HPSO Open Gardens: neighbors Barb Christopher and Marjorie Hirsch

One of the perks of membership in the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon are the member open gardens. On any weekend (and some Monday evenings) between early May and late September there are gardens open for visiting. This week I'm sharing a series of 5 gardens I visited on a semi-rainy Monday evening in June, we start here, at Barb Christopher's garden...

I've known Barb for years (8?) and she lives just 2.5 miles from me, I can't believe this is the first time I've been to her garden!

Here's her description: "Moving out of the shadow of Forest Park 16 years ago, I found a rare, sunny, tree-less lot in the Irvington neighborhood. The first year, the scraggly grass and puny rhodies had a close encounter of the bulldozer kind. David Mason (formerly Hedgerows Nursery) helped me make a plan for the terraced front garden, to include a rock garden, a dry creek and a small bridge. After I planted lots of rocks and boulders, the sun-loving plants soon followed. Later, the parking strip became a garden and the backyard became a woodland garden under the borrowed shade of neighboring birch trees. This summer a climate friendly gravel area will be added to reduce watering. I am also revising the container garden in the driveway (who says you need to put a car there?). The pergola at the back end of the driveway makes a great patio, particularly now that the climbing hydrangea has had about 10 years to scramble over the top. I look forward to sharing the garden again this summer."

The front sidewalk, looking up to the house, a few feet above.

Pittosporum tenuifolium, maybe 'County Park Dwarf'.

Checking out that container-filled, carless driveway...

...and turning back to the front of the house.

Rock steps back down to the sidewalk at street level.

I was too late for the allium.

But just in time for the mossy trolls, I loved this trio so much!

They live here, on the the bridge.

NE Portland—where all of the gardens we'll visit in this series are located—has narrow side yards.

We'll admire the Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Wissel's Saguaro' and ignore the bishops weed at it's base.

Great hosta! I asked Barb and learned it has the horrible name of 'Striptease'... why!?! (as much as I hate the name, I did buy one when I found it later at Sebright Gardens)

Maybe Hosta 'Guacamole'?

The back garden—it looks ready for a party!

Cryptomeria and support friend...

Little did I know just how many martagon lilies I was going to see this week! Barb's was the first, but I left a couple days later for the Vancouver BC Study Weekend where I saw many more.

The planter looked like it was dancing across the back garden.

I heard at least one group who were fooled by these colorful metal pieces and were trying to figure out which plant bloomed like that.

I'm standing in the driveway now, looking back at a corner of the house. What I wouldn't give for French doors that open into my garden.

And the dining area—this garden has such great entertaining spaces!

On the back side of the wall that separates the dining area from the driveway.

And now we're back out in the driveway...

Just four houses down the street a neighbor, Marjorie Hirsch, had her garden open too. 

What a nice large front porch for plant pot staging.

Another narrow side yard.

Hollyhocks!

Along the back of the house...

The BBQ has a great little hideout!

And looking out into the small back garden...

Majorie's description: "I have a small backyard garden – typical inner NE yard with 3 garages that form much of its boundary. One garage supports a recycled French door with mirrors replacing the original glass. The other garage walls are painted colors complimenting the garden. Border shrubs surround a no maintenance gravel center. Ever evolving, the garden is adjusting to the recent loss of shade from a vine maple and witch hazel. I'm planting now for sun – it's a good thing because I've always loved lilies!"

Her driveway also features a secluded spot to spend a warm afternoon.

I was head-over-heels in love with those containers on wheels. Turns out they came from a surplus sale at our local school district. I think they were laundry carts, or maybe used in the kitchen. Marjorie knew, but that was 5 months ago and I'm having a hard time remembering! 

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