I’ve long had mixed feelings about mums that suddenly pop up at grocery stores in the Fall, looking like outsize flower mushrooms. I’ve tried not to be a stick-in-the-mud, but they're just so loud and unnatural looking. However, a few years ago I happened upon some...
For pros and those of you with big landscaping projects, this is our current listing of plants available in large quantities. We have listed plants with 50 or more available, along with their sizes in this handy cheat sheet for convenient skimming. You can also head...
I bought this little Magnolia maudiae two seasons ago. It was fresh and lovely at Xera Nursery. How could I resist? There was just one, and I snatched it up. Of course, I always buy first and think about where to plant second. I'm sure I'm in good company on...
When we first heard the forecast, Bill lamented not having Champagne in stock. It's a tradition. We watched the first flurries from our toasty living room. It was no blizzard, but lovely just the same. Bill started a fire. The dog slept. We ate lunch on the sofa and...
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...
I've got it. How about you? What's are you pining for? My problem is remembering what I want in the face of so many temptations when I actually do make it to the nursery. I'm dazzled by the abundance. And, of course, the pesky brain injury, blah blah, no help there...
Last week I meant to get around to the topic of plants that are still looking good in there garden. Of course, if you avoid going outside because of pesky record rainfall, tornadoes and stuff, you'd never know. We've had day after day of 2-3 inch rain, followed by...
Happy September! This is my absolute favorite month. All the big leaved plants are peaking. Trees and shrubs start pushing new growth. The weather gets more cooperative for digging, moving, planting. And we're bathed in golden diffused sunlight at the end of each day....
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...
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...