A Grower Perspective

Leylandii cypress is the unlikely union between a Monterey Cypress and a Nootka or Alaskan Cedar. This occurred in England on the Leyland Estate in 1888. The two parent plants were collected from far corners of the world and planted within proximity on the estate, and the bond resulted in the offspring of what we know as simply "Leylandii" today. Propagation of this hybrid began in 1925 as the result of a search for a fast growing, salt and wind tolerant conifer.

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Known as a gas station plant in California because they are so common and tough, Hollywood juniper is one of those plants I have dismissed for years, just looked beyond it, thinking that it was just a big green blob, no flowers or fall color or fragrance. Upon closer examination and with maturity in my gardening I see a sculpted beauty in its form and relief from color and an emphasis on texture and movement in its shape. Hollywood juniper is a twisted, upright small tree growing to 15 feet high by 10 feet wide. The foliage is deep green with dense irregular growth; it has gray berries which are tasty for birds. This tough plant has a rustic look and is suitable to all soil types as long as there is drainage. Junipers like full sun and can survive on little water once established. Plant with lavender, rosemary and thymes and other drought tolerant plants, also can be planted in a container or as a specimen plant.

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 This morning Ashley and I joined Jane for a walking tour of the U of O campus.  Jane is the campus landscape designer for the U of O.  She has been coming out to the nursery for years to buy plants and we thought it was time for a field trip to her ‘garden’.  The three of us appeared to be the only ones walking on campus fully decked out in rain gear head to foot.  The weather would have no impact on our tour.  We started with the new buildings, the coliseum, the alumni center and the very impressive student/athlete study center.  Modern buildings are sometimes a challenge for me, but this one pulls everything together and is so thoughtfully done and you feel very much in nature; with water and a well appointed planting surrounding the building, lots of wood and stone and natural light inside the building and even a cozy fire surrounded by bright yellow couches just inside the door.  It was cool, just edgy enough to be avant-garde, and comfortable enough to make you want to sit down and have a warm beverage.  I felt like I was somewhere besides Eugene, it feels big town, new, nice and exciting.

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An admired tree in the landscape, this true cedar has a pyramidal shape and blue, almost silver foliage and graceful soft branches.

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Yesterday we got to see something very exciting and unusual- a horse-drawn cart on Highway 58! As you can guess, Highway 58 does not normally see many horses- just a steady stream of cars.  It was so fun to see the horses and it made us think about how different things must have been before cars. If you're interested in the story behind this guy, you can check it out here.

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