Sunday, 13 July 2014
Garden Bloggers Fling, Portland
Allan at Bella Madrona
I couldn’t get down the steep hills into the lower gardens of Bella Madrona. Since Allan had been there once before, long ago, probably in 2006, he went all over the garden while I happily revisited only the upper levels.
at the entrance to the service road
He found the little koi pond
and the brown bottle tree.
and the stream under stones
and the chain on the rock.
Eryngium giganteum
Allan says a lot of bloggers were admiring this tree, which was about 30 feet high.
He thinks we don’t have room for it, but maybe Steve and John do.
He took this note of the name. (??)
lights on the trees
bears breeches
Allan also found this fellow.
After his exploration of the artistically rich gardens between the service road and the central lawn, Allan found the woodland swing.
bus driver Andy on the swing
Andy helps set Barbara up with the swing.
Barbara’s blog: BWise Gardening (Nashville)
and her trailer about the Bloggers Fling
And then he began his descent into the mysterious depths of Bella Madrona.
the wild edge of the hill
down into the wilderness
I remember this!
further down and farther in
There’s my favourite bus driver again.
by the bog
lower meadow
the gnome woods
Andy in the gnome woods
fungi
disturbing! No wonder gnomes can have a bad name.
Although some appear to be nice.
way down the hill in the bog
danger tree?
Allan did not get totally lost in the strange lower regions of Bella Madrona; eventually he did return to the more civilized upper levels and joined us for dinner and took a walk around the house to see the blue bottle tree.
For a more organized tour of Bella Madrona, see my visit in 2011.
And thus we come to the end of the Garden Bloggers Fling. Next year, it will be in Toronto. I very much doubt we will make that one….but maybe you will.
Tangly Cottage Gardening 