Portland HPSO Study Weekend Visit to Floramagoria
Spotty posting from me in the last couple of months due to a big mess in my Lightroom Catalog that I have been spending many hours trying to straighten out. As one of our IT dudes at the awfice says, this issue was unfortunately a PICNIC i.e. Problem In Chair Not In Computer. Mistakes were made both when I upgraded to a newer version of Lightroom, and again when I moved photos to my new external hard drive. Most of 2019 is intact but 2015 is a mess-I may have lost most of my photos from that year. I hope to have everything cleaned up by the end of January. In the meantime here is another report from HPSO Study Weekend last summer in Portland.
I first visited this Portland garden in 2014 upon the occasion of Garden Bloggers Fling. The weather had been relentlessly hot , but we had a lovely heat respite on day three and in fact had a refreshing rain squall that conveniently dissipated as we arrived. Study Weekend was a fantastic event , but the garden touring took place at the least desirable time of day. This is common with garden tours so one must make the best of it. I did however put this garden first on the agenda for the day assuming that the other attendees might start with the gardens that were closer in. It worked out well ; the garden was uncrowded when I arrived.
Floramagoria is in a quiet SW Portland neighborhood and the front and back gardens are quite distinct. When you drive up to the house , there is nothing in the streetside garden that would prepare you for what awaits in the back. The front garden is a shady serene environment with a verdant fern selection among other shade lovers.
But it's va-voom all the way in the back.
Spray painting Alliums has been A Thing for awhile, but how about paint on the Poppy seedheads? Festive !
I thought this was an inspired plant-pot match up.
Mai Tais anyone ?
A Tillandsia chandelier. We all need one.
The Sarracenias werer very well represented and very happy.
The Hakone grasses in this garden were insane.
Hopefully I will get all my computer woes sorted out so I can share a few more of the great gardens we were treated to during study weekend.
I first visited this Portland garden in 2014 upon the occasion of Garden Bloggers Fling. The weather had been relentlessly hot , but we had a lovely heat respite on day three and in fact had a refreshing rain squall that conveniently dissipated as we arrived. Study Weekend was a fantastic event , but the garden touring took place at the least desirable time of day. This is common with garden tours so one must make the best of it. I did however put this garden first on the agenda for the day assuming that the other attendees might start with the gardens that were closer in. It worked out well ; the garden was uncrowded when I arrived.
Floramagoria is in a quiet SW Portland neighborhood and the front and back gardens are quite distinct. When you drive up to the house , there is nothing in the streetside garden that would prepare you for what awaits in the back. The front garden is a shady serene environment with a verdant fern selection among other shade lovers.
But it's va-voom all the way in the back.
Spray painting Alliums has been A Thing for awhile, but how about paint on the Poppy seedheads? Festive !
I thought this was an inspired plant-pot match up.
Mai Tais anyone ?
A Tillandsia chandelier. We all need one.
The Sarracenias werer very well represented and very happy.
The Hakone grasses in this garden were insane.
Hopefully I will get all my computer woes sorted out so I can share a few more of the great gardens we were treated to during study weekend.
I'm sorry to hear of the computer problem, Kathy. I've missed your beautifully photographed posts and I'm actually comforted that their reduced volume isn't due to a waning interest in blogging in general. Despite the sun/shade contrast challenge you faced with this visit, I think you did your usual wonderful job showing the garden off. It has me thinking of planting Sarracenias in a pot and spray-painting next summer's crop of faded Agapanthus.
ReplyDeleteGerhard encouraged (enabled) me to try Sarracenias when we were at HPSO Plantfest in Portland Sept of 2018 and I bought 2. So far over a year later they are still alive ! Frequent watering is key. My photo files are such a mess- but fortunately most of the big issues are 2015 and prior. I'll be glad to get this project behind me. Happy New Year to you !
DeleteFloramagoria remains one of my favorite PDX gardens for its quirky, over-the-top, yet pulled together and fascinating plant designs. I’m sorry about your Lightroom fiasco. Technical challenges are sometimes the worst ones!
ReplyDeleteIt's not huge either (though compared with mine...) but manages to have different places for different moods. I've been using Lightroom for years with no problems. I guess it had to happen sooner or later.
DeletePICNIC...hahaha, that's good. Well the problem isn't good. I know a little about the sadness of losing photos even though you thought you were doing everything right. Grrrr.
ReplyDeleteLoved this look back at an always exceptional garden. Hope to see you in 2020! (Hortlandia?)
There will most certainly be a PDX trip at some point in 2020. I want to do Hortlandia in the worst way but I have to get all the damn business travel scheduled first. I am so over business trips !
DeleteDitto to all the excellent comments above. PICNIC! Good one. The Melianthus/Begonia in the blue pot always prompts a deep sigh--so perfect. Looks as though the front garden has developed and grown more complex--just as much to see there as in the back, just in shades of green.
ReplyDeleteI plan to make dried Protea flowers given a light spray of gold or silver A Thing soon. ;^)
A treat to see this garden through your lens.
The technical side of blogging is such a bore! My pitcher plants are surviving and slowly increasing in size but look nothing like those pristine trumpets at Floramagoria. Mine always seem to have crispy edges even though they're never allowed to dry out. That bamboo in the first photo is incredibly groomed!
ReplyDeleteI remember this garden from the Fling! It rained and I was soaked but still blissed out to be there. I've been having major picture problems, too, and am not sure why. I'm sure I'll end up at the Geek Squad trying to get it all sorted out. Geez.....
ReplyDelete