High Desert Gardening

New Improved Blog

2010-10-13T10:34:00.000-07:00

Hello! Please go to our new and improved website to read our new and improved blog! We plan on making it worth your while with consistent, interesting and fun information. Hope to hear from you there. Thanks, The Heartsprings Design Team

Tuesday Twosomes

2010-05-11T12:59:00.000-07:00

This lovely twosome is one of the first to appear in Spring and is almost finished blooming by now.
Grape Hyacinth (Muscari racemosum)

and one of the earliest Veronica groundcovers, Georgia Blue Veronica (Veronica peduncularis 'Georgia Blue' AKA Veronica umbrosa 'Oxford Blue'

Grape Hyacinth naturalizes and forms lovely clumps of grass like foliage followed by its little blue torch like blooms. Georgia Blue Veronica is an evergreen (ever bronze, really) ground cover- that a least in my experience- spreads slowly with a lanky-limbed nature. Both are deer resistant and drought tolerant, once established. It's a sweet, dainty combination for Spring.

Blooming Right Now

2010-04-29T21:32:00.000-07:00

I've been seeing these chartreuse blooms around town. At first I thought they were just spring green emerging leaves. I asked CH about them and she said they were probably Norway Maples. I never considered the blooms of the Maples being very significant- but look along Reed Market Rd and you'll be entranced by the yellow hue. Kind of a nice contrast to the white and pink

Prunus family blooms that are just finishing up. The gnarly bark always seems out of place to me with the delicate blooms.

Look also for the Ornamental Pears that are showing off right now. Beautiful display in the Cascade Village Mall. Also young Callery Pear all along OB Riley.

Plant Watching

2010-04-29T09:28:00.000-07:00

We've decided to step away from the Mystery Plant question and answer blog format. It's proving too cumbersome to follow since the posts end up chronologically backwards. So, until we can grow a few more blog skills, we'll continue posting about the local plants that are catching our attention. If you have a question for our team- please post a comment, email us at info@heartspringsdesign.com or come out to the nursery 10-4pm Mondays thru Saturdays.

Happy Springtime! Serviceberry Trees are beginning to blossom.

Tuesday Twosomes

2010-04-27T21:13:00.000-07:00

A favorite combination. Perfectly blends with our native sages and junipers. Looks wonderful massed in dryland plantings. Takes on all the critter challenges...Blue Oat Grass and Walker's Low Catmint!!

Helictotrichon sempervirens

Nepeta 'Walker's Low'

Tuesday Twosomes

2010-04-20T18:43:00.000-07:00

Beautiful shrubs are great for so many landscape situations and this combo has it all. If you're looking for colorful foliage, hardy and adaptable 'personalities', and wonderful shape and leaf textures try 'Summer Wine' Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius)

with Dwarf Blue Artic Willow (Salix purpurea 'Nana).

Both shrubs have similar water needs. Both like sun or part shade and both grow about 5-6' with vase like graceful shapes. The only downsides are no great winter interest and no absolute deer resistance. Great choice if you have lots of room. And the colors really are striking together!

Answer to April 12th

2010-04-19T00:10:00.000-07:00

Chionodoxa. "Glory of the Snow"
These hardy bulbs produce up to ten starry flowers per stem.

They are perfect matched with Scilla (Squil)

and
Muscari " Grape Hyacinth"
for a beautiful, delicate spring palate.

Tuesday Twosomes

2010-04-13T09:37:00.000-07:00

We busy bees working at the nursery this week had fun pairing plants with Spring foliage interest.
We liked the way the emerging pink tinted foliage of the

Variegated Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Overdam')

reflected the cherry pink blooms of the Red Flowering Currant
( Ribes sanguineum)

The Red Flowering Cherry develops a fountain like shape and can reach 8' tall. The Overdam grass flower plumes top out at 5' and have a pretty pinkish tint later in the summer. Both thrive in sunnier areas and are water thrifty when established.
Deer will browse the currant, but it's not a 'deer candy' selection. Surrounding it with the tall grass might offer some protection.

