Good news! Once again, I'll be teaching this popular series offered in conjunction with the HPSO Garden School. The series is suitable for the beginning gardener, although even long-time gardeners have found benefit in the class as well. We'll cover basic garden design principles - providing an introduction to the garden planning process, as well as lots of food for thought and some tools for improving your plant combinations. And I'll share my techniques for creating plantings with strong visual interest and seasonal flow. Classes are held at my home garden & studio in NE Portland, although we may go on a few short jaunts during the series in addition to the field trip on the final Saturday of the series. Here's what Elizabeth, who took the class spring 2007, wrote to me afterwards: "The topics and readings and your wonderful insights all helped some things 'gel' for me in a way they hadn't before. I feel like I now have a firmer grip on design principles and starting points for thinking about the garden--many wonderful insights on a garden design 'vocabulary,' seeing plants in combinations, the attributes of a garden-worthy plant, the wonders of foliage vs. flowers, and many other things. Thanks so much, it was awesome."
Topics include:
- An introduction to the garden planning process
- Tips for applying basic design principles to perk up your garden scenes
- Guidelines for creating plantings with all-season appeal
- Successful plant selection -- how to choose the best plants for your garden (right plant, right place)
- Tips for creating water-wise plantings and ideas for using water resourcefully in your garden
- Advice on fall gardening activities (examples include: using bulbs effectively, seasonally- appropriate garden care & maintenance)
- Themes of sustainability and use of organic methods will run throughout
- Natural gardening techniques and IPM (Integrated Pest Management) principles will be emphasized
- The field trip on the final Saturday will reinforce topics covered
The Fall Get Growing! series is scheduled for Saturdays, September 29, October 6, 13, and 20 from 9 am to 11:30 am and Saturday, October 13 from 9 am to 2 pm. Get Growing! costs $150 for HPSO members for the series ($165 for non-HPSO members), payable in full prior to the class. Act quickly! Class size is limited to 13. To register, visit the Hardy Plant Society web page or phone the Hardy Plant Society at 503-224-5718.
