Pushing the Zones through Pottery

It may be clear by some of my posts that I have my struggles with our climate in Oregon – I cant claim native status here, though I was born in Seattle my childhood and young adulthood all happened in California. Though its been more than a few years since I left, I still cant shake the impression left by growing up in a landscape populated by eucalyptus trees, wild sage, and bouganvilla. Add a few extended stints in Mexico, a couple of trips to Southeast Asia, and my dream landscape is now an impossible combination of coastal desert mediterranean tropical rainforest…in Oregon.

Containers, however, can bring the impossible a few steps closer.

Last Friday, with the help of Eric Paulson – Dragon Gardens NW- and his fantastic pottery (www. gotpots.com) I was able to bring a few pieces of my favorite landscapes to Bridgeport Mall. It was a perfect sunny day preceded by two days of gathering some amazing plants from growers like Cistus Nursery and Xera Plants.  In spite of a little sunburn and a few painful stabs planting up agave plants, I wrapped up the whole process feeling like I’d been on a short but much needed trip out of our Northwest climate zone. It’s been said that April is the cruelest month…if that proves to be true, these pots – and many others – will be on display at Bridgeport Mall until May. A little zonal denial might be just what you need.