Bloomtown

Heronswood Update - Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                          
DATE:              June 11, 2008
TO:                   News Editors/Human Interest/ Garden News

CONTACT:        Deborah Heg, 360-321-0358

Email: info@pnhc.org

PNHC ENDS EFFORT TO ACQUIRE HERONSWOOD GARDEN

 
(Kingston, WA) The Pacific Northwest Horticultural Conservancy (PNHC) has ended its attempts to acquire the Heronswood Garden property.
 
Created as a non-profit in 2006, PNHCs primary mission was the purchase of the Kingston property that had formerly been the site of the Heronswood Nursery.  PNHC hoped to preserve the original garden, and use this horticultural treasure as the inspiring starting point of a thriving center of education, plant research and public enjoyment.
 
PNHCs initial negotiations with the current owner of the property, W. Atlee Burpee Co., and its President George Ball had broken down in May of 2007.  At its annual meeting last June, the PNHC board voted to keep the organization intact for another year to determine if any further progress could be made.
 
Last fall, the Garden Conservancy, a national organization devoted to the preservation of  exceptional American gardens, reopened the lines of communication by acting as an intermediary between Mr. Ball and PNHC.  Consequently, Mr. Ball agreed to have an independent appraisal of the property performed, which PNHC required in order to proceed with a property purchase that would be fiscally responsible and acceptable to the IRS.
 
Concurrently, PNHC continued its research into possible educational partnership with local institutions and code and use requirements.  The business plan was fine-tuned, and a feasibility study was begun.
 
The appraisal and the feasibility study were both completed recently.  With this information in hand, the board determined that the project was no longer viable as envisioned.
 
The key findings of the feasibility study pointed to some insurmountable limiting factors:  too much time had  passed since the initial closing of the garden, and there was no longer sufficient community interest and financial support to move forward.  Additionally, in these two years the economic climate has worsened, impacting fundraising efforts negatively.
 
The full board of PNHC will hold its annual meeting at the end of June and discuss the future of the organization.
 
As to the future of Heronswood Garden, PNHC is reassured by Mr. Balls pledge to require any purchaser of the property to preserve and maintain the garden.
 
We extend our gratitude to all who have supported our mission, and have contributed their time, efforts, funds and conviction to a vision of a future built on the foundation and principles that first created the now historic horticultural gem that is the Heronswood Garden.

Bloomtown - a garden vignette

This year, I've re-worked this scene to the left of my front steps as you approach the house. Earlier this spring I removed a much-loved, but poorly-situated Stipa gigantea because it was spilling over onto the steps at the front entry creating a bit of a hazard and, more generally, looking unkempt.

Last year, in preparation for this renovation, I removed the ultra-pink Rosa 'Gertrude Jekyll' and replaced it with the equally fragrant and statuesque Rosa 'Abraham Darby' whose coloring is less insistent and more in keeping with my current color palette. He's not showing his bloom yet in this photo but will be a major player as the season unfolds. Other key players, counter-clockwise from the bottom left, include Anemanthele lessoniana, Lonicera 'Baggeson's Gold', Helianthemum 'Henfield Brilliant', Taxus 'Sentinalis' and Physocarpus 'Diabolo.'

I added the container this spring to showcase a favorite cordyline called 'Pink Sensation' that I picked up last year. The container contributes strong, all-season structure, bringing the entire scene into sharp focus. Voila!

Back home, but buried ...

I’ve been able to hold onto my vacation-buzz so far. I’m working on catching up with things now, and will begin figuring out how to best post about my recent trip touring gardens in the Philadelphia area soon.

I took about 1800 photos, so it’s going to take a bit to process them, and then figure out how to best share some of them with you. But I promise to get at least a few "teasers" up soon!

Philly, here I come!

Philly here I come!

Well, sorta.

First let me say -- I really do have an exciting week in store. I’ll be spending the next five days touring gardens in the Philadelphia area with fellow members of the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon (HPSO).

At the moment though, I am being reminded of why I don’t love to travel.

