October 22, 2007
Filed under: Flowers — admin @ 1:44 pm
Portland is a city located in the U.S. State of Oregon it is situated at the navigable head point of the Willamette River. It was the major port on the American Pacific north west coast during most of the 19th century.
The city is a wet city, but fortunately the rain is seasonal so you can arrange your holiday around it. The climate is ideal for growing roses, and for more than a century Portland has been known as The City of Roses and it has many rose gardens. Roses form the centre of the city’s Rose Festival in June.
The region is renowned for seafood, berries, pears, cherries, hazelnuts, wild game and vegetables of all kinds. Pioneer Place is a down town mall filled with upscale stores, many of which you can not be found else where in Portland.
Portlanders are not generally known for dressing up. The yuppie crowd will be happy in the Pearl District. The old warehouses have been turned into desirable loft residences and the streets are lined with cafes, restaurants, wine bars, upmarket shops and art galleries. The block between 46th and 47th on South east Woodstock is a great place to experience the Portland scene.
Pioneer Courthouse Square, is a public space in the centre of downtown Portland, Oregon. Dozens of events are held here every year, including free shows during spring and summer, sponsored by the local businesses. Events held in the square are usually for all age.
One of the more recognized pieces of public art in Portland is Seward Johnson’s, a bronze statue of a man in a business suit, holding an umbrella and welcoming you with a friendly gesture.
The Portland Classical Chinese Garden is a blend of water, architecture, stone and poetry set against a richly planted landscape. Over looking the lake, the Tao of Tea teahouse features more than thirty five teas and Chinese snacks.
The town is well-known for its microbrewery beer. It is often said that Portland is the home of the microbrew revolution of the United States. The Oregon Brewers Festival in July can be combined with a tour and sampling at one of the many excellent, local microbreweries
The Portland Classical Chinese Gardens is named the Garden of Awakening Orchids this walled garden is in Portland’s Chinatown and is a replica of traditional gardens found in Suzhou, Portland’s sister city in China.
It combines the elements of water, architecture, literature stone, and plants to create balance and harmony in the city.
Douglas Scott works and writes for The Car Hire Specialist. and is a free lance writer for The Portland Villa Rental Site
Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com
October 18, 2007
Filed under: Gardening — admin @ 1:12 pm
In the planting of rock gardens, we must aim to secure by means of careful selection and grouping, an impression of breadth and boldness in the color masses.
Nothing is more satisfactory when contemplating any form of garden art, than the feeling that the designer has from the beginning worked with the idea of achieving some definite purpose. This is especially so in the case of rock gardens.
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Beautiful garden pictures are only possible when each small plant is made to play its part in the building up of a definite scheme.
There are hundreds of plants suitable for rock gardens, but only the most desirable should be included. Rarity should not influence selection. The commonest and easiest grown flowers are often the most beautiful. Nor should too many varieties be grown.
It is better to plant two or three representatives of a family in bold groups, than to obtain perhaps four times the number of different species, with but a single plant of each.
For rapidly establishing themselves in cushion-like tufts covering the edges of the larger stones, the Rock Cresses (Aubrietia) are unequalled. They will grow in almost any soil, and may be increased by seeds or division. A.Purpurea and A.Deltoidea are the oldest of the group and have long been favorites.   Â
A.Groeca, lilac-purple, and A.Campbelli, deep violet-blue, give lighter shades among the purples. Near these, a sheet of snowy Arabis would afford a brilliant contrast, and to complete the picture we would arrange a cluster of golden Alyssum.
These three families of rock plants, all perfectly hardy, provide materials for creating one of those bold color effects, which are often more welcome than subtle harmonies.
Another good grouping would consist of Iberis sempervirens and the yellow Alpine Wallflower (Cheiranthus alpinus). This combination is particularly beautiful on an almost perpendicular rock face, the deep green and white curtain of Candytuft falling among the golden Wallflowers, which thrive well in the earth fissures of rock walling.
An exquisite picture is achieved by a few plants of Lithospermum prostratum (Gromwell), and a cluster of the Pyramidal Saxifrage (S.Cotyledon). Given a large boulder, rising from an earth ledge, we may plant the former so that it falls, a cascade of gentian blue, into the lap of the silverleaved Rockfoils.
In addition to the beauty of blue and silver, tall pyramids of white Saxifrage flowers will rise in graceful clusters before a curtain of azure.
