Dahlia Fest!

What a beauty - and the dahlia ain't too bad either! That's my daughter who was surprised a flower could grow this big - the dinner plate dahlias are so gaudy and tacky ( I mean that in the best way ; ) . They always have the WOW factor.

Old House Dahlias is in a neighborhood in SE Portland, Or. This business is the result of a passion for plants that has taken over the entire small city lot. You can see the plants in bloom in Sept. and Oct. and order your tubers then. Mark will dig them, store them and call you in the spring when it is time to plant. Talk about buying local and supporting a cottage business!

Old House Dahlias

A Riot of Crazy Color!

Normally, I'm not a huge fan of annuals but how can you not LOVE this happy scene that I came upon in Seaside, OR on the last day of summer? Some gardener is having a whole lot of fun with containers. This entire display is in pots! If someone tells me they cant have a garden for lack of ground to plant it in, I will whip out this picture as inspiration. This gorgeous exuberance is at the Paradise Suites in Seaside at 741 S. Downing St. Apparently the sea air is as good for plants as it is for people.

Community Gardens

It's National Community Garden Week! In honor of that, I thought I'd share some pictures of my community garden in NE Portland. If you don't have enough sun or land to grow edibles, consider getting a plot - it's a great way to grow your food and cut flowers, trade knowledge and veg with other gardeners, learn what grows well in your area and enjoy the harvest. Todays harvest is tomatoes, basil, sunflowers, zinnias, onions, and eggplant. The bounty is astounding and so is the beauty. It's good for the soul and the belly!

The Earth Laughs in Flowers

I love flowers and I love to make floral arrangements. Sometimes in the peak of summer the blooms are so stunning it's best to let them stand alone. Can you even believe the color of these hydrangeas? They are not photo shopped or anything - they were lucky enough to have been grown in Astoria, Oregon where it's cool with sea breezes and the air is full of moisture. There must be something about the soil too. And sunflowers, I never get tired of growing them, cutting them or seeing them. These were grown in my community garden plot and needed to be cut because they were shading the tomato plants. If you have the space and the sun, plan on growing some flowers for cutting next year. It'll make you smile!

Garden Art Show

The Cracked Pots Garden Art show near Portland, Oregon is quite the festival. It's held on the grounds of McMenamin's Edgefield and you stroll around the gardens, beer in hand (!), marveling at the creations of mixed media artists. It's really fabulous to see what people can make from recycled materials. That's the rule, they have to use something in the piece that is reused. Metal, wood, stone, garden hoses, glass, wire, cable, etc. The creativity is astounding! If every area had an event like this, imagine all the stuff that would be repurposed and not go to the landfill. Oh, and all the gardens that would be decorated with beautiful, original art - LOVE it!

Zen Garden Sanctuary

Some people really know how to create a sense of place. This stunning garden belongs to my dear friends, Becky and Kris in Astoria, Oregon. The use of large containers, specimen trees and lots of interesting foliages really sets this garden apart. The sounds of water, wind chimes and the breeze rustling the bamboo is all part of the experience. That's what I like in a great garden - the feeling that you get while there and the exciting journey of discovery as you walk through. This gorgeous garden is for relaxing and calming the soul. I feel so fortunate to have spent 3 days taking it all in! I hope you can find your Zen garden experience this summer....

Plant of the Week - Great Combos

Oh, I wish you could see this in person. Golden Cotinus (smoke tree) and purple clematis - WOW! Absolutely stunning. The smoke tree is the living trellis for the clematis. This is what great gardens have - killer combinations that make each plant look better together than they do alone. Play with combos at the nursery - make sure the plants have the same growing requirements and interesting contrast. Golden foliage intertwined with purple flowers - that's what I call fabulous!