Dirt Therapy

Catalpa bignoinoides 'Aurea' and Calmagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster' Another month coming to an end. It has been a busy one but despite a late start, a fairly glorious one with beautiful weather. Some plants are definitely behind schedule, but the cooler temperatures have kept the blooms lingering and foliage fresh and healthy. It is beginning to heat up though and 94 is predicted for the 4th.  The 'Wolf Eyes' dogwood has put on a tremendous amount of growth this year. Our tree is twice the size of the one in our previous garden. The photo below was taken slightly above the tree standing on the terrace steps. It looks much bigger when looking up at it from below. While on the subject of trees, the Smoke Tree 'Golden Spirit' is one of the prettiest things in the garden. It is a tree or rather "large shrub" that always brings me pleasure. It continues to look good throughout the season. When I'm sitting on the deck looking down at it ...

I rarely get photos from the street. In this case, I was across the road talking to my neighbor and took some photos on the way back. We got 1/2 inch of rain on Monday and the garden responded nicely. Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

The front gate with 'Veilchenblau' and 'Dublin Bay' roses The roses are beautiful this year and they have been long-lasting, thanks to mostly cool temperatures. The odd weather continues - as I write this, it is 61 degrees and pouring down rain. In the middle of June! More roses in the front garden - 'Sea Foam' with Clematis durandii - 'Lady of Shalott' in the background 'Lady of Shalott' with Baptisia 'Robin Hood' 'The Impressionist' 'Radway Sunrise' 'Dublin Bay' on the front gate with Clematis 'Taiga' and 'Jackmanii Superba' 'Marjorie Fair' 'Coral Cove' 'Robin Hood' with Lithodora 'Westerland' 'Westerland' 'Radway Sunrise' 'The Impressionist' 'Lady Emma Hamilton' 'Alchymist' 'Golden Celebration' and Clematis 'Chevalier' I have too many roses so I will make this a 2-part post and feature the roses in the back ga...

'Flame Thrower' I mentioned in an earlier post that there were a lot of questions about the Austalian Mint Bush but the plant by far that got the most comments was Cercis canadensis 'Flame Thrower', better known as the Redbud. It is by the front door and the first thing you see when you walk through the garden gate. This is such a flashy tree that it is hard to miss. It was beautiful last year but it has been a showstopper this Spring and I've been surprised at the intensity of the color which is probably enhanced by a cool spring.  When I think about Redbuds, I always remember how the blooms would sprinkle the forests along the interstate when we made trips to Birmingham. They bloom early, before the leaves appear on most trees, so they were easy to spot, delicate pink clouds floating in the wilderness. The flowers are pretty but for me, the show comes when the dramatic heart-shaped leaves appear.  Breeders have been having a field day with these trees and every ...

After three weeks of garden tours (we've had 3 open days plus one tour group and another scheduled later this week), it is time to wind down and get back to work in the garden. Not that we haven't been working all along - of course we have - but now we can focus our attention on pruning, trimming and other projects. Thanks to everyone who visited our garden! Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Clematis 'Chevalier' and Rose 'Golden Celebration' Our garden will be featured on the Inviting Vines Tour this Saturday, June 10th from 11am - 5pm. There are a total of six gardens on the tour and you can also partake in a breakfast talk with Kym Pokorny, tour the Rogerson Clematis Garden , buy clematis at their on-site nursery and enter silent auctions. Should be a fun day for all! This is a paid event - click here for ticket prices and more information. Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Every time we have a garden tour, there seems to be one plant that people single out and ask about. This time, it was  Prostanthera cuneata 'Badja Peak', commonly referred to as "Alpine Bush Mint" or "Australian Bush Mint" (originating from Alpine regions of Australia). This small shrub was planted in July of 2021 so this is its second year (I mistakenly told someone it had been here three years - sorry!) It is located in the front garden on the northeast side and has survived two winters. Most references recommend planting it in a warm, sheltered spot but this isn't really the case in our garden. It is listed as being hardy to 10-15 degrees. Our plant gets considerable shade with periods of full sun around mid-day and some afternoon sun but I would say it gets more shade than sun. This year it is about 2 feet tall and 4 feet wide with a somewhat sprawling habit. The evergreen foliage is dark green and minty aromatic when crushed. Flowers began to appea...

Our garden will be open tomorrow (Sunday, June 4th) along with two other gardens in our area -  Ruth Clark 3111 NW 149th St, Vancouver, WA 98685  Vicki Green (and local glass artist Kevin Kanyo) 11914 NE 49th Court, Vancouver, WA 98686 Stop by for a stroll and lemonade and cookies! Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy