Author Archives: Denise

Billie in the snow

Posted on March 15, 2023 by Denise

February was not just about prettily frosted plants. Later in the month the garden was buried in almost a foot of snow. Unheard of amounts of snow, I’m told! Schools and city hall closed for a couple days, and the … Continue reading →

Posted in journal, Oregon garden | 6 Comments

really gets me frosted (February in zone 8b)

Posted on February 15, 2023 by Denise

Changeable, volatile, sunny, rainy, hail for 5 minutes, sunny again, pouring buckets an hour later — this slice of temperate rain forest is all the weather I never got in LA…in one day! I used to perceive LA’s skies as … Continue reading →

Posted in journal, Oregon garden | 6 Comments

Oregon garden in late December

Posted on December 23, 2022 by Denise

Yesterday, Dec 22, temps hovered at 20F all day, the first time that’s happened this winter, possibly not the last time though. The night-time numbers usually ease back up during the daytime into the high 30s/40s. The concrete walkway to … Continue reading →

Posted in climate, journal, Oregon garden | 10 Comments

scenes from November

Posted on November 26, 2022 by Denise

How are we all holding up? Mid-term elections over, one major holiday in the can, another looming, but as usual I’m determined to go full contrarian and resist its gravity pull until the typical last-minute panic. (If Christmas involved nothing … Continue reading →

Posted in journal, MB Maher, Oregon garden | 5 Comments

a May 2017 look back at the zone 10b garden

Posted on November 17, 2022 by Denise

On the northern Oregon coast, we’ve been in a sunny, dry spell for a week, with rain due to return next week. Frost has blackened the dahlias — I sound like an old hand writing that, but this was another … Continue reading →

Posted in journal | 8 Comments

Bloom Day October 2022

Posted on October 16, 2022 by Denise

Technically, it’s the day after Bloom Day, which lands on the 15th of every month. Director of the Bloom Day production for garden bloggers is May Dreams Gardens, and it’s a great repository of blog reports recording bloom times from … Continue reading →

Posted in Bloom Day, climate, Oregon garden | 5 Comments

on the rocks

Posted on October 12, 2022 by Denise

The one-half inch ‘California Gold’ granite laid down last winter was an emotional decision made during the muddy season, and even then, though I told no one, putting down all that rock made me a little nervous. But it’s become … Continue reading →

Posted in journal, Oregon garden | 5 Comments

local plant obsessions

Posted on October 2, 2022 by Denise

(Edited 10/8/22 — grey shrub is Olearia moschata, thanks to the folks at Xera Plants) On this isolated part of the Oregon coast, sourcing plants has been its own adventure. Mail order has been a huge resource, but some plants … Continue reading →

Posted in Oregon garden | 9 Comments

mid-September coastal Oregon garden

Posted on September 20, 2022 by Denise

I was actually hoping to do a Bloom Day post for the 15th, but photos wouldn’t load, etc. For the time being, this little becalmed boat of a blog seems to have righted itself and is wobbily under sail again, … Continue reading →

Posted in journal, Oregon garden | 6 Comments

glistening September views

Posted on September 3, 2022 by Denise

This morning’s mist was heavy enough that the downspouts gurgled. The garden embraced the moisture with its leaves and petals, in a heart-melting effect that can best be described in one word: glistening. A full rainy day is predicted for … Continue reading →

Posted in journal, Oregon garden | 14 Comments