Changes in Michael’s Garden

My name is Michael Follose, and since my last submission (Michael’s Garden in Oregon and Returning to a Garden After Almost a Decade ), I’ve had two birch (Betula) trees removed, including one that I planted 45 years ago. My husband, Don, and I built a new picket fence out front and terraced some of that area with more lava rocks, partly to cover their massive root systems with soil. We’ve also moved the hostas and hellebores (that were now in direct sunlight) to other gardens. We’ve spent the last couple of years planting the area to give it a cottage garden feel. Here in Powell Butte, Oregon, we are now considered to be in Zone 6, but we still choose our plants as if we were in Zone 5.

Our two diseased birch trees being removed in 2019

Tulips (Tulipa hybrids, Zones 3–8) and daffodils (Narcissus hybrids, Zones 3–8) in the spring blooming in the area where the birches used to be.

This view from the side patio shows a newly planted area.

This photo shows the new garden area, with Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra, Zones 5–9), petunias (Petunia hybrids, Zones 10–11 or as annuals), and sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas, Zones 10–11 or as an annual).

The asters (Symphytotrichum sp.) and goldenrod (Solidago rugosa ‘Fireworks’, Zones 4–8) really put on a show in the fall.

These are foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea, Zones 4–8) that we started from seed.

The David Austin rose ‘Princess Alexandra of Kent’ is luxuriating on the full sun left by the removal of the birch trees.

Self-seeded snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus, Zones 7–10 or as a cool-season annual)

The pond in late summer is bordered with perennials blooming in hot shades of orange and yellow.

‘Happy Returns’ daylily (Hemerocallis ‘Happy Returns’, Zones 3–9) is grown mostly for its very long blooming season and soft yellow flowers, but the color as it goes dormant in the fall is pretty nice too!

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