Terra Nova Drive-By

In June I attended HPSO Study Weekend in Portland. I have yet to blog about all the great gardens I saw in association with that event , but no doubt that will occupy some of my time during those long dark winter nights that are looming ahead.
 I always prefer to drive when  heading up to Portland  and because of the distance I do the trip with a stopover on the way. On my way home I did a partial Interstate 5 and coastal route combo and decided to take a detour off  I5 to drive by Terra Novas' dramatically colorful display gardens. My ultimate destination that day was Brookings, a seaside town only a couple of miles from the Oregon-California border, and since I had booked myself an ocean front room I wanted to arrive in time to enjoy the view for a few hours. What I should have done was to leave Portland an hour earlier , and call ahead to Terra Nova to ask if I could stroll the entire garden -as it was I stayed to the perimeter and the parking lot . Not the best photos I've ever taken , but it was a fun if brief interlude on a long drive. I have previously posted about Terra Nova here.
 
   It was nicely overcast on the morning of my visit . Terra Nova is on a back road in a agricultural region  of the Willamette Valley near the town of Canby. This area is very horticulturally rich and I could easily spend a week just traveling between nurseries.



 I loved this Kniphofia, look at the great perky foliage.



More Kniphofia partnered with Echinaceas that provide a color echo.



 I guess these are Shasta Daisys that are not flopping -a miracle.




   Pretty sure I'd have to put up safety cones if my streetside garden looked like this.





 Not bad for a parking lot.



 Next year if I do a Portland drive I hope to call ahead to get permission to do a more comprehensive photo walk through of the entire garden. All these photos were taken from the road or the parking lot.



Comments

  1. Not at all bad for for a perimeter tour! Oh, to have such plant vignettes in my own garden. I loved all the rich colors.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have had the opportunity to tour the whole garden with my New England friends several years ago, and I need to do that again !

      Delete
  2. Ohmigosh gorgeous! Not a sun-bleached, heat-toasted, drought-shriveled leaf in view. Heaven!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Willamette Valley has alot going for it I have to say, but they have a couple of rain free months in summer as well. I'm sure this garden is well-irrigated.

      Delete
  3. Wow! Would love to have that curb appeal.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wonderful to see you in Portland, Kathy! I've been to Terra Nova once, in early spring, which has its own appeal, but the slower perennials were just waking up. I was surprised how ALL of their display gardens are pretty much "in a parking lot." It's a warehouse setting, so, not a garden setting like I imagined when I heard "display garden." It's impressive what they have done with it. I did not realize HOW full and bright it gets! Wonderful photos. Fantastic Kniphofias.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope to do at least 2 PDX trips next year --we shall see ! Hortlandia is on my radar. My first visit to Terra Nova was a full on tour with Dan Heims and I took an insane amount of photos- I think it was 2010 or so.

      Delete
  5. Wow! so much color and so verdant. very different from my neck of the woods - especially at the ednd of this long dry season.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If the dry season ever actually ends ! That climate in the Willamette Valley was made for this type of display.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Coastal Maine Botanical..The Childrens Garden

A New Focal Point !

Arty Garden