Too much blogging about the plants at Cistus Nursery? Not possible. Either you are lucky enough to be able to visit frequently but you can’t get enough, or you aren’t able to visit, and it is our duty as Portlanders to share the experience.
You must always stop and visit the mature tree fern. We rarely [...]
It turns out that wet compost is heavy. It also turns out, that if you shovel wet compost into a wheelbarrow until it is heaping full, it creates the perfect lever for wrenching your lower back into a crippling state for two weeks. So for anyone else that’s worrying about a pile of compost in [...]
Trays of succulents as cupcakes, perfect for a garden party.
Making a miniature landscape with Dyckia as agave and Pachypodium as a tree.
If the huge rhizomes of Canna Stutgart produced similarly huge plants.
If I had planted my new Furcrea already, how nice it would work as a bookend to the container garden
I was just talking this weekend about how sad it is that not everyone gets to live a short drive drive from Cistus Nursery – a mecca for foliage lovers. How about a look at some more of the plants from my visit a couple weeks ago? I just wish there was a way that [...]
Some places know how to set the stage. There’s never a time of year where Cistus nursery fails to inspire. The greenhouse this year is decorated with paper lanterns and chandeliers, and suddenly, winter doesn’t seem like garden downtime anymore. The greenhouse felt like the setting for a party, with the most charming of plant [...]
What’s a trip to a nursery without a handful of plants added to the wish list? I wonder, for people who have more experience plant gawking than I do, if you ever feel like you’ve already seen it all? I almost hope I never know all the plants there are to know so I can [...]
Yesterday I made the two hour drive from Portland down to Springfield to visit Gossler Farms. The days before were sunny and dry, but the day I took off from work was cool and drizzly, but not so bad that I could be scared off from exploring the amazing display gardens. I never label my [...]
On Sunday I attended the Timber Press Spring Book Soiree, where a handful of authors spoke and read passages from their books. The biggest wave of excitement from the crowd happened when Roger Gossler of Gossler Farms Nursery showed off a Helleborus with a true black flower, and then announced that it was one of [...]
I think a chilly blustery December day is a great time to check out what’s happening at the nursery. You get the place mostly to yourself, and have plenty of time to appreciate the subtle charms of the plants that are still putting on a show. I took some time to check out the stock [...]
I love plant shopping this time of year. I refuse to give in to the notion that the winter garden has to be dominated by naked trees and bare ground. I have aspirations to make my winter garden something to look forward to, just as I do spring. Evergreens are a staple, when they maintain [...]