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September Surprises

It is always a thrill to stumble across a plant that I may have forgotten about or one that does something unexpected. That has happened several times over the past weeks.  First, the vine pictured above is the Eastern Prince Schisandra vine ( Schinensis chinensis ), also known as "Magnolia Vine".  I purchased it in May of 2023 from One Green World in Portland. I don't know what attracted me to it, other than the fact that I'd never heard of it before and the description sounded nice.  I didn't forget about this plant; in fact, it has grown quite vigorously up an archway at the entrance to our woodland path. It shares space alongside the rose 'Lamarque'.  I did forget that it produces berries, so I was surprised when I looked up and saw them dangling over the top of the arbor.  The berries are used in Chinese medicine. They are called the "Five Flavor Berry" and said to have five flavors in one - sweet, salty, bitter, tangy and sour.  Chinese le...
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Revisiting Laura Scott's Garden


A mini-tour of four gardens on the west side of Vancouver took place this past Saturday. I had visited all of the gardens before but it was fun to see them again and with a friend who is new to garden touring.

Our first stop was Laura Scott's beautiful garden which is full of color and artful vignettes. I previously saw her garden two years ago.

I am mesmerized by the bark on this tree and the planting around it is perfect.

Planted on one side is Rose Campion (Silene coronaria)

Jerusalem Sage (Phlomis fruiticosa) surrounds the back of a fantastic statue.


The vegetable garden is so much fun!







That is the rose 'Vielchenblau' (or that's my guess) in the back.

This is a more wooded area over to the side of the main gardens. An azalea is blooming on the right of the arch.

The pink flowering plant on the left is a pink variety of Bowman's Root (Gillenia trifoliata), highly coveted by yours truly. And I'm excited to say that I just obtained a piece today from a friend. Laura's plants are so robust!

Just perfection



Thanks Laura for opening your garden again. It just gets better!

The other three gardens (Vicki Green, Ruth Clark and Gregg Andrews) will be in upcoming posts.

Next Saturday, there will be a tour of four more gardens, this time on the east side of Vancouver. I think I've only seen one of those so I'm excited and hope to go.

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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  1. Kris PetersonJune 18, 2024 at 9:41 AM

    It's a beautifully curated garden. You're lucky to live in such a beautiful part of the country, Phillip.

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  2. Ardith FergusonJune 18, 2024 at 10:00 AM

    Thanks for sharing these photos of the garden you visited.

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    1. Phillip OliverJune 19, 2024 at 7:06 AM

      You are welcome Ardith. There are more to come.

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  3. AnonymousJune 18, 2024 at 7:57 PM

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  4. LauraJune 18, 2024 at 7:59 PM

    Thanks for the lovely photos and kind words, Phillip. It was great seeing you on Saturday.

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    1. Phillip OliverJune 19, 2024 at 7:05 AM

      You're welcome - thanks for opening and it was great seeing you as well.

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  5. tz_gardenJune 20, 2024 at 11:42 AM

    What a glorious garden, she is very talented. Beautiful!

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