Just a little Mystery

2010-04-12T09:05:00.000-07:00

I like daffodils. I really do. It's fun to be flooded with their shock of yellow this time of year when you're tiring of brown and gray and white and brown and gray. But they don't leave anything to your imagination. There is no mystery in a mass of daffodils. AND the foliage hangs around way too long after the fun is over.

This little bulb, however, takes a bit of work to notice. It blooms earlier than it's yellow friends. The critters seem to ignore it for the most part. It's dainty and hints of a spring sky. Have you seen any?

New! Tuesday Twosomes...

2010-04-06T21:29:00.000-07:00

Ani and I were very excited about this great combination. Both plants are evergreen- interesting textures together with complementary blooms and foliage colors. Both thrive in full sun, like great drainage- but will do fine in part shade.

Pineleaf Penstemon, Penstemon Pinifolius- has a red or a yellow flower. Angelina sedum, Sedum rupestre 'Angelina' has yellow green foliage that turns reddish- orange in winter. I see that there's a Blanket flower in the sedum picture which would also be a fine addition to this twosome- Gaillardia aristata. Oh boy. Look for more fun combos every Tuesday on this blog. Mondays will be for Mystery Mondays. We're getting new plants in at the nursery every day now. Hope it stops snowing soon so we can open... looking at this coming Saturday.

Answer to Mystery Tree- March 22

2010-03-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

Pin Oak, Quercus palustris

To be fair- it's a beautiful tree the rest of the year. Lovely in summer with beautiful red color in fall.

Almost a good idea.

2010-03-22T11:58:00.000-07:00

This mystery tree holds on to its dead leaves through most of the winter. It has a nice symmetrical shape and is very hardy so it is used a lot as a street tree. You can see it downtown on Bond and Wall Streets. In theory, holding on to leaves should mean less clean up. Really, it just means that SOME leaves fall ALL WINTER LONG! I mean, its not like persistent berries or fruits that might provide winter food for the birds or extra color interest in the winter landscape. Nature came up with an almost good idea- less raking in Fall, maybe- but brown leaves just aren't that fun to look at all winter. What tree is it?

Sustainable Landscapes- Class Series

2010-03-09T12:23:00.000-08:00

Sign up now for this Sustainable Landscape Class Series
taught by our own Chris Hart-Henderson.

Accomplish more than you imagined

With less than you dreamed possible.

SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPES

SPRING SERIES

8 steps to creatively accomplish more than you imagined possible.

Use sustainable methods to make your yard a dream.

Instructor: Chris Hart-Henderson

Owner of Heart Springs Landscape Design, LLC

(25 + years experience as a landscape educator in Central Oregon)

Class Series is limited to 30 participants.

Class Schedule: Thursdays from 6:30-8:00 pm

Cost: $125 for the series.

Pre-register by April 8, 2010 and pay only $100!

Location: SolAire Homebuilders

593 NW York Drive, Bend

Email: info@hearspringsdesign.com for registration information.

Class Schedule:

Introduction to Sustainable Landscaping- April 15

Rain Harvesting in Central Oregon- April 22

Deer and Fire Resistant Landscaping- April 29

Colorful Drought Tolerant Landscaping- May 6

Understand your Irrigation System-Conserve Water- May 13

Edible Landscaping- Browsing in your own Backyard- May 20

Landscaping with Native Plants- May 27

Permaculture-Create a Sustainable Garden- June 3

Thanks to our Sponsor: SolAire Homebuilders

Don't miss this great series!

Answer to March 4, 2010 Mystery Tree

2010-03-09T11:34:00.000-08:00

Picea or Spruce Family. Picea pungens var. glauca is the Colorado Blue Spruce. Picea abies is the Norway Spruce but there are over 40 varieties. The older trees can appear more open and kind of lacy looking as in this picture.

