Laurie's Garden Tour

I knew you knew, just testing LOL
Need to come up with a way, I want to go so bad. Told my DH 'I WANT TO GO TO ENGLAND'. He said Okay. but got to save for it. That means, how can I get a good deal? Wish we knew someone that would give a good deal for a bunch of us to go.
Dreaming again.
I'm back on the early shifts, no more midnight oil for me.

Dreaming is good and makes us all go forward. The purple bus I know well about Tills. I too used it to travel everywhere when the lights were dim. Just know that a good glass of wine and a group of DGers will beat that every time. Enjoy all of your get togethers. One who spent the whole day planning a sail that would change the world. The only problem is I know only the beginnings of the idea. Lots of work to do.

You have way to much fun, when do you have time to play in the dirt?
But dreams are good.

The NBA party sounds good too Steve. But, i'm gonna go insane if I stay inside too much longer! I actually was outside trimming back some of the perennials that I didn't get to in the fall. Eventually I figured out that I didn't need to cut them. Since they were frozen they were cracking and breaking much easier than cutting!

Okay, I am feeling much, much better after reading about Laurie's minions being at her place when she is gone taking care of the greenhouse, etc. I know that in England, there is a grand tradition of having a gardener on the estate, but somehow I missed the post about your place being a training garden. I would love to have that tradition here, I can tell you! I have no estate, but I have a darn big yard and frequently could use a little knowledgeable help. The day is coming, and it's not far away. But would I be able to trust said minion to do things the 'correct' (I.e.MY way)? Surely there is a master gardener trainee somewhere, or horticulture school student or some such thing, who needs to put in a certain number of hours in someone's garden?

Sofer, so true that she has the proper combinations of slope,etc, on her property and I was just listening to a radio program on gardening where they were talking about how much more sunshine actually falls on a south facing slope rather than south facing flat ground. (I believe that is an excellent run-on sentence. Thank you in advance.) It is considerable! Enough to be considered a microclimate. This explains to me the glory of her summer flowers like the hollyhocks. Not a speck of rust in sight! What a woman!

Now that Rachel has tattled on me, I must say that I believe putting a nursery tour off until A) it is much warmer and B) Soferdig can fly into town, is a better idea. I have recently had a nursery fix. I spent two hours at Portland ave nursery today on their 1/2 off section and it was 36 degrees cold outside. Very nippy, I can say. I meant to limit myself to the project of the year - expanding the shrub border by the greenhouse. Really, I meant to. But half price on things like variegated virginia creeper for my maple tree, Coreopsis 'heavens'gate' for the front dry border, Hakonechloa grass (never enough of this one), Thalictrum 'black stockings' (worth it for the name alone), Buddleia 'Santana' (the extended shrub border, you know), Rheum palmatum atropurpureum (to replace my sad gunnera which succumbed to below freezing temps). I had a reason to buy everything. Really I did.

Lovely stand of Disporum, Laurie. Isn't the yellow just brilliant in the spring? The Kirengeshoma I have as well. Grows along my little path behind the birch tree border. Only thing about that plant is that it's really hard to appreciate the flowers unless you are on your belly on the ground. Still completely worth growing though. It's one of the last bloomers in my garden.

Oh, and love the way you neatly solved the problem of generations upon generations of guilt for being human! Excellent! Do keep it up. Guilt. If it doesn't motivate you to do something, it's completely useless. Greed. Doesn't our complete economy run on it? Everything in its place and in balance and in check. A bit of greed, again, motivates. Envy. Hmm. I'm not sure how that motivates, but perhaps it motivates us to be more humble?? Rightly so. Okay, moving on from there, lust. Perfectly fine in the right circumstances, I say. I, myself, experienced lust today, as well as greed, at the 1/2 off plant table. Everything in balance and in its place. No problem. Amen to that.

Tills, onward with the purple bus. Let's get 'er done!

Hmmm, National Baking Association - this is wonderful, men get together and bake! What a lovely idea. Women, you are lucky.

Like Pix, nurseries in the dead of winter are refuge - they add adrenlin to gardening life. I have been trying to decide whether to go over to Southease Plants this weekend (just hellebores, an entire nursery of hellebores) - and don't you think this is absolutely the right time to be choosing them. Yes. Check wallet, check, check space in car (remove dog cage) check, and ready to go. Gawd it is just awful outside, wind and cold rain - the worst - check for macintosh, check, wellies, check, wide brimmed hat (umbrella useless today!) check - GO,GO,GO!

Have fun and stay warm Laurie! Bring home many!

