Farmington Gardens

One of my favorite nurseries is Farmington Gardens which is on Farmington Road out past Aloha about ten - fifteen minutes from my house. They always had a really great selection of plants, great prices and everything is so well taken care of. Lately they have also been expanding test gardens and making it even prettier there. Last Thursday on my first day off of a 30 day vacation of sorts I visited the nursery with my friend Beth whom I have known since the third grade. We laughed at her spending over $80 on plants and how we would never have guessed 20 years ago when we were 16 that we would be happy spending $80+ on plants for the homes we own. I managed to make it out of there under $30 after my coupon discount but I am misleading you since I spent $70 earlier the same day at Home Depot for ground cover plants that were on a really good sale that I needed to finish out my new walkway (which I promise to share photos of later in the week - or earlier - depending on how you look at things).

Edge of Night Calle Lily - which I bought...could not resist!


A great idea for trellising cucumbers! I am planning to try this with mine at home!


Beautiful artichokes!


I am very addicted to Heuchera - they are a favorite and I have a new favorite...Midnight Rose, I must have one!




Beth got one of these beauties and I will have to follow suit because they are stunning!


Beth and I could not find out what this houseplant was but wow, they really were stunning!




I finally identified this huge plant I bought a very long time ago for my sun garden which now must be moved due to its hugeness.

The State of the Front Yard

Well, as of awhile ago...I have been meaning to post them but have been working hard on getting the yard done. This week I dug out a "trench" for the walkway down a good 5 inches down piling the dirt up next to the path. A few years go I did a project on our backyard. Basically when we bought the house there was this corner that was a pile of gravel. I dug it all out and moved it to behind our garage where there is a huge amount of space and weird weeds and such. The gravel kept most of it at bay except these three lilac bushes which have been still trying to grow no matter what is throw their way so I am pulling those out and planting them in the front since they will grow no matter what. The gravel I put back there but there was so much of it that it was piled a bit too high on the back of the garage's foundation so I was needing to dig it out eventually. Well, enter the current walkway project. The flagstone I am laying out fairly naturally and do not want it to sit perfectly level - they are real stones so they never will lay that way regardless but am planting ground cover in between the stones as the "grout" of sorts. This will hold them in place and collect the excess water etc but I do need some form of drainage for the ground which brings me to the gravel and dirt mix. Now I am digging out all of that gravel and dirt from behind the garage and reusing it rather than paying for new. I love repurposing things and I had a feeling this particular mix would come in handy. So stay tuned for updated photos since as of last night I finished adding about half the flagstone.

Here is the layout of the walkway itself done by my husband with tent stakes and some string. I decided not to just do something "straight" and boring since our home is a ranch and is already "boxed" enough with its shape. So whenever I add things like flower beds or anything I prefer not to add more straight lines, opting instead for curves giving the house movement it is lacking.






This is the lawn which will remain. We have two cherry trees out front which are Queen Anne and produce some amazing cherries. I am hoping to get them both trimmed at the start of the autumn so we yield even better and no one ever really took proper care of them so they could use some maintenance. Building up flower beds underneath trees is very bad for them though especially trees with precious root structures which are close to the surface of the ground etc - it can and will kill trees so those people who add built in soil with plants around trees are harming their trees.










This is (or was since it is long gone now) the last patch of "lawn" sod - though it was actually just a chunk of clover...




These two rose bushes no longer get enough sun where they are at in my back yard so I m soon moving them out front where they will be glorious! Or, I at least keep telling myself that!

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Everything

We attend an annual event at the Thyme Garden in Alsea, Oregon called Midnight in the Garden of Good and Everything with a few friends. The event involves amazing food, gorgeous people, fire and belly dancers and living statues in their lucious gardens which include a night blooming garden.

Gir hanging out at the Salmonberry Park campsite before we head off to dinner.


Heidi found the remains of a Canadian Tiger Swallowtail butterfly when we arrive at the Thyme Garden. The wings were so soft!


The gardens have started selling these locally made birdhouses which just fellin love with.








Passion Vine
















Red-shouldered Ctenucha Moth on some echinacea.






Canadian Tiger Swallowtail butterfly.