Wildflowers of Big Summit Prairie

Hiking with wild flower enthusiasts just might be an oxymoron. How much exercise can you get if the flowers are abundant, your companions are determined identifiers, AND you can find dozens of different species in 20 square feet in a ditch next to the main road through Big Summit Prairie? Carpets of White and Yellow Wyethia were intermixed with Meadow Larkspur and Indian Paintbrush. It looked like fields of short sunflowers so bright that we were dazzled without slowing down the car.
When we did get some walking in (with noses in the fieldbooks) the micro climates displayed ever changing floral arrangements; Dryland Lupine with Desert Parsley and Pussytoes, Camas with Meadow Larkspur and Prairie Stars. Such an amazing show of nature! It made us all want to add wildflowers to our own gardens.

These Central Oregon Natives are happy and adapt well to garden settings---

For dryland or low water areas: Pussytoes (Antennaria rosea) Oregon Sunshine (Eriophyllum lanatum) Sedum oreganum, Sulfur Buckwheat (Eriogonum umbellatum)
Rocky Mt. Penstemon (P. stricus)
Moderate water gardens: Lewis' Monkey Flower (Mimulus lewisii), Blue Eyed Grass(Sisyrichium idahoense), Prairie Smoke flower (Geum triflorum)
For naturalizing : Blue Flax (Linum perenne) , Scarlet Gillia (Ipomopsis aggregata), Orange
Globe Mallow (Sphaeralcea munroana)

Chris's Pet Plant of the Week

 Lewis' Monkeyflower, Mimulus lewisii

"It's blooming it's little brains out right now"
Lewis Monkeyflower is a native wildflower that can be found along Crater Ditch near Broken Top. It is currently available at Heart Springs Nursery in Tumalo.
Contact Jeff @ 541 280-7576

New Service -Garden Coaching

Heart Springs Design announces a new service: garden coaching.
We will provide on site "therapy" for your garden or design dilemmas.

'Garden coaching? in Central Oregon it's more like 'garden cheerleading'!

what with killing frosts any day of the year
sandy soil over rocks and rocks and rocks
hungry varmints of all shapes and sizes.......

.....and mountain view patios that bake your guests....
everyone around here could use some garden coaching!

Heart Springs Landscape design team of garden coaches can cheer up your outdoor experience with affordable, personal consultations catered to your landscape issues.  Now the homeowner with specific garden problems or smaller projects can take advantage of over 50 years of Central Oregon garden experience and landscape design.  Heart Springs Garden Coaches are committed to a regional design approach centered on creating sustainable, hardy and trouble-free outdoor spaces.  We're available to answer any type of garden or landscape question, offer design solutions and best plant choices for our area, supply local resource information, and the encouraging words to set you on the path to your winning outdoor experience.  

Contact us for fees and availability at:

Heart Springs Landscape Design
915 NW Gasoline Alley
Bend, Oregon
541 385-0880
info@heartspringsdesign.com