Category Archives: Oregon garden
covering the ground in early spring zone 8b
Dead or alive? Since April I’ve circled the garden carefully every morning, spine at a right angle to the ground, and posed that question to the plants…or the empty space I remember growing plants. Looking for signs of life in … Continue reading
Posted in journal, Oregon garden
6 Comments
what’s up (April 2023)
Waiting, longing, wracked with anticipation for the garden to jump into growth is an entirely new experience for me, born and raised in the eternal sunshine of zone 10. When the slow emergence of spring in zone 8b begins — … Continue reading
Posted in journal, Oregon garden
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swamp lanterns at Rockaway Cedar Preserve Hike
In 2019 a mile-long raised boardwalk was built over a small remnant of old-growth coastal bog right off of Highway 101 about 20 minutes north of us. Typical of many beautiful places in Oregon, signage is not conspicuous, and if … Continue reading
Posted in garden travel, Oregon garden
5 Comments
Billie in the snow
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)
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
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
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
Bloom Day October 2022
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
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
(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