flynn070

  Believe it or not, I had not been to any of the Open Gardens this year, that is, until yesterday. I knew I would be kicking myself at the end of the season if I didn't see some of the incredible private gardens that are open every weekend and Monday evenings on the HPSO (Hardy Plant Society of Oregon) Open Gardens Tour. I spent yesterday afternoon and evening touring 3 beautiful gardens. The first garden is Flicker Farm, the creation of Linda Wisner and Chet Orloff. It is located on pastoral Sauvie Island, just outside the St. Johns area of Portland. It is an incredible place, filled with farms, orchards, a great nursery ( Cistis ) and calming idyllic properties like this one. The garden is comprised of 1.3 acres and features lush perennials, herbs and vegetables, sculpture, artwork and a wonderfully inviting courtyard underneath a grape-covered pergola. The garden was recently featured in Country Gardens magazine. The courtyard/dining area just behind the house. The grape vine h...

  I finally made it all the way up to see Mt. St. Helens last week. On a clear day, you can see it from various locations around Vancouver (and Portland for that matter). It is about a 1 hour drive from our house, located slightly to the northeast. It is still an active volcano, which is a bit frightening when you think about it. Or I could worry about North Korea's missiles reaching us. Danger lurks all about. I think I will just enjoy the incredible beauty this region has to offer and try not to dwell on the unpleasantness. This is a view from a Visitor's Center located just off I-5 in Castle Rock, about 45 miles from Mt. St. Helens. Along the drive up the mountain, there are lots of places to pull over and see great views. The area has abundant wildflowers. A native Penstemon When Mt. St. Helens erupted in 1980, it resulted in mass destruction, eliminating entire lakes and totally reconstructed the landscape. It is a fascinating story. The Visitor's Center is filled w...

Slowly getting back in the kitchen and decided to go the easy route for a quick recipe. Michael loves these. Some call it "Mexican Cake" or "Tea Cookies". They have a shortbread type texture and very addictive. The recipe comes from an old Home Economics Teacher's cookbook that both our mothers used.   Mexican Wedding Cookies (adapted from "Favorite Recipes of Alabama Vocational Home Economics Teachers")  (Makes about 3 dozen) 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup butter 1 teaspoon vanilla Cream butter and sugar. Add flour gradually, mixing well. Add the nuts and vanilla. Shape the dough into small balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 15-18 minutes at 350. Roll the cookies in powdered sugar before they cool. Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

'Westerland' As a follow-up to my Bloom Day post, I am doing one especially on the roses that are currently blooming. I have planted about two dozen roses if my mental count is correct. Almost all of them are blooming or have bloomed. Some are still very tiny but most have grown quite a bit. The largest is the climber 'Westerland' and it is stunning. I grew this one in Alabama but it was in way too much shade and never really took off. The one in our new garden is growing on next to an archway. It needs some assistance with climbing the structure and that is on my list of things to do. 'Westerland' close-up The very first rose I planted - 'Lady of Shallot', a David Austin variety, is also quite large, about 4' high and wide, growing along the fence row near the street. I hate that I did not get a photo of it blooming in its full glory earlier in the spring. I did take on on my Instagram account but even it was not a full-length shot. 'The Lady of...

Ah, June in the Pacific Northwest! It is kind of like April in Alabama - it seems like everything starts to bloom overnight. Here, the rainy season begins to fade, sunnier skies begin to appear and the temperatures climb into the 70s. Of course, that is "on average". There is an occasional hot day (upper 80s one day last week) and some cold, gray days (earlier in the week, it barely got out of the 50s). But, overall is it sublime. There is a lot going on in our garden and I am pretty amazed at what all we have accomplished in just one year. That is the garden gate in the photo above and Clematis 'Jackmanii Superba' has reached the top and it blooming nicely. On the opposite side, 'Princess Diana' has been moved to the back garden and 'Madame Julia Corevon' has taken her place. She is already scampering up near the top and some buds are appearing. And take a look at that Spanish Lavender - it loves it here. The red rose on the left is 'Dublin Bay...