In the last ten years that I lived in Portland, Oregon, before I moved to San Miguel de Allende for the first time, I fell into the allure of gardening. We had a 1930s Greene and Greene Craftsman house just outside of the township of Multnomah--the first existing suburb of Portland proper. After I had seen an inspiring public cottage garden on the New Jersey shore, it seemed only natural to incorporate that style in my back yard. I was a complete novice. I loved the bearded Dutch Iris found in an array of breathtaking colors on an iris ranch in central Oregon, and I ordered twenty or so the first year. I planted them in the shade, and the weight of the hefty flowers caused the stalks--thinnish because of lack of sun to develop them--to tip to the ground. A consultation at the Master Garderners booth in a Beaverton weekend market set me straight to the problem. Over several years, I became an expert and covetous gardener. Covetous because if I should see--say--in driving around town in the summers, a perfect heritage rose growing up a trellis, I wanted it. I learned to carry a pair of clippers in my car, and I always tapped on doors and asked nicely before using this approach to expand my garden, which was clearly the blowsy English cottage garden style that Portland does so well. In this flat in San Miguel de Allende, I have no natural earth to plant in. But I have grown addicted to the cottage garden look and feel. As I can only garden on my second floor patio in terracotta masetas, (pots) the challenge was to create a cottage garden look that way--the blowsy juxtaposition of size and texture, one plant spilling into another. So here is how my garden grows: I have white bush roses with dark green foliage, floppy peach-colored oleander, fruit bearing crabapple, madarin, orange and limon (lime). Trumpet-flower floribundia in white, daffodil yellow, and red-streaked peach. Climbing white and peach roses trundelling up the wall outside my bedroom, and making an arbor over a pathway to a shaded table nestled beneath climbing blue vine and surrounded by bouganvillea, Xochimilco pepper, gernaiums, and a tall pink plumeria, which I call Hawaii plant. I have climbing yellow potato vine, honeysuckle, spider plants, and an exquisite smelling flor de la noche. Pots of herbs: lavender, rosemary, basil, peppermint, oregano, thyme. In a canvas palapa, I have a day bed and six green plastic chairs. This area created for afternoon shade is bounded by ferns and gardenias. All lush, all overflowing, all fragrant and wonderful: my Mexican rooftop patio maseta cottage garden.
Posted on: Sun, 04 May 2014 16:10:22 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015