Bring many home - check.

Hey all...we can start the tour with the Flower and Garden Show, which is next month, 18-22 Feb. I'm going with SIL, BRO and DH on Friday the 20th.

Laurie...thanks for clearing up my guilt issues. Being a recovering Catholic, I have many, MANY of them which rear their ugly heads on occasion. Thanks for helping me slam the trunk shut on them until the next time. And by all means, GO TO THE HELLEBORE NURSERY!

Pixy...you ABSOLUTELY needed to liberate all the plants you did ~ for their own sake, of course and donsider yourself a freedom rider and bask in the glory of knowledge that you saved those poor babies from sure death and also know there's nothing wrong with run-on sentences.

Tills...save me a seat on the bus.

Outta - that was a great message, really has me chuckling.

Happy that I could bring a chuckle to your heart today, Laurie. Makes me smile to make someone else smile. It's a perfect day for laughing, singing, whatevering. Why? Well let me tell ya...

IT BECAUSE THE SUN IS SHINING HERE TODAY AND THERE'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE ANY RAIN OR BLECH ALL WEEKEND!

So...outside we go....

Sheri, enjoy the sunshine!!!! We are overcast but it's not raining, headed outside to help hubby take down the holiday lights, then some weed pulling!

Enjoy, enjoy. My garden day is finished and I am going to take myself off to the bath with a seed catalogue or two. Make the most of the sun, find you self a little suntrap for a few minutes and turn you face upward. TTFN.

It is sunny here today as well. Pretty cold at 28 degrees but SUNNY! Folks are starting to emerge to sit on front porches, wrapped in shawls or blankets and holding cups of hot coffee. You can see little streams of coffee steam from the cups as people sit in porch rockers or perch on steps. As I walk the dog I think it is a scene from a movie. Hey. How you doing. Great day.
A few blocks away there is an intersection with a giant sunflower painted on the pavement. The neighbors are conferring about when to start the repainting effort that happens every spring. The sunflower can be seen on Google Earth - type in "SE 33rd Ave and Yamhill, Portland, Oregon" to view.
I love my neighborhood!

Sun? What sun? None here, but NO SNOW either...
I was out this morning to do Poop Patrol, and noticed the Hellebores trying their hardest to raise up the flower stalks. But H. 'Wester Flisk' flower head is snaking along the ground.
Hmmm - that could possibly be the result of a errantly-placed Ridgeback foot...

RC: Nursery tour = actual. Must be able to touch, admire, purchase & take home.
It wouldn't be happening until the beginning of March. Right now it's a bit lean out there. What about south of us in your neck of the woods? When do the Nurseries start filling up?

Kirengoshima - if possible, plant in a raised bed, or area you can look up into them. (Pix, get off the ground!!!) They are the cutest little yellow helmets pre-bloom. I always want to put cartoon Bumble-heads in them...

Sofer - Ideas are great, but until there's action they remain ideas. I'm type A: I like the work part. Except for the ideas I have that require technical assistance, or just plain brute strength. That's why man-arms are so convenient! Man-butt in recliner doesn't work for me.

Portland - that is very cool.
Is the painting done annually? Does it last all year? I'm sure it fades a bit, but, to be able to see something like this would be a real day brightener, especially in the grey season.
In my area, people would probably complain about it diminishing their "quality of life". What a great project to maintain a neighbourhood "connection".

Thanks Portland....something fun to see on your walk. I bet it's really something when it's freshly painted.

Whoever has sun......Please enjoy some for me! We're socked in again. The weather people say the fog is going to go away, but the rain will be back. Hopefully we'll get to see the great orb once in a while.

Okay...it was nice while it lasted. The fog has rolled in again and I can hear the foghorns on the ships. Did get lots of dead stuff cut, and noticed the dicentra starting to show just below the mulch, daylilies (thanks, Kate), and lotsa bulbus unknownus poking through. 2 of my 3 h. lividus 'Pink Marble' made it through and are showing some activity but nothing like the 'Green Heron' and 'Snow Bunting.' The 'Kingston Cardinal' and 'Gold Finch' are also revving up. It's starting...getting exciting...tapping fingers and feet...

The sun just burst out here, finally!!! I'm headed outside. Woohoo!!

That is SOME sunflower!!! I thought it would be on the sidewalk, but nope it covers the whole intersection. How cool is that! There must be some great gardens then in that neighborhood. Lucky you!

Just Google Earthed the sunflower, Portland...wow. How completely cool is that? And you only live about 2 miles from my son, so maybe the next time I'm down that way I'll take a drive over and see it in person!

