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All I want for Christmas is a trip to California, aka reviewing The...
I had written a glowing, if rather dry, review of Donald Olson's new book The California Garden Tour and scheduled it to post today. Then late yesterday afternoon I learned of Ruth Bancroft's passing...
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Wednesday Vignette: Leroy Setziol — stop, appreciate
I'm pretty sure I've walked by this huge installation wall, at the Schoolhouse Electric Showroom here in Portland, multiple times, yet I've never actually stopped to appreciate it. A slow tour with...
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North to Anderson School! (part one)
Yes, you've probably figured out I am a huge fan of McMenamins restaurants and hotels for the outstanding gardens around their properties. Instead of lawn and foundation plantings they spend money on...
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North to Anderson School! (part two)
Yesterday's post was a (very) detailed look at just one part of the McMenamins Anderson School gardens. Today I share photos from the rest of the campus...And a campus it really is, since the facility...
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It's holiday wreath season!
My friend, and fellow blogger, Ann (aka the Amateur Bot-ann-ist) organized a wreath making party over Thanksgiving weekend, several of us showed up and brought cuttings. The wonderful thing about...
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One to watch...
I passed this "in process" garden a couple of weeks ago and snapped a few photos, vowing to keep an eye on how it develops. There are many interesting details that I'm sure will explain themselves over...
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Wednesday Vignette, life on a stump
Although it's hard to tell, the subject of the photo below — and thus my Wednesday Vignette — is a stump. It's the stump of a once giant Photinia that grew between our driveway and the neighboring...
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Getting ready for winter, Part Four of Four... (finished unless an arctic...
We've had such a mild autumn that my winterizing series has stretched on much longer than I intended it to. Currently a period of dry, sunny, days is upon us, which means we're looking at the...
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A gift idea and a giveaway, membership in the Pacific Horticulture Society!
It's that time of year, lists of gifts suitable for gardeners are popping up everywhere. I'm going to make it simple though and focus on just one idea... give the gift of membership in the Pacific...
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danger garden Christmas — 2017-style
You guys, I finally did it! I've been tossing around the idea of a cactus Christmas tree ever since I saw this image way back in (maybe) 2014. This was the finally the year...It's kinda crazy but all...
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My Opuntia Christmas tree, how I did it
Yesterday I shared photos of my finished Opuntia Christmas tree, today I'll show you what's underneath. I started with a small tomato cage and some chicken wire. This wasn't the fist time I used a...
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Wednesday Vignette: you know that's a $6,000 tree (and the winner of the PHS...
This pile of mossy, twisting branches is my Wednesday Vignette. And yes...my patio really is that covered with conifer needles. That's winter in my garden thanks to the neighbor's trees and the...
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A pony adventure, to the Bishop's Close
I've probably mentioned it before, but our dog Lila has a few nicknames, the one that gets used most often is Pony. As in "I've always wanted a pony and now I have one." Back when she could hear, the...
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December Bloomday, 2017
Here we are, the last Bloomday of the year. Even though this has been a very mild season here in Portland I find myself thinking of the things lost last winter — blooms I miss, and I'm sure the...
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In a Vase on Monday: flowers and vases and blooms — this time of the year I...
The holiday season is all about abundance. Lights and ornaments and gifts and cookies and parties, and, and...and. I take this as my queue to indulge in flowers and foliage. More, more, more!Ever since...
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Agaves with rope fringe, that's something you don't see everyday
I've still got things to share from the Washington D.C. area Garden Bloggers Fling last June. I started editing my photos from the U.S. Botanic Garden, and realized these images from the Children's...
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Wednesday Vignette, I don't know if I should be happy or sad
I've got to admit it's been awhile since I've spent any time in the shopping district of downtown Portland. Last week I was there, buying an anniversary gift for Andrew (#13 last Monday!), and I walked...
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Visiting the United States Botanic Garden
The US Botanic Garden was my last stop on The National Mall, after a long, hot, humid day spent touring gardens in Washington DC last June. Even though I was low on energy and high on cantankerous...
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December 22, it's officially winter now
It rarely happens like this here in Portland, Oregon. Winter holding off until it's officially winter. In my experience (13 years here), winter usually comes to Portland in late November, or sometime...
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Happiest of Holidays....
And if you aren't a celebrator of Christmas then I wish you a wonderful day and the best of whatever holiday you do celebrate. Cheers!Weather Diary, Dec 24: Hi 35, Low 28/ Precip .25" (a mix of snow...
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