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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
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Foxtail Rosemary


Rosmarinus officinalis 'Foxtail', the Foxtail Rosemary makes a graceful statement as it cascades over the edge of a terraced bed. This is the only rosemary in the garden since the trailing variety that I had for years was damaged so badly last winter that I took it out.

'Irene' is the rosemary that is no longer with us and I miss seeing it trail down the retaining wall next to the driveway.  I would replace it but another trailer, cotoneaster, is competing heavily for space there. 

Rosemary 'Irene' in happier times


I have not planted any of the upright rosemary types. I've seen too many that became monstrosities and are impossible to curtail. I do love them though as brushing by that fragrance is such a pleasant sensation.

Back to 'Foxtail' - it really has all the same qualities as the others but is much more mild-mannered. It too sulked after last January's freeze and I did have to trim some of it back. It resides in a somewhat protected area on the south side of the house unlike 'Irene' which was next to a cold wall, in the open and facing east. 

'Foxtail' is happy in this location because of the superb drainage. It gets mostly morning sun and is semi-shaded in the afternoon by the Katsura tree. 

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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  1. Kris PetersonJanuary 13, 2025 at 9:43 AM

    I'm glad you found a rosemary that works for you. I always think of it as indestructible and it surprises me when I hear that that isn't the case in many climates. Some of my "prostrate" rosemary has grown tall and unwieldy over the years so I should've given more thought to where I placed it.

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  2. Barbara H.January 14, 2025 at 12:29 PM

    Thank you, Phillip! I was hoping there would be more information about this rosemary. All my rosemary, which had done so well for many years, bit the dust when we had a severe deep freeze. Makes me hesitant to get more but I do love it.

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  3. tz_gardenJanuary 18, 2025 at 9:11 AM

    Yes, I have an uncontrolled rosemary :(. I pulled two out and need to attack the last one standing. Irene is lovely!

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  4. CarJanuary 24, 2025 at 5:33 PM

    I saw a lot of Rosemary Irene and others bite the dust in February 2024 weird cold weather. I think Irene is cheap and if not watered or fertilized she can last a long time in the right setting. Rosemary in general grows fast so I would encourage people to consider replacing their rosemary if it did well for several years. The bees love the early flowers and while I would not plant 100 Rosemary Irene for a hillside I would plant 5 or ten above a wall facing south....in a heartbeat. Foxtail looks great. I'd like to try it. The weather was so bizarre Feb 2024 that even with climate change Im thinking it will be many years before we have anything quite like it again. I hope. Interesting Blog! (especially because you are getting into the nitty gritty of how plants do here.) Thanks.

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