Superwonderful Garden Design

My new best friend

2010-11-20T22:12:00.000-08:00

I haven't been this excited about a landscaping book in a L-O-N-G time. I am going to be spending a lot of time with this book; it is, after all, Winter in the Pacific Northwest.

Rocktober

2010-10-06T22:02:00.000-07:00

I love being able to say Rocktober. I think it makes October my favorite month. That and that I married the nicest guy in Portland in the month of October. It's a good one. All fall-y with bright yellow and orange trees and crazy light from a low setting sun.

The Ace Hotel is highlighting small businesses in Portland, and the boys and I got to go play in the photobooth one morning after drinking too much coffee at neighboring Stumptown. Here is the product: http://blog.acehotel.com/post/1224989201/ace-hotel-portland-small-business-superwonderful-garden

Thanks Ace! I do love thee, especially the Palm Springs Ace. I hope to see you again in March.

Happy Fall, happy planting.

San Francisco and Napa Valley

2010-08-12T21:32:00.000-07:00

My husband and I made a split decision to load up the wagon and drive down to San Francisco to visit some friends last week. We had no real agenda except to eat good food, relax with friends and stop in Napa to visit a bicycle manufacturer friend, Curtis Inglis of Retrotec. I really didn't think about making garden tours part of the visit, but I ended up at three really cool places and the trip gave me some much needed design inspiration.

San Francisco is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever visited. The hills and views and neighborhoods could make anyone fall in love. I think it is my favorite climate for plant life (50 degree summers, I can do without though...). Palms and agaves mingle with eucalyptids and native ceanothus and wax myrtle. And Redwoods! Oh majesty!

Just like my last visit and all future visits, we stopped into Flora Grubb - my major nursery crush. This place wows everyone, even my 6 shopping companions who are not plant geeks. I love the Wooly Pockets vertical garden.

While considering options for the day over delicious Blue Bottle Coffee, our friend suggested the California Academy of Sciences. I had forgotten that this gem had just opened and the science nerd/ex-museum employee had to take a visit. It was really a fun museum. They had all the crowd pleasers - butterflies, dino bones and an aquarium, but my favorite part was the roof. The architecture of the building was spot on and the green roof was a perfect reason to get visitors to check out the sweeping lines of the building. The museum is touted as "the greenest museum in the world" so the green roof was a shoe in I suppose. But what if this roof didn't have a reason to be viewed? Like so many city buildings now - it would have been wasted space. I hope other visitors appreciate it as much as I did.

After saying good bye to friends and fog, we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge to Napa Valley and much needed sunshine. I had remembered reading about public gardens in Sonoma called Cornerstone, and I did a quick internet search to find the place. We stopped in to the free gardens and spent a nice afternoon strolling around. The gardens were designed and installed by architects, students, designers, artists and horticulturists from around the world. These are a few of my favorites.

Vertical Garden

2010-06-10T22:12:00.000-07:00

About a month ago I was approached by Joe Hess of Osmose Design to design and install a vertical garden on the balcony of a penthouse in the 937 Condos in the Pearl District. His firm had designed the interior of the condo and they included a nine foot tall, four-sided column on the balcony. He needed a plantsman (plantswoman?) to select the plants for it, and through a mutual colleague, we were introduced. The selection criteria were the following: 1.) The plants had to grow no taller than 24". (the balcony is pretty tight, so there had to be plenty of room to move around). 2.) The homeowners wanted to be able to utilize some of the plants for cooking and eating. 3.) The plants had to sustain high winds and each side of the column needed plants with specific light requirements. Asthetically, we decided that it should be wild and whimsical. (If you are not familiar with the genius of Osmose Design, check out their work immediately - mindblowing! They are pushing the envelope of interior design like nothing else I have seen.) About a month after the installation, I went back to check on it, and it really is a sight to see. The photos were not doing it justice, so I made a little video of it here.

Crafty Containers

2010-05-19T10:49:00.000-07:00

I have never grown tomatoes in containers - usually I just plant them throughout the ornamental beds, filling in bare spots. I don't have a ton of room for edibles, and just a little raised bed in the front yard that would be overwhelmed with plants as large as tomatoes. This year I decided to experiment with growing tomatoes (and a yellow squash) in containers.
One day while working, my assistant, Ben and I were scheming about types of materials to make containers from and we really wanted to use old steel pipes but the pricing was out of my personal budget. (I'd love to do it in a client's yard, though.) Ben used to work at Stumptown Coffee before I stole him back and he was talking about all of the burlap bags that they cycle through and we thought it would be cool to use the bags as containers. So, I got my very sought after 'Black Krim' and 'Sun Gold' tomato starts, added organic potting soil, fish meal and steer manure to the bags, and planted the starts. There are now 2 containers in a sunny spot against the garage between the 'Karl Forester' reed grass. Kind of charming, no?

Speaking of containers, my Agave attenuata is out of the greenhouse and back in the garden. I like being able to add a colorful container anywhere, and it makes it possible to have non-hardy plants in the garden. I love this plant!

Eye Candy

2010-03-01T18:32:00.000-08:00

Okay so this isn't an interior design blog, and I am an outspoken critic of the tendency of bloggers to write about other people's blogs, but please let me indulge both of these urges now and publicly freak out over this home: http://www.designspongeonline.com/2010/03/sneak-peek-nancy-neil.html

At heart, I am a country girl - I grew up in rural Florida, and explored my neighborhood by foot and horseback. I lived in agricultural country, across the street from tomato fields and avocado groves. And most of our trees produced some sort of delicious tropical fruit like mangoes, tangerines, loquats (my absolute favorite) and starfruit. If I could live on a farm in Santa Barbara with my adorable family I would be as happy as a lark.

