My Garden&#8217;s Progress

I know we've had some super hot days here and there, but I've really been enjoying the weather this summer. My memory may be faulty, but the stretches of days in the mid-to-low 80's during the day, with under 60 at night, this summer have been unusually (at least in recent years) plenty -- and that's my kind of summer weather. Warm enough (but not…

Jun 13

Love4

Gaillardia 'Fanfare Blaze' & Sedum 'Touchdown Teak'

The Garden in Mid-June

Hard to believe we're already approaching the summer solstice! I was away for about 10 days in May, which was a rough time to be leaving the garden. Happily, not too much happened in my absence. And it's been blissfully cool since my return. I feel like that's about to change next week, so I'm soaking it up now since it won't be back until…

May 15

The Fear of Missing Out in your Garden

I'll be away from my garden for a little while soon. And it's the time of year when new things are happening in the garden daily. The Ceanothus blooms are just beginning to pop, our Trachelospermum is going to burst into bloom any day, and the first of the rose buds has colored up. I'm going to be visiting some beautiful gardens while I'm away…

May 10

The Garden in Early May

We've reached the point in the year where the windows are open more often than not, sunscreen has taken up permanent residence on top of the dresser, and it's been possible to go without sleeves. The patio umbrella is out, and eating meals outside can be a regular occurrence. Basically, it's all the stuff I dream about longingly in January! And the garden has responded…

Apr 27

Portland Garden in Spring: Flowers

Last year I planted 3 Geum 'Totally Tangerine' from Annie's Annuals, and they're putting on quite a show (seen above) in our back garden. There's word that these might bloom longer than most Geums, and I'm looking forward to finding out. With the little mini heatwave we just had, the tulips are speeding right on through their glory. With things cooling off today, I went…

Mar 29

The Spring Garden

I say this annually, but this is the most wonderful time of the year. After the clocks change and we get more daylight at the end of the day, and the weather swings wildly between chilly drizzle and (excitingly) warmer sunshine, it gives you a peek at the glorious season of growth ahead. It's well under way, actually, and each day it's exciting to visit…

Feb 07

Building a Bridge Over Our Bioswale

We've had drainage issues on this property. You can read about how we're managing some of them using bioswales: Let Me Tell You About My Bioswales. The bioswale on the south side of our property is in the middle of a path. We did this because it will allow us to have plantings on either side in a relatively narrow space. It hasn't been too…

Jan 16

What’s Happen in the Winter Garden

So far winter has been relatively kind to us (*knocking on wood*) -- especially after last year's ice storm after ice storm extravaganza. And as a result, it's been easier to be outside noticing the slow progress towards spring. A dip into colder weather can place some things on pause, but others are responding to the increasing light. I know I am. We've now had…

Nov 29

Bark in the Garden: Details are Important in the Off-Season Garden

Despite our lack of a hard frost this autumn, the garden is slowly revealing itself. It's shedding away the foliage of the growing season with leaves strewn around to insulate the garden beds & provide habitat for overwintering creatures. And with the fluffy outer layers gone from many plants, it's easier to focus on their structure & form. One of my favorite details to include…

Feb 03

Love2

Time to Start Dreaming

We're closing in on the end of our house foundation project. This is a project that's been going on for more than a year now, and you can read more about it here & here. This project has taken over our entire lives -- all our finances and all our free time. We've got our final inspection in just a few days, and that means we…

Jul 30

Love2

Managing Your Garden During a Construction Project