Friday, October 3, 2008

My Visit with Iowa Boy

This is a first of my two October posts under
"2008 Summer Inspiration!"
(I have to do two of them, because I visited two special blogger-gardeners!)

On July 19, 2008, I was cordially welcomed into the gardens of Don (Iowa Boy) and his wife, Liz.
I was a little nervous... after all this is Iowa Boy of 'An Iowa Garden!'

"Be still my beating heart," I said to myself
as I turned into their driveway.
"I'm really here!"

I met two very gracious, generous people! We wound our way around, through shaded pathways, past so many of the plants we see on posts at An Iowa Garden!

Yes, I am always admiring (aren't we all)
and appreciating the vast variety
of plants and information Iowa Boy provides.

So, without further ado, here are some photos I took, albeit without much in the way of identification and/or explanation. Sorry.

1. Click on this photo... we're looking at the TINY plant!

2. Helleborus (variety?)
3.
4.
5.
6.
7. Pinellia tripartita "Golden Dragon ??
8.
9.
10. Orienpet lilies
11.
12.
13.14.
15.16.17.
18.
19.
What a wonderfully restful, shady garden. This was my first introduction to a fellow garden-blogger. I continue to be amazed by the vast numbers of plants and information there is in this world. In fact, about midway through the tour, I began feeling a bit overwhelmed. (If he noticed, Don was too polite to say anything!) ;-)

But his graciousness did not outweigh his generosity. Take a peek below to see a few of the items he sent home with me! I am so excited!! I placed links for plant information... the best information for the pinellia tripartita plants was posted by Don, himself.


Photo 21: Top Left: Pinellia tripartita "Golden Dragon," Top Right: "A violet," Bottom Left: arisaema sikokianum Japanese Jack-in-the-Pulpit or "Snow Rice-Cake Plant, and two others that are not in this photo: hemerocallis, daylily, "Total Look ," and Pinellia tripartita atropurpurea.

Heading home to Shady's Garden!
Here's the little violet in its new home.

Pinellia tripartita "Golden Dragon," up close
Pinellia tripartita "Golden Dragon," in its new home
Pinellia tripartita purpurea, up close
Pinellia tripartita purpurea, in its new home
arisaema sikokianum, Japanese Jack-in-the-Pulpit
(not a clear photo, but here's where he's residing!)

Here's hemerocallis "Total Look" in her new home.
She's grown! :-)

(I think Iowa Boy mentioned his plant had 60+ buds this year!)
Had I not begun blogging a year or so ago, I'd never have "met" so many people on-line. And I'd never have had the pleasure of reading and meeting Iowa Boy from An Iowa Garden!

Now I hope my plants grow!! :-)
Shady G.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

How lucky were you?? What a fabulous garden they have. I haven't ever visited "the Iowa garden" blog but I think I've been missing out. I'll have to head over ~ the garden looks spectacular, much more interesting than anything I've seen on my yearly garden tours! As I was scrolling thru your photos, I thought I saw a Jack-in-the-pulpit but I didn't think it could be ~ nice to know I wasn't crazy. Gardeners are so generous. I hope your new plants do equally well in your garden as in their former one.

Shady Gardener said...

Kathleen, You will enjoy visiting An Iowa Garden! And you did see Jack-in-the-pulpit! :-) Thanks for visiting. I hope you do one of these posts, too.

Mr. McGregor's Daughter said...

I'm so jealous you got to meet Don in person & see all those fabulous plants. If it were me, I would have brought a notebook & taken notes. He has so many unusual things. I bet you are going to love Arisamea skikoianum. I've been admiring them for a few years now. Enjoy your special new plants!

Gail said...

Shady,

It is so much fun to meet other gardeners and twice as much fun to meet a garden blogger! Thank you for a terrific tour and a look at your new plants!

Gail

Pat said...

Thanks for your visit and answering my questions.
You are a very kind person.
I know we spoke before but I guess I got lost in the mass of gardener bloggers I recently discovered so I haven't been back lately.
Short on time right now so I'll be back after work.
Thanks for adding me to your blog list. You're on my list now.

Shady Gardener said...

MMD, I thought about it (taking notes), but honestly! He has such an extensive garden... it really was fun just to "soak it in!" You will have to come to Iowa next Summer! We could work it out so you could visit both of us! :-)
(I am so excited about Each of the plants he shared!!!)

Gail, I'm glad you could get a bit of my perspective on this wonderful garden. I'll be posting about these plants in the Spring, won't I? ;-)

Patsi, I'm always glad to help. I know how dizzying it is to visit so many garden blogs, and it seems as though there are Many More all the time. I can't keep up at all... but I hope people help me out and can make some recommendations from time to time! :-) Visit any time!

Pat said...

I'm amazed that you found a fellow garden blogger close enough to visit and you got to bring home goodies also.
Now that's fun !!

Shady Gardener said...

Patsi, Not only one, but soon I'll be posting about the second one I visited! :-) And it Was Fun!!

Iowa Victory Gardener said...

Hi Shady,
Thanks for a larger look into IABoy's garden, which is a subject of much envy on my part. :-)

Looks like you made out like a bandit there, so good for you! One of these days I'd like to get an invite over there to see what he has, because I know of several things I'd really be interested in!

BTW, finally getting the Toad Lilies posted over at my place, slowly but surely....

Shady Gardener said...

Thanks for visiting, IVG! I "made out like a bandit" at Both places I visited this Summer! ;-) I have another post in the works... keep a watch out!

I'm glad you're getting your toad lilies posted! Looking forward! Are you feeling better??

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful, expansive tour we enjoyed, courtesy of your photos. I'm so glad we have more to anticipate, as your new adoptees flourish in your Iowa gardens./Deb

Shady Gardener said...

Hi Deb!! We'll assume they'll flourish! :-) And we'll look forward to next Spring!
Can you believe we're well into October already?? I have just a few more things to do outdoors... ha.

MrBrownThumb said...

How cool that you got to visit his garden. I've always wanted a tour of that garden. He has such cool plants.

Shady Gardener said...

Mr.BTH, I'm grateful not only that I was able to visit, but that he shares so much on his blog. :-) Thanks for visiting here! I'm going to have to see what you have in the way of advice on poinsettias as well as the amaryllis, again!

IBOY said...

Shady... I'm just getting caught up on things after being in Montreal for a week; the Pinellia tripartita in picture 7 is a different one... 'Dragon Tails'. It has that unusual bicolored leaf. Glad you enjoyed your visit; the garden is always open for folks to visit. I'm just getting ready to plant four different species of Asian jack in the pulpit seeds, so in a couple of years I'll hopefully have more of a variety to give away (I still have about thirty sikokianums).Also I want to get down to see your garden next year.
Don

Kylee Baumle said...

I just have one thing to say about this...okay, two things - First, what a great opportunity you had! Secondly, I'm SO jealous! Lucky you!

Shady Gardener said...

Kylee, hey... the only thing that might top this is a visit to YOUR garden! :-)

Kylee Baumle said...

Oh PLEASE! But hey, if you'd like to come for a visit, the garden gate is open! :-)