Growing Steady: Ophiopogon japonicus 'Nanus'

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

NHS Board Garden Tour 2012

The Northwest Horticultural Society's annual Meet the Board tour was on Sunday, August 19th, 2012. Five great NHS board member gardens were open to NHS regular members to walk though and be in awe of.

This board member has an apparent love affair with coleus, among other things.

Ophiopogon japonicus 'Nanus'

I like the dwarf mondo grass lawn (Ophiopogon japonicus 'Nanus'), although it is apparent that it does not tolerate foot traffic. At least it doesn't require mowing.

This garden was home to many subtropical/tropical plants, including this schefflera. Not sure of the species or if it is given any protection in the winter.

Nepenthes alata, center

The backyard was about the size of a living room and was just as cozy, although I'm not sure I'd want to relax underneath the pitcher plant (Nepenthes alata).

Rhodocoma capensis

Seeing this nice clump of Rhodocoma capensis made me want to give this plant another try after murdering one a few years ago.

Eucalyptus archeri

Look! A eucalyptus tree that is alive! This species is I believe Eucalyptus archeri, and was either transplanted as a very large tree from California or weathered the several recent harsh winters with flying koalas.

This bird netting over the patch of blueberry bushes is doing double-duty, keeping people away as well.

Rain barrels

Someday, I think it would be great if people built houses with rain storage containers hidden underneath the roof of the house. UV lights could keep bacteria from growing, and the elevation difference would create an adequate amount of water pressure in order to be able to use a normal garden hose to water plants.

This "compost fence" looks like it was just recently stuffed with a bunch of yard debris. I would love to see what this looks like in a year, when the material on the bottom has decomposed. It's a cool idea, especially for smaller gardens.