Gordon's Fireplace Shop was a Portland mainstay for years. Last April we learned it was closing and its huge building that sits at the corners of NE 33rd Ave, NE Broadway and looms over Interstate-84 had an uncertain future. It's a huge building (did I mention how big it is?) and the multi-paned windows inspire all sorts of interior design fantasies (at least in me). But, to Andrew's photo...
Notice anything? Anything green?...the shrub or tree (probably a Buddleia) growing on the corner is great...however the eye really wants to focus on the Verbascum to its right...
It's just so perfect! Weeds they are. We welcome them into our gardens as ornamentals but they really are destined to take over the west. They just need us pesky humans to go away first...
Weather Diary, July 11: Hi 79, Low 54/ Precip 0
Wednesday Vignettes are hosted by Anna at Flutter & Hum. All material © 2009-2017 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.
Hah! Yes, that Verbascum was what I noticed first. Love it.
ReplyDeleteThat Verbascum is literally over the top! I've seen Buddleia seeding itself onto church steeples in Ireland and the UK. It isn't so much of a pest here in Toronto. But who knows. That could change with climate.
ReplyDeleteThere was a vacant lot (now a high-scale grocery store and condos) I used to drive by daily that was nothing but a forest of Buddleia. It was a great reminder of how crazy they can get here, if allowed.
DeleteThe verbascum could not be more perfect.
ReplyDeleteAnd we thought that this vertical gardening thing was all new and trendy. Reminds me of the children's book, "Weeds Find A Way." Good eye, Andrew!
ReplyDeleteRight? Just taking natures ways to the extreme. And yes, he's a great plant spotter!
DeleteThis sight makes me feel hopeful. Even if foolish humans make the world inhospitable for their survival, I'm hoping that pockets of plants will repopulate the earth.
ReplyDeleteI have no doubt they will.
DeleteLike Kris, I see a reminder of how quickly life takes over after humans abandon a site. Still, way up there! That's pretty amazing.
ReplyDeleteA neighbor across the street planted a couple years ago (like over 10) it's babies babies are still randomly popping up...
DeleteReminds me of years ago; downtown, somewhere around second, third or fourth, and maybe pine, there used to be a brick building and several stories up was a birch tree growing out of the wall on the northside. Never did get a picture!
ReplyDeleteWow, that's impressive. Deserted building?
DeleteA chunk of the corner of the pediment fell off creating a nice slope to grow! A little bit of Detroit there! ;-D
ReplyDeleteHey, who you calling Detroit? (says all the Portland hipsters)
DeleteI'm always amazed at how little they need to thrive. I totally hear you on the windows... I hope someone had the sense to salvage them. On our end, I'm lamenting the old bowling alley on Interstate Ave. I wish they could have at least saved the cool sign. And definitely the floor... I was late to my own meme today - totally mixed up the days...
ReplyDeleteThat bowling alley was fabulous! We lived just off Rosa Parks on Detroit for our first year in PDX, drove by it all the time.
DeleteCool! Maybe in the end the plants will win after all.
ReplyDeleteThere's a 100 year old furniture store closing her in SoCal. The world is changing so much. Amazon is finally killing off Brick&Mortar. It just took longer than most people thought.
Do people buy furniture on Amazon? The fireplace store closed because the owners wanted to retire and couldn't find a buyer...
DeleteNot just anyone would sit in traffic and look up and around... good man to spot the "weed". I wish my verbascum looked so perfect. If this was Seattle, it would be a new high-rise apartment building.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure it will be, the same boom is happening here.
DeleteLove it! Have you ever read 'The World Without Us' by Alan Weisman? A scientist's look at how the earth would cover all our traces if we were to disappear tomorrow. Pretty fascinating. I think of that book every time I see something like this.
ReplyDelete