First, up at 4:15 am for an inhumanely early flight. This after a grueling marathon-of-a-day on Friday spent trying to wrap things up so that I could sign out for the week. First leg of the flight -- no problem. But then we got stuck on the tarmac for hours in Chicago and we’re only just now in transit. Consequently I will be arriving many hours late and will be missing this evening’s kick-off event held in, what I am sure will be, alovely private garden of a Hardy Plant Society member from the Mid-Atl antic Group.

Wah, wah, wah. Enough already; I am on my way to tour gardens fer chrissakes.

Tomorrow promises to be a much better day. We’ll see five gardens tomorrow and from what I’ve heard, they’re going to be worth the trip. J

Don’t know what the week will bring in terms of me having time to do posts while I am here. I hope to at least slap a few photos & comments up. We’ll see, stay tuned.

I’m sure I’ll be taking tons of photos and I promise to share some of the best here.

Fast as a speeding Zucchini

Things are cruising along … we’re largely "planted" at this point; at least until we are able to harvest some of the early stuff and then re-commission the resulting open space for a successive crop.

In terms of what we’re harvesting right now; between the "farm" and the kitchen garden at the house, we’ve been getting plenty of spinach, arugula and chard. I expect the peas come on in a couple of weeks.

It’s been especially fun to see how quickly the beans & squash sprout and get their garden on – Zucchini called ‘Speedy Silver’ is certainly living up to its name. Of the summer and winter squash that we planted on the 14th, this Zuke was first to show itself. As I recall from the seed packet, ‘Speedy Silver’ promised a harvest 45 days from our sowing date. Wow!

A good year for Alliums

It's shaping up to be a great year for the alliums in my garden. They've been very happily increasing and multiplying in my sunny and hot parking strip with its yummy, free-draining soil.

This shot, taken earlier today, marks the beginning of the "show." This is Allium 'Purple Sensation' which will be followed by a succession of blooms from several other species and cultivars, which include A. 'Globemaster', A. 'Mount Everest', A. christophii, A. schubertii, A. giganteum, and A. sphaerocephalon. They bloom in approximately that order in my garden, so I have a succession of blooms that last until about mid-July.

I posted about the alliums a couple of years ago here.

Vegetable Garden Update - First (mini) Harvest

Our first official harvest. A mini-serving of baby spinach and argula, and a few radishes as well; perfect for a simple salad, direct from the garden --- just add a little olive oil, balsamic & garlic.

Vegetable Garden Update - Pea Party

Things have been chugging along nicely since my last post about our progress at the "farm" ... mostly just photos to share today; I hope to have a chance to write a more thorough update soon.

________________

Peas are up, and well on their way.

Most recently we've provided support for our peas and have covered some of our plantings that are susceptible to bug invasion.

But alas, it's not all work and no play ...

Bloomtown gets mention in Willamette Week

Bloomtown got a nod, two actually, in the most recent edition of Portland's Willamette Week print edition; the story is available online as well. The article, Getcha Hands in the Dirt, mentions this blog and our vegetable garden project here and the Nursery is mentioned here.

This week's paper has a pull out section called Habitat: The Dirty Hands Issue that is focusing on our ever-expanding interest in growing our own food. Even if it's just a bit in a few containers on a balcony or perhaps a more production-oriented venture, such as what Laurie and I have embarked upon that I've been blogging about here. Either way people seem to be tuning into the satisfaction of growing their own.

They've put together a great collection of resources ... check it out.

Bloomtown Nursery Update - Now Open on Sundays!

Good news! Effective this weekend, Bloomtown Nursery will now be open Sundays.

Our updated hours:

Tues - Sat: 9 am to 5 pm, Sun: 10 am to 4 pm

For a map & directions go here.

Master Recycler Plastic Roundups

Spring Master Recycler Plastics Roundup will take place on two Saturdays and four locations:

Saturday May 3rd 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. at two locations

• Southeast Portland: Floyd Light Middle School 10800 SE Washington MAP 
• North Portland: Hosted by Kaiser Permanente West Interstate 3325 N Interstate (Off Fremont and Overlook Park) MAP 

Saturday, May 17th 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. at two locations:

• Lake Oswego: Co-hosted by Shorenstein Realty Services LP and Autodesk, Inc. 5400 Meadows rd. MAP 
• PCC Rock Creek PCC Rock Creek Campus 17705 NW Springville rd lot D MAP 

Click here to see what materials are accepted and how to prepare them for the Roundup

For more information email: Master Recyclers

Vegetable Garden Update: Work party on a cool spring day

It's been pretty hectic between the nursery, client work, and teaching but we finally got back out to the "farm" for a work party on Sunday.

