All plant nuts know that as a garden matures it becomes necessary to divide, edit, rethink outgrown ideas about what we want our gardens to be. As a result, the rejected plant material builds up. It is one thing to kill a plant through ignorance or neglect, but quite another to outright throw it away. Most of us have showered our friends with gifts from the garden to the point where they have asked us to “Stop, already!” My friend Janet (who is also my mentor, trying to coach me towards success in selling banners & pillows) has an annual sale of the overflow, which she has potted up, attractively labeled and priced equally attractively. It is quite a lot of work, and she tried to discontinue it, but is now back by popular demand.
The sign alone tells you that good things are to be found here.
Janet is one of those gardeners who uses large swathes of lawn to set off borders packed with colorful and interesting plants. In fact, she is so successful that Hollywood came to call, filming parts of Extraordinary Measures with her yard as a backdrop. She found Brendan Frazer quite unappealing. I must say…he has only made one decent movie, Gods and Monsters, but that was enough to make me a fan for life.
An eye for found objects enlivens these borders.
Not quite sure what these were in their former life, but repurposed as garden ornaments, they rock.
Who would guess that this most elegant of compost bins is itself refuse. Leave it to Janet to find and press into use a beautiful object that someone else considered trash.
From the same source, this metal panel makes a brilliant divider/trellis. That is Romneya coulterii beyond it. I hope my new one will some day take hold like that one.
In addition to the found objects, these nearly life-size women by a local artist lounge in the lush landscape. I’m kicking myself for not asking the name of the artist, but maybe Janet will leave a comment to tell us. (yes, she did…go to comments for further enlightenment)
Many people are casting concrete leaves these days, but Janet’s have a natural look lacking in many. I have one that is the natural cement color spilling water into our small pond. I’ll take a picture to show you some day soon.
There is Janet, on the right, looking as colorful as her borders. Next time she has a sale, I will let all of you locals in on it, and my far-flung friends will just have to settle for these virtual tours.
Janet’s garden looks wonderful and her objects d’art even more wonderful. I don’t wonder she’s your mentor – probably in more than simply pillow and banner sales!
Please do let us know about her next sale!
Oh how exciting…yes please let us know!
Thanks for the excellent page. I love reading it!
That somehow makes my old Z-bed ‘planted’ in the middle of a weeping holly tree, seem a little less ornamental …
Thanks for all the free publicity Ricki! I will hire you as my ad agency for my next sale which will no doubt be annual from now on.
The objects d’art in the beds are scavenged from my son’s dumpster in Eugene. He owns Western Pneumatics, Inc. and fabricates conveyance systems and fans for the pulp and paper and forest products industry. Whenever I visit we climb in and drag out anything that I can lift. Neighbors are so envious that I have the money to buy and install such lovely “art”.
The sculpture is by Katy McFadden ..quite well known in the Portland area and loved by gardeners. The piece was bigger than she is and the foot had to be fired separately so has since come loose.
The sale was a roaring success and any leftover vegetable starts went to a community garden on NW Kearney and 22nd.
Send me the names of your interested customers and I will email them next year..you can bring a van full!
Thanks again..Great blog.
Janet
PS.. Thanks for the ID on the mystery ground cover!
Hi Ricki~~ Plant and sale are my two favorite words and when they’re back to back, all the better! Do you know who Barbara Blossom Ashmun is? Her books have photos of her garden art and I believe Katy McFadden’s people are lounging there too. Fun!
Jane~You are right: Janet is a mentor in LIFE.
Loree~See Janet’s comments, & I will give everyone a heads-up next year, for sure.
Erik~Welcome!
Joco~Let us see that Z-bed. Methinks you are too hard on yourself.
Janet~As you can see, my humble report has generated much enthusiasm…and these are plant fanatics, so watch out next year.
Grace~Barbara often opens her garden to HPSO, but I haven’t been there in a while. Thanks for the reminder. She visited mine the one year I was more brave than prepared and held it open. She was most helpful with questions I posed.
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