My brother, Doug, and his wife, Ruth, purchased their retirement house in Woodburn, Oregon a couple of years ago and had to decide whether to keep the contractor installed new lawn that came with the new house or to tear it out and put in a new garden. They decided that they wanted a garden…

Plants always look better when they are grouped in masses. They are planted close together which keeps out the weeds and allows contrasts between groups. Red Split Leaf Japanese Maple, All gold Japanese Forest Grass and Acorus graminius ‘Ogon’ Restio, Ginger, Miscanthus Dwarf Bamboo and Euphorbia cyparissias Rosmary and Dwarf Bamboo Muhlenbergia pubescens and Euphorbia…

Restios are plants native to South Africa. They look good in the garden next to ponds and watercourses. They are becoming very popular in the horticultural world. There are no common names for them in the U. S. but after awhile I am sure people will make them up as they have in South Africa….

Many of the plants in Dawn Gardens produce blossoms that are good cut flowers. These arrangements were created by Louise Chan in July for the SIRS Banquets: July, 2022: July, 2023: February, 2024 for a private party at the Chan residence: Sirs Couples Luncheon July 2024 @ LOP: Older Bouquets:

In a garden everything grows including my kids. My daughter, Corrie, was about 11 when I took this picture of her in my new rose garden which she designed in 2003. The next photo was taken at the same place 20 years later when she is 31: In the first photo she was wearing a…

Rockroses are a group of tough shrubs that like full sun and can tolerate poor soil and drought.  Their foliage has a distinctive fragrance that smells like a Mediterranean garden. Sunset Rockrose (Cistus ‘Sunset’) is a low (2′-3′) shrub or groundcover.  Sunset Rockrose in November. Ten 1 gal. Plants were planted about 16 years ago….

Ceanothus are woody plants that are used for ground covers and screening shrubs in the garden. They are all native to North America and the majority are native to California. Most of them have different shades of blue flowers. GROUND COVERS Carmel Creeper (Ceanothus griseus horizontalis) Up to 3′ tall and 15′ wide, fast growing…

Very few flowers are blooming in the winter but here are a few at Dawn Gardens that will add color to the landscape. All these photos were taken December – February: Lenten Rose (Helleborus orientalis) blooms all winter with many different varieties available. Bear’s-Foot Hellebore (Helleborus foetidus) Euphorbia rigida. Many other Euphorbias bloom in the…

Fragrant plants improve the ambiance in the garden and invoke memories of other gardens and other times. Wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox) The flowers are small but the fragrance is powerful in January and February. Mock Orange (Philadelphus coronarius) Deciduous Rhododendron Sarcoccoca rusifolia blooms in the winter with tiny but very fragrant flowers. Sarcoccoa confusa has black…

When I was a kid, my Mother would make me cream of mushroom soup for lunch. The soup was ok but I hated the mushrooms and would always pick them out and not eat them. As I have reached my senior years I still don’t like mushrooms but realize they are very valuable in the…