Treeeeeeebate!

2010-02-16T19:37:00.000-08:00

What's better than planting a tree?...Getting paid to plant a tree!

The city of Portland is giving a $40 rebate if you plant a 6' or taller tree by May 1st. $50 if it's a native tree. If you want to plant a tree on your property, Superwonderful can help you select and plant the right one.

More info HERE on the treebate

I love garden trees. To me, they are the most important part of the landscape, anchoring all of the shrubs and perennials. They actually even resemble an anchor come to think of it. I have dreams of sitting beneath shady trees in the summertime. Remember the cherry tree we lost last April? Well, a new 'Rubra' dogwood is going in it's place. And, you better believe I'm gonna get my treebate.

(photo courtesy of New York Botanical Garden)

PS - I just realized the blossoms of the dogwood are the exact same color as the Superwonderful logo! I guess I picked the right tree!

Right Around the Corner...

2010-01-19T20:50:00.000-08:00

On my walk today (in 58 degree weather!) I noticed a few plants in bloom. Do you know what that means ya'll? S-P-R-I-N-G is coming! Are you ready?

New Dawn Viburnum

Edgeworthia

Rhododendron (In Peninsula Park)

Witch Hazel

And, lilac buds!

2009

2009-12-31T13:41:00.000-08:00

In honor of all the 'best of' and 'year end' lists, I'd like to wrap up this amazing year with a month by month look at the year that was the least productive work-wise, and pretty low on the social events and traveling due to a swelling belly, but most life-changing year in my personal and married life.

If 2007 was the year of bike racing, and 2008 was the year of weddings, 2009 was the year of the baby.

JANUARY

Sorry about starting out with a photo of me with a gun in my hand, but January in Portland is pretty uneventful, and shooting guns is very exciting.

FEBRUARY

In February, I had a booth at the Yard Garden and Patio Show and talked to visitors for what seemed like 3 days straight.

MARCH

I turned 34 in March.

...and celebrated by visiting Los Angeles and the Huntington Gardens.

...and a weekend at the Ace Hotel in Palm Springs.

APRIL

Our most beautiful cherry tree fell over in a freak wind storm and our back yard will never be the same (at least not for another 15 years when the new tree is mature).

MAY

The garden in May is lovely. We spend most of our afternoons and evenings in the back yard with friends BBQing and sitting around a fire.
*Note: This month's photo should be of me shredding on my mt bike, but at this point I am 6 months pregnant and leading a less 'extreme' lifestyle.

JUNE

Although I was doing lots of designs for clients this year, I only got to install one large project with the help of some able-bodied sub contractors.

JULY

I posed for some silly maternity photos with my friend Heidi Swift.

AUGUST

I was supposed to have a baby in August, but she wasn't interested in vacating my uterus yet, so I decided to remodel the bathroom 2 weeks before my due date.

The final product was well worth it!

SEPTEMBER

Miss Sunday Joyce Cardinal graced us with her presence on September 6th, and our lives are forever changed.

OCTOBER

I go on my first 'real' bike ride in about 10 months. A lovely day I will not soon forget.

NOVEMBER

I go back to work part time but spend most of my time starring at and photographing the most beautiful creature I have ever seen.

DECEMBER

Every Sunday, we go to cyclocross races, and I miss not racing and look forward to racing again next year. We visit family and have our own little family and we're thankful for our health and happiness and creative careers and amazing friendships.

Finally, wedding bouquets

2009-11-25T20:05:00.000-08:00

I am just now getting around to posting pictures of the bridal bouquets I did this summer for my friend's wedding. See the table arrangements here. It was a fun project and looking at the photos again in November already makes me long for summer.

Also, here are a few more photos of the table arrangements and boutonnières. (Photos by Heidi Swift)

Terrain Online

2009-09-29T20:53:00.000-07:00

Trust me, I am an all-out supporter of local business. In fact, I love the fact that plant material is difficult to sell via the internet because what's the point of buying plants if you don't get to go to beautiful nurseries to the see the plants in person and pick up one or two other gems that weren't on the list but you couldn't resist?

I will admit though, that I have been dying to go to Terrain at Styer's in Philadelphia since they opened a couple of years ago. This is one of Urban Outfitters concept stores and from photos I have seen, the place looks awesome. If you have seen an Anthropologie store, imagine what they can do to a nursery. Here is a good set of photos if you like:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ohjoystudio/sets/72157604819436047/

Well, Terrain just opened an online store where they are selling their hard goods - outdoor furniture, containers, garden structures. This company goes to great extents to find and procure goods from around the globe, and I think they have a nice little selection of garden items too. www.shopterrain.com

New Addition

2009-09-19T10:19:00.000-07:00

She's here! She's finally here! Ten days after her due date, following a long bike ride under the full moon, I went into labor and 15 intense, painful hours later, Sunday Joyce Cardinal greeted us. It was a moment Matt and I will never forget and we spent the next 2 days just starring at her, holding two armfuls of the most beautiful example of perfection we will ever know. If I were a poet, I would write books about it. In fact, I'm considering becoming a mommyblogger instead of writing about boring landscaping. Just kidding.

Let me address some of the questions I have been getting in case you, the internet, were wondering the same thing. We named her Sunday because we like the word and all it implies. Matt's mom's name is Sandra Joyce, so we played on that name a bit. Also, Matt and I met on a Sunday and were married on a Sunday, and yes - Sunday was born on a Sunday. We're big fans of this specific day of the week.