Between scattered clumps of the Blue Winter Windflower (A.Blanda), drifts of Snowdrops may wander freely, a carpet of the white and silver Saxifraga caesia giving an added beauty to the rosy tufts of the Glacier Pink (D.Neglectus).
Saponaria ocymoides forms with the Creeping Sandwort (Arenaria) a mist of pink and white over rock ledges and grey stones, the graceful flower sprays of Maiden’s Wreath (Francoa) are seen to greatest advantage when backed by the rich green foliage of Alpine Rhododendrons and other shrubs.
It would be easy to suggest further combinations, either for form or color, but the value of garden books lies more in suggestion than in the laying down of fixed rules.
A garden heedlessly planted can never be really beautiful, good pictures require something more than the mere covering of a canvas with splashes of paint. The grouping of plants, so that each individual is of some benefit to its neighbor, is a pleasant task, and calls forth the best instincts of the lover of Nature.
Please visit rock garden construction for more rock garden information.
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October 10, 2007
Filed under: Gardening — admin @ 12:06 pm
Creating a balanced deck garden design is best achieved by following a series of basic principles. The repetition of colors and textures throughout the bed planting greatly helps to create rhythm within the design and draw it together visually.
Several clusters of the same yellow daylily placed down the center of the bed could be mirrored colorwise by marigolds of the same shade. It is wise to concentrate on repeating plants that offer especially long bloom times, healthy foliage and large, plentiful and colorful blooms.
Generally taller perennials and shrubs are placed at the back of a bed with shorter ones in front. However this can look too rigid. So it is a better strategy to bring some taller plants out a bit mixed with medium sized ones and move some midsized plants to the front to give the planting bed depth and variety.
Try mixing plant forms also, interspersing clumps that are upright in nature with others that are of the mounding type.
Deck gardens with plants that are all the same shape are generally quite boring. Make a point of mixing rounded, vertical and flatter type plants throughout the garen plot to achieve a sense of visual contrast. Interest can also be added by combining plants that have very large leaves with those having small, finely textured ones.
The repetition of these contrasting combinations creates rhythm in the design and brings a sense of unity also.
Another basic principle that works is to add visual symmetry by echoing the shapes and textures of certain plants. Clumps of perennials with a rounded habit such as sedum can be planted along the front of the bed.
Larger ornamental grasses can be placed at intervals along the back of the bed to create a sense of excitement. Repeat these shapes with smaller grasses or clumps of yuccas toward the front of the bed.
The installation of a large planting bed around a deck can be a major project involving a good deal of work. It makes sense to spread the work out by preparing and planting sections over several weekends or even over a season or two. Fall is an excellent time for digging new beds because the weather is cooler and the soil is generally moist and easier to work.
Once the digging is complete it is simply a matter of mulching heavily for the winter and eventually doing the planting in the spring. The best sequence for planting consists of doing trees, shrubs and vines first followed by perennials and other plants last.
If the physical tasks are too daunting it is always possible to hire help to remove lawn grass and weeds and also prepare the soil. Avoid tilling weeds and grass into the soil. The weeds will simply resprout to create the same old problem again. Cut off the lawn in strips with a spade or rent a sod cutter to remove it.
To discourage any weeds that remain add a layer of 8 sheets of newspaper over top of the soil before spreading a layer of mulch on top.
Adding more plants to a deck garden results in a layered effect. Beds that are densely planted crowd out most weeds and cover and protect the soil. As a result less weeding and mulching is required and this markedly cuts down on garden maintenance time and effort.
The result is a season long show of gorgeous blooms and foliage. The space around and under shrubs can be filled with perennials and ground covers.
A layer of hardy bulbs beneath all of the other plants can add color at the beginning and end of the season. Annuals can be placed within the bed to fill in any areas that cry out for attention.
A balanced deck garden design does not happen overnight and it does not happen accidentally. Using specific design principles it is easily possible to create one that is aesthetically pleasing and blends in beautifully with the deck that it borders.
Richard Vande Sompel is a professional deck builder of 35 years and over 850 decks built and is the author of “How to Plan, Design and Build a Deck from Start to Finish”. To Discover More About Deck Garden Design and Claim your 2
FREE Deck Plans, Insider Report, MP3 Audio and discover everything to know about building a deck visit:
http://www.DeckBuildingRevealed.com
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October 8, 2007
Filed under: Flowers — admin @ 1:31 pm
For brightness perhaps nothing equals Paul’s Carmine Pillar rose. For a few weeks it is simply a mass of color, and that of a lovely rich pink rose. The
flowers, produced the whole length of the shoots, are single and none the less beautiful for that.
