The past two months have been busy ones both in and out of the garden. I hope you will forgive my tardiness in updating our blog. I’m going to use more pictures and less text so that I don’t spend so much time at the computer during the height of gardening season. We’ll journey briefly back to our May and June meetings; our trips to Sebright, Carolyn Guinther's garden, Mike Snyder's garden, Kinzey Fair, and Laurel Hedge; and any other events of note. I'm hoping to catch up and stay current - at least for the rest of this year. :-)
I’ve tried to be diligent in taking pictures and believe that I have something to share from almost every one of our outings – having pictures is one thing, but having good pictures is another. Sometimes I capture way too many back sides and unflattering facial expressions or the weather isn't cooperative. I promise not to post anything too far out.
Without looking at the calendar, I know it is after July 5th Oregon's first day of summer. With the sun shining on clematis flowers that are almost a month late to bloom, I am especially appreciative – both for the extra vitamin D and for the uplifting brightness of the day. I’m not even going to complain about being too warm when the thermometer passes eighty degrees. Take note, Mother Nature, the weather is great – no complaints here!
OUR MAY MEETING
Sunshine and warmth greeted us as we gathered at Bruna's lovely Beaverton home.
I’ve tried to be diligent in taking pictures and believe that I have something to share from almost every one of our outings – having pictures is one thing, but having good pictures is another. Sometimes I capture way too many back sides and unflattering facial expressions or the weather isn't cooperative. I promise not to post anything too far out.
Without looking at the calendar, I know it is after July 5th Oregon's first day of summer. With the sun shining on clematis flowers that are almost a month late to bloom, I am especially appreciative – both for the extra vitamin D and for the uplifting brightness of the day. I’m not even going to complain about being too warm when the thermometer passes eighty degrees. Take note, Mother Nature, the weather is great – no complaints here!
OUR MAY MEETING
Sunshine and warmth greeted us as we gathered at Bruna's lovely Beaverton home.
Bruna's bright and cheery mailbox lets everyone know that a gardener lives here! 
Near the entrance, Viburnum davidii is just beginning to flower. What a nice backdrop for the fountain where cherubs frolic beneath their umbrella and Euonymus 'Emerald N Gold' shines brightly from below. 
Lush, new growth in the back garden shouts "It's Spring!". Not many gardens have a grand staircase, but that is just how I felt standing at the top of this one. It is a gentle and easy climb to a wonderful outdoor entertaining area on the huge deck with a fabulous view of Bruna's well tended garden below.
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| Donna and Bruna |
OUR MEETING
We discussed our "Favorite Garden Magazines" and several members brought along examples to share. The hands down winner was Gardens Illustrated http://www.gardensillustrated.com/, a British publication that does not have distracting ads and has wonderful articles with great pictures. It is somewhat expensive, but the HPSO library has it available to check out. Garden Gate http://www.gardengatemagazine.com/ and Gardens West http://www.gardenswest.com/qry/page.taf were also popular selections and subscriptions are more reasonably priced. Dru suggested that we ask for a senior rate when considering a subscription. She has found the discount can be substantial.
Fewer of us are reading and/or subscribing to old favorites like Sunset, Horticulture, and Fine Gardening. The biggest complaint was the change in format making the newer magazines more difficult to read and the content less informative and interesting. Many of us are no longer subscribing to magazines because we don't get around to reading them, we have less space available to store them and we are finding so much information quickly available on the internet. Many of us have found that donating our used magazines to libraries and senior centers clears our clutter, and gives new life to the publications.
Diana's solution to keep magazines from piling up has been to remove her favorite articles over the years, put them in plastic sleeves, and file them by subject in binders. She now has a compact library of reference books and can easily locate the information she needs. What a great idea for hanging on to what matters while letting go of extra clutter over the years.
This was an interesting and informative discussion. Thanks to Diane for suggesting the topic and to everyone who attended for sharing their experience, knowledge and helpful hints. The links above will take you to the websites for each of the favorite magazines listed above.
We discussed upcoming field trips which have all been taken as of the date of this post with the exception of the trip to the Miller Garden in Seattle later this month and which is now at capacity.
Next post - we'll look back at our trip to Sebright................
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