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More South Portland Study Weekend Gardens, pt. 2

The last three gardens on last Saturday's tour included a large shade garden, a tropical oasis and an Asian-inspired retreat. First, the Hilderbrand garden in Oregon City. This garden is set in a grove of Douglas Fir trees and has paved pathways that meander through plantings of dogwoods, hydrangeas, viburnums, kalmias and other shade-loving plants.  The garden of Michael Hicks and Megan Big John is a quarter-acre plot in West Linn. This garden is packed with plantings of tropical plants with big beautiful leaves and vibrant pops of color. Helena Wagner's "4 Seasons Garden" is a garden that I have visited in the past. It features an Asian-inspired theme with beautifully placed plants, with nice colors and contrasts. Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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November HIghlights





I didn't think there was much left to see in the garden but there is. The morning started out with a bit of fog and this beautiful sunrise -

And there are quite a number of colorful trees still going strong and some just beginning to change colors. Some of the first trees I planted were two Japanese maples that are next to the deck. These were unnamed varieties but are nice but quite different in fall color. They both change color very late in the season compared to the other maples in the garden. The one on the right side is redder in color...


 while the one on the left is more orange and gold -


The "Lion's Head" Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum 'Shishigashira') was already planted here when we arrived. I ended up moving it and put it in a large pot. It looks a bit ragged last year but improved this year with more watering. And the color this year is dramatically improved -
Lion's Head Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum 'Shishigashira')
 The Paperbark Maple (Acer griseum), also next to our back deck, is also more colorful this year -
Paperbark Maple (Acer griseum)
The Perisan Parrotia (Ironwood) continues to hold its leaves and I would say it has been the prettiest tree in the garden this fall. The colors are just spectacular.
Persian Parrotia (Ironwood)

  That is about it for the trees. Most of the others have already lost all their leaves. I will highlight some colorful shrubs in the next post.

 Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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  1. chavlinessNovember 13, 2019 at 10:37 AM

    The flowering season is over, and most leafs are gone, but there is always something happening in the garden. Is autumn much different here then in Alabama?

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    1. Phillip OliverNovember 13, 2019 at 10:30 PM

      It was very similar. The winters in north Alabama were also similar to here. The major difference are the temperature fluctuations. They tend to lower and rise here on a steady scale while in Alabama it was not unusual to have 60 degree days followed by 20 degree ones.

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  2. Lisa at GreenbowNovember 14, 2019 at 4:27 AM

    A beautiful sunrise photo. These trees still look gorgeous.

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