Author Archives: Denise

Fuchsietum makes strong case for hardy fuchsias

Posted on September 23, 2026 by Denise

Theo Margelony moved with his fuchsias from Manhattan to Portland in 2019. Knowledgeable, warm and very friendly, I have bumped into Theo and his partner Kevin Gepford  a couple times on garden tours. Knowing there’d be a warm welcome at … Continue reading →

Posted in garden visit, Oregon garden | 7 Comments

green wall at SF MOMA

Posted on September 14, 2026 by Denise

San Francisco’s Museum of Modern Art’s exhibit “Matisse’s Femme au chapeau: A Modern Scandal” is closing September 27, 2026. I visited in July and was thrilled to be immersed in a world where an artistic revolution mattered to artists and … Continue reading →

Posted in artists, clippings, garden travel, journal | 7 Comments

clippings 9/9/26

Posted on September 9, 2026 by Denise

Rumex sanguineous, the bloody dock, which I love saying and writing, has been flawless all summer. Which is gratifying because, as an edible, I assumed my battalions of snails and slugs would have made lacework of it. Apparently not to … Continue reading →

Posted in clippings, Oregon garden | 6 Comments

Dairy Creek Meadows June 2026

Posted on September 7, 2026 by Denise

A couple of the gardens I’ve visited through the HPSO Open Gardens program this summer involved the owners’ experimenting with a naturalistic planting style as they gained more space to garden. Sometimes called the New Naturalism or the New Perennial … Continue reading →

Posted in design, garden visit, Oregon garden | 7 Comments

Sean Hogan at Western Hills 9/25/26

Posted on September 3, 2026 by Denise

Visiting Cistus Nursery over the summer, I was struck how walking its paths was so reminiscent of visiting Western Hills, a Northern California garden and nursery founded by Lester Hawkins and Marshall Olbrich in 1959, and which I visited regularly … Continue reading →

Posted in garden travel, plant nurseries, plant sales | 6 Comments

last weekend of August garden touring

Posted on August 31, 2026 by Denise

I attended a couple HPSO Open Garden tours last weekend, one close to home in Manzanita on Sunday, and the other on Saturday about 60 miles east. From the first garden visit on Saturday I took home only plants, no … Continue reading →

Posted in garden visit, journal, Oregon garden, pots and containers | 5 Comments

clippings 8/23/26

Posted on August 23, 2026 by Denise

I checked out the local dahlia grower’s fields yesterday, but it’s still very early for much of a show. In local gardens around town, dahlias left in the ground have been up and blooming for a couple months. The grower … Continue reading →

Posted in clippings, cut flowers, journal, Oregon garden | 5 Comments

the view mid-August

Posted on August 18, 2026 by Denise

Here’s the view of the Oregon Coast back garden through the sliding doors, a view I look at a lot. Like both my gardens, it’s small and densely planted. It’s still exciting to throw back the curtains every morning and … Continue reading →

Posted in journal, Oregon garden | 6 Comments

more San Francisco Botanical Garden in July

Posted on August 7, 2026 by Denise

It’s Friday. We’ve been up to our eyeballs in weird all week. How about a walk through the San Francisco Botanical Garden? At the southern entrance was a searing melange of annuals that was repeated beyond the gates throughout the … Continue reading →

Posted in garden travel, garden visit | 5 Comments

crocosmias and smoky skies

Posted on August 4, 2026 by Denise

Crocosmias bring a freshness to August, particularly in the early bud stages when the whole plant embodies something plump and juicy. Looking at them gives me a craving for nectarines. But we’ve all seen them at their worst, in overgrown, … Continue reading →

Posted in climate, Oregon garden, Plant Portraits | 5 Comments