What is springtime through the senses of a newborn? Juniper is a tender two weeks old, so I’m guessing most of it is lost on her. She’s focused on discovering the taste of milk, the smell of momma, the feeling of daddy’s freshly shaven cheek. Nevertheless, spring is sprung and I have been introducing her to its wonders. One of my favorite early flowering ornamental
Portland Prospects
Although I am in the midst of writing my thesis, I am already looking ahead toward June when I get to walk across that stage and accept my masters degree in landscape architecture. Focusing on graduating is helping my motivation stay strong amongst the many distractions around me – namely the baby kicking my rib cage. Last week I had the pleasure of shadowing a
Get Busy!
The growing season is not too far around the corner! Witch hazel is already blooming and my flowering quince buds are days away from opening. If we can get a handle on some garden chores now, we’ll be in good shape to maximize the harvest from our homesteads this year. When it comes to growing your own food, here is my short list of what
Risky Business: Exotic Edible Plants
January is the time when nursery catalogs pour through our mail slots and cold evenings are spent carefully deciding what new trees, shrubs and vines to add to the homestead. There is an on-going debate between permaculture advocates and native plant experts on which plant species should be planted and which ones are dangerous. David Fothergill is one of my classmates and a plant expert,
Fall Studio Wrap Up
I finished my LAST design studio of my grad program a couple weeks ago. Woohoo! Only a couple classes and my thesis stand in the way between me and graduation this June. We had a hypothetical project this past term involving high-speed rail. I worked with a great team of other landscape architecture grad students – Brigitte Huneke and David Fothergill – to plan the
Problem Solver: Strawberry Tree
In late fall and winter, you may start to notice a lack of anything looking alive in your landscape. The trees lose their leaves and there’s nothing left behind but a skeleton of plantings. That is when you know you need more “evergreen structure” – something to give life to your garden year round. Here is a plant that may just solve multiple problems for
Raking Is Not Homework
“I can resist anything but temptation.” -Oscar Wilde This became the theme of my weekend, for better or worse. I tried hard to sit at my desk focusing on homework while Jay worked on tidying up the backyard. Have you ever seen those old psychology experiments that tested the ability of little kids to resist eating a mashmallow? It was kind of like that. Of
Portland, I’m Coming Home!
Let’s be honest: my heart is planted in my Portland garden. It has been tough to be away for the last couple years temporarily living in Eugene while I work on my masters of landscape architecture degree. I have found a few places to make me feel at home-ish here in Eugene, but I have never stopped pining for my “real” home. I have been
Early Fall-Coloring Trees
The trees are telling us that autumn is upon us! I wanted to share a few of my favorite ornamental trees that put on a great, early fall show. They are not edible, but could still have a place on the modern homestead along streets and driveways, where you don’t want fruit falling. The native trees will offer some value to wildlife and others are
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