No sun here (boo hoo), foggy and nippy chill in the air. I spent the morning working with another teacher to help a family in distress deal with garbage removal. Then went to a local nursery to wander around, but I am planning a blueberry and bare root fruit tree purchase sometime in the next month, so I successfully kept desire for new plants in check to save my money for that.

Portland, I love your description of your neighborhood and the people out on their porches wrapped in blankets. My sister used to live in that part of Portland, and I had a great time walking around there...such a foot friendly place, and with the great public transportation system you could get just about anywhere without owning a car.

Yes the sunflower is pretty cool and is indicative of the attitude in the neighborhood. It is painted each spring. The neighbors painted it in order to slow down traffic at that intersection and it has been very successful. There is also some street art around. I live at SE 34th & Market, a block south of Hawthorne. Then of course there is the Environmental School in the neighborhood. When spring comes I will take some photos of gardens. They tend to be pretty eclectic, as is the population here. It's fun.

Outtamygourd where does your son live?

It is windy and brrrrrrr cold but the sun was out all day. However, it is too cold to sit in the sun without heavy jacket, hat & mittens.

Nice self-restraint, Holly. Don't know that I would be able to walk out of a nursery with nothing in my hands, regardless if I were saving for another project. Just one little plant wouldn't hurt (that's what I would tell myself).

Portland ~ My son lives at SE 39th & Mall (just north of Holgate). My uncle lives on SE 39th between Brooklyn & Tibbetts. They actually come up here more than I go down there. I usually only make it down once a year or so, but I love Portland. If I had to live in a city setting, Portland would be my choice.

I would love to see some photos of the Environmental School. Looking forward to Spring in more ways than one.

I can tell its the weekend for you all, such gabby typers LOL

Purple bus is on, check old tread.

Laurie, have fun get lots of goodys

Pix, you could never control yourself, but sounds like you got some cool plants. ^_^

Its so great to hear from Sheri and Rach. Now we are back to the great bunch that we were with new faces to learn, Portland, Sally, Jan,
RC. I know I missed someone of two?

Port, love the Sunflower. Thats neat that they do it.

Portland, what a marvellous neighbourhood. Perhaps if not a garden tour, can we have a gardener's tour of your neighbourhood? the sunflower alone is worth a visit, especially while they are repainting. What's the Pied Cow?

Portland, i loved the link. That's cool.

Katye, I'm fare game for a nursery tour anytime of year! They are a little lean this time of year, but I also think that it's the best time to shop for plants for winter interest. I've decided that I need more of those. The Hamamelis and Hellebores should be in full bloom in most of the nurseries over the next two or thee weeks. However, it's really about late March, early April here when the nurseries are pretty stocked on their spring and summer stuff.

Laurie, I'm sooooo jealous that you have a nursery nearby dedicated to hellebores. That's the best!

So......who is going to be brave and do the next virtual tour of their garden? I am enjoying these and don't want it to fall by the way. I suppose it might be hard to follow on the heels of an amazing garden like Laurie's, but I know everybody's place is special in its own way and I would love to see them all.

And wintersweet, I hope. Yet another "must-have" spring shrub.

I was wondering who is going to be the next brave soul as well! I think that this is a great thing and need to keep going.

Can we get Rach to carry on with the barn thread and turn it into a garden tour? And then line up the next one for after hers? How about one of the Oregonians -

I vote for Rachel. I'd like to see this year's results of last year's work party...not to mention all the wonderful additions we've missed so far. Great idea, Laurie, for a perpetual virtual tour...

Not my idea Outta, all of this was started by Tills! Her idea.

I wasn't going to ask, but thank you! I was going to comment that I love the windows on the house.

Oh my gosh, your greenhouse is HUGE!

Love the bandsaw bench table. Very cool.

Outta, I will be at the Seattle garden show that same day with my garden club. Maybe we can meet up for a quick hello at some point. I'd love to meet you in person.

Laurie, thanks for the wondereful tour. I love your place - you have done so many clever and wonderful thing with it. Good job!

I will do a garden tour while I am home. This is the start and plan on some Google earth fun! http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/944791/

This message was edited Jan 20, 2009 2:05 PM

O' Boy this autta be good.

Yes would like to see are hard work, Rach. Tag you it.

wahoo, yep I'm looking forward to it as well Tilly! teehee.

Have you seen the tread on the work party? We had alot of fun and worked hard.

What work party Tills? Guess I missed seeing that one.