We got a tremendous amount of work done in a short time. We got our remaining two raised beds into position and filled with soil; bringing our total to the ten 4' x 8' raised beds, as planned.

We had some extra soil so have started an additional in-ground garden space. We'll grow the large scrambling plants like summer & winter squash in these beds and we'll choose an area of this bed where we'll grow sunchokes on a permanent basis (you can't easily remove them once you get them started, so think carefully about your placement before planting).

We did some additional sowing of our cool season crops such as spinach, argula, carrots, and scallions and a first sowing of a couple of interesting broccoli varieties and kale, and some other things that I've likely forgotten at this moment.

It's so exhilarating to see the seedlings emerge. We had our first taste of greens direct from the soil ... thinnings from our arugula and radish sowings from a couple of weeks back. Can't wait until we have enough for a real meal!

HPSO Spring Plant Sale & Garden Festival - April 12 & 13, 2008

The cashier's fingers fly, her concentration is intense but her smile radiates. The exchange of currency is enthusiastic as beaming shoppers, delighted with their acquisitions, recount tales of the hunt with their neighbors in line. Reminiscent of stories told around the fire, each shopper gesturing wildly, like dancers of old. This community of kindred souls comes together for the spring hunt, eager for the season to unfold into summer and its promised bounty. In fall, they will gather again, laying in a larder of color and texture for the upcoming spring. And so the cycle goes.

Many people, myself included, look forward to this sale, put on by the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon (HPSO), with great anticipation. Already one of the largest and most extensive plant sales in the Northwest and now -- a new venue, an expanded purpose. What an exciting year for the HPSO Plant Sale!

Let me repeat that: The sale venue has changed. After being held for many years at the Washington County Fairgrounds, the sale is being relocated to the PORTLAND EXPO CENTER. The primary benefits of this move include room for more plant vendors, the garden art vendors will be under cover and within the same location, and a more comfortable shopping experience for all, with plenty of room for some exciting new activities and participants.

One of the many exciting new features of the festival is the addition of the Garden Theatre. I will be speaking on the Demonstration Stage Sunday at 2 pm. To learn more about my talk, Captivating Containers, go here. For the full schedule of topics and presenters go here.

HERE'S THE FULL SKINNY (chock full of useful links) FROM THE HPSO SITE:

New Look - New Location - New Features - New Hours - Greatly Expanded - All Under One Roof!
Featuring over 80 plant vendors; botanical displays; Gardening Demonstrations in the new HPSO Garden Theater; indoor space for 38 Garden Artists; garden books for sale, at 25% discount for members; informational exhibits by Community Partner Organizations.

Check out the room map

More plant sale information

Vegetable Garden Update: Houston, we have lift off

After our big push two Sundays ago, we took a break so this was my first trip back to the plot in two weeks. What a thrill to see the first of our seedlings emerge! Radishes, spinach, peas, and arugula that were sown on the 16th are beginning to emerge, no sign of the carrots yet ...

The broccoli starts and onion sets are settling in and starting to grow. Potatoes and shallots were planted on the 16th also, but won't be showing themselves for a while yet.

Today's activity -- a power planting session. We were short on time and only had a little over an hour to spend but wanted to make sure that we kept on track with successive sowings. We planted a second sowing of peas, arugula, radishes and spinach and transplanted another round of broccoli starts. We also transplanted some cauliflower and kale seedlings. We made our first sowing of scallions and baby bok choy. I'm probably forgetting something, but you get the gist.

Even with ten raised beds, feels like the garden is filling up fast!

Snow?! In late March?! In Portland!?

We got a skiff of snow this morning -- a very rare occurence this late in March, at least at my elevation, which is about 200 feet. Forecast says we could get more this weekend.