flynn070

We literally stumbled across Adelman Peony Gardens. We were leaving Schreiner's Iris when we saw the sign for Adelman. It was only one mile from the interstate so of course we had to go. We made a wish list for the fall! :) 'Red Charm' and 'Bowl of Beauty' 'Color Magnet'   'Garden Treasure' 'Bartzella' 'Minnie Shaylor' Peonies as far as the eye can see. Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

When we first started our garden in Alabama, we fell in love with antique roses. We ended up with a hundred or so and some of them came from Heirloom Roses in St. Paul, Oregon by mail order. Now that we are living in Washington state, Heirloom Roses, as well as many of the other great plant nurseries, are within driving distance. Last week, we drove down to St. Paul, about 45 minutes south of Portland, to see the nursery and the display gardens. The Oregon countryside is absolutely gorgeous. It is just one farm after another. Fields of fruit orchards, grapes, hops, conifers, blueberries, and strawberries are just a few of the crops that we passed on our way. It has been a while since I purchased roses. The first thing I've noticed is that they are much more expensive now. Heirloom's roses are $40 for a gallon pot and $27 for a quart sized pot. Actually, if you are ordering by mail, this is a good deal because they do not charge extra for shipping. I was a bit surprised though t...

It has been ages since I have participated in Garden Blogger's Bloom Day and this is my first time to do it after moving to Washington. On the 15th of every month, garden bloggers across the country take photos of what is blooming in their garden. We just endured yet another heat wave and dry spell (boo! hiss!) but today there is a long, slow rain (or drizzle rather) and the temperatures are much cooler. Thank goodness. I have planted a ton of stuff, including some large trees, and I was beginning to get worried. Since our yard (I won't call it a garden yet) is virtually shade-free, the sun is pretty harsh out here. It rises in the sky at an odd angle and it always seems to be in your face no matter what time of day it is. A few days ago, I spent the entire day planting and ended up with a sunburn. I was wearing a tank top so I have, what Michael calls, a "redneck tan". But I digress... Most of the blooms in the garden are from newly purchased plants that already had ...

Yesterday we went on a road trip with the intention of visiting one nursery, Heirloom Roses. We ended up going to three nurseries. It turns out that a lot of the great nurseries that I use to mail-order from, are all located in the Salem, Oregon area. Heirloom Roses is located in St. Paul and Schreiner's Iris Gardens as well as Adelman's Peonies are about twenty minutes away, near Salem.  All three had nice display gardens but Schreiner's had to be the most beautiful. We hit it at the right time and quite by accident. We decided to go at the last minute. Photos from Heirloom Roses and Adelman's Peonies are upcoming in a day or so. Iris are the focal point of the garden of course but I was quite enchanted by the lupines, delphiniums, columbine, clematis and various other perennials as well. I was also fascinated by the Horse Chestunut trees. You can see a glimpse of the entire tree in the photo above. Below is a close-up of the blooms. The Fringetree (Chionanthus virgin...