Night time IS very challenging. We've started down the path of darkness: co-sleeping. Sunday sleeps right next to me, between me and Matt. No, I am not worried about rolling over on her. This arrangement makes feedings very easy and she doesn't wake up screaming in another room which would stress out all three of us. I know this situation can lead to a hard habit to break, but from what I have read, it seems the benefits out-weigh the drawbacks. Let us hippie-out on this one, alright?

Yes, she is the cutest baby ever. Most people say she looks like Matt. She makes really funny faces and was born with an old man haircut. (long in back, bald on top.)
She weighed 7 lbs. 1/2 oz. and didn't even lose any weight in the days following birth as most babies do. (She's a really good eater - my pain is her gain!)

I was totally sober when I labored and delivered her. AKA - I had a natural child birth. Another controversial topic here, and one that I now see why most people go with the drugs. It was extremely painful and difficult - I'm not gonna lie to you. And, yes I did beg for an epidural once or twice, but we kind of assumed this would happen and we had prepared for it. When I asked for an epidural, Matt was to by no means allow me to get it. It worked, although Matt was kind of put in a pickle on that one. I am happy that no drugs were introduced into Sunday during the delivery and that is my consolation when I look back on the experience.

Anyway, the boss lady is stirring, so I'm going to end this post. Thanks for all the support and love, and I promise to stay focused on garden writing in the future. I am so excited to dig in the dirt again!

Wedding Flowers

2009-08-26T09:42:00.000-07:00

Since I haven't been able to move rocks and dig holes this season due to the little bambina on the way, I took on a bit of a different "flower" project a few weeks ago - cut floral arrangements. My good friend Heather got married on August 9th in Washington Park and she asked me to do the arrangements - bouquets, boutineers, table arrangements, etc. We decided on dahlias which were in bloom and locally grown as the main flower in hot summer colors - fuscias, oranges, purples. With cream rose accents, viburnum and hypericum berries and foliage from my garden - choisya, cottinus and ninebark leaves. The days prior to the wedding I procured all the cut flowers and processed and stored them in the house - Matt said the house looked like a funeral parlor....The day before the wedding my friend Tess who is a professional floral designer helped me assemble the bouquets and the 20+ table arrangements which took about 10 hours.

The first photo is of a stunning arrangement that was on the dessert table - the photo does not do it justice - it must have stood 2.5' tall and weighed about 50 lbs. The second photo is one of the table arrangements with dahlias.

I am most excited about the bouquets - the bride's and two attendant's. I am waiting to get some of professional photos before I post them, because they need to be seen with the dresses and the pretty girls.

Congrats to Heather and Matt and I look forward to doing more floral arranging in the future.

Newest Installation (Before & After)

2009-07-03T12:33:00.000-07:00

We just finished landscaping Keith and Megumi's house in NE Portland last week. I had worked on the design for it through this past winter. They wanted a clean, uncluttered design that incorporated retaining walls for mounded beds. They also longed for a better entrance to their back door which is their primary entry to the house. They have a little dog, and soon to be baby so we decided to build a fence that would allow for the back door to open into the back yard, creating a boundary between the back yard and street.

Keith built the fence and wall himself, and new automatic irrigation was installed. Superwonderful then prepped and graded the site and installed the new plants and sod.

The design includes many conifers - thunderhead pine, 'gracilis' hinoki, weeping cedar, 'creampuff' and 'snowsprite' cedars and evergreen shrubs including 'yuletide' camellia, 'green spire' euonymus and heavenly bamboo. The few perennials include bearded iris and japanese anemone.

The homeowners are ecstatic over the new landscaping, and I hear the neighbors can't stop complimenting it either.

A Nifty Little Makeover

2009-06-18T15:51:00.000-07:00

Last week, with the help of some able bodied landscapers, we did a little switcheroo of an old, beat up grass pathway. The owner used the pathway quite alot and usually with a bike in hand, heading out of the basement to the front steps. Mowing, edging, and watering a strip of grass can be tedious and wasteful and we decided to replace the pathway with 1/4 minus gravel, a commonly used material for pathways which compacts better than pea gravel and makes walking on easier. (not to mention rolling bikes on...)

We also replaced the backyard lawn with new sod. The original lawn was a low-mow grass seed blend that gets a lot of hype in the gardening world for it's low water and no mowing needs. I will even admit that I'm the one that installed this seed for the client a little over a year ago. The lawn turned out to be an unsightly patch of clumping grasses, some of which had sent out flower shoots about 2' tall. Although this good-old-fashioned lawn will require mowing, watering and fertilizing, it really is nice to have a patch of grass to sit in and for the dog to play in.

Both the lawn and the gravel paths are edged with a 3 3/4" steel edging.

In Bloom

2009-06-11T14:52:00.000-07:00

Here's a new bouquet created with foraged garden cuttings.

Peony, Smokebush, Black Mondo Grass, Japanese Forest Grass, Bleeding Heart (still in bloom in June!)

In Bloom

2009-06-07T12:55:00.001-07:00

Here's what's in bloom this week: Roses, Peony, Poppy Pods, Flax Leaves.

Pink Overload? Maybe.

I hope to be back on the regularly scheduled program in the next couple of weeks. I will be working on two installations (well, pointing my finger, smiling, and saying please alot to the crew who will be doing the installations). I will hopefully have some photos of us removing old grass and installing gravel paths with steel edging. And after that, a complete remodel of a landscape that I designed this winter. The homeowners are doing a lot of the work themselves, and it's almost time for the new plants to go in.

