Looking to spend a weekend away in October? May I suggest the Pacific Horticulture Summit: "Shaping a New Garden in a Challenging Environment"

©Saxon Holt_Photobotanic.com

 
Back in February of 2015 I wrote a teaser about a (then) upcoming day-long seminar: Changing Times, Changing Landscapes: Drawing Nature into Urban Landscape Design a Pacific Horticulture event put together with the help of the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon. Thanks to the generosity of Pacific Horticulture I was able to attend and was blown away by the day's speakers (wrap up post here).

That was then, this is now...the good people at Pacific Horticulture have put together another event: CHANGING TIMES, CHANGING GARDENS—SUMMIT 2016 “Shaping a New Garden in a Challenging Environment” This time around it's a weekend-long event held at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, in Santa Rosa, California, with off-site visits planned.

The event programming will "explore how gardens are evolving in the face of climate change, with inspiration coming from our natural surroundings as well as from innovations in water conservation and land management. Of interest to avid home gardeners, landscape industry professionals, and anyone excited about the power of gardens to enrich life and inspire environmental stewardship. Inspiring illustrated talks by nationally renowned speakers from across the horticultural horizon followed by tours of historic gardens and visits to Sonoma County private gardens, nurseries, wineries, and public conservation projects."

©Saxon Holt_Photobotanic.com

 
Speakers include: Thomas Rainer, Michelle Sullivan, Bob Hyland, Tom Fischer, Phil Van Soelen, Marilee Kuhlmann. Tour highlights include: Quarryhill Botanical Garden, Shone Farm, Western Hills Garden, Occidental Ecology Center, the Sunset Test Gardens at Cornerstone and access to acclaimed private gardens.

REGISTRATION: www.pachort.org/Summit
COST: Early-bird pricing: $200 for Pacific Horticulture Society members; $225 for the general
public. After September 2, 2016: $225 for Pacific Horticulture Society members; $250 for the
general public.
SPONSORS: Major funding for this program comes from The Blanche Thebom Trust, The Left
Coast Fund, and Miller Charitable Foundation.
MORE INFO: here

I so wish I could be a part of this amazing event, sadly prior obligations are keeping me away. If you can attend (and have a garden blog) I hope you'll summarize the days events for us...and post lots of pictures of your tour stops!

Because I believe in this event, and I'm proud to say I am now serving on the Pacific Horticulture Board, I am posting the press release in it's entirety below, in case you're curious...

Pacific Horticulture Hosts Sonoma Wine Country Weekend Summit 2016: “Shaping a New Garden in a Challenging Environment”

BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA (July 7, 2016)—Pacific Horticulture will continue its Changing Times, Changing Gardens seminar series with the weekend-long Summit 2016: Shaping a New Garden in a Challenging Environment. Set in the bucolic Sonoma wine country, the October 15–16 event will center on inspiring presentations at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa. Each day will offer a curated itinerary of visits to gardens, nurseries, wineries, and more, a rich exploration of the important connection between gardens and nature.

Illustrated talks by a half-dozen of the most forward-thinking horticulturists in the West and beyond will offer fresh ideas about creating resilient landscapes that support the surrounding environment while expressing a distinctive aesthetic.

Saturday begins with a talk by Thomas Rainer, landscape architect and co-author of Planting in a Post-Wild World (Timber Press, 2015). Based in Washington D.C., Thomas has designed landscapes for the U.S. Capitol grounds and New York Botanical Garden and is guided by design principles focusing on climate-appropriate plant communities. Michelle Sullivan, principal at Mia Lehrer + Associates, will show how public spaces in Los Angeles are being transformed into multi-use landscape systems while knitting nature into the urban fabric. Portland, Oregon, garden designer and horticultural consultant Bob Hyland has worked at Longwood Gardens and Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and his container plantings have been featured in The New York Times and on Martha Stewart TV. He will share his ideas for making a big impact in small spaces. Tom Fischer, senior acquisitions editor at Timber Press, preeminent publisher of gardening and horticulture books, will lead a discussion among the day’s speakers.

