Dirt Therapy

A collection of 38 small gardens, each one unique and covering a specific theme, Barnsdale Gardens was the creation of Geoff Hamilton, the host of "Gardener's World" from 1979 until his death in 1996. I am a big fan of "Gardener's World" and watch it every week, although I didn't watch when Hamilton hosted it. It is my understanding that the gardens here were actually used in the filming of the show. Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

This past Saturday, some friends and I made a day of one of my favorite activities - looking at other people's gardens. The tour featured five gardens in the southwest Portland area and was sponsored by the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon. Our first stop was the only garden that I've seen before - Stephen Morgan & Marilyn Laufenberg's colorful garden that overlooks Stephen's Creek Natural Area, which is a steep ravine. I've been to their garden at least two times in the past. I absolutely love it, and I'm always astounded at what they have accomplished. Just looking at the terrain, it is obvious that this was no easy feat. The garden wraps around the back of their home and is a series of steps and narrow pathways, brimming with all kinds of plants (many tropical) and touches of whimsey. My laugh of the day came when I saw this sign posted at the entry to the garden - They said that the rabbits had been terrible this year. You would not notice it by looking aro...