Mike lives and gardens in a suburb of Portland, Oregon where he has resided since 1969.
He grew in up Tucson, Arizona where he worked at a small retail nursery during his high school and college years. He received his formal education at the University of Arizona where he was awarded a Bachelor of Science Degree in Horticulture, and though he values his formal education, he values his field-experience more. It is hard to beat the ‘hands on’ experience of actually gardening, visiting gardens, and sharing information with other gardeners.
Mike has been involved with gardening communications throughout his adult life. In addition to garden writing, he has done television gardening shows in Portland, and for over 30 years he hosted a Saturday radio talk show in Portland. Now he writes, speaks, gardens and continues to share his love of gardening.
To be connected to the gardening industry is a bonus in life for Mike. He has found gardeners to be among the friendliest and most caring, generous people. Consequently, many of his friends he has met through gardening.
Banana Plants in Portland – Photo Courtesy of Kathy and Harvey Anderson
In the late 1990’s, I was surprised to learn there was a banana plant that was hardy enough to thrive in Portland, Oregon. Yes, I was skeptical, but I tried one and it has survived and multiplied by sending up many new “pups”. This particular banana is Musa basjoo and is root hardy, meaning in the winter the top may die to the ground but the roots survive and the plant will emerge in the spring. Due to our mild winter this past year, I am hearing from gardeners telling me they have plants that are blooming. West Linn, Oregon gardeners Kathy and Harvey Anderson sent me this photo of their 17-foot tall banana with this very large and unique flower. Notice the bananas forming behind the flower. It is quite a novelty having banana plants bloom in Oregon!
With summer here and many parts of the Pacific Northwest having warm days and little or no rain, it is important not to forget to supply a source of water for birds in the garden. In my own garden, I have several water features and it is very enjoyable to see the diversity of the birds and to watch them come to get a drink. To prevent mosquitoes, always keep the water running, or if that is not possible, such as in a bird bath, rinse the container every couple of days and add fresh water daily. If you have a water feature that does not have running water and would not be practical to rinse often, add a Mosquito Dunk to prevent mosquitoes from breeding. It is harmless to birds and prevents mosquito larvae from maturing. An adult female mosquito can lay eggs in something like 2 tablespoons of standing water, so be aware. Don’t let them ruin your summer evenings in the garden.
I am always on the lookout for new plants and several years ago, looking through a catalog for Old House Gardens, I came across Canna ehemanii. This canna dates back to 1863 and the catalog description said it was “topped by arching sprays of dangling, bell-shaped, deep rose flowers”. The description is correct and this canna has been in a large pot in my deck for the past several summers. It has been in bloom for about two weeks and will continue blooming through the summer. It will reach about 6 feet in height and makes a grand showing of color. I have never seen it for sale at a retail garden center and mail order may be the only option. It is worth the search.
The intricate coloring of the Abutilon ‘Red Tiger’ – aka Red Tiger Plant – would be hard to duplicate unless it was an art piece created in stain glass (Photo by Zack Stack)
This past January I discussed the beautiful and unique Abutilon ‘Red Tiger’, also called a Red Tiger Plant, and how it could be a house plant in the winter and then taken outside. My plant is now outside and coming into full bloom with many flower buds just forming which indicates it will be blooming for a long time.
I have found that once they begin blooming, they continue through the summer and well into the fall. The intricate coloring of the flowers would be hard to duplicate unless it was an art piece created in stain glass. Abutilon ‘Red Tiger’ should be readily available in garden centers and plants should be in bud or bloom.
June is the month when, in most areas of the Pacific Northwest, roses will be at their peak bloom. Portland, Oregon calls itself “The City of Roses” and the Portland Rose Society is celebrating its 124th Annual Rose Show, which is the oldest rose show in the United States and also the largest.
At one time, rose bushes were a mainstay of many home gardens. There would be few home gardens without some rose bushes and they were a very traditional plant to have in the landscape. New varieties would appear every year and gardeners flocked to garden centers to get the newest and the best. In 1986, the rose was designated as the official flower of the United States. Do not think that roses only have color when they bloom. Look at this collage of photos from the garden of Portland rose grower Rich Baer of his bushes with no bloom but great color.
‘Peace’ Rose – Photo by Rich Baer
Roses have occurred throughout recorded history and it is interesting to note that they only occur in the northern hemisphere. The oldest rose identified today and still commercially available is Rosa gallica and in ancient Rome, it was very common to see roses planted at homes as well as in public gardens. In the 1700’s a revolution in rose interest occurred with the increased trade between China and Europe. Rosa chinensis, the China rose, was introduced into Sweden in 1752 and became well known in the rest of Europe around 1793. What made Rosa chinensis so phenomenal was that it was a repeat bloomer as prior to this time; roses were primarily one time bloomers.
More recently, one of the most popular roses of all time, ‘Peace’ has a very interesting history. In 1939, an international conference of rose hybridizers was held in Lyon, France. When the group visited the rose growing firm of Meilland, there was a particular rose that captivated their attention. Shortly thereafter, when it appeared that there would be a Nazi invasion of France, Francis Meilland sent budwood of this plant to rose growers in several countries including the United States. After France was liberated in 1944, plants from this budwood were introduced into the United States and the rose was named ‘Peace’. In 1945, the secretary of the American Rose Society sent each of the 49 delegations at the inaugural meeting of the United Nations a single long-stemmed ‘Peace’ rose with the note: “We hope the ‘Peace’ rose will influence men’s thoughts for everlasting world peace.”