Picea is derived from the Latin word pix, which means pitch. Spruce can grow large and generally have a symmetrical and pyramidal shape. The needles are often flat, but sharp. They are different from the flat and soft tipped Fir needles and do not grow in bunches like Pine needles.

The cones shown here hanging down.

Something to Crow About.

2010-03-04T10:55:00.000-08:00

This conifer is used extensively in our Central Oregon landscapes. I've been noticing that the cones seem to be clustered near the tree top and the brown hue attracts my attention as I drive along Franklin near Juniper Park. Varieties come in green and in blue- but both have cones that usually hang down.

Answer to Feb 23- It's A Larch

2010-02-28T10:17:00.000-08:00

Western Larch or Tamarack Tree, Larix occidentalis is a deciduous conifer tree. The needle like leaves turn golden yellow in Fall and mostly drop off. It has a delicate lacy look in the spring- but it looks (to me CW, anyway) like it's a pine tree gone bad in Winter!

It's ok to look like this.

2010-02-23T09:48:00.000-08:00

Well, at least some of the time.
This large (up to 250 feet) native tree catches my eye just west of the parkway by the Colorado Street off ramp near Downtown. You might see it this time of year and think we've lost another big conifer to environmental stresses or poor development practices, but, in this case, you're looking at a perfectly healthy specimen.

Great Groundcovers

2010-02-18T09:38:00.000-08:00

Hurray for Hardy Yellow Ice Plant.
Delosperma nubigenum forms a low maintenance, evergreen mat. The succulent foliage is reddish in winter, spring green the rest of the year with bright yellow daisy-like blooms in early summer. I think it's easier to keep weed free than some of the creeping thymes.

This is one example of the many creeping veronica available. Veronica surculosa 'Waterperry Blue' has shiny evergreen foliage that turns reddish bronze in winter. Durable and drought tolerant, it sports large sky blue flowers in mid spring.
Colorado State has a very comprehensive chart of good drought tolerant groundcover choices. including Veronica pectinata or Woolly Speedwell that blends nicely with our native look plant choices.

Ways to be Waterwise

2010-02-16T14:11:00.000-08:00

Green gardening no longer refers to just a green thumb. Heartsprings Design is at the forefront of green, waterwise and sustainable landscape design. Take a minute to read this article about one of our great new projects.

More Ever Mahogany

2010-02-12T12:09:00.000-08:00

Here are two more evergreen choices for Central Oregon that have red or mahogany Winter foliage. These are ground covers. Do you recognize any of them? (The not so great pictures make this an expert challenge.)

Oregon Grape Holly

2010-02-11T07:27:00.000-08:00

People seem to love Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolium, Mahonia repens) or hate it. I happen to think it is a wonderful plant used in the right situations. The deer don't mess with it much, it has four season interest, loves the sun or the shade and grows easily in our area. The larger variety needs enough room to show off it's natural shape, and it's prickly and needs to be put a safe distance away from tender skins.

Sulphur Buckwheat is the other 'ever not so green' shown. I can't say enough about this one, one of my favorites right now. It has such a pleasing shape-and it's not finicky. Some of our natives don't like living in captivity. They either are hard to transplant, or love life and take over a small landscape. This buckwheat is easy going and looks great all year. Drought resistant. Likes full sun.

Not so ever GREEN

2010-02-09T10:45:00.000-08:00

Evergreen plants are prime choices for our winter plant watching game, and soon I'll post what I think of as typical evergreens- conifers and some of our native broad leaf evergreens that hold their green foliage all year long. What caught my interest this week as I looked about the town and my yard, is how many evergreens really aren't. Green, I mean. There are ever mahogany, and ever silvery-gray, and winter pinky-red, ever yellow-green, and- well many of the evergreens are not only not green but they also are not the same color all year long.

This specimen is one of our Oregon natives that has green foliage most of the year, yellow flowers in Spring, purple berries in Fall and mahogany leaves in the Winter. It can grow into a large shrub or act as a very hardy ground cover. You can spot it along Reed Market Road in both forms.

