What I Discovered At Viscaya: Social Plant Addiction

Stepped out of my car and into delight....

Do you live close to a nursery?  Do you just go to walk around and chill?  Have you ever considered that you may be addicted to plants?  Why do I ask that?  Because I love to go chill at the nursery.  For me it takes me to my "zone" where the rest of the world is allowed to evaporate for a while.  But I don't just do this sort of thing by myself all the time, I am probably more of a social plant addict myself, people are a big part of why I enjoy gardening so much.  Sort of like a social drinker only instead of the booze it's plants I share in the company of others.  Just ask my friend William if I'm right.  He is owner of Viscaya, a great little nursery near my home that I go visit probably once a week at least.

Yummy...I must get one for my garden too!

William and I seem to share this common bond of being social plant addicts.  Not just regular plant addicts but those who seem to enjoy sharing about what we love publicly.  He is even lucky enough to be a host of a garden show, Garden Time, that is broadcast locally here on television.  So he is sharing on a level I can only dream of and drool over.  (Oh dear, I think I may be a little jealous.)

Like all plant addicts we use Latin nomenclature more than common names, comment on plant anomalies as if it was a yummy dessert, swoon over the latest new thing, gushing as we share any new discoveries and enjoy trying to figure out plant related puzzles that we come across and often are asking questions about issues with plants we are growing. 

The human quotient is as large if not larger in our addiction though.  We could never be solitary plant addicts like some gardeners I have heard of. People make it even more fun for us.  We laugh about ourselves often too.  If we ever stop being able to laugh at ourselves please plan an intervention, we will be needing one.  But we laugh mostly because it is who we are and besides...being a social plant addict can be quite entertaining.  What a great way to have good time.  So how about you?  Social or solitary?

Speaking of laughing, today it was my turn to make William laugh.  But I want to take to peek at the nursery first. I'll you what made him laugh in a minute.  (See, I really am pathetically addicted.)

This is so unfair.  It's too gorgeous I want it all!
Chocolate cosmos and those leaves...fabulous!

What could be more perfect than a garden with a nursery sprinkled along the pathways?  Delightful and very approachable is what I have decided it is.  It is a very friendly place with spots to sit in the shade and even a table to sit at too.  In spite of the number of times I have visited Viscaya I always manage to come away inspired, either by new plants, new garden art ideas or by a lively conversation with William and his mom Roberta.  She's a peach too by the way and as friendly as the day is long.

Sweet nest and things hanging about.

Fountains and creative art pieces seem to be around every corner. Many William has created in homage to his heritage and others are just plain fun, but all of them are great examples of things we could replicate for our own gardens and that is something I really appreciate about his place.  The whole place is just friendly...just like William is.

Dicentra scandens in the serenity of the shade

With that being said I want to say William has become one of my favorite people and his momma Roberta is becoming a good friend too.  The thing I love most is that they really are my neighbors and though having Viscaya so close to my home may not be such a good thing for my pocket book, it is a great thing for my garden and our community which needs good friendly businesses like Viscaya to help infuse our area with new life.  But enough about all that...you have got to see what I spotted along the drive in.  You drive right past it so I lets going back along the driveway to see what's there. You'll miss some things around here if you don't look at what is at your feet too.

Velvety Stachys (Lamb's Ear) and Euphorbia
A beautiful pairing of textures

Like I need more inspiring me to buy plants, here at my feet was this Stachys and Euphorbia that made me coo.  I think I should take a video camera along sometime...I have no pride when it comes to adoring plants.  Oh just like when I spotted this pillar planter William put together.  I mean isn't it fabulous?!  This one is going on my list to reproduce for my garden.  Oh and like the planter below...I didn't even see it until I was walking back in from the driveway, walked right by it on the way out too.  See what I mean.

I absolutely love this one and see how simple!

Now back to that story I was going to tell you.  I was checking out the brick pillar planters that flank the entrance to one area just off the parking lot and saw these big fat luscious Nasturtium seeds and was considering making a snack of some of them. William had been doing some edging and stopped to answer a question I had about something.

Nice seeds ya got there!

"Nice Nasturtium seeds you got there." I say.  He burst out laughing, doubling over, and I almost blushed in my confusion.  I think I said something like, "What's so funny." and when he finally caught his breath and he explained through his laughter that my statement reminded him of how an addict sounds when they are talking about crack and isn't that funny how my comment sounded like that.  Really, it's that obvious? Well at least it's a delightful addiction, that's all I can say.

Unusual and beautiful Monk's Hood Vine (Aconite)

If  you are ever in Portland I recommend you take the time to pop in to visit Viscay and meet William and his momma and prepare to be tempted by the plants.  You may even get in a good laugh.

Happy Gardening!


Copyright © 2012 by Patty Hicks
All rights reserved. No part of this blog may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including printing, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review. All reviews must include author's name and a link back to this blog.

Weedy Wednesday: Plantain By Any Other Name Is Still A WEED!

