Garden Tour -- Part I

LAST SATURDAY, my precious garden peeps and I went on the local garden tour. It was surprisingly delightful with perfect weather and lots of laughter. I filled my entire memory card with photos. But I won't take up your entire day with a bazillion pictures. Today's post will feature the garden art and Part two will be all about the plants and vignettes. So here we go.  

This vintage mirror has a ghost-like quality that I absolutely love. 

The owners of this sign had the three remaining seasons hanging in other parts of the garden. 

Not everyone goes for rustic but I do and I love this piece.

This photo isn't very good so let me explain. The wire sticks hold driftwood pieces.
Trust me it looked really cool. 

Raise your hand if you live by this mantra. 

In a few weeks when the Russian Sage blooms, this is going to look fabulous.

Stuff like this is so charming.

Hens & Chicks surround an aging penny-clad bowling ball. 

Kermit would appreciate this.

So simple, yet so charming. 

I admit, I wanted to take this vintage bicycle home. 

Flattened blue bottles. How did they do that? 

I'm a sucker for aging galvanized metal. Is this an old garden sprayer?

This rusty thing is way cool. 

This was in my friend Bobbie's garden but I couldn't ask her what it was because people
were lined up to get their plant questions answered.
It looks like a makeshift water pump. 

This vintage yellow chair looked perfect above a carpet of
green sedums and beside the dark foliage of
Sambucus nigra. 

This abandoned tractor would make some people grimace but I love it.  

Check out my friend Bobbie's vintage windows. The door is going to nowhere. It's magical. 

I have one of these pump handles but mine is much smaller. 

This birdbath has a sweet Asian feel. 

Dang. I mistakenly trashed my vintage reel mower. Why did I do that when it
could make such cool garden art? 

I want more of these. 

Mindy, these are for you. Whenever I see insulators now I think of you. 

Every garden needs a few birdhouses. 

And finally this quirky, mossy fish planter topped with blooming Saxifrage.
How cute is that? 

Next time, the plants, I promise. 

Yard Crasher: My Sister's Garden

My online, talented friend Mindy Northrup uses the term "Yard Crasher" to identify her blog posts about other people's gardens. I don't want to steal her term, but I kind of am anyway. Sorry Mindy. 

This is my sister Laura's brand new garden in Woodburn, Oregon. Purchased just this last April, Laura has already created a cute and whimsical cottage garden in her postage stamp-sized backyard. 

Here are some photos I took (rather hastily) last Saturday when I finally had a chance to drive up and visit her. 

This sign hangs on what is now the skeleton of a wrongly-placed, oversized Alberta spruce. 

Yes, the love of pink runs in the family.
Laura said she'll be removing the plant tags after she finishes making her map. 

A mature Butterfly Bush growing in the corner protected a vulnerable Star Jasmine from the
ravages of our record-cold winter. It has new leaves but hasn't started blooming quite yet.

Laura's property abuts a golf course. Nice to see all that complementary green.
There is a nicely sized, thick conifer not too far from the fence. We could hear birds chirping away in it.

This island bed in the center, just off the patio, is chock full of plant goodies. 

Here it is from another angle. 

Don't you love this rusty old stove? The stories it could tell. 

I have one in my garden too but it isn't nearly this cool. 

My sister is really good at placing her garden art. 

Why is it my Red-Veined Sorrel has never looked this good? 

Happy little faces. 

Terra cotta love. 

Here is a thriving Daphne 'Summer Ice.' 

Geranium phaeum blossoms

Verbascum

White Delphinium 

Foxglove,  Digitalis cv. 

More Digitalis and a pink clemmy neighbor.

Geranium 'Midnight Reiter' and Viola 'Hearthrob' working their magic. 

Simple, common Alyssum looks fabulous in this vintage container.

What I think are the chocolate leaves of Geranium 'Orkney Cherry'
contrast beautifully with  Golden Feverfew foliage. (Tanacetum parthenium 'Aureum') 

Pink Argyranthemum always makes me smile. 

I love these Sedum compositions. 

Rusty, vintage pots work so beautifully for housing Sedums, don't you think? 

My sister wasn't sure of this plant's identity. I did a Google search and I think it's Silene pendula
Do I need to have this plant? YES!

One of the plants on my wish list is Astrantia maxima.
This would be the fault of Scott of Rhone Street Gardens and his inspiring photos.
My sister has beat me to it. 

Laura used to own a farm in Baker City where live chickens roamed and ranged.
Now a city girl, she has these more appropriate cuties. 

And this sweet family too. 

And then there's Ma and Pa with the Portulaca hairdos. 

I'm a sucker for a cool vintage lantern. So is my sister. 

I wanted to steal this cool plant stand. 

This one looked a little too heavy to lift so I just drooled. 

I love this! 

Laura's Cerinthe major is blooming. I might have
to ask her for a few seeds. 

I love Gaura in any form but this variety,
'Passionate Rainbow' doesn't need to bloom.

Love this bench. 

Oops... an empty pot. But not for long, I bet.

See the photo of green lettuce on my sidebar? It is a link to my sister's awesome vegetable growing website. If you're looking for information or just feel like browsing, please feel free to click on it.

This past weekend was the open house for the five nurseries on the Cascade Nursery Trail so Laura and I decided we'd go exploring! However, we only made it to two of the five nurseries, Out in the Garden Nursery in Molalla and Secret Garden Growers outside of Canby, (Oregon). Part of the reason for that is because we got sidetracked by other nurseries that weren't on this "trail." Below are the few photos I took of Secret Garden Growers. I was too distracted to get any photos at the other nurseries. 

I love Horse Chestnut or Red Buckeye. I think this is Aesculus pavia
which is a smaller species--a large shrub rather than the more common 40 foot tall tree. 

My Podophyllum pleianthum was a no-show this year
which made me covet this one all the more. 

A gorgeous clump of Impatiens omeiana. 

I don't know what this is. It was growing in the grass.
Nicely sculptured isn't it? 

I hope you're not only enjoying your own garden, 

but having fun crashing other yards too.