Friday, August 3, 2012

Raising the next generation...of weeds

There was a middle school here.

It was built in 1966 with windows that didn't open; a design flaw that no doubt frustrated those trapped within and also allowed a dangerous build-up of radon gas. The leaky roof, combined with lack of ventilation, encouraged the growth of toxic mold.

These factors, combined with structural problems, made the 268,899 sq-ft building too costly to repair. It came down in 2007… but will live on forever in Gus Van Sant’s film Elephant.

Back in 2007 rumors about what Portland Public Schools would do with the now vacant lot circulated like wildfire through the neighborhood. However the timing was bad for any prospective development and the lot has set empty for 5 years. It has been interesting to watch the changing landscape, what first moved in, what has thrived, the fire that swept through last summer doesn’t seem to have changed things much.

When walking Lila through this field I stick to the well worn pathways, danger lurks in the long grass and weeds. Maybe not real danger, but the kind you don’t want to encounter in flip flops (a lot of dogs romp through here daily).

But I was curious about what else was growing here, just beyond what I could see. So this time I came prepared, with appropriate footwear and the camera…

The title of this post was inspired by this wonderful colony of thistle.

At first the purple blooms attracted me…

But then I realized what was hiding just behind...

Enough seed to, well, cover all of NE Portland!

It is beautiful…and also a little horrifying.

The next generation, I think they’ll be fine.

Time to look for a little happy distraction…

Oh! Beware the wild beast. Can you see her? There on the left, Lila loves trudging through the tall weeds. A furry four legged seed dispersal device.

One of my favorite parts of this landscape it the Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo) planted along the western edge. Although I didn’t manage to capture it’s elegant form it really is a beautiful tree.

I can’t imagine that anyone tends it, at least not recently…

But it lives on, looking good year round. This time of year is covered in fruit…

22 comments:

  1. What an interesting story about the school, and such a cool place to go exploring! The strawberry tree is really beautiful. I planted an arbutus unedo compacta in my gravel garden. It shouldn't get more than 8 feet tall, if the marketing info is anything to go by. Hopefully, they're telling the truth. Also, love the picture of the ladybug on Queen Anne's Lace. Lila is cute!

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    1. Every time I see a Arbutus unedo compacta in a nursery it takes every bit of will-power I have not to buy it. I really really want one! I hope you'll share pictures of yours as it grows...

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  2. That thistle looks really dangerous; pointy, sharp, and wanting to take over. Did you take some seeds home to plant in your garden? :-)

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    1. Tempting, but no. I do love it..in fact what was I thinking!? I should cut some for a vase!

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  3. I love how much little dogs love running through tall grasses. That thistle down is so pretty, if a little horrifying.

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    1. You should have seen her when she emerged. Absolutely covered in seeds. I probably should be worried about what wildlife she picked up to huh?

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  4. Not tempted to plant a few spare plants out here, or at least put some different seeds into the ground? I was going to do that this year in the nearby mouse field, but glad I didn't as they'd have been crispy by now. I'll do it in the fall though. Small-scale guerrilla gardening!

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    1. Funny you should ask as every time I receive a packet of wildflower seeds in the mail (for some reason I get a lot of them) I dump them there! No plants though...too dry! Only .21" of rain for all of July and nothing so far (or on the horizon) for August).

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  5. I like your curiousity. What if this space was preserved?:) I love thistle but on walks like yours, the jeans are required:) Thanks for serene shots and history:)

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    1. Could be cool...although I know as it is now it upsets the homeowners all around, when the city (or school district) doesn't cut things back in the summer there is so much fuel out there just waiting to go up in flames!

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  6. there is beauty everywhere!! and your eye has captured the texture and the color......why cant the others see? all they talk about is politics..as if that will change anything....bloom where u are planted......keep seeking the joy

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    1. Gardening and love of plants is such a good escape from the craziness of the world isn't it!?

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  7. I'm totally fascinated by those sort of "disturbance" ecologies...it's fascinating to see what takes hold.

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    1. Funny there isn't a single Buddleia out there, I would have thought one or two would have shown up, they seem to whenever there is an empty lot here in Portland.

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  8. I love seeing what pops up in abandoned areas, some native, some not so. I have an Arbutus 'Compacta' and have found it to be very drought tolerant and needing very little care. I have limbed it up so I can see its fabulous bark though.

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    1. I'm a little jealous. I wish I had space for one!

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  9. Wow that is what I call a lot of seeds! But that is mother nature. The wind catching those white fluffs is always really cool to see!

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  10. I loved this post! With way too little time to tend my garden this year I'm becoming quite an expert as weed life cycles and seed dispersal. Mostly I whine and complain but you've showed me the beauty there as well. Not to mention the tough resiliency; maybe I need to be more weed-like and a little less hot house:)

    Thanks!!!

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    1. Oh you and me both Lorene...if it's costly and hard to keep alive them I'm attracted to it. Why can't I love the easy going plants?

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  11. All things that I keep trying to chase out...except for the thistle, which I have allowed to stay (those clouds of seeds do give me pause). What's lacking there (buddleia) has taken over the big empty lot on Williams.

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    1. Actually you should do a drive-by that lot ricki...they are all gone! New Seasons has started construction and pulled them all out. I wonder what they did with them?

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