such visits :-)