tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75513831527071360532024-03-05T17:56:13.506-08:00Random Acts of GardeningBeth Farmerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00365609322402324586noreply@blogger.comBlogger471125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551383152707136053.post-3782238050479819832014-11-18T11:32:00.001-08:002014-11-18T11:32:56.741-08:00Winter Interest Containers<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYnnvbM6l4-gI7scdcWTfXngLfW80TOm4QTLY14unXp5g1fG6UIu3mc2A01maWlFe3K2vf3kfc6bGdEmMtFehorQFqEzJo4rlaOi12AEWQO-ddXJMe3W5GU2IAfpWCNKuTEKvnBLIt37w/s1600/The+Garden+Corner+008+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYnnvbM6l4-gI7scdcWTfXngLfW80TOm4QTLY14unXp5g1fG6UIu3mc2A01maWlFe3K2vf3kfc6bGdEmMtFehorQFqEzJo4rlaOi12AEWQO-ddXJMe3W5GU2IAfpWCNKuTEKvnBLIt37w/s1600/The+Garden+Corner+008+-+Copy.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Garden Corner, a garden center in Tualatin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The secret to exciting winter interest containers is two-fold: containers large enough to accommodate multiple plants, and multiple choice plants. <a href="http://www.thegardencorner.com/">The Garden Corner</a> is known for its baskets. They have everything from the world’s smallest hanging baskets to the world’s largest hanging basket. And they plant them up for home gardeners and for cityscapes, or they will help you plant your own. I was intrigued by one of the baskets created on the most recent of <a href="http://www.thegardencorner.com/kept-secret/">The Garden Corner’s weekly videos</a>. <br /><br />The basket featured blue, silver and dark green foliage. There were no annuals or flowers in sight, just one perennial (a grass) and lots of conifers and evergreen woody ornamentals. The arrangement was anchored with a soft, blue-toned conifer. <i>Cedrus deodora</i> ‘Prostrate Beauty’, <i>Euphorbia</i> ‘Silver Swan’, variegated <i>Vinca minor</i> ‘Ralph Shugert’, and what looked like a cultivar of <i>Rhododendron</i> with indumentum and a dark green <i>Osmanthus</i> filled out the basket. Cut stems of the corkscrew willow added the finishing touch of texture. Sweet! Not only does it look good in winter, it would look good all year, which makes it a good investment. Add some weather-resistant holiday decorations (which The Garden Corner also sells), and you’ll be set for the holidays. (And you can take a photo with one of the resident chickens!)<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSVzxtqy8qLtcD1FalbMkDGQX3luUm7dEf-QdLOD6iYLXoA0LcD5cebwG2l7QNym5CKcGUVy1hw8-TWTgx4L-NK2G11pmQ7ZPwMoAGTjPKt674dTsTq-_B76ah2ut68dr0ibyq0erFPP0/s1600/The+Garden+Corner+066.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A winter window box. Great use of burlap!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuRHHOzCRx-yoCfbEn7LAcs9d2Y1W73Rj97BDiR3JSWJcR8lBlwii0w7c6p-dTo5fDURcpShFwenPC9e_24PRUEBquLRnJS3AvyRIdsaHUmIuM5Ky5SRVezDXjbSXdIoiJ15GoMpwGoVk/s1600/The+Garden+Corner+053.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuRHHOzCRx-yoCfbEn7LAcs9d2Y1W73Rj97BDiR3JSWJcR8lBlwii0w7c6p-dTo5fDURcpShFwenPC9e_24PRUEBquLRnJS3AvyRIdsaHUmIuM5Ky5SRVezDXjbSXdIoiJ15GoMpwGoVk/s1600/The+Garden+Corner+053.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">OAN Executive Director Jeff Stone with a Garden Corner Chicken</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlCb3uXgpi8z6fgXFhxsgLfy5aw6UO1pC5FTJ__xdQ9nef5tg_PhjgPEec0c0Ir4Jqjgss_AoGS2EqLL_4FLX-A2iXZfNLzBon7z0zzME3pcqhTGaUqAPJdcRG9Cx1qTX9sPaE7qGo7uE/s1600/The+Garden+Corner+013+-+Copy.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the world's smallest hanging baskets. A perfect gift, perhaps?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPPBbmx3b_HWIuPZNtauiy5ZJNkYY1ITPwQ6KLlWq2X5bbXyBHMhwKfSsSKCjIGllOD6pAjpcvWjjrw5pm1tchu5MnZoR5qcnzxyOqMVfojBo5Eg9bD1CDkQV6L5RyDns_nKSv4Y4gucc/s1600/The+Garden+Corner+045.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shopping at The Garden Corner for decorative items to put in arrangements.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551383152707136053.post-43561887362147508042014-11-11T09:09:00.000-08:002014-11-11T09:09:14.319-08:00Gardening for Nature<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkM1Qydh8Qga5TJ5xLfiTWC0fESyzNoArqhIad6ACT2ZdSCXCKarOIiByIw-L9r6LAbxlUPZTdkBAg_7TG7gJudd4xt0gc-y6IjXWLEI1Vzr6meYGwWl_9ovAjP4y8XR4Fu_P_4NWBn9o/s1600/milkweed_Wikipedia+Commons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkM1Qydh8Qga5TJ5xLfiTWC0fESyzNoArqhIad6ACT2ZdSCXCKarOIiByIw-L9r6LAbxlUPZTdkBAg_7TG7gJudd4xt0gc-y6IjXWLEI1Vzr6meYGwWl_9ovAjP4y8XR4Fu_P_4NWBn9o/s320/milkweed_Wikipedia+Commons.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Asclepias speciosa</i> (Photo: Wikipedia Commons)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The act of gardening – tending and cultivating a plot of land – lets us actively participate in/with/for nature. One of the actions I’m taking to create a healthy slice of nature is planting for wildlife. Case in point: milkweed (<i>Asclepias speciosa</i>). A few years ago, I didn’t know what milkweed looked like, but I did know Monarch butterflies rely on it for sustenance during the caterpillar life stage. I actually smelled a milkweed before I laid eyes on it. Lured by its lovely fragrance -- perhaps like its pollinators? -- I found its clusters of intricate flowers by following its scent. <br /><br />There are well over 100 species of milkweed, but only a few are native to the Northwest. Most species are toxic to vertebrate herbivores if ingested due to cardenolide alkaloids contained in the leaves and stems. This toxicity makes the Monarch caterpillar and butterfly unpalatable to potential predators. <i>Asclepias speciosa</i> is said to be the least toxic of the milkweeds. Named by Carl Linnaeus after Asclepius, the Greek god of healing, it’s an unusual plant in a number of ways. Its pollen is grouped into pollen sacs (pollinia), rather than being individual grains as is typical of most plants. “The feet or mouthparts of flower-visiting insects such as bees, wasps and butterflies, slip into one of the five slits in each flower formed by adjacent anthers. The bases of the pollinia then mechanically attach to the insect, pulling a pair of pollen sacs free when the pollinator flies off.” Its sap contains latex and milkweed filaments offer good insulation properties. Milkweed is grown commercially as a hypoallergenic filling for pillows. And Native Americans used it as a source of sweetener due to the high dextrose content of its nectar. [Source: Wikipedia]<br />
<br />
If you have a sunny location, milkweed is worth planting for the fragrance and flower form, but it is also worthwhile planting to help save the migrating Monarch butterfly population. <br /><br />For more information on milkweed and its importance to the survival of Monarch butterflies, check out these sources: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asclepias">Wikipedia</a>, <a href="http://monarchjointventure.org/get-involved/create-habitat-for-monarchs/">Monarch Joint Venture</a> and <a href="http://monarchwatch.org/bring-back-the-monarchs/milkweed/milkweed-profiles/asclepias-speciosa">Monarch Watch</a>. For information on butterfly gardening, visit the <a href="http://nababutterfly.com/start-butterfly-garden/">North American Butterfly Association’s website</a>. Click <a href="http://www.monarch-butterfly.com/">here</a> for information about Monarch butterflies.<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551383152707136053.post-11725229247046285032014-11-04T11:52:00.000-08:002014-11-04T11:52:19.055-08:00Planting Inspiration <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj68CwfL-GHmZq59xccWRlwO_7Hha6sMyxzaduL7nPrJXNyoreCt_evuKI1NiAlSm7kaxI6V_wsBsIceds76a5EfQ08Zvz8UBhN5CQR5Dh6wVqoiBj3wFv3uym2olYqOvMfZyOrv9yBaEU/s1600/Calendar+04_ADavidson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj68CwfL-GHmZq59xccWRlwO_7Hha6sMyxzaduL7nPrJXNyoreCt_evuKI1NiAlSm7kaxI6V_wsBsIceds76a5EfQ08Zvz8UBhN5CQR5Dh6wVqoiBj3wFv3uym2olYqOvMfZyOrv9yBaEU/s1600/Calendar+04_ADavidson.jpg" height="320" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plants Make Our Lives Better artwork by Annabelle, age 9. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Just in time for the holidays, the Oregon Association of Nurseries (OAN) is publishing its first ever e-calendar, which features the artwork of elementary school children, ages six to 11. We asked classrooms to encourage their students to create artwork that celebrates how plants make our lives better. The resulting art is beautiful and inspiring! The calendar, which includes monthly plant recommendations by <a href="http://www.greatplantpicks.org/">Great Plant Picks</a> and fun facts about how plants make our lives better, can be downloaded at <a href="http://www.plantsomethingoregon.com/">www.PlantSomethingOregon.com</a>. <br /><br />The OAN, and nursery and landscape associations in 11 other states, are using the Plant Something™ program to encourage more gardening and education about the health and well-being, financial and environmental benefits of plants and gardening. To learn more about the program, visit the national <a href="http://www.plant-something.org/">Plant Something website</a> and stay in touch with the Plant Something initiative via its <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PlantSomething">Facebook page</a>.<br />
<br />
Some more Plant Something artwork for you to enjoy. Lots of trees. Lots of clean water. And lots of birds and pollinators.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAbQNu2VS6DKvrQjPfzqRGj2sEXJ3He-ZuhxG8k88hW3AyZ-jjP1VGws8X13b4UERv30RmZCQHHNAXsxKMH7dd6qEskAudcbDSPn6qnS4YoQzPX890p0_Z-bRVg4y0YDHkMKUhxyThsEM/s1600/Calendar+03_APerez-Garcia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAbQNu2VS6DKvrQjPfzqRGj2sEXJ3He-ZuhxG8k88hW3AyZ-jjP1VGws8X13b4UERv30RmZCQHHNAXsxKMH7dd6qEskAudcbDSPn6qnS4YoQzPX890p0_Z-bRVg4y0YDHkMKUhxyThsEM/s1600/Calendar+03_APerez-Garcia.jpg" height="320" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alberto, age 9</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgns9IGG9XpbENkUHgoqjX6javY98CRGhe9VQy9BNuxewaP7MsdpLQTHPKcXh8yTycehZEN-ZSCbWHf7yWRo-76UNCh6dWOQUVH6TsqroXqZwrJj-9ElFsqSB7VGxkV_M2JSG6lg6FRpAU/s1600/Calendar+11_CWalsh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgns9IGG9XpbENkUHgoqjX6javY98CRGhe9VQy9BNuxewaP7MsdpLQTHPKcXh8yTycehZEN-ZSCbWHf7yWRo-76UNCh6dWOQUVH6TsqroXqZwrJj-9ElFsqSB7VGxkV_M2JSG6lg6FRpAU/s1600/Calendar+11_CWalsh.jpg" height="247" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Conor, age 10</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZtFbRFPHUOMh5P0p-G6WGavgqmvPFO6P7f85uQDgmXWARquFbhj2n-B1CJWLHBasWJWMNbcwmN3zyMzOfo8LSVwWHjwZOKwhPUfUI1dx_jBXDC-x32vHVxIOu9oDhGxkFNKWCbAanVnE/s1600/Calendar+10_IDeLosSantos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZtFbRFPHUOMh5P0p-G6WGavgqmvPFO6P7f85uQDgmXWARquFbhj2n-B1CJWLHBasWJWMNbcwmN3zyMzOfo8LSVwWHjwZOKwhPUfUI1dx_jBXDC-x32vHVxIOu9oDhGxkFNKWCbAanVnE/s1600/Calendar+10_IDeLosSantos.jpg" height="247" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isabella, age 10</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmJw9wiWwl44n68BBVZfQRpUcLlQcmmTULz32ZZ8QKiaoLhrB8nsGgsWpiL6GRDhDUinjUwNhxgxDi1BvjOTGQui9zjp1ursxVxGpNxITkemuEdSYEqgPtcHT8Nu8hT47YzwxtrjyIkQ/s1600/Digger+cover_AGeschwill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmJw9wiWwl44n68BBVZfQRpUcLlQcmmTULz32ZZ8QKiaoLhrB8nsGgsWpiL6GRDhDUinjUwNhxgxDi1BvjOTGQui9zjp1ursxVxGpNxITkemuEdSYEqgPtcHT8Nu8hT47YzwxtrjyIkQ/s1600/Digger+cover_AGeschwill.jpg" height="320" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alexandra, age 8</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizW-KlKxxb0Alf4VcX2bgkZkOmY3cVOePbrbY-PdWAmO4LOUo-Wekf9zuq0C3JaqsAA4QXa9ZaKSFPvmCMT6a5rbgQWsOBlLuM22PGQbNnp7joHQlulxvoazE7OEUtMpKnByXdzlMiys4/s1600/Image+0013_SMadou.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizW-KlKxxb0Alf4VcX2bgkZkOmY3cVOePbrbY-PdWAmO4LOUo-Wekf9zuq0C3JaqsAA4QXa9ZaKSFPvmCMT6a5rbgQWsOBlLuM22PGQbNnp7joHQlulxvoazE7OEUtMpKnByXdzlMiys4/s1600/Image+0013_SMadou.jpg" height="247" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sherifa, age 10</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmNuHy8nX0u8Z-ru5745SeqcWivEUcXMD88xRaaukO1yRxdCMcV5ZZmzyiDexptXd35_4_tgD9w6bl9GYFDZ5w56kCtj7k1E_06sdbZogbl5x2ElfbP2PIwuqo38OPF7JEgPTUkXPnmnE/s1600/Image+0022_JWolfsehr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmNuHy8nX0u8Z-ru5745SeqcWivEUcXMD88xRaaukO1yRxdCMcV5ZZmzyiDexptXd35_4_tgD9w6bl9GYFDZ5w56kCtj7k1E_06sdbZogbl5x2ElfbP2PIwuqo38OPF7JEgPTUkXPnmnE/s1600/Image+0022_JWolfsehr.jpg" height="247" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joy, age 11</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin8FoAn0Uushyphenhyphend1Dxd_OiJ0axLeGA4CfZL_f-QBZYhnjYM82N88CgNi7yAqgsITH-Xf2hJoQbuKEmfTVNAhz54rK7PmPfis-C6RlwOIy9lgM2XouKlPBUn97UaQ8Q_ktACmtlGaO3oWqE/s1600/Image+0033_TVeliz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin8FoAn0Uushyphenhyphend1Dxd_OiJ0axLeGA4CfZL_f-QBZYhnjYM82N88CgNi7yAqgsITH-Xf2hJoQbuKEmfTVNAhz54rK7PmPfis-C6RlwOIy9lgM2XouKlPBUn97UaQ8Q_ktACmtlGaO3oWqE/s1600/Image+0033_TVeliz.jpg" height="247" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tomas, age 10</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIMOaQfvszt8JsJFHAglkctfwEvBHEtWwb6OVrckpcaJIhVozvAj56R7LCvFInytfsB_VJVKBNid9SS4RMJBYzxvOkHS9Pc1LUyw934fjN6Jnsds00sGxLLPwqpUCNlFD8XVBjYypmWCo/s1600/Image+0034_LBrassel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIMOaQfvszt8JsJFHAglkctfwEvBHEtWwb6OVrckpcaJIhVozvAj56R7LCvFInytfsB_VJVKBNid9SS4RMJBYzxvOkHS9Pc1LUyw934fjN6Jnsds00sGxLLPwqpUCNlFD8XVBjYypmWCo/s1600/Image+0034_LBrassel.jpg" height="247" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lauren, age 10</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHQ9-TpEGzk4PmWW0vIzMmZpeG0igh6XzohYq4jk5PM_cL-4122tDJTVqZ_q24665SPsCHoxWz7yDNC-BH79KB1uHgs2bshdL5ikSmoe-QtQxXFm2CimUBiZF8y4sv2ddzKH2UafnSoug/s1600/Image+0048_CNelson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHQ9-TpEGzk4PmWW0vIzMmZpeG0igh6XzohYq4jk5PM_cL-4122tDJTVqZ_q24665SPsCHoxWz7yDNC-BH79KB1uHgs2bshdL5ikSmoe-QtQxXFm2CimUBiZF8y4sv2ddzKH2UafnSoug/s1600/Image+0048_CNelson.jpg" height="247" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chloe, age 10</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkpyhZoKqvaBCwS-NJ3FbGBtkHYz7HCv8zb7fXf84T94IP8IpUn0NB8QrphSxPrePckZLoVPOadajffnfInlCJItkln3i4on9bDBTThm3VfvoOujXpude3AqR9MhRpMANWLYZS9EYlb3Q/s1600/Image+0049_NMiller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkpyhZoKqvaBCwS-NJ3FbGBtkHYz7HCv8zb7fXf84T94IP8IpUn0NB8QrphSxPrePckZLoVPOadajffnfInlCJItkln3i4on9bDBTThm3VfvoOujXpude3AqR9MhRpMANWLYZS9EYlb3Q/s1600/Image+0049_NMiller.jpg" height="247" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nathan, age 10</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjQOfERSZ7uVqsf6ZMOgiNhXrQzd62YuqOuQYDwjnu5vIg8oOue6tv825jQvco_MT4bLyxQLx6udQv0o6jDUkPfa5dSuX1u1WCxcKvt1mKhK5RYA4WUzEdphteDhyF1kg_5LSm-q3DCXM/s1600/Image+0056_MFessler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjQOfERSZ7uVqsf6ZMOgiNhXrQzd62YuqOuQYDwjnu5vIg8oOue6tv825jQvco_MT4bLyxQLx6udQv0o6jDUkPfa5dSuX1u1WCxcKvt1mKhK5RYA4WUzEdphteDhyF1kg_5LSm-q3DCXM/s1600/Image+0056_MFessler.jpg" height="320" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Megan, age 9</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnm8eII-sXJqEPTeZQS0dDplk4nPzggDh8ZDvtKyIxyL2FmvlJv6IeH94nGWmSa1wbUWna1os8wKCzDR0ykd-Ik-LbJCzxU6J3rIpKpW-gTFmOrwXpOO-r1EWD34Sz1xhJLKolWXDtkcs/s1600/Image+0058_CElsasser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnm8eII-sXJqEPTeZQS0dDplk4nPzggDh8ZDvtKyIxyL2FmvlJv6IeH94nGWmSa1wbUWna1os8wKCzDR0ykd-Ik-LbJCzxU6J3rIpKpW-gTFmOrwXpOO-r1EWD34Sz1xhJLKolWXDtkcs/s1600/Image+0058_CElsasser.jpg" height="320" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carmen, age 9</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio4cz6IPZ_Ix9NcdkaSuowzMqO0Rne0r2_BqAp6NdIHWh4Emc6dM-De-AiT9pXHnAjbc8Tu9ABoZYpWwc1D2m2OJW2-BBX7gpvYFT0FoGFis3AdSDhm0YF5eZMi-VoRY8by-3tDBllQNI/s1600/Image+0001_RBair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio4cz6IPZ_Ix9NcdkaSuowzMqO0Rne0r2_BqAp6NdIHWh4Emc6dM-De-AiT9pXHnAjbc8Tu9ABoZYpWwc1D2m2OJW2-BBX7gpvYFT0FoGFis3AdSDhm0YF5eZMi-VoRY8by-3tDBllQNI/s1600/Image+0001_RBair.jpg" height="247" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riley, age 10</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmW2nn7Qo7lv81nPEkJb1nYyTNkvgG6p1MrWPvqt9f1o-BDmh1EQh0n92v-rCLM8tQZYXL2e-v3bErbw8BaJBt7GQcLSFXgTvcbqNlhiJF007CQMCiPm6BZ_yejslcpfCaPVsKJFimKDw/s1600/Image+0002_CMesser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmW2nn7Qo7lv81nPEkJb1nYyTNkvgG6p1MrWPvqt9f1o-BDmh1EQh0n92v-rCLM8tQZYXL2e-v3bErbw8BaJBt7GQcLSFXgTvcbqNlhiJF007CQMCiPm6BZ_yejslcpfCaPVsKJFimKDw/s1600/Image+0002_CMesser.jpg" height="247" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheyenne, age 11</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEHYKcuxBuv1DlhJAm4l-CJX5TAnxUy_457XNNXIZR_mD-GQ6ORGRPKk-NC05zaZhuSldMHM8TFDOTE2zRGtBKHcOqZ2gia1EBrj8jB-1Z5s8ZHcI6d1f-D3p3Lu5AXf6kYrM39OVA8f0/s1600/Image+0003_SLokteff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEHYKcuxBuv1DlhJAm4l-CJX5TAnxUy_457XNNXIZR_mD-GQ6ORGRPKk-NC05zaZhuSldMHM8TFDOTE2zRGtBKHcOqZ2gia1EBrj8jB-1Z5s8ZHcI6d1f-D3p3Lu5AXf6kYrM39OVA8f0/s1600/Image+0003_SLokteff.jpg" height="247" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sierra, age 11</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcD7mYk-212CEiUizEgqrPGS3rpoJSei_2dd-zNc09rBHc0sgxCIN2JTPGKa59ZEriA9zPtntCSB5tJeTnsPAsK6Tj8-ywKCmtacQSa2zkoXyq0KBnczMBxAjj_SQtUoRWZ_MB3BY-Z8s/s1600/Image+0004_JPerson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcD7mYk-212CEiUizEgqrPGS3rpoJSei_2dd-zNc09rBHc0sgxCIN2JTPGKa59ZEriA9zPtntCSB5tJeTnsPAsK6Tj8-ywKCmtacQSa2zkoXyq0KBnczMBxAjj_SQtUoRWZ_MB3BY-Z8s/s1600/Image+0004_JPerson.jpg" height="247" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jakob, age 11</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK29ZknSIQK5dMQ0MGk5yv2VHEn_owz0gGT6_bWs3ohTFsH6XBnVUOvEh4o-XIzwhqOx5sGMdsgn4eJpWfP8MiHKBwuzuejf1jTDdxJ2eKsJmYbXEsd154Sa86nD4qNy7gNWMyoAkOqQI/s1600/Image+0005_TKhandwalla.