Fox Fodder Farms

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Photo by Charley Damski

Have you noticed the light beginning to change? It's getting that painfully beautiful honey color. It feels different too--the sun still feels warm on the skin but there is an occasional chilly breeze blowing through. My toes have been cold. I am feeling nostalgic and a little melancholy. I haven't played any badminton this Summer. I haven't been swimming. I haven't eaten outdoors by candlelight. These things will have to wait until next year. 

This photo from floral designer Fox Fodder Farms perfectly captures my mood. A bouquet of Summer's last flowers and Winter's grasses, captured in that certain slant of light. I'm reminded to bring in more flowers and branches and grasses--bits of outside to savor inside.
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Garden Tour: Danger Garden

Monday, August 27, 2012


I can't tell you what a thrill it was to get to visit the garden of one of my home-town garden heroes, Loree Bohl of Danger Garden. Loree's stylish garden blog was one of the first I discovered and remains one of my eagerly awaited regular reads. I have since had the chance to meet her in person and on the hottest day of the year here in Portland got to have my own visit to her garden which she opened up for a group of us Oregon garden bloggers. Thank you Loree for a peek at your amazing world and for the cool cherries and kind hospitality!



*My photos really don't do this garden justice and I focused more on plants rather than the very impressive landscaping. Check out Loree's recent feature on Apartment Therapy and Loree's terrific blog for a better look.

Warning! The "danger" in Danger Garden is three-fold:
1. A blog full of sharp and prickly plants.
2. A blog with a bad case of zonal denial where plants are living on the edge of survival.
3. A blog full of plants so covetable that it will have you pulling out your credit card like Betty and Wilma on a shopping spree. Charge it!

Oh, and speaking of Plant Lust, Loree is co-founder of that wonderful site that helps you research and locate plants, especially the type that make your heart race fast--you know, the dangerous type.

Danger! Danger!

A delicious combo of "Sparkling Burgundy" Purple Pineapple Lily and Black Mondo Grass lines the walkway up to the house.

High Drama at High Noon. Loree has painted her house a dark chocolate brown which is the perfect backdrop for her plantings. So striking.

I believe this is the purple prickly pear cactus that I bought this Summer. Mine is just one small Mickey Mouse ear--can't wait until it grows up to look like Loree's.

I love Loree's thistles! Pretty sure this is
Eryngium giganteum 'Miss Wilmott's Ghost' which is one of my favorite plant names ever. The thistles looks almost better dead than alive.

Here's another one that really knocked my socks off--it's actually a rose (Wingthorn rose) with glowing red thorns that look like stained glass. Wicked.

Some charming, hanging succulent planters guide you towards the tropical paradise which awaits you in the back garden.

 It can get HOT with all those hot plants in The Danger Garden. You need a cool drink of blue here and there and Loree obliges. 

My latest plant crush. I can't remember the name--anyone lend a girl a hand? Isn't it incredible? As flat as a pancake and as intricate as a Spirograph design.

Another unidentified plant straight out of a Dr. Seuss book. 

One of many knock-out plant combinations. 

There are so many wonderful pots scattered around The Danger Garden. I won't divulge how many here, but trust me, this is not even the tip of the ice berg. I will tell you how many different varieties of agaves Loree has though. Are you sitting down? 58! Different varieties. I bow down.


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Inside, Outside

Saturday, August 18, 2012


I think I'm going to be having dreams about this London house for a long time. It has all my favorite things: Victorian palms, perfectly aged Vuitton trunks, a mash up of textiles from around the world, disco balls.


What it really has me thinking about though is the continuity of style (as beautifully mixed up as it it) from inside to outside. The same themes of Victoriana, exotica, and pop are carried outside to bamboo screens and intricate patinated wrought iron.

My own house is painted orange and yellow, colors which are repeated in my living room--I'd love to keep the plant conversation going too by having some ferns and palms that you see outside, inside as well.

How about you--are your tastes inside similar to your tastes in the garden? Do you make a conscious effort to relate the two spaces?






All photos via Shoot Factory

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The Dog Days

Friday, August 10, 2012


Happy Friday! It looks like it's going to be another warm weekend here in Portland. I'm going to hear a lecture this evening by a Cuban preservationist and professor. I'm excited--I hope there will be lots of photos of cool Cuban succulents and such.

My interest in gardening is at a low when it's this hot (Mugsy above, agrees these days are best for naps under the bamboo). I am, however, very excited about harvests. I have new potatoes with more on the way. 


And every day brings new tomatoes. This year my first tomato was Sungold on July 14th, closely followed by this Principe Borghese. 


I plan on hanging out here this weekend, drinking something cold and tasty, and listening to some old Cuban music to keep the theme going...


I might crack open this book which I have been saving for these dog days of Summer...


How about you? These last weekends of Summer feel so precious--how are you planning to spend your time?
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Do You Play The Tromboncino?

Wednesday, August 8, 2012


I mentioned in my last post that I was growing Tromboncino squash. This has been an experience, and the plants, I fear, are just getting going. Zucchetta Trombonico Ripicante (Chinese trumpet in Italian) is a pale green variety of zucchini with enormous leaves and huge, tropical-looking squash blossoms that grow fruit up to three feet long in fun curlycue shape (though, less so, when trellised like mine).

This would be a great plant to grow with kids, as what starts off looking like this...


Has transformed into THIS almost before your eyes...


I'm loving the comical shape of these but I am beginning to get worried about what I'm going to do with all this zucchini (I know, I know--a tale as old as time). The flesh is denser than other varieties of zucchini, with the seeds being concentrated in the bulbs at the end. I've heard that it has a subtle artichoke flavor, which regretfully  I haven't noticed as of yet. I've sauteed it and grilled it for antipasti (works great for that!). I hear it freezes well so I may try that for use in soups.

One other cool thing about this squash is that it gets a hard shell as it matures, allowing you to store it like a winter squash, with a flavor that is supposed to be like a butternut. I'll be in heaven if that's true!

Help? Any favorite zucchini recipes or preservation ideas for me?


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Community Garden Update

Monday, August 6, 2012



Back in May I wrote about my excitement for my new community garden plot and my fantasies to live the life of Alys Fowler. And then I forgot to mention it ever again, even though a LOT has been happening.

Initially I was regretful that my plot was in a new garden which felt sterile and lacking in character, unlike the wild, rambling established gardens around the city, but I'm over it. Our garden is bursting with character and every time I'm there, somebody walks by and stops to chat and tell me how much they love the new addition to the neighborhood and park.





In May we had a work party to spread gravel paths and build two raised garden beds. It was hard. I wore overalls and felt like a badass afterwards (a very sore badass).

Our planting began in mid June. I decided to focus on sun-lovers that I can't grow as well at home. I dreamed of canning my own tomatoes and saving $5.00 a week on Pomi. I also planted peppers including peperoncinis for pickling, Mexican sour gherkins, flowers, delicata squash, and tromboncino squash (more on that later). I toasted my new garden with a watermelon popsicle.



It was a lot of fun to wander around inspecting the other plots to see what people were growing. My fellow gardeners range from very experienced, to first timers. Some people are like me and have a garden at home but not enough room or sun to grow what they want, and some people live in apartments without any growing space. I love seeing how resourceful people get as with this cute use of bicycle wheels used as a pea trellis.


It is now the first week of August and we just experienced our first day over 100 degrees in three years. Those raised beds that we built now look like this...


And my once tame looking little corner has turned into this jungle...


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