A gardener's wish list of styles, all in one Portland garden

Last month's Garden Bloggers Fling in Portland offered something for everyone.  There were many different gardens, ranging from cottage style to tropical.

The Old Germantown Gardens found its way onto my favorites list because it was one-stop shopping.  (Well, not literally shopping, though we did a lot of that on the Fling, too. ) Winding paths, perennial beds, a rock garden, ponds, a dry hillside garden, tropical plants and a collection of seating areas were scattered about the 2-acre property. A mere 23 years in the making, the gardeners brought the design and their plant collections together beautifully.
 The vista from the front of the house beckons you into the garden.

 Winding paths entice you into the diverse gardens and vignettes.
In spite of the broad swaths of color and texture and form, stunning individual blooms reached out to me in many places throughout this garden.

Something new and unique waited around every corner and down each path.

Ah, a lovely place to rest and enjoy the garden.
 But I didn't dally here - too much more to see!
The woodland garden was a treat for me - the cool, shady path provided a welcome relief from the hot sun and in Austin, Texas, a garden like this is rare.
 I'm always delighted by the conifers in the Pacific Northwest.
 
Another path leading to more garden goodies.
I saw these plants in the nursery in Portland and on someone's blog post.  The color combination absolutely wowed me. 

And there were daylilies everywhere.  Tall daylilies, short daylilies, bright daylilies, pale daylilies.

Then there was a drier garden, fille with plants that I recognized.
And some tropical colors started appearing in the garden.
Doesn't everyone need a waterfountain in the middle of the garden for a refreshing drink while you are weeding?!
Ah - Eucomis - I have one at home and bought one at the nursery the previous night.  Love them.
And another familiar sight - cacti with beautiful blooms.

 And then there were the real tropicals - love these hot, popping colors.

 And a greenhouse full of special plants.

It was a delightful garden with so much to see and enjoy.  The best kind of garden for a tour - one in which every path leads to a new garden adventure.


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