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK29ZknSIQK5dMQ0MGk5yv2VHEn_owz0gGT6_bWs3ohTFsH6XBnVUOvEh4o-XIzwhqOx5sGMdsgn4eJpWfP8MiHKBwuzuejf1jTDdxJ2eKsJmYbXEsd154Sa86nD4qNy7gNWMyoAkOqQI/s1600/Image+0005_TKhandwalla.jpg" height="247" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tariq, age 11</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1XfwOP7u0FKjZc2dQm9oAr4iOwrACVRZGhyphenhyphenjFZJswlvyPx_Ux6IWbZcceYlTHrw1GsvP8RZrtV_34jbvNjGMd5SwM8AIyv7VfVAE8WUMoml_6oAIan3yt6bX5_xpKGNAhnHNLKcyOeM0/s1600/Image+0011_ASheikh-Ahmed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1XfwOP7u0FKjZc2dQm9oAr4iOwrACVRZGhyphenhyphenjFZJswlvyPx_Ux6IWbZcceYlTHrw1GsvP8RZrtV_34jbvNjGMd5SwM8AIyv7VfVAE8WUMoml_6oAIan3yt6bX5_xpKGNAhnHNLKcyOeM0/s1600/Image+0011_ASheikh-Ahmed.jpg" height="247" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abdulkadir, age 11</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9UapKsmkLwZ6LsBlwiYdqywfBdXjhGVahoz9gemvjwa9-2dxUu2xwa2mNPV2C2M6lhYmjzAgKQkN-4zUg8XuKWelk9Srs-LrHyDy2jDHRPvpAMZ-GKIWnIucohoJDWwCKP5Zx87g8zLY/s1600/Image+0016_MSurur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9UapKsmkLwZ6LsBlwiYdqywfBdXjhGVahoz9gemvjwa9-2dxUu2xwa2mNPV2C2M6lhYmjzAgKQkN-4zUg8XuKWelk9Srs-LrHyDy2jDHRPvpAMZ-GKIWnIucohoJDWwCKP5Zx87g8zLY/s1600/Image+0016_MSurur.jpg" height="247" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Manar, age 10</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDL5FPVJSQOfLB81COJv84QBbNXnQFXmzFCuIQB6hTMkaRrH6SU6yZGW2OE1a34VecuL4A2WHbloFNBdDxz7lYJyx0mLcucOQcjExQIm7YshfAx2pSQluWy0VIYNvFHX92LBNWuaX1gAs/s1600/Image+0018_KBrodsky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDL5FPVJSQOfLB81COJv84QBbNXnQFXmzFCuIQB6hTMkaRrH6SU6yZGW2OE1a34VecuL4A2WHbloFNBdDxz7lYJyx0mLcucOQcjExQIm7YshfAx2pSQluWy0VIYNvFHX92LBNWuaX1gAs/s1600/Image+0018_KBrodsky.jpg" height="320" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Katya, age 10</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7xl3BR2xtwAXY-3Bo99EHCIIgUtnskoajJVyA8GONO0Vi8qY1DBEaBEMyCSRFkF8up63fDu1AxKqD8R7gZ6SSzYaIw9zD4b9oImoxChvH3hBndYAcKDnLqZlbtN3kYp6AqW4TKA7twJc/s1600/Image+0019_MSurur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7xl3BR2xtwAXY-3Bo99EHCIIgUtnskoajJVyA8GONO0Vi8qY1DBEaBEMyCSRFkF8up63fDu1AxKqD8R7gZ6SSzYaIw9zD4b9oImoxChvH3hBndYAcKDnLqZlbtN3kYp6AqW4TKA7twJc/s1600/Image+0019_MSurur.jpg" height="247" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mohammad, age 10</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSw1wWobNyXV0HoCCiENk6QkIrhCAQjpiJwoZ5ukkWUC-5JLQ_IiR3y9LrBFEt2CY9_JQqVpFptZWrHfS53v5TlJ_ainIK5vBF9F2CSJDHWCKaQMq-8KFluIVFVtT3IXzUIvFJb9j2Tyo/s1600/Image+0020_NShreve.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSw1wWobNyXV0HoCCiENk6QkIrhCAQjpiJwoZ5ukkWUC-5JLQ_IiR3y9LrBFEt2CY9_JQqVpFptZWrHfS53v5TlJ_ainIK5vBF9F2CSJDHWCKaQMq-8KFluIVFVtT3IXzUIvFJb9j2Tyo/s1600/Image+0020_NShreve.jpg" height="247" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Natallie, age 10</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSinIwl3-5CSTzwde8NqaJLQYtO7vtG1pYqviXCp-OmIEQ_rEIca8oIpe9xYHLB8x2QJdNsm9TpGRx80CyJSmmIe_mkTd2gmRWs2VCnIseAto_ZZrYHl58CQv4qjMtIXgfTrjRbYLUP6M/s1600/Image+0021_ACruz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSinIwl3-5CSTzwde8NqaJLQYtO7vtG1pYqviXCp-OmIEQ_rEIca8oIpe9xYHLB8x2QJdNsm9TpGRx80CyJSmmIe_mkTd2gmRWs2VCnIseAto_ZZrYHl58CQv4qjMtIXgfTrjRbYLUP6M/s1600/Image+0021_ACruz.jpg" height="247" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alan, age 11</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-FYOPfYzqVppvQY5Uzk1EvD2LrRGHr_8Gh6y8j-RAnCwgA_owxIuCnvthmJqQeeSzGUe-opv7qNQyJpXoXh3Cymj0bJ4nZei1WzVcI2xogej4dACwFbN4i6TeopP4QCX7CE9AdR4o-ns/s1600/Image+0023_APhelan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-FYOPfYzqVppvQY5Uzk1EvD2LrRGHr_8Gh6y8j-RAnCwgA_owxIuCnvthmJqQeeSzGUe-opv7qNQyJpXoXh3Cymj0bJ4nZei1WzVcI2xogej4dACwFbN4i6TeopP4QCX7CE9AdR4o-ns/s1600/Image+0023_APhelan.jpg" height="247" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aiden, age 11</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglSJP9P1GK1Iwmz0HZFBn_I9OK2X6dXXvt5AOsSrA6sxCx9tn_3ambEQ6HHGgIvgrZTJ79-ZJHQkuiWALN5Y8BaVwl5XgehytflBCOIo6WMs5OVXUeXhHB9x6lQuXYKYTYetOU8v6KqxU/s1600/Image+0024_LMoses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglSJP9P1GK1Iwmz0HZFBn_I9OK2X6dXXvt5AOsSrA6sxCx9tn_3ambEQ6HHGgIvgrZTJ79-ZJHQkuiWALN5Y8BaVwl5XgehytflBCOIo6WMs5OVXUeXhHB9x6lQuXYKYTYetOU8v6KqxU/s1600/Image+0024_LMoses.jpg" height="247" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Logan, age 11</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSCZgvfCouzKnjwDrXuBm1cdC9ml_xdHQG_nWQ83G1t9MGTFtgcmfWqQOzPFeVIJcO-z4xgF1YzlgUyaI5Y-QC1ohVb_fA8RspR92bYFFx0KTvvclJZMvoS7h0oHFYAYfwJrlx-5TnSSw/s1600/Image+0025_JPerdue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSCZgvfCouzKnjwDrXuBm1cdC9ml_xdHQG_nWQ83G1t9MGTFtgcmfWqQOzPFeVIJcO-z4xgF1YzlgUyaI5Y-QC1ohVb_fA8RspR92bYFFx0KTvvclJZMvoS7h0oHFYAYfwJrlx-5TnSSw/s1600/Image+0025_JPerdue.jpg" height="247" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John, age 11</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdBnCpMSEZm_QL1IxCvCFpBv-gVJEiqTua63ZdnrrLbRVZ_99Mvmiukq2aZnUE_G6tB9J5LU6crY3mnvbPP5OLXvX125K-0fNogUFzANJDRa11M-830E1qWd284uhFCLTQ8Ynwd_DCQAg/s1600/Image+0028_JShultz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdBnCpMSEZm_QL1IxCvCFpBv-gVJEiqTua63ZdnrrLbRVZ_99Mvmiukq2aZnUE_G6tB9J5LU6crY3mnvbPP5OLXvX125K-0fNogUFzANJDRa11M-830E1qWd284uhFCLTQ8Ynwd_DCQAg/s1600/Image+0028_JShultz.jpg" height="320" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jake, age 11</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyMdYFO47UVfoJs1WHd0BfNdlhMYdTnf37grU3aKzueWGSIH00T-Yut77LnFfwSRe8AeKvzspkPAhahK-VJ8IJEaD9NmxKqxjfF0NIgR_p8svcbR9It_5D3lM7545n4xjJmG3djHEmnPw/s1600/Image+0035_CBinder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyMdYFO47UVfoJs1WHd0BfNdlhMYdTnf37grU3aKzueWGSIH00T-Yut77LnFfwSRe8AeKvzspkPAhahK-VJ8IJEaD9NmxKqxjfF0NIgR_p8svcbR9It_5D3lM7545n4xjJmG3djHEmnPw/s1600/Image+0035_CBinder.jpg" height="247" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cierah, age 10</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxbEURxikXaXMqgE9IbXP4sMYEgnzSYt-mXmFItlHa4Us1sMQb-uKbunpboIjttF4ViworG9W1W6FCfp27tdtxlamxcqa5VmaeOa4t-v31CnZdrCrY05nDiCMCKmzFOpbaVGXeO4vEcuE/s1600/Image+0037_LBeyer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxbEURxikXaXMqgE9IbXP4sMYEgnzSYt-mXmFItlHa4Us1sMQb-uKbunpboIjttF4ViworG9W1W6FCfp27tdtxlamxcqa5VmaeOa4t-v31CnZdrCrY05nDiCMCKmzFOpbaVGXeO4vEcuE/s1600/Image+0037_LBeyer.jpg" height="320" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Luke, age 9</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigEiSpzh8OOT1uxQgihi26rXh4uvVQV2rxdENp7N1apdVzBs2uqdRsQ1wgzKMTaj70wluSoNWumQ6uKBF37y1UQk_2VSKz9L5NVNxBcuJxhj08qMY_7-fNj8weEExwwWOEHyeSWU67Quc/s1600/Image+0038_EVachter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigEiSpzh8OOT1uxQgihi26rXh4uvVQV2rxdENp7N1apdVzBs2uqdRsQ1wgzKMTaj70wluSoNWumQ6uKBF37y1UQk_2VSKz9L5NVNxBcuJxhj08qMY_7-fNj8weEExwwWOEHyeSWU67Quc/s1600/Image+0038_EVachter.jpg" height="247" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emily, age 9</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Gu_nWlYyZXNM_GQoIsNGYuwRYargWQBUCcVDjgKDAwPeKAWAWtUcTevtC5QpEkqOP-sqS8cNViISZbnIR__mZkSX2gGkRQEYusMcfSAvCsn2OXbtKRBe66VzjCkYJbT6v4SU8Gi9bu4/s1600/Image+0047_MGomez.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Gu_nWlYyZXNM_GQoIsNGYuwRYargWQBUCcVDjgKDAwPeKAWAWtUcTevtC5QpEkqOP-sqS8cNViISZbnIR__mZkSX2gGkRQEYusMcfSAvCsn2OXbtKRBe66VzjCkYJbT6v4SU8Gi9bu4/s1600/Image+0047_MGomez.jpg" height="247" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matthew, age 10</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdxJWMX2Pc5rbz-Jn9TyZhMkOMdyynAgcYnfGe1x7etnIdW-ffwQLB4xPMziY1r__yI01ltqtkQz3CmBLALEjaSNMC8BC_pgZOuzVPrY8DuXF_MX-MKevWp0dBxXtsgnUhJR94dtIiluE/s1600/Image+0050_PRains.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdxJWMX2Pc5rbz-Jn9TyZhMkOMdyynAgcYnfGe1x7etnIdW-ffwQLB4xPMziY1r__yI01ltqtkQz3CmBLALEjaSNMC8BC_pgZOuzVPrY8DuXF_MX-MKevWp0dBxXtsgnUhJR94dtIiluE/s1600/Image+0050_PRains.jpg" height="247" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paisley, age 7</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbzF-8dHRaSluTNB10kDJCmJn_GIo_6XuX5m2cE4IzyXE9vJ3H2Ct-q0sE1SatLEAEG_ps8qSQw43HHQYKxZyCP6N45ycIZoMZpQ7oyG68h1PawxS9eIXJ7aXRJAh-Chp5m4amUpBm44I/s1600/Image+0051_CVeliz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbzF-8dHRaSluTNB10kDJCmJn_GIo_6XuX5m2cE4IzyXE9vJ3H2Ct-q0sE1SatLEAEG_ps8qSQw43HHQYKxZyCP6N45ycIZoMZpQ7oyG68h1PawxS9eIXJ7aXRJAh-Chp5m4amUpBm44I/s1600/Image+0051_CVeliz.jpg" height="247" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cruz, age 7</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid8MRc6kDj1MOFoBBiqQxX25DtYb2bRfkzn7E96BlMANRTCuYjELg1gFiVTbAD1Dx39VrSYII4nqqtZuNv8cJukngaRYeEwEC48P4PT0GzjPbwyWz1nyjJWNcnr2tLa-ODnsqeji1N5Gk/s1600/Image+0052_SMagana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid8MRc6kDj1MOFoBBiqQxX25DtYb2bRfkzn7E96BlMANRTCuYjELg1gFiVTbAD1Dx39VrSYII4nqqtZuNv8cJukngaRYeEwEC48P4PT0GzjPbwyWz1nyjJWNcnr2tLa-ODnsqeji1N5Gk/s1600/Image+0052_SMagana.jpg" height="247" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sophia, age 7</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH72pxROkRJSAfUptwIp5geExajtuqeXkL33N4iqmKVYiZRTstcBxkCxoL-Uacra5C8XPrWxjHxa1oqeZGpGg-57ZlbcsPVKcuXvukSPqLHOXXbxin_k2hm8cz14m6o18dH_shEXMgSig/s1600/Image+0054_AKoffler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH72pxROkRJSAfUptwIp5geExajtuqeXkL33N4iqmKVYiZRTstcBxkCxoL-Uacra5C8XPrWxjHxa1oqeZGpGg-57ZlbcsPVKcuXvukSPqLHOXXbxin_k2hm8cz14m6o18dH_shEXMgSig/s1600/Image+0054_AKoffler.jpg" height="320" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abigail, age 8</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnNYX4hGUVtrIY_kXb90-SbWlW0vzGOF-x8coJkgWp7E7FsGlA-H9Ar4eb45frpizQPpkg98WENME_hGmUROU3lPTa2TRp_qpG148e697ngQJsHF0mXVZnpPzWXYyKVPFocZ1sbryiGWU/s1600/Image+0055_JHopkins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnNYX4hGUVtrIY_kXb90-SbWlW0vzGOF-x8coJkgWp7E7FsGlA-H9Ar4eb45frpizQPpkg98WENME_hGmUROU3lPTa2TRp_qpG148e697ngQJsHF0mXVZnpPzWXYyKVPFocZ1sbryiGWU/s1600/Image+0055_JHopkins.jpg" height="320" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jenna, age 9</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551383152707136053.post-64007182669047080172014-10-29T16:17:00.000-07:002014-10-29T16:17:14.541-07:00Rare Plant Theft<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fu79i7e6DGQSCbF3v-4l09XFzKbtaGq7RhEPbdKQGfc0_OEEmbKVlXNQXUWbpdXgSZZhFhbf402QzJ_UXaeAy5mOwOwoyGEts3OtUdp1NBrRtrv-HsL4PDPtIrOx9wVhFioR-VWjsNI/s1600/Nymphaea+thermarum_npr+dot+org.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fu79i7e6DGQSCbF3v-4l09XFzKbtaGq7RhEPbdKQGfc0_OEEmbKVlXNQXUWbpdXgSZZhFhbf402QzJ_UXaeAy5mOwOwoyGEts3OtUdp1NBrRtrv-HsL4PDPtIrOx9wVhFioR-VWjsNI/s1600/Nymphaea+thermarum_npr+dot+org.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Nymphaea thermarum</i>, the smallest water lily in the world</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">. Photo: NPR.org</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Why should we care if a rare plant is stolen from a botanical garden, dug in the wild for collecting, conserving or propagating for profit, or bulldozed because its habitat is planned for a “higher” use? In January, an endangered tiny tropical water lily, <i>Nymphaea thermarum</i>, was spirited away by a visitor from Kew Gardens, the world’s largest collection of living plants. So what? In a fascinating <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/news/2014/oct/28/-sp-plant-crime-of-the-century">article</a>, <i>The Guardian </i>reporter Sam Knight investigates what happens when plant obsession turns criminal. <br /><br />Getting back to the tongue-in-cheek “so what” question, as the article points out, plants are the basis of most medicines. If a plant becomes extinct, who knows what illness might not be curable as a result? Who knows what other species need it to survive? And as Kew Gardens’ plant ‘codebreaker’ Carlos Magdalena poetically explains: Each chromosome is a letter. Each gene is a word. Each organism is a book. “Each plant that is dying contains words that have only been spoken in that book,” he said. “So one plant goes, one book goes, and also one language goes and perhaps a sense of words that we will never understand. What would have happened with Shakespeare with no roses? And Monet with no water lilies?” <br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551383152707136053.post-3672722451081739552014-10-23T15:36:00.000-07:002014-10-23T15:36:29.255-07:00Garden “Bathing”<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnMTWaj4b4pHdzyxvSxqmhoaRHUJ03B51FrQ8FMMQw9_msYlntVO7GM1n-PJ3lHIObp4gR69lkILp4RpfkP2Vcv2_0OKuU7T9BKPyTrRdz0bdLWh0nwBSsCKDa56RoY-gbDpuqnOfBAIM/s1600/Garden+Bathing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnMTWaj4b4pHdzyxvSxqmhoaRHUJ03B51FrQ8FMMQw9_msYlntVO7GM1n-PJ3lHIObp4gR69lkILp4RpfkP2Vcv2_0OKuU7T9BKPyTrRdz0bdLWh0nwBSsCKDa56RoY-gbDpuqnOfBAIM/s1600/Garden+Bathing.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a>Nature is good for us. In Japan where more than half the population is stressed, they advocate a practice called <i>Shinrin-yoku</i>, translated as forest bathing. Developed in Japan during the 1980s it has become a cornerstone of preventive health care and healing in Japanese medicine. If a person simply visits a natural area and walks in a relaxed way there are calming, rejuvenating and restorative benefits to be achieved.* Paraphrasing John Muir: “Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home. Wilderness is a necessity.” I’m taking a leap of faith that we experience similar physical, emotional and mental wellbeing benefits with a garden “bath.”<br /><br />
I had the pleasure recently of forest bathing at Lost Lake near Mt. Hood on a perfect early October day and felt the relaxing results for days. I also get a similar feeling of stillness and connectedness in my garden. If you don’t have a garden, take advantage of the many public gardens in Oregon (click <a href="http://www.plantsomethingoregon.com/ps_gardens.html">here</a> for a list).<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj83pzhms4Rg7wINgAuGh2Rgeh7H0beRFSePJYN8KmSB32JHn8z9g6qUytv12wegsHQpYWsWQ4YpG9dlozIEnJy_uh876PbVqnRUdfEPHE16jBWi1Zp3dNHjQSUhBSt44poB6_U9X3TWz0/s1600/Lost+Lake+Mt+Hood.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj83pzhms4Rg7wINgAuGh2Rgeh7H0beRFSePJYN8KmSB32JHn8z9g6qUytv12wegsHQpYWsWQ4YpG9dlozIEnJy_uh876PbVqnRUdfEPHE16jBWi1Zp3dNHjQSUhBSt44poB6_U9X3TWz0/s1600/Lost+Lake+Mt+Hood.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a><br />Take a garden “bath.” Go into a garden. Walk slowly. Breathe deeply. Open all your senses. Ease into happiness. <br /><br />To learn more about “Forest Bathing” visit these sites: *<a href="http://www.shinrin-yoku.org/">http://www.shinrin-yoku.org</a>, <a href="http://www.hphpcentral.com/article/forest-bathing">http://www.hphpcentral.com/article/forest-bathing</a>; <a href="http://www.outsideonline.com/fitness/wellness/Take-Two-Hours-of-Pine-Forest-and-Call-Me-in-the-Morning.html">http://www.outsideonline.com/fitness/wellness/Take-Two-Hours-of-Pine-Forest-and-Call-Me-in-the-Morning.html</a>; and <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2793347/">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2793347/</a>. <br /><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551383152707136053.post-42222804917667471092014-10-06T14:40:00.000-07:002014-10-06T14:40:11.148-07:00Species Tulips for Repeat Performance<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2DrLw1gSisCmq1dvQ5IbJ4o-HCPr9A2mvreDNbf9bSEopP7-5q1715l25kx3iAi3YKswpkM0qnFf6IpMFRcnTXL0UmeBmBgvhrstFgLjE86dkutLJtD7eovBeWlxSrNAzgr3M3JqQd14/s1600/Tulip+acuminata_brentandbeckysbulbsdotcom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2DrLw1gSisCmq1dvQ5IbJ4o-HCPr9A2mvreDNbf9bSEopP7-5q1715l25kx3iAi3YKswpkM0qnFf6IpMFRcnTXL0UmeBmBgvhrstFgLjE86dkutLJtD7eovBeWlxSrNAzgr3M3JqQd14/s1600/Tulip+acuminata_brentandbeckysbulbsdotcom.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Tulipa acuminata</i> Photo: <a href="http://www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com/">www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com</a> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Tulips probably originated thousands of years ago in the harsh growing conditions of a mountainous corridor that stretches along the 40th parallel north between Northern China and Southern Europe. Hybrid tulips usually receive all the attention and glory, but species tulips and their hybridized brethren typically offer more longevity in the garden. <br /><br />Species tulips can be described as “the wildflowers of the tulip family.” Under favorable growing conditions, they will come back year after year and usually increase in numbers. They are smaller and considered less dramatic than the beautiful hybrids, but they also offer several advantages. Because they have short sturdy stems, they are less vulnerable to stormy spring weather. Additionally, it's like having two flowers in one. Their flowers usually remain closed through the morning or on cloudy days, showing off the outside color of the petals, and when warmed by the sun, they open to reveal their inside petal color.<br /><span id="goog_1781163991"></span><span id="goog_1781163992"></span><br />In the maritime Pacific Northwest, late fall is the time to plant tulips. Because of their smaller size, you’ll want to plant more of them to create a visual impact. And like the larger tulips, plant them with perennials requiring the same growing conditions (sun, excellent drainage, no summer water) to cover dying foliage after the blooms are spent. <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFJloJPnB0ONp1CmzM6fq44dhAxqeqI54kVwAYmIi55JcOL2GCoJwPtwuY0oOpcIpd0cEd2-S4IZKPOxgUJCbwSoEb-gmX9XWm3IOa3YrxI_s-QCUnm14Eljy3cOq7umCuG91KgAVWgjk/s1600/Tulip+clusiana+var+chrysantha_vanengelendotcom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFJloJPnB0ONp1CmzM6fq44dhAxqeqI54kVwAYmIi55JcOL2GCoJwPtwuY0oOpcIpd0cEd2-S4IZKPOxgUJCbwSoEb-gmX9XWm3IOa3YrxI_s-QCUnm14Eljy3cOq7umCuG91KgAVWgjk/s1600/Tulip+clusiana+var+chrysantha_vanengelendotcom.jpg" height="320" width="264" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>T. clusiana</i> var. <i>chrysantha</i> Photo: <a href="http://www.vanengelen.com/">www.vanengelen.com</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />To get a glimpse of rare wild tulip species growing in their remote native habitats, explore <a href="http://www.tulipsinthewild.com/">www.tulipsinthewild.com</a>, a site created by the <a href="http://www.amsterdamtulipmuseum.com/">Amsterdam Tulip Museum</a> and the U.S. wholesale bulb seller <a href="http://www.colorblends.com/">Colorblends</a>.<br /><span id="goog_1781163975"></span><span id="goog_1781163976"></span><span id="goog_1781163977"></span><span id="goog_1781163978"></span><br />
