White Day-After Christmas

July 09, 2025

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

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.