Dirt Therapy

January       Every year, I aim to get a large project completed when garden activity is low. A project that was high on my list for many years was replacing the ugly chainlink fence that divides the driveway from the back garden. I had contemplated doing it on my own but thank goodness I finally had the sense to call a professional. It was a thrill to get this installed. February   We got a big snow on February 12 that lasted for days afterward (it took about a week to completely thaw). We managed to duck the ice that parts of Portland received. There was a large limb broke on the strawberry tree but not damage overall. March    A fairly uneventful month but the last week brings the promise of spring with new leaves on the roses. The early morning sunlight illuminates the New Zealand orange sedge and the boxwoods.  It was also a good time to make an insect hotel -     April   Another project I wanted to get done was the replacing (or ...

  I heard a lot of people yesterday lamenting the fact that we got screwed on the snowfall prediction. That was true for yesterday but look what we woke up to this morning - I'm guessing about 3". Unlike yesterday, it looks like it might stick around for a while today. The temperature just reached 26 yesterday and today's high is 33. The view from the front door -     The Azara, so beauitful in the snow. Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

  Although we did not get a white Christmas, it did snow sometime during the early morning hours and we woke up to a heavy dusting (I would say under 1"). There have been on-and-off flurries all day but the ground is clear this afternoon. Tonight we get the coldest temperatures of the year with the low predicted at 19. That is about as cold as it got all last winter so we may be in for a colder season this year. Oddly, I have not bothered to cover any plants up yet but I may drop a cloth over a few before heading to bed tonight. Yes, there are still roses! This is 'Lady of Shalott' Phormium 'Rainbow Queen' Fatsia japonica Taxus baccata 'Erecta' (Erect English Yew) Osmanthus 'Goshiki' (False Holly)   Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Timber Press kindly sent me a copy of this book to review and I am late getting to it. I did write a review for the HPSO Quarterly which will appear in the next issue. I did not wish repeat that review (I'm sure the quarterly would not like that either!). Instead, I thought I would share some fascinating tidbits I discovered while reading the book. The book, written by Frederique Lavopierre, the former director of education at Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, profiles “the pollinators, decomposers, and other organisms that are part of any thriving garden”. Beginning with the earth dwellers (earthworms, roly-polys) and moving on to winged insects (beetles, butterflies), she explains how they all work together to build and protect our gardens by enriching the soil to keeping predators at bay. Did you know - Earthworms eat their weight in soil and organic matter daily 30% of crops rely on honeybees for pollination 1/5 of all life on earth are beetles Ladybugs can eat 5,000 aphids during ...

Colorado Blue Spruce 'Globosa' and Deodar Cedar 'Feelin Blue'   It was snowing hard when I went to bed late Saturday night and we woke up to a nice dusting. It didn't last long and was almost completely gone by the time I made it outside to get some photos. We are getting loads of rain which is good. It still has not really felt like winter though and has just barely hit the freezing mark.   And Merry Christmas to me! I've been wanting one of these for a long time - Pinus contorta 'Chief Joseph'    The new back fence is festive, thanks to Michael. He made the bows and the wreath.   Other plants of note - Beautyberry 'Profusion' ( Callicarpa ). I didn't think birds liked these berries but I saw some on it last week. Now that I've moved my computer to face out the front window, it is amazing what you see! Fatsia japonica Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Goshiki’ Loquat ( Eriobotrya japonica ) African Honey Bush ( Melianthus major ) Miscanthus si...