My move to Oregon, back in 2004, coincided with my (now) husband and I becoming engaged. To celebrate the news his Aunt and Uncle took us on a wine tasting adventure through Oregon wine country and as a wedding gift assembled a mixed case made from our favorites. That...
Plants: Articles from The Editorial Side
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.
Plants in shiny containers add punch
Headed for a dental appointment (and late as usual) I passed by this collection of galvanized metal containers planted up with an interesting assortment of things. As luck would have it my appointment was quick and I had time to stop and take photos before the light...
operation outsmart the cats
I'm spending an inordinate amount of time trying to outsmart my cats. Oh sure, I expected them to be sorta naughty, but dear dang dog, Mister Kitty especially is H-O-R-R-I-B-L-E, and that's with the French pronunciation. He's not mean horrible, mind you, but super...
Autumn abundance
No, I’m not talking about the harvest. For most of us autumn means an abundance of falling leaves. Leaves you rake, leaves you use the blower on, and then there are these. These you simply pick up by their stems, almost like you’re collecting a wildflower bouquet. I...
getting plants planted, or not
Does anyone else get nervous when November rolls around. In theory, I love the going-into-winter season. But it seems once we hit that 1st day in November, the rest of it comes thundering through faster than you can shake a hot toddy at it. That doesn't even...
More from a beautiful autumn
There appear to be a few reoccurring themes on this blog, and in my gardening life. First up..."never say never" - just because you've not cared for a particular plant doesn't mean you won't find yourself falling for it's charms someday. Megan recently admitted to...
a grand weekend out 2: Gossler Farms
It's taken me a while to get that I'm challenged when trying to talk, observe, and photograph in unison. This is not entirely new to my, uhm, imaginative brain style. But since my concussion, I'm further along on the continuum. Recently, one of my brain therapist...
Damn, I wish I’d planted that
To the best of my knowledge, there's no rule against coveting thy neighbor's plants. So I've been cruising this garden regularly ever since I spied pomegranates along the path last winter. I was kind of dying to know what was inside. The fruits are smaller than the...
a grand weekend out: the Willamette Valley
Every time I take the drive south from Portland on Interstate 5, I'm reminded in living technicolor, that I really do live in the Willamette Valley. You see vast stretches of pastureland, mountains, sheep with requisite guard Llama--and a veritable menagerie of birds....
A luxurious carpet
I happened upon this cheery scene while out on a neighborhood walk a few weeks ago. An intensely planted front yard stood in stark contrast to the dead dormant lawns surrounding it. At first glance it's not exactly my planting style, with it's colorful floral display,...