Here's another native plant that I love. It's hard to see this one just around town, but it is becoming more available at the nurseries.(oh- like at Heartsprings Nursery!) It has pretty pinkish mahogany leaves in winter, yellow flowers in spring that become orange tinted bracts as the blooms age. It's a neat and tidy sub shrub that is drought tolerant and not a favorite food for our normal critters.

Word Play

2010-02-04T10:06:00.000-08:00

This is a little off base for our mystery plant game- but while researching the Red twig Dogwood, I came upon a few words that stumped me (CW). Drupe and indehiscent.

In context -
The indehiscent drupe of the Cornus family is 2 - seeded.

Indehiscent means that the fruit does not open spontaneously.
Drupe is a fleshy fruit that usually has only one seed like a cherry or apricot.

I'm sure you'll all use these common words in your next conversation? So there you are. tee hee

Redtwig Dogwood

2010-02-03T09:42:00.000-08:00

The Redtwig or Redosier Dogwood, Cornus sericea (syn. C. stolonifera) thrives in stream side environments, but it is also very adaptable to other soil types and can tolerate some drought conditions once established. Prune out the older stems to encourage the brightest red twig coloration. C. sericea Kelseyi is a smaller variety that only grows 2 or 2 1/2 feet tall.(available at the Heartsprings Nursery, this spring) The dogwood name, according to Wikipedia, might come from 'dagwood' or dagger-wood. I guess the wood of some varieties of Dogwood trees is strong enough to use for weapons. Our shrub branches are more often thought of as appropriate for basket weavers! I also found mention that the name might refer to a nasty dog smell from the cut branches- but I just did an experimental pruning and I couldn't detect a scent. Anyone heard of this before?

Red by the River

2010-02-01T09:30:00.000-08:00

As you're traveling on Highway 97 just south of Tumalo, you'll cross the Deschutes River and view a wonderful example of native stream side plants. As the weather warms a bit and we have those first springlike days, this plant along with the native willows that often grow in similar wet habitat practically glow with red and orange colors. If the deer don't munch this shrub to bits, it'll grow 6-9 feet tall, and the red stems are a welcome sight in winter landscapes. Guess the name?

Flame Grass

2010-01-26T09:20:00.000-08:00

The common name of this Miscanthus family member really says it all. Native to the mountain regions of Japan, Miscanthus sinensis Var. purpurascens or Flame Grass sports reddish green foliage until it bursts into bright color in the fall. It grows 3 to 4 feet tall with taller 'blooms' appearing in the late summer. It's a warm season grass so it doesn't show signs of life until late spring after the soil has been consistently warmed. Miscanthus, in general, are hardy and adaptable plants, but do appreciate moderate water and well drained soil.

Winter Landscapes

2010-01-22T08:52:00.000-08:00

Ornamental grasses add a lot to our winter landscapes and you'll notice all kinds being used more often around town. The orange winter hue of this mystery grass reflects the tawny color of pine needles and adds a warm punctuation on snowy, dull days. Hardy to zone 4 and a member of a large popular family, it has white fluffy plumes. Specimens have caught my eye along OB Riley Road.

Nursery Mystery Game

2010-01-20T08:20:00.000-08:00

As landscape designers, we're always 'plant watching' around town. It's a little like being a bird watcher. Trees, shrubs or flowers seem to catch our eyes for one reason or another at different seasons and we just NEED to know more about their identities. So here's a way for everyone to play along. We'll post some clues on one day and supply the answer in the following days. We'll try to identify Central Oregon plants that are currently showing off around town. Add a comment if you want to guess the answer!

Mystery Tree in Winter

2010-01-19T08:34:00.000-08:00

This deciduous tree really stands out in fall and winter with its reddish-orange persistent berries. Hardy to USDA Zone 3, it grows 20-40' tall.
Birds love the berries. It sports white blossoms in spring, yellow orange fall color and has few pest issues. Older trees can sometimes appear gnarly. Can be spotted on Simpson Ave in Bend.

