Author Archives: Denise
LA garden July 2026
I got an unexpected peek at my Long Beach, Calif. garden courtesy of the watering crew. It does my heart good to see it in fair shape for July, even if a little on the wild side. So many kangaroo … Continue reading
more from June
Isn’t June great? I’ve decided to hang out with June for as long as possible, so bear with me for yet another post on what’s possibly my favorite month. Looking at other June gardens is a great way to find … Continue reading
Posted in Bulbs, climate, journal, Oregon garden, plant nurseries, pots and containers, succulents
7 Comments
scenes from the garden June 25, 2026
The only way to keep up with June is weekly reports. Last week the biennial Verbascum phlomoides was in bud, and the four or so planted last fall have started to open this week. I’d forgotten but obviously I got … Continue reading
Posted in journal, Oregon garden
7 Comments
the pond and creek at Dairy Creek Meadows
Dairy Creek Meadows was one of two gardens I visited last weekend under the HPSO Open Gardens program. Both were familiar to me, one because I had visited it a few years back (the Courtneys’ garden), the other because I … Continue reading
Posted in garden visit, Oregon garden
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scenes from the garden June 19, 2026
These photos were taken over the past few days. More things are coming into bloom like thalictrum, sanguisorba and dierama, but I’ll catch up with them later. The ground is pretty well covered, and shifting plants around will be minimal … Continue reading
Posted in agaves, woody lilies, Bloom Day, Oregon garden
8 Comments
revisiting Old Germantown Gardens Portland OR
I visited this garden in 2014 with a group of garden bloggers and didn’t really absorb much of the back story of its creation. Visiting again this May, my knees aching after lengthy explorations along its sloping paths, I researched … Continue reading
Posted in garden visit, Oregon garden
8 Comments
on the dark side with Dianthus barbatus ‘Sooty’
Small seedlings of the biennial Dianthus barbatus ‘Sooty’ were planted out last fall, and I’m happy to report it really lives up to its name. When the garden was new I used a lot of Dianthus barbatus ‘Oeschberg,’ a bright … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
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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
9 Comments
soaking up the farm life at The Apple Farm
When Sally Schmitt sold her ground-breaking, farm-to-table restaurant The French Laundry to Thomas Keller in 1994, she and her husband Don left Yountville and Napa County for an apple farm in Mendocino County. Sally passed away in 2022, one of … Continue reading
Posted in edibles, garden travel, MB Maher, photography
4 Comments
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
5 Comments