Dirt Therapy

We just got 10 pounds of local peaches. This recipe turned out great. It is a keeper! Peach Pie Double piecrust (store-bought or homemade - this is the one I use ) 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup brown sugar 5 cups sliced peaches (peeled) 3 tablespoons cornstarch 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon butter 2-3 teaspoons lemon juice 1 egg (whisked) (to be used for brushing the crust before baking) Prepare pie crusts. Preheat oven to 400. Combine the two sugars in a bowl. Add the peaches and toss. Cover and let stand for about 1 hour. Drain the peaches and reserve the juice. In a medium saucepan, combine the cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Over low heat, slowly add the reserved peach juice and stir constantly, about 2 minutes, until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and add the butter and lemon juice. Stir until the butter has melted. Pour into the crust and top with the second crust. Brush the top with egg wash and make small slits with a sharp ...

As we were touring Renee Moog's garden, another visitor told me that I should go to Arbutus Garden Arts, which was just down the road. I had no idea we were close but it was a garden I was familiar with and always wanted to visit. A pleasant surprise! Norm Jacobs is the owner, and he showed us around and answered questions. The garden is also a nursery and he propagates the plants. However, he says that he is in the process of retiring. My friend Linda bought an absolutely stunning weeping snowbell tree. I managed to discipline myself and only left with a groundcover, Erigeron pulchellus 'Meadow Muffin'. The garden is stunning with winding pathways surrounded by packed borders of mostly conifers and Japanese maples. I was enamored by the most beautiful specimen of Sourwood Tree ( Oxydendrum arboreum ). I have one that seems to be stunted, but Mr. Jacobs told me that they need space for their root zone and do not like competition. This could be my problem, as mine is surrou...

A recent HPSO Mini-Tour included four gardens in the Southeast Portland area.  First, Christine Weaver's garden with winding pathways was full of perennials, vines, carnivorous plants and cacti - Next up is Jeanne DeBenedetti Keyes' naturalistic, waterwise garden with a collection of native plants. The back garden is a lush, Chinese-influenced, walled garden - The third garden was Renee Moog's enchanting and whimsical 1/3 acre garden with beautiful plantings enhanced with garden art, including glass bottle walls and floors, and a fantastic water feature - And finally, the Happy Valley garden of Jennifer Buss emphasizes four-season interest, low-maintenance plantings, and some bonsai specimens (unfortunately my phone battery was depleted and I didn't get many photos) -  (Visited August 17, 2025) Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

(Continued from Part 1) ... I knew that Iford Manor was my kind of garden when I saw the statue of "Dying Gaul" perched on top of a wall. We can't afford one for our garden but we do have a little version inside the house - The garden continues uphill with areas that are naturalized as well as manicured  -  A very theatrical area with some of the statuary from Peto's travels - Peto loved curved benches. In addition to Italian gardens, he was influenced by the Arts & Crafts movement. Some think that his love of curved benches came from the paintings of Lawrence Alma-Tadema. Some copies of his works were found in Peto's files - "Expectations" by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema Small buildings also dotted the landscape - The largest building was the cloister which housed more of his classical treasures - There is even a Japanese garden - Various pathways and woodland trails led to a road above the gardens. This set of stairs was roped off, but there were more ...