Arrangement #3

2009-06-02T13:36:00.000-07:00

These posts need better titles. Any suggestions?

This third arrangement from the garden is made with Calla Lily (same ones from a week ago), Icelandic Poppy, Poppy Pods. Cost = $0.00.

Arrangement #2

2009-05-29T11:44:00.000-07:00

Here's the newest arrangement of cut flowers from the garden. Bearded Iris, Siberian Iris, Calla Lilly, Columbine.

Side Projects

2009-05-24T12:37:00.000-07:00

Since I have put down the shovels and heavy machinery for the year, I have finally had the time and motivation to work on some new stuff that I have had been wanting to do for a couple of years. The first is to build a prototype for a vertical herb garden like the one I saw at the Chicago Botanic Garden. I should have taken photos of the process so you can see how it's built from start to finish, but here is a photo of the one I made recently after it was planted.

I will add some more herbs and maybe more annuals to fill in some more of the holes, and the idea is that as the plants grow, the holes will be filled in to hide the chicken wire. I used 4" pots of herbs and annuals which is a chunk of money, so using flats or growing things from seed would be more cost effective here. But, using herbs makes it more purposeful than say a succulent wall, or selecting plants solely for appearance. I'll post more photos as the plants fill in. It will eventually hang on the garage wall.

The other fun thing I will be doing this summer are the flowers for my lovely friend Heather's wedding. I am really excited about filling my house up with cut flowers from the flower market and making arrangements and bouquets all day. Right now we are leaning towards bright colors like chartreuse and fuscia, and some lighter pink and coral accents. Dahlias will be in season, so think big and bright!

I am not a huge fan of cut flowers in garden design, instead opting for plants with showy foliage. But, when we moved into our house we acquired, along with ugly lawn and dandelions, some columbine, irises, gladiolus, calla lillies and dahlias. So, I've left them in the garden and quite enjoy them, actually. I make arrangements with them all Spring and Summer. This photo is the first arrangement of Spring. Probably from early May. It is just columbine and astromeria. Viola!

Rain Gardens - Finally!

2009-05-19T22:36:00.000-07:00

I'm super excited about 2 design projects I am working on now. One is the backyard for the residence in Lake Oswego where I designed and installed the front yard in December. The other is for a mid-century ranch house in NE Portland that needs a huge makeover while bringing forth that great mid-century style. I'll keep ya posted on both of these projects.

There has been a ton of change and work going on at Casa de Cardinal also. A few weeks ago, we lost our lovely cherry tree in a short but powerful Spring storm. We were truly devastated to lose such a beauty.

After the arborist chopped it up and removed it, it left this gaping hole in the yard. We are doing our best to deal with the lack of shade and privacy it gave us, and I am constantly thinking of what tree will replace it. Currently it is an Acer palmatum, katsura. (Katsura Japanese Maple). But, the mimosa tree is still in the running.

I am really liking this little corner of the backyard right now. I see it out of the french doors from the kitchen and it makes me very happy. The Agave is from Life + Limb and I just put it outside for the summer. It is getting a little sun burnt, but I hope it adjusts to the move.

And, I finally, after 3 and half years of living in the house replaced the gutters! Last year when I landscaped the front yard, I built 2 small rain gardens in front of the downspouts for stormwater retention. They never were used to their full potential because the gutters were such a mess and the downspouts weren't even connected properly. So, you can see that the downspout is now connected to a flexible pipe that goes under the walkway and empties into the depressed area which is filled with sedges and strawberries that have made their way over the raised vegetable bed and into the garden. They should do fine with wet feet in the winter anyway. I can't wait for a rainy day to watch the rain gardens fill up.

New, new, new

2009-04-08T21:58:00.000-07:00

Despite a horribly difficult and unproductive day due to the truck breaking down on I-84 because of radiator problems, life seems to be moving forward quickly and seemingly all at once. I have finally nailed down a couple pretty fantastic assistants for the season, and even in my frazzled state today dealing with broken trucks and sketchy auto mechanics, they powered through the day and did great work without me. So, as every business owner knows how important good employees are, I am feeling very lucky to have Iva and Ben this year.

And, as the cat is out of the bag, I suppose I need to come clean on the internet here and tell those that do not already know that Matt and I are going to have a baby in August (or September). If there is anything that seems new to me these days besides sun breaks and cherry blossoms, it is having a baby growing inside me. And my belly growing with it.

Tonight we decided to cap off our crazy stressful day by buying a new (used) car. It was actually a fine experience and kind of made our day a little better. We are now proud owners of a 1988 Volvo station wagon. That's right - standard family mobile. Ehh - it's pretty cool nonetheless, and it might be the only one Oregon without liberal leaning bumper stickers on it. We plan to keep it that way.

So, it really does feel like Spring here now. Long awaited changes are happening, and we're preparing for a solid summer of sun and fun and continued newness.

Happy Spring ya'll!

Come on Summer!

2009-03-29T15:32:00.000-07:00

I'm skipping Spring Fever and going straight for Summer.

It's around this time that I almost have myself convinced that the sun is never going to shine again and it will rain in Portland 362 days a year. I just got back from Los Angeles and Palm Springs with a fantastic stop at the Huntington Gardens in Pasadena. Just the feel of the sun on my skin was worth the cost of the airfare!

