Road-trip to Mindy's! (Yamhill county's Martha Stewart)

Last weekend our local Garden Bloggers group (a laughable label at this point, since only a few of us post to our blogs anymore) made the trip down to Northrop Acres in Amity, Oregon, to visit Mindy Northrop and have our biannual plant swap.

We dropped our swapping plants off in front of the barn, before touring the garden proper. 

Folks, this isn't any old barn. I could have taken dozens of photos of the space with all of it's vignettes and hang-out areas, plus there were tasty snacks too (mango chutney dip with bacon and almonds, and sangria, for the win).

The barn is also where Mindy puts together her extensive floral creations for the many weddings and special events she lends her talents to, as well as lots of farm-fresh bouquets for the farm stand.

A little background for those of you who don't know Mindy. She used to live in Portland's Montavilla neighborhood. That's where she started her blog, Rindy Mae, and her family (husband and three amazing kids). They all moved to 12 acres in Amity, Oregon (rural Yamhill County, south of Portland) nine years ago. This property (Northrop Acres) is where Mindy was meant to be. Calling her Yamhill county's Martha Stewart sounds like a joke, but it's not. You guys, she is the real deal.

Martha has a whole crew of people to tend to the details while she sets about being a first class hostess, cook, baker, decorator, crafter, gardener, floral designer, etc... but Mindy does it all herself, while being a super-mom. You can follow her at Northrop Acres Farmstand to see some of what she's up to.

Several years ago I was there for another plant swap but I can't find a record of that visit. My 2018 post will have to suffice as the "then"... let's go explore the now! The Airstream belongs to a friend, but of course Mindy has styled it up to fit right in.

I think this is Campanula glomerata 'Caroline'...

The front porch...

One of several gorgeous Clematis.

I didn't get the name of this one.

The old potting bench made the move with them from Portland, now it's a side table on the patio.

Alan decided this was Clematis 'Phyllis Diller', which I thought was the perfect name.

Mindy later supplied the "real" name; Clematis 'Blue Light'

If I could grow clematis I'd definitely be tracking this one down.

My glass of sangria with one of Mindy's fabulous napkins.

This seating area was one of many around the property. In addition to dozens of comfy chairs in the barn, there are also numerous chairs and benches around the garden. I really wish I would have counted.

Cutting garden and inherited one-of-a-kind greenhouse.

Another angle.

Another task on Mindy's chore list, she's got little vignettes like this with tender plants spread all over the garden. Moving them each spring and autumn is no small task.

It's so fun to see big plants given all the room they need to shine.

The front side of the greenhouse complex (there's a storage room/ex-chicken coop on the non-greenhouse half).

Running between the barn and the home/garden are train tracks, and yes, the train still runs, right through their property. If you follow that driveway...

...you end up at Mindy's Farm Stand along the main road. Her lucky neighbors can stop by and buy fresh sourdough bread, herb salts, plants, flowers, and in-season berries and other produce.

Plants!

I scored a loaf of bread that Andrew and I quickly devoured, it was so good!

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White flowers in my garden; not so much

I'm frequently accused of not liking flowers, however nothing could be further from the truth. I love flowers. If I could afford it I would buy fresh cut flowers weekly. I just don't garden for the flowers. Meaning I chose plants for the foliage, the flowers are a bonus. 

There is one kind of flower I wish I could avoid though, plants that bloom white (bet you thought I was going to say pink? nah, they're fine in the right context). I don't care for white flowers in my garden, or white variegation, or especially white containers. White is extremely stark, too bright. It commands attention through the absence of color, almost reading as a hole in the garden. Yes, I know, technically white is all the colors, but that's not how my eyes see it. If you asked about white flowers I'd tell you there are only two, my magnolias; Magnolia macrophylla (which won't be blooming for several weeks) and M. laevifolia...

However I've realized that's simply not true. This spring I've been paying attention, and there are more white flowers in the garden than I realized. This Rhododendron laramie for example...

And Erica arborea var. alpina...

The flowers of Citrus trifoliata are white.

And rather perfect with the bright green new foliage and a blue sky background (yes, I am full of contradictions).

Fothergilla gardenii 'Blue Mist' has white puff-ball flowers.

And my lone trillium, T. albidum is most definitely white.

The flowers of Podophyllum peltatum almost escape my eye, hidden as they are beneath the foliage.

The smallest white flowers also may be the ones that make the largest impact in the garden, the tiny blooms of my many saxifrage (this one S. × urbium 'Aureopunctata'). There are literally hundreds of them (maybe thousands?) around the garden right now. 

They are a bit much. I will have to start cutting them back soon before they really start to irritate me. Yes I know. But it's my garden not yours, and that's how I feel. 

Do you mind white in your garden? Maybe there's another color you try to avoid? (for many people I suspect it would be orange)

One morning a few weeks back—on a bright sunny day—it looked like snow was falling in the garden. White petals from a neighbor's tree were drifting down, it was kind of magic (I'm not completely lacking in romantic imagination). 

Enough about white, I also want to talk about how my mahonia are thrilling me this spring. The new growth on Mahonia oiwakensis ssp lomariifolia v tenuifolia started out as a bight red bud.

That bud exploded into this...

The red remains, for now.

But the new foliage is the show-stopper.

New growth on Mahonia eurybracteata 'Cistus Silvers'.

And another (they're seed grown plants so there's some variation).

Mahonia eurybracteata 'Indianola Silver'

And Mahonia x media 'Marvel'.

My oldest mahonia, M. x media 'Charity' (planted on the north side of our house), has reached ginormous proportions. The wind, rain, and heavy fruit load had it leaning into the neighbor's driveway so I trimmed it back last weekend.

But not before taking photos of the fruit...

I love the many shades of blue, purple and green, as well as the subtle powdery "bloom" on the individual fruits. Mother nature can be quite the artist. 

The Bit at the End

Speaking of art, and nature, enjoy this gift article from the NYT. At the very least click through and scan the photos: In the German Countryside, a Farmhouse Turned Lush Cultural Retreat.

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All material © 2009-2026 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.