Blog Archives

Organic (Sustainable) Gardening – Article

5/17/2022

POSTED BY CELILO / NEWS

This article I found on a site called “Lotusland” It expresses Organic Gardening (or sustainable gardening) in very clear terms with Four Basic Principles. Thank you Lotusland!

https://www.lotusland.org/greengarden/building-sustainable-gardens/

Four Basic Principles

Bee on a Borage flower (Borago officinalis) in one of 11 Lotusland insectaries

It is 7:00 in the morning, and one of Lotusland’s gardeners has opened a bag of organic fertilizer containing alfalfa, kelp, fish and soybean meals that he will apply to the soil in his garden area. The label reads of crude protein, fat and other food measures. It sounds like health food and that’s exactly what it is—health food for soil organisms. Garden soil is not inert. It teems with life, and nurturing a rich soil biodiversity through the application of organic compounds is the cornerstone to building a sustainable garden. The list of organic products needed or a sustainable garden isn’t long. Compost, mulches, organic fertilizers and some insect attracting plants will do the job. However, there are several key principles to successful sustainable gardening.

PRINCIPLE #1: FEED THE SOIL ORGANISMS AND
THE SOIL ORGANISMS WILL FEED THE PLANTS

Organic Perennial Landscape Mix from Island Seed & Feed in Goleta

Soil organisms feed on organic compounds in the soil, breaking down and releasing nutrients the plants need but cannot extract from the soil themselves. A healthy soil food web of organisms breaking down organic matter into a form available for nutrient uptake by plants’ roots improves the fertility of the soil and the vigor of the plants. Chemical (inorganic) fertilizers can feed a plant temporarily, but only organic compounds can build soil biodiversity and maintain nutrient levels evenly throughout the growing season, while also suppressing plant diseases. Applied generously once or twice a year, organic products build soil biology in a way no chemical fertilizer can. In fact, chemical fertilizers can sterilize your soil by killing the soil organisms.

PRINCIPLE #2: BUILD A ROBUST INSECT ECOLOGY FOR BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF PESTS

Insectary with borage, calendula, wild mustard and poppies.

Increasing the number and variety of insects in the landscape may seem counterintuitive, but providing a habitat for beneficial insects will help control invasions of plant pests. Native plants are especially good at attracting beneficial insects and providing them with habitat and the quality and quantity of pollen and nectar the beneficial insects need for part of their life cycle. A diverse planting of natives will attract predatory insects to help protect the garden, as well as provide a food source for other garden protectors (like birds, lizards and spiders) and pollinators (like bees, butterflies and birds).

PRINCIPLE #3: GIVE UP THE CHEMICALS

Jason prepares a mixture of compost tea for the fern garden.

Chemical pesticides kill both pest and beneficial insects indiscriminately, so even a small dose of pesticides will ruin a sustainable garden’s biological balance and biodiversity advantage. Even the drip from pesticides sprayed on plants will contaminate the soil and kill soil organisms. Compost teas applied as foliar sprays help suppress fungal diseases and increase plant vigor, so if the plants are attacked by pests, they can outgrow the infestation.

PRINCIPLE #4: USE COMPOST AND MULCHES IN THE LANDSCAPE

Corey Welles working a rich organic compost into the soil.

Compost worked into the soil is an excellent natural amendment that improves soil conditions by feeding and increasing soil organisms and increasing soil moisture retention. Organic mulches applied as a top dressing suppress weeds, prolong soil moisture, help control erosion and improve soil conditions as they break down over time.

A sustainable (Organic) garden with complex ecological relationships among the various characters in the biological system is more robust and less vulnerable to the stresses we may place on it. Garden maintenance practices like shearing plants, raking soil, blowing leaves and walking through garden beds and on lawns can suppress the natural processes functioning in a healthy garden. Any negative input can echo throughout a sustainable system and require time to repair. All landscapes, no matter how they are used or maintained, can be improved over time by following sustainable (organic) principles.

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Drought Tolerant Plantings and Strategies - Article

5/16/2022

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POSTED BY CELILO / NEWS

As climate change becomes an increasingly prevalent issue, water is becoming a treasured and sometimes fought over resource. Therefore drought tolerant gardens are growing to be more of a necessity than a trend.

