Bloomtown

Photos from Bloomtown

OK, so I've been busy and haven't been able to post in awhile. It is spring fer chrissakes! But I know what you're thinking ... the least I could do is post a few photos, right?

Along the path in the back garden. That's Heuchera 'Georgia Peach' in the mid-ground.

A tapestry of foliage and flowers; figuring prominently here is: Saxifraga x geum 'Dentata', Heuchera 'Plum Pudding' and Geranium c. 'Lawrence Flatman'.

That's Clematis 'John Warren' traipsing through a red, cut-leaf maple with Rhododendron 'Anah Kruschke' in the background.

 

This is taken in the front, parking strip garden. Cordyline australis 'Paradise', Sambucus 'Sutherland's Gold', Allium 'Globemaster' and Allium 'Mt Everest' are key players.

Photo album of Portland Classical Chinese Garden

I attended an absolutely fantastic photography workshop yesterday that was facilitated by Ian Adams and Alan Detrick, both top-notch photographers. The workshop was offered in conjunction with the national garden writers (GWA) convention held in Portland over the weekend. 

I've posted a new photo album showcasing my results from the field trip to the Portland Classical Chinese Garden. I've included one photo below, but feel free to check out the full album here.

Photo tour of Bloomtown's garden today

I thought I would share some shots taken today in the garden. Sorry, but I don't have a lot of time to say more; the photos will have to stand on their own.

Enjoy ...

Anemone nemorosa - how blue can you get?

Narcissus 'Rip Van Winkel'

Euphorbia 'Tasmanian Tiger'

Magnolia stellata emerging flower

Crocus bloom in the recline of decline

Phlomis seed head -- a hanger-on from last fall.

Sleeping beauty awakes

All's right with the world. After a slow start, we seem to be back on track.

It's amazing what a few warm-ish, semi-sunny days will do in terms of waking the garden, this time of year especially.

Morning moon over the ocean

We've had a chance to spend a couple of days at Rockaway Beach, Oregon. The weather has been sunny & clear, but cold.

Sugarcoated Abutilon Buds

Abutilon in bud, with a dusting of frost.

It's a bit nippy here this morning, but weather has all-in-all, been pretty mild so far this winter.

Bark

I'm a sucker for trees and shrubs with interesting bark -- bark that begs to be touched; in hues that command attention; or catches the light just so, such as the delicate, translucent peeling sheets of the river birch (Betula nigra) and paperbark maple (Acer griseum), which are especially attractive with the sun at their back.

In winter, when the gardening pace is less frenetic, one can truly appreciate the wondrous texture and color of bark and branch. The veil of foliage lifts to reveal the beauty of the season. Stop, look, observe and you will see -- smooth & silky, rough & gnarly, soft, flaky, prickly, spiny, and fuzzy are among the textures we find in nature. Orange, red, brown, white, tan, mottled and striped bark encases these beauties of the winter garden.

Fall foliage - Cotinus

Cotinus 'Royal Purple' displaying fall color is especially enchanting when backlit.

Fall, glorious fall!

I just can't get enough of scenes like this:

In the foreground is Physocarpus o. 'Diabolo', with Phormium 'Maori Maiden' in the mid-ground and a young Stewartia monadelpha taking up the rear.

In addition to this strong fall showing, this scene holds it own throughout the year. The Stewartia, selected for its all-season appeal, sports simple white flowers in summer, great fall color such as you see displayed here, and stunning bark in winter. The strong form of the Phormium is an ever-present color accent and serves as a strong focal point through the season. The deep burgundy brown foliage of the ninebark (Physocarpus) provides ongoing interest and sets off the pale ivory flowers in spring that often develop into interesting seed heads in late summer and fall.

Can I just say – I love, love, LOVE FALL!

Kitchen Garden

A photo showing the overall layout of the kitchen garden is posted above.

The planting beds are raised. In addition to providing an ideal growing situation for a variety of edibles, the changes in elevation coupled with the angular lines contribute to a more interesting space.

The back "wall" is an open wire mesh suitable for supporting tomatoes and vining plants. The top of the fence is embellished with an iron, stone & glass element fabricated by Keith Yurdana of Taproot. Some detail photos of the finials are posted below.