<a href="http://www.woodenshoe.com/">Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm</a> in Woodburn, Oregon, sells a selection of species tulips via mail order.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIMBNCWdtv-5IXLxh1z6SmvWUuPpcJ1zp78iC4Vf0DMoccy7dyJPvslQQU3UwZyO6RR5xxOHfmt7_AEy-S9MY1GEliLOdUTNCNj53xCk4uEjTAbnE15ogYBQij7zernjzWWyPpUvYnl90/s1600/tulip+praestans+unicum_woodenshoedotcom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIMBNCWdtv-5IXLxh1z6SmvWUuPpcJ1zp78iC4Vf0DMoccy7dyJPvslQQU3UwZyO6RR5xxOHfmt7_AEy-S9MY1GEliLOdUTNCNj53xCk4uEjTAbnE15ogYBQij7zernjzWWyPpUvYnl90/s1600/tulip+praestans+unicum_woodenshoedotcom.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>T. praestans</i> 'Unicum' Photo: <a href="http://www.woodenshoe.com/">www.woodenshoe.com</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />The <a href="http://www.garden.org/howtos/index.php?q=show&id=1301">National Gardening Association</a> offers these tips to increase your success at perennializing tulips: <br /><br /><b>When and where to plant.</b> Plant tulips any time the soil six inches deep is 60° F or colder. As a general guide, plant in September or early October in USDA Climate Hardiness Zones 4 and 5; October to early November in zones 6 and 7; November to early December in zones 8 and 9; and late December to early January in zone 10. In zones 8 through 10, refrigerate tulip bulbs for six to eight weeks before planting. Place them in a paper bag away from ripening fruits (the fruits produce ethylene gas, which destroys the flower bud within the bulb).<br /><br /><b>How to plant.</b> Tulips grow best in full sun in well-prepared soil with fast drainage. Avoid planting where water collects, or in locations that are prone to late frosts. <br /><br />The rule is to plant tulips pointed end up and six inches deep, meaning four inches of soil above the top of the bulb. Plant a little deeper, to eight inches, if soil is light or sandy, or if pests such as voles are a problem. (Those two extra inches put them just out of reach of voles.) Deep planting also keeps the bulbs cooler, an advantage in mild-winter areas. Note: If you add mulch to the surface after planting, include its depth as a part of your overall planting depth. (For instance, five inches deep in soil plus three inches of mulch = eight inches deep.)<br /><br />For an attractive flower display, plant five tulips per square foot, or 250 bulbs per 50 square feet. Space individual bulbs about five inches apart. When planting a grouping, take the extra care to plant at exactly the same depth; this ensures that they all will bloom at the same time. With a shovel, excavate soil to create a level planting base. Set bulbs into the bed, fertilize with a low-nitrogen granular fertilizer specially formulated for bulbs, and follow label directions about the amount to apply, and then cover with excavated soil. Fertilize each fall thereafter.<br /><br />After planting, firm soil and water thoroughly. Water is especially important right after planting to ensure that the plants develop a strong root system before going into winter dormancy. Don't water again until leaves appear. In cold-winter areas (zones 3 through 6), apply straw mulch about a month after planting. This gives the bulbs time to begin growth before the soil freezes solidly. The mulch also protects the bulbs if snow cover is light or nonexistent. In mild-winter areas, mulch after planting to help keep soil as cool as possible for as long as possible.<br /><br />In the spring, after the blossoms have passed their peak, clip off the flower heads and allow the green foliage to die back. This lets the plant put all its energy into building a strong bulb for the next season.<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551383152707136053.post-82870083434463061622014-09-26T15:59:00.000-07:002014-09-26T15:59:26.476-07:00Playing with Pumpkins<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgoNNrNZSYwUtV-V9Ie8V7CVa6aM-7u-JhY5PY7gKM5I1UyTwSjejHSRBYzlH65cvvGcDAVGIl5AAMowGD2b0ZhxWHqxYhotwpa7XppfRnreShcZvhs5BozMO69rqsiAaJ1UFBXCMXHtU/s1600/Pumpkin+Topiary_bhg+dot+com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgoNNrNZSYwUtV-V9Ie8V7CVa6aM-7u-JhY5PY7gKM5I1UyTwSjejHSRBYzlH65cvvGcDAVGIl5AAMowGD2b0ZhxWHqxYhotwpa7XppfRnreShcZvhs5BozMO69rqsiAaJ1UFBXCMXHtU/s1600/Pumpkin+Topiary_bhg+dot+com.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pumpkin topiary. Photo: <a href="http://www.bhg.com/">www.bhg.com</a></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Fall has arrived. Even though it is the perfect time to add new plants and move around existing plants (both of which I need to do), a gardener can’t be blamed for wanting a little diversion and decorating for fall instead. Pumpkins are filling the garden centers and stores and they are just begging to be part of the outdoor décor. <br />
<br />
The new guinea impatiens on my porch have been unceremoniously replaced with a pumpkin — or probably more correctly, squash — “topiary.” Other white, green and orange squash are now sprinkled about the approach to my front steps in anticipation of trick or treaters. In my search for ideas, I thought your fall decorating might be inspired by these project photos and videos. If you’re not up for doing a pumpkin project on your own, <a href="http://www.cornellfarms.com/" target="_blank">Cornell Farm</a> is offering two Painted Pumpkin Workshops on Sunday, October 5 (the family-friendly version is offered from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and the adult version, which includes beverages that might help your creativity, is offered from 3 - 5 p.m.). There is a fee to participate ($20 and $30 respectively for three pumpkins). Please call 503.292.9895 to reserve your space. <br />
<br />
<b>Hanging Pumpkin Planter</b>: Owner Jon Karsseboom and his staff at <a href="http://www.thegardencorner.com/" target="_blank">The Garden Corner </a>are always thinking up creative ways to use plants and decorating for fall is no exception. In this <a href="http://www.thegardencorner.com/fun/" target="_blank">video </a>, Jon uses artificial pumpkins to create unique hanging planters. To my way of thinking, he’s creating little cathedrals for the plants. Consequently, I would shape the openings more like Gothic windows. If the inside of the pumpkin was painted with a glow-in-the-dark paint, I wonder if that would create interesting silhouettes at night …<br />
<br />
<b>Pumpkin Owl</b>: I marvel at the creativity of some people. Add a few sunflower seeds with a glue gun to a pumpkin and what can you get? An adorable little (or big) owl! Check out the <a href="http://www.bhg.com/halloween/pumpkin-carving/cool-halloween-pumpkins/?sssdmh=dm17.760554&esrc=nwcu092314#page=8" target="_blank">how-to video</a>. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibdY3TKFSu_a1yzbczx5c8xVuLqBVqNptzvqyTedWLIpOzJVCzGOfnHcHlXp8WszvB6s6BWcHlfwAxMdSv41wgJTcTUtXLNJ0fym-2Bl__07ffh7n3cuMLeVFwwpCUogvsjEpIUFcNf4Y/s1600/pumpkin+iridescent_bhg+dot+com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibdY3TKFSu_a1yzbczx5c8xVuLqBVqNptzvqyTedWLIpOzJVCzGOfnHcHlXp8WszvB6s6BWcHlfwAxMdSv41wgJTcTUtXLNJ0fym-2Bl__07ffh7n3cuMLeVFwwpCUogvsjEpIUFcNf4Y/s1600/pumpkin+iridescent_bhg+dot+com.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A <a href="http://www.bhg.com/" target="_blank">Better Homes & Garden</a> project: Metallic Pastel Pumpkins</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Metallic Pastel Pumpkins</b>: Shimmering pumpkins team up for an eerie evening. Use iridescent spray paint to cover light-color pumpkins (gray, tan, or white). While the paint is still wet, sprinkle the pumpkins with iridescent glitter.<br />
<br />
<span id="goog_662339384"></span><span id="goog_662339385"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh56H5n_-kgKQrSOr_JqKWwCpffa-r-W-EOvv0BXG6VFR0z7od0wu2rrHeQ0i6rQUNChPFhjYk5tep5NmikZ_NIFFklchfsE1A5CvdbwF6SVl6jgN9xuCrdxTMrqSxU6Hn3gQenRAo9v14/s1600/Pumpkin+Wheelbarrow_bhg+dot+com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh56H5n_-kgKQrSOr_JqKWwCpffa-r-W-EOvv0BXG6VFR0z7od0wu2rrHeQ0i6rQUNChPFhjYk5tep5NmikZ_NIFFklchfsE1A5CvdbwF6SVl6jgN9xuCrdxTMrqSxU6Hn3gQenRAo9v14/s1600/Pumpkin+Wheelbarrow_bhg+dot+com.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Project: <a href="http://www.bhg.com/" target="_blank">Better Homes & Gardens</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Welcoming Pumpkin Wheelbarrow</b>: Place an antique wheelbarrow or old wooden wagon near your door and fill it with a cheery mix of fall gourds, berry vines, and pumpkins. Then, use paint, permanent marker, or sticker letters to decorate the pumpkins with a friendly fall welcome.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWhQj97cpWL589ssHPvPJJulQvAQPvG6GLsKOnYcDTOCgfFH1liEFLbBRZ8BQh45nbmQs2R-3DVtpCqRnaxtzNF_VfrU8ikJazIB0o7KBg7ve9XzgMNBqLXrUb5I5X7Eoacc-OS_gVwEc/s1600/pumpking+faux+bois_martha+stewart+dot+com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWhQj97cpWL589ssHPvPJJulQvAQPvG6GLsKOnYcDTOCgfFH1liEFLbBRZ8BQh45nbmQs2R-3DVtpCqRnaxtzNF_VfrU8ikJazIB0o7KBg7ve9XzgMNBqLXrUb5I5X7Eoacc-OS_gVwEc/s1600/pumpking+faux+bois_martha+stewart+dot+com.jpg" height="320" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faux Bois pumpkin. Project: <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/" target="_blank">Martha Stewart Living</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Faux Bois Pumpkin</b>: The Martha Stewart Living creative crew gave this pumpkin a cool, unexpected twist. They used what they call a carve-by-color technique, which is scraping away the skin and sawing holes in strategic spots to create a pumpkin that looks richly textured and multi-tonal. The faux bois design is done freehand. Improvise to create much of the wood-grain pattern. They offer <a href="http://images.marthastewart.com/images/content/web/pdfs/2010Q4/msl_1010_pumpkin_carving_templates_05.pdf" target="_blank">knot templates</a> to help get you started. Scrape the design with a linoleum cutter and then make free-form lines to fill in the design. Make the eye of each knot by piercing the pumpkin wall with a ceramic hole cutter, apple corer, drill or knife.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMeYm4Wwoha5kc2_UqK6Mx71C9aQ03xg6j4TpntgNvrWSH0ytNewkUprq8Pfk1pAN4AC5ork9bq-iJf7XrSfUwZi072J2WTl1CfknvCPTgHMZnOJYTI6WYm73d0LaGKVvZMyLgWcuLa-s/s1600/Pumpkin+painted+and+caulked_hgtvgardens+dot+com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMeYm4Wwoha5kc2_UqK6Mx71C9aQ03xg6j4TpntgNvrWSH0ytNewkUprq8Pfk1pAN4AC5ork9bq-iJf7XrSfUwZi072J2WTl1CfknvCPTgHMZnOJYTI6WYm73d0LaGKVvZMyLgWcuLa-s/s1600/Pumpkin+painted+and+caulked_hgtvgardens+dot+com.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Modern Swirly Pumpkin from <a href="http://www.hgtvgardens.com/">www.HGTVGardens.com</a> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Modern Swirly Pumpkin</b>: HGTV created this pumpkin with silicone and paint. Very elegant. Check out the <a href="http://www.hgtvgardens.com/crafts/modern-swirly-pumpkin-decor" target="_blank">how-to photos</a> here.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKPC4JgngLhxFWQsXo5LlKZKuTuD2I6xqZ31QwlvUsU9dRqKA4kaKzbwK4g34RkXnivzj6zMd1Ok3ASfXl9LzDh00UdmXd2-MAsfe_2IMli6eM2fnXNeM9OLGugGDG_anJHNf_9TcNRW4/s1600/Pumpkin+flames_bhg+dot+com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKPC4JgngLhxFWQsXo5LlKZKuTuD2I6xqZ31QwlvUsU9dRqKA4kaKzbwK4g34RkXnivzj6zMd1Ok3ASfXl9LzDh00UdmXd2-MAsfe_2IMli6eM2fnXNeM9OLGugGDG_anJHNf_9TcNRW4/s1600/Pumpkin+flames_bhg+dot+com.jpg" height="266" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Project from <a href="http://www.bhg.com/" target="_blank">Better Homes & Gardens</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Pumpkin Flames</b>: <a href="http://www.bhg.com/halloween/parties/flame-design-pumpkin-stencils/" target="_blank">Better Homes & Gardens</a> came up with this idea and they provide a <a href="http://www.bhg.com/halloween/parties/flame-design-pumpkin-stencils/" target="_blank">template</a> for the flame design. Enlarge the flame-shape stencil to suit the sizes of your pumpkins. If you want every pumpkin to have a different look, use the stencil as inspiration for creating your own flame designs. Gut and carve pumpkins, leaving the stems in place. Create a log surround then stack the largest carved pumpkins on the bottom, and work your way up with progressively smaller specimens. Light real votive candles or flickering LED votives in the pumpkins to create the flicker of flames. <br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551383152707136053.post-38787771377526745952014-09-22T16:17:00.000-07:002014-09-25T16:34:17.618-07:00Blue is Cool®<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBsk4WQSpp3s1a5KczC_Yiq-60IWTI4lDf2hjgojOz8etvVlrwLE-bASRu_1SKG2ARBNQEpIRf3rw8SKwdzg4QWT488V7zZTV4J8CSnOgBQMf2PGL95cthkCLIEkzMoJIbzxvKT7JlJxc/s1600/Blue+is+cool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBsk4WQSpp3s1a5KczC_Yiq-60IWTI4lDf2hjgojOz8etvVlrwLE-bASRu_1SKG2ARBNQEpIRf3rw8SKwdzg4QWT488V7zZTV4J8CSnOgBQMf2PGL95cthkCLIEkzMoJIbzxvKT7JlJxc/s1600/Blue+is+cool.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Baby Blue Spruce</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Blue is the favorite color among men and women in the U.S. and Europe. It is associated with harmony and infinity. Blue grows well with just about every other color in the garden. It is a cool color that recedes, unless it has a silvery edge to it, in which case it sparkles in the garden and creates a focal point.<br />
<br />
One of Oregon’s finest wholesale growers, A & R Spada Farms, started the Blue is Cool® campaign to promote various forms of blue-needled conifers. The impetus was a new introduction to the trade: Baby Blue™ Spruce (<i>Picea pungens</i> var. Baby Blue). The first photo is of the Baby Blue spruce; it was about two feet tall when the nursery gave it to the OAN three or four years ago. It hasn’t been pruned nor has it had any supplemental water, yet it has a perfect shape and looks great! Baby Blue spruce is notable because it is grown from seed, not grafted like most other blue conifers. Heavy bud formation on the leader results in very compact growth and the needles grow out evenly around the branches giving it a very full appearance. <br />
<br />
Sticking with conifers for a moment, there are dozens of blue-needled conifers worthy of consideration for small and moderately sized gardens (many of which are deer resistant), including <i>Cedrus atlantica </i>‘Horstmann’, which has a narrow upright habit and icy blue needles; <i>Juniperus squamata </i>‘Blue Star’, low-growing and mounding; and <i>Abies pinsapo</i> ‘Glauca’ with its layered branches and stiff, intensely powder blue colored, short needles. To see more blue conifers, click <a href="http://www.peaceofmindnursery.com/" target="_blank">here</a> for Peace of Mind Nursery’s “Blues Garden” photo gallery. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNOPBTv7Ts94Vkj138-UqukDDEigpUXRq5MkZ82dDdhm5iFOrHJVkt7e5cdlg4V8ZDpRURDel8Jf3XpAm-jrzHMMRUKIP_W6sy5JU4TKuwx3U0utb5jmyv_D1M83G74Goi5J6EVkzMdyM/s1600/blue_Cedrus+atlantica+Horstmann_Monrovia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNOPBTv7Ts94Vkj138-UqukDDEigpUXRq5MkZ82dDdhm5iFOrHJVkt7e5cdlg4V8ZDpRURDel8Jf3XpAm-jrzHMMRUKIP_W6sy5JU4TKuwx3U0utb5jmyv_D1M83G74Goi5J6EVkzMdyM/s1600/blue_Cedrus+atlantica+Horstmann_Monrovia.jpg" height="320" width="227" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Cedrus atlantica </i>'Horstmann' Photo: <a href="http://www.monrovia.com/" target="_blank">Monrovia</a></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Ue5Jp-vQZnAqYoofdZHnMH9L-OP166xG0Y2WOimzzgN-b25fKuE3sU2S9LEvEIquAO-SikZt-4KBEFgAWuGsumn3ELdN938McPGW5qqvCYQygTSmaICoiEXEwrtoaOVIdc5w-5Qk2wE/s1600/Blue_Juniperus+squamata+Blue+Star.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Ue5Jp-vQZnAqYoofdZHnMH9L-OP166xG0Y2WOimzzgN-b25fKuE3sU2S9LEvEIquAO-SikZt-4KBEFgAWuGsumn3ELdN938McPGW5qqvCYQygTSmaICoiEXEwrtoaOVIdc5w-5Qk2wE/s1600/Blue_Juniperus+squamata+Blue+Star.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Juniperus squamata</i> 'Blue Star'</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Y1BqM7Zs-xZa_uETFPZhiNdfW1yw5NcUO5qMArIHp3zyGCJdG8FKCwQzRuuoW1eywGRMPNkp-S2NV45NBidEUdjlTGs55GAUb2bL8DJf4JoLr-iOngOv53ENoZeOeD6BIo4sXvSTKBg/s1600/Blue_Abies+pinsapo+Blauca_Ricie+Steffen+GPP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Y1BqM7Zs-xZa_uETFPZhiNdfW1yw5NcUO5qMArIHp3zyGCJdG8FKCwQzRuuoW1eywGRMPNkp-S2NV45NBidEUdjlTGs55GAUb2bL8DJf4JoLr-iOngOv53ENoZeOeD6BIo4sXvSTKBg/s1600/Blue_Abies+pinsapo+Blauca_Ricie+Steffen+GPP.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Abies pinsapo </i>'Glauca'<i> </i>Photo: Richie Steffen/<a href="http://www.greatplantpicks.org/" target="_blank">Great Plant Picks</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8AxXLfTQ-reJ6_l0TltDsT0cCoF6kOQXM6u_sIR9lMqPYVu9zf-JscxuhPYCZ8dVohbLHGWotN3kZ2TO20fnx_4wtARGxqB_0mRi9JPg60opcUl_z0ojmqAyCovz7Nv8OZtsYUt9vd-w/s1600/Blue_Pinus+strobus+'Fastigiata'.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8AxXLfTQ-reJ6_l0TltDsT0cCoF6kOQXM6u_sIR9lMqPYVu9zf-JscxuhPYCZ8dVohbLHGWotN3kZ2TO20fnx_4wtARGxqB_0mRi9JPg60opcUl_z0ojmqAyCovz7Nv8OZtsYUt9vd-w/s1600/Blue_Pinus+strobus+'Fastigiata'.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Pinus strobus </i>'Fastigiata' with blue needles and upright branching.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHP1XmHthXvCOvIpEZKH3FU38fpFRSt_e9Ml5wmSaK9cwYW-pwIpsxdOgSL_MNSmNYuMdVjeFPNPfNsKm3-iuQ0vYeNpJ7BIG8L40k-h_KbfP0hoSJ2HFVhfUH2hlz9qVsE5ckKMpj6mw/s1600/blue_Pinus+strobus+x+ayacahuite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHP1XmHthXvCOvIpEZKH3FU38fpFRSt_e9Ml5wmSaK9cwYW-pwIpsxdOgSL_MNSmNYuMdVjeFPNPfNsKm3-iuQ0vYeNpJ7BIG8L40k-h_KbfP0hoSJ2HFVhfUH2hlz9qVsE5ckKMpj6mw/s1600/blue_Pinus+strobus+x+ayacahuite.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Pinus strobus </i>x <i>ayacahuite</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</i><br />
<i>Yucca rostrata</i> ‘Sapphire Skies’ with its spikes of blue foliage (Sean Hogan, <a href="http://www.cistus.com/" target="_blank">Cistus Nursery</a>, used this plant in a rain water capture bio swale in a Portland commercial parking lot and it is thriving!), <i>Agave</i>, <i>Dianthus</i>, <i>Euphorbia</i>, and fescue grass also add blue points of interest in the garden. And we can’t forget all the beautiful blue-leaved hostas, the most diminutive of which may be ‘Blue Mouse Ears’. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_KO24QFDciCdC_RDQ87mcbmzKJBCsF7XVZS3hEss7KhuE9SCwnvufLMJD9xEwhz2nJ-YOT_csk_LKHgHo8TeN0B8nib124K3pRWw4rfYfdylQYmZoV7wzQxR4BirjKDoJh3l-PJa0zKk/s1600/Blue_Yucca+rostrata+Sapphire+Skies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_KO24QFDciCdC_RDQ87mcbmzKJBCsF7XVZS3hEss7KhuE9SCwnvufLMJD9xEwhz2nJ-YOT_csk_LKHgHo8TeN0B8nib124K3pRWw4rfYfdylQYmZoV7wzQxR4BirjKDoJh3l-PJa0zKk/s1600/Blue_Yucca+rostrata+Sapphire+Skies.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Yucca rostrata</i> 'Sapphire Skies' is planted in a bio swale in a commercial parking lot. Designed by Sean Hogan, <a href="http://www.cistus.com/" target="_blank">Cistus <span id="goog_112888322"></span>Nursery</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJjLEL-t8B6UzmvmqXrszyswyB8LESfN-5wfE1AE52bRUmsjYvay_myej30VaOtBcOEezWNBB7FlK5k4cRg4u-pXrAEpdlGknlBgoZ0Cjtyw8rLuugiIpIYvq7iYsRGcZaqA9BrgMdncA/s1600/blue_Blue+Mouse+Ears_Sebright+Gardens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJjLEL-t8B6UzmvmqXrszyswyB8LESfN-5wfE1AE52bRUmsjYvay_myej30VaOtBcOEezWNBB7FlK5k4cRg4u-pXrAEpdlGknlBgoZ0Cjtyw8rLuugiIpIYvq7iYsRGcZaqA9BrgMdncA/s1600/blue_Blue+Mouse+Ears_Sebright+Gardens.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Hosta </i>'Blue Mouse Ears' Photo: <a href="http://www.sebrightgardens.com/" target="_blank">Sebright Gardens</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span id="goog_112888323"></span> </div>
Cool your heels – and the garden – with blue foliage plants. Blue will encourage you to linger in the garden a little while longer.<br />
<br />