When does a weed become a desirable plant?  It happens you know.  All it takes is some plant addicted person finding a weed that is sporting something unusual, like variegated or reddish leaves instead of just green and suddenly we find that plant marketed as the latest coolest thing and rocketing to garden stardom.  It will be found in magazines and in the gardens of plant collectors and addicts alike.  That is exactly where I found Plantago major 'Atropurpurea', AKA Purple leaf Plantain the first time I saw it, in a well thought of national gardening magazine.  I think every magazine featured it at one time or another.  Resistance was futile.

Early in the season in my good friend Rae's garden.

I remember when I first saw it in that photo, grown so perfectly, so lush looking, I moaned with desire.  At that moment it seemed all self control fell away and that feeling that I had to have that plant or I was gonna die came over me.  So the first chance I got I bought one for some ridiculous price.  Yes, I paid money for a weed! Then as luck would have it, somehow I managed to kill my designer weed!  Can you believe it!?!  Why doesn't common Plantain that grows everywhere in my garden die?  Why does it have to be the designer version that I PAID for!  As I've said before, Murphy, the one who wrote those laws, he works in my garden evidently.

Another cousin, Plantago lanceolata in the Hell strip at the end of the driveway.

Because this plant by nature is really no different than its weedy cousin, it will more than likely haunt the gardens of the future.  I knew this before I planted it but felt sure I would be able to control its bad habit and I made sure I gathered the seeds.  But I couldn't just throw them away!  Being a good plant addict I shared them with my gardening pals too.  I figured if I missed a few that was all right too because I'd have starts to share next year at plant swaps.  What was I thinking?  I shared weed seeds and plants with my buddies!!! Ugh...

Up close and playing well with others it seems to be so benign.

The American Indians have a name for Plantain...“White Man’s Footprint”.  They named it that because it grew where ever white men had been which gives us a HUGE clue as to how it spread across the country.  You think we would take note of such historic monikers but oh no, not us.  We plant addicts are an odd breed and because we/I distinguished it's progeny as desirable and even fashionable and usable in our gardens we ignore such neon warnings.  Its glory days are numbered though and it will be a fond memory for some of us and for others...just another weed.

This brings me to this thought; when it comes to plants, one man’s treasure is another man’s curse and so I can see quite easily how this designer weed will someday be added to the "plants of my ongoing suffering" list.  Just look at how history has proven that to be the case.  Will we ever learn...probably not, history says we are who we are and plant addicts are quite visible in every generation.  Well, at least I'm in good company.


Copyright © 2011 by Patty Hicks
All rights reserved. No part of this blog may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including printing, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review. All reviews must include author's name and a link back to this blog.

Seduced By Seeds

My favorite lettuce ever is no longer sold in the trade so I am sowing out what seed I have left for the specific purpose of saving seed to share with others and for fresh seed for my seed file.  My seed file is my personal seed bank...another geeky habit I have.  It tends to lean towards compulsion but with some restraint or as much restraint as I can muster in any given season and it’s girth ebbs and flows like the tides depending on how self controlled I am.
(pictured is my Bijou lettuce Baby!!!)

I have to really work at reigning myself in when it comes to seeds.  OK,I admit it!  I have a very hard time resisting the temptation to try the wonderful new or reintroduced varieties of seeds as I scan websites, catalogs and seed racks.  They all look so wonderful...so seductive...and I feel so hopeful when I read the descriptions and see the beautiful pictures of them in all their stunning glory.  I find food for hope that this year’s garden will be amazingly better than the last and in some small way even resemble those pictures.  And oh yes, hope springs eternal here...actually around here this time of year its more like a flood.  Every cell in my body reaches for those new varieties like a child reaching for sweets.

Because of this compulsion I have developed a series of questions that I have to ask myself before I dip into my pocket to purchase the seeds.  The old argument of "Oh, its only a couple dollars" or that fact the packet will produce plants far beyond the original cost of the seeds just isn't allowed...well most of the time anyway.  First...Do we need it...second...Will I use the food produced by it...and third...Will I hate myself if I miss out on getting this if I never see it again.

Today when I went out to shoot these pictures I realized that there is a mustard, or should I say mustards that are a good example of something I bought to sooth that grasping child in me.  I just had to have "BOTH" varieties...they were so cool sounding!  Red Streaks and Gold Streaks mustard.  I already grow Mizuna which we totally love but I love playing with color and texture in my garden and if its prettier and we can still eat it I can fall quickly into temptation. (Pictured here are the mustards...hmmm...maybe I can forgive myself for this one.)

So what are you growing this year?  What is your favorite lettuce variety?  What one variety can't you find anywhere that you would die to have again?  For me, hands down it would be my Bijou lettuce.  I have a list of reasons why too...color, form, taste, resists bitterness and holds its color.  Why the seedlings from last year even wintered over and tell me, are they not GORGEOUS!  It makes my mouth water just looking at it!  (This picture is of Bijou lettuce in all its glory)

In reality, unless God blesses the seeds I sow, this could be the last year I am able to grow my Bijou lettuce at all.  If it is the very last, I will be thankful for all the years I've been able to grow it and sad for its passing by the way of the Dodo bird.  All good things must come to and end...I'm just hoping the end for Bijou will not be in my lifetime.

Copyright © 2010 by Patty Hicks

All rights reserved. No part of this blog may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including printing, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review. All reviews must include author's name and a link back to this blog.