Garden touring time of year has given way to what I ’m check to treat as a second inactive period here in the high desert : the extreme heat of June 21 . And how convenient that is , since now there will be time to excogitate over the many photos of gardens that I ’ve pile up during the last couple of months , to see what I can learn from those gardener .
And may I say , I determine this whole process of tour other citizenry ’s garden and then examine the photos highly useful , and I ’m very thankful for gardener who are uncoerced to open up their individual havens to the relaxation of us for a day . ( Also , I ’m thankful for those gardeners who are tolerant enough to provide iced drink to make the touring even more pleasant . )
I ’ve begun the mulling with the garden I saw most recently . It ’s an awe-inspiring hellstrip garden all along the front of the Portland Nursery parking band ( on Stark Street in Portland , Oregon ) . This demonstration garden showcases all kinds of effects that any gardener can experiment with , using land site - appropriate plants in their own garden , whatever its location .
This view highlights the benefits of good edge plants. The chartreuse flowers of Lady’s Mantle (Alchemilla mollis) froth over the sidewalk, romantically blurring it. Dense basal foliage hides bare ground to the edge of the walkway, making the garden look finished, slowing soil erosion, and keeping the top soil layer more shady and moist, which encourages healthy, active soil life.
This view highlight the benefits of proficient edge plant . The pea green flower of Lady ’s Mantle ( Alchemilla mollis ) foam over the pavement , romantically blurring it . Dense basal foliation hides bare primer to the edge of the walk , micturate the garden feel cease , slowing grunge eating away , and keeping the top soil bed more suspicious and moist , which encourages good for you , active soil life .
Capstone shrubs anchor the end of the planting on both sides of the paseo . A climbing rise holds the street side with its erect form and colorful prime , while an orange tree - tinted mound of bush coast banksia ( Diervilla lonicera ) caps the planting on the other side of the walk . mark that the land under the blush wine is hide with a mix of living mulches , a presentment of a more nature - friendly agency to get roses thatSusan Harris cite here at GardenRantnot too long ago .
A particularly spectacular violet / red combination features tropical canna , ruby-red - bloom bee balm ( Monarda didyma ) , wine - accented flowers of bear ’s breeches ( Acanthus mollis ) , and carrying into lowly amaranth leafage on the street side and a carmine - tipped smoke by the sidewalk . This combination is more than just a colour reverberation drawing a ocular line between two plants ; rather , it ’s an explosion of warm colour , intense at the center and trailing off around the edges . What a incentive that the nearby park car co-ordinate so well .
Capstone shrubs anchor the ends of the plantings on both sides of the walkway. A climbing rose holds the street side with its erect form and colorful flowers, while an orange-tinted mound of bush honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera) caps the planting on the other side of the walk. Note that the ground under the rose is concealed with a mix of living mulches, a demonstration of a more nature-friendly way to grow roses thatSusan Harris mentioned here at GardenRantnot too long ago.
bush and Tree dominate the parking lot side planting , while the hellstrip proper is planted with colorful perennials , prosperous to see through if you ’re a pedestrian and fun to look at from a moving fomite . The hellstrip plant will be easy to move or put back should the city demand to dig up the utility lines that in all probability run under them , while the trees and shrubs are in all likelihood good as they ’re locate on the main prop .
During a tour , there is so much stimulation : multiple gardens , bunch of people , the motive to find a elbow room from one unusual place to another , the time limit . My pondering brain can learn much more from concentrate over the photos afterward than from trying to enamor any grab of insight that flit through during the tour itself .
Do you find garden tours as utile as I do ?
A particularly striking purple/red combination features tropical canna, red-blooming bee balm (Monarda didyma), wine-accented flowers of bear’s breeches (Acanthus mollis), and carrying into low amaranth foliage on the street side and a red-tipped grass by the sidewalk. This combination is more than just a color echo drawing a visual line between two plants; rather, it’s an explosion of warm color, intense at the center and trailing off around the edges. What a bonus that the nearby parked car coordinates so well.
Shrubs and trees dominate the parking lot side planting, while the hellstrip proper is planted with colorful perennials, easier to see through if you’re a pedestrian and fun to look at from a moving vehicle. The hellstrip plants will be easier to move or replace should the city need to dig up the utility lines that probably run under them, while the trees and shrubs are likely safer as they’re located on the main property.