What’s your favorite blue foliage plant?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551383152707136053.post-34181446024062001992014-09-15T12:29:00.001-07:002014-09-16T08:55:41.617-07:00Tomatillos for Twenty<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQH9Z3WOat8yPRNZIBT9_1NSiwQuH09Rv3digyerbePSTQ7Nvl23tzuSxRVyRc9Z3Tgt4DSTp5rTR1yPYSGehrnmpA746hUrVie2W5zbUmKrfA00_IT30aFAW4yYR2FdDz-EKgj8Jl8E0/s1600/Tomatillos_simplyrecipes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQH9Z3WOat8yPRNZIBT9_1NSiwQuH09Rv3digyerbePSTQ7Nvl23tzuSxRVyRc9Z3Tgt4DSTp5rTR1yPYSGehrnmpA746hUrVie2W5zbUmKrfA00_IT30aFAW4yYR2FdDz-EKgj8Jl8E0/s1600/Tomatillos_simplyrecipes.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: <a href="http://www.simplyrecipes.com/">www.simplyrecipes.com</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Until now, I’ve never grown tomatillos and have seldom eaten them, yet I decided to buy and plant four varieties earlier this year in my community garden plot. (Click <a href="http://visual.merriam-webster.com/pronunciation.php?id=food-kitchen/food/vegetables/26643&title=tomatillo" target="_blank">here</a> for how to pronounce tomatillo.) I had no expectations other than hoping that they would grow and provide a few fruit. It’s a good thing I was enthusiastic with my initial purchase, because unbeknownst to me, two or more plants are needed for proper pollination.<br />
<br />
My tomatillo experiment is wildly exceeding my initial low expectations. Currently, many are bursting their inedible, paper-like husks, a sign that they are ready to be picked, eaten fresh, or fried, boiled, roasted or steamed before being consumed. An unexpected advantage of tomatillos is that they store well: they will keep refrigerated for several weeks, longer if the husks are removed and they are stored in sealed plastic bags in the refrigerator (one source said up to 3 months). They can also be frozen whole or sliced. <br />
<br />
As part of the nightshade family, tomatillos (<i>Physolis ixocarpa</i> and <i>P. philadelphica</i>) are a cousin to tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and eggplant. Native to Mexico and domesticated by the Aztecs around 800 BC, tomatillos are an important part of Mexican cuisine and the key ingredient in green sauces. They need full sun, well-drained moderately rich soil and plenty of water. Plant at the same time you set out tomatoes when all danger of frost is past and the soil is warm. The plants are sprawling, growing 3-4 feet tall and wide. I didn’t provide any support for them this year, but will use tomato cages when I plant them next year to minimize the growing space they require.<br />
<br />
Many green salsa recipes using tomatillos can be found online. I made an easy refreshing cold soup using mine. Here’s how I did it:<br />
<br />
• Roast/char the tomatillos under the broiler <br />
• Put them in the food processor with fresh tomatoes from the garden (about a 1:1 mixture), pulsing until little pulp remains<br />
• Add a little cumin, salt and a wee bit of sugar to taste<br />
• Serve cold or at room temperatureUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551383152707136053.post-45745028626539575962014-09-08T15:23:00.000-07:002014-09-11T10:00:28.951-07:00Finishing Touches in the Garden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9wpYlVYGfPg-0B6EavivApAwvM8Lk16q6MmHtLkLOE5XcNyZJDXOjo0DDFNsbbQflq3DZOEvzIaC1IyJnJuQs84hxM2OzcNcGr_ygFEqXTtx4oXe0wNXgrW3pVLKVT8IJTkAtaU0vDkE/s1600/Rocks_bubbler+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4hbp_NZ3SlfQ2SzmCtjomLBXxicVAxfX7BC0TDHodx9mO9nzF5pE1QK40huUI8r6irNqxpDtlD3dMsxyuQgO80BS8ri3vRS3oxkvT2WhcPL3crAGF595WsY76qGIpri5NnJiovvXasjA/s1600/Rocks_wall+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4hbp_NZ3SlfQ2SzmCtjomLBXxicVAxfX7BC0TDHodx9mO9nzF5pE1QK40huUI8r6irNqxpDtlD3dMsxyuQgO80BS8ri3vRS3oxkvT2WhcPL3crAGF595WsY76qGIpri5NnJiovvXasjA/s1600/Rocks_wall+3.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
Rocks in the garden are the equivalent of mascara for blond eyelashes. (Note: This is the opinion of a strawberry blond that is seldom seen outside her neighborhood without mascara.) Rocks make elements in the garden stand out ... and they add a little magic. Prior to last year, I had two rocks in my garden. Now they define entry points onto paths, define space, add water elements, act as stepping stones in my mushy grass (I can now traverse my garden without muddy feet even in the wettest of weather) and provide seating in the form of a semi-circular rock wall. I dream of lining my gravel paths and beds with them, too. I have books filled with ways to use rocks in the garden, and <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> offers lots of inspiration. The use of rocks is virtually limitless in a garden setting. If I had three wishes from a genie, I very likely would use one of them to make rocks weigh less. Moving the darn things is probably the biggest obstacle to using more of them. Do rocks play an important role in your garden?<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcaIUTVmgz_LRg-zJz5Ht2zD9E_hTcpSE3C6RIQ5jwa2ngtaF6yYqrmUBOza4RZ9sSStfwzS_oPpssP8fxl7eRg6eTcI9o8ebxaTUD2eHoqBSftDa2WfPDERksThfQcLzuMba1FRUYtJc/s1600/Rocks_bubbler+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcaIUTVmgz_LRg-zJz5Ht2zD9E_hTcpSE3C6RIQ5jwa2ngtaF6yYqrmUBOza4RZ9sSStfwzS_oPpssP8fxl7eRg6eTcI9o8ebxaTUD2eHoqBSftDa2WfPDERksThfQcLzuMba1FRUYtJc/s1600/Rocks_bubbler+2.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three basalt columns. One with still water; the other two with bamboo spouts.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9wpYlVYGfPg-0B6EavivApAwvM8Lk16q6MmHtLkLOE5XcNyZJDXOjo0DDFNsbbQflq3DZOEvzIaC1IyJnJuQs84hxM2OzcNcGr_ygFEqXTtx4oXe0wNXgrW3pVLKVT8IJTkAtaU0vDkE/s1600/Rocks_bubbler+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9wpYlVYGfPg-0B6EavivApAwvM8Lk16q6MmHtLkLOE5XcNyZJDXOjo0DDFNsbbQflq3DZOEvzIaC1IyJnJuQs84hxM2OzcNcGr_ygFEqXTtx4oXe0wNXgrW3pVLKVT8IJTkAtaU0vDkE/s1600/Rocks_bubbler+3.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf3jmXmK5utxkIl02nOg2TmZi2Q_7iMePkebYBNetJvsSSDEUqZd7aTFCyduMN-hnRnAFJujTebjM-X4nFJ0PzvMWB89A6HJFnIfV_VCoaq30JGD2-FO6kWgQqeMB6PO1xFYve-k8ysCk/s1600/Rocks_Rill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf3jmXmK5utxkIl02nOg2TmZi2Q_7iMePkebYBNetJvsSSDEUqZd7aTFCyduMN-hnRnAFJujTebjM-X4nFJ0PzvMWB89A6HJFnIfV_VCoaq30JGD2-FO6kWgQqeMB6PO1xFYve-k8ysCk/s1600/Rocks_Rill.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkDTiLhOE0egRHjSZKFX2rrnhj5OT_wxpRLVEvcB-aOqhvsr8LcwVhLhA9kTQ9UTSpRv2F5z3K5342VyY-mVix0Nn2AQJ9VRogxOI2UCpnSrbHkAm37jLSRTDwTNIa0cef2YmlR3hUAE4/s1600/Rocks_Fountain4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkDTiLhOE0egRHjSZKFX2rrnhj5OT_wxpRLVEvcB-aOqhvsr8LcwVhLhA9kTQ9UTSpRv2F5z3K5342VyY-mVix0Nn2AQJ9VRogxOI2UCpnSrbHkAm37jLSRTDwTNIa0cef2YmlR3hUAE4/s1600/Rocks_Fountain4.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my all time favorite fountains.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Lg2f5TP180k86N77FZfAKWmSyxaZQFlTjYw4Xin8QHshp8U-AZXFGq7KwCLFsUAIGlpIAUjNv2rICCXG4hoO_SUXozWAwhiuT_SpIqfIR8GLiW0-_Zd0l6PJkiQ9Oy3y6EBT3cHumjI/s1600/Rocks_Fountain+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Lg2f5TP180k86N77FZfAKWmSyxaZQFlTjYw4Xin8QHshp8U-AZXFGq7KwCLFsUAIGlpIAUjNv2rICCXG4hoO_SUXozWAwhiuT_SpIqfIR8GLiW0-_Zd0l6PJkiQ9Oy3y6EBT3cHumjI/s1600/Rocks_Fountain+2.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUmEyLmRQI6iTDQU-8VQeAFXOyC3luCBclYQJ6J4JVf_hsJXmopyRfhB7_LtT5WZJDxeu27NjEIAF3EWiG-8O91BLu4wDXZgiytbWeWbu5aN9hvdtWSzglMEClsNE5LsD-CZp8tVpD6jw/s1600/Rocks_Fountain+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUmEyLmRQI6iTDQU-8VQeAFXOyC3luCBclYQJ6J4JVf_hsJXmopyRfhB7_LtT5WZJDxeu27NjEIAF3EWiG-8O91BLu4wDXZgiytbWeWbu5aN9hvdtWSzglMEClsNE5LsD-CZp8tVpD6jw/s1600/Rocks_Fountain+3.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFWNbIKTZuLNxGe5rG2kZojH-1QY-7nGNS-QABtkb5slZOJzcvwi8wjrcMJkoksG0RSvLmR8Uteqw8PRZlQyYktGrk3uhETU2fbpqtiQlojx-qFD6MKnHXFdjxBTSwkYyL-kiaXZPhO8/s1600/Rocks_Cobbles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFWNbIKTZuLNxGe5rG2kZojH-1QY-7nGNS-QABtkb5slZOJzcvwi8wjrcMJkoksG0RSvLmR8Uteqw8PRZlQyYktGrk3uhETU2fbpqtiQlojx-qFD6MKnHXFdjxBTSwkYyL-kiaXZPhO8/s1600/Rocks_Cobbles.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rock as an eye-catching mulch.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ2sGeebR-TPewrcu76ZqbZ-8yMGhejI5JvrI2AjRecVuihideHeRwYsz6klgSxjpAUCBghtNEPdBWrDICnJS9lpIWeK-QwKB_bpYp7_j_C7I3qoENCkWm-1W_-FX60SpgLuNGQHnDhFM/s1600/Rocks_As+Mulch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ2sGeebR-TPewrcu76ZqbZ-8yMGhejI5JvrI2AjRecVuihideHeRwYsz6klgSxjpAUCBghtNEPdBWrDICnJS9lpIWeK-QwKB_bpYp7_j_C7I3qoENCkWm-1W_-FX60SpgLuNGQHnDhFM/s1600/Rocks_As+Mulch.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhketjKqgfG-oFhB4JAbxxKePwH6Jkdqm-JWVU4XJ1bl6BY0it7fGe4BLmAQATXBh5z11vp5nz9Mp3F8RsuGwtjbi_P-ltzxI6U1_dbrrazOn3puD8MNd4UIkqXUEqEiHzKdW750mD_LDo/s1600/Rocks_Edging.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhketjKqgfG-oFhB4JAbxxKePwH6Jkdqm-JWVU4XJ1bl6BY0it7fGe4BLmAQATXBh5z11vp5nz9Mp3F8RsuGwtjbi_P-ltzxI6U1_dbrrazOn3puD8MNd4UIkqXUEqEiHzKdW750mD_LDo/s1600/Rocks_Edging.jpg" height="320" width="227" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perhaps easier than building a short wall? Photo: <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj62-vVtf0vS43Q9CiSxUz_eA0q_qIYUd0w4RXAryA93MxOEvNDTx7DKZPKuhH42cYn2k1jIk4N9ALFgydWBCkz8n2qXQYNl4OreeSVGX2MRSMf42Xz4T5T23dos_yoytAMR2KzB06IkoY/s1600/Rocks_creating+scree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj62-vVtf0vS43Q9CiSxUz_eA0q_qIYUd0w4RXAryA93MxOEvNDTx7DKZPKuhH42cYn2k1jIk4N9ALFgydWBCkz8n2qXQYNl4OreeSVGX2MRSMf42Xz4T5T23dos_yoytAMR2KzB06IkoY/s1600/Rocks_creating+scree.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary-Kate Mackey created her own alpine scree where dwarf conifers and Lewisia thrive.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRyAw0qLIV8maXR5WGch5dZah3u0KfgzJcxsjEkef_-bWkrY1Eb6Dmgkp6m-GP1E8iTyN9afbIp8XM-8WEBnbAD4WuJeQsGDobUMGu1e2__OGbqSUdZY-LqoWA4ErJXtQzBN_S-U2Exr0/s1600/Rocks_Entry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRyAw0qLIV8maXR5WGch5dZah3u0KfgzJcxsjEkef_-bWkrY1Eb6Dmgkp6m-GP1E8iTyN9afbIp8XM-8WEBnbAD4WuJeQsGDobUMGu1e2__OGbqSUdZY-LqoWA4ErJXtQzBN_S-U2Exr0/s1600/Rocks_Entry.jpg" height="320" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loose Mexican pebbles (with concrete keystone) add color and stature to the transitional space between driveway and my garden's gate.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyvs64jQNHNPOSZVl7zxS5iuGz8pkVJGienyl4ogDw2wfVUSFaFzIEV5vwKFrQMTaCQNm_R5VflxrODUYsszE12Ifdpg8eosDlHdIFQT2VTXnFnupExrhHoFi2XpAqyLkRTpBTRuB_Scs/s1600/Rocks_Filtering+Stormwater.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyvs64jQNHNPOSZVl7zxS5iuGz8pkVJGienyl4ogDw2wfVUSFaFzIEV5vwKFrQMTaCQNm_R5VflxrODUYsszE12Ifdpg8eosDlHdIFQT2VTXnFnupExrhHoFi2XpAqyLkRTpBTRuB_Scs/s1600/Rocks_Filtering+Stormwater.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rocks aid in managing stormwater runoff. From a courtyard designed by <a href="http://www.kochla.com/" target="_blank">Steven Koch, FASLA</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4t9ppazX1wNEL6guSp6ufpaMTx8mzjKwsWYJ_ZVFSm_RSYUkJAyq-v-GanLadPxyruMDGmdvvoDamcPiZWaZip_suUaT_ysPhwNl5lDJAJaaD05GjuJRF-862sqbZPjw8YdwaGRFmIMg/s1600/Rocks_Painted.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4t9ppazX1wNEL6guSp6ufpaMTx8mzjKwsWYJ_ZVFSm_RSYUkJAyq-v-GanLadPxyruMDGmdvvoDamcPiZWaZip_suUaT_ysPhwNl5lDJAJaaD05GjuJRF-862sqbZPjw8YdwaGRFmIMg/s1600/Rocks_Painted.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rock as art - painted green and used as sculpture in this case. <a href="http://www.michael-schultz.com/Artist.asp?ArtistID=4282&Akey=G4YBGL8X" target="_blank">Michael Schultz</a> designed this garden.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU-J6UbmPDW9ApX5mbGHHszolo7wJRvdVI4f9GhXx9BgbWZN6mRLh5FkIF8fMXYePuH-I8gFffJmjgaMyrihgu36FRvvW1AADJlzrGwij3AZLGZkuXBUMdKS_WcWJATSHahEbnrhEnQvE/s1600/Rocks_As+Art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU-J6UbmPDW9ApX5mbGHHszolo7wJRvdVI4f9GhXx9BgbWZN6mRLh5FkIF8fMXYePuH-I8gFffJmjgaMyrihgu36FRvvW1AADJlzrGwij3AZLGZkuXBUMdKS_WcWJATSHahEbnrhEnQvE/s1600/Rocks_As+Art.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY4HVI50us3qcJhzvm1GkJUz2M1Q7P4BuiwAzQ_W24aLnpy_vABm1lfnJ1U_3D-JUqeYtdhhzPyVvUSK2LjaU4gpv0cJBle7u_D7W0GrYs9dhmYcoC4TRKEidKkfgtqmg_lDSUg_DiFh4/s1600/Rocks_Fairy+Gazebo_Pinterest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY4HVI50us3qcJhzvm1GkJUz2M1Q7P4BuiwAzQ_W24aLnpy_vABm1lfnJ1U_3D-JUqeYtdhhzPyVvUSK2LjaU4gpv0cJBle7u_D7W0GrYs9dhmYcoC4TRKEidKkfgtqmg_lDSUg_DiFh4/s1600/Rocks_Fairy+Gazebo_Pinterest.jpg" height="320" width="246" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hosting a miniature fairy house. How adorable is that?!?! Photo: <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMW8-hYfWnIhYDd7DErm4R9UwXmBQ2204ehJmH3xwiOC9CZ7_DO4TSAQUqC2fgpncZBeDFUa6MWYgemm7gZObjo4iGPCEEDFO2bPS-RTnpgvdSFXeoauUxyDbyWT6MlPVreNXja8E0WNE/s1600/Rocks_Mosaic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMW8-hYfWnIhYDd7DErm4R9UwXmBQ2204ehJmH3xwiOC9CZ7_DO4TSAQUqC2fgpncZBeDFUa6MWYgemm7gZObjo4iGPCEEDFO2bPS-RTnpgvdSFXeoauUxyDbyWT6MlPVreNXja8E0WNE/s1600/Rocks_Mosaic.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFhrhz8UVJN0jt2rwxcPEH7F6J9cOaxxccZnyJW_YtZKJbsDNUL-JOQmTD7RCXETlt8DnMVDWzggozCm7-RddfM4uEyQEVd4lvPwPw2t2SzsCXSRNChe9Gd3MEFpvrrg-y5p0l4sVsCdI/s1600/Rocks_mosaic_Pinterest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFhrhz8UVJN0jt2rwxcPEH7F6J9cOaxxccZnyJW_YtZKJbsDNUL-JOQmTD7RCXETlt8DnMVDWzggozCm7-RddfM4uEyQEVd4lvPwPw2t2SzsCXSRNChe9Gd3MEFpvrrg-y5p0l4sVsCdI/s1600/Rocks_mosaic_Pinterest.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This looks like the fantastic work of<a href="https://www.facebook.com/GardensByJeffreyBale" target="_blank"> Jeffrey Bale</a>. Photo:<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/" target="_blank"> Pinterest</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZqA4pa0CC8l29K5H0wczARs5DuHgzSng9fA826EytY6Ezc_-BIQmsXyCjDf2hJdChjg5XgM1flyl4uAXkJVW7Vv38_PxERvIV1DbETszU2yY-6ncB7d3vcHztpNgVPR9juppmJFc2kKY/s1600/Rocks_Pathway+3_Pinterest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZqA4pa0CC8l29K5H0wczARs5DuHgzSng9fA826EytY6Ezc_-BIQmsXyCjDf2hJdChjg5XgM1flyl4uAXkJVW7Vv38_PxERvIV1DbETszU2yY-6ncB7d3vcHztpNgVPR9juppmJFc2kKY/s1600/Rocks_Pathway+3_Pinterest.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A magical mix of stones. Photo: <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaFdAeSq4ITIxE2aqCCC9gnX0QpflV9Rw2YUIKGpzi_1n8lBxrBYvZwEtM150tG0ttk_1GIc01NzTpwsokVD2cMoXLnY4JT7KsO8DPt1C1QNAiqUpMqyJTA8z5eS4TmS9dTp4fH390cQA/s1600/Rocks_Pathway+4_Pinterest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaFdAeSq4ITIxE2aqCCC9gnX0QpflV9Rw2YUIKGpzi_1n8lBxrBYvZwEtM150tG0ttk_1GIc01NzTpwsokVD2cMoXLnY4JT7KsO8DPt1C1QNAiqUpMqyJTA8z5eS4TmS9dTp4fH390cQA/s1600/Rocks_Pathway+4_Pinterest.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo:<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/" target="_blank"> Pinterest</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDyrY3ALij8vxYcfbovUZMY1Q4c3XMfHn0MTp3G0-LV7XrrCQhzlSrVh7aIdDPn3TBT5DZ5OIuR9IGTe1ld-9gtkMOnonlVvDGFvMEWTZX_hAXvDUSarvS1sOOd6ghA_shwnxZy_zMAus/s1600/Rocks_Pathway+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDyrY3ALij8vxYcfbovUZMY1Q4c3XMfHn0MTp3G0-LV7XrrCQhzlSrVh7aIdDPn3TBT5DZ5OIuR9IGTe1ld-9gtkMOnonlVvDGFvMEWTZX_hAXvDUSarvS1sOOd6ghA_shwnxZy_zMAus/s1600/Rocks_Pathway+2.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR0M52b-tQre5S0Z-2R9JtNfLSQ-CrhkpoHkUXEPW_MZM-lRfyYpchuTUaJBgGB6N8axh-8XCNeZffsWtWgahdMG89SWrSXhKj5fc1Wn67pbomKWIftoHzL6y6fnqfAKMJ-FqXot677BM/s1600/Rocks_Path+edging.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR0M52b-tQre5S0Z-2R9JtNfLSQ-CrhkpoHkUXEPW_MZM-lRfyYpchuTUaJBgGB6N8axh-8XCNeZffsWtWgahdMG89SWrSXhKj5fc1Wn67pbomKWIftoHzL6y6fnqfAKMJ-FqXot677BM/s1600/Rocks_Path+edging.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBRkAMQB1izrx7iQzF-GYekrt39mHDlmD9dZ-KaTCcg9HcOSINAx_mO-VimIWI3YeIWY8Teb4f06inifmyjTOHcJdCq9lbRRquKIzMLbU2p56HOOAuqSrPPaOk3bjQKVjd5EOfrAOQAxI/s1600/Rocks_Path+Edging+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBRkAMQB1izrx7iQzF-GYekrt39mHDlmD9dZ-KaTCcg9HcOSINAx_mO-VimIWI3YeIWY8Teb4f06inifmyjTOHcJdCq9lbRRquKIzMLbU2p56HOOAuqSrPPaOk3bjQKVjd5EOfrAOQAxI/s1600/Rocks_Path+Edging+2.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQSKIslEzXT6NlvT4APhIcmtodt62pq2zCCo1fR-Uo0LYbw-W6qtgmzImPlcp2K61EDkOn2Gw9Rt3XzkSnOs9ceEixV7nAiURl-vnHMduPAVPqNEq-ds-nIUOn-D_OPzdXOPHWZvOdHcI/s1600/Rocks_Patio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQSKIslEzXT6NlvT4APhIcmtodt62pq2zCCo1fR-Uo0LYbw-W6qtgmzImPlcp2K61EDkOn2Gw9Rt3XzkSnOs9ceEixV7nAiURl-vnHMduPAVPqNEq-ds-nIUOn-D_OPzdXOPHWZvOdHcI/s1600/Rocks_Patio.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Large stone pavers are beautifully crafted to create a safe, level walkway while stacked rocks define garden beds.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUmEyLmRQI6iTDQU-8VQeAFXOyC3luCBclYQJ6J4JVf_hsJXmopyRfhB7_LtT5WZJDxeu27NjEIAF3EWiG-8O91BLu4wDXZgiytbWeWbu5aN9hvdtWSzglMEClsNE5LsD-CZp8tVpD6jw/s1600/Rocks_Fountain+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcLTNDoTCUAw04_n6e4iTn_nry5EEAyvk8k3YHYOqvZMP4Buzai6JAKAslkdfSO3QJk-Lp4PeFUh61aB7bd0rj1RQF9zHYfRU5ZuhF5aWLkkR1-4-fqo_qnc7q925vTntCywKmJ3i7064/s1600/Rocks_Wall+seat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcLTNDoTCUAw04_n6e4iTn_nry5EEAyvk8k3YHYOqvZMP4Buzai6JAKAslkdfSO3QJk-Lp4PeFUh61aB7bd0rj1RQF9zHYfRU5ZuhF5aWLkkR1-4-fqo_qnc7q925vTntCywKmJ3i7064/s1600/Rocks_Wall+seat.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A rock "chair" in the dry stack wall.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZISFlgc2jypQx7nIEKhOmya8cirTmaJm6pGgLOBJFF1q7pDzkLNIYfYGLtbu46naT09Xpc7ECh8Amnb5G_KswlI-1V6SCDPzSjFXwblDxPSFTxPXcoIVzGzjmTtRMRpK-WbA_ZSRsblE/s1600/Rocks_wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZISFlgc2jypQx7nIEKhOmya8cirTmaJm6pGgLOBJFF1q7pDzkLNIYfYGLtbu46naT09Xpc7ECh8Amnb5G_KswlI-1V6SCDPzSjFXwblDxPSFTxPXcoIVzGzjmTtRMRpK-WbA_ZSRsblE/s1600/Rocks_wall.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kind of low rock wall I'd love to have in my garden.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinix7QOctPPB579Z0fToO0y9idBGhH0dgW7mqlfkp909oAZL2aJ1sjuUv9rOEAE7-OPhtg35shrUjCDxXYHcI13IduJUrzTe3WC1z8JvZsz79Y5wKVQrJxCqoCanH9GSlte6sqlM2IrHA/s1600/Rocks_Steps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinix7QOctPPB579Z0fToO0y9idBGhH0dgW7mqlfkp909oAZL2aJ1sjuUv9rOEAE7-OPhtg35shrUjCDxXYHcI13IduJUrzTe3WC1z8JvZsz79Y5wKVQrJxCqoCanH9GSlte6sqlM2IrHA/s1600/Rocks_Steps.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful stone steps. The more rustic coloration works well with the drought tolerant plantings.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw7SMOdM9XRjH-x5qMYiJvqSSliaksSfdldK_puCvtCzu16NawKRfWRE9yj9FmAXkAuYRM-b7fyA_kYd6iNa0SHhen5OcOb5ZbmkEuXH1GswMxfttgIbKLk9jjFSvfttUBHrTilZAhySg/s1600/Rocks_Stop+and+Take+Notice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw7SMOdM9XRjH-x5qMYiJvqSSliaksSfdldK_puCvtCzu16NawKRfWRE9yj9FmAXkAuYRM-b7fyA_kYd6iNa0SHhen5OcOb5ZbmkEuXH1GswMxfttgIbKLk9jjFSvfttUBHrTilZAhySg/s1600/Rocks_Stop+and+Take+Notice.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The various stones add visual interest and provide a place to stop and enjoy the bubbler.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Z0302W0AnLgPGe09SnrQceR7RD-yNPUdGThtyz3bheHRqs0SwjQj7I0cw2YY9iZMCUH0UdihCrFvo5poXocw_gAEZVKHa4hBE5o07__3fKA1hhiZolumLpUPr1WP1k9BABtRoi8Aytg/s1600/Rocks_Path+and+Patio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Z0302W0AnLgPGe09SnrQceR7RD-yNPUdGThtyz3bheHRqs0SwjQj7I0cw2YY9iZMCUH0UdihCrFvo5poXocw_gAEZVKHa4hBE5o07__3fKA1hhiZolumLpUPr1WP1k9BABtRoi8Aytg/s1600/Rocks_Path+and+Patio.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Same stones, but the path to the front door is mortared while the gaps between stones in less formal patio is not.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirhIyHdKv-qPfJFfL9S_h2qqVfn5omSOsqHfc4IUftR3_MNrqqkG0Uw2ROzQb8BFGFA5gmDYPP2L_EOyqzd1_HtfnZrJVmA2eNBJPRLNvATivD-Q5k1lpGjcYSjGdkGMq-k8Ia05-nwsY/s1600/Rocks_Creating+atmosphere.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirhIyHdKv-qPfJFfL9S_h2qqVfn5omSOsqHfc4IUftR3_MNrqqkG0Uw2ROzQb8BFGFA5gmDYPP2L_EOyqzd1_HtfnZrJVmA2eNBJPRLNvATivD-Q5k1lpGjcYSjGdkGMq-k8Ia05-nwsY/s1600/Rocks_Creating+atmosphere.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reinforcing the Japanese style in this garden, rocks do it all: create points of entry, establish the edges of raised beds, and lead the eye through the space.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiMX398M8xg-BYkkmspG9N_Z9vPkNlNXj2Lu17hUl4vfYYFTekWp6j8fw8lc1MCyASR5rSj7aG530sLwaXiwB43RQvku9pVHSeFoDtVWYI9U0-5XDYJ5spv4Ts9UK0KfZHTu7O6lrNf5k/s1600/Rocks_Wall+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiMX398M8xg-BYkkmspG9N_Z9vPkNlNXj2Lu17hUl4vfYYFTekWp6j8fw8lc1MCyASR5rSj7aG530sLwaXiwB43RQvku9pVHSeFoDtVWYI9U0-5XDYJ5spv4Ts9UK0KfZHTu7O6lrNf5k/s1600/Rocks_Wall+4.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful rock wall (and garden) designed by Adriana Berry, APLD, of Plant Passion Design LLC. It's a great place to relax and enjoy different views of the garden ... and expands seating for garden parties!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551383152707136053.post-76235331925469170042014-09-05T16:57:00.001-07:002014-09-05T16:57:35.079-07:00Hardy and Hungry Pitcher Plants <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiho7qdr5XqIMehp_1swzwlF8GifczcxLy1Rlkzdv5O-HDQ7F_mAitAALouk8W6ZOOGz-XWwIFnBFt90OPS_PSDCYs2z0DwnfPZBhl50rdftPD2kTsoXNmrTouOat4nlbU5-c2NNFy2cvY/s1600/Pitcher+Plant_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiho7qdr5XqIMehp_1swzwlF8GifczcxLy1Rlkzdv5O-HDQ7F_mAitAALouk8W6ZOOGz-XWwIFnBFt90OPS_PSDCYs2z0DwnfPZBhl50rdftPD2kTsoXNmrTouOat4nlbU5-c2NNFy2cvY/s1600/Pitcher+Plant_3.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
