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Monday, August 1, 2011

Native Habitat Nursery

Recently the head hillbilly and I took advantage of an open garden tour in our area. We freshened up after an afternoon of working around the place, grabbed our favorite coffee on the way and prepared to be inspired.

I have to face it. The fact that I have happy danced over the proverbial hill and find myself a bit more fatigued after a day in the garden has made me realize that those exuberant blossomed filled gardens, the staple of my younger years desire, have become a bit much. And I hate to admit it dadgum it!

At Native Habitat Nursery located in the rural outskirts of Dayton, Oregon, we meandered among hardy Northwest native specimens. Those wonderful shrubs, trees and ground covers that flourish in our rainy Pacific Northwest and are changing the way I see my garden in the coming years. A prelude to our tour was passing through this delightful entry. A garden gate made of a hodge podge of recycled garden tools and farm cast offs. Even the latch. Sweet.



We strolled, coffees and camera in hand, along pebbled pathways that wandered around the nursery through groupings of plants, and past some of my favorites like paper birch and mock orange.





Here and there interesting features abounded like this vintage grinding stone, and arched welded arbor of old iron fencing with free flowing bends and rusty chain.













The proprietors specialize not only in Northwest natives but also Bonsai, Niwaki, and original water features.





This fellow brought his own colorful contribution to the garden. His intermittent proud calls permeated the softer sounds of life in the garden.


I loved the wooden light fixtures that fit so naturally in the landscape.



The profuse and defining line of purple creeping thyme adds a bit of color to the gray stones, pavers and wood accents of a terrace. Love it.


~ Summer Blessings ~

2 comments:

C-ingspots said...

Ooh that looks like a fun day! I love that gate!! Why can't I get so creative? I did see something in a magazine that I'd love to try - a living wall hanging with succulents. So beautiful! I thought of you and sharing a bottle of wine on a summer afternoon...sound good? When do you visit your sis??

Julie Wallbridge (feminist farmer's wife) said...

The garden was lovely - the gate so inspiring - what a beautifully natural little spot. But I have to admit I was most drawn by the constant vision of this whole trek happening with you and your fella, coffee in hand. Sounds like you could have taken a trip to the local dump and had the same amount of fun. Why? Because the company and the coffee sound just right to me.