Another reason why I am longing for summer is this book: Sharp Gardening

But for now, we only have glimpses of Spring in the crocus flowers and plum tree blossoms. Many gardener's favorite season is Spring, but mine is summer. I do love the cherry blossoms, but my heart truly aches for big bold leaves of tropical plants and hot colors of summer.

My friend Tracy sent me this Spring-inspired photo today which might be the only time I have ever enjoyed pastel colors. (Except Superwonderful Pink, of course)

(photo by Tim Walker)

YGP Show Slideshow

2009-03-02T20:38:00.001-08:00

YGP Show Build Out

2009-02-26T18:02:00.000-08:00

The display is finally up and the booth is ready. Seeing all of the massive display gardens really makes me wish I would have dropped the tens of thousands of dollars that something like that costs to build (for 3 days!). Maybe next year.

My location isn't the best - I'm near the back next to a silly sun hat company with their tower of sun hats totally blocking the view of my booth, and my neighbors across the isle are a vinyl window company and a skin cream company that claims their cream will end acne, eczema, sunburn, etc, etc. *ugh*. Why couldn't I be next to Pistils Nursery or somewhere with a good view? Okay. End rant.

I got to walk around and check out the other booths today, and there are some really lovely displays. It's amazing what some can do with a 10'x10' square. The big, slick designers are there with their big, slick design samples and it's exciting to be in the same arena as them. As always, with a unique business name, and hot pink logo colors, I feel like I am a bit different than other landscaping companies and my display is quite different than most others too. Hopefully that will be to my advantage. I know my current and past clients think so. I hope I can woo some new ones too. Portland Spaces, the local design magazine that I absolutely love (forget Dwell!) has a great display. They built a 'living room' using a lot of the same ideas and materials as I did (plywood, recycled doors and windows, patchwork patterns), and they are right around the corner from me, so I'm happy about that.

Okay, can you tell I'm nervous and over-thinking this whole thing?

See you this weekend!

Save the Date!

2009-02-15T15:40:00.000-08:00

February 27 - March 1st at the Portland Convention Center.

Just in time to plan your summer oasis in your backyard, Superwonderful will have a booth at the show and will have free herb and flower seeds for those that stop by.

Look forward to seeing you there!

A Valentine's Day Project - not in the mud.

2009-02-11T10:14:00.000-08:00

This has nothing to do with gardening, but does have everything to do with two of my other favorite activities - baking and eating.

I swear, those crafty DIYers! How do they find the time? I envy being able to make things, take photos, give gifts, sell your art, blog about it, etc. etc. but how do they do it?

The crafty folks over at Twig & Thistle have created a lovely valentine's day project for you to make for your sweetie - A Sweetheart Brownie Valentine.

Every year Matt makes me a valentine by hand and they are all carefully displayed around the house. This year I am going to give him some love baked up in brownies and sweets in this sweet little bag and call myself crafty! (for a day)

Superwonderful's First Trade Show

2009-02-01T16:21:00.000-08:00

The application for exhibiting at the show sat on my desk for months. The price tag for exhibiting wasn't getting any cheaper and my bank account wasn't getting any bigger, but I took the plunge and paid for a little booth at the Yard, Garden & Patio show.

I am planning the booth design now and need to get cracking on building the 10'x10' space. I won't be building one of the huge display gardens, but I want to make my booth as lovely as possible and I'm hoping to have a few specimen plants on display as well as photos and design samples. I'll finally get to feel what it's like to move into a convention center for 3 days and self promote. Ha! Please come to the show, drink some wine by local vineyards and stop by and keep me company. Dates are Feb. 27 - March 1st.

A New Design is Finished

2009-01-27T10:14:00.000-08:00

It's funny creating garden designs while watching big flakes of snow fall out the window. Yep - it's snowing again in Portland, though this one is not supposed to last. What I picture in my mind when I'm creating designs is a hot, shady, colorful, lush garden with people lounging around laughing with cold drinks in their hands in pretty sun dresses and sandals. I think it actually helps my mental state in the winter to always be thinking in warm weather time.

This newest design is for a century old farmhouse in SE Portland. It is a complete remodel of the front and back yards including a new stairway and deck from the kitchen to the back yard. I cannot wait to see it completed. The owners are going to do a lot of the work themselves so it might be a two-year project.

Next up is a backyard design for Daniel Paisley and Mieke Clark for their St. Johns home complete with veggie garden, fruit trees, and a chicken coop!

Snowmaggedon '08

2008-12-29T15:03:00.000-08:00

The snow has melted as fast as it arrived, and here we are again, in the dark days of winter. We had a blast in the snow, though. I loved how bright everything was dressed in white and sugar coated with ice. The city can't be bothered with plowing snow, so we were left to our own devices. I loved driving around in the F150 through unplowed streets and parking lots and I am going to invest in a plow for the front of the truck. Next winter, look for 24-hour Superwonderful Plowing Services.

The worst of the snow and frost damage was to my Phormiums. Looks like this was a case of heavy snow weighing down the foliage. The 'Maori Sunrise' Phormium in the backyard was also pretty bad looking. I am going to wait until Spring and if they do not shape up, they will get tossed (no mercy here!).

This is standard frost damage here, so it looks like I may be eating my words from my previous post about plants surviving the cold temps. I thought Hebe's were hardier than this, but these 3 plants actually have the most damage of anything else in the yard. (I actually could not care less about this because 1. I'm not a huge fan of Hebes and 2. I have no mercy for poor performing plants!)

