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Roses In The Garden - a book review

Roses In The Garden by Ngoc Minh Ngo Photographer Ngoc Minh Ngo celebrates rose gardens throughout the world in this beautifully produced book.  The author photographed a total of 11 gardens across the globe (Italy, Morocco, Spain, USA, UK, and Japan). Beginning with the Italian garden Ninfa (often referred to as the most romantic garden in the world), her photographs have a dreamy quality that transports the reader to these exotic locales. Closer to home, Floret Farm in Mount Vernon, Washington, is included in one of the chapters. All types of roses are included in the gardens but the majority feature old rose varieties. Many of the gardens have roses growing in wild abandon, intermingled in hedge rows, spilling over walls and fences and surrounded by pastures and rolling hills. A pictorial index lists all the roses and the gardens where they reside. This stunning book was published by Rizzoli Books and is available on Amazon and in bookstores. Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, ...

Early Bloomers

Camellia 'Donation'


We've had roller coaster weather with some very dreary days - last Wednesday was particularly grim working at the nursery on a cold, windy and wet day. However, more and more days are those like today - sunny, 60-ish and sublime. It is a favorite time of year when each day brings more green. Not to mention more flowers. Herre is a sampling from the garden today -

Blood Currant (Ribes sanguineum)


Euphorbia 'Miner's Merlot' (Euphorbia purpurea)


Anenome blanda


Daphne tangutica & Blue-eyed Mary (Omphaloides verna)

Veronica 'Georgia Blue'

Tree Heath (Erica arborea)

Serviceberry (Amelanchier grandiflora 'Autumn Brilliance")

Rhododendron 'Taurus'

Flowering Quince 'Double Take Orange Storm' (Chaenomeles)


Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Comments

  1. Such a lovely spring mix, Phillip! Every time I see 'Miner's Merlot' I regret my failure to pick up the plant when it was initially offered in smaller pots at a reasonable price here.

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  2. Such beautiful blooms! Thank you for sharing.

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  3. Wow! You are full of spring blooms, the blood currant is really spectacular. Well so is the flowering quince, and the daphne, etc., etc!

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  4. I've always been enchanted by Flowering Quince early appearance on a bare branch. They aren't shy about their color either.
    Chavli

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  5. I'm moving to Vancouver in about two months and want to learn how to garden in the PNW. I'm moving from Colorado so I know I have a lot to learn from you and other experienced gardeners. I love reading your blog and seeing the photos of your garden. Are there any books that you or the other viewers would recommend so that I can get off to a good start?

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    1. Hello, this is a great place to garden and I know you will love it. I learned a lot when I moved here from Ann Lovejoy's books. The books are older but still good. A more recent one is "Gardening in the Pacific Northwest" by Paul Bonine and Amy Campion. It is good for a dictionary of plants that do well here. A must-have is the "Sunset Western Encyclopedia". I also highly recommend "Timber Press Guide to Gardening in the Pacific Northwest". I would also join the HPSO (Hardy Plant Society of Oregon). Let me know when you get here!

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    2. Philip, thank you for these recommendations. I'm really looking forward to being there and learning all about the native plants and how to have a productive, attractive, and nurturing garden. These books and your blog are certainly going to be helpful. (Sorry that I keep forgetting to post with my name rather than anonymous).

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