Visiting Iseli Nursery

I finally toured Iseli Nursery in Boring, Oregon. Back in 2020 I'd lined up all the necessary permissions (they're wholesale and not open to the public), but then horrible wildfires hit and the roads into the area were closed off, I never got around to rescheduling.

This is Iseli's 50th year in business. They're known for conifers, dwarf conifers, Japanese maples, and other ornamental trees and shrubs. I toured the display garden and production areas with Marketing Director Roby Babcock, he was very generous with his time, and made sure I saw all the different parts of the nursery. 

I've had a long standing crush on this one, Sciadopitys verticillata, Japanese umbrella pine.

A trio of Juniperus communis 'Compressa'. These are funny looking creatures who kind of reminded me of Heat Miser's hair.

Picea pungens Moonstone

Part of the "blues collection".

Arctostaphylos hookeri 'Buena Vista', Iseli is now growing arctostaphylos!

This oddity (on the far right) is an experiment in grafting, Pinus sylvestris ‘Glauca Nana’ meets Larix decidua ‘Pendula’, I won't lie, I rather like it.

Pinus koraiensis 'Blue Ball' 

Thuja occidentalis Primo

Close-up of the bronzed winter color...

I liked that odd character in the center, but didn't catch its name (Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Spiralis’, thanks Sentabi).

Agaves!

These were a pleasant surprise, Agave havardiana.

Cephalotaxus harringtonia 'Prostrata'

A long-term crush from when I first saw them during the Capital Region Garden Fling back in 2017.

I do love me some topiary! Picea glauca 'Conica'

I should have cleaned off the fallen needles before snapping this shot, the Cotoneaster microphyllus 'Cooperi' was a nice dense groundcover.

Cryptomeria japonica 'Spiralis' and a fine mossy rock.

Pinus parviflora 'Fubuki'

Another of the many amazing mossy rocks...

I mean seriously, how good is this!?

Pinus parviflora 'Koru'

Pinus strobus 'Louie'

Are you surprised to see me appreciating conifers? I know I am. Growing up in Eastern Washington, conifers were pretty much everywhere and usually the only evergreen in the landscape. Thus, since familiarity breeds contempt, I grew to dislike them. All of them. It's only recently that I've come to accept there are cool conifers, plants I appreciate even if I don't want to grow them (and honestly I'd be happy to grow that Pinus parviflora 'Koru' if I had the space!).

I love these planters...

You might be tempted to think the mondo grass was just brought in for planting in the display garden, but you would be wrong. Wait 'till you see one of the greenhouse shots.

Picea abies 'Cobra', OMG...

A vantage point out over some of the potted inventory and their pruned mobius strip.

Just a couple more shots in the display garden, of their marvelous trough planters.

A poster in the office showing growing time...

And then we were off to tour the production side of nursery, starting with the shipping area. Pretty impressive right? And since I didn't bring a drone with me to the tour, it's probably obvious that I borrowed this photo from Iseli's Instagram feed. Those big trucks, they're being loaded up bottom to top, front to back, with plants. 

These plants (or ones very similar)...

Where's all the action? Roby waited to start this part of the tour until folks were on lunch break, that way we wouldn't be in their way (I got to wear an orange vest though, just in case).

Here's one of the trucks being loaded up. 

Next stop, the greenhouses!

First the propagation area...

Woodwardia fimbriata

So many plant babies!

Just a couple more stops...I experienced major plant lust when we visited the Wollemia nobilis, which they are NOT currently selling. 

They're beefing up their stock levels before making these beauties available again.

Another rarity, Thuja plicata 'Haley Bop', I was told collectors go a little mad for this plant and I can see why.

Isn't it cute?

Finally, that black mondo I mentioned. Have you ever seen so much Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens' in one place? I had not. Thank you for the tour Roby!

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My second visit to Scott's Seattle garden

Today's post is my final garden visit from a trip up to the Seattle/Bellevue area in mid-September, subject: my friend Scott's garden. I first visited this garden back in 2021 (here), and while there have been changes in the three years since, not so many that the garden didn't feel familiar. 

I think I was better able to enjoy the garden this time because I knew the general layout, and (as Scott pointed out) the last time I visited I was still relearning how to walk after breaking my ankle and the resulting surgery. This is not a flat garden. Case in point, that steep staircase disappearing into the foliage.

There are shady bits, and sunny bits. Today we focus on the shade, and I'll warn you there are camera photos and phone photos mixed together, so the quality and color of the light is going to be a little random.

These first photos are all around the patio off the side of Scott's home.

Now we've climbed up one of the staircases to an upper level in the side garden. Scott built all of the retaining walls himself using tons of urbanite (aka recycled concrete).

I liked this simple rusty metal flower stake, we'll see more from the same Ukrainian company on Friday.

One of Scott's three (I think?) wollemi pines, Wollemia nobilis.

It makes beautiful compost!

Storage? Casual artwork? Things waiting to rust?

Looking down to the patio where we started this tour.

Mahonia some somebody. 

The dappled light makes it hard to see, but that's a comfy settee, should one have time to kick back for a bit.

There are many empty pots around the garden, Scott has suffered some plant tragedies these past few cold winters.

Puya! (I think)

There are so many containers throughout Scott's garden. He's a master at working them in so you don't really notice just how many there are.

You know I always hope to see a pyrrosia or two, I was not dissapointed.

Here Scott was reminding me that he purchased this bromeliad during our trip to Rare Plant Research back in (maybe) 2022.

Another comfy sit-spot...

Parablechnum cordatum / Blechnum chilense with a begonia.

What a bunch of shady goodness right there...

Rhododendron orbiculare, maybe...

This staircase is new since my last visit, and very very fabulous. Those trunks belong to Eriobotrya japonica (loquat), that Scott planted in front of his home for screening and privacy. He decided to limb them up, and then built a staircase right through the middle.

I love it.

Aren't the trunks wonderful? Such beautiful bark. I came home and cut a few more branches off my loquat, which isn't nearly this tall... but someday!

I think Scott said he planted this adiantum.

Sinopanax formosanus

We're almost around to the back of Scott's home now, where we'll end today's post. Here you see a palm trunk that's been through better times, but is starting to sprout some new growth.

Come back on Friday for a look at the sunny side of this inspiring garden.

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