Dirt Therapy

This is a photo taken earlier in the summer on a much cooler day than today. The view is looking up the terrace toward the pergola at the top.  Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Begonia 'Bonfire' and Heliotrope We have a lot of potted plants - roughly 70, which includes about a dozen Japanese Maples and an even larger count of fuchsias on the deck. If it wasn't for Michael, who does an excellent job of caring for them, they would not look this good. The above photo shows a few of our pots on the table on the pergola. The above photo show a view from the opposite side. You can barely see poor David who is lost in the madness. It is so hard to resist plants when you work in a nursery but I also find that it is an opportunity to learn about growing specific ones so that I can answer customer's questions. Case in point - the ever popular Bacopa, probably our best selling pot plant. It can't be beat as a "spiller" to cascade over the sides of pots. I had not grown it before, or at least I don't remember it, and wasn't exactly sure about what conditions it likes. The tag says "Sun/Part Shade" (so many do) w...

Angel's Trumpet ( Brugmansia ' Charles Grimaldi') This looks more like a July Bloom Day rather than August. We have had spectacular weather (although some might disagree) with really mild temperatures. Lately, most of the high temps have been in the 70s with a few days creeping into the 80s. It hit 90 on Tuesday but those days have been rare. On to Bloom Day which is the 15th of each month, a day for garden bloggers to post about what is blooming in their gardens. This brilliant endeavor was created by May Dreams Gardens and if you follow the link, you will find links to other garden blogs with more flowery eye-candy. August brings out the tropical-type flowers. The Angel's Trumpet ( Brugmansia 'Charles Grimaldi') resides in a tall ceramic pot. There are a dozen blooms in the photo above (taken two days ago) and on Wednesday, there were 16. This plant is sitting on the south side of the house near the bedroom window and at night we can catch the delic...

The only shady area in the garden is along the back property line which is shaded by a large pink dogwood and a row of rather large and ungainly Red Tip Photinias. It does get some morning sun. This is the view from the bottom of the slope looking up the pathway. I created three access points to get to the top - the other two (to the right and in sunnier areas) are steps. I wanted to leave this pathway as it was in order to get a wheelbarrow up the slope with ease.  Anytime I bring home a new plant that requires shade, it is usually destined for this particular area. Needless to say, there isn't room left for much. Ferns, hosta, hydrangea, heuchera, epimedium, and others reside here. Near the top, on the far left, is the Anise ( Illicium floridanum 'Woodland Red'), a beautiful woodland shrub with lovely blooms that unfortunately have a horrible odor. Many describe the smell as licorice but I would say it is more like dead fish. Fortunately, you have to have your nose ...

Dwarf Birch ( Betula 'Trost's Dwarf') Well, now that I have your attention - taking a look at some of the interesting foliage going on in the garden - Juniperus conferta 'All Gold' Chamacyparis O. 'Maiesii' Variegated Asian Jasmine ( Trachelospermum 'Ogon Nishiki') Orange New Zealand Grass ( Carex testacea ) Miscanthus 'Gold Bar' Aucuba japonica 'Rozannie' Aralia 'Sun King' and Eupatorium rugosum 'Chocolate' (Snakeroot) Tatting Fern ( Athyrium filix-femina 'Frizellie')  Fuchsia 'Enstone' Hypericum inodorum 'Pumpkin' (St. John's Wort) Ferns and Epimedium Hosta 'Rainforest Sunrise' and Alchemilla (Lady's Mantle) Picea pungens 'Globosa' (Dwarf Colorado Blue Spruce) Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum' ( Purple Fountain Grass) and Bacopa Text and photos by Phillip Oliver...