I love going into Portland to see my family and was able to do just that at the end of August to fill in with the grandchildren when their parents needed to work but before school had started. We always find fun things to do, and this visit was no exception. A trip to the Portland Art Museum to see their exhibit of Impressionist paintings was high on the list.
But our son Gene and daughter-in-love Rebecca have redesigned their back yard to make room for a new patio and large, long planter so a trip to a nursery was in the offering. I am so glad Rebecca likes to garden as much as I do, and we have great fun comparing plantings and possibilities.
For size and variety of stock, you can’t beat the Portland Nursery. I love to go in the Spring just to see what new things they have in stock. Yes, it can be a madhouse around Mother’s Day, but that is part of the fun: being around other people who love flowers and plants.
But tucked in here and there throughout the city are these little pockets of specialty nurseries.
One of these is Pistils on Mississippi Ave. It is a charming spot with lots of indoor and outdoor plants at reasonable prices. They also have a nice selection of indoor pots to decorate with. My favorite Pistils plants are the staghorn ferns. They are so cool and are available in all sizes. There is also a Pistils NW on NW Raleigh Street in the Slabtown area of the city. Haven’t been there yet. I am sure I will find a reason some day to check it out.
Arium Botanicals on MLK Boulevard is a great place to find house plants at any time of the year. They have what they call a curated collection of rare and hard-to-find plants at a wide variety of sizes and prices. And they have just the right pot for whatever plant you find you “need.”
But we also found a new-to-us nursery on the corner of SE Clay and 11th Street called Xera Plants. Tucked away on a corner, it doesn’t look like they have many plants. But once you go through the gate, you will find all sorts of varieties of plants that, once established, will do well with little water. I had found Xera Plants online (xeraplants.com) when I was researching tall shade plants, and they have a helpful website. Xera focuses on plants that are native and thus adapted to the PNW climate. The day I visited, the bees were all over the plants, making me think this was a good place to pick up pollinator plants. Nice to know that they grow all their plants at their facility near Sherwood, using sustainable organic practices. Co-owner Paul Bonine was very helpful when I had some questions about an Abutilon megapotamicum ‘Red’ that I wanted to bring to the coast. He assured me it would thrive here and, since I know other Abutilon – also known as flowering maples – do well here, I am giving it a try.
However, while Xera Plants will take emailed orders, they don’t take phone orders, and they don’t ship so you will have to stop by and collect your order. Luckily, I have family in the city that would be willing to pick up an order should I have one. And I am sure I will. But, in the meantime, Xera Plants will be contributing some of their plants to the Hoffman Center’s “Wonder Garden Plant Sale” in Manzanita on September 28 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Might be a good place to check out the quality of their plants before driving to Portland.
Now you may be thinking, “But we shouldn’t plant anything now, right?” While I don’t recommend planting in July or August, the warm days of September will be a fine time to put in a new plant or perhaps move an older one. Just be sure you water it every few days until the rains return. The warmer soils of early September will give the roots a chance to establish before the winter sets in.
I do prefer to shop at our local nurseries when I can, but it is also fun to try new places and see what else is on display in the Portland area, especially when I can combine it with a trip to stay with family.
Mario Bautista
