Part 3 of Leslie’s Dream Garden – Designing The Private Office Entry
While planning the lanscape design for the entrance of Leslie’s office, we put considerable thought into accessibility. Instead of adding a second path off the front walk, we used wide planting bed paver edging on both sides for symmetry. This subtle landscape design choice preserved the front yard’s elegance as a residence while providing a practical solution for access to her office.
We also retained two perfectly square boxwoods on either side of the front walk, beautifully pruned by Leslie, which added a structured element to the design and the old hydrangea. All the other overgrown shrubs will be replaced with evergreen shrubs and multi season perennials and ground covers for a welcoming appearance year-round.
Creating a Rich Plant Palette for the Front Yard
Winter Snowman Camellia flowers in the fall, and has a more compact shape than most.
Front yard foundation plant list: Camellia japonica ‘Winters Snowman’ is a variety that makes a perfect, small, vase-shaped shrub or small tree and it flowers in fall.
Fatsia ‘Spiders Web’ has attractive green and cream variegated leaves, Sarcococca confusa is lovely evergreen with fragrance and shiny dark green leaves. Hellebores, brunnera, heuchera (coral bells) specialty hens and chicks, Lithodora diffusa ‘White Star’ (sky blue flower with white eye) and other groundcovers make a tapestry of color at the front edge of the landscape.
Fatsia japonica ‘Spiders Web’ in SE Portland clients backyard
Working with Portland Native Plants
Dark red flowers grace these Hellebore perennials planted with Japanese Forest grass in N.E. Portland landscape design.
The east side of the property features a pedestrian boulevard planted with native flora like vine maple, cascara tree, Oregon grape, and sword fern. We kept a lot of the existing native plants. We wanted to add complementary species to ensure the boulevard garden looked like an extension of Leslie’s yard but the front yard was too small to add native shrubs. Instead we added low water compatible perennials like the intense magenta flowered hardy geranium ‘Tiny Monster,’ which blooms for two months and a blue flowering Amsonia which is fully drought tolerant.
Before the design. We are keeping the NW Native Huckleberry shrubs that edge the public walkway.
Native plants – Creeping Oregon Grape (Mahonia repens from eastern Oregon) thrives in this morning sun area without summer water in this N.E. Portland side yard.
Leslie is thrilled with the design and eagerly awaits implementation. I’m excited for her to enjoy her garden entrance to her office and to be energized by her interesting and colorful plantings.
Do You Have A Dream Garden?
Creating a dream garden takes time conversing and understanding a client’s vision so that the space available can reflect that dream. This process includes, design choices that compliment the property using hardscaping and a planting plan that delights the eye (and suits your garden care skills). This is my passion—creating custom landscape designs for small city properties.
Designers test tree. This Olive tree stands the test of time. I drive by this tree often and have watched it handle 10 Portland winters. In summer it gets hot south sun with reflected heat from paving in NW Industrial area of Portland (NW Pettygrove).
Why Olive Trees in Portland?
Welcome to a fresh take on Portland landscaping, where each client’s garden is crafted with care, precision, and a touch of the unexpected. As a dedicated landscape designer, I take great joy in transforming outdoor spaces using drought-tolerant and unique plants. Portland homeowners often seek a landscape that stands out, featuring plants that are not only resilient but also unusual and captivating. Enter using the unexpected: olive trees in Portland!
Embrace the Beauty of Unique, Drought-Tolerant Landscapes with Olive Trees in Portland
Olive trees, celebrated for their year long silvery leaves and calming presence, are becoming a favorite in Portland. They fit beautifully into small urban gardens, offering evergreen elegance throughout the winter. Not only are they drought-tolerant, but some varieties may even surprise you with fruit—olives, of course! Placing these trees requires a well educated and artistic touch to ensure they thrive, making your garden plantings resilient and attractive. They are also a favorite for modern landscape design style in Portland.
Learning Through Decades of Keen Observation of Portland Landscapes
My passion for plant placement stems from years of observation. As I explore Portland’s streets, visit new and old client landscapes, and participate in local garden tours, I collect insights from each tree and unique plant. A notable lesson came when olive trees in Portland — on NW 19th and Pettygrove — faced our worst ever winter cold February of 2024 with an unusually frigid and powerful east wind. So many broadleaf evergreens in Portland were damaged beyond anything I’ve ever seen but these mature trees maintained their serene and glowing leaves with no damage at all. They’ve stood the test of time in a south-facing, east-protected location—a testament to thoughtful placement.