I have an affinity for broad leaf tropicals and also succulents - high maintenance or not. These plants get most of my attention, and they do require a bit more attention here in the PNW. This Agave definitely looks soggy and not so happy. I can't remember what temperature this guy is hardy to, but I did mulch it before the weather turned cold, so hopefully that kept it protected enough. I believe it is an Agave americana variety. I am also going to plant an Agave striata this year. I do have to mention that although I tend not worry about winter temperatures killing hardy plants here, I think it did get down into the low teens for a few days, and that is lower than average for Portland.

This is how I protect my hardy Banana tree over Winter. I remove the leaves and wrap it with Burlap, cover it with mulch, then cover it with this landscaping plastic so that it is waterproof. Hardy Bananas that are not protected like this will overwinter and come back in the Spring, but they will die back to the ground, and thus never really get tall.

This plant here is a little secret I will let Portlanders in on. It is a Cast Iron Plant, Aspidistra elatior. Known as a houseplant, these broad-leaf beauties grow all over Florida where I grew up as well as Hawaii and other tropical climates. It is called cast iron because it is tough as nails and can thrive in complete shade. It is considered a groundcover as it spreads, but not aggressively. When I saw them for sale at a wholesale nursery in Hillsboro, I couldn't believe it. I have it planted in the "tropical" garden area in the back yard. Check out the completely soggified Canna Lily behind it! (It will come back in the Spring!) I did more research and found out it is hardy to 10 degrees F and even grows in the Himalayas. And, look, it even survived Arctic Blast '08.

Happy New Year Everyone!

Love,
Superwonderful

Updated Website and Portfolio

2008-12-27T15:37:00.000-08:00

Just got the new website up and running! The Projects page has lots of new photos.

Check it out! www.superwonderful.org

Thanks to Brian Twilley for all the programming work.

The snow is finally melting here, and tomorrow I will take a look around the garden and assess the (possible) frost damage.

Snow in Portland

2008-12-17T14:25:00.000-08:00

I've been sitting in the office starring out the window at the snow falling on the garden. It's nice to have a different perspective.

I've been hearing some concern about PNW ornamental plants not being able to survive this cold weather, but the hardy plants will be fine. Plants have been around for billions of years and have figured out how to survive quite well, thank you.

If you do have bananas or palms or tropical plants like that, hopefully you have mulched them properly - they like it hot. Snow and ice, not so much. When I lived in the midwest, we even had to dig up canna bulbs and put them in the basement, but here I leave mine in the ground over winter. One questionable bulb is the colocasia or elephant ear plant. I have 'Black Magic' in my backyard which was totally impressive this year, and rocked my garden world all summer. It is not super hardy, but I left it in the ground to overwinter as I did last year, so we'll see how it performs next year. I did cut the leaves off before the storm hit and have them in a vase on my desk.

Stay warm and safe out there!

Amen

2008-12-08T16:18:00.000-08:00

Seen on my run today.

Superwonderful Website Update

2008-12-06T14:47:00.000-08:00

Stay tuned for a ton of new photos from this year's projects. We are changing the format of the website to allow for better viewing of the portfolio. Should be up in a week or so!

Design Sample

2008-11-12T17:35:00.000-08:00

I finished a CAD drawing today for a client. No more hand-drafted designs - I'm a terrible drawer. I'd like to add some color to these designs in the future.

The Darkness

2008-11-08T11:02:00.000-08:00

Not the band, just the moniker for the Pacific Northwest for the next 5 or so months. I am working a couple days a week again at Life + Limb, and I watch Burnside Street through the big window all day. At exactly 4.30 pm, the light begins to fade and the traffic and noise begins to rise. As I ride my bike home, I realize that the rain makes the black asphalt much blacker. The wet, soggy piles of leaves on the sides of the streets? They are just covering up the treacherous potholes that might lay underneath, adding to the "darkness". My senses are left to the memory of the streets that I have ridden on so many times, and to that sixth sense that comes only with Jedi Training that goes something like, "Don't think,...feel". (My mantra when mountain biking too.)

I also feel the need to go to bed at 7.30 pm because it has been dark for 3 hours and that must mean that it is about 11pm.

In landscaping news, I am completing a design for a contemporary remodel of a front yard in Lake Oswego. The concrete was poured this week for the front walkway (did you know you can make concrete underwater?), and the new front deck is going to be built soon. The plan is to get the plants in the ground before Winter. Maybe I'll have something to show in a few weeks.

Rapha Roller Racing- Portland, Or (Feb 2008)

2008-10-23T07:29:00.001-07:00

It's Been Way Too Long

2008-10-17T16:57:00.000-07:00

I spend more time reading other people's blogs and websites than I do managing mine, so I'm going to try to be better at keeping ya'll up to date!

It is my favorite kind of day today. Fall, blue sky, beautiful leaves, damp air...It seems like a lot of people I know are getting that antsy, uncomfortable fall lock-down feeling. For me, the season is winding down (not without a ton of "fall clean-ups" and hopefully a couple nice installations), and the onset of long, dark, cold days is upon Superwonderful. If you don't live in Portland, it is hard to comprehend the lack of light for 5 months but it happens and along with the disappearance of the light goes my motivation. It truly is like hibernation. So, Superwonderful is going into it's chrysalis and it will emerge a bigger, more vibrant being. Once inside this dark chamber of transformation (the office), it will work diligently to make a new being that will be unrecognizable from it's previous state.

For now, I am working on some really cool designs, one for a 1905 farmhouse in SE Portland and one contemporary design in Lake Oswego. I am working with a CAD program instead of hand drafting which I am really having fun with. I am also getting as much bike riding in as possible before the rains come. Semi-serious cyclocross races, and even goofing off at the Rapha Roller Race.

