Think back to the first time you saw a Hamamelis (witch-hazel) in bloom. Did you think "wow, that's beautiful!" or were your thoughts more along the lines of "what's that freaky thing?" Don't get me wrong, I love them, but they are rather bizarre, like colorful...
When Megan was about eight, I used the "time flies" line on her. She kindly informed me that it does indeed--because each passing year becomes a smaller percentage of your life. Hmmph. Thanks, kid. There's good news on the time business: we're quickly winging our way...
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...
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....
Oh, October. So dreamy, with the leaves all ablaze. And over much too quickly. If there's one month where I'd like to press pause and enjoy it a little longer, it's October. Second best to being able to freeze time is planting more of this stuff at home, so there's...
Writing for two blogs (this one and my personal blog, danger garden) it's sometimes hard to decide where to post certain stories. In early September I had the pleasure of visiting Gossler Farms Nursery and accordingly took a gazillion photos. When I finally started...
Occasionally, Xera Plants in Portland hosts a plant sale from Gossler Farms, which means we get to shop two excellent nurseries at once. Gossler Farms is worth the trip, but it's a two hour trek from Portland, so I don't get over there as often as I might like. It's...
Every garden needs some big-ass leaves. Who couldn't use a little big-leaf eye candy to kick off the short work week? Tetrapanax 'Steroidal Giant' is kicking off the parade up top. The Plume Poppies are really bringing it this year. A Rodgersia podophylla at a garden...
"Sometimes I believe in as many as six impossible things before breakfast." Alice Oh my goodness. I thought I was way out in front of gardening season this year. And now it's already Hortlandia time. Oh sure, I've got it on my calendar, but I also thought today was...
Xera Plants' small retail shop in Southeast Portland is always good for an armload of fabulous plants, but last weekend was double worth the trip since Roger Gossler of Gossler Farms was in town with a truckload of newly leafed out beauties, saving me the two hour...