Dirt Therapy

Picture it - a 6 ft. tall Schipka Laurel used to stand here (I forgot to take a "before" shot and don't feel like searching for one).  I knew when I planted it that it was probably a bad idea but thought it would be good for a fast-growing screen along the back fence-row. I'm sure all gardeners do this, especially if you have a new garden and are eager for greenery. In all fairness to the laurel, it is a useful plant and I would argue even a beautiful one when nicely maintained. Before I dug this one up, I stood back and admired it and felt the guilt pangs stabbing at my heart.  I removed a much larger laurel than this a few years ago and they are not the easiest plant to dig out. I was determined to save this one and I believe I was successful.  Here is a thought and you can take this to the bank - the pot you choose to hold a plant that you dig up will ALWAYS be too small. Always!  So, after finding the largest pot I could, here it is, after being cut back pretty d...

Today is the official first day of fall - the Autumnal Equinox when the sun passes directly over the equator and progresses southward.  Weather-wise, it certainly feels like fall with the temperatures only in the 60s today and our first major rain event beginning tomorrow. The garden looks good considering it is soooooo dry. The rain is needed badly. I glanced through the Farmer's Almanac while Michael was shopping for fabric this morning and the winter forecast for the Pacific Northwest is colder and dryer. On a brighter note, next summer is supposed to be cooler. Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Persian Shield ( Strobilanthes dyeriana ) is an annual with striking iridescent foliage. I used to grow it in a pot but haven't purchased it in years. This year, I wanted something for a pop of color in our shady border and decided to give it a try in the ground. Here it gets dappled sunlight but mostly shade. This, along with moist soil, suits the plant best. A native of Myanmar (Burma), it grows naturally in tropical areas and becomes a small shrub. It can also be used as a houseplant. This is a plant that always gets lot of comments. Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Here is another garden that I follow on Instagram and have wanted to see in person for a long time. It is the garden of Jeff Fisher and Ed Cunningham, better known as "The Fishingham Garden". Their garden has been featured in many magazines and books. This is a tiny garden, only 50' x 100' but packed with vibrant colors and great plants. It was overcast and chilly earlier this week when we visited - really the perfect day to see a colorful garden but I unwisely wore shorts and a thin shirt and was downright cold! Incredibly, it is sweltering again today (93 degrees). I do prefer the chill. The approach to the front garden from the street -  The color palette is orange(!) and chartreuse with spots of purple here and there. These are some of my personal favorite colors so of course I loved it. The house color is particularly stunning (our living room walls are this color). Jeff says when he saw the first coat go up, he questioned himself but of course it was fine. A sea...

Following up on my previous post about favorite pot plants, this one comes to mind. I can never remember the name of it - Dorotheanthus 'Mezoo Trailing Red'.  The genus name " honors Dorothea Schwantes, mother of the German specialist on succulent plants, Dr. Martin Heinrich Schwantes (1881-1960), archaeologist and professor at Kiel."  It was formerly known as Mesembryanthemum criniflorum .  I had never heard of a common name but I did see on the Missouri Botanical Garden website that it is known as "Livingstone Daisy" (for David Livingstone (1813-1873), Scottish missionary and physician who explored the African continent). They also mention that "Ice Plant" is a common name. However,  I tend to think of "Ice Plant" as Delosperma , the smaller groundcover succulent.  My co-worker Cindy brought it to my attention the first year I worked at Yard n' Garden Land. It did so well for us that I've purchased it every year since then. It ...

Potted plants are not my forte although we do have more than a fair share. In previous years, our deck was a jungle. We went crazy over fuchsias after moving here but finally realized that overwintering them, quite easy, was taking up too much space in the garage and waiting for them to bloom the following year was no fun and it was easier just to buy new plants. Of course, there are some that we do overwinter but our supply of fuchsias has diminished considerably.  There are a few other plants that I like to have in pots. Plectranthus 'Guacamole' is one that I discovered a few years ago and is an absolute favorite. No flowers (or does it?), just stunning green and gold leaves that drape ever so elegantly over the pot. Growing it is a breeze. Shade-loving, ours gets only bright light and I would bet that only a slight amount of sun would burn the leaves. Liquid fertilizer every two weeks or so is the only indulgence it gets and it would probably be okay without that. I've n...

Bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii) Daphne 'Briggs Moonlight' Hydrangea quercifolia 'Little Honey' Rhododendron 'Unique Variegated' Sumac 'Tiger Eyes' Aralia 'Sun King' Baptisia 'Purple Smoke' Spanish Fir ( Abies pinsapo 'Glauca') Autumn Fern Barberry 'Limoncello' Prostrate Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens 'Kelly's Prostrate') Hardy Scheffelera ( Schefflera taiwaniana 'Monhinschf' ('Winged Phoenix')  Dwarf Birch ( Betula 'Trost's Dwarf') Cedrus deodora 'Feelin' Blue' Sassafras albidum Redbud 'Flamethrower' ( Cercis canadensis ) Daphne 'Carol Mackie' Pinus sylvestris 'Trollguld' Juniper 'All Gold' Redbud 'Rising Sun' ( Cercis canadensis ) Genista lydia (Lydia Broom) Pinus parviflora 'Cleary' Hinoki Cypress ( Chamacyparis 'Gracillis') Chamacyparis O. 'Maiesii' Japanese Forest Grass ( Hakonechloa ) Pieris ...