Meet Michael McCoy, Australian garden designer, author, and TV host. In this profile, Michael shares his experiences adapting a traditional English gardening mindset to accomadate climate adapted plants in his garden design. Where do I garden? I garden just north of Melbourne, Australia. My elevation is approximately 600m (1900 ft) above sea level, average annual rainfall is about 700mm (28 inches). The temperature can drop to -5C (approx 25F) on a winter’s night and rise 45C (approx 110F) on a summer’s day, but these are rare extremes. How did I become interested in gardening? I had no interest in gardening… 

Meet Jeremy Schmidt, Researcher and Grounds Supervisor of  Plant Delights Nursery and Juniper Level Botanic Garden, and owner of Hortco. Jeremy gardens in Raleigh, North Carolina, Zone 8a. He was recently part of the team that installed the new crevice garden at Rancho Cistus with Sean Hogan.  How would I describe my personal garden? In its tenth year of growth, my home garden, the Bristol Briar, has served as a personal platform to trial daring horticultural display ideas and to test botanical theories, while maintaining the garden at the highest aesthetic standards.  It is in this environment that I am at… 

Meet David Perry, Seattle-based garden photographer and speaker at the upcoming HPSO Annual Meeting on November 6th. In this profile, get to know David and read some of his tips for taking better garden photographs. You can learn more about David at his website. What are 3 pieces of advice for people to take better photos of their gardens? Truth is, we nearly all crave some sense of intimacy in our lives and most of us walk through our days experiencing much less of it than we would like. So in a world that offers so little intimacy and leaves… 

Meet Toni Gattone, author of “The Lifelong Gardener, Garden with Ease and Joy at Any Age“. She gardens in Marin County, CA, Zone 10a. In this profile, Toni shares her passion for gardening and the importance of adopting methods to garden safely and comfortably. You can learn more about Toni at her website.  What type of garden do I have? My husband and I live on a small lot in a very pedestrian-oriented suburban neighborhood in Marin County, CA . We are blessed with a mild microclimate enabling us to garden most of the year. In addition to gardening with… 

Meet Horticulturist Christina Pfeiffer, author of  “Pacific Northwest Month-By-Month Gardening”. She gardens in Seattle, Washington, Zone 8. In this profile, Christina shares her expertise in planting and maintaining gardens that are sustainable in our changing climate. You can learn more about Christina and her lectures at her website.  What is the most important thing people can do in their garden to mitigate the impacts of climate change? Take really good care of the soil. Minimize soil disturbance. Use coarse textured organic mulch that will promote both water infiltration and retention, and that will support soil building organisms. For gardens that… 

Meet HPSO member Ruth Clark who gardens in Vancouver, Washington, Zone 8. Ruth has been opening her peaceful, park-like garden to HPSO members for ten years and her garden will be part of the Clark County Mini-Tour on June 11th.  What methods do I use to reduce water usage in my garden? I don’t buy plants that need a lot of water. If the tag says ‘moist soil’ it goes back on the table. I’m really just trying to reduce work for myself as watering is not something I enjoy doing. I have drip lines in my vegetable garden and… 

Meet HPSO member Anton Klemens who gardens in West Linn, Oregon. He is opening his garden to HPSO members this year on June 4th from 10AM to 3PM. Anton’s garden features his collection of over 600 plants, particularly rare conifers and Japanese maples. He shares his favorite plants and tips for growing beautiful conifers in this Profile.   What gardens have most influenced me? Long before my wife Jill and I moved to Oregon we planned our vacations around visiting gardens in the PNW. Two of those gardens from our first visit in 2007 and 2008 still inspire me today. Both gardens… 

Meet Jeanne DeBenedetti Keyes, HPSO board member and Open Garden Owner. She gardens in USDA Zone 8, SE Portland, Oregon and is sharing her garden with HPSO members on her Open Garden date, May 1st, 2022, and by appointment. Jeanne applies climate-wise gardening methods to create a beautiful, sustainable garden, and shares some of her tips in this Profile.  Some of the climate-wise elements I include in my garden are: Respecting my garden’s natural conditions – I designed the gardens to meet the site conditions. I would think what kind of soil do I have here, how much sunlight is… 

Meet Matthew Hubbard, HPSO member and gardener in SE Portland, Zone 8. He shares more stories and photos of his garden on his blog, The Garden of the Lents Farmer. Matthew has been sharing his garden with HPSO members for 6 years as part of the Open Gardens program, and this year his garden will be featured in a SE Portland Mini-Tour of  member gardens on May 7th! HPSO Members, please log in to the Member Center and scroll down to the Open Gardens section where you will find the full details for this Mini-Tour. What do I wish I’d… 

Meet James Golden, gardener and author of ‘The View from Federal Twist: A New Way of Thinking About Gardens, Nature and Ourselves’. James gardens in New Jersey, Zone 6b and shares photos and stories on his blog. His garden has been featured in numerous publications including The New York Times, Gardens Illustrated, the Financial Times, Horticulture, Elle Décor, and Better Homes and Gardens. What struggles did I face when starting my garden 15 years ago? My heavy, wet, saturated clay soil severely limited the range of plants I could grow, but by making the plants part of the solution—for example,…