Insects fall prey to these carnivorous plants. Their modified leaves form a deep cavity filled with liquid that entices then traps and drowns insects. The plants are fascinating to children and adults alike. While the culinary habits of their leaves are intriguing and possibly off-putting, the shape of the <i>Sarracenia</i> genus and its many hybrids is undeniably elegant and luscious. According to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitcher_plant" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>, the plants derive mineral nutrition from the insects dissolving in the pitcher’s liquid. Known as trumpet pitchers, they look tender yet they are typically hardy in USDA zones 5a-9b. So hardy in fact, that <i>Sarracenia purpurea</i> is the floral emblem for the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. <br /><br />I’ve seen pitcher and other carnivorous plants at plant sales and garden shows and have been tempted to give them a try, but so far I’ve resisted. Then recently I saw them in a garden (see photos) and once again I’m tempted. They need a sunny or part sun location and a wet environment during the growing season—May through October. It sounds like they may need some additional attention during their dormant season. That’s a conversation I’ll have to have with a nursery … or perhaps you know the secret to their winter survival?<br /><br />To learn more about<i> Sarrocenia</i> and other pitcher plant genus, check out <a href="http://www.carnivorous-plants.com/">www.carnivorous-plants.com</a>. One local source for <i>Sarracenia</i> is <a href="http://www.dancingoaks.com/" target="_blank">Dancing Oaks Nursery</a>.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB3GYnGnpjmUwtVWaptk4wtC8qaMuWaSayCKVxkJ6Rm4FT775VjRQMi3VpeudaqXO6VC6jpoJMTt3LPiVe3VQFS0LcyVF8QINHl2lfJwYA9x8LfUtIO4SFJThUi4ZxK8z-lkKxzJNAfLI/s1600/Pitcher+Plant_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB3GYnGnpjmUwtVWaptk4wtC8qaMuWaSayCKVxkJ6Rm4FT775VjRQMi3VpeudaqXO6VC6jpoJMTt3LPiVe3VQFS0LcyVF8QINHl2lfJwYA9x8LfUtIO4SFJThUi4ZxK8z-lkKxzJNAfLI/s1600/Pitcher+Plant_1.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieR_cHuCcZqI9Mad4brawLXWMYpErClD1OBqdyTxvL2VD6me7lKNajf5LBTafLXZQIddA1tQpTKjHP_8d4v7Kz8qT5pvOtNUrp5ZFIwJoLlxOsdh0gOFnhL-GYfX_kj_lvIARKsq-fjkk/s1600/Pitcher+Plant_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieR_cHuCcZqI9Mad4brawLXWMYpErClD1OBqdyTxvL2VD6me7lKNajf5LBTafLXZQIddA1tQpTKjHP_8d4v7Kz8qT5pvOtNUrp5ZFIwJoLlxOsdh0gOFnhL-GYfX_kj_lvIARKsq-fjkk/s1600/Pitcher+Plant_2.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551383152707136053.post-18167058301412922822014-09-05T15:58:00.002-07:002014-09-05T15:58:32.416-07:00Name that Plant<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/>
<w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/>
<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>
<w:Word11KerningPairs/>
<w:CachedColBalance/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
</style>
<![endif]--><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQJkMTt3Z0C_9r3A_wLxztp2v_dvwdZ5G666W9HBkEgF83Uu-74WBonh4FkgExIrbKljzXXqTDd3u3szRocJa0gCq1H5Z0JyupfBcFO2SQBEmo9l9eVTVQz0r9mPqyxw9vDRCLQ95n88/s1600/Guess+the+plant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQJkMTt3Z0C_9r3A_wLxztp2v_dvwdZ5G666W9HBkEgF83Uu-74WBonh4FkgExIrbKljzXXqTDd3u3szRocJa0gCq1H5Z0JyupfBcFO2SQBEmo9l9eVTVQz0r9mPqyxw9vDRCLQ95n88/s1600/Guess+the+plant.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was strolling through an open garden and shot this image.
Can you guess what plant it is? It certainly offers fabulous texture and
color!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551383152707136053.post-86234243384809106002014-08-28T17:45:00.000-07:002014-08-28T17:49:08.815-07:00Topiaries Herald Seasons and Occasions<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih1mAcYRELx48zfDXrKaoKUkTxgmocJADJizqCIOYrcG8S2rxT1YNoqavA9wGTiiN3Futz-B9vg2FSCLMP2h4NH1dU84I5G7wAUxeWxO_lbGXz4kR0OOfFoKgqpy1tljRR31I8TfAJVms/s1600/2014+Farwest+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih1mAcYRELx48zfDXrKaoKUkTxgmocJADJizqCIOYrcG8S2rxT1YNoqavA9wGTiiN3Futz-B9vg2FSCLMP2h4NH1dU84I5G7wAUxeWxO_lbGXz4kR0OOfFoKgqpy1tljRR31I8TfAJVms/s1600/2014+Farwest+008.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Created by Lori Vollmer, co-owner of <a href="http://www.gardenfever.com/" target="_blank">Garden Fever!</a> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Farwest Trade Show, a wholesale show for the horticulture industry, wrapped up August 23. On the show floor we organized a display of sculpted plants, which we defined as plants that have been sheared or trained into a form. Sculpting plants can turn the mundane and common (think Thuja/arborvitae, juniper, spruce, pine or boxwood) into something strikingly visual and attention-grabbing. Several years ago, I decorated a spiral arborvitae for Christmas and was thrilled with the results. So I asked a landscape designer, a garden center owner and a garden center merchandiser to decorate a sculpted plant in the display. The intention was to spark the creativity of people attending the show and to get them to think about sculpted plants differently. Perhaps it will spark your creativity and get you to take a second look at sculpted plants.<br />
<br />
From sentimental to creating a statement for the doorstep or event, the creative possibilities are limitless! Have you decorated a sculpted plant with good results?<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnVG5ILO3kP88DcraKH56oVDUscBGMk3EU5XdDSAiJQLfqFT8J7CPhKo1vSzSwcZroqTyzz0G0qgdl3KzCcK3O_FJOD1F0hj3ioRm4OByo2OPIJhK0IJsNm9xmVpj3zPlonGThtWE_FkI/s1600/2014+Farwest+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnVG5ILO3kP88DcraKH56oVDUscBGMk3EU5XdDSAiJQLfqFT8J7CPhKo1vSzSwcZroqTyzz0G0qgdl3KzCcK3O_FJOD1F0hj3ioRm4OByo2OPIJhK0IJsNm9xmVpj3zPlonGThtWE_FkI/s1600/2014+Farwest+002.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Created by <a href="http://paultaylorocnpgardendesign.weebly.com/" target="_blank">Paul Taylor , ONCP Garden Design and Consultation</a>, titled Gardening Through the Ages, it is decorated with well-used gloves, children's garden tools and family photos.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrL1TNDdK2NlklDAAYWZIIRihNKS1CjBptKhsIRF9nhq54hMcdCynq7JdvoDwxp_HEp3x109bUrJhCqANj3a3vdZ8QA0Za6XgoyNhNPlBpA3vLsaDw_8qVW1JIrYSPyJC5oN4IjKX6_hU/s1600/2014+Farwest+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrL1TNDdK2NlklDAAYWZIIRihNKS1CjBptKhsIRF9nhq54hMcdCynq7JdvoDwxp_HEp3x109bUrJhCqANj3a3vdZ8QA0Za6XgoyNhNPlBpA3vLsaDw_8qVW1JIrYSPyJC5oN4IjKX6_hU/s1600/2014+Farwest+004.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lori Vollmer from <a href="http://www.gardenfever.com/" target="_blank">Garden Fever!</a> created this 16-foot tall topiary titled Namaste. Perfect for a bridal event or other celebratory gathering.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRqWcMp8YdifulFKJded6qIKq6dH5kDjQDNIazFioT_ZDekFHmn2IOmMfDgVNBuV5sMhjDunqqCKkORydUDBEIfHXO2qZLIEN9G46Z_1o1oTNkYdo3nPLHnPv5lQWaQ_UNw_tVOvvGsUE/s1600/2014+Farwest+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRqWcMp8YdifulFKJded6qIKq6dH5kDjQDNIazFioT_ZDekFHmn2IOmMfDgVNBuV5sMhjDunqqCKkORydUDBEIfHXO2qZLIEN9G46Z_1o1oTNkYdo3nPLHnPv5lQWaQ_UNw_tVOvvGsUE/s1600/2014+Farwest+007.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A close-up of the bottom ball of Namaste, created by Lori Vollmer from <a href="http://www.gardenfever.com/" target="_blank">Garden Fever!</a> Luscious!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrfb7ofSP1GBlp-_v-gOtlm0YglxgZ75deOYeN4LzyNyVxwSZKitxKdQZpWlA2tMZHF9ozoZKSW5DPW0K9O6p5SZn-RJLdlIZb59jv_4vwrjA31LBCaUPGKytteWxGP4tC_Xc7ub9TZpg/s1600/2014+Farwest+012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrfb7ofSP1GBlp-_v-gOtlm0YglxgZ75deOYeN4LzyNyVxwSZKitxKdQZpWlA2tMZHF9ozoZKSW5DPW0K9O6p5SZn-RJLdlIZb59jv_4vwrjA31LBCaUPGKytteWxGP4tC_Xc7ub9TZpg/s1600/2014+Farwest+012.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celebrate Fall with this or a similar design. Created by Sheressa Dolph from <a href="http://www.als-gardencenter.com/" target="_blank">Al's Garden Center</a> in Woodburn using a juniper spiral. Her creation is titled Fashionable Fall Fanfare.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLpJxQyffTNCqi-G62DHHYHCoMj-4hC_M-97vQ1wLznRuh4MKVHcBLGygU42ktDUKfrBU0LnyW_8XtpNjN2_GhdrfXNfLe1AjcFUNfzUpVSpKPjfjLo7Jul2nIziezjlscllQswhUxyw8/s1600/Energy+Meeting+&+Holiday+Merchandising+024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLpJxQyffTNCqi-G62DHHYHCoMj-4hC_M-97vQ1wLznRuh4MKVHcBLGygU42ktDUKfrBU0LnyW_8XtpNjN2_GhdrfXNfLe1AjcFUNfzUpVSpKPjfjLo7Jul2nIziezjlscllQswhUxyw8/s1600/Energy+Meeting+&+Holiday+Merchandising+024.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My attempt at decorating an arborvitae spiral with a rainbow of plastic ornaments and twinkling white lights that put me and my neighbors in a festive mood.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
PS: I’m throwing in some photos of other sculpted plants, many of which were stunning, including the 16-foot tall Heuchera tree by <a href="http://www.gardengalleryhubbard.com/main_page.html" target="_blank">Garden Gallery Iron Works </a>(the Terra Nova Nurseries plants were grown by Blooming Nursery for the display).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdr1nl4mTwb75vCwKx8Y8_I_ZwvOSyjFMpmqfpMHakYaqLvWy_jzv4GgipOukQLQo9K94SrtgBvjd3jijX9BVLS0BtGETEqzfP7Ldx32wCNJ0SIXIXJs8kJe0IPquA55GxKMeaEWhF3gQ/s1600/2014+Farwest+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdr1nl4mTwb75vCwKx8Y8_I_ZwvOSyjFMpmqfpMHakYaqLvWy_jzv4GgipOukQLQo9K94SrtgBvjd3jijX9BVLS0BtGETEqzfP7Ldx32wCNJ0SIXIXJs8kJe0IPquA55GxKMeaEWhF3gQ/s1600/2014+Farwest+011.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI6Jb67YoE_sXHmMQMBXe9OYevVg2EmVUysO5x0O5u_TTEtHi4MtrfzWDzcwP1-JC_hjQ9wScEe_bU1hVIHqcN0VAunH5TFn0PI-Dfw0npZXTRPuD7JFgwzj3Pf9MHq45ImZHRUbLjJqg/s1600/2014+Farwest+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI6Jb67YoE_sXHmMQMBXe9OYevVg2EmVUysO5x0O5u_TTEtHi4MtrfzWDzcwP1-JC_hjQ9wScEe_bU1hVIHqcN0VAunH5TFn0PI-Dfw0npZXTRPuD7JFgwzj3Pf9MHq45ImZHRUbLjJqg/s1600/2014+Farwest+005.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUxxCjSH0XpT0VFnhYCkbFNpfZa0V-qJG2RC4YpL2t5q5zt8mEfsu9ECf5lnAVrwEX9k7QXcHmjD-o5OY6RQBEZKMBCkOSsfWSXozedzD4uUectZ-qC9BzFfDtlS5GyKmHWQ055VBlXSw/s1600/2014+Farwest+015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUxxCjSH0XpT0VFnhYCkbFNpfZa0V-qJG2RC4YpL2t5q5zt8mEfsu9ECf5lnAVrwEX9k7QXcHmjD-o5OY6RQBEZKMBCkOSsfWSXozedzD4uUectZ-qC9BzFfDtlS5GyKmHWQ055VBlXSw/s1600/2014+Farwest+015.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj4IjYKgUQh7DCubbo8_Xy8Qlr9kaAd-PP4L4iMU9sZUgBj6yje_qEomPk3R14jFO4_ROo6fbTMYTbDPD-ymzR_YvftHMysdHPCPXPeDzBhyphenhyphenzEa8zwGyefJYYmrseKKyAd1Gycr9cHRnI/s1600/2014+Farwest+016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj4IjYKgUQh7DCubbo8_Xy8Qlr9kaAd-PP4L4iMU9sZUgBj6yje_qEomPk3R14jFO4_ROo6fbTMYTbDPD-ymzR_YvftHMysdHPCPXPeDzBhyphenhyphenzEa8zwGyefJYYmrseKKyAd1Gycr9cHRnI/s1600/2014+Farwest+016.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi_dy1Iy5GXUpncQcCO6sy8ztpudwJVqv2wj_NgRhCGjG7d3VOExx-A3fOLfPThvSzxLeik_B5nXmpYWZLt1aryjGDcL-v0n3k4c_vRNWmRTD4L6ke1_J5micayjpB51gA2CsLOKmTIJg/s1600/2014+Farwest+017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi_dy1Iy5GXUpncQcCO6sy8ztpudwJVqv2wj_NgRhCGjG7d3VOExx-A3fOLfPThvSzxLeik_B5nXmpYWZLt1aryjGDcL-v0n3k4c_vRNWmRTD4L6ke1_J5micayjpB51gA2CsLOKmTIJg/s1600/2014+Farwest+017.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551383152707136053.post-39748903750693775372014-08-06T12:44:00.000-07:002014-08-12T16:55:09.822-07:00Shiny Leaves in the Garden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0fG0Xq5yQIkaCPUf7CzkAgTkLITIrkRrp9V8D97x02yE1CvoRPUKBuH3IMhhycLu0ijVVkoYHvPFEXCNZ2l3KIC0L3vclm_yB9s6sGdiTVl0lyV-3glHlsorxaa3hpqfeKuRXMUgxm7w/s1600/shiny_Begenia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4OKGAF-qkzqMAz4QmnZ5CFXtsFPwttq5OjiM2dd7Dy-hWnFYaKgvn-FwjJxEl7SA1ZJ4XtAY2tK2-DZhQpKT1cxXBzXbqpsdvvzhQLgpuej_JnYvN_o5dLS2UrOZByMAmSx5nQHzhVMo/s1600/Shiny_Pachysandra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4OKGAF-qkzqMAz4QmnZ5CFXtsFPwttq5OjiM2dd7Dy-hWnFYaKgvn-FwjJxEl7SA1ZJ4XtAY2tK2-DZhQpKT1cxXBzXbqpsdvvzhQLgpuej_JnYvN_o5dLS2UrOZByMAmSx5nQHzhVMo/s1600/Shiny_Pachysandra.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Pachysandra terminalis </i>'Green Sheen'</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>Pachysandra terminalis</i> ‘Green Sheen’ started it all. With its incredibly shiny reflective leaves, it’s impossible to stroll by without noticing it. Except for its sheen, it’s a rather unremarkable plant, but in my shady garden, its shiny surface shouts, “Pause and look at me!” So I started looking for other leaves that had the same effect. <i>Ajuga reptans</i> ‘Metallica Crispa’, <i>Osmanthus rotundifolius</i>, <i>Polystichum setiferum</i> (Shield Fern), and <i>Leucothoe fontanesiana</i> ‘Rainbow’ are shiny standouts in my garden, especially ‘Metallica Crispa’. I was curious about other plants that offered shiny foliage, which is especially useful in a shady spot. I happened to be at <a href="http://www.portlandnursery.com/" target="_blank">Portland Nursery</a> for a class, so I took a quick stroll around to see which plants offered intensely shiny foliage and here’s a short list of what I found:<br />
<ul>
<li><i>Angelica pachycarpa</i> (so incredible I bought one even though I knew nothing about the plant!)</li>
<li><i>Bergenia cordifolia</i> (virtually any cultivar, and its broad dramatic leaves heighten the effect)</li>
<li><i>Cyrtomium falcatum</i> (Japanese Holly Fern)</li>
<li><i>Euonymus japonicas</i> ‘Macrophyllus Butterscotch’</li>
<li><i>Fatsia japonica </i>(I am on the fence about this plant, but its leaves are big and shiny)</li>
<li><i>Heuchera</i> ‘Midnight Ruffles’ or other dark-leaved cultivars</li>
<li><i>Ilex</i> x <i>meservae</i> ‘MonNieves’ PP21941 (Scallywag™ Holly)</li>
<li><i>Quercus robur </i>x <i>bicolor</i> ‘Long’ PP12673 (Regal Prince® Oak)</li>
</ul>
<br />
