A Walk on the Wild Side

The east side of the house is sometimes a treasure hunt. I don't go over there often (until the blueberries ripen) and most of the plants aren't visible from the front, so in spring I'm often surprised by what's in bloom.







This lorapetalum is stunning with its pink flowers and reddish-bronze leaves. It's related to witch hazel.









One of my favorite native plants is the trillium. They're abundant in the forests of western Oregon but are typically hard to grow in gardens. This plant was rescued from a logging area and has thrived here for years.


This is the only kind of snow we get here in Portland these days - pink cherry blossoms tossed by a strong breeze drift in the gardens and on the street curbs. It's beautiful to see them floating on the wind.

Bleeding Hearts. Spring has arrived.