Following the day’s talks, participants will travel by chartered bus to Glen Ellen to visit the 25-acre Quarryhill Botanical Garden, renowned worldwide for its wild-collected Asian plants. The day will close with an evening reception at Shone Farm, an environmental education laboratory operated by Santa Rosa Junior College, with sprawling views of a working farm, kitchen garden, and vineyard set amidst rolling hillsides.

Sunday’s first speaker, Phil Van Soelen, is co-owner of California Flora Nursery. His photo presentation will show how to effectively use native and summer-dry plants for year-round interest. As president of Urban Water Group, the final speaker, Marilee Kuhlmann, is committed to designing and creating water-conserving landscapes in Southern California. She will discuss the methods and benefits of rainwater harvesting and how to create a watershed-sensitive garden.

Sunday afternoon, participants will set out with boxed lunches and maps of several proposed self-driving routes that will offer a look at Sonoma County through a lens both horticultural and ecological.

Among the highlights will be a private opening of the landmark Western Hills Garden in rural Occidental, a naturalistic garden founded in 1959 at the intersection of three watersheds. The nearby Occidental Arts & Ecology Center will host a plant sale at its organic nursery of culinary and medicinal herbs and perennial food crops.

Another special welcome will be at the new Sunset Test Gardens at Cornerstone Sonoma. Staff and designers will be on hand for tours of the themed gardens: Farm, Backyard Orchard, Flower Room, Cocktail Garden, and Gathering Space.

Private gardens on view will include the stunning 2.5-acre hilltop garden of Mary and Lew Reid, she a designer and he an avid propagator. Famed Bay Area horticulturist and partner in Planet Horticulture Roger Raiche will open his enchanting garden in the Russian River hamlet of Guerneville.

Several of Sonoma County’s one-of-a-kind nurseries offering region-friendly and specialty plants will be mapped out. Among the dozens of Sonoma County wineries, several will be suggested not only for their sustainable grape-growing practices, but also for their stunning naturalistic settings,ornamental and edible gardens, or native habitat restoration efforts.

Save the date; Green on Green 2015

What do a garden designer, nursery owner, garden blogger, mosaic artist, master of layering in the garden, and a bee keeper all have in common? Their gardens are open for the 2015 Green on Green Tour happening August 15th. Yes, I am the garden blogger.

Some of you probably know that I’ve resisted opening my garden, having done so only for the Garden Bloggers Fling last summer. Why am I doing it now? Well first of all, because Nancy Goldman asked. She’s done so much for the local gardening community it was hard to say no to her. Second, the tour is a benefit for Albertina Kerr, a local nonprofit organization that provides “programs and services to children and adults with developmental disabilities and mental health challenges - empowering them to live richer lives.” This is a cause I have a personal stake in, I have an uncle with developmental disabilities and I am thrilled to play a small part in helping this organization raise money.

So, about the other gardens on the tour. The “garden designer” is Lauren Hall-Behrens of Lilyvilla Gardens. I’ve visited her garden multiple times and written about it: here, here and here. It’s always a source of inspiration. Lauren's got a great design eye and while an obvious plant lover she is capable of exercising great restraint in the name of great design...

The “nursery owner” is Greg Shepard co-owner of Xera Plants. I visited Greg’s garden last summer and was blown away by the plants (of course) and the design. It’s a small garden (like mine) and is packed full of drought tolerant plantings, climate adapted for the Pacific Northwest. If this hot, dry, summer has got you thinking about changing your planting style then Greg’s garden is a must see.

The “mosaic artist” is Jeffrey Bale (who blogs here). I’ve not been to Jeffrey’s garden (and sadly won’t be able to visit this time) but I have seen his handiwork out and about in other people’s gardens. At Nancy Goldman's...

Lucy Hardiman's...

And Northwest Garden Nursery...

I visited the garden of Thomas Vetter (the "layering gardener") in 2012. It was amazing then, I can only imagine what three years have done for the plants. This man creates walls of foliage, perfectly balanced - plants touching but not infringing on each other's space.

