Salem nursery owner celebrates the courage of Olivia Newton-John with a special iris
When Thomas Johnson was 8, his mother gave him the record “Let Me Be There” by Olivia Newton-John. Even at that young age, the song, the music, and the lyrics […]
Garden Gallery Ironworks founder inspired optimism
If ever there was an optimist, it was Don Sprague, founder and owner of Don Sprague Sales and Garden Gallery Iron Works in Hubbard, Oregon. Don was well known throughout […]
Nurturing Mother Earth though carbon sequestration
Most gardeners would like to think of themselves as being good stewards of the earth — people do what they can to care for and nurture our planet. With the […]
Change at nurseries is constant
Change is inevitable. Whether we like it or not, change is constantly with us and the nurseries are no exception. Sometimes the change can be a step forward with the […]
Olive trees are migrating north
In the early 2000s, I was very much involved in gardening, both my own and visiting other gardens, but I had no knowledge of olive trees being planted in Oregon. […]
Summer favorites
Four gardeners share plants that survived and thrived in the summer heat For those of us living in the Pacific Northwest, we have had quite a summer of extremes in […]
Open season for open gardens
Visiting gardens is a great way to see how other gardeners use plants in unique combinations while socializing with other gardeners. But probably my favorite reason to go is to […]
Show-stealing shrubs
These specimen-sized favorites command the spotlight
Most gardens have a diversity of plants, usually with a representation of at least one or two categories. This would include annuals, perennials, shrubs, vines and trees. In the urban […]
Putting a new spinney on an old word
Different industries have their own language. Often a word, or a combination of words, has a different meaning to those who know the jargon. For example, a television crew might […]
Container bloomers that take the heat
The weather has been sporadic in many parts of the country, and here in Western Oregon has been no exception. We’ve had many hot days and nights, and in most […]