European Mountain Ash Tree

2010-01-16T11:09:00.000-08:00

Oh such clever Central Oregonians! Thanks for the comments and the positive feed back. This will be fun. Yes- it's the European Mountain Ash. Sorbus aucuparia (SOR-bus aw-ku-PAH-ree-a) The OSU web site (see the link in the side bar) says that aucuparia comes from the Latin word aucupor 'to go bird catching'. It refers to a way to use a sticky gum-like substance to catch fowl. I know that I've seen a Mt. Ash tree that looked like it was decorated for Christmas it was so filled with blue Pinyon Jays and Cedar Waxwings munching on the berries.

Fall Celebration Specials This Weekend

2009-09-01T11:28:00.000-07:00

Save on the plants and trees that are happy to live in Central Oregon this Friday and Saturday, September 4th and 5th. Heartsprings Nursery is located in Tumalo on the corner of Collins Road and Walton Road: 18430 Walton Rd.

Don't miss out on Perennial, Vine and Select Grass specials Buy 2- get 1 Free!
This includes some hard to find and usually expensive varieties. Look for Echinacea and the cutest groundcover Bleeding Hearts- just to name a few.

Bring cash or checks and carry home shrubs, grasses, trees- everything that you need to enjoy your garden this Fall. The nursery is open 9 - 4 both days.

Closeouts SAVE UP TO 50% OFF
Beautiful healthy plants that we will discontinue

Heritage River Birch (Bronze Birch Bore Resistant)
Rocky Mt. Glow Maple (Sugar Maple Native to Rockies)
Marmo Maple (Similar to Autumn Blaze Maple)
Washington Hawthorn

Blowouts SAVE UP TO 75% OFF
Funky, Frosted, Floppy and Free Spirited Plants!

Ponderosa Pine (Awesome for naturalizing)
Scotch Pine, Columnar Scotch Pine (A dream price for that tall skinny evergreen need)
Fraser Fir, Nordman Fir (Both perfect for live Christmas Trees)
Colorado Spruce, Engelmann Spruce (another native for naturalizing)
Nannyberry Trees- (Floppy and berry laden - perfect for an arbor)
Tulip Tree -please adopt this one so it can live in a downtown banana belt!
Move'em Outs SAVE UP TO 50% OFF
Healthy plants that will be happiest in the ground by Winter!
These shrubs...buy 1 get 1 free-
Nishiki Dappled Willow ( Grows to 6' pink, white and green leaves-lovely)
Mt. Fuji Spirea ( Sprays of white spring flowers- red orange Fall color)
Knockout Red Rose (Hardy and carefree prolific bloomer)
Firehill Flowering Almond (Pink spring flowers, red fall color, almond like nut)

Gold Flames Looking Good

2009-05-14T15:41:00.000-07:00

I've been impressed with how nice the Gold Flame Spirea (Spirea japonica 'Goldflame' )are looking right now. The emerging foliage is a great orange-bronze color. This neat and tidy little shrub is planted a lot. It 'wears' many different outfits throughout the seasons- some more appealing than others, in my view. Right now - it perks up the garden-especially when planted in masses.

Later in the spring the leaves turn brighter yellow-green and it blossoms bright pink.

And than in the Fall-it sports red orange brilliance.
Little plant changes it's appearance so drastically it
requires a very special place in your garden design.

Who's Blooming Now?

2009-05-05T16:11:00.000-07:00

It's been a little difficult to clearly see the delicate blossoms that have been appearing all over Central Oregon- what with snow flakes, crazy wind bursts and hail chunks blurring our vision - but trees and shrubs ARE blooming. Here are a few that you might notice around town-

The native Serviceberry Trees and shrubs are just beginning their bloom. They are such airy,
sweet trees. Lovely white or pale pale pink flowers now; edible blue or black berries
in the summer, followed by red- orange Fall color.

You should be able to identify the Callery Pears-
tidy looking, often columnar shaped, with
sprays of white flowers.
They are almost finished- but they put on quite the show this year.