Finally the “bee keeper” is Glen Andresen of Bridgetown Bees. I’ve not visited his garden but I have heard him give a talk and seen photos of his garden. He is very passionate about beekeeping and I bet you’ll learn a thing of two while you’re there.

The tour takes place on August 15th between 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m, all of the gardens are in NE Portland. So, how do you get tickets? You can purchase them online here, or at these locations:
Garden Fever Nursery, 3433 NE 24th Ave
Portland Nursery, 5050 SE Stark St. and 9000 SE Division St.
Oxalis, 1824 NW 24th Ave

Touring the six gardens costs $20. There is an optional pre-tour event and breakfast which includes a container demonstration with Bob Hyland (of Contained Exuberance) and continental breakfast at Albertina's Kitchen. To attend that part of the event you must make additional $20 reservation at Albertina's Place, online here or at Garden Fever Nursery.

Hope to see you here!

All material © 2009-2015 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

Kicking off American Flowers Week with a visit to My Luscious Backyard…

Getting off the bus at the first stop, on the first morning, of the 2015 GBF in Toronto this is what I saw...

This is where we were headed, the home of Sarah Nixon and her business My Luscious Backyard. That's Sarah on the right. She and her family live on the "31" side of the brick duplex (do they call them that in Canada? - Nope! evidently they're called "semi" as in "semi-detached").

Having made our way into her backyard she's about to talk with us about what it is she does...

Sarah's business model is based on using residential yards around Toronto as "micro farm plots" She grows many of the flowers used in her bouquets (which are delivered weekly to flower subscription recipients across the city and done for weddings and special events) in her neighbor's yards (10 of them, to be exact). She does the work (including starting most of her plants from seed) and the homeowner gets to enjoy an intensively planted garden, without lifting a finger. After Sarah answered questions she did a demonstration for us, and then we walked a couple of blocks to visit one of these micro farm plots. But before then (while the questions were answered) I wandered around, getting a closer look at her garden...

I've no idea what this is but it would be lovely in an arrangement.

In the hours and days to follow Physocarpus (ninebark) and Peonies were to be seen all over town. Little did I know this was just the beginning...

I've never grown Baptisia, but do love the foliage.

Sweat peas and Dahlia tubers just getting started...

I also walked back under that great vine-covered arbor to check out her workspace.

Heck even her compost is interesting!

Inside the greenhouse/shed...where it all begins.

How could I not pause to appreciate this sweet ride? Sarah's adorable daughter was at her side most of the morning, I bet this belongs to her, or maybe a younger sibling.

This incredible tool is used to work the soil.

I do love the Physocarpus foliage!

Now we're watching Sarah put together a bouquet with stems fresh cut that morning. She started with the foliage which helps to stabilize the flowers once they go in.

I didn't manage to get a good shot of the finished product, but it was beautiful. Exactly the sort of loose, "fresh from the garden" type of arrangement I love...

Which brings me to the fact this is the first day of American Flowers Week, running June 29 - July 4, 2015. This, the "inaugural campaign to promote American flowers, foliage and designs," was launched by Deborah Prinzing of slowflowers.com. It's a "week-long celebration of domestic flowers to raise consumer awareness and unite America’s flower farmers with the U.S. floral industry." Of course the fact that I'm highlighting a Canadian florist and then talking about American-grown flowers might seem a little odd to some, but what Sarah is doing with My Luscious Backyard is exactly what the slow flowers moment is all about. Cut flowers from your garden if you can, and if not buy local (local meaning from the U.S.) flowers...they're so much better (fresher) than ones flown-in from far away countries, and you're supporting American workers/farmers.

Now we walk, and I snap photos. You know exploring neighborhoods is one of my favorite things to do.

OMG! So much Bishop's Weed. Turns out it's all over Toronto...

Coffee shop? Second hand store? I was intrigued, but it was just getting open for the day.

I've got a neighbor who exercises this level of control over her trees too.

We've made it to our destination, one of Sarah's growing grounds. Sadly spring came late to the Toronto area so things are just getting started here. I wish we could see it in a another month or so.

