It’s still pretty grey in Portland in late February, but a careful eye in the garden shows signs of spring at every turn. Here are some promises of spring I am noticing in the garden. Our flowering quince shrubs have buds at the brink of opening. Quince will mostly set fruit on woody stems developed in the previous year. As much as I love indoor
Winter Blooming Witch Hazel
It’s the beginning of a new gardening season and already I see blooming plants that I wish I could make room for in my garden. On a recent afternoon, I took a tour of my favorite local nursery to admire their many varieties of winter blooming witch hazel. You will generally find three varieties of witch hazel: the North American native called Hamamelis virginiana, the
A Very Special Persimmon
Persimmon trees are valued as much for their brilliant fall color as they are for their delicious, flavorful fruit. They are said to be the most popular fruit in the world because they are the most popular fruit in China. In fact, persimmons are very popular in most countries outside the US. We planted a gorgeous persimmon tree about five years ago, just outside the
Plants for Winter Interest
I took a stroll through my local plant nursery recently and was impressed with their collection of plants for winter interest. It can be a dreary time of year, but the following plant jewels will make your garden still seem alive and kicking. A design key to keep in mind is the balance of color with green. In this gorgeous display above, they used some
Edible Hedge of Artichokes
Artichokes are hard-working, versatile additions to any edible landscape. They are perennial plants, which means they will come back year after year. One of my favorite vegetables, we eagerly harvest their unopened flower heads from spring through the fall. Artichokes also make an excellent edible hedge. I planted a row of them from 4″ pots in the early spring to function as a living wall.
June in Review
June was the first month that I finally felt like our homestead was back in full swing after being away for a couple years. With Juniper clinging in my arms, we would walk the garden to harvest and tend our little slice of heaven. Several delicious veggies filled our plates at mealtime including kale, chard, spinach, lettuces, and piles and piles of artichokes. When Jay
Apricot Blight
Our Puget Gold apricot was planted three or four years ago and has quickly grown into a lovely tree. About a month ago, it appeared like an insect was bothering the tree. The leaves had little pin holes on them. But then I noticed the fruit was looking funny as it ripen on the tree. It turns out our lovely little tree has Coryneum Blight
May in Review
A look back at May shows a lot of life and budding fruit on the homestead. This is a photo-heavy post of the spring sights I have been enjoying: flowers, veggies and Baby Junebug! My favorite spring flowering bulbs, Allium giganteum, came out in full force. The purple petals are fading away leaving what looks like a green pincushion behind. They will dry out and
Our Family Hike
My family has been enjoying the same hike through the Columbia River Gorge, a national scenic area, for decades now. My parents began hiking this easy trail in the early 70’s and continued to use it as the family grew. Years are marked in family photos with each child taking our turn riding in the baby backpack carrier and up through our restless teenage years.