Category Archives: Oregon garden
Euphorbia ‘Copton Ash’ in early June
I really like this bit of planting, and a lot of that has to do with the contributions of Euphorbia ‘Copton Ash,’ the dark eucomis, and the tawny leaves of the Arctostaphylos pajaroensis hybrid. The flowers of Euphorbia ‘Miner’s Merlot,’ … Continue reading
Posted in journal, Oregon garden, plant nurseries, Plant Portraits
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Euphorbia ceratocarpa at Cistus Nursery
An HPSO open garden visit on Sunday took me about 20 minutes from Cistus Nursery on Sauvie Island, so I popped in to check on some plants I’ve been eyeing in their catalogue. After parking I wandered into the private … Continue reading
Posted in garden visit, Oregon garden, plant nurseries, Plant Portraits
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Bloom Day May 2026
It’s not ideal using the phone camera, but it handles the light much better than I can manage on overcast rainy days like today, the 15th of May, aka Bloom Day. This lively orange number is Geum ‘Queen of Orange.’ … Continue reading
Posted in Bloom Day, Oregon garden
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Dirty Diggers plant sale (describing a beschorneria in bloom)
The beschorneria in bloom is a bit of an attention hog. Stepping outside, it’s the first thing that grabs my attention; the wonder of it, the unlikely circumstance of it forming a bloom over winter. I check over and over … Continue reading
Posted in agaves, woody lilies, Oregon garden, plant sales, succulents
8 Comments
Wonder Garden, Manzanita OR May 2026
The Wonder Garden is a volunteer-driven, horticultural branch of the Hoffman Center for the Arts in Manzanita, Oregon. Since I’ve been volunteering the past several years, the Wonder Garden seems to evolve effortlessly from strength to strength. But having participated … Continue reading
Posted in garden visit, Oregon garden
6 Comments
back in the Oregon Coast garden spring 2026
It’s raining. There’s tons to do. Five minutes home and we’re already chopping up the neighbor’s downed tree limb and beginning cleanup. Absent since November, there’s that burning question immediately upon arrival in spring: How did the garden fare over … Continue reading
front garden fills out
The front garden is developing the low-growing, evergreen shrubby chops capable of withstanding the windy rainstorms of winter. We had a fine example of such a storm just a few days ago. Planted much later than the back garden, even … Continue reading
Posted in journal, Oregon garden
9 Comments
first frost October 15, 2025
The morning of October 15 the roofs were frosted, the grass crunchy underfoot. First frost. Near a small park where I take Hannah and Billie for their “running game,” a neighbor grows assorted dahlias and zinnias, and I always check … Continue reading
Posted in clippings, journal, Oregon garden
7 Comments
into October
The morning routine in October is now two-fisted, coffee in one hand, fly swatter in the other to dispatch the spider webs that proliferate overnight. I appreciate their predatory contributions and only knock down webs directly across paths, which seems … Continue reading
Posted in journal, Oregon garden
7 Comments
the littles
This longer east view of sunrise-haloed Chionochloa rubra was not available two days ago. Stipa gigantea spilled onto the rock at the west end making the path impassable, comprising overall about 5′ in circumference with half of that path obstruction. … Continue reading
Posted in journal, Oregon garden
7 Comments