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My latest video showcases my pocket-sized, sunny, drought-tolerant pollinator garden.

It's been a busy couple of weeks. As I mentioned last time, I had my garden open for HPSO members on June 19th and, wouldn't you know it—the days leading up to it: sunny and hot. Day of tour: RAIN and lots of it! We're an intrepid group of gardeners, so a good number of members made the trek in spite of the rain. It was nice to see familiar faces and to connect with new ones.

I love a lush, plant-filled edge. Many of the BC gardens we visited did this exceptionally well. In this tapestry a Japanese painted fern mingles with Asarum, Epimedium, Oxalis triangularis, and others.

Later that same week: more garden tours, this time to the Vancouver, BC area for the Hardy Plant Study Weekend, where I got to be one of the lucky tour-ers vs. tour-ees.  I made the trip with a couple of my garden-pals from Portland. The weather throughout the weekend couldn't have been better; the gardens were top-notch; and the lecturers were thought-provoking, as well as entertaining. Study Weekend is a very special and much-anticipated recurring event for Northwest garden-makers, but it's only open to members of the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon (HPSO) and/or members of our partner organizations. Portland will be the host city again in 2025—yet another reason to think about becoming a member of HPSO, if you aren't already. 😉

Adapting to drier, hotter summers is a thing for BC gardeners also. This wonderful xeric scene is in the garden of Gwen & Paul Odermatt in Langley, BC.

But there's no place like home. I'm happy to be back in my garden, lapping up the summertime vibes and enjoying the fruits of my spring labors. One of my favorite spots in my garden just now is a full-sun, drought-tolerant, pollinator garden that occupies a narrow strip of my front garden. The video below gives a walk-through of the plants and the thinking behind this pocket-sized parcel of my garden.

Until next time!