And now here come the crab apples!!

This is an example of a Prairie fire Crab. The Heartsprings Nursery has many
different varieties of crabapples. Stop by any Friday soon to enjoy the
blooms.

Heart Springs Nursery Specials: May

2009-05-05T15:07:00.000-07:00

Hello! Great news--
HEART SPRINGS NURSERY , INC

Now Open April – September, 9am-4pm
Every Friday and 1st Saturday of each month
Monday- Thursday by appointment- just call first (541)280-7576

Save $$ with our exclusive email sales:
20% off of Cutleaf Lilac
(Syringa laciniata)6'-8' tall
fine textured blue green foliage, sprays of fragrant lavender flowers
and Palibin Lilac
(Syringa meyeri 'Palibin') 3'-4' tall- plant in full sun or partial shade
Purple buds open to fragrant pink blossoms

Send your email request to plants@heartspringsdesign.com
And receive information regarding upcoming specials and new plant arrivals!

SAVE ON FRUITS & BERRIES - Some Native Varieties, Too!
20% off
Strawberries, Currants, Gooseberries,
Chokeberries, and Chokecherries and Asparagus.

18430 WALTON ROAD, BEND, OREGON 97701
(corner of Collins and Walton Roads in Tumalo,Oregon.
Follow Highway 20 north just passed downtown Tumalo.
Turn left on Pinehurst Rd which becomes Walton Rd.
Turn right on Collins and park by the green gate)

“3 acres of plants that are as happy to live in Central Oregon as you are”
CASH AND CARRY ONLY!

Chris to Speak at Library "Food for Thought" March 9th!

2009-01-27T14:35:00.000-08:00

Bend Public Library’s “Food for Thought” Presents

Sustainable Landscaping
Bend Public Library
Brooks Room
Monday, March 9, 2009, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.

(Bend, Oregon) – Sustainability is now the buzzword for all areas of our lives including gardening. How does one create a sustainable landscape plan? What special concern do we have here in Central Oregon? Find out how to achieve sustainability with your yard or garden from Chris Hart-Henderson in an informative session on Sustainable Landscaping at the Bend Public Library on Monday, March 9th from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. Find out how you can create a sustainable garden that thrives in the Central Oregon climate.

Licensed landscape contractor Chris Hart-Henderson with over 20 years of landscape design and gardening experience in the high, dry, cold intermountain west and Central Oregon. She is the owner of Heart Springs Landscape Design and is passionate about creating exciting sustainable regional landscapes.

The program is free and open to the public. It is part of the Spring Gardening Series at the Bend Public Library. For more information about this and other Food for Thought programs, please call 617-7080, or visit us online at www.dpls.us.

Wildlife

2008-09-09T10:52:00.000-07:00

I do love living in a place that enables me to randomly come upon wildlife. I regularly see cute spotted fawns, tiptoeing and zig-zagging hurridley away from my approach; fat yellow rock chuck waddling back to their burrows and golden mantled chipmunks twitching and sniffing the air. However, after nearly 30 years of said wildlife ravaging my garden, I’ve reached the point where my normally pacifist nature is buckling under the urge to hurt something cute. Tell me why these critters can’t develop a taste for- oh say, knapweed? But there you go- that’s life. In an attempt to find some balance, I’ve experimented with choosing plants that most of the time some of the vast assortment of Central Oregon wildlife tend to leave alone. Or at least not kill completely…maybe just nibble some and leave a little pile pulled out of the soil for your viewing pleasure. Oh wait. I need to rephrase. I do like living in a place where I can randomly come upon wildlife AND they’re not EATING MY GARDEN.

Most of these plants also do well with lean soils and less water but that’s another rant that I’ll save for next time.