Do you have a favorite shiny leaved plant?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXdy-rC6jBKopT4ICUdGE__V5NLA0p7ZoqHliaSHQgS-Lys48RKP_bf9FmuPXAh4IQPx9d5iGAVVEroBvd-ibSkXCALh1tTV3jBZgV_Y2vAebeaBw5y6OTiWBHvhN72sAZtSDWzXODlJc/s1600/Shiny_Aguja+Metalica.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXdy-rC6jBKopT4ICUdGE__V5NLA0p7ZoqHliaSHQgS-Lys48RKP_bf9FmuPXAh4IQPx9d5iGAVVEroBvd-ibSkXCALh1tTV3jBZgV_Y2vAebeaBw5y6OTiWBHvhN72sAZtSDWzXODlJc/s1600/Shiny_Aguja+Metalica.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ajuga reptans</i> ‘Metallica Crispa’</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDBK1ZEtPANmOyPtt9IAHVXl5oDpGnnMqkdGrU-pV_fqz3tD8YM-Qp5wASQvIb8aRW6fqipIEQNp78oOS-vh6TnhWHtXzQV4YkfL1Xe-yxzCw3S-yqj3Cq43psWVI1bSZQEz3rTMLmrjY/s1600/Shiny_osmanthus+rotundifolius.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDBK1ZEtPANmOyPtt9IAHVXl5oDpGnnMqkdGrU-pV_fqz3tD8YM-Qp5wASQvIb8aRW6fqipIEQNp78oOS-vh6TnhWHtXzQV4YkfL1Xe-yxzCw3S-yqj3Cq43psWVI1bSZQEz3rTMLmrjY/s1600/Shiny_osmanthus+rotundifolius.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Osmanthus rotundifolius</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJCnJE3iQU6UMfLo-35qehlxDIXr_BParBYw4flZ0v6iSjo5sWJYrdUbg-YaEqdpFSPEyZS00bmy9kIZPAInwO5vE0fVy6njKQqdF22DqQ6v5LnU7USKwCsz85qJZjMGrm1SH7PNV_Xqk/s1600/Shiny_Shield+Fern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJCnJE3iQU6UMfLo-35qehlxDIXr_BParBYw4flZ0v6iSjo5sWJYrdUbg-YaEqdpFSPEyZS00bmy9kIZPAInwO5vE0fVy6njKQqdF22DqQ6v5LnU7USKwCsz85qJZjMGrm1SH7PNV_Xqk/s1600/Shiny_Shield+Fern.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Polystichum setiferum</i> (Shield Fern)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI9Cs2Wz62tiEtHWPEKchcpvgWd9JwivGzeOUeXGM_h3zfObvXJ9JIHiIhU8xvvTSYFO3TbyCsLDwxuXJ9rDiMzjsZVjHFWknFfWNcPxOxfe39hXYqWYEH51GaHf0ee0IVTJEIOw1R6C4/s1600/shiny_Leaucothoe+Scarletta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI9Cs2Wz62tiEtHWPEKchcpvgWd9JwivGzeOUeXGM_h3zfObvXJ9JIHiIhU8xvvTSYFO3TbyCsLDwxuXJ9rDiMzjsZVjHFWknFfWNcPxOxfe39hXYqWYEH51GaHf0ee0IVTJEIOw1R6C4/s1600/shiny_Leaucothoe+Scarletta.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Leucothoe fontanesiana</i> ‘Rainbow’</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCcCqjujHsfGwfxphTxWbFA4V1tgqeqgL2F1upiH5UL302wQo9kycK7gqy8K2dANGThI2hNBfFDu4Bau6PROOLW_-EVZlYePMm7dittYdEIVKIKnKAl5GyCt9_J5PD2qY_2e0ts_dMtwU/s1600/Shiny_angelica+pachycarpa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCcCqjujHsfGwfxphTxWbFA4V1tgqeqgL2F1upiH5UL302wQo9kycK7gqy8K2dANGThI2hNBfFDu4Bau6PROOLW_-EVZlYePMm7dittYdEIVKIKnKAl5GyCt9_J5PD2qY_2e0ts_dMtwU/s1600/Shiny_angelica+pachycarpa.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Angelica pachycarpa</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0fG0Xq5yQIkaCPUf7CzkAgTkLITIrkRrp9V8D97x02yE1CvoRPUKBuH3IMhhycLu0ijVVkoYHvPFEXCNZ2l3KIC0L3vclm_yB9s6sGdiTVl0lyV-3glHlsorxaa3hpqfeKuRXMUgxm7w/s1600/shiny_Begenia.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0fG0Xq5yQIkaCPUf7CzkAgTkLITIrkRrp9V8D97x02yE1CvoRPUKBuH3IMhhycLu0ijVVkoYHvPFEXCNZ2l3KIC0L3vclm_yB9s6sGdiTVl0lyV-3glHlsorxaa3hpqfeKuRXMUgxm7w/s1600/shiny_Begenia.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Bergenia cordifolia</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgghy1U9_OyK0V1lAG70jTCEx7HTDE9LPJqoP5GDKLphjwlY6oNXnl7riRyyzlqIX1rm8tI7-pjTfYn0RHPRD1LK3fAJeev2H-X527XOi1ng3g3WG03toe4aDgFLlusk3bERsoQa5frxjs/s1600/Shiny_Cyrtomium+falcatum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgghy1U9_OyK0V1lAG70jTCEx7HTDE9LPJqoP5GDKLphjwlY6oNXnl7riRyyzlqIX1rm8tI7-pjTfYn0RHPRD1LK3fAJeev2H-X527XOi1ng3g3WG03toe4aDgFLlusk3bERsoQa5frxjs/s1600/Shiny_Cyrtomium+falcatum.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Cyrtomium falcatum</i> (Japanese Holly Fern)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigF0JafkRt1y5Mm6hzzZSdDVPi58E7WBu3fjU94uk4CbU9aA-XhQjG3Ighwrbc18fU0jEyAa0WSKgw9svnEOt52CxZ-5i5RteA209DNfk1IRWONLgQHcA7PoX-Kk4uQogUfSxm9euFAN4/s1600/Shiny_Euonymus+Butterscotch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigF0JafkRt1y5Mm6hzzZSdDVPi58E7WBu3fjU94uk4CbU9aA-XhQjG3Ighwrbc18fU0jEyAa0WSKgw9svnEOt52CxZ-5i5RteA209DNfk1IRWONLgQHcA7PoX-Kk4uQogUfSxm9euFAN4/s1600/Shiny_Euonymus+Butterscotch.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Euonymus japonicas</i> ‘Macrophyllus Butterscotch’</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0lgUNniHiajbjKR_D6f2XlIWX2I9EbHWWn6xYzncpKdbFzDuTRjXpXfwy1yiF8L2z97uc8JSSWteTDJf-uKBlVReTypcCLBz_gmd9alBMixUahvninXS_sm-ktrXtFGaFlWfBcwAzrDc/s1600/Shiny_Fatsia+japonica.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0lgUNniHiajbjKR_D6f2XlIWX2I9EbHWWn6xYzncpKdbFzDuTRjXpXfwy1yiF8L2z97uc8JSSWteTDJf-uKBlVReTypcCLBz_gmd9alBMixUahvninXS_sm-ktrXtFGaFlWfBcwAzrDc/s1600/Shiny_Fatsia+japonica.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Fatsia japonica</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWeECA9vkarzDSTvHpzjiTq4Gg36_BdLl62meLUbc7bEDBtv8cmgm48tWKqZkhyphenhyphenF6YUU4-DazIt1hB-xG_G4nCkw-2-9aSzFIOG0jeYXcvuLngVzLSOjG3tNYflza3Dd7xIbt550pytHg/s1600/Shiny_Heuchera_Midnight_Ruffles_TNN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWeECA9vkarzDSTvHpzjiTq4Gg36_BdLl62meLUbc7bEDBtv8cmgm48tWKqZkhyphenhyphenF6YUU4-DazIt1hB-xG_G4nCkw-2-9aSzFIOG0jeYXcvuLngVzLSOjG3tNYflza3Dd7xIbt550pytHg/s1600/Shiny_Heuchera_Midnight_Ruffles_TNN.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Heuchera</i> ‘Midnight Ruffles’<br />
Photo: <a href="http://www.terranovanurseries.com/" target="_blank">Terra Nova Nurseries Inc</a> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSDYQLaSSy0qzgUddBP7JfPRooeahvVG_zknR0_yt-m10oFIAIpZpUtExMQKHSHZ6VoiJeTIKiQocqjP1JFhgjHC-S68z0XNMcoTHdmyAxano5JLPHzUmTE3y5DL4hJCvxQ2miXg4oqHU/s1600/Shiny_Scallywag+Holly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSDYQLaSSy0qzgUddBP7JfPRooeahvVG_zknR0_yt-m10oFIAIpZpUtExMQKHSHZ6VoiJeTIKiQocqjP1JFhgjHC-S68z0XNMcoTHdmyAxano5JLPHzUmTE3y5DL4hJCvxQ2miXg4oqHU/s1600/Shiny_Scallywag+Holly.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scallywag™ Holly</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaKhhs5x3qNNyFiWJnyI77UR5pL1aEGHN7EY0K3-DrWdtpBf0NexccnydWw1hWATC-E55-hpqGyIJa5chlWlnoo2UGf-2a1p-lYQbfz6RE2DifFX2q879lem-AHqJfTp5D7vfZdoUFN0o/s1600/Shiny_Quercus+Regal+Prince.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaKhhs5x3qNNyFiWJnyI77UR5pL1aEGHN7EY0K3-DrWdtpBf0NexccnydWw1hWATC-E55-hpqGyIJa5chlWlnoo2UGf-2a1p-lYQbfz6RE2DifFX2q879lem-AHqJfTp5D7vfZdoUFN0o/s1600/Shiny_Quercus+Regal+Prince.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Regal Prince® Oak</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551383152707136053.post-54384059531013813712014-07-31T11:32:00.000-07:002014-07-31T11:32:34.551-07:00The Magical (and Real) Tree of 40 Fruit<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFnv5VgXMgr67j5_Qpku2R7aw21H8PE6kIFAg6uqqIf7Pis83Ryxtk1Z7WBncTygJ3RFUdWK0Uz60kR-D4SxGyZUtO-Vr-0MdZOEey1nPxOahXj6e-4qh8Rkf8V_Pda14gRB6ed9IHe5o/s1600/Tree+of+40+Fruit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFnv5VgXMgr67j5_Qpku2R7aw21H8PE6kIFAg6uqqIf7Pis83Ryxtk1Z7WBncTygJ3RFUdWK0Uz60kR-D4SxGyZUtO-Vr-0MdZOEey1nPxOahXj6e-4qh8Rkf8V_Pda14gRB6ed9IHe5o/s1600/Tree+of+40+Fruit.jpg" height="160" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Tree of 40 Fruit</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Can one tree be an artwork, research project, and form of conservation? If the tree is “sculpted” by award-winning artist Sam Van Aken, the answer is “Yes!” Scheduled to be demolished, the artist stepped in to preserve the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station’s stone fruit orchard. With its 250 varieties, the orchard was a living museum of the 150-200 year history of stone fruit agriculture in the U.S. He believed creating a living form of art – the Tree of 40 Fruit – was the best way to preserve the orchard’s diversity. From the rootstock stage and over the course of five years, forty varieties of stone fruit—peaches, nectarines, apricots, cherries, plums and almonds—are chip grafted onto a tree. In spring, the normal looking fruit tree turns into a magical tapestry of pink, crimson, white and magenta. It returns to a normal-looking tree until it starts to bear 40 different fruit.<br /><br />Why did Sam Van Aken create the Tree of 40 Fruit? He believes:<br /><br />• As artwork, the tree interrupts and transforms the everyday. Van Aken designs and sculpts a tree by how it blossoms.<br />• As a research project, his stone fruit collection and a Tree of 40 Fruit creates a comprehensive timeline of when varieties blossom in relation with each other, important information for the study of pollinators. <br />• As a conservation project, he grafts heirloom, antique and native species on each Tree of 40 Fruit and places them throughout country, creating his own type of diversity and preservation.<br /><br />One person can make a difference.<br /><br />Van Aken spoke at TEDx-Manhattan. Listen in <a href="http://new.livestream.com/tedx/manhattan2014/videos/43864399" target="_blank">here</a>. Read an<i> Epicurious</i> interview with the artist <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2014/07/30/tree-40-fruit-is-exactly-as-awesome-as-it-sounds/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551383152707136053.post-73898551500359424792014-07-30T11:26:00.002-07:002014-07-30T11:26:49.539-07:00Container Combinations<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIBnJLhseH5fXxfKHqmGV2R8LX1ZSuREX8LiBCLPLcVr8JmXz5uv7RIWu0kBp1t-_wnq3RpzoEb_mxVJC724QXCgy_fCtcPJoN-wQpmlSb4Je4rU5MEdkXetw1cwKtF6AaOgTMAun-9Z8/s1600/Containers+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIBnJLhseH5fXxfKHqmGV2R8LX1ZSuREX8LiBCLPLcVr8JmXz5uv7RIWu0kBp1t-_wnq3RpzoEb_mxVJC724QXCgy_fCtcPJoN-wQpmlSb4Je4rU5MEdkXetw1cwKtF6AaOgTMAun-9Z8/s1600/Containers+2.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Orange. Chartreuse. Burgundy. I finally found success with my containers using a combination of these colors. Until this year, I’ve never been happy with my efforts to produce lush, lovely containers, but inspiration struck when I saw zonal geranium (<i>Pelargonium</i>) ‘Tricolor’ and I’m thrilled with the results.<br /><br />A grouping of pots near my front steps exudes chartreuse. This year, its brassy color is tempered with splashes of orange and accents of burgundy to tone down the color temperature. The mixture includes a chartreuse and burgundy sweet potato vine (<i>Ipomoea batatas</i> ‘Marguerite’ and ‘Blackie’, respectively); a long-throated, orange, tender fuchsia; a burgundy and chartreuse coleus; and the gloriously beautiful, variegated <i>Canna</i> ‘Bengal Tiger’ (syn. <i>Canna</i> ‘Pretoria’) with its yellow and green striped leaves. Also out front in another pot is <i>Abutilon</i> ‘Salmon’ with its coral colored flowers and speckled yellow and green leaves. (I haven’t attempted to winter over an <i>Abutilon</i>. Have you?)<br /><br />On my back patio, the color combo continues. Geranium ‘Tricolor’, Oxalis ‘Molten Lava’, Begonia Waterfall® Encanto Falls® Orange, coleus ‘Yellow Fin Tuna’, and an orange monkey flower (<i>Mimulus</i>) flaunt their colors. Tucked under all the exuberant foliage and flowers is Platt’s Black Brass Buttons (<i>Leptinella squalida</i>), which doesn’t stand a chance with its diminutive size and subtle coloration.<br />
<br />
What are your favorite container combinations this year? <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhufTZvOIx-DsbT6pH99qgLgXXbSRMbvVHR5D-viKGmaFD09ohN2ovkRiCAqvRy1Z71AM9lwUR1W1-poE_zxywB44qIEJBpf5L8GPjTQfOAbzH7jgJRlKsqBFDhOVNAjLjibI4uSrR-7HI/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhufTZvOIx-DsbT6pH99qgLgXXbSRMbvVHR5D-viKGmaFD09ohN2ovkRiCAqvRy1Z71AM9lwUR1W1-poE_zxywB44qIEJBpf5L8GPjTQfOAbzH7jgJRlKsqBFDhOVNAjLjibI4uSrR-7HI/s1600/004.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLavDcSorMOpo9gu8By4jfrQhIcSws1wGmI6fKpeV8dJIf6KPtFwV_EKJhfOqq6DrBszY781QZa_4g9CFrmUfxvipZJ0XfzqEdCYF9UXlBX-HZZDguanCHzrTLP0gE7FLRSwQoAUDu70o/s1600/036.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLavDcSorMOpo9gu8By4jfrQhIcSws1wGmI6fKpeV8dJIf6KPtFwV_EKJhfOqq6DrBszY781QZa_4g9CFrmUfxvipZJ0XfzqEdCYF9UXlBX-HZZDguanCHzrTLP0gE7FLRSwQoAUDu70o/s1600/036.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwdxBWejv5jT1fZOJ-P9wHKIjY4aUxZW0TeLTITPtyZ_OUReOOBBhpT6n54-S8eqv5znOVdygew6RFXlJmNDskGsuyrnqDNhvOuL34fsLua-ppxJxNYsaLQVmdjKAsRQJVdIswxKnEsxc/s1600/Containers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwdxBWejv5jT1fZOJ-P9wHKIjY4aUxZW0TeLTITPtyZ_OUReOOBBhpT6n54-S8eqv5znOVdygew6RFXlJmNDskGsuyrnqDNhvOuL34fsLua-ppxJxNYsaLQVmdjKAsRQJVdIswxKnEsxc/s1600/Containers.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD8RUcGTFB3WAEv5Ol5co6D1r2YKw6vxUnsKr5rE3Vhoad3aOX5Sh-AalvOB8VZWdopq3y6Xkjy5TxUP8AVaTdapdGuoljvUHUY6VNe9Rl0PkCt-tft5493oqAHk2Ux7VgCPGouRK8hhk/s1600/Containers+3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD8RUcGTFB3WAEv5Ol5co6D1r2YKw6vxUnsKr5rE3Vhoad3aOX5Sh-AalvOB8VZWdopq3y6Xkjy5TxUP8AVaTdapdGuoljvUHUY6VNe9Rl0PkCt-tft5493oqAHk2Ux7VgCPGouRK8hhk/s1600/Containers+3.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbMgVpg9G69nzq6DLo8-2hC1SlCJAn-sqmKTT57Ruc_QenmN2h4aYzTghyD4shH8toUFcWEL407z1mBuoiC4zxU57yP41ngsse7jIyCtHTuQqumPbI2RPJi7kteESTP8hcfy20P_cttMI/s1600/DSC00005.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbMgVpg9G69nzq6DLo8-2hC1SlCJAn-sqmKTT57Ruc_QenmN2h4aYzTghyD4shH8toUFcWEL407z1mBuoiC4zxU57yP41ngsse7jIyCtHTuQqumPbI2RPJi7kteESTP8hcfy20P_cttMI/s1600/DSC00005.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Abutilon </i>Salmon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><br /><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551383152707136053.post-52103723095721512462014-07-28T12:05:00.000-07:002014-07-28T12:05:55.788-07:00New Plant Encounters<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMtlPwHq3pkx5-1N0TJNqBjSeTA4AXnf0W7eN2CbwxnORbDDOtboNuZzf4TM1G_iwLHsVOmX4Okwd8BbkrDYovh_0M8V-Er7DwRCmeX95ryFitZadyWGHNsJS_TzcrUcF7RkA6_3XO6-U/s1600/Salad+Burnet_wikicommons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMtlPwHq3pkx5-1N0TJNqBjSeTA4AXnf0W7eN2CbwxnORbDDOtboNuZzf4TM1G_iwLHsVOmX4Okwd8BbkrDYovh_0M8V-Er7DwRCmeX95ryFitZadyWGHNsJS_TzcrUcF7RkA6_3XO6-U/s1600/Salad+Burnet_wikicommons.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salad Burnet (<i>Sanguisorb minor</i>). Photo: WikiCommons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
New is in the eye of the beholder and these plants are new to me even though one has been around for hundreds of years.<br /><br />A potluck dish of deviled eggs was decorated with a plant with intriguing oval, tooth-edged pinnate leaflets. Turns out the plant is a perennial herb called Salad Burnet (<i>Sanguisorba minor,</i> syn. <i>Poterium sanguisorba</i>). “Salad what?” I said, stumped by the name. When I popped a leaf in my mouth, I didn’t taste much flavor, although some sources say it tastes of “light cucumber.” Brought to the New World by the first English colonists, it does well in containers as it is drought-tolerant, compact (12 – 18 inches tall and 12 – 24 inches wide), clump forming, hardy (USDA zones 4 – 8) and heat tolerant. Plant it in full sun to part shade conditions. Use the youngest leaves in salads and dressings. Click<a href="http://gardening.about.com/od/herbsatoz/p/Salad-Burnet-Growing-And-Using-The-Herb-Salad-Burnet.htm" target="_blank"> here</a> for more detailed information, including its medicinal properties. It spreads by rhizomes and self-seeds. It looks like it would be an attractive addition to the garden, and it almost always is a plus that it is edible.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG1R2XKds4VYTc9i4zLmkgkFHZ3G3Py5t2Vg_ChctWnLCB38xk2wSxIsjWvSgHGDgBZquQWQvSVV-UTZMq-a4t7awBg_mAdJs_1ghHcZo42AxV2RCaeI-sJPm4HidnAKvyRWtOQFfnU1Y/s1600/Amaranth+Illumination.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG1R2XKds4VYTc9i4zLmkgkFHZ3G3Py5t2Vg_ChctWnLCB38xk2wSxIsjWvSgHGDgBZquQWQvSVV-UTZMq-a4t7awBg_mAdJs_1ghHcZo42AxV2RCaeI-sJPm4HidnAKvyRWtOQFfnU1Y/s1600/Amaranth+Illumination.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Amaranthus </i>'Illumination'</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb6mJP4fepKZ29vVNx8pZXkgcp18AXAyMtzOcP6sjBmgG8Nb909fRkpStt-eY13GjAZhYR-xcxEJ0LDqnTx6Gg-kAWZv37TdCYN7rC6OKu26Hp4L9qt9AhDswGIeDvzy5o05DCKaylTTA/s1600/Eucomis+Aloha+Lily+Tiki.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb6mJP4fepKZ29vVNx8pZXkgcp18AXAyMtzOcP6sjBmgG8Nb909fRkpStt-eY13GjAZhYR-xcxEJ0LDqnTx6Gg-kAWZv37TdCYN7rC6OKu26Hp4L9qt9AhDswGIeDvzy5o05DCKaylTTA/s1600/Eucomis+Aloha+Lily+Tiki.jpg" height="256" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Eucomis </i>Aloha Lily® Tiki<i> </i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />While at <a href="http://www.portlandnursery.com/" target="_blank">Portland Nursery</a> for an espalier fruit tree pruning class, I walked by the stop-you-in-your-tracks <i>Amaranthus</i> ‘Illumination’ and had to take a photo. Wow! This three to four-foot tall plant would be lovely sprinkled among other sun-loving plants in well-drained soil. An annual, the sturdy stems hold darker green leaves below the densely-packed gold and red foliage above. Color holds from mid-summer until frost.<br /><br />Another intriguing find also requires full sun and good drainage: <i>Eucomis</i> Aloha Lily®<sup><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></sup> Tiki. The Aloha Lily series are compact (18 inches tall and wide). Pink flowers appear July until frost. USDA Zone 8. Cute!<br /><br />
What new-to-you plants have you seen this year?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551383152707136053.post-86002452265132243082014-07-11T11:31:00.000-07:002014-07-11T11:31:41.332-07:00The Value of Garden Tours<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg7DfdqEGEuptn4_OP-utF3xGBTnaxHQ02Y13t5lgYrNP5Y3nzuiaO7_hXhbFwYxDZeoGWrZEAu7br74RAK80if9R4_VM-ss0_G8cE3wn_Ji_4frRPHxoa1LBBnHklHMiCHE3jxpVYArg/s1600/Moore+Garden+2_Mahonia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSEDygpmjqWwQJ4A0zhc7BBLF5_pvqDgt4Gjo0mCHCbVtdWBX2rVWtVtUrYKQZRNxrDC4LvdNswniWJ-7uG3bW3QxaCUoEcdbXBIWEnIydXJbgK-9bjRI203Uwh7JXvEg1wGFErGea5as/s1600/Malone+Garden+4_Gate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSEDygpmjqWwQJ4A0zhc7BBLF5_pvqDgt4Gjo0mCHCbVtdWBX2rVWtVtUrYKQZRNxrDC4LvdNswniWJ-7uG3bW3QxaCUoEcdbXBIWEnIydXJbgK-9bjRI203Uwh7JXvEg1wGFErGea5as/s1600/Malone+Garden+4_Gate.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gate by Mike Suri, Suri Iron</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Finding inspiration. Spending a day with friends. Reveling in what gardeners—and garden designers—have accomplished. Seeing how garden and lifestyle challenges are solved. These are a few reasons to take advantage of garden tours. In the case of the ANLD Designers Garden Tour which took place June 28, visiting six urban gardens also raised funds for ANLD’s scholarship fund. (<a href="http://www.anld.com/" target="_blank">ANLD</a> stands for Association of Northwest Landscape Designers.) Click <a href="http://www.anld.com/garden-tour/2014-garden-tour" target="_blank">here</a> and you’ll see more photos and explanations of the projects. I’d like to share what my takeaways were for the gardens. <br />
<br />
However, before launching into the ANLD garden tour photo essay, if you live in the Portland area, I encourage you to join the <a href="http://www.hardyplantsociety.org/" target="_blank">Hardy Plant Society of Oregon</a> to take advantage of the hundreds of open gardens that its members so generously share. The open gardens alone are worth the price of membership!<br />
<br />
