Garden Journal
Notes from the field.
Seasonal reflections, growing guides, and quiet observations from our farm in Oregon's Willamette Valley.
Featured · Seasonal Care
Fall Garden Care for Roses, Peonies, and Dahlias
A practical fall garden checklist for healthier roses, peonies, and dahlias, from the last warm days through the first hard frost.
September 2026 · 7 min read
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Peonies
How to Plant Peony Roots This Fall
Fall is the only season to plant peony roots, and depth is everything. Here is exactly how to set bare root peonies so they bloom for decades, not never.
September 2026 · 5 min read
Roses
Bare Root Rose Grades Explained: #1 vs #1.5
Grade #1 and Grade #1.5 bare root roses sound close, but the difference in cane caliper and count changes how fast your rose establishes and blooms. Here is what each grade actually measures.
August 2026 · 5 min read
Roses
Eden Climbing Rose: the romantic climber we can't stop growing
I first met Eden at the Portland International Rose Test Garden, climbing twelve feet up a large obelisk and covered in blush cabbage blooms. Here is why she's our featured climber in the 2026 Rose Collection.
August 2026 · 6 min read
Peonies
Where to Buy Peonies Online: What to Look For Before You Order
Peonies are one of the most rewarding perennials you can plant, but timing, source, and root quality matter. Here is how to choose a seller and place an order with confidence.
August 2026 · 6 min read
Roses
Caring for roses in extreme summer heat
When the mercury climbs, roses need a different kind of care. A few heat-specific habits keep blooms coming and foliage healthy through the worst weeks of summer.
August 2026 · 5 min read
Roses
Love Song™: the second rose I ever planted
After Koko Loko®, Love Song™ was the rose that convinced me a garden could be a life's work. A field note on a lavender floribunda with a citrus perfume and a habit of blooming for months.
July 2026 · 5 min read
Roses
Koko Loko®: the color-changing rose that keeps you guessing
Every Koko Loko® bloom is a surprise. Some open lavender, others blush pink, and most settle into warm mocha. A field note on the weather, light, and time that paint each flower.
July 2026 · 6 min read
Dahlias
The dahlia year: not-so-easy steps to a patch that keeps giving
Dahlias ask more of you than most flowers — and give more back. A full-season guide to planting, pinching, staking, and storing for a patch that just keeps going.
July 2026 · 8 min read
Roses
How to keep your roses happy through the summer
Six simple practices that make the difference between a rose garden that peaks in June and one that keeps blooming beautifully through the hottest months of the year.
June 2026 · 5 min read
Roses
My rose collection, ranked by fragrance
All eighteen roses in the collection, ordered from most fragrant to least, with the scent notes each one is known for.
June 2026 · 6 min read
Roses
My rose selection philosophy: what earns a place in the collection
How I choose roses for the collection: high-petal English-style blooms, season-long repeat, healthy foliage, and breeders I genuinely trust.
February 2025 · 5 min read
Roses
The language of roses: a glossary learned along the way
Own-root, bare root, repeat-flowering, basal break — the words that make rose catalogs make sense, told through the lessons that taught me each one.
February 2025 · 7 min read
Peonies
Choosing peonies that bloom for decades
A short guide to selecting varieties suited to your climate — and the patience that turns a bare root into a generational plant.
June 2026 · 5 min read
Dahlias
A field note on dahlia season
Late-summer notes from the cutting garden — how we stake, pinch, and pick for the longest possible bloom window.
April 2026 · 4 min read
Roses
Garden roses worth the wait
Why we plant own-root, repeat-blooming roses — and the varieties earning their place in the garden, year after year.
March 2026 · 5 min read
Roses
Bare root vs. potted roses: why we ship bare root
Potted roses are a fine choice — but bare root has quiet advantages that show up two and three years down the line.
February 2026 · 5 min read
Peonies
A field guide to peony forms
Singles, semi-doubles, Japanese, bombs, and full doubles — what each form looks like in the garden and in the vase.
September 2025 · 5 min read
Roses
A field guide to rose forms
From cupped English roses to high-centered hybrid teas — understanding rose form helps you choose plants you'll actually love.
August 2025 · 5 min read
Peonies
Why your peony isn't blooming (and how to fix it)
A healthy plant, plenty of leaves, no flowers — the most common causes, in order of likelihood, with a quiet fix for each.
June 2025 · 5 min read
Roses
Companion planting for roses: what to grow at their feet
The right neighbors make roses healthier, less leggy, and more interesting to look at. A few combinations we keep coming back to.
April 2025 · 5 min read
Dahlias
A field guide to dahlia forms
Dinnerplate, ball, pompon, waterlily, cactus, collarette, anemone — what the form names actually mean, and how to choose for the garden or the vase.
March 2025 · 5 min read