HPSO: Hello, Michael and Kevin, so good to have a chance to chat and learn a little more about both of you leading up to your presentation for us on 03/27/2025. Let’s start with the obvious: What type of garden do you have? MICHAEL: My yard is a xeric shrubscape, dominated by shrubs and forbs from southwestern north America. The garden has been started primarily through customized seed mixes. I’ve tried to reuse and repurpose as much of the material in my yard as possible, including an old, failing concrete parking pad in my backyard, which has become a rubble…
Mark Akimoff will be speaking on “The Tough and Rare, Unusual Bulbs for Northwest Gardens” at HPSO’s 2024 PlantFest. He’ll be covering the lesser known and unusual bulbs for Northwest gardens and discuss how flower bulbs are perhaps the most perfectly adapted plants for climate change. Read on to learn a little more about Mark. He is one of three speakers who will be presenting at PlantFest in 2024. Do you have your tickets yet to this speaker event? Get them now here! What is your favorite plant or genus? The genus Fritillaria, it’s diversity is stunning, I’ve enjoyed seeing…
The current resurgence in peonies is no accident. After being overlooked for nearly half a century, peonies have been rediscovered as a perfect perennial for today’s modern gardens. Available in a broad spectrum of vibrant colors, many newer cultivars feature strong stems on compact plants. Variations in foliage color and texture offer multiple seasons of interest, while exceptional drought tolerance and deer resistance make them an excellent choice for low maintenance gardening. Lorē Sampson is one of three speakers who will be presenting on 09/21/2024 at HPSO’s fall event — PlantFest — to be held at Clackamas Community College (a…
Meet Jeff Moore, owner of a small retail succulent nursery, Solana Succulents, in Solana Beach, CA – about 20 miles north of San Diego. Jeff has written 5 books on agaves and succulents and has amassed an incredible collection of unique varieties. What’s my gardening style? I ‘garden’ in Southern California, blissfully unaware of what zone number I live in. Everything grows here. I put ‘garden’ in quotes, because in the succulent world we don’t really garden. We just dig holes and stick plants in, creating living sculpture displays. There is very little gardening to do in the traditional sense…
What do you get when a meticulous gardener with an eye for color teams up with a master craftsman? A truly one of a kind, unique garden bursting with personality. Mary and Harlan Courtney started gardening on their property in 2015 and as they gave a tour during their HPSO Open Garden day in August 2021, their excitement and love for the garden was obvious. Perched in the hills in Banks, Oregon, stunning views of the forest surround Mary and Harlan’s gorgeous garden full of fun. The Garden Layout & Design You won’t find straight lines in the garden –…
