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Portland Study Weekend Gardens - West Linn, Clackamas & Oregon City pt. 1

Last Saturday, I saw the six gardens featured on the HPSO Study Weekend tour. These gardens were in the southern part of Portland. I was excited to see Sherry Sheng's garden. She has visited our garden in the past, and I got to know her better when we were on the England trip together.  Her garden was a delight with something fabulous at every turn.  Next, the Connall garden which has a Mediterranean, drought-resistant planting scheme. The Harry Landers garden was packed with colorful flowers and a koi pond - Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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Wamboldtopia - where garden and art become one



Hearing the oohs and aahs coming from the front of the bus, I knew that we had arrived at the next destination on our tour - Wamboltopia. Nestled on a steep hill in a quiet neighborhood, this one-of-a-kind creation is the brainchild of stone mason Ricki Pierce ("Rock Pirate") and artist Damaris Pierce.


Wamboldtopia (named for the street it resides on) is quite a sensory explosion, filled with creative stone work, art objects, stunning plant combinations, water features, sanctuaries, and the list goes on. You can walk through it again and again and still find new discoveries. In fact, I was just looking at another blogger's photos and I saw things that I had missed.




Looking down from the top of the property. That is Ricki Pierce in the center.

Everyone wanted to know what the red rose was cascading from a rock wall. (Damaris Pierce told us that it was a gift from a friend and she did not know the identity of it). It looks like "Scarlet Meidiland" which I grow in our garden but I'm not positive about that.

That is one fancy doghouse!


Gothic touches abound!



I'm so glad we were able to experience this enchanting garden!

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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  1. Christopher C. NCMay 22, 2012 at 1:38 PM

    Great pictures Phillip.

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  2. Pam/DiggingMay 22, 2012 at 1:43 PM

    You got a unique perspective on the "wheel wall" along the stairs. This art garden was certainly a place of discovery.

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  3. Jim/ArtofGardeningMay 22, 2012 at 2:01 PM

    Great photos. Every time I see some I wonder why I didn't see the same scenes. Your photos are so rich-looking!

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  4. LarryMay 22, 2012 at 2:25 PM

    Wow... this place gets the creative juices flowing!! Larry

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  5. Janet, The Queen of SeafordMay 22, 2012 at 2:46 PM

    Yes, love seeing this through others' photos, you found fun spots I missed. Super photos.

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  6. tinaMay 22, 2012 at 2:58 PM

    Beautiful shots. I did not know where the name came from so thanks.

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  7. carolyn choiMay 22, 2012 at 3:24 PM

    Super photos, Phillip of a magical garden.

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  8. Gardener on Sherlock StreetMay 22, 2012 at 3:28 PM

    What an interesting place. I could wander around there for hours. Thank you for sharing.

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  9. FairegardenMay 22, 2012 at 4:04 PM

    I love seeing this fabulous fantasy of a garden through your lens, Phillip. Thank you.

    Frances

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  10. vbdbMay 22, 2012 at 4:25 PM

    I was going into withdrawal today and your wonderful photos helped pull me through.

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  11. GloriaMay 22, 2012 at 5:16 PM

    Wonderful photos. You really captured the spirit of Wamboldtopia.

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  12. SkeeterMay 22, 2012 at 6:19 PM

    You had views I did not see. An amazing garden that one could stroll for days and not see it all.... The Saint told me he found a kitty but I never saw it. Now I see it. Great pictures....

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  13. Lisa at GreenbowMay 23, 2012 at 4:56 AM

    Like you say there is so much that one missed some things. It is an exciting place. I like the perspective that you photos show. Great job.

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  14. RoseMay 23, 2012 at 9:23 AM

    I so enjoyed seeing this unique place along with Christopher Mello's garden through your eyes, Phillip. Your photos are fantastic! It was a delight to meet you and Michael in Asheville. Hope all those new plants arrived home safely:)

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  15. Rosedale GardenMay 23, 2012 at 6:46 PM

    Man oh man, wow. Mary

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  16. Rosedale GardenMay 23, 2012 at 6:47 PM

    Is this open to the public, or by appointment?

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  17. DamarisMay 29, 2012 at 10:27 AM

    Philip, thank you for this wonderful post, both in word and image!
    Much of Wamboldtopia revolves around our love story. The infamous red rose was actually a wedding gift, we had asked our guests to bring plants for our garden. :-)
    And the metal piece that is sitting on the old concrete bird bath pedestal was made by no other than metal artist Christopher Mello! The design is my own, a celtic knot with Ivy in its three stages that was originally planned as a tattoo, but that design changed. Ricki snagged a printout of the design and had Christopher cut it in metal as a surprise gift, to fit exactly into the center of the brick circle, which we also call the wedding circle since, you guessed it, we got married on it. The circle itself was Ricki's engagement gift to me in lieu of a ring (he knows I don't dig rings)... little did I know I'd be carrying bricks up for days in buckets - my arms grew a couple of inches that season. Not a single regret. :-)

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  18. DamarisMay 29, 2012 at 10:28 AM

    Rosedale Garden, this is our private garden connected to our residences. We are currently sharing it with the public once a month on a Sunday afternoon,next one is June 10th from 1-4pm. Hope to see you!

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  19. HelenMay 30, 2012 at 2:09 PM

    Phillip, you captured some unique angles. This was a wonderful garden. We were so lucky to see it.

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