The divots around each plant are created to capture rain water. The idea of rains in the summer is so foreign to me, but I guess it happens! This little guy is (I believe) Capsicum annuum 'Black Pearl', a plant Pam has written about multiple times and I keep intending to grow.

I wandered off from the group (yes, I do that a lot) and discovered this wonderful small tree just down the road. Someone identified it for me and I'm sure I wrote the name down. Can't find it now!

It's got to be in the pea family, anyone know?

Remnants from pruning would look lovely in a vase...

All material © 2009-2015 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

The Garden Bloggers' Bazaar, won't you come?

This coming Saturday, June 13th, my fellow area garden bloggers and I are having a sale!

We've gone through our garden sheds, potting benches, and greenhouses and pulled things we're no longer using. Things you could use!

While I'm not selling any plants I know several others are, like Alison/Bonney Lassie and Ann/Amateur Bot-ann-ist. I've got a gazillion (slight exaggeration) containers to sell as well as other odds and ends. I think I'm finally parting with my vintage metal chairs and that reproduction table (a part of me says "no!"...but we've only used them once in the last ten years...). That nice galvanized watering-can has holes in the bottom, great for someone to plant in...

Come see us and bring your cash! Bonus: the first 5 people to purchase from each vendor will receive a coupon good for 15% off any one item at Garden Fever...

When: Saturday, June 13th, at 9am til 2pm.
Where: Union Bank parking lot on the corner of NE 24th and NE Fremont - across from Garden Fever.
Who: some of the other bloggers that will be participating include: Jane, Ricki, Jenni, Patricia, Tamara, Laura, Matthew and yes, maybe more...
Cash only, and there is an ATM at Union Bank.

Hope to see you there!

All material © 2009-2015 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

Drawing Nature into the Urban Landscape

Back in February I wrote about a daylong seminar held here in Portland “Changing Times, Changing Landscapes: Drawing Nature into Urban Landscape Design” a joint effort of Pacific Horticulture and the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon. The seminar was held on March 28th and I was thrilled to attend as a guest of the Pacific Horticulture Society.

If I were a smarter blogger I would have positioned myself at the back of the room, where I could have taken photos of the speakers slides without annoying those around me. Instead I sat where (short) me could easily see the screen and thus took not a single photo. However because a blog post with no photos would be boring, I snapped a few during the post-seminar reception held at Contained Exuberance and Xera Plants.

The entrance to Contained Exuberance

The printed program for the day’s events featured this quote from keynote speaker Patrick Cullina: “Cities across the country and abroad are seeking revitalization through innovative landscape initiatives that make them more vibrant and livable. Today’s program explores a range of strategies that overlay environmental interests on cultural experiences and examines impacts that creative uses of plants can have on urban life.”

Someone warned "that is not a bench!"
The thought of someone mistaking it for such made me laugh...ouch!

Here's where I admit I attended the program not all that excited about Mr. Cullina's presentation. "The High Line" blah blah blah. No! I was wrong. His presentation was fabulous. If you think you've already heard all about The High Line you're wrong. If you think "but that's New York, it's not applicable to ___ (fill in the blank)" you're wrong.

I think that's Agave 'Cream Spike'

Mr. Patrick Cullina is an excellent speaker and if you ever have the chance to hear him speak about The High Line, or the urban landscape in general, you should be there.

Surrounded by several sempervivum and sedum.

His slides were not just of the High Line, or from New York, but instead featured urban projects both small and large from locations across the country. He also spoke about the importance of revitalization occuring in such a way that the history of the space is still visible. Gas Works Park on Lake Union in Seattle comes to mind. The space wouldn't be nearly so compelling if the old structures had all been removed, by leaving them the space became so much more than just another park.

Bob Hyland, owner/designer at Contained Exuberance popping open a bottle of sparkles courtesy of
Chris Cullina, Argyle Winery

The next speaker was Karla Dakin, co-author of the book "The Professional Design Guide to Green Roofs" - talk about plant design porn! Her slide show had many beautiful images, including local green roofs designed by Sean Hogan/Cistus Nursery who just happened to be the next speaker.

