Over the past winter, I uncovered the long-neglected garden beds at my SW Portland house. The large, terraced planters have excellent soil despite going entirely unused by the previous owner. I built a new concrete-and-gravel access pathway, cleared weeds, transplanted a few trees from Raindance Ranch, and added terraced mass-plantings of flowering perennials to frame the garden area.
I started most of the plants from seed, and used a number of my grandmother’s starts as well. This year’s garden included the following:
Two Zucchini Plants (yielded 15-20 zucchinis each)
Five Pumpkin Plants (yielded 12 total pumpkins)
Sunflowers: traditional and sunset-colored, both varieties reaching 12-foot heights
Six Heirloom Tomato Plants: Back Prince, Purple Cherokee (2), Mortgage Lifter, Orange, Yellow (yielded 15-30 per plant)
Bell Peppers: two plants produced peppers late in the season
Blackberries: extensive pruning and root-ball removal of the invasive plants throughout my lot enabled access to a productive wall of berries that I intend to preserve with careful maintenance
Strawberries, Raspberries, and Blueberries: group plantings of these biennials/perennials are getting established and should have better yields next year
Apples, Asian Pears, Persimmons: four trees are being established and should being production next year
Here is a selection of the best photos from this year’s garden:
Ice covers a late rose from last year in a December, 2017 storm.
The garden in February, 2018. The access pathway is in progress and a mass planting of lilies is beginning to emerge.
A February storm blankets the yard with dense snow.
The garden in May, just before vegetable planting, with trees leaved out and the lilies preparing to bloom.
Bees pollinate a “sunset” sunflower in late July.
The purple flower of an artichoke in my dad’s garden.
A “sunset” sunflower blooms near a zucchini plant.
A “sunset” sunflower planted among the vegetables.
Sunflower plants reaching 12-foot heights.
A sunflower faces east, seen with fir trees across the street.
A massive foot-plus-diameter sunflower emerges below a large tree.
Several zucchinis grow on a prolific plant.
A “Big Max” pumpkin emerges.
The garden in mid-August. The pumpkin plants have begun to grow over the spent lilies as the sunflowers tower over the garden beds.
A smaller sunset sunflower.
A single, massive 12″ diameter sunflower caps a 10-foot stalk.
Several sunset sunflowers top a 12-foot-tall plant below a group of large trees.
A 16″ diameter sunflower in August.
Raspberries begin to bloom on transplanted stalks in August.
Several small pumpkins begin to grow in close proximity. The plants self-prune to 2-3 pumpkins per plant.
Clematis grows in a neighbor’s yard.
A “Connecticut Field” pumpkin ripens on the vine.
An early pumpkin turns color as new buds flower.
Tomatoes begin to form on the vine.
Large “Purple Cherokee” tomatoes prepare to ripen.
The garden at its late-August peak. The pumpkin plants have spread over the bottom three beds and set several pumpkins.
A vibrant Dahlia grows next to the garden.
A large sunflower becomes distorted as its ten-foot stalk strains to hold the flower’s weight.
A dwarfed giant sunflower specimen exhibits a striking yellow color when grown in a one-gallon container, reaching 5 feet tall.
Wild plums grow on a tree in the yard.
A dark green pumpkin grows over the spent lily patch.
Countless small sunflowers grow among the pumpkin vines after an 8-foot plant falls into the adjacent bed.
The zucchini plants grow over the edge of their beds as they persistently generate vegetables late into September.
A pumpkin hangs from the vine as it jumps between planter beds, creating an elongated stem.
A secondary round of small sunflowers grow from the remains of a tall plant among the pumpkin vines.
Small sunflowers conceal a pumpkin beginning to turn color.
The first harvest of three pumpkins in early September.
A pumpkin ripens alongside a small sunflower.
A colorful “sunset” sunflower.
Several twelve-foot-tall sunflowers dwarf a transplanted asian pear tree.
A bunch of massive Purple Cherokee tomatoes ripen at the base of a plant.
The first harvest of heirloom tomatoes is dominated by large Purple Cherokees, with a few others.
An early harvest of pumpkins awaits roasting, pureeing, and conversion into muffins, soup, and pie.
Another pumpkin ripens among the small sunflowers.
Two pumpkins grow at the base of a planter as the leaves begin to die in late September.
Tomatoes ripen on the vine.
The biggest pumpkin of the year begins to turn color.
Several large plants of sedum flower next to the house, surrounding a reclaimed bird sculpture.
Raspberries ripen on a new vine in late September.
A second harvest of tomatoes alongside the final zucchinis of the year.
The garden in late September, as the declining pumpkin leaves reveal the spread of their vines.
A third harvest of almost-ripe tomatoes, featuring the full rainbow of heirloom varieties grown.
Another harvest of tomatoes, exhibiting a rainbow of heirloom varieties.
A massive two-foot-plus zucchini was discovered growing under the plant as it grew over the planter bed wall.
Two more “Connecticut Field” pumpkins are prepared for roasting.
Another harvest of rainbow heirloom tomatoes for roasting and jarring.
A final harvest of six pumpkins for display.
Small bell peppers emerge in October thanks to a warm season.
A final harvest of nearly-ripe rainbow tomatoes.
Late October marks the final harvest of green tomatoes, stored in bags as the ripen over the next month.
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