Loree’s Danger Garden was another outstanding spot we got to see during the Garden Bloggers Fling in Portland last July. The name comes from Loree’s attraction to pointy, spiny plants. Danger Garden is planted in a style vastly different from my own, and yet I could see its creativity, elegance, and visual power. A number …
Floramagoria, a private Portland garden I discussed in the last post, has a lot of stuff that can make you smile, even giggle. But this garden is not all giggles, no. It is a seriously gorgeous garden. The front garden is quite attractive, in a restrained sort of way. It gives you no clue of …
Let me start with a few acknowledgments. First, I know almost nothing about succulent plants. However, this does not prevent me from exercising my rights as an American to have opinions about them. These opinions may not be based on fact. However, I feel that they are true. Therefore, while they may not be accurate, …
And now for the saga of the nomadic Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum). Today I dug out a slice of turf along a corner of the Sidewalk Border in order to create a sunny spot for said switchgrass, which had already been moved once. Digging up grass is one of my favorite garden chores. I use an …
For the last seven years or so, we have not had a patio. The old patio disappeared when we rebuilt an expanded back porch. Since then, we’ve been keeping our limited collection of outdoor furniture on the grass. This had several disadvantages. First, heavier members of our family (I mention no names) would find themselves …
The Left Bank – the bed that lies west of the driveway between the crabapple and the sidewalk – has been born anew. The last three weeks I’ve hardly gotten into the garden at all, but yesterday I spent a good six hours digging out the old and planting the new. You may recall how …
The Left Bank is my new name for the sunny garden bed that is west of the driveway, between the crabapple and the sidewalk. I like the name, but at the moment the garden looks like a collection of green lumps. My intent with this garden was to prove that I was capable of planting …
With high summer comes a new cast of players in the front garden’s Driveway Border. There are many stars in the border, and it is gratifying to see them strut their stuff. At the far end, anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) comes to center stage. I’ve already written about the virtues of this plant, but let …
So you have to be careful about what you say to Judy. One day I casually mention that people really liked her overview shots of the garden and maybe she should do more of those. Next thing you know, she’s sitting on a windowsill on the second story of our house, both feet dangling over …
The first garden we visited as part of the 2014 Garden Bloggers’ Fling was Lan Su, located in Portland’s Chinatown. According to its website, Lan Su is the most authentic Chinese garden outside of China. It was created in the style of a Ming Dynasty “Scholar’s Garden” by craftsmen from Portland’s Chinese sister city of …
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