Ramona "the pest"

RAMONA'S HOME TOWN. There was the usual rush to organize our trip, see to the animals, care for the garden and so on, but finally on May 1st we were off. We flew from Toronto to Vancouver and then I headed to Portland while DH attended a conference in Victoria B.C.

Spring was in full swing with bright new leaves on all the trees and grass a glorious green. The sun was shining and the temperature reached 21C (over 70F)! Perfect. I was soon taken to the Portland Guest House, the B&B where I'd chosen to stay. This Victorian home is located in the Irvington area within greater Portland where Ramona (of Beverly Cleary fame) had her many adventures in the children's stories that my daughter grew up with.

A wisteria standard

The guest house garden was a thrill because the hellebores were still in flower, and the wisteria and lilacs were dripping with blooms. Early Japanese anemones, dicentra, tulips and even a rose were in flower as well. What a change from Ontario!

The Portland Classical Chinese Garden

THE CHINESE GARDEN. On my first outing I explored the classic Suzhou style Chinese Garden, the Garden of the Awakening Orchids, Lan Su Yuan. I had the place almost to myself at first --- and this is the best way to enjoy it. A single city block contains distinct areas of delight and repose: Hall of Brocade Clouds, Reflection of Clear Ripples, Celestial House of Permeating Fragrance ... and others. There were plants I did not know and hope to identify later from my photos. New acquaintances were fringe flowered Nandina and a fabulous crane iris.

Behind the 'Painted Boat in Misty Rain'. I hope someone can tell me the name of this vine.

THE JAPANESE GARDEN. For my second escapade I was off to the Japanese Gardens high atop the hills of Washington Park. There I found an extensive path network leading to various garden areas. I walked past iris, rhododendrons and azaleas in riotous colors of bloom, with fish swimming in pools nearby. There was a peachy/apricot azalea that surprised me with its beauty. At one spot I paused for a view of snowy Mount Hood in the distance. The dark twisted trunks of the maples contrasted with their filigreed foliage of deep reds, oranges and bright yellow-greens. Sunlight danced through the leaves. Stone and water are two crucial elements in a Japanese garden, like bones and blood in a human being. Moss and rocks were an integral part of the well groomed gardens. I also enjoyed the Sand and Stone Garden where weathered stones rise from a bed of gravel, ripple-raked to suggest the sea. >

Portland's Japanese garden

A WALK IN IRVINGTON. Another day I set off for a walk in the neighborhood of my B&B. I gawked at nearby private gardens. Everywhere were flowering dogwoods: white and pink, some with variegated foliage. Rosemary plants, which I must dig up and winter indoors at home, here grow to five feet in height and spread! Euphorbias abound. They too often reach 5-6 feet in height. Plantings next to the road were creatively groomed into an art form.

A lovely roadside planting

Yellow laburnums, wisteria, horse chestnuts and Viburnum Mariesii were all in bloom. The rhododendrons and azaleas glowed in brilliant colors in every front yard --- restraint is almost unheard of!

A subdued hue of rhododendron.

Deliveries of soil and compost were piled in the streets, and Saturday was a busy gardening day at almost every home. People invited me into their gardens to show me a new pond, a special clematis or a newly painted trellis.

Clematis montana against a Portland home.

An old woman showed me her frog garden and told me that people drop off decorative frogs on her porch to surprise her. One tree caught my eye. It was huge with burgundy leaves and white clusters of bloom. I was told that it is called Photinia. Photinia is a word which elicits a groan as this is considered a weed tree. In my opinion, it is extremely handsome when well cared for. Occasionally I spied masses of bamboo escaping beyond its borders --- tall and strong and lovely. I was impressed by trellises made of bamboo and may try building one at the farm.

Two plants I was excited to see were Ceanothus with its masses of lilac/blue flowers and Cerinthe major, of an incredible color difficult to describe: navy with purple? I had never seen these except in books.

Ceanothus blooms

BREWSTER ROGERSON: THE MAN AND HIS CLEMATIS. Waiting for me at the B&B was a phone message from my email friend, Brewster Rogerson who was concerned that I was not being properly cared for. A gentleman indeed! I was nervous and excited to meet this garden great! We arranged to meet the following Monday. DH drove me out of Portland to meet Brewster and to see his wonderful greenhouses filled with 900 clematis. Brewster with his authoritative enthusiasm and his pride in and appreciation of these wonderful plants was infectious.

Brewster Rogerson and Gardenbug

This has been Oregon's coldest spring in years and the clematis blooms have been delayed. Fortunately a number of American species were in bloom and quite a few large flowered hybrids were just opening. Some atragenes (which I learned to pronounce correctly) were still going strong. Among the large flowered hybrids, the Japanese hybrids were new to me and wondrous. We thrilled to several plants which were opening as double beauties. I detected the scent of clematis for the first time in Clematis koreana var. fragrans. I will always remember Brewster, standing captivated, hands cradling his special blooms.

Some highlights:

Clematis 'Brewster' was found as a seedling by Brewster Rogerson and named by the Pacific Northwest Clematis Society in his honor. It has a vanilla scent.

Clematis 'Floral Feast'. This is a hybrid between C.macropetala and C. ochotensis.

Clematis koreana var. fragrans

Clematis 'Lady Caroline Nevill'

Clematis 'Natascha', from the German breeder Manfred Westphal.

Opening before my eyes, Clematis 'Daniel Deronda' with its characteristic green tints!

This Clematis marmoraria hybrid has bronze tinges in the foliage, whereas the species is uniformly green. Its flower also has more and smaller sepals than the species, and a yellow cast surrounding them.

A botany lesson on "connectives" from the master.

MAURICE HORN AND HIS NURSERY. We enjoyed tea together with Bob Gutmann, the nursery owner who houses Brewster's collection and who specializes in evergreen clematis starts. Next our adventure took us (Brewster, DH and myself) down winding roads to visit Maurice Horn at Joy Creek Nursery. During the past few years I have enjoyed exchanging email with Maurice and ordering wonderful clematis from his nursery. I certainly was pampered --- and given a detailed tour of both the display gardens and the clematis area. This was a real delight and so kind of Maurice during his busiest time of year. We enjoyed comparing the colors of the clematis in Maurice's open growing conditions with those in Brewster's greenhouses. Also, so beautiful to hear Japanese names flow effortlessly from Maurice's tongue! (He speaks Japanese.) Before leaving the nursery, I saw a Clematis Brunette, which I NEEDED, so of course I added it to this year's order. It was a delight and an honor to spend time with these two gentlemen, whom I've come to admire from a distance over the years.