With its pretty golden stamens and shell-like rose petals, glossy green leaves and picturesque habit, this rose tree is one of the most artistic we have.
Turner’s Crimson Rambler, one of the Polyantha roses, is also a first-rate pillar rose.Those who have tried and failed with it on a wall should bring it away, and provide it with plenty of space and a pole, and almost before we can turn round, it has scaled the heights and is looking down on us in blushing triumph.
To grow it well, plenty of feeding is necessary, though even in a light, poor soil, it will give a great many bunches, but the individual flowers will be smaller, and not so perfect. This is another tree in which artists delight, its habit of growth is so unconventional and free.
Aimee Vibert is a pretty little white rose, each of the under petals being touched with pink in the manner of a daisy. It blooms in clusters, and lasts some time in flower, but when the blossoms die they must be cut off by hand, as, unlike most roses, it does not shed its petals one by one.
The whole flower shrivels and turns brown, and the tree naturally is an eyesore until they are removed. Isaac Pereire, a Bourbon, is a hardy free blooming variety, with deep rose-colored flowers of large size. It blooms abundantly, and is altogether very vigorous, and suitable for a pillar. It is a Hybrid Perpetual.
Gustav Regis, a Hybrid Tea, is a climber, and can be tried as a pillar too, it should indeed be grown in every possible form, so excellent is this delightful rose. Madame Alfred Carriere, a Noisette, is good as a pillar, and continues in flower much longer than the Hybrid Perpetuals.
The position has a good deal to do with the roses chosen. Teas, Hybrid Teas, and Noisettes should never be put in draughty, exposed situations, but in warm, sunny nooks. Hybrid Perpetuals, Bourbons, Polyantha, and Evergreen Roses do well in colder quarters.
Of the evergreen varieties, Leopoldine d’Orleans is a most vigorous, free-blooming kind. At a distance a mass of it looks like snow, so white are its petals and so profusely are they borne. Unfortunately, it does not last longer than a month in bloom, but it is well worth having nevertheless.
William Allen Richardson is sometimes recommended for pillars, but I scarcely consider it reliable enough for that position, except in very warm gardens. It is inclined to canker occasionally, and is scarcely quick growing enough to give a good effect soon.
Where it does well, and there is patience, it makes a pretty picture, and of course there is no other quite the same rich shade of creamy orange.
Waltham Climber is an easy and effective rose to grow. Though a Hybrid Tea it is quite hardy, and bears sweet scented crimson roses, large and full.
Filed under: Gardening — admin @ 1:18 pm
Bluestone paving is a wonderful choice for a patio. I am partial to natural stone as paving materials, and bluestone certainly is that.
Bluestone is available in both a natural stone shape and also rectilinear. There are quite a few different bluestone patio ideas to consider.
Natural Shaped Bluestone
Building a patio out of this type of stone will result in an irregular paving pattern, which can be very attractive. The stones may be set in mortar or they may be dry laid. If dry laid, the joints can get quite wide due to the uneven edges of the stones, but can be filled with sand or a material that hardens over time.
The edges of the patio are usually curvilinear or straight, but they can also be designed so that the outer stone edges become the patio edge.
Patterned Bluestone
This stone is rectilinear in shape. You may use stone that is all one size or it may be a combination of sizes.
Stones that are 18′x18′ or 24″x24″ create attractive designs.
The stone pattern may be laid perpendicular to the house, or it may be on a diagonal.
This stone also may be wet laid or dry laid. If dry laid, try to keep the joints between 1/4″ and 3/8″ for a tighter fit. You have a little bit more flexibility in joint size if setting the stones in mortar.
Bluestone comes in a few different colors. The two nicest are all blue and full range. All blue is where the stones are “blue” with little color variation. Full range is my favorite. There is a mix of colors within each stone consisting of blue, gold-brown (from iron) and some other tones.
Problems with Patterned Bluestone
The pieces of bluestone when rectilinear should be perfectly “square”, meaning that the stone form a perfect square. If you fit two together, they would meet perfectly and all lines would be straight. That is in a perfect world, of course!
