Pineapple whip float with pineapple juice- heaven in a glass

I love the texture and ungulation of this grass.

Portland Gardens

Call me old-school, but I have always had a strong affinity towards old English styles. I have a love for lamp posts and have always loved the melding of climbers and old-fashioned street lamps. I have always wanted to incorporate this classic design into the front walkway of a quaint cottage. I would love to play around with native climbers as well to see how this would look, sort of bringing classic English style cottage meets pacific northwest natives. I could imagine that playing out well in a shade garden.

I learned a new word a few days ago- espalier. It means the training of plants to grow on wire or rope horizontally. I like this because you can use it to cover and make use of bare walls, long fences, etc. I have seen this method used on apples but are more commonly used on grapes I think. I saw this use of espalier just two blocks down from the Beaverton Farmers Market. Its a wonderful way to maximize food production in small spaces.

This last photo I am including because I wanted to comment on the texture this tree adds to the Garden. This tree is located in the Portland Chinese Garden. I love the way the branches gnarl and twist, and are contrasted by the white flat wall. The delicate leaves are beautiful. I have a strong affinity towards twisting branches, I think they lend a feeling of enchantment and mystique to a garden or landscape.

travelling shoes

I have left NY for the NW. My experiences there did not align with goals, nor was everything presented accurately from them in the interview. Somethings they said I would do they then told me I would not be doing, so once I finished my corn maze project I was just spending 9 hours a day water, weeding, or dead-heading for a family. Now if the place were a public garden I might have been able to continue because I believe in supporting public gardens and have greater energy when I know something is being done for everyone. So now I am home in Oregon and will be doing this and that before my trip to the East Coast with my parents.

What I learned from my 3-week internship: Communication is very important for accurate work and for happier workers. That I love design and would like to pursue it by getting a landscape architecture certificate- possibly @ PCC.

 But in the time being I will post things I find inspirational for my career- whether it is articles on ecology, horticulture, permaculture, etc. I will visit gardens and post pictures of designs I like and methods I myself would like to replicate. I have been and will continue to travel the US for a while longer, and while I have my travelling shoes on I will be always on the lookout for the new (new to me @ least).

A forest built around a house...

I have spent the last 3 weeks in  NY working on a private estate garden (350 acres and counting). The family's main house (yes they have multiple on the property) is often marveled at not for its huge Olympic pool, largest private Mayan collection, and indoor basketball court, but for its placement in a beautiful forest with grand 50ft trees and numerous ponds. 

People often ask how such a house could have been built in such a forest- the response... the forest was built around the house. Yes, 50ft trees were brought from all around the East Coast, and these beautiful ponds (really small lakes) were man-made. And those majestic waterfalls you see all around on the drive up... those were built as well.

Well, this is where I am currently working...and so far I have created a few corn maze designs

One is a dragon with a straw castle- in this maze you have to rescue a princess/prince, choose a weapon, slay the dragon, race off on your noble steed, and then be knighted for your heroic actions. There are stamps along the way you have to collect (they fulfill the aforementioned tasks), and at the end is a pumpkin patch. The maze is the family's own private one and is 5 acres big. The other design (only one will be selected) is a wild west theme where you have to show off your sheriff skills in order to receive your sheriff badge and become town sheriff. The maze is a sheriff's badge, a cowboy hat, and a cactus, with a straw fort or jail. There will be games in the circles of the sheriff's badge- these games show you have what it takes to be sheriff. Again, there is a pumpkin patch at the end- plus in this one they can hand out root-beer, sarsaparilla, and have other festive treats. They should be deciding which design to use in the next week or so. The funny thing is, when I showed these designs and explained them to two different people at separate times, they both said I should work for Disney...hmmm........

Creation

This blog has been created to share my adventures after college as I attempt to become a landscape architect who also moonlights and daylights as an environmental educator with an organic garden where children can see just how awesome vegetables really are. As this adventure is only just beginning, please feel free to post advice, tips, words of wisdom, heck- even great recipes- anything helps.