Why Portland is called the City of Roses

I stopped to smell the roses the other day...and I took their pictures too!

Color!

Size...this one was as big as a salad plate!

Fragrance!

Contrast!

This was my favorite...a mama and her babies!

A Love Story

Once upon a time, in a very soggy Portland garden, a grey-green leafed Rosa Glauca and a candy colored Columbine (that moved here all the way from Santa Barbara!) lived together in perfect harmony.

What's blooming this week in Portland

Peonies! I drove past a house in my neighborhood the other day and caught sight of these gorgeous blooms at 35 MPH! Took my camera back today and met Karen, the mistress of the peonies. I have seen red, white and pink varieties, but never this sort of salmon-y color. Karen tells me this one is called "Hawaii". The blooms are about the size of a dinner plate!

Peonies are perennials that love sun here in the northwest, but need some cover in warmer climates. It's a good idea to stake the plants as they grow, or the heavy blooms will tip the branches to the ground. Don't plant them too deep...the "eyes" of the bulb like to be only about 2" below the soil. And they don't like to be moved once established. A bit high maintenance perhaps, but totally worth it!

What's blooming this week in Portland

Candytuft is an early season delight. In full bloom now, this versatile evergreen plant is very easy to grow. Candytuft prefers full to partial sun and a well drained soil. These perennial plants are perfect for rock gardens. They do well in average or poor soils, and tolerate dry soil conditions. Water them during dry periods, once or twice per week.

Spring is springing in Portland!

Hooray! The first sign of the season...Snowbells bounding up from the earth to show off their delightful shape.

Call Garden Gal for fresh and lovely garden ideas for Spring! 503~757~5563

What's (still!) blooming this week in Portland

Beautyberry (Callicarpa) is a garden favorite for so many reasons. It provides color and interest in the garden well into October. This deciduous shrub grows between 4' - 6' tall and is adaptable to both a sunny location and to partial shade. Left to it's natural growth, it has a lovely draping shape. In the spring, tiny blooms appear on the stems, but the real treat happens in the Fall. Clusters of purple-pink berries cover the branches. They look a little bit like bubble gum balls, don't they?
You can read more about Beautyberry here.

What's blooming this week in Portland

Japanese Anemone...a wonderful late summer bloomer. A great addition to any garden...at it's best when many other flowers have given up for the summer! The flowers look similar to poppies and bloom on tall stems that rise above the foliage. A fabulous cut flower! Anemones grow from 1'-5' high. They like a little protection from other plantings or trees, and do best in dappled sun (above). However, I have seen them planted and thriving in full sun (below) and also in full shade. Anemones are quite the adaptable perennial!

What's blooming this week in Portland

Clematis is a lovely and vigorous vine, a gift that keeps on giving. Bloom times vary depending on variety, so with careful planning, a gardener can enjoy different types of Clematis flowering from early Spring through Fall. Wickipedia states that there are 297 species of Clematis! Aren't we lucky? For more photos showing the variety of color, size and shape of blooms, click here.

What's blooming this week in Portland

The Passion Flower in all it's glory! This sun loving vine can grow 15 feet in a season. The magnificent blooms remind me of a sea creature living in a coral reef. This vine is living on my front porch in Portland, Oregon. Bees love it! Birds love it! Butterflies love it!

The name is not derived from the carnal sense of the word "passion", but has a religious connotation. Read on for more information courtesy of The Garden Helper:

The Passion flower, cultivated throughout most of the country, and sometimes grown as a house plant, was named by early missionaries in the early 1500s. They believed that several parts of the plant, including the petals, rays, and sepals, symbolized features of the crucifixion of Christ.

These 3 inch diameter flowers are very unique and beautiful. They begin blooming in July and continue until frost. The vines can easily grow up to 15 feet in a season. Grow it on a fence or trellis, or simply allow it to scramble over your shrubs and trees.

The fruit produced by this plant is an oval berry, a little larger than a chicken egg. Passion fruit is edible, but seedy. It can be used to make jelly, but its best usage may come from being a food source for several species of butterfly and their larvae.