Most of the time, they are not square. Look at a bluestone patio, and stand at one end and look at the lines of the joints. They should be straight and even. Yet because bluestone is not always cut properly at the quarry, the pieces are not exactly straight. If used as is, your joint lines will not be straight either.
So, what is the solution?
1.The contractor can assume there will be waste on the job and only use the best shaped pieces, ordering extra. This should be figured into the costs.
2.The pieces of bluestone can be saw cut to make them perfectly straight, also an extra cost due to the time involved.
3.Let your contractor know you are aware of this problem and that you expect a good job regarding this situation.
There is a type of bluestone called “thermal finish”. This bluestone is supposed to be very square. However, at times it is not.
Susan Schlenger is a Landscape Designer with a degree in Landscape Architecture. To read more about her professional landscape design ideas and see many of her projects, visit http://www.landscape-design-advice.com/patio-designs.html
Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com
October 3, 2007
Filed under: Gardening — admin @ 12:20 pm
Whatever the reason most people enjoy seeing butterflies in their gardens and would welcome more.The good news is that it is not that difficult to add the essential ingredients that attract lots of these beautiful creatures, and keep them happy once they have turned up.
It is worth saying that a garden that works for butterflies is perfect for other creatures too.Like the canary down the mine, the presence of lots of butterflies is often an indicator of a healthy environment.
Butterfly lifecycle:-
Every infant school pupil knows caterpillers turn into butterflies (and moths), but most of us are often less clued up about the details of butterfly lifecycles.
In the late summer months buddleias and other flowering plants are alive with the flutter of butterflies, but within a few weeks the majority, though not all, will die as winter approaches.
Others like the small tortoiseshells and red admirals, look for a quiet dry hideaway and prepare to sleep until spring. When warmer weather arrives, they find a mate and the female lays eggs that hatch out as the years first brood of caterpillars.
Once those caterpillars have eaten their fill, they go through the transformation from chrysalis stage to winged adulthood.
Some species lay a last brood of eggs in autumn which then remain unhatched until spring, and a few others survive the cold months tucked away in chrysalis. If you are setting out to make your garden more butterfly friendly, it is worth thinking about different strategies for winter survival.
Obviously you need to provide flowers for adult butterflies in summer and early autumn, but just as important is some sort of shelter during winter and somewhere for caterpillars to live.Â
Now for something sweet to eat:-
The main priority is definitely nectar. Butterflies will visit any garden if it has the right mix of plants. Pick a selection from the list below:-
* Flowering March to May Aubretia, Alyssum, Sweet rocket and Forget-me-not.
* Flowering June and July Buddleia, Red Valerian and Pot marrigold.
* Flowering August to October Buddleia, Candytuff, Sweet William, Sedum spectabile and Michaelmas daisy.
Where you position the nectar plants can make all the difference. Butterflies are very sensitive to heat loss and will avoid chilly winds, so a south facing border that catches the sun but is protected from breezes is a certain favorite.
To get the maximum value from what you plant, it is best to put flowers together in blocks rather than scattering individual varieties here and there. This is because as butterflies move around an area they are more likely to spot blocks of the colours they are searching for.
Somewhere to lay eggs:-
The best butterfliy garden needs to be more than a nectar cafe. It should also provide somewhere for females to lay their eggs and for young caterpillars to feed.
Watch a female butterfly looking for the right foliage to lay her eggs on and you will see her briefly taste each leaf. She is very choosy, as most caterpillars will eat only the leaves of one or two plant species.
This means that if you allocate some space to growing the right plants you will probably end up growing beautiful butterflies too.
Also it is worth finding some space for some plants which caterpillars love to eat, eg, the catterpillar of the orange tip will eat honesty, while the brimstone’s caterpillar likes buckthorn leaves and the comma enjoys munching hops.
The favorite catterpillar food of the peacocks, red admirals, and tortoiseshells, is the stinging nettle.
Provide a shelter:-
Lastly but not least, caterpillars and butterflies need shelter during the winter, it is a matter of life or death. This doesn’t mean you need to buy the “butterfly homes” which you sometime see in garden centers, the best tactic is to be a little more relaxed about your end of year garden clear up.
When we clear dead flower heads from borders in autumn, we often destroy chrystalises. Overgrown hedges and climbers are typically the places adult butterflies pick to hibernate, so leave the tidying up until the spring.
Butterflies will visit any garden if it has the right mix of plants visit http://www.mygardencenteronline.com and our garden perennials department to find those plants.
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