Drought tolerant plantings once thought of as dry (or xeriscape), sparse, gravelly and full of prickly succulents. But that definition has evolved to mean drought tolerant gardens that are full of shrubs, perennials, trees and ornamental grasses which are thoughtfully selected, deep rooted plants with low water needs.

Once a drought tolerant landscape is established, usually 3 years or so after planting, its water requirements become minimal. In the Pacific Northwest because most of our rainfall is in the autumn, winter and spring, an established drought tolerant landscape will be fine watering it every 2-3 weeks in the summer (providing temperatures are not above 90 degrees for extended periods of time).

When planting a low water garden, it is essential to have well-drained soil because typically, low water plants do not like to have their feet wet. In the Portland OR area there is an abundance of clay soil, so it is important to amend with sand or clean ¼”-10 gravel to improve the drainage and keep the soil friable. This strategy might seem like a “heavy lift” but a landscape will only thrive when the soil is compatible with the plants selected for the site.

This is a Portland landscape which was planted perhaps 9-10 years ago. It is bursting with plant life and receives little to no water except the rain which falls on it.

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Native Plants – Article

5/16/2022

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POSTED BY CELILO / NEWS

As a landscape designer, I have had many clients begin our first meeting with a list of wants for their new garden which, more often than not, include native plants in the mix. So in an effort to educate I want to weigh in on expectations and the reality of using natives as well as raise some questions about what is a native.

Expectations: Most people have several unfounded beliefs that using natives will:

Reduce the amount of maintenance they will have to do in the garden.
Natives require less water than hybrid plants.
Natives are better for attracting pollinators.

So let’s take these beliefs one at a time.

Do natives actually reduce the amount of maintenance?
The answer…That depends. It depends on whether you are planting native plants in exactly the same environment as they are found in Nature or are you stretching it a bit and planting these plants in a somewhat similar environment. For instance, IF you are lucky and have a true woodland environment (full to partial shade with deep duff and friable soil and moist water conditions) then native woodland plants (once established) should be happy. However, IF what you really have is just a shady spot? Native woodland plants will not thrive well and to help them to grow will require more maintenance (and more water).

Native plants require less water than hybrid plants.
The answer….Not necessarily. That depends upon the plant. Native plants which are naturally found in dry areas are adapted to exist with less water. BUT there are loads of native plants which have medium to high water requirements to live well. Therefore pulling away water even once they are established, will stress them and the plant will struggle or eventually the plant will die.

Native plants are better for attracting pollinators.
Answer….Not all natives are good for pollinators. Some native plants, milkweed (aka Asclepias syriaca) for example, does attract the Monarch Butterfly while other cultivars of milkweed, though more attractive, are not as effective attracting the Monarch. And then there are other native plants like Snowberry (aka Symphoricarpos) which, although it has white berries, does not attract birds or pollinators and has a thin, rangy habit. So if the native Snowberry is a dud of a plant, why use it? Why not use a Snowberry cultivar like Hancock Coralberry or Marleen Snowberry (pictured below) which like the native plant does not get birds or pollinators excited but overall is a more attractive plant.

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Think Like Fire – Firescaping or Designing Landscapes for Fire Resistance -- Article

5/16/2022

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POSTED BY CELILO / NEWS

Over the last few years, it seems summers are getting hotter and fire season is extending for months longer. Living in an urban environment is not always protection against a wildfire as Santa Rosa CA and Talent OR residents learned too well and so painfully.
To design a landscape which is wildfire resistant – that is fire resistant is not fire proof because in the end everything burns — You must first, think like fire. So instead of beginning this article with a list of plants, you need to know more about how fire acts, the conditions that fuel it and strategies about how to manage it.

What is Firescaping? This is a relatively new term born from the ashes of the wildfires we have experienced over the last few years. My own definition is designing, planting and maintaining a landscape to resist a wildfire, keeping in mind that everything will ultimately burn.
Why talk about creating fire defensible landscapes in an urban environment? The famous Eagle Creek Fire in the Columbia Gorge in Sept. of 2017 was a wildfire in the wilderness. However, the Santa Rosa wildfire in California and the wildfire which burned the town of Talent Oregon to the ground were not fires in the wilderness. They were wildfires in areas called the Wildland-Urban Interface.
Residents of Santa Rosa, CA and Paradise CA and our own Overlook Neighborhood in Portland (Fire Aug. 2017) discovered even urban living environments can be at risk too. No matter if there’s a fire hydrant at the street.