Waterwise and Critter Resistant Perennial Garden for a Sunny Spot

Feather Reed Grass or Heavy Metal Switch Grass
Russian Sage or Blue Oat Grass
Caryopteris or English Lavender (Sharon Roberts or equiv)
Rocky Mt. Penstemon or Allium
Rudbekia or Gaillardia
Scabiosa or May Night Salvia
Moonshine Yarrow
Walker’s Low Catmint
Moonbeam coreopsis or Wild Buckwheat (Eriogonum umbellatum)
Creeping Thyme or Creeping Oregano

Waterwise and Critter Resistant Perennial Garden for a Shadier Spot

Spirea
Tufted Hair Grass
Potentilla
Rocky Mt Penstemon
Allium sp
Cutleaf Bleeding Heart
Hardy Geraniums (Cranebill)
Lamium
Creeping Phlox

Other Good Bets with foliage interest for Water wise and Critter Resistant Central Oregon Spots
Yucca sp Festuca sp Germander ‘Berggarten’ Sage
Powis Castle Artemisia Snowberry

Herbs = Central Oregon Veggies

2008-07-17T10:05:00.000-07:00

If you want to be able to harvest armfulls of produce in Central Oregon but you don't own a temperature-controlled greenhouse stocked with enriched soil- you might consider becoming an herb enthusiast! Most herbs really love it here. I have a two-tiered mixed herb border that provides some evergreen interest, colorful flowers, great flavors and scents AND IT LIVES ON - in spite of me and all the rest of the areas challenges.

These are the ones that I've found look the best all of the time, are hardest to kill and most xeric:
Lavender - evergreen (Lavandula angustifolia)
Chives - perennial with nice foliage and 'button poof' flowers
Sage - (Salvia officinallis) evergreen in some areas
Oregano - it can even take over if you don't hem it in.
Mint - ditto
Thyme - evergreen - but gets woody if you don't clip it back
Germander - sometimes evergreen. comes in a petite bush size.
Mix in: dwarf Catmint (Nepeta faassenii), Russian Sage, Gaillardia or Yarrow (Achillea 'Moonshine'), Hummingbird Mint (Agastache), and Assorted Alliums and you'll have a lovely, hardy and useful garden.

These do well with either a little more water or some protection:
Many hybrids from above -
Multicolored sages (Purple or yellow varieties) or special flavored sages
Variegated thymes or oreganos; look for Amethyst Falls Hybrid Oregano - it's so cute!
Flavored mints
Pink Hyssop or Hyssopus officinalis (Blue Hyssop)

These are hit and miss - depending on your luck:
Hardy Rosemary - (like 'ARP') it's very xeric, but doesn't like it if we have a real winter
Basil - needs more water, and I find it very cold sensitive and pest prone (being a Basil lover and a glutton for punishment- I always try some.)
Chamomile - mine keeps coming back - but usually looks kind of ratty and is hard to weed. Smells wonderful, though.

Ani's July Plant Pick

2008-07-08T11:43:00.001-07:00

Tufted Hair Grass (Deschampsia cespitosa) is a native bright green grass that is happy in Central Oregon. Ornamental grasses in general are a great garden pick for this area - they provide year-round interest, they are deer resistant (though not dog-resistant), they require very little water or fertilizer, they love sun and they are available in many shapes, colors and sizes.

Tufted Hair Grass is one of the few grasses that we can grow around here that is ok in the shade or the sun. It is supposed to grow 3' wide and have airy plooms that reach 24"-36" into the air in july-september. There are several varieties, but we believe the species is the most hardy around here. Though it's listed as a clump-forming grass, other sources also identify it as a grass that 'may naturalize' (which depending on your situation - may be a good thing or not)

Heart Springs Design team often uses Tufted Hair Grass in restoration areas and in japanese-inspired gardens. We also spec it when we're looking for a shade-tolerant plant with a little elegance. We love it's delicate panicles and it's bright green blades. I just planted a row of them in front of my house in the north-side shade, I'll let you know how they do.

Wildflowers of Big Summit Prairie

2008-06-26T14:08:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-26T13:33:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-25T17:20:00.000-07:00

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