Jenn Ferrante's garden was my second stop on the first day of the 2025 HPSO Study Weekend. I've been to this garden before, first in
2014 with the Garden Conservancy, and then in
2019 for the last Portland Study Weekend.
The gravel mulched hellstrip plantings are always pristine.
Lots of folks up in the garden proper.
Jenn (left, the garden's owner) and
Nancy (right, former HPSO President and all around Portland garden enthusiast). Jenn's wet weather boots and short sleeve tee (with warmer jacket tied around her waist) illustrate the wacky weather day it was.
Heading into the side yard, description from the event booklet: "
Rustic basalt paths lead around the house to a shady plant-filled east side, a private back corner oasis, and a through to the sunny west side with a large deck."
Looking backwards...
What a nice patch of painted fern, with a little black mondo grass to bring out the dark tones in the foliage.
I've coveted this hanging planter since I first saw it in 2014. Editing my photos for this post I finally realized I could do something very similar with a couple pieces of galvanized gutter that I've had collecting dust in the garage for a few years now.
My version is coming Spring 2026!
Jenn clearly has a thing for foliage, and for orbs. Had I included all the photos I took that day you'd have already seen many, with many more to come.
Flowers aren't forbidden though, and actually I think this might be the first Epipactis gigantea 'Serpentine Night' I've ever seen blooming in an open garden.
More from the official description; "
Numerous clematis, hydrangea, and daylilies (that might make you rethink daylilies) are tucked in with other perennials, rare gems, trees, and shrubs all chosen for their foliage. Quirky and rustic garden art if thoughtfully placed throughout the garden, and the original old concrete walkway and terracotta drain tubes that were dug up during the garden's development have been artfully repurposed throughout."
More orbs...
The terracotta tubes mentioned in the garden description are a favorite feature of mine.
Days before I walked this garden I'd noticed my own (much smaller) Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Wissel's Saguaro' had turned brown. I was sad to see the same thing had happened to this stellar specimen.
I'm glad she left it though, instead of yanking it out before the tour, after all it still has serious presence in the garden. I do wish I'd had a chance to ask how long it had been brown and what her long term plan was.
On to the deck also mentioned in the garden description...
Looking back at the pathway, post-deck.
And finally I'm on the front porch of the house, looking down on the round bowl that greets you when you climb the steps and decide whether to go left, or to go right...
The Bit at the End
Oh this is a fun one! If you read Garden Rant then you might have already saw it, if not then get ready to roll your eyes;
Gardening By Meme – A Screwtape Fantasy. My favorite line, "
Social media pile-ons can be harsh – let them work for you." I'll admit I had to look up "A Screwtape Fantasy" as I had no idea what that meant. Here's what
YOURDICTIONARY says; To mess things up, to corrupt, to be devilish. [or] slang, Internet, To bump a particularly old topic thread on the internet or in an electronic forum, by posting an ironic or humorous reply to a previous message.
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All material © 2009-2025 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.
I love how you step back and show these awesome glimpses of what the space looks and feels like. Something I need to work on, not focusing on solo this or that. The terra cotta columns are fabulous! I wonder where she found them, and did she buy them all at once, or have to go back to buy the lot. Is that bowl in the middle of the sidewalk? Now that is devilish, and I love it. *The Garden Rant post is hilarious "half covered by a blanket" made me laugh.
ReplyDeleteThe garden description says "...the original old concrete walkway and terracotta drain tubes that were dug up during the garden's development have been artfully repurposed throughout"...so I guess those tubes were all found on site? Crazy to think. The bowl is at the top of the stairs (4th photo with Jenn and Nancy) after you climb up from the streetside sidewalk. I'm thrilled you think my photography style shows what the space looks and feels like!
DeleteI have seen these available for sale at Rare Plant Research sales. I bought three there a number of years ago.
DeleteMy friend Peter successfully purchased a few of the terracotta drainpipes there as well, however Burl seems about as willing to part with them as I imagine he'd be willing to sell a kidney.
DeleteThat first mounted planter caught my eye too! Something like that would be perfect to spark up my lath house. I like the terracotta tubes too, which would be a great addition to the succulent bed alongside my garage, which is currently too low and flat in my view. All the little touches were well done in this garden!
ReplyDeleteJenn definitely pays attenuation to the details!
DeleteIt took me a moment to remember this one. But, once I saw that dead Wissel's Saguaro, I placed it immediately because I spent some time examining that tree to see if I could figure out what happened (I didn't).
ReplyDeleteI remember talking to someone on the other side of the house about the hardscaping here and the visual interest with her pots and unusual containers. Jenn has great instincts.
Interesting that the Wissel's Saguaro caught your attention too, and yes, Jenn really does have great instincts.
DeleteI had to pop back in after reading the garden rant article. This quote sticks out for me "It’s time to realize that nuanced messages rarely stick or share as well as simplistic imperatives. Particularly if they are aimed at tender hearts and/or soft heads." I've a corollary, "simple solutions for simple minds". It is so easy for all of us (me included) to get sucked into simplistic thinking "no pesticides ever", "the deer were here first", "natives only", etc... We all have our blind spots. And most of it rarely holds up to real world complexity. How wonderful when we dare to dig deeper and find life is more interesting and nuanced than we first thought. I know sex sells, but I'm just not one to pose nearly nekkid with plants to get those instagram followers. What an unusual world social media can be.
ReplyDeleteYes, that line is a very good one (yours and hers). As I cleaned up my leaves for the 6th or 7th time I was thinking about all the newbie gardeners that are told to "leave the leaves" and then wonder where there sempervivum went when they root out under inches of wet leaves. "How wonderful when we dare to dig deeper and find life is more interesting and nuanced than we first thought." Well said Jerry.
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