In 2020 you may remember the Beechie Creek Fire which threatened Salem, Oregon, The Riverside Fire in Clackamas, Oregon, The Lionshead Fire in Jefferson County, Oregon and South Obenchain Fire which impacted Ashland, Talent and Phoenix, Oregon. Those wildfires leveled 2800 structures. There were nearly a dozen fires in all. State wide, 10 people died and 1,000,000 acres burned.

What is Wildland-Urban Interface? It is land at the edge of a wildland (neighborhoods like Oaks Bottom, Johnson Creek, Sullivan’s Gulch) or near a wild urban park (Forest Park, Mt. Tabor, Rocky Butte and Powell Butte) which could be impacted by fire as easily as in a rural area.
These areas are becoming known as the “Wildland-Urban Interface” by planners and fire professionals.

First, think like fire… basic facts:
Wildfires are dependent on 3 things --- fuel, terrain and weather.
Fuel equals combustible materials like, wood siding, cedar shakes and composition roofs, dry or dead plants and a thick understory.
Terrain like steep hillsides, ravines, any place which is difficult to reach and deeply forested or dry, wild, grassy lands.
And Weather which is a threat is low humidity and high temperatures combined with wind.

Realize that:

A Fire which burns fast is hottest and hardest to control.
A Fire which burns vertically (up a hill or a ravine) moves very fast.

The goal is to keep a wildfire low and slow moving so there is time to control it.

Topography has an impact on wildfires: If a property sits at the top of a hill or a bluff or a ravine, as view properties often do, it is at risk when a fire starts at the bottom of the slope because fire will race up the vertical surface.

Wind drives wildfires. Understand which direction of the prevailing winds come from in the summer and early fall, that is to say, during fire season. In the Portland area, summer winds blow out of the north-northwest and in the fall, they are typically out of from the east.
Therefore, if a property is at the edge of a Wildland-Urban Interface, downwind and at the top of a slope that property is seriously at risk.

Landscape Design Considerations:

Use hardscape near the house and structures to create firebreaks. (paths of gravel, river rock or concrete, driveways, patios)

By incorporating pools, ponds and water features into landscapes, they can provide additional water in an emergency IF the water can pumped to where it is needed, when it is needed without electricity.
Plant a meadow around the house 20’-50’ deep and keep it irrigated.
Avoid using combustible mulch (wood chips, sawdust, leaf mulch) near structures which can smolder for a long time and then erupt. Instead make use of river rock and gravel mulch or decomposed granite which is not combustible and will keep weeds down and foundations dry.
Plan to have multiple hose bibs around the property for quick hookups and the even distribution of water. This is a good strategy so it isn’t necessary to fully irrigate the whole property but in an emergency the perimeter areas or particularly dry areas can be wet down.
Use fire resistant plantings. OSU has published a Guide of Fire-resistant Plant list and List of High Fire Risk Plants specific to Oregon and The Spruce has a list of flammable plants which is useful as well.

Links to these resources are:
https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/em9103

What determines a fire resistant vs. fire risky plant?
A Low risk plant is one which has high moisture content in the leaves, thick broad leaves, and an open growth habit (not compact and dense). And low risk plants are plants which are well maintained with no dead plant material.
A High risk plant is one which has a high oil or high resin content in the leaf or bark, a dense structure, low leaf moisture content, a presence of dead material, a chemical content in the sap and peeling bark.
Generally speaking, deciduous trees and plants are less flammable than conifers.

Examples of some highly flammable and common plants include:
Algerian Ivy
Juniper
Honeysuckle
Eucalyptus
Scotch Broom
Some of the Cypresses
Douglas Fir
Arborvitae
Rosemary
Lavender
Bamboo because of its dry, papery leaves.
Tall grasses like Maiden Grass – if not cut back when dry.

Planting Strategies for wildfire resistance.
Space larger plants (Shrubs and Trees) apart so fire cannot jump from canopy to canopy. The spacing is dependent upon the mature size and growing habit of the plant. You can take clues from nature to understand the spacing of different varieties.

