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Strawberry Tree

Since moving to Washington, I have discovered a great number of new trees. One of my favorites is the Strawberry Tree ( Arbutus unedo ). It is a four-season tree with semi-glossy evergreen leaves and lovely mahogany bark. In autumn, clusters of white flowers appear, bearing a resemblance to Lily-of-the-Valley flowers. And then there are the little fruits, which resemble strawberries that appear at the same time as the flowers. I am not sure why, but I have only seen a few fruits on ours. I don't know if birds are getting them before I see them or what happens. The fruits are said to be edible but not very tasty (to humans). This year, our tree is loaded with flowers, the most I've ever seen. Bees absolutely love it and so do the hummingbirds. The flowers usually continue to appear straight through winter, and it can be blooming even during the coldest periods of winter. Aside from the fact that I have not seen much of the colorful fruits, the major negative note is the fact tha
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Open Gardens: The Hyland / Beckman garden


On the way back from the Wisner/Orloff garden, I stopped at another Open Garden, that of  Bob Hyland and Andrew Beckman. It is located on a hillside overlooking the St. Johns area and nearby Sauvie Island with some nice views of several mountain peaks. 

The late afternoon sun was quite harsh and not the ideal situation for good photos. Much of the garden was shaded which helped.

















Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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Comments

  1. Lisa at GreenbowJuly 21, 2017 at 5:09 AM

    This garden looks like it is on a hilly area. I like the natural feel of this place. That big ball at the end is a fabulous sculpture.

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  2. LINDA from Each Little WorldJuly 21, 2017 at 7:46 AM

    That barberry is stunning. And I agree with Lisa; that sculpture is terrific. Perfect scale for outdoors.

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  3. danger gardenJuly 21, 2017 at 9:10 AM

    I love how the long border along the driveway frames your entrance and then the rest of the garden unfolds as you walk around the garage. I've visited several times and it just keeps getting better!

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  4. chavlinessJuly 22, 2017 at 8:07 AM

    Gardening on a slope seems so challenging to me; they did a wonderful job of it. The rock steps are kind of perfect; love them.

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  5. http://whatsitgarden.blogspot.comJuly 22, 2017 at 2:41 PM

    I visited a few years ago , it's a lovely garden !

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  6. Alyse LansingJuly 23, 2017 at 12:59 AM

    Lovely, Phillip! Thanks for sharing these. Oh that [barberry] and the purple spilling down the hill! Nice to see it after having visited a couple years back, when younger. (The garden I mean! I suppose I was younger too...)

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  7. AnonymousJuly 23, 2017 at 4:29 AM

    What a beautiful space. They work hard don't they? How is your Washington garden coming along? I'll go look at your Bloom Day post to see.~~Dee

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  8. UnknownJuly 30, 2017 at 2:27 PM

    I am still loading up on plants inspired by a visit to this garden a couple of years ago. Now if I could only emulate the perfect placement these guys exercise with apparent ease.

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