Skip to main content

Featured

Planting Autumn Crocus (Colchicum)

I don't believe I have ever grown autumn crocus ( colchicum - I love to say that word) -  although we did inherit one when we moved into this house. I moved it, and apparently it did not like that because I never saw it again. I have always wanted to grow it, but I always think about it at the wrong time of year. Plus, I never see it at nurseries (not even at Yard N' Garden Land). When a friend offered me some, I said YES. She gave me one special one called "Waterlily" and several that I guess we would call the  "average one".  'Waterlily' The question then was where on earth would I would plant them. I read that they are nice in grassy areas so I then decided to plant them along the grassy pathway in front. (This pathway is about to become a gravel pathway as I am refusing to water it daily. Michael wins this battle and gets to do the "told you so" dance .) I decided to tuck the primo one at the corner of the path next to this pot. Diggin...

More gardens on the ANLD Garden Tour

ANLD Garden Tour (Assn. of Northwest Landscape Designers) (Portland, OR) 
I was so excited to see Linda Hannan's garden. I had the opportunity to meet her at the plant sale back in April. She is a garden designer (Hannan Garden Design) and her colorful, exuberant garden is captivating. The front entrance is very shady with an inviting circular space surrounded by hydrangeas and evergreens. A stepping stone pathway leads you along the side of the house to the back garden, which is very sunny.

ANLD Garden Tour (Assn. of Northwest Landscape Designers) (Portland, OR)
The front garden

ANLD Garden Tour (Assn. of Northwest Landscape Designers) (Portland, OR)


ANLD Garden Tour (Assn. of Northwest Landscape Designers) (Portland, OR)
The back garden - the blue wall brings back memories of our purple wall in Alabama.
I haven't decided how to incorporate one in our present garden. Linda's wall serves as a backdrop for Verbascum nigrum, geraniums, cannas, meadow rue and other perennials. The vine is Golden Hops (Humulus lupulus 'Aureus').

ANLD Garden Tour (Assn. of Northwest Landscape Designers) (Portland, OR)
There was so much to see in this garden and when I was looking at my photos, I saw things that I missed when I was there. For example, the columnar exclamation point next to the window on the left (honeysuckle?). I love it - it reminds me of a human figure standing guard over the garden.

ANLD Garden Tour (Assn. of Northwest Landscape Designers) (Portland, OR)
The shrub on the left is Leycesteria formosa 'Golden Lanterns'. 

ANLD Garden Tour (Assn. of Northwest Landscape Designers) (Portland, OR)

ANLD Garden Tour (Assn. of Northwest Landscape Designers) (Portland, OR)


The garden of Kristin Ohlson was probably the smallest garden on the tour. I only got a few photos because of too many people. The garden was designed by Amy Whitworth of Plan-It_Earth Design.


ANLD Garden Tour (Assn. of Northwest Landscape Designers) (Portland, OR)

ANLD Garden Tour (Assn. of Northwest Landscape Designers) (Portland, OR)

The King garden was designed by Bruce Hegna of Nature/Nurture Landscape Design. The selections of plants in this garden just blew me away. I got some great ideas here.


ANLD Garden Tour (Assn. of Northwest Landscape Designers) (Portland, OR)

ANLD Garden Tour (Assn. of Northwest Landscape Designers) (Portland, OR)

ANLD Garden Tour (Assn. of Northwest Landscape Designers) (Portland, OR)

ANLD Garden Tour (Assn. of Northwest Landscape Designers) (Portland, OR)

ANLD Garden Tour (Assn. of Northwest Landscape Designers) (Portland, OR)

ANLD Garden Tour (Assn. of Northwest Landscape Designers) (Portland, OR)

ANLD Garden Tour (Assn. of Northwest Landscape Designers) (Portland, OR)


The last garden is the Wagner garden, designed by Helena Wagner of 4 Season Gardens, LLC. This garden had Asian elements and many striking color combinations. I found many plants here to add to my wish list!


ANLD Garden Tour (Assn. of Northwest Landscape Designers) (Portland, OR)

ANLD Garden Tour (Assn. of Northwest Landscape Designers) (Portland, OR)

ANLD Garden Tour (Assn. of Northwest Landscape Designers) (Portland, OR)
Hebe was a plant that we could not grow in the South because of the humidity. I have not
planted one yet but I want this one. I don't know what variety it is.

ANLD Garden Tour (Assn. of Northwest Landscape Designers) (Portland, OR)

ANLD Garden Tour (Assn. of Northwest Landscape Designers) (Portland, OR)

ANLD Garden Tour (Assn. of Northwest Landscape Designers) (Portland, OR)
One plant that I went gaga over was this Hypericum (St. John's Wort) (bottom right). It was absolutely stunning.

ANLD Garden Tour (Assn. of Northwest Landscape Designers) (Portland, OR)

ANLD Garden Tour (Assn. of Northwest Landscape Designers) (Portland, OR)

ANLD Garden Tour (Assn. of Northwest Landscape Designers) (Portland, OR)

ANLD Garden Tour (Assn. of Northwest Landscape Designers) (Portland, OR)



Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Comments

  1. You must be in heaven! So many great ideas for your new garden!So glad you are making the rounds and sharing with all of us. Thanks Phillip!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love that blue wall. The first thing I thought of was your wall in the previous garden. I bet your head is spinning with ideas. These gardens are so lush. It is so dry here the grass is going dormant already. UGH... This post took me to gardening heaven.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks for sharing these gardens with us! When I saw the blue painted wall I thought of your purple wall right away. I lived most of my life in the San Fransisco area and miss growing plants like hebe. As you well know, there are many beautiful plants to grow in the South where I live now. Glad you are adapting to your new climate zone!

    ReplyDelete
  4. There is nothing like a garden tour to get the garden design juices going. There are terrific examples of asian influence in your photographs. I have grown - and lost - Hebes over the years, they aren't all hardy in the PNW and a cold winter could kill some verities. I was told once that the smaller the leaf of a Hebe, the hardier it is. So far I find it to be true.

    ReplyDelete
  5. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Phillip, these gardens are amazing and I am in love with that blue wall! I will enjoy watching your new gardens grow as time goes by.

      Delete

Post a Comment