Plant large trees 50’ from houses, garages and sheds.
Plant smaller plants closer to structures
Avoid planting continuous rows or masses of fire susceptible plants. Examples might be, sweeps of Lavender or hedgerows of Juniper.
Leave space between shrubs and perennial groupings to reduce a fire’s ability to spread.

Maintenance: Think… what does fire “eat”? And give it NO fuel.
Limb up conifers (Doug Fir, Cedar, Hemlock, Pine, etc.) 10’- 15’ from grade and closer to 20’ above the ground with very tall trees. Low hanging branches, tall shrubs and dry grasses create fuel ladders. Trim up branches which overhang a roof or a deck (wood or composition materials).
Keep gutters and roofs free of debris and needles. And mow meadows in the dry months or irrigate.
Well-watered landscapes are more fire-resistant than dry plantings. If you have a lawn, keep it watered and mowed in the dry months.
Removing invasives is important – Himalayan Blackberry, Ivy, Scotch Broom. All of these plants create dense thickets and provide available fast-food for a fire. Think of a McDonalds or the Taco Bell Drive through.
Do basic, ongoing maintenance – remove dead or dying trees, fallen limbs after storms and blackberry thickets.
With large properties “fire Sprinklers” can be designed in to the landscape as part of the irrigation system at the perimeter of the property which allows owner to quickly drench the perimeter when needed. Some sprinkler systems can be operated remotely from your phone so a vacation home can be protected even if vacant.

Lastly – Be One with your neighbors
Remember a property is only as defensible as the Neighbor’s property next door. Encourage neighbors to follow the same protocol as you do so one neighbor does not put all at risk.
Share the load and help to maintain everyone’s properties. Perhaps organize spring and fall clean up parties and make the work fun!
Remember…No one is an island…especially in a wildfire.

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Japanese Garden Design PDX Style

5/16/2022

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POSTED BY CELILO / NEWS

Having always admired the restraint and deliberateness of Japanese Gardens, during the summer of 2017 I participated in a training which took me to another level of understanding of Japanese garden design.
The Waza to Kokoro (Hands and Heart) experience is an intensive workshop for landscape design professionals put on by the Portland Japanese Garden. It is 12 days total; 6 lecture days, 5 days of hands on work and tea ceremonies begin every morning.
Participants came from all areas of the professional landscape trade and from all over the US. Our cohort was made up of landscape contractors, landscape designers and architects, curators of other Japanese gardens and college students. We came from Illinois, N. Carolina, Washington State, California and Oregon.
The teachers and lectures were staff from the Japanese Garden, professional gardeners from Japan with their translators and scholars from the Portland community.

The training contributed volumes to my basic knowledge of designing through the lens of Japanese influence.
This is an annual program which took a hiatus during the Pandemic. Sessions are now held at both the Beginner and the Intermediate levels. If you are interested you can contact the Portland Japanese Garden for details.

When we think of Japanese landscapes we often use words like, minimal, rectilinear, clean, deliberate, calm & contemplative, green, retreat and so on.
There are 9 recognized design principals in Japanese Gardens but for the sake of space I will explore the 4 most major design principals here.

Enclosure & Entry, The Path, using Void as an accent and Balance:

If you have been to The Portland Japanese Garden in the last 5 years, you know there is a new entrance – a meandering path that takes you up the hill to the garden itself.
This is premeditated. It is a devise to assist the visitor to transition from daily life and the rush of the city to the tranquility of the garden at the top of the hill. It takes time and effort to climb the path and as you rise, you metaphorically leave the busy world behind. In Japan, gardens are designed to do the same.

1. Enclosure & Entry – In Japan the urban environment is very densely populated therefore gardens are framed for privacy by walls or fences to control the view and treated as a work of art.
Garden Gates are significant because each gate represents a transition point where with each passage, you leave more of the everyday world behind…Distancing yourself from the noise and stress of the city and preparing yourself psychologically to experience the garden. Usually there are 3 gates – an outer gate, a middle gate and an inner gate. Gates are also used to control views and movement.

The outer gate is typically the most imposing and densely built, often roofed. The middle gate is lighter, lower and often made of bamboo. The inner gate is the lightest and most welcoming and sometimes is just a suggestion of a gate – in some cases it is a gate which
you could walk around rather than through. But of course no one would do that!