‘Knockout’ Roses – Photo by Rich Baer
Over the years, roses began to lose some of their allure as rose breeders tended to concentrate on plants with strong stems and single “perfect” flowers. Fragrance and disease resistance seemed to have gotten lost. The way we garden has also changed and with homes on smaller lots, there is less space to plant a traditional rose garden. Gardeners began to plant mixed borders or flower beds that were not made up of just one variety but many. Then the “green” movement arrived and the high maintenance of caring for roses with constant spraying made them even less desirable.
The gardening public wanted roses that were fragrant and required little or no spraying and luckily the rose breeders heeded the public and new roses began to appear with both fragrance and disease resistance.
Rosa Glauca – Photo by Rich Baer
One of the most popular roses of all time is “Knockout”. This is a shrub type rose with clusters of cherry red flowers. I have a grouping of “Knockout” in my garden and I have never sprayed them nor have I seen any sign of disease. This would have been unheard of not so many years ago. While it is not the traditional long stem rose, it is a shrub that mixes well with other plants and gives me color all summer.
Another favorite rose in my garden is Rosa glauca which is a species rose. While the flower is a single type, the foliage on this plant is outstanding and many people visiting my garden will comment on it. The leaves tend to be a blue-gray color and provide great contrast to the green foliage surrounding it. This is a large growing plant, mine is probably eight feet tall and almost as wide. The branches tend to be weeping and thus give a fountain effect. Try planting this in the background of a flower or shrub bed. An added bonus is clusters of red hips in the fall.
Monkey Business Rose – Peoples Choice Best Rose – Photo by Rich Baer
As part of the Portland Rose Festival Celebration, there is an event called “Portland’s Best Rose”. This event was held on Sunday, June 10, at the International Rose Test Garden in Washington Park. A group of rose enthusiasts, media people and gardeners, all come together and judge a selection of roses growing in the International Rose Test Garden with the criteria being how the roses look right at this moment. The overall winner designated as Portland’s Best Rose for 2012 was “Monkey Business”. Looking at this photo, it is easy to see why.
A special category is that of fragrance. For this category, the general public was asked to vote along with the “judges”. The winner was “Sugar Moon”. Not only did “Sugar Moon” win at Portland’s Best Rose event, it also won as best fragrance at the Portland Rose Society Rose Show.
Sugar Moon Rose – People Choice Fragrance – Photo by Rich Baer
Growing roses is not difficult. The primary requirement is sun and good drainage. They should be planted with a minimum of five hours of sunlight. Use Black Gold Garden Compost Blend when planting and work it into the ground around the roots as well as on top of the soil. Rose and flower fertilizer will supply the necessary nutrients for a healthy bush and is formulated with alfalfa meal which is prized by many rose growers. Apply in spring when new growth appears, again in mid-summer and a final application in late summer or early fall.
Check out your local garden center for disease resistant roses and you will see how easy it is to work them into your landscape with other blooming plants. There is no need to be on a constant spray program with the new roses available today.
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by another name would smell as sweet”. ~ William Shakespeare
This is a great time of year to visit other gardens and I try to always try to visit some that are new to me. Seeing how other gardeners use plants can make me think of new plants that I can use in my own garden and, any gardener knows, ‘we never have enough plants’! One of my own personal favorite plants is Melianthus major and I am seeing this used more often in other gardens. It does send up a brown bloom stalk but I think the beauty of this plant is in the foliage. With the serrated edge of the leaves and their off green color, it is a plant that attracts much attention in my garden. Give it a full sun location and enjoy the water droplets of dew that collect on the leaves in early morning.
When planing this or any other perennial that enjoys fertile ground, I start with amending the soil with rich organic material. A good product of choice is Black Gold Earthworm Castings. Not only does it provide all the needed fertility, it is also OMRI Listed for organic gardening!
As I visit other gardens this summer, I am, of course, interested to see what plants they are growing, but I also like looking for garden art. I think garden art can often reflect something of the personality of the gardener. Whether it is whimsical, serious or perhaps something that has a special memory for the gardener, it is enjoyable to see what people have and how they have it displayed. When I saw this “pottery person”, it made me smile. This would be easy to make and with many variations, not only in the design but also in what is planted on top.
This past week, I have been spreading hazelnut shells on the pathways in my garden. In many parts of the country, there are agricultural crops that produce an agriculture bi-product after processing. In Oregon, we have large farms growing Hazelnuts and when the nuts are cracked, the shells are left. Processing plants will usually sell these at a low cost because they want to get rid of them. In my garden, I have found that hazelnut shells make a great pathway. I’ve used them for many years and each year get a replacement for a light covering of new shells to give the pathways a new fresh look. Hazelnut shells look nice, are an alternative to gravel and have a pleasant crunching sound when being walked upon.
It is not too late to plant some summer flowers and foliage plants from seed. I am always surprised that more people don’t plant Amaranthus Joseph’s Coat as it is very easy to grow from seed, likes the sun, grows fast, and gives great color in late summer and fall. It is the leaves that provide the color and they can be red, yellow, cream, burgundy and a combination of all. We had some friends that had a container of these plants by their entry way last year and the color was spectacular. For some reason, the 4-inch potted plants at garden centers often do not look so good, so I think growing from seed is best.
Memorial Day is the traditional weekend for me to clean the water features in my garden and make sure everything is working as it should. The sound of running water is a delight in a garden and can be an attractive garden art feature as well. I have a rain chain that I use as a water feature and at the base have recycled glass, it is called glacier rock, but is actually glass. Often during the summer I will see a hummingbird perch on one of the links and get a drink and seeing that is a true highlight.
