Garden Visits - what inspires you!

[Hoy]

I used to be more of a tree and shrub man myself, but one can only grow so many of these "space hogs" in a half acre lot (and at my parents' home).  I tried Pterostyrax hispida, but it didn't survive my cold winter, even as a "herbaceous" die back plant, like Paulonia does.  While I still have many unusual woody materials (at least for my climate), I've branched out into alpines, unusual perennials, and species lilies and iris.  They take up a lot less room.  Impatiens omeiana has been on my seed wish list for a while now.

I still am a tree and shrub man but have been sustained with firewood in 25 years! Some of the trees I planted have achieved great proportions.

Rick, my Impatiens omeiana never has time to mature seeds before heavy frosts but I can send you rhizomes if that is possible?

[RickR]

Thanks for the offer, Trond, but I do believe there is good reason for quarantines and customs with plant materials, and I feel better that I follow them.  Seeds are more safe.  There are myriads of things on my wish list, as well as my have list that keep me very busy.  If I grew them all, I would have to quit my job to care for them!  So outside the U.S.A., I don't give or receive anything except seed.

[Hoy]

Thanks for the offer, Trond, but I do believe there is good reason for quarantines and customs with plant materials, and I feel better that I follow them.  Seeds are more safe.  There are myriads of things on my wish list, as well as my have list that keep me very busy.  If I grew them all, I would have to quit my job to care for them!  So outside the U.S.A., I don't give or receive anything except seed.

That's very reasonable!

[Lori S.]

What inspires me?  This beautifully designed and executed crevice-style rock garden, for one!  Here are a few photos from a truly spectacular and world-renown garden, that of Stephanie and Dave Ferguson here in Calgary... These photos will mostly be just for visual enjoyment... not too many plant names (when I have visited, I have simply been too busy poring over every inch to to spend much time scribbling down plant names!  ... and there are thousands of species so where to start?  )
This is a mix of photos from mid May and late June.   I have been meaning to add these to this thread for some time, and perhaps Todd will add his much better photos (complete with carefully-noted plant names!) when he gets a chance...


Rosulate violas(!!):
 

     
Douglasia nivalis:
 

Among the many cacti, South American Maihuenia spp.:
 

[Lori S.]

More of the most extraordinary things!
Ajuga pyramidalis; Pyrethrum leontopodium; Daphne velenovskyi:
   

Spring saxifrages, S. oppositifolia:
     



Among the many paintbrush spp., propagated and planted with Townsendia "hosts", Castilleja integra(?):


Lilium lophophorum:

[Howey]

What lovely photographs Lori.  Another reason I must visit Calgary and see this fabulous garden.  The yellow lily is quite different from most lilies I have seen - both the leaves and the flower - was it in "full flower" or was it sort of opening up or perhaps starting to close down?  Fran

[RickR]

I was marveling at the Ferguson's rock work in your pics in the other recent thread, Lori.  Except for pics of one garden in the Czech Republic, I've never seen better crevice work.

That superbly grown Pyrethrum leontopodium would look all moldy to the normal gardener...  I'm glad I am not normal!

The American Maihuenia sp. is wonderful.  I haven't been able to get the seed to germinate, although I have pretty good luck with other cacti seed.

That is a to-die-for lily!
Fran, the "best" forms of Lilium lophophorum  do not open completely, and the petals do not detach at the tips (as shown).  I might add that that one is a fully mature and excellently grown specimen; they never produce more than one flower, and are often mishapen in regards to grace and symmetry.   I didn't realize the species also had undulating foliage, too.  I have a couple young ones languishing in my garden, and I assumed the "deformed" leaves were just due to the relatively poor environment I have for them, but maybe not (?!)  They always go dormant very early, and I'll be moving them this summer.

[Lori S.]

That superbly grown Pyrethrum leontopodium would look all moldy to the normal gardener...  I'm glad I am not normal!

I think in the "normal" garden, it would indeed be moldy!    For the brief period until it expired, anyway...  
I love to see furry plants like this!

[Lori S.]

A few more:
Aethionema oppositifolia; Pulsatilla vernalis; various cacti:
     

A couple of fabulous peas:
 

Eriogonum ovalifolium, locally-native form:

[Lori S.]

And...
Salvia dorrii; Physoplexis comosa (well, formerly Phyteuma, anyway!); a spectacular and imposing primula labelled as Primula maximowiczii (x2 - very puzzling, as what I grew under this name was quite different!); a very intriguing Saussurea sp.:
         

The variety of fascinating plants, and the beautiful design, workmanship and scale of the whole venture (the front yard crevice bed alone is, my guess, ~90' x 30'??) are mindboggling!  

[Toole]

Wow !!!!!! Lori

It's the sort of garden i often dream about at night.......

If i only had the space, the slope,an open sunny exposure and maybe winter snow cover ,(or at least less year round moisture), it's the type of project i would attempt myself.

My congratulations to the owners and thanks for posting.

Cheers Dave.

[Tim Ingram]

What a fantastic garden Lori! Alan Furness's garden in Northumberland is the only one I know where the plants look so natural, and unfortunately I only have slides. Not so many people in the UK devote themselves so much to growing alpines in the garden in this way, but I think a few more might do after seeing those photos. The eriogonum is delicious!!

[David Sellars]

It's true that there are very few gardens focused on growing alpines in a natural environment.  These are fabulous photos Lori and the garden is a real inspiration.  Stephanie Ferguson gave a talk on developing her garden at the WWSW on Vancouver Island last February and it was an outstanding presentation.  I particularly like your photo of Douglasia nivalis. It looks just like plants I have seen in the Wenatchee Mountains.

[Booker]

Lori,
I am enjoying these magnificent cameos immensely from the comfort of our chalet room high above the Campolongo Pass here in the majestic Dolomites. An enormous electric storm is passing through the mountains and life giving rain is filling the streams and gullys.
We have spent the day walking across screes and boulder fields where alpine plants survive and thrive in much the same way that they do in this inspirational garden that you so kindly illustrate.  Many thanks to you and the heartiest of congratulations to Stephanie on her marvelous creation.

[deesen]

Oh my! What a cracking garden. If only I had the skill; the rocks; the artistic ability; the plants; oh!, and the time. Thanks for posting Lori.