flynn070

We rarely go to Portland anymore because the traffic and parking is so horrendous but we did drive over to visit Little Baja earlier this week. I had been a few times in the past but Michael had never been and he expressed interest after seeing it advertised on Garden Time every week. If you are looking for pots (terracotta or concrete), statuary, fountains, etc., they have it! We didn't expect to buy anything but of course we did. I am getting ready to take out the vegetable garden and replace it with a patio and courtyard area. I wanted to add a water feature in that area and we came across a large bowl (the man at the store called it a "bonsai bowl") and it was close to what I was envisioning. We did not buy the fish, which we separate, but Michael liked them. Me, not so much. I saw lots of other great items as well, like these outdoor fireplaces and grills  - I am a sucker for statuary but have so far controlled myself in the new garden. And lots of terracotta! Text a...

It is turning cooler but we are still very, very dry. Blooming today, on the last day of September - Aster 'Wood's Purple', Mexican Feather Grass, Eucomis 'Sparkling Burgundy', Colorado Blue Spruce 'Globosa' Aster 'Purple Dome' and 'Ogon' Spirea Agastache 'Arizona Sandstone' Butterfly Weed ( Asclepias curassavica 'Red Butterfly') Beautyberry ( Callicarpa 'Profusion') Hardy Plumbago ( Ceratostigma plumbaginoides ) Ironweed ( Veronica baldwinii ) Sea Campion ( Silene uniflora 'Druett's Variegated') Japanese Shrub Mint ( Leucosceptrum japonicum 'Golden Angel') and Fuchsia 'Cardinal' Uruguayan Firecracker Plant ( Dicliptera suberecta ) Cistus 'Mickey' and an unidentified Hebe Aster lateriflorus 'Prince' Anemone Parahebe perfoliate and Blanket Flower ( Gaillardia 'Oranges and Lemons') Penstemon (can't recall the name) Crape Myrtle ( Lagerstroemia 'D...

Is it really September already? It has been a long, warm, dry summer but autumn is on the horizon. The temperatures are steadily back in the upper 60s and low 70s and we are getting sprinkles. There are autumnal hints everywhere in the garden - the Japanese maples and the dogwood tree are beginning a color shift and fall flowers, like Anenome and Goldenrod are blooming. The garden has been full of goldfinches during the past two weeks and hummingbirds have increased dramatically. Gardener Blogger's Bloom Day, hosted by May Dreams Gardens , is the place to see what is blooming in gardens across the United States. Check out the blog for a list of links. In the meantime, here are some of the flowers in our garden this month... Goldenrod ( Solidago 'Fireworks') is a sure sign that the season is changing. Crape Myrtle 'Dynamite' finally beginning to bloom.  Aster dumosis 'Wood's Purple' and Mexican Feather Grass ( Nassella tenuissima )  Rudbeckia 'Goldst...