Tuesday, December 31, 2013

2013...Looking Back


How is it possible that today is the last day of 2013? Who let this happen...seriously? Ok...another year has come and gone, and wasn't it a doozy! The weather had its ups and downs (as did the garden), but all-in-all, I think it was a pretty good year!


While the the winter last year was pretty much a dud, we did have a few days of really beautiful frost in January. I remember being ecstatic that it was on a weekend, so I could take as many pictures as I liked. Will we get something similar in 2014...let's just say my fingers and toes are crossed!


February in the NW sees the start of Garden Show Season. While I generally forget about 90% of what I see, there is almost always something good I take away. Last year, it was this wonderfully simple and elegant pairing of Daffodils and Sesleria at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show.


Between the middle of February and the first part of March, I cut back the entire garden. I space it out over several weeks since the recycling bin can only hold so much. By Mid-March, however, I'm done and can sit back and watch with sheer delight as the garden starts to come back to life.


April is always such an exuberant month...I wake up each morning excited to go outside and see what new wonders await me. Of course, with our constant rain...it means I am also constantly on slug patrol ;-) Oh well...small price to pay for not having to water the garden until July! I also spent an inordinate amount of time shopping at local nurseries!


May is magic...and its mostly due to bulbs. It's the month that I celebrate waves of Tulips, Iris and Alliums...it's a giddy ride as each day brings with it petals that are velvety and rich...and perfumes that are sweet and heady. May this year was frantic, as usual, as I continued to shuffle plants around. Will I ever stop...no, probably not!


June was special this year for the fact that I attended my very first Garden Bloggers Fling in beautiful San Francisco, and I still have LOTS to post about regarding that! On our way home afterwards, we stopped at the wonderful gardens at Cornerstone, Sonoma...a truly magical place, full of inspiration.


After the Fling, I returned to my garden, loving it more than ever (absence, it seems, DOES make the heart grow fonder). While I busily rushed about doing random chores...the cats always seemed to remind me to slow down and enjoy things. Oh...and I moved plants...I know you're shocked!


August always brings about the Dog Days of summer...hot enough to make me flee inside during all but the mornings and evenings. This is arguably the most "floriferous" point for my garden...the garden positively heaves with blooms...and bees! To my delight, we even got rain at the end of the month...a treat considering last year the rains didn't return until October! August this past year also marked the long-awaited removal of the dreadful Laurel bush!


September started off quite hot...but we actually got a bit of relief towards the middle of the month...and by the end of September, we were well and truly on our way to Autumn. Also, 2013 saw the return of the HPSO Fall Plant sale, in a smaller form. Renamed "Plantfest", it was wonderful...and in addition to fabulous shopping, I got to hear High Country Garden's very own David Salman speak.


October this year was wonderful...a truly decadent Autumn, with crisp, cool weather and several days of magical fog. I think it may have been the loveliest fall since I've lived in Portland. The rains held off long enough for the leaves to turn. The aforementioned fog also made for a glorious trip to the Portland Japanese Garden.


November saw the climax of our fall color...which seemed to last forever! As in most years, I spend more time outside during Autumn than at any other time of year...the weather is beautiful...and I just want to drink up every last bit of the garden before winter sets in. 2013 was also the year I got a new camera...and I even made a short movie wit it! Oh, and I may have moved some more plant around...SHOCKER!


Which brings us here...to December. I can honestly say this has been the best winter yet in my garden. I've been loving the garden this winter, thanks to spending more and more time planting for winter interest over the past few years. Except for one brief cold snap, it's been quite lovely so far...although it seems a tad on the dry side. We even got a small amount of snow during the first part of the month!

Here's to 2013 in my garden, I hope you had a great year in yours...and let's all look forward to 2014.

Happy New Year, everyone!

50 comments:

  1. Happy New Year, Scott! I enjoyed this review of the year in your garden. I am really itching to get out there and cut things back. I still have plants from the fall swap that came from you that I'd really like to get in the ground. The orange Crocosmia is going into my new front bed.

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  2. Your garden has certainly shone this year Scott. May the new year treat both you and your beloved plants kindly! xxx

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  3. Happy New Year! Such a lovely look back ..I wish I could remember my gardening year ! It's all a blur ...

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  4. Twelve months, twelve great pics! Great recap and wishing you a fabulous New Year!

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  5. Oh man... what a eye candy post! I enjoyed every minute of it. My favorite photos were March, July and September. I bet you can't guess why. :) Your cats are so adorable. Also I love the wall of Impatiens balfouri are so pretty. Did you have to work today? I have today and tomorrow off and wow was it nice today. I actually felt rejuvenated puttering in the garden. Here's to a botanically bountiful 2014. It will be the year we finally meet. :)

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  6. A sweet and satisfying look back at 2013. I admire your recollection of weather and tasks, not to mention your artfully composed photographs. I had to review my photo files to remember what I was doing during any given month. Thank heavens for automatically dated JPEGs!

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  7. Happy New Year to you too, Alison! Yes...I'm already itching to get out there and do something...it's hard to sit still for too long, isn't it!

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  8. Thank you, Anna...same to you...Happy New Year!

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  9. Hahaha...it definitely is a blur...that's the nice thing about these posts...it gives me a reason to really go back through last years photos...it's amazing how many things I'd forgotten about!

