FRIDAY MORNING AS I dropped off a few plants at a fellow gardener's home, her husband commented that it "felt like Florida." Fortunately, the next day that horribly muggy, stagnant and humid air was annihilated by our requisite marine air once again. Nothing against Florida. I've been there and it's beautiful and I've got friends who live there, (yes you, Darla and Lorraine!) but we who call Pacific Northwest home rarely see or feel the kind of humidity we were stricken with last week. It was weird and it was not pleasant.
Fortunately, the humidity left just in time because on Saturday my family (minus one daughter) worked on hauling gravel for a new patio. It was awful, horrid, backbreaking work and we all hated every second of it. Gravel is freaking heavy! But we smiled and joked and used the mister to cool off and drank copious quantities of water. And we kept smiling until the job was done. A huge thanks to Bryan Bauer, my son's long-time friend for adding his muscle during the home stretch.
I will be sharing before, during and after photos of our renovation when it is completed so stay tuned my peeps!
The bumbles and honeys have been so busy this year.
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| A bumblebee waking up on the Alstromeria. |
In July, the hubster and I needed to go to Lake Oswego for an appointment. Afterwards we walked around the downtown area. I tested the patience of my better half by having to stop every five seconds to get photos.
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| I love all that thick foliage and flower. |
Whoever Lake O's head gardener is, they deserve a huge gold star. The plantings were outstanding.
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| Spiky Euphorbia in one of the containers. |
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| Crocosmia and Sedum |
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| Oak Leaf Hydrangea |
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| Lovely Melianthus and Cordy. |
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| Ensente and Abutilon |
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Variegated Brugmansia and... what is the name of that yellow flower? I can't remember...
Kangaroo Paw! Thank you Mindy. |
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Here it is up close. Help, Loree!
Thank you Mindy, the first commenter to get it! Kangaroo Paw. |
Finally, I wanted to show you the sculpture hanging on one of the walls by the lake. It's weird. Like an homage to Shark Week or something. What do you think?
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| Huh? |
A big ewwwwwwwwwwww on the sculpture but everything else is so beautiful. Oh how I wish we were getting more rain so that our gardens would look so lush. Alstromeria is one of my very favorites and you have the same one I do...although mine doesn't look quite so pretty since the naughty deer nibbled it to the ground. Thankfully it is growing again.
ReplyDeleteDebbie
You have just given me a reason to visit Lake Oswego (not on any route I usually take). And yes, the bees have been especially busy, and noisy, this year.
ReplyDeleteGrace, your yellow plant is Anigozanthos, aka 'Kangaroo Paws' I really liked these container combos, but I have to wonder how a drought tolerant plant like K Paws will fare in the same container with the Brug, who would be fine with being watered about every 5 minutes or so ! This is Lake Oswego though, so I guess they have the funding to just rip it out and replace it if it starts looking bad.
ReplyDeleteWOW! Gorgeous plantings. Kudos to the gardener indeed! You photographed them awesomely too Grace. I have no ideas on the sculpture???? Your guess sounds good to me.
ReplyDeleteI don't know the yellow flower. Reminded me of kangaroo paw.
ReplyDeleteThat statue IS freaky!
I can't believe you were so close and didn't let me know you were in town! I would have freaked out getting the garden ready for preview, but it would have been fun to have you over. :)
Great photos Grace, did you see the schefflera? I hear they have a huge one. Glad you got i.d. on the flower!
ReplyDeleteGrace, the second photo is beautiful! I love high and colorful plants. The figure is strange, I think the man's head is inside the wall, but where are his feet?
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the lake Oswego!
Great plant tour of Lake Oswego! The sculpture is interesting. Loosing my head about Lake Oswego? Falling apart? "Wouldn't you give your hand to a friend?" (or your feet or....
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful city! The sculpture....not so much!
ReplyDeleteGracie ... that sculpture is truly WEIRD !! eeeekkkkk !
ReplyDeleteThe plantings ? totally fabulous!!
You are right about who ever designed them is a master mind and genius!!
I love them all .. Kingston's seem so dull now compared to those jam packed beauties.
We are stuck in the heat and humidity too ... can NOT wait for Autumn!!
Great pictures girl !!
Joy : )
Yeah, that is a weird sculpture. Loved the potted plants and landscaping, though. I'm the same way with the camera--I even annoy myself sometimes. ;-)
ReplyDeleteMajor dislike on the sculpture but mad love for all the plantings. I'm used to humidity. I don't mind it. :o)
ReplyDeleteImpressive plantings, Grace - thanks for sharing with those of us who rarely venture to the burbs. And that sculpture - whaaa?
ReplyDeleteI love that you have a Lake Oswego and we have Lake Ontario with the city of Oswego on its shores.
ReplyDeleteA lovely place...I hate the humidity we have every summer...with the nasty storms and cold front I think we are about to get some relief.
Lake Oswego places many unusual-and occasionally creepy, ugly or controversial-pieces of art all over, including on private property with owner or tenant permission. I think there is still one of a homeless man posted in downtown somewhere. Your photo was of a particularly gruesome one that I had only seen in our municipal newsletter.
ReplyDeleteYour photos of some of our town's most gorgeous summer flowers and foliage are wonderful. Thanks so much! I hope if you have a reason to visit next summer when things are in bloom, if you've not seen the butterfly garden at A Avenue and Second Street, you will check it out. It is spectacular, particularly in August.