Category Archives: Oregon garden

a city garden’s rare trees

Posted on July 8, 2026 by Denise

On May 30 I visited another fascinating Portland garden through the Open Gardens program of the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon. Sometimes the open gardens are closer to me in the farmland surrounding the city, where they of course tend … Continue reading →

Posted in garden visit, Oregon garden | 6 Comments

when color becomes controversial

Posted on July 6, 2026 by Denise

My compact form of Senecio/Brachyglottis greyi is now shining forth in bloom. And this is after getting frequently trimmed for size to keep it off the manzanita. I love it in the nubby pearly bud stage, which lasts a while, … Continue reading →

Posted in journal, Oregon garden, Plant Portraits | 7 Comments

more from June

Posted on June 28, 2026 by Denise

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

Posted on June 25, 2026 by Denise

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

Posted on June 23, 2026 by Denise

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 | 5 Comments

scenes from the garden June 19, 2026

Posted on June 19, 2026 by Denise

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

Posted on June 11, 2026 by Denise

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

Euphorbia ‘Copton Ash’ in early June

Posted on June 4, 2026 by Denise

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

Euphorbia ceratocarpa at Cistus Nursery

Posted on May 26, 2026 by Denise

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

Bloom Day May 2026

Posted on May 15, 2026 by Denise

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 | 11 Comments