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  10. Thanks, guys...Happy New Year :-)

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  11. Hahahaha...the cats will always win, won't they! I worked today, but have tomorrow off...perhaps I'll get out there and pick up some of the soggier plants...maybe ;-) Happy New Year, Grace!

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  12. Hahahaha...same here, Jane...I'm glad I organize my photos by month...otherwise I'd be hopelessly lost. This post is always a great way for me to look back and remember what happened during the year...it all sort of runs together in my mind otherwise! Happy New Year!

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  13. Your photographs are wonderful, as always. They would make a very nice calendar, should you ever decide you want a 2nd job. Have a happy new year, Scott! I hope January brings your desired weekend frost (while providing pockets of warmth for those with tender plants who wish to avoid it).

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  14. Thanks, Kris...and yes, it would be good if we could have a little of everything...wouldn't it! Happy New Year!

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  15. Lee@A Guide to NE GardeningJanuary 1, 2014 at 6:03 AM

    Love your year in review. Here's to a 2014 filled with wonderful gardening moments. Happy New Year to you and yours!

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  16. Michael - Plano Prairie GardenJanuary 1, 2014 at 6:08 AM

    Happy New Year! I enjoyed the look back at 2013. I wish I could take pictures like that.

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  17. Absolutely, Lee...Happy New Year!

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  18. Happy New Year, Michael! I think your pictures are great!

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  19. Another gorgeous year in your garden and I am in awe of how it all looks put together with your expert photo and layout skills.

    Here's to another great year in your garden!

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  20. Jenni @ RainyDayGardenerJanuary 1, 2014 at 8:53 AM

    Happy New Year Scott! We really did have an exceptional Autumn, one of the prettiest I can every remember here in Oregon. Wishing you a fantastic year ahead and looking forward to the 2014 Portland Garden Bloggers Fling!

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  21. Thanks, Phillip...perhaps next year we'll see you here in Portland :-)

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  22. Thanks, Shirley...and a Happy New Year to you!

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  23. It was so lovely, wasn't it, Jenni! Yes, very excited about the Fling (and, of course, terrified)! Happy New Year!

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  24. A really lovely retrospective of the year! I love the photos that contrast the daffs with the grass, and the coneflowers with the Agastache. Plus your sidewalk shot from October is magical. Happy New Year from Judy and I!

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  25. Thanks, Jason...Happy New Year to both of you as well...hope to see you this summer :-)

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  26. Hi Scott,
    Lovely yearly round-up. I really hope one day my own garden looks as amazing as yours...
    Have a lovely 2014 and I hope you had a fantastic Christmas and New Year. Back to work we go...

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  27. Such gorgeous photos! I always feel like you're in the same room as I am just chatting away when I read your posts. :) Your cat must be the envy of the neighborhood felines to have such an incredible garden to call his own. Looks like you had an awesome year. Will your garden be on the Garden Tour list for the Blogger Fling?

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  28. Thanks Liz...and your garden already is lovely! Happy new Year!

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  29. I think they are the envy of most cats...but mostly because they are just plain spoiled ;-) Happy New Year!

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  30. I gotta get around to doing a post similar to this! What lovely images you share with us. Thank You, Thank You!

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  31. I feel the same as Michael -- wish I could take photos like you, Scott. And you have the perfect garden to highlight your photography skills. Well done! http://www.penick.net/digging

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  32. You totally should, Riz...I'd love to see your version! Happy New Year :-)

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  33. I think you're both plenty good with a camera, Pam :-) Happy New Year!

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  34. Wonderful and satisfying. Thank you for this post of your magnificent garden.

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  35. Glad you enjoyed my look back through the year, Katie...Happy New Year!

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  36. It was lovely to be reminded of the year that was through your words and pictures.

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  37. Glad you liked it, Ricki....it was a pretty good year, all things considered :-)

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  38. Scott, your photos are enchanting and so fun to scroll through. Happy 2014 to you and your gardens.

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  39. Thanks, Joene...Happy New Year to you as well :-)

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  40. I envy you the flowers in August, that is the dead month in mine! Great images and memories of your garden through 2013.

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  41. I looooouuuve this almost as much as I love Carol Klein! I had actually forgotten what the weather was like this year, so this was a nice walk down memory lane. :)

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  42. Hi Scott, I enjoyed seeing your garden through the year. Thanks for stopping by my place. We are expecting record cold Sunday and Monday. I am not looking forward to that! Well, on the bright side, the days are getting longer!

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  43. Thanks, Christina...it's always interesting how all of our gardens have their "off" seasons, isn't it?

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  44. Haha...me too, actually...I ended up referring to most old posts to see what exactly happened when...everything sort of runs together after a while :-)

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  45. Yes...the days getting longer are such a good thing, Sue! Yikes...stay warm...sounds like you are in for a rough patch...hopefully it doesn't last too long :-)

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  46. Lovely as always Scott, Happy New Year.

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  47. A great summary and beautiful photos to go with it. Gorgeous picture of the flowers in your back yard. I love the fall colors in your garden.

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  48. Happy New Year to you as well!

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  49. Thanks, so much...I'm actually working on a bit of a redesign of the back yard this coming year...wish me luck :-)

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