Butchart Gardens, Victoria

This August I went up to Victoria and visited the Buchart gardens for the first time. I have to say I was not prepared for such a riot of color and annuals. I don't think I have ever been to such a brightly colored garden, nor one so immaculately maintained. You can see the plants love the climate there.

view of the sunken garden

view of the sunken garden

pathway with perennials in sunken garden.

pathway with perennials in sunken garden.

shade garden

sunken garden pathway

sunken garden border

sunken garden border

bright floral contrast- heliatrope and rudbeckia

totem pole and annual border

sword ferns and redwood

The japanese garden had some really nice elements, like a moss garden, and some well done ponds.

japanese shade garden

japanese moss garden

bamboo tunnel

harbor

japanese garden border

japanese garden pond

japanese garden pond

japanese garden pond

border of astilbe

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mediterranean garden

California Dreaming

This rainy spring weather here in Portland is making me wish I were someplace warm and dry. Last September I visited my family in the Bay Area and got to see the Botanical Gardens at UC Berkley and some cool gardens at a place up in the wine country. I am not sure that many of these plants I took pictures of at the Botanical Gardens would survive up here. I am sure I would see a lot of them around the city if they did, they are so cool.

Love the combination of textures.

Cool spiraling aloe.

 

Not sure what this is... should have paid more attention to the nametags.

Tree ferns from New Zealand.

Reminds me of a Hebe.

Great flaking bark on this tree.

So cute- hedgehog aloe.

Nicely planted wagon of succulents I saw on the street in Berkley.

Olive trees and lavender in a raised bed of natural stone. Classic wine country.

Lovely border with white roses, purple catmint and russian sage. 

Nepeta. The bees love it.

Garden display using agave and grasses- works really well.

Another shot of this nice garden. Love the idea.

Building Raised Beds (part I)

After many years of growing my vegetables in the ground with mixed results I am finally building raised beds in my backyard for my vegetables. The design I came up with is a U shaped 2-foot high bed which can be divided into four equally spaced sections for crop rotation. In the center of the U-shape will be a chicken coop with a greenroof for growing my shallow root crops such as lettuce. 

sketch of my raised beds and chicken coop plan.

To increase my crop yield by reducing pests and diseases, I integrated crop rotation and companion planting into my design layout. I divided my beds into 4 zones. Each zone is planted with plants that grow well together and have beneficial qualities, such as attracting pollinators, and other beneficial insects. Every year the zones will rotate clockwise, meaning the same plants will not live in the same soil for another 3 years. I divided my zones this way:

Zone 1: Tomatoes, Basil, Parsley, Rapini, with Alyssum and Nasturtiums as beneficials.
Zone 2: Squash, Cucumbers, Melons with Calendula and Borage as beneficials (both edible flowers).
Zone 3: Beets, Chard, Garlic, Brussel Sprouts, Anise, Bush Beans, Cabbage eith Chamomile as a beneficial.
Zone 4: Parsnips, Radish, Carrots, Pole Beans, Peas, Mustard with Nasturtiums as beneficials.

Planting plan for Vegetable beds.

To build the beds I decided to use juniper as it is the most resistant to water and dirt that I know. I have heard figures that seem hard to believe- like 50 years without being treated with anything. I got 2x6 inch boards at Sustainable Northwest Wood by OMSI. It was slow going building it by myself as each board is pretty heavy and had to go section by section from the ground up. Each 4x4 I buried 6" into the ground and worked constantly at keeping the sections level.

First section.

Half of the base complete.

All of the base finally complete.

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Trellises added to the beds.

The beds are mostly full of dirt and compost now and ready to plant with my early spring crops like carrots, lettuce and radish. Next project will be the chicken coop with greenroof.