What can we say? We are here because we love plants. You’re probably here because you love plants. We talk a lot about the plants we love, covet, admire, have watched grow happily in our gardens, tried and failed, the ups and downs of tending our own gardens and visiting others. It’s a happy place here, join us.
I'm on a color toot. After patrolling the garden to check, "dear-dog, do-I-have-to-water-again-today?", it occurred to me that my inside color inclinations are mimicking what's going on in the yard. Even though there's still plenty of hot headed our way, a couple of...
What's the point of having an opinion if you can't later circle 'round and contradict yourself? Exactly. So while I did write about the importance of using botanical names (here) I now want to give a shout out to the excellence of some common names, in this case...
I'm sure everyone is tired of my bellyaching about the weather, but come on weather gods, this is ridiculous. The biggest problem I see, besides the-whole-earth-is-in-trouble thing, is that it feels like late August, and we haven't even made it through July. The poor...
Big leaves, spiky leaves...my love for both is well documented. However, I'm also drawn to the tiniest of leaves and especially love them when seen in combination with the big ones. It's all about the contrast. Acacia dealbata and Paulownia tomentosa,...
Oh sure, there's a lot going wrong with this dog-forsaken weather. But there's also quite a bit going right. So today, I'm looking at the garden as half full. (Even if all the rage is warning us we're due for a 9.2 earthquake that will swallow up 700 miles of the...
If I had a dime for every time someone has pointed at my Hibiscus syriacus 'Red Heart' and asked “what’s that doing here”... I get it, I’m a foliage gardener, why did I plant a shrub that’s all about the flowers? Because it’s beautiful, because it looks tropical - but...
Someone has been adjusting the color in my garden. Several of my cherished dark burgundy and purple foliage plants have gone green. I am not happy with this development. Is it the heat? The relentless sun? Stop laughing! Yes I garden in Portland, Oregon but...
When I started my post last week, I meant to write about a trip to Cistus Nursery with Loree, intrepid Mistress of Danger Garden. But once I got on that Highway, there were so many other fascinating places to visit--at least in my fanciful imagination. So back to the...
My friend and fellow blogger Anna, who blogs at Flutter & Hum, has been posting a single photo, sometimes two, on Wednesdays under the theme "Wednesday Vignette." Anna's got a great eye for color and pattern, and these posts tend to display that gift. She's...
I mentioned Darcy Daniels last week as one of our areas many talented garden designers. Well, lucky us--members of the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon (HPSO)--Darcy held her garden open last week, giving fellow gardening enthusiasts an opportunity to ogle her collection...