Category Archives: garden travel

notes on the September garden

September is a big month in this garden…the equivalent of a king’s tide (the highest full-moon tide that temporarily erases local beaches). But this is no act of nature. Big, tall plants have always been a preference. Still, the height … Continue reading

Posted in garden travel, garden visit, Oregon garden, Plant Portraits | 9 Comments

shopping for phlomis at Windcliff

“What looks good when the garden is just starting to stir in April? In my garden, in one word, phlomis. Unscathed, fully clothed, holding it together all winter. I didn’t expect phlomis could deal with this much rain, hail and snow, … Continue reading

Posted in garden travel, garden visit, Oregon garden, plant nurseries, Plant Portraits | 13 Comments

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

the curvilinear Courtney garden, Banks, Oregon

Before starting a tour of the Courtney garden in Banks, Oregon, USDA zone 8b, it’s only fitting to first visit the “engine room,” the workshop of Harlan Courtney that fabricates the idiosyncratic hardscape of Mary and Harlan’s garden. The house … Continue reading

Posted in garden travel, garden visit, Oregon garden | 7 Comments

new garden update

about the soil: “The Tillamook Series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils formed in mixed alluvium on stream terraces. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 90 inches and the mean annual temperature … Continue reading

Posted in climate, garden travel, garden visit, journal, plant nurseries | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

back to Greece

It’s been two years since Mitch visited Greece. When I first saw his photos, it was the giant fennel in its native habitat that grabbed all of my attention. With my giant fennel taking its sweet time to bloom, Mitch’s … Continue reading

Posted in garden travel, MB Maher | 5 Comments

Coachella Valley Desert X Exhibition Extended to 5/16/21

Fantasizing about road trips is starting to move closer and closer to actually planning road trips. Here’s a possibility, a visit to the Desert X exhibition to coincide with California desert wildflower bloom. From Desert X’s website: “For Nicholas Galanin, … Continue reading

Posted in artists, garden travel, MB Maher | 2 Comments

visit to Sculptura Botanica part 2

what: in-situ installation showcasing botanical-themed ceramic work of Dustin Gimbel where: Sherman Library & Gardens when: May 15 through September 15, 2020 lunch and lecture: June 26, 2020, 11:30 a.m. and tour of the exhibit by Dustin Gimbel other venues: … Continue reading

Posted in artists, garden ornament, garden travel, garden visit, inspire me | 5 Comments

Palm Springs flyby (and a glimpse of Sunnylands)

Notwithstanding the recent visit to Palm Springs for Modernism Week, I still have yet to visit nearby Sunnylands, the so-called Camp David of the West in its heyday, when it was the private residence of the Annenbergs, Ambassador Walter Annenberg … Continue reading

Posted in garden travel, garden visit, MB Maher | 3 Comments

a garden’s long-term care

My mother turned 90 yesterday, and we celebrated this momentous occasion at her new living arrangement in a nearby board-and-care.  Getting her here took months of medical, legal, financial, and familial wrangling, all while taking care of her as she … Continue reading

Posted in clippings, garden travel, MB Maher | 5 Comments