Art in the ANLD gardens played and important role.It created focal points and whimsy, distracted the eye from vistas best left unseen, added punches of color, and visually pulled the visitor to destinations in the garden, not to mention creating the "Wow!" factor.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuoM09xuVtD5EfJ9iHmExHfZg1JMSg0qIYzSW89cDN-ZmTILITGCW6BHY4k8UHzYjWed4lR-cYaEYa8uFWaMYSKmJgDg33k3SqXU3TamhVqkdJL9yw1R2FPZQpSRfvwQF55kyqg5dlaKI/s1600/Best+Garden+3_Rooster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuoM09xuVtD5EfJ9iHmExHfZg1JMSg0qIYzSW89cDN-ZmTILITGCW6BHY4k8UHzYjWed4lR-cYaEYa8uFWaMYSKmJgDg33k3SqXU3TamhVqkdJL9yw1R2FPZQpSRfvwQF55kyqg5dlaKI/s1600/Best+Garden+3_Rooster.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rusted metal rooster added an element of surprise in an otherwise sophisticated Japanese-inspired garden. Rooster was designed by metal artist Zoe Bacon in the garden designed by Barb Hilty.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSyGrdW7oX2L-URxpppMsmcC3tzq9YVkYyiLVBelqBllCQnN1cZke9wSPs-GDUWkB8tLyr9yDfIW8RpUkp0ebmO9HS-d6F8L5Klvtt2hyDgUSdOb468IcOZDiffEObGO1WFeISRqRPzIk/s1600/Ernst+Garden+1_art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSyGrdW7oX2L-URxpppMsmcC3tzq9YVkYyiLVBelqBllCQnN1cZke9wSPs-GDUWkB8tLyr9yDfIW8RpUkp0ebmO9HS-d6F8L5Klvtt2hyDgUSdOb468IcOZDiffEObGO1WFeISRqRPzIk/s1600/Ernst+Garden+1_art.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Garden owner Linda Ernst created these lively glass panels to add color in her already colorful edible garden.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRuSSDkDMp8dO2srEWGXnBdZ8ybgClBR8Ex_OS1LCwsF93lM4QLjxpa-6U8wKWQqLbd3-e2ftKQU2I2XvbryznICbN6hljHX7ikGCeSQTetkiJcsQE-kBzYAfPOvL36zX42qH6PKVvvD8/s1600/Ernst+Garden+2_Gate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRuSSDkDMp8dO2srEWGXnBdZ8ybgClBR8Ex_OS1LCwsF93lM4QLjxpa-6U8wKWQqLbd3-e2ftKQU2I2XvbryznICbN6hljHX7ikGCeSQTetkiJcsQE-kBzYAfPOvL36zX42qH6PKVvvD8/s1600/Ernst+Garden+2_Gate.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Also in the Ernst garden, this contemporary gate acts as art.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdoQ2F7ny5fyghdKda3xx-Xpns37R91fXT2fJJQRJp5uuaBHh2i2vYZ-yqKcrcgCDirKtYQuXClhTrS94f-5QL7EpZrs2TqBl4LBO3Py0BvmXGWl92qCCp6mZC1DqY_eaqBZff9vt-Ff0/s1600/Malone+Garden+3_Gate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdoQ2F7ny5fyghdKda3xx-Xpns37R91fXT2fJJQRJp5uuaBHh2i2vYZ-yqKcrcgCDirKtYQuXClhTrS94f-5QL7EpZrs2TqBl4LBO3Py0BvmXGWl92qCCp6mZC1DqY_eaqBZff9vt-Ff0/s1600/Malone+Garden+3_Gate.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The forms in this garden gate by Mike Suri, Suri Iron, were inspired by the poppies found on the property and saved by the homeowners when they built their new eco-friendly home on the lot. Garden designed by Marina Wynton.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1n0D4Jza_XjnZRX0ARAD8IzabHA3qWgfq7TPz2vZ_FsRNwBJfa5UIOm0Mu1Y2Cgb9O6DHDRcQWces-2Nw-SM5DA8mc_rES3sshQ8wG3rC2JMxyfS_Y8borcjwQ-Kro-LHQg2mNle3K1Q/s1600/Moore+Garden+3_Art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1n0D4Jza_XjnZRX0ARAD8IzabHA3qWgfq7TPz2vZ_FsRNwBJfa5UIOm0Mu1Y2Cgb9O6DHDRcQWces-2Nw-SM5DA8mc_rES3sshQ8wG3rC2JMxyfS_Y8borcjwQ-Kro-LHQg2mNle3K1Q/s1600/Moore+Garden+3_Art.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Francis is one of my favorite sculptures by artist Patrick Gracewood, Gracewood Studios. Garden was designed by Bruce Hegna.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Structures define space and add functionality to a garden. Both of these garden structures were used as light-filled tool sheds that can also shelter tender plants.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKy3mDLcFMRJ0wokpaTAQEulS4MUy0HhZOMmhyphenhyphenu0de7AKLns377xFBq_BUdo9M9Qy2NvTUc0AoGQ5uxKt1nJvfCeHe3Su7x1IbG3LadbsVlbhRVB4IdME18A64n11tIzOPW4Vsbj2fGrg/s1600/Malone+Garden+2_Shed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKy3mDLcFMRJ0wokpaTAQEulS4MUy0HhZOMmhyphenhyphenu0de7AKLns377xFBq_BUdo9M9Qy2NvTUc0AoGQ5uxKt1nJvfCeHe3Su7x1IbG3LadbsVlbhRVB4IdME18A64n11tIzOPW4Vsbj2fGrg/s1600/Malone+Garden+2_Shed.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shed with green roof designed by Marina Wynton.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghVAYdLGSXwv1XTeJMdGXv_D2wRPsOBn3xER04q4MNh5wM0UuzoHbVDzybkq9H3kk6tKxGDOsUvy-4xJgD8FvdYwoTyWzbaXKrJHl5FoL1GU1uNQ399Zdv8io3tQiSJdLq7OuVBmJStXs/s1600/Moore+Garden+1_shed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghVAYdLGSXwv1XTeJMdGXv_D2wRPsOBn3xER04q4MNh5wM0UuzoHbVDzybkq9H3kk6tKxGDOsUvy-4xJgD8FvdYwoTyWzbaXKrJHl5FoL1GU1uNQ399Zdv8io3tQiSJdLq7OuVBmJStXs/s1600/Moore+Garden+1_shed.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shed was crafted by Patrick Blakeslee. Lion in foreground was sculpted by Patrick Gracewood.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Water features can contribute visual appeal, drama, color and sound to a garden. The sound distracts the ear from unappealing neighborhood and traffic noise, a very practical application, but overall the effect is usually one of relaxing the soul. Ahhhh.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjooWZKUHON10mB0tYtXvcladFVwhG8hwRmcadZvdtJ5IU7F7n67jMFBSGPBp6T0_5D5VOrTojc_DNl4U3a5vyzmph6EMHBQBt-I9C7qhVcLW-nFsgLlG8FkUuHT-WwuxlwVaRwqCttJjA/s1600/Best+Garden+2_Water+Feature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjooWZKUHON10mB0tYtXvcladFVwhG8hwRmcadZvdtJ5IU7F7n67jMFBSGPBp6T0_5D5VOrTojc_DNl4U3a5vyzmph6EMHBQBt-I9C7qhVcLW-nFsgLlG8FkUuHT-WwuxlwVaRwqCttJjA/s1600/Best+Garden+2_Water+Feature.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Found granite was the inspiration for this custom water feature. Its scale is large for the garden space adding a lot of zen drama, if one can use both those words to describe something. Garden designed by Barb Hilty; refreshed plantings designed by Adriana Berry.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPrdAxSwK4oQrDgt3_gNEluV_t87DB-qrMD1hTPTGA_ah8NMqoPZU39viigNj_IZNnaVtnAwytrW6DygrIErHym5adIHIhRc8_5z0tekl3J3WtZqhHBjI45UkhjNXGW5TfSQ31hL52l2E/s1600/Williams+Garden_small+water+feature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPrdAxSwK4oQrDgt3_gNEluV_t87DB-qrMD1hTPTGA_ah8NMqoPZU39viigNj_IZNnaVtnAwytrW6DygrIErHym5adIHIhRc8_5z0tekl3J3WtZqhHBjI45UkhjNXGW5TfSQ31hL52l2E/s1600/Williams+Garden_small+water+feature.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The small birdbath-like fountain provides just enough movement and sound to make it a welcome destination for wildlife. Garden was designed by Darcy Daniels.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIQxhpQVc4mD4MwObB-iPy4e-J5j9afaUZPClLUTsmeJYFK89gN09z3oWY2QvQir8Srxrj0nBT5r7Ykc_no6iPun5GxGnAwljtzoNr6DupMBi3gEJlCALaHGT-o5CjNgV8FW8SWd2LMWM/s1600/Ernst+Garden+3_Contemporary+Lines.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIQxhpQVc4mD4MwObB-iPy4e-J5j9afaUZPClLUTsmeJYFK89gN09z3oWY2QvQir8Srxrj0nBT5r7Ykc_no6iPun5GxGnAwljtzoNr6DupMBi3gEJlCALaHGT-o5CjNgV8FW8SWd2LMWM/s1600/Ernst+Garden+3_Contemporary+Lines.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This contemporary water feature design incorporates the owners' glass artistry. Designed by Laura Crockett.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Sometimes it is the very subtle that is of great interest in a garden design.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRwQ7ctMb1D9KUG-_bpQfUPAaslBtiq26Pb5j5b8Cp0Ob8nhL7Cvxr5wONPmBpjjAGrwSktYkLG9gfRn9lxjjMz212W2vVCDof-Az5_gqlv704ENakzXsH4fRjQmpcLtFBg7dZnjPL-nA/s1600/Meihoff+Garden_Brass+Buttons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRwQ7ctMb1D9KUG-_bpQfUPAaslBtiq26Pb5j5b8Cp0Ob8nhL7Cvxr5wONPmBpjjAGrwSktYkLG9gfRn9lxjjMz212W2vVCDof-Az5_gqlv704ENakzXsH4fRjQmpcLtFBg7dZnjPL-nA/s1600/Meihoff+Garden_Brass+Buttons.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brass Buttons (<em>Leptinella squalida</em>, formerly <em>Cotula squalida</em>) made a tidy and attention-grabbing ground cover for this parking strip in the garden designed by Donna Giguere.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWDjyZUuC7uoICQXFpBrYkA2rZ_zAsv_6CMQMkyb_5pQ696Ap-hm1RtjugHVUwXqAn30P4CyDI9-Ek-z407JYzj5vNZX8oO1AHANx1Tbd_t-AxKCIdHooKxVR0X1moY6dwpJhQ5Ue0MeI/s1600/Meihoff+Garden_hardscape+front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWDjyZUuC7uoICQXFpBrYkA2rZ_zAsv_6CMQMkyb_5pQ696Ap-hm1RtjugHVUwXqAn30P4CyDI9-Ek-z407JYzj5vNZX8oO1AHANx1Tbd_t-AxKCIdHooKxVR0X1moY6dwpJhQ5Ue0MeI/s1600/Meihoff+Garden_hardscape+front.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The design challenge was to manage a steeply sloping slope (solution: beautiful concrete retaining walls that compliment the 1905 house), create off-street parking (solution: carve space out of the sloping yard and use attractive permeable pavers), and use low maintenance plantings. Designer: Donna Giguere.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTL-qTijcNVvD6ZgAmNoriLmFSaih4bc_nng8t_OYE-2Fp5eDvOEM00E-wHKh2QkjqU8X-btPL5XqSpvCMdrKqkGj86pwDWT0hylBXodT2Fvsqj3qjDnCzVWTPsETR0DQSdP1SNwlNobg/s1600/Meihoff+Garden_rain+garden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTL-qTijcNVvD6ZgAmNoriLmFSaih4bc_nng8t_OYE-2Fp5eDvOEM00E-wHKh2QkjqU8X-btPL5XqSpvCMdrKqkGj86pwDWT0hylBXodT2Fvsqj3qjDnCzVWTPsETR0DQSdP1SNwlNobg/s1600/Meihoff+Garden_rain+garden.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rain water was redirected to this simple and stylish rain garden. Designer: Donna Giguere.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYaBayrzG988NbjXvKdzTPGIZUX9J9Fk-1JOqpaApt1anItG0PAsskJHIUeXBaSsjgA-1x7ogUQwmTL2Cwv4aUmmJGHqIDGqyPbqJbQWBsuyrXLzOAgfkd3aERmQGqmaXRarLpJgl2vUM/s1600/Moore+Garden+2_Mahonia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYaBayrzG988NbjXvKdzTPGIZUX9J9Fk-1JOqpaApt1anItG0PAsskJHIUeXBaSsjgA-1x7ogUQwmTL2Cwv4aUmmJGHqIDGqyPbqJbQWBsuyrXLzOAgfkd3aERmQGqmaXRarLpJgl2vUM/s1600/Moore+Garden+2_Mahonia.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Believe it or not, this is a <i>Mahonia</i>! Fabulous evergreen texture. Look for <i>Mahonia eurybracteata</i> 'Soft Caress'.<br /><h3 class="r">
<a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=7&ved=0CDcQFjAG&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.finegardening.com%2Fsoft-caress-oregon-grape-mahonia-eurybracteata-soft-caress&ei=9CzAU6PpEIXAigKnmoCQBw&usg=AFQjCNFGmQc85EyL14F4g46zdm6LW-HtNg&sig2=tKYe_rkPGS0jC4Sv6cE86Q&bvm=bv.70810081,d.cGE"><em><br /></em></a></h3>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWDjyZUuC7uoICQXFpBrYkA2rZ_zAsv_6CMQMkyb_5pQ696Ap-hm1RtjugHVUwXqAn30P4CyDI9-Ek-z407JYzj5vNZX8oO1AHANx1Tbd_t-AxKCIdHooKxVR0X1moY6dwpJhQ5Ue0MeI/s1600/Meihoff+Garden_hardscape+front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTL-qTijcNVvD6ZgAmNoriLmFSaih4bc_nng8t_OYE-2Fp5eDvOEM00E-wHKh2QkjqU8X-btPL5XqSpvCMdrKqkGj86pwDWT0hylBXodT2Fvsqj3qjDnCzVWTPsETR0DQSdP1SNwlNobg/s1600/Meihoff+Garden_rain+garden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYaBayrzG988NbjXvKdzTPGIZUX9J9Fk-1JOqpaApt1anItG0PAsskJHIUeXBaSsjgA-1x7ogUQwmTL2Cwv4aUmmJGHqIDGqyPbqJbQWBsuyrXLzOAgfkd3aERmQGqmaXRarLpJgl2vUM/s1600/Moore+Garden+2_Mahonia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551383152707136053.post-6804879813083957452014-07-07T10:16:00.000-07:002014-07-07T10:16:40.130-07:00Gardening as Exercise<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtTEkdi0WGrzzgZM1JxEoteVrtqgKoUdz4kIkoPZW3tFRaQ9VNvJPnWgnLgZKrccovj-M-VOfx0HlaLkTF78Yv261eXheO5-gSzKRReM6tPjYFhTp_ESmivAQAwn3bVws70sgm8vfd0R4/s1600/Wrist-Stretch_StacyBest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtTEkdi0WGrzzgZM1JxEoteVrtqgKoUdz4kIkoPZW3tFRaQ9VNvJPnWgnLgZKrccovj-M-VOfx0HlaLkTF78Yv261eXheO5-gSzKRReM6tPjYFhTp_ESmivAQAwn3bVws70sgm8vfd0R4/s1600/Wrist-Stretch_StacyBest.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wrist Stretch for the Gardener. Photo: <a href="http://www.stacybest.com/">www.StacyBest.com</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I don’t like gyms or to “work out,” but I do like gardening. In addition to walking Barney, my adorable Golden Retriever, and dancing, I consider gardening to be a vital part of my fitness, health and well-being program. I used to be able to work in the garden for hours and hours, now a four to six hour stint is about all I can muster. What I don’t do—but should—is prepare for working in the garden by stretching. Stacy Best is a garden coach with a <a href="http://stacybest.com/just-do-it/work-it/" target="_blank">blog</a> offering tips on gardening for health, including stretching. A few well chosen stretches might make a day in the garden—and the next day—even more enjoyable!<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551383152707136053.post-34373421643509788382014-07-02T10:07:00.000-07:002014-07-02T10:07:52.371-07:00Investing in Hydrangeas<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwnJzqA1FcoUc3yNxkPehoLDPvznPm_F3vVzbbtJiZ67CK1N6M7Zp8SMqop-cbK1K2GB5l-UNhrcSlveDr3HgT-Fo1if-eyk3c1CpoumfeCeN0k2NQA3LniOwU1NLb7ClcQ9pg4WD7YUg/s1600/Waynes+White.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwnJzqA1FcoUc3yNxkPehoLDPvznPm_F3vVzbbtJiZ67CK1N6M7Zp8SMqop-cbK1K2GB5l-UNhrcSlveDr3HgT-Fo1if-eyk3c1CpoumfeCeN0k2NQA3LniOwU1NLb7ClcQ9pg4WD7YUg/s1600/Waynes+White.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Hydrangea macrophylla</i> 'Wayne's White'</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>Hydrangeas</i> offer some of the best garden value for the dollar: Months of blooms and, in some cases, stem and leaf color and a fall foliage show. You have the <i>macrophylla</i> (mophead and lacecaps),<i> paniculata</i>, <i>quercifolia</i> (oakleaf), <i>serrata</i>, and even the occasional <i>aspera</i> and <i>arborescen</i>. Every year, more new hydrangeas appear on the market. The hottest new characteristics are compact form (three feet tall and wide) and multi-colored blooms on the plant at the same time. I did a tally in my head and the number of <i>Hydrangeas</i> I have in my yard is … 40!<br />
<br />
When most of my <i>Hydrangeas</i> were just starting to form buds, Twist-'n-Shout was already in full bloom. It blooms on new wood, but it blooms much earlier and more prolifically on old wood. It is a stunner with bright blue, eight-inch wide lacecap blooms. Last year I was given a ‘Lemon Daddy’; its foliage is a lovely chartreuse. It has a few blooms forming and I suspect the mophead will be a light pink.‘Wayne’s White’ is one of my favorites. It’s a lacecap, but it seems to have fewer fertile flowers than other lacecaps, either that or they are just covered by the massive, showy, sterile flowers that open with a tinge of pink and age to pure white.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkhYaUtyj_YMUz0ZKJFK4WQfojTd_swR__vPnA8xdEDWpPD-dUyNOXcYQwGUhuw7OpvUewOw-rwGz73Zx5KOpZ5EAXQbIOeWfInk0Slzi2RDtOQ196v_G9VCx9ofNW4_ebGqWl15PIA94/s1600/Twist+and+Shout+Hydrangea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkhYaUtyj_YMUz0ZKJFK4WQfojTd_swR__vPnA8xdEDWpPD-dUyNOXcYQwGUhuw7OpvUewOw-rwGz73Zx5KOpZ5EAXQbIOeWfInk0Slzi2RDtOQ196v_G9VCx9ofNW4_ebGqWl15PIA94/s1600/Twist+and+Shout+Hydrangea.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Twist-'n-Shout </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMfFARjfOYwMU_mbs17K5LVUuRlFWbMpiXlhbcRWvAeoKiu0N9xCnRlwXUEzFmMwuvQ2Zazmml96hd75k5QEShglrWCjL_ZBY4REqyrF-6axJ6wcsOJOKDGACGQJTCa_4yw5OhURDpDsU/s1600/Lemon+Daddy+Hydrangea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMfFARjfOYwMU_mbs17K5LVUuRlFWbMpiXlhbcRWvAeoKiu0N9xCnRlwXUEzFmMwuvQ2Zazmml96hd75k5QEShglrWCjL_ZBY4REqyrF-6axJ6wcsOJOKDGACGQJTCa_4yw5OhURDpDsU/s1600/Lemon+Daddy+Hydrangea.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Hydrangea macrophylla </i>'Lemon Daddy'</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
‘Glowing Embers’ (a.k.a. ‘Alpengluhen’) is hard to beat for intense, magenta mophead flowers. It is reliable with dark green leaves and a nice size (about four feet tall and wide). The dark purple-black stems of ‘Nigra’ beautifully offset its deep pink blooms. ‘Zebra’ is a compact mophead with white blooms and sturdy dark stems, and it is blessed with a much smaller stature than ‘Nigra’. This is its second year in my garden and I’m impressed. And of course, <i>H. serrata</i> 'Preziosa' offers dark maroon stems and lots of flowers.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_P_Yk36Sn-4jaq-hzzLW26PhvN-NbFgrXdKuV7buwouSXesiojnG2JRQW3fr-Wa06CEWcZTHKnFMPHHVVq8LP_SKZG3IrW1ZLxKi7mmC7p9qbtOK7812IyqmL0wWw-HvAN6hjU9_3GI/s1600/Glowing+Embers+Hydrangea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_P_Yk36Sn-4jaq-hzzLW26PhvN-NbFgrXdKuV7buwouSXesiojnG2JRQW3fr-Wa06CEWcZTHKnFMPHHVVq8LP_SKZG3IrW1ZLxKi7mmC7p9qbtOK7812IyqmL0wWw-HvAN6hjU9_3GI/s1600/Glowing+Embers+Hydrangea.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Hydrangea macrophylla</i> 'Glowing Embers'</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwosfcbK2ettks8Wx1AReshPeZzBOnqSrz3TI2dzAINRHRppHYvaz06UC-04b2fDTLvzboOl7TNUMhJBYO4WyUp19QS1xq31iqVopggGvsI5IBdZrlVClO5AVtb8e9IfZki2JTCNiMHTo/s1600/Nigra+Hydrangea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwosfcbK2ettks8Wx1AReshPeZzBOnqSrz3TI2dzAINRHRppHYvaz06UC-04b2fDTLvzboOl7TNUMhJBYO4WyUp19QS1xq31iqVopggGvsI5IBdZrlVClO5AVtb8e9IfZki2JTCNiMHTo/s1600/Nigra+Hydrangea.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Hydrangea macrophylla</i> 'Nigra'</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirV5DCY4Mgv7Q04b858HVgeF1gYs4Tk15plfI848V87VNC3UnrG100SNgFt-Rtg-51gqvu-i1wL7gG4_whosmsjg4K5DOdoLAXrRrjam2aydsrP7A7wYhZWMGYmwM_U3kMrCat3ncUfMg/s1600/Zebra+Hydrangea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirV5DCY4Mgv7Q04b858HVgeF1gYs4Tk15plfI848V87VNC3UnrG100SNgFt-Rtg-51gqvu-i1wL7gG4_whosmsjg4K5DOdoLAXrRrjam2aydsrP7A7wYhZWMGYmwM_U3kMrCat3ncUfMg/s1600/Zebra+Hydrangea.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Hydrangea macrophylla</i> 'Zebra'</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQC08g2k0ifUNpgx5SzO7KXAYcllxEila0X5BU8KajLuimFFUqZntqWra41y9Bf43Yde4cGjYDJX6l_XpgO4ciHQTgZds4HV59XT8vMWE-zg7I2_Zeoi-D0nCGiwo5oLDSdeGd0vskZcg/s1600/Preziosa+Hydrangea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQC08g2k0ifUNpgx5SzO7KXAYcllxEila0X5BU8KajLuimFFUqZntqWra41y9Bf43Yde4cGjYDJX6l_XpgO4ciHQTgZds4HV59XT8vMWE-zg7I2_Zeoi-D0nCGiwo5oLDSdeGd0vskZcg/s1600/Preziosa+Hydrangea.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Hydrangea serrata </i>'Preziosa'</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Regrettably, I’ve lost the tags on many varieties in my garden. I wish I knew the cultivar names of three in particular. One is a small-stature lacecap with intensely blue three-inch blooms. Another blue lacecap is a larger shrub with sterile blooms and bead-like fertile flowers that intensify in color as they mature. Another is a paniculata. Paniculatas often feature reddish stems with pyramid-shaped flowerheads. The one I’m so enamored with is rather course in texture with a balanced mix of creamy sterile and fertile flowers.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2qASApXGywqOtC-NgYhQ9NXsiGsZzeV0efY3gwDUx1dn_29OlYqSVy-BfSsABaoCNLBHGaWu9_P_9GE8o0IwPaTerUGctcJA1GaD_H8juzzd7EdDuCYrkJfUpFu7bqaTX9iy0OezzkpM/s1600/Unknown+lacecap+Hydrangea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2qASApXGywqOtC-NgYhQ9NXsiGsZzeV0efY3gwDUx1dn_29OlYqSVy-BfSsABaoCNLBHGaWu9_P_9GE8o0IwPaTerUGctcJA1GaD_H8juzzd7EdDuCYrkJfUpFu7bqaTX9iy0OezzkpM/s1600/Unknown+lacecap+Hydrangea.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unknown small stature lacecap <i>Hydrangea</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR_Wg2nXS61Y7Ako0znmz8gCQPSuQM1JsdVm_Vuw7W4Ms-1L1qnCzAENzPEY89ivhDFi2kB_ECuVV1KIh5YgxrLxl3clkDAWJmN29Oghd95pkbL5YNv7jqPj-UMlVNAN8nzm-CIblEEwk/s1600/Unknown+lacecap+2+Hydrangea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR_Wg2nXS61Y7Ako0znmz8gCQPSuQM1JsdVm_Vuw7W4Ms-1L1qnCzAENzPEY89ivhDFi2kB_ECuVV1KIh5YgxrLxl3clkDAWJmN29Oghd95pkbL5YNv7jqPj-UMlVNAN8nzm-CIblEEwk/s1600/Unknown+lacecap+2+Hydrangea.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unknown lacecap <i>Hydrangea</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuHFJddzbZ41eov51tWfHE6FFgvN7A6-0hFKxvaH4SOTkEzA0Whk_IZOqDGoY6sOB-mn0JEGARVd21FismHteAyMcTUIBG29ecP183408UfPFK9zwSPhyr2IVpBJQOgFR9XdtUnO-7J8Q/s1600/Unknown+paniculata+Hydrangea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuHFJddzbZ41eov51tWfHE6FFgvN7A6-0hFKxvaH4SOTkEzA0Whk_IZOqDGoY6sOB-mn0JEGARVd21FismHteAyMcTUIBG29ecP183408UfPFK9zwSPhyr2IVpBJQOgFR9XdtUnO-7J8Q/s1600/Unknown+paniculata+Hydrangea.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unknown <i>Hydrangea paniculata</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And then there is the oakleaf hydrangea ‘Snowflake’ with its double white blooms. It’s a bit floppy, but the blooms age beautifully and the leaves turn a lovely purplish red in the fall. <br />
