You may have heard that we got an unusual bit of snow here in the Pacific Northwest. This is a rare event, and many of us have no idea what to expect in the aftermath. There are a couple opinion camps on snow itself. Those who abhor it--they've often moved here from...
Last week, I tried to tell the story of our new paths and patio. In truth, I got a little sidetracked. And then there's the pesky issue of the snaps. For Pete's sake: how do people get photos that do not include hoses, buckets, and tools dropped in their tracks? Not...
I love getting into other people's gardens. And when the gardener is also a professional designer, it's an extra dose of fun. This weekend, Vanessa Nagel-Gardner opened her personal as part of the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon Open Gardens 2016. It's a terrific...
Flower or seed head: debating which I like more. As you can see, it's a tough choice. Right now I've got Cirsium occidentale planted next to Echium wildpretii, a happy accident, aka a place where I could still see dirt. I've got a feeling both plants will have seeded...
I've been lying. Many a time, I have said, "pppffffftttttt, flowers, they don't do much for me. I like leaves!" And what am I doing now? Screeching to a stop to go photograph and pet the blooms on the grasses. Nothing makes me lament my shady lot quite as much as...
The big winter weather joke around the Pacific Northwest is a forecast calling for "snow on the valley floor." That's the Willamette Valley we talking about, and we hardly ever get snow, at least on the northern end. Those of us who grew up here are always rooting for...
Just a bit over a year ago, I had the vision of someday removing the giant swath of Juniper we inherited with our Flamingo Park House. The "Sea of Juniper" was some 12' wide and 40' long. Apparently, back in the 60s and 70s, people got the notion that mass planting...