Jenna and Evert's Back Yard

2008-07-28T11:21:00.001-07:00

My friends Jenna and Evert got married on Saturday evening in their backyard in NE Portland. The months leading up to the event were spent hectically remodeling the living room and kitchen and getting their enormous back yard ready.

They bought a super cool ranch house last Fall on a lot and a half complete with pool, water fall, and gazebo, but it was lacking that Jenna Campbell style,and she asked me to help with a redesign.

As you enter the yard from the house, there are 2 massive Douglas Fir trees framing the pool area and waterfall behind. There was just bark mulch covering the ground between the trees. Since there will be lots of bare feet running from the pool to the house, I decided to add grass from the patio to the pool, and to connect the existing lawn. We then added the 2x2' concrete pavers to create a walkway to the pool. Most of the other trees and features were there, I just cleaned up the lines, and defined the areas better.

There is a vegetable garden off to the side of the gazebo that I helped Jenna plant with seeds and starts this Spring (she was really excited as she had never planted her own garden). It is now producing enough produce for a family of four. And her husband Evert is building dirt jumps for BMX bikes in the extra lot next to the pool. I know their wedding was a success and a great party (Portland drum corps, fireworks, 2 bands, homemade German doughnuts...) and I'm glad I got to help them create a backyard that fits their style. And, I think I earned my free pass to their pool!

Ideas from Chicago Botanic Garden

2008-07-08T22:11:00.000-07:00

Last week I was in Chicago (shout out to the midwest!), and finally got to go to the Chicago Botanic Garden. It was beautiful - really vast with an amazing Japanese Garden (not as good as ours here though) and excellent greenhouse collections. I saw the largest Century Plant (cactus) I have ever seen.

The one thing that I want to implement that I saw at the garden is this vertical herb garden. Designed for a small garden area, or even a condo wall it is essentially a wooden bed turned on it's side and hung to a wall. I love it! I want to build these for clients (and my house).

Neander Games PDX

2008-06-07T21:54:00.001-07:00

This is the cyclocross racing of the landscaping trade. It's competitive, it's fun, you have to train for it, and there's lots of beer.

Last year there were no female contenders, so I'm thinking about entering this year. Sam will be here visiting from Hawaii, and I'm going to have to get her as a team mate.

JULY 19th! ROCKY BUTTE! If we enter it, you have to come support us!

To Make Something Beautiful....

2008-05-17T22:33:00.000-07:00

You must first start with something ugly. That is a quote from someone famous whom I can't remember. On Friday, Ben, Matt Hall and I busted up an old concrete patio with a jackhammer. It was 97 degrees and the electric breaker that I had reserved for rental was somehow rented to someone else. So, we were stuck with using a two-stroke engine breaker. Ben was nothing shy of wrestling the beast for 4 hours while Matt and I sucked oil and gas fumes all morning. The inside of my nose was burning horribly. It was epic. Ben is hard core. We left the job site with a mound of broken concrete to be disposed of on Monday. The transformation into a formal patio lined with a cedar raised bed will begin on Tuesday. On Friday, the homeowners should have a beautiful new outdoor living area.

My outdoor living space just got more beautiful. No matter how much work I did in the backyard, the cyclone fencing made it look depressing. So, a couple weeks ago, I hired Ben to build a new cedar fence. I finally decided to go with a horizontal design based on a building I saw on N Greeley Ave. The slats are 1/2" apart to allow for air flow and light but to also give a good amount of privacy. It has transformed the backyard into a lively yet calming area, and the neighbors love it too. Last night, Matt took some time lapse photos of the yard in the glow of the circus lights. Check it out, then come over and hang out with us this summer.

Palm Springs In PDX

2008-05-04T06:48:00.001-07:00

This is our most recent installation. The client, who lives in the St. Johns neighborhood, told me she wanted a "Palm Springs in PDX" landscape for her front yard.

Working with a ranch house filled with everything retro she wanted to get rid of the boring front lawn and chain link fence. She had a very specific idea in her head of what she wanted, and working with magazine photos and plant ideas from Cistus Nursery, we created the unique landscape.

First, she hired a contractor to build the cedar fence. Then, we removed the existing grass and started with a blank canvas. 7 yds of river rock were brought in, and a concrete contractor was hired to pour the 4x8' concrete slabs on site. After battling on-and-off rain showers all day, we finally got the concrete fisnish just perfect. (smooth finish, not brushed). We used 2x2' pre-cast concrete pavers along the side of the house for access to the back yard, and installed a new tiny lawn just big enough for a lawn chair and a little jack russel terrier.

The plants were hand selected by the client. They include a prickly pear cactus from Rare Plant Research(yes, they are hardy in our area), small barrel cacti from Cistus, a blue variety of yucca, a deep purple cortyline and phormium, and other small accent plants such as succulents and grasses with a blue hue that looks great against the grays and purples.

The house now stands out in the neighborhood, and the entry into the mid-century styled house is just as dramatic.

DIY Flagstone Patio

2008-04-25T20:16:00.000-07:00

A re-found this article recently and wanted to share it because I am currently working with 3 clients who are planning on doing the landscaping work themselves after I come up with a master plan for them.

The article is from Northwest Renovation Magazine, and it features me in what I think was my first year in business. It's a step by step guide to laying a stone patio. It's one of my favorite parts of the labor side of the work. Very zen....

It works the same for using concrete pavers.