<span id="goog_153632628"></span><span id="goog_153632629"></span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKOsDnfK0OCwMJ9JJz7-dwHxKofhPlEiGZViqKLYOaXFvUBNXJ0y_LFetbbT7Ylmh3_bU3SCwcuCtdJsQomUps0FwsW3i7-9bva12aLfHbAXANgYbuZi1hiPfJgPlZ-nSaoytUz8uziBM/s1600/Snowflake+Oakleaf+Hydrangea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKOsDnfK0OCwMJ9JJz7-dwHxKofhPlEiGZViqKLYOaXFvUBNXJ0y_LFetbbT7Ylmh3_bU3SCwcuCtdJsQomUps0FwsW3i7-9bva12aLfHbAXANgYbuZi1hiPfJgPlZ-nSaoytUz8uziBM/s1600/Snowflake+Oakleaf+Hydrangea.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Hydrangea quercifolia </i>'Snowflake'</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
There have been a few disappointments, too, but those I gave away and they are thriving in the gardens of friends. Few pests bother <i>Hydrangeas</i> and they make beautiful cut flowers. Other than a little fertilizer and some pruning, <i>Hydrangeas</i> are delightfully carefree. A nice mix of species and cultivars generally can be found in garden centers and a vast selection can be found at <a href="http://www.hydrangeasplus.com/">www.HydrangeasPlus.com</a>. <br />
<br />
Do you have a can’t-live-without-it Hydrangea?<br />
<br />
<br /><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551383152707136053.post-79162292185036665692014-07-01T16:48:00.001-07:002014-07-01T16:48:44.849-07:00Waterwise Gardening with Kids this Summer<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPcV4Wwwd5QHqOqJVxnZpj6HnbWv4hJCDA8VXt8MNnq4jRnPDSIrX-lKCOPfarXjcbSdFmzS54J88lN6Fg-NeWvSwKmqI3oQviwqZJ0oe8Fe0xirFNQt6Xi51eidV6iGPY30BYRdt0avc/s1600/Gardening+with+Kids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPcV4Wwwd5QHqOqJVxnZpj6HnbWv4hJCDA8VXt8MNnq4jRnPDSIrX-lKCOPfarXjcbSdFmzS54J88lN6Fg-NeWvSwKmqI3oQviwqZJ0oe8Fe0xirFNQt6Xi51eidV6iGPY30BYRdt0avc/s1600/Gardening+with+Kids.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Getty Images</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>Information provided by the Regional Water Providers Consortium (RWPC)</i><br /><br />Using resources wisely and understanding water conservation is important in the Portland metro area. Portland receives about 37 inches of rainfall annually. Only about 12 percent of that precipitation falls June through September. We tend to use the highest amount of water during summer months when our water supply is at its lowest—water use can often double in our region during the summer months due to outdoor watering. This summer, the <a href="http://www.conserveh2o.org/" target="_blank">Regional Water Providers Consortium</a> encourages you to hand your kids a bucket and shovel and turn gardening into a learning experience.<br /><br />Living in rainy Oregon can make it tough for kids to connect the dots about saving water. Here are three activities that promote water conservation and produce tangible results.<br /><br />1. Introduce your kids to the joy of gardening using native [and xeric plants]. Children love gardening. Helping kids plant a seed, start or fully rooted plant, care for it and watch it grow and bloom into a beautiful flower is a great way to introduce an understanding of the value of natural resources. Choosing native plants for children’s early gardening experiences is a great way to set them (and the environment) up for success. Once established, native plants are very low maintenance, require little to no pesticides or fertilizers, and survive on minimal water. [Editor’s note: Even native plants require water for the first year or two to get established.]<br /><br />2. Give your soil a healthy boost with compost. Adding organic matter such as mulch or compost can greatly increase your soil’s ability to absorb and store water (especially important in our region, where the native soil is dominated by clay). Plus, it’s a great excuse for kids to dig! [Start a compost or worm bin to turn food scraps and clippings into garden gold.]<br /><br />3. Use a watering gauge to make sure you water your garden efficiently. A watering gauge helps you see how long it takes your sprinkler to water an inch—about what grass needs each week. Once you know this, you can adjust your watering to meet your garden’s needs so that it gets just the right amount of water each week. Request a free watering gauge kit from RWPC, and follow the instructions together. The kits are available from July 7-31 for anyone who lives in the RWPC <a href="http://www.conserveh2o.org/about" target="_blank">service territory</a> (while supplies last; one per customer, please). Request your free watering gauge kit by calling 503.823.7528, emailing <a href="mailto:RWPCinfo@portlandoregon.gov">RWPCinfo@portlandoregon.gov</a> or visiting RWPC’s <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RegionalWaterProvidersConsortium" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>. Please include your mailing address, water provider name and how you heard about the offer. <br /><br />Here are some additional resources offered by RWPC to help you create a waterwise garden that will be enjoyed by kids and adults alike:<br />• <a href="http://www.conserveh2o.org/sites/default/files/Plant_guide.pdf" target="_blank">Water-Efficient Plants for the Willamette Valley</a>: an online guide packed with photos and information about waterwise plants<br />• <a href="http://www.conserveh2o.org/sites/default/files/planting_maint_lawn2012.pdf" target="_blank">Planting & Maintaining Your Lawn</a>: a brochure to help you get the most out of your lawn, with information on grass alternatives and waterwise maintenance<br />• <a href="http://www.conserveh2o.org/weekly-watering-number" target="_blank">The Weekly Watering Number</a>: the amount of water in inches that your lawn needs each week, tailored to your zip code<br /><br /><i>The Regional Water Providers Consortium (a group of 20+ local water providers plus the regional government Metro) is committed to good stewardship of our region’s water through conservation, emergency preparedness planning, and water supply coordination. The Consortium provides resources and information to help individual and commercial customers save water. </i><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551383152707136053.post-50165385834825185202014-06-10T13:45:00.000-07:002014-06-10T13:45:41.334-07:00Edibles Amongst the Ornamentals<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzJELeIOCKHfVhKmG0tCudj8ey_sSXJvoqHn75wWMKuvX_mvDxh1U4KIgb-BJvhOJcizXaMKV-LexV0dZL3NFUDRP7Tww5Sg0uAcrN8Tf39SU5XUVe8mvklX-VF7FVdOyshO91_qmkOy0/s1600/Rhubarb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzJELeIOCKHfVhKmG0tCudj8ey_sSXJvoqHn75wWMKuvX_mvDxh1U4KIgb-BJvhOJcizXaMKV-LexV0dZL3NFUDRP7Tww5Sg0uAcrN8Tf39SU5XUVe8mvklX-VF7FVdOyshO91_qmkOy0/s1600/Rhubarb.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rhubarb, Allium and <i>Podocarpus lawrencei </i>'Red Tip</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I am a proponent of tucking edibles in amongst ornamental plants. But this garden design strategy has its drawbacks, especially when the pleasing nature of a plant combination relies on a particular attribute of the edible plant. In my case, the dilemma involves rhubarb. When should I harvest it?<br />
<br />
I love the contrast provided by the humongous rhubarb leaves. But when I harvest the rhubarb, which I so enjoy, it leaves a gaping hole where once there was striking foliage. The problem is amplified because I’m planning to open my garden to visitors in a few weeks and I want them to appreciate the impact of my plant choices. <br />
<br />
Please the stomach or give priority to aesthetics? I think it’s time for a rhubarb and strawberry pie! Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551383152707136053.post-24694140472075556442014-06-06T10:06:00.000-07:002014-06-06T15:32:23.913-07:00Wrangling Garden Hoses<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqZ01gNTJEjf-UqoMdip3aANAHZUy_DxIofV1nPcdc3wC3iZjkuNPB_GQ41egLAAe5mq3ssYAhEF2ZtT82JkQALL-KAvfQAdYT63xyNliPTAf9y6zodk8W1qsIszIMEgZTtVSjeZqGy4A/s1600/Garden+Hose.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqZ01gNTJEjf-UqoMdip3aANAHZUy_DxIofV1nPcdc3wC3iZjkuNPB_GQ41egLAAe5mq3ssYAhEF2ZtT82JkQALL-KAvfQAdYT63xyNliPTAf9y6zodk8W1qsIszIMEgZTtVSjeZqGy4A/s1600/Garden+Hose.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
I do a lot of hand watering of my garden. One of the most frustrating things about gardening for me is keeping the garden hoses unkinked and not in a big mess of a knot when in use and tidy when not in use. I purchase hoses that purport to be kink-free, but so far none have lived up to their promotional promises. Then I’ve struggled with how to keep the hoses reasonably contained in a relatively tidy fashion. <br />
<br />
There are lots of options, many of which are expensive, so I wonder which works best. Hose pots look attractive, especially the hammered copper variety; hose reels look more practical; hose trucks, carts and cabinets look functional and durable, but take up lots of space; and then there are the house mounted hose butlers in a myriad of designs. I have three hose connections I need to find solutions for, with hoses ranging from 50 feet to 150 feet.<br />
<br />
Do you have a solution that helps you keep your sanity (my neighbors probably fear they have a pirate living next door with all the ARGHHHHHs and explicatives<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"></span> coming from my yard)?!? Please share. I’ll thank you and my neighbors will, too!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551383152707136053.post-32002468385115967102014-06-05T09:20:00.001-07:002014-06-06T08:53:21.624-07:00The Star of the Yard<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7gYGv-ckWhjzzmQDWGHuWc3RY5LU8lJFh-aUYH-0J-jB_TNbPnlfU4VrnCAKrHh8k1msIXz3peK8oiCOS76y6gWGMuQVZXwLEfR9vZQbvkNkT88c-mcqg6rKIyuRmFH6lfbnrxZxoL-Q/s1600/Mock+Orange+from+LR+Window.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7gYGv-ckWhjzzmQDWGHuWc3RY5LU8lJFh-aUYH-0J-jB_TNbPnlfU4VrnCAKrHh8k1msIXz3peK8oiCOS76y6gWGMuQVZXwLEfR9vZQbvkNkT88c-mcqg6rKIyuRmFH6lfbnrxZxoL-Q/s1600/Mock+Orange+from+LR+Window.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The mock orange as viewed from my living room window</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I see it. I smell it. I love it. It’s an exclamation point in my garden. I’m talking about the mock orange (formally known as <i>Philadelphus</i>) that is exploding right now with deliciously fragrant, single, white blooms. Mine usually blooms around summer solstice, but this year it is already inching toward peak bloom a few weeks earlier. Darn! Because I am opening my garden for a few hours on June 23rd and I was hoping to have my <i>Philadelphus</i> play a starring role. Alas, it is not to be this year. <br />
<br />
I actually have three <i>Philadelphus</i> in my garden. They were well on their way to maturity when I bought the house more than 15 years ago so I have no idea of their age or parentage. One is planted in a very shady area of the yard; though tall, not surprisingly it has sparse blooms. Another is a double. It is perhaps around 10 feet tall, also deliciously fragrant. It usually starts blooming a week or so later than the star of the yard, the mock orange I see from my living room window. That one is perhaps 15 feet tall and vase shaped. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibXBLebiwLoQWzPzWJEV0zGolr_nX8wVvC428bovvjG1aIev7X4LYxzkI48Ukutc4kYO3XlydcDQgzoqWTooP2TMwDzWUNA2QxSyospjpEsLD-NQ6-nu3aCk_18s8uIxUBdhASDy3_rGc/s1600/Mock+Orange+Double.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<br />
Though it’s hard not to be distracted by the glorious blooms, if you look carefully it is actually an awkward shrub. I find it difficult to prune well because new growth shoots straight up at a 90 degree angle and there is a fair amount of die back at the tips each year. This <a href="http://garden.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Mock_Orange" target="_blank">website</a> recommends cutting out up to one-third of the oldest branches each year. Because it blooms on last year’s growth, or “old” wood, it is best to prune after it blooms. I haven’t done any drastic pruning before, but perhaps it is worth a try.<br />
<br />
After it blooms, there is little to recommend my largest mock orange other than its scale and the fact that it harbors no pest or disease. To provide an additional few months of interest, two <i>Clematis</i> have been plant to grow up through it.<br />
<br />
This <a href="http://www.humeseeds.com/efm_o.htm" target="_blank">blog</a> from Ed Hume identifies several cultivars of mock orange, some growing less than six feet tall, and how to care for them. <br />
<br />
Perhaps my biggest one is a native: <i>Philadelphus gordonianus</i> Lindl. var. <i>columbianus </i>(synonym of <i>Philadelphus lewisii</i> Pursh). A bit of a mouthful for such a star.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibXBLebiwLoQWzPzWJEV0zGolr_nX8wVvC428bovvjG1aIev7X4LYxzkI48Ukutc4kYO3XlydcDQgzoqWTooP2TMwDzWUNA2QxSyospjpEsLD-NQ6-nu3aCk_18s8uIxUBdhASDy3_rGc/s1600/Mock+Orange+Double.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibXBLebiwLoQWzPzWJEV0zGolr_nX8wVvC428bovvjG1aIev7X4LYxzkI48Ukutc4kYO3XlydcDQgzoqWTooP2TMwDzWUNA2QxSyospjpEsLD-NQ6-nu3aCk_18s8uIxUBdhASDy3_rGc/s1600/Mock+Orange+Double.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A double Philadelphus</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGZdBhenn0NpO9VI1GdNsjBJDrEkOotIOzVvG3stHfeMe2_UzYf8RSM9GfLZgcznb_HDIfPiRw-ZPDhEUadSeu7k1zH6pfowKIQ6kjVe90n6T4VL3-TEReK3hiMNt1hi5xz9l36iIT5lc/s1600/Mock+Orange+Mingling+with+Black+Lace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGZdBhenn0NpO9VI1GdNsjBJDrEkOotIOzVvG3stHfeMe2_UzYf8RSM9GfLZgcznb_HDIfPiRw-ZPDhEUadSeu7k1zH6pfowKIQ6kjVe90n6T4VL3-TEReK3hiMNt1hi5xz9l36iIT5lc/s1600/Mock+Orange+Mingling+with+Black+Lace.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mingling with Black Lace <i>Sambucus</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCEV17Op89ZcpqIPC1tx3iPrlffu0l9h30cckP_tGI7-b38DVXUzOmNV3y0BQcLqXkDO5qflJoL3ef7wr1Mtndf9Lj_Hq1G0pbHXb9nnhARG4s2TiprBdv4c8xi188iGYgvBi2HeSALC4/s1600/Mock+Orange+Single.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCEV17Op89ZcpqIPC1tx3iPrlffu0l9h30cckP_tGI7-b38DVXUzOmNV3y0BQcLqXkDO5qflJoL3ef7wr1Mtndf9Lj_Hq1G0pbHXb9nnhARG4s2TiprBdv4c8xi188iGYgvBi2HeSALC4/s1600/Mock+Orange+Single.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The single flowers from the largest mock orange</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551383152707136053.post-79898941501917118132014-06-04T10:49:00.001-07:002014-06-04T10:49:27.785-07:00Roses = Shrubs<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL2rrZAHa16ewgYASlNF3fG4mv6iyyMTzXOtKWvkAqTOkA4mhJl4ikZ1W3Qd9CPhyphenhyphenbBWxCCEXNHcbzG6tVYfJoSk1N1HAMURU2zKLGUyohP4Y3Fdy4R8y-E5L_9GnsaJS0WzktjVPqZrU/s1600/Rose+Honey+Perfume+Floribunda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL2rrZAHa16ewgYASlNF3fG4mv6iyyMTzXOtKWvkAqTOkA4mhJl4ikZ1W3Qd9CPhyphenhyphenbBWxCCEXNHcbzG6tVYfJoSk1N1HAMURU2zKLGUyohP4Y3Fdy4R8y-E5L_9GnsaJS0WzktjVPqZrU/s1600/Rose+Honey+Perfume+Floribunda.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Honey Perfume, a Florabunda Rose</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Shrubs provide structure, texture, color and scale to gardens. They are sometimes evergreen and often deciduous. And ideally they are low maintenance. Most often they require exposure to some sun during the day and often require a lot of sun. What comes to mind when you think of a shrub? I’m guessing roses don’t often make the “top of mind” list (nor do Japanese maples, but that’s a blog for another time). For some reason, I think of roses as their own separate category, but I also think that’s a mistake. <br /><br />It used to be that many roses required a lot of care and upkeep. Nowadays, so much breeding effort has gone into creating roses that are carefree and more modest in size that it is time to encourage gardeners to think roses when they want a flowering shrub for a sunny location.<br /><br />I recently visited Portland’s International Rose Test Garden. It was a lovely evening and many people were enjoying one of Portland’s great destinations (including a lot of wild looking people dressed up in togas…weird, huh?). Of course there are the glorious flowers, some of which deliver on fragrance, but bronzy foliage can also be found. Stately or shrub-like are also options. And the color range is breathtaking! Surely anyone can find a shrub that happens to be from the genus <i>Rosa</i> to work in their garden. <a href="http://www.davidaustinroses.com/english/Showrose.asp?Showr=3651" target="_blank"><i>Rosa </i>‘William Shakespeare’</a>, a David Austin Rose from <a href="http://www.heirloomroses.com/" target="_blank">Heirloom Roses</a> is about to share it’s beautiful, fragrant, magenta blooms with me in my garden.<br /><br />What rose do you recommend? <br />
<br />
<span id="goog_900143940"></span><span id="goog_900143941"></span><span id="goog_900143943"></span><span id="goog_900143944"></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPTkDB6WcedDeJ-JzrhaJ_0INYVVeHwUWezpb46ag5KqxafZ_FHojzRwOgQmPxYFNp8bCf4pcAbE6Gh8DGbc0sTz0vdccC5Zz9oijBAEGeAz0AS7L7urieYF7G1M5q8zq8C83rtLA08ok/s1600/Rose+Garden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPTkDB6WcedDeJ-JzrhaJ_0INYVVeHwUWezpb46ag5KqxafZ_FHojzRwOgQmPxYFNp8bCf4pcAbE6Gh8DGbc0sTz0vdccC5Zz9oijBAEGeAz0AS7L7urieYF7G1M5q8zq8C83rtLA08ok/s1600/Rose+Garden.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Portland's International Rose Test Garden</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_L4QKG9VBtP-VXKceZHtIPEepNNxKIF9plZmFYcsGmrvuG1ZeqrQVD0UBxstfs2SFTNespRyjs0vwbjs8JB2lo_PIhFrmtqed3WRTySkVh7XWGMNJXheD308y-WEkYV5A5NHwvQ8qwOw/s1600/Rose+Princess+Alexandra+of+Kent+English.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_L4QKG9VBtP-VXKceZHtIPEepNNxKIF9plZmFYcsGmrvuG1ZeqrQVD0UBxstfs2SFTNespRyjs0vwbjs8JB2lo_PIhFrmtqed3WRTySkVh7XWGMNJXheD308y-WEkYV5A5NHwvQ8qwOw/s1600/Rose+Princess+Alexandra+of+Kent+English.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Princess Alexandra of Kent, an English Rose</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh08S7OyWXOYbQDpfpk-IhFryg19-Da8YnCfKaJcmYVDKP0vnf2d4SwyKjhUOyNtZXfi_uEOGT1WHVdd-cOGbD0MDXvx7ksj00EthRcbonqgne9qqDst78IcuZcvMbna9SGeSKozopBOHo/s1600/Rose+Pop+the+Cork+Hybrid+Tea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh08S7OyWXOYbQDpfpk-IhFryg19-Da8YnCfKaJcmYVDKP0vnf2d4SwyKjhUOyNtZXfi_uEOGT1WHVdd-cOGbD0MDXvx7ksj00EthRcbonqgne9qqDst78IcuZcvMbna9SGeSKozopBOHo/s1600/Rose+Pop+the+Cork+Hybrid+Tea.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pop the Cork, a Hybrid Tea Rose</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX04Yh3kSdUM7asZ_MSK7aJGT_IQDP3wLpZxtrIvUmW2eDbN5QiJUfJHt-ooAPI7KgJImmqonX5nPPxsITmgxSXN72nnoVTM7dyDpbXDOF9iKnP0c3sX6CROX4JX_x1G-eOZW-_9Otqys/s1600/Rose+Pink+Flamingo+Grandiflora+foliage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX04Yh3kSdUM7asZ_MSK7aJGT_IQDP3wLpZxtrIvUmW2eDbN5QiJUfJHt-ooAPI7KgJImmqonX5nPPxsITmgxSXN72nnoVTM7dyDpbXDOF9iKnP0c3sX6CROX4JX_x1G-eOZW-_9Otqys/s1600/Rose+Pink+Flamingo+Grandiflora+foliage.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pink Flamingo, a Grandiflora Rose with bronzy foliage</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4