2. The Path – Paths are not only for wayfinding and traffic control in a Japanese garden, they also set the cadence of motion and views of vignettes and specific garden elements.
Traditionally there are two types of paths. Stepping stone paths that are informal are made with irregular, somewhat irregular stones which meander. And then there are more formal, rectangular, wider, elongated paths called Nobedans.

Stepping stone paths force the visitor to look down, pay attention to where you place your feet and slow the rate of travel. When a large stepping stone is placed in the middle of a path of smaller stones it purposefully offers a spot to pause and view a plant or object. OR a large stepping stone placed strategically at the intersection of 2-3 stone paths will cause the visitor to look up, pause and decide which direction to take.

Nobedan paths often resemble a rectangular tatami mat. The stone used in a Nobedan is cut and fit and sometimes mortared together. They are straight and level which lets the walker forget about foot placement and look at the surroundings and walk at a slightly faster gate.

When a path is closed to visitors a Barrier Stone called a sekimori-ishi is placed in the middle of the path. A very civilized way to signal “no entry” …

3. Void Used As Accent – Japanese use the term “ma” to describe a defined open space or void. It is used as punctuation, as in a pause in a dance movement or moments of silence in music or the space in a painting intentionally left empty. It is a place for the eye to rest in a garden in the midst of a jumble of plants, textures and color. That is “ma”.

Traditional gardens use dry gardens to create a void which are Raked sand or gravel gardens. These are open landscapes perhaps punctuated with boulders or dense plants. Pools of water create “ma” Or “ma” can be created with a carpet of moss. In a contemporary garden this could be a stone patio with plantings at the edge OR a large pond OR the ubiquitous American lawn.

4. Balance – Balance in combination with “ma” are the two most important design principals which give a Japanese garden design character. In Japanese gardens, balance is asymmetrical – no matching columns placed on either side of a gate. Garden elements are weighted differently -- a tall narrow plant might be balanced by a low dense boulder nearby. Straight paths are used sparingly and paths tend to wander. Groups of elements are used in uneven numbers – 3 boulders and 5 pines.

Japanese Garden design is more than a statue of a laughing Buddha and stone lanterns. It is the thoughtful incorporation of these 4 major design principals.

Two books which you may find valuable if you want to learn more about Japanese Garden Design, are both by the same writer, Marc Peter Keane. Japanese Garden Design and Japanese Garden Notes.

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NEWS

Organic (Sustainable) Gardening – Article

Four Basic Principles

PRINCIPLE #1: FEED THE SOIL ORGANISMS AND
THE SOIL ORGANISMS WILL FEED THE PLANTS

PRINCIPLE #2: BUILD A ROBUST INSECT ECOLOGY FOR BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF PESTS

PRINCIPLE #3: GIVE UP THE CHEMICALS

PRINCIPLE #4: USE COMPOST AND MULCHES IN THE LANDSCAPE

Drought Tolerant Plantings and Strategies - Article

Native Plants – Article

Think Like Fire – Firescaping or Designing Landscapes for Fire Resistance -- Article

Japanese Garden Design PDX Style

Enclosure & Entry, The Path, using Void as an accent and Balance:

ARCHIVE

CATEGORIES

©2014-2021 CELILO GARDENS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED || Website upgraded by ar technity pvt. ltd

NEWS

Organic (Sustainable) Gardening – Article

Four Basic Principles

PRINCIPLE #1: FEED THE SOIL ORGANISMS ANDTHE SOIL ORGANISMS WILL FEED THE PLANTS

PRINCIPLE #2: BUILD A ROBUST INSECT ECOLOGY FOR BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF PESTS

PRINCIPLE #3: GIVE UP THE CHEMICALS

PRINCIPLE #4: USE COMPOST AND MULCHES IN THE LANDSCAPE

Drought Tolerant Plantings and Strategies - Article

Native Plants – Article

Think Like Fire – Firescaping or Designing Landscapes for Fire Resistance -- Article

Japanese Garden Design PDX Style

Enclosure & Entry, The Path, using Void as an accent and Balance:

ARCHIVE

CATEGORIES

©2014-2021 CELILO GARDENS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED || Website upgraded by ar technity pvt. ltd

PRINCIPLE #1: FEED THE SOIL ORGANISMS AND
THE SOIL ORGANISMS WILL FEED THE PLANTS