So here you go...http://www.nwrenovation.com/20livingpatio.html

Also, Ben and I just finished a very unique job today. I'll post the photos soon...

Welcome Back, Winter!

2008-04-17T12:31:00.000-07:00

COVER UP YOUR VEGGIE STARTS AND NEW PLANTINGS! - it's going to freeze again this weekend. Saturday morning temps are forecasted at 31 degrees.

I won't even go into how bad this news upsets me. We deserve at least 8 months of 80 and sunny this year!

Best Tip Ever!

2008-04-10T18:49:00.001-07:00

One of my clients gave me this tandem bicycle as a tip! It even came with that case of beer!!! We were pretty stoked after work that day.

Also, check out how awesome my assistants Ben and Sam are.....Superwonderful has it goin on!

C'mon, get modern!

2008-04-05T14:49:00.000-07:00

This is a sweet, little store on E. Burnside called Life + Limb. It is just what we need to get through this never-ending, grey, cold Spring. How about a sunny southern California style cactus in your living room?

The owner, Molly is bringing hot-climate plants and mod containers to us PNWesters. I've been doing a lot of work lately with clients that own mid-century/modern or ranch homes, and I am going to be offering a lot of Molly's products in my designs. I would love to use these bird houses as usable garden art (of which, I am not normally a fan of.) And, the large agave and aloes can be brought outdoors and planted in containers in the summer.

Stop in and say hi to Molly. 1716 E Burnside.

Where My Inspiration Comes From

2008-03-27T14:27:00.000-07:00

There are lots of things and ideas that inspire me, and it when it comes to starting and running a business, inspiration is essential. Of course, I spend endless hours looking at garden design books, and nature and architecture are ongoing sources of creative inspiration for me. But, there are times when I have to dig deeper to find courage to continue. (Matt's encouragement, and my dad's advice only go so far).

Sometimes I look to other small business owners for encouragement, and that definitely helps. - "If they can do it, I can do it!" Sometimes I find inspiration in surprising places. The images of the old women in Mexico carrying supplies on their heads and in their arms (sometimes with a baby wrapped up in their too) have stuck with me, and I think about their strength and perseverance a lot. Also good to remember the importance of weight-bearing exercise for strong bones....

Anyway....my new inspiration is this woman - Aunt Mary. She is over 50 years old and riding her bike across North America. - California to Florida. Not only am I inspired, but am also extremely jealous. And, as many of you know, I am an avid cyclist, and I think about her on her bike for 58 days. I wonder how many times she wants to quit, how many of her muscles ache, and how many times she gets angry at passing motorists that drive too close. All of these things can make you feel defeated really quickly. And it takes will-power, determination, belief in yourself and your abilities, and a little bit of insanity to keep going. That's exactly what I need some days when I doubt my ability to run a successful business.

So, Mary - thanks! You are inspiring me everyday. Hopefully that gives you some strength to turn the cranks on those tough miles.

Walk the Talk

2008-03-14T17:12:00.000-07:00

I have been shopping for new trucks this week because I brought on another full-time employee for the season in hopes of having a crew at the work site, and me being able to go off running around to appointments, getting supplies, making nursery runs, and picking up coffee on the way back to the site. I really want to get a diesel truck and convert it to biodiesel but I'm finding this to be very difficult. (cheap ones are hard to find).

I drive alot for work. Alot. And, I hate it. It might be the worst part of my job. So, I'm considering my options for lessening the impact I make by driving around all day. Someone suggested that I pay into a carbon offsets fund like carbonfund.org. I think this is a noble idea, and I gave it some thought. Essentially, the organization takes money from the person donating and gives it to organizations that help with renewable energy, energy efficiency, and reforestation, and the donor then feels justified about driving everywhere. (Hey - at least I cycle commute when I'm not working). Then I thought about the work that I do at the job sites and wondered how much carbon I'm offsetting by planting trees and shrubs all day everyday. So, I did a little search through my '07 records and counted how many trees Superwonderful planted last year - 39! (And, I would guess at least 500 shrubs and perennials.) Do I feel better as I'm driving my truck(s) everywhere? No Way. But, I am proud of little accomplishments like this that I make in my own little way.

My Spring Fever Started Early

2008-03-10T22:23:00.000-07:00

As it usually goes for me in the winter months, I get in a quick (and much needed) vacation, then come back to Portland and wait for Spring. and wait. the phone rings, I get a few small jobs in, and I wait for Spring. This winter, one of the most spontaneous, and fulfilling adventures presented itself to me, and I jumped on it. My friend took a 3-month long position as a gardener at Starseed Ranch - a 26 acre ranch on the big island of Hawaii. I tagged along with her to help her jump start the gardens which had been neglected for a few months. I was only there for 10 days, but the beauty and fertility of Hawaii stuck with me throughout February. Hawaii's growing season is year-round, so I felt like I was smack in the middle of summer. I grew up in Florida and have a soft spot for tropical plants (dare I say they are my favorite?) Orchids, palms, banyan trees, avocados, loquats!) Color was everywhere (my eyes were unaccustomed to this), and signs of life were overwhelming. We were planting vegetable seeds and sowing established crops, all the while taking tangerine and papaya breaks in the orchard on the property. The day after I got back to Portland, I started some vegetable and herb seeds on a sunny window in the house and remembered how good the sun felt on my skin. Signs of life have begun in Portland now too. The cherries are blooming (pink trees - yes!), and bulbs are adding color in the sparse beds. Oh, and the phone won't stop ringing.

Test Post

2008-03-08T18:03:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Superwonderful Garden Design News Page.