My scotch-moss never looks that good.

Sean's plant images never disappoint and he provided a lengthy list of wonderful plants suitable for green roofs and urban plantings.

Here's the crowd gathered next door at Xera.
In the blue jacket on the left is Evelyn Hadden, seminar speaker and author of Hellstrip Gardening.
If you think the Xera sign is a bit wonky it's because I put the words on it. In "real life" the back of the sign is blank.

The most interesting green roof plant Sean mentioned? Trunking Yucca rostrata, on a green roof! Growing in just 11" of soil. Can you imagine? Sean also discussed the importance of using our native sedums (Sedum oblanceolatum , Sedum obtusatum, Sedum spathulifolium) since they're adapted to our summer-dry climate.

Sean Hogan, seminar speaker and owner of Cistus Nursery chats with garden writer Kate Bryant.
You may have noticed them in the distance of the photo above. 

The afternoon program kicked off with Lorene Edwards Forkner (editor at Pacific Horticulture) who spoke about collaborating with nature in the garden. Specifically planting in such a way that you're attracting, and working with, pollinators.

Fremontodendron

Lorene's talk included subjects such as: planting a layered landscape, maintaining permeable surfaces, considering the climate (plant for where you live!), minimizing inputs (don't love your garden to death) and supporting the pollinators.

Artemisia versicolor 'Seafoam' just getting started for the season.

After Lorene came Evelyn Hadden who, by the way, will be back in Portland in June to speak at the HPSO Study Weekend. Evelyn is full of passion for urban plantings, hellstrips in particular but any bit of land that you could squeeze a plant into. (*I had to add this link, even though her post went up after I published my wrap-up. Evelyn has a much more detailed write up on the event here: There’s Hope for Urban Design*)

I think that colorful plant in the lower left hand corner is Trachelospermum asiaticum 'Ogon Nishiki'.

Next up was Maurice Horn, of Joy Creek Nursery. Maurice spoke about the hellstrip he planted at his last home, a planting of entirely Columbia River Gorge natives.

Osmanthus heterophyllus 'Purpureus' I was so tempted, coulda shoulda wouda. Wonder if they still have it?

Some of the plants Maurice highlighted were Eriogonum umbellatum (Buckwheat), Lomatium Columbiana (Desert Parsley), several of penstemon and again Sedum spathulifolium.

In the blue shirt, back jacket is Jim Rondone, past President of the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon.
To his right is Kate Bryant (again - she gets around...)

A big part of my enjoyment of the day was being surrounded by like-minded individuals. But what about those folks who don't ever stop to think about the need for nature in our cities? Or more importantly those folks who have never experienced nature? Mr. Cullina told a story about a father and son on The High Line who were trying to figure out where the trigger was for the cricket soundtrack was located. They couldn't comprehend that there were actual crickets and the "soundtrack" was natural. Not in the city!

Bonsai arctostaphylos? 

I make a habit of walking through the nursery department at our local "everything" store each week when I grocery shop. There are frequently must-have surprises. Yesterday as I was checking out the cashier, obviously taken with the plants the guy in front of me was buying, said "I'm not a gardener, it's my first day out here, but this is really exciting, seeing everything people are buying!" He took the time to talk about what he was buying and encourage her, as did I. One person at a time.

The shade plantings along their fence are looking lush!

Want to get involved? The Pacific Horticulture website lists upcoming events here and the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon has a list here.

In the background, on the left, is Greg Shepard, co-owner at Xera.

There's a fun blog that chronicles the guerrilla gardening efforts of a group in SoCal, maybe we all need to start a little guerrilla gardening effort? Be it giving plants to a neighbor, planting up (and caring for) a round-about at the end of the street, or being part of your city's effort to provide green-space for inner-city kids. We need more plants, and plant people. Spread the love.

And I had to share this, the "safety wrap" on an opuntia, Xera style.

All material © 2009-2015 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.