The Right Plant in the Right Place
From experience, I know that plant exposure is a key to the right location for a plant. My go-to rule for olive trees is a southern or southwest exposure, where city structures can shield them from harsh winds and cold east exposure. Such insights are enriched by conversations with experts like Sean Hogan at Cistus Designs and Barbara Porter of Oregon Olive Trees in Dallas Oregon, alongside valuable reads like Pacific Horticulture…….. and talking with other landscape designers and of course Mike Darcy.
Oregon Olive Tree grows and sells this beautiful multi stem Mission Olive Tree for instant privacy and beauty. Olea europaea ‘Mission Olive’. Photo credit: Barbara Porter
Olive leaf on parking strip tree + my favorite nail polish, “Where Did My Mango” by OPI
Research: More Than a Popularity Contest
When researching plant care, I rely on trusted sources, avoiding the echo chamber of unreliable websites. By echo chamber I mean the tendency of people to simply copy information about a plant from a web site into their blog or their retail plant web site without checking its accuracy. Finding the same information about a plant on ten web sites doesn’t make it accurate. Cross-referencing reliable information and consulting knowledgeable peers ensures that my recommendations are tailored to Portland’s unique climate, rather than simply following internet trends.
Planning for Success with Olive Trees in Portland, Oregon
Take, for instance, a client’s heart felt desire for an olive tree in an east exposure. My client was willing to gamble so despite breaking my rule, the olive tree is thriving, in part thanks to a strategically placed near by building providing some protection from harsh winds and early morning sun. This success story (so far so good) underscores the importance of customizing each landscape plan to the client and to the site. However I will only call it a true success after this olive tree has made it 5 years.
Fruit and foliage of ‘Mission’ olive tree Olea europaea ‘Mission Olive’. This variety was developed in California in the 1800’s by Franciscan missionaries. Photo courtesy of Oregon Olive Tree Barbara Porter
Recently, (February 2025) I stumbled upon mature olive trees thriving in an unexpected east-facing location, providing me with more opportunities to learn. These trees were only a mile away from the NW Pettygrove street trees. My curiosity is aroused but until proven otherwise, I’ll continue recommending south or southwest exposure for optimal olive tree cold hardiness, resilience and growth.
The Power of Collaboration and Innovative Design
Nature occasionally challenges our expectations. While I have principles for placing olive trees, I remain open to learning from nature’s surprises and integrating these lessons into future projects.
Ultimately, creating a garden with a diverse, low water to drought-tolerant palette is our passion. Whether you dream of a pollinator plant paradise, more traditional plants, or unique Mediterranean plants like olive trees, our success is measured by how well we fulfill your needs and wants. By combining our expertise with your known desired wish list or vision, we can craft a landscape that is unique and enduring.
I enjoy talking with prospective Portland clients so contact me and let’s talk. Stay tuned for our next blog, where I will share more practical advice for enhancing cold hardiness in your plants, including olive trees.
Rudbeckia lacinata Herbstonne’ with Gold Band Miscanthus grass in Portland summer garden. It’s still flowering in October.
My clients (in Portland, Oregon) often want a garden design with lots of flowers for making flower arrangements. I’m happy to create plantings in the landscape that can do double duty, plants that solve a problem. This tall black-eyed Susan plant, Rudbeckia l. ‘Herbstonne’ works well to screen a fence and use the flowers in the vase from mid summer to frost. They are dramatic all on their own or paired with a more dainty flower. They are easy to grow and are very useful to pollinators.
If you want to use Rudbeckia for summer to fall flower arrangements, your choices are abundant. Some varieties start flowering in June, others start in mid July and may continue til frost. Deadhead or remove spent flowers on your plants to encourage new blooms.
Short Lived Perennial Rudbeckia have an Abundance of Flowers
Rudbeckia hirta: A native that hosts some butterflies. Grow the species if you want to be serious about providing for native insects or buy a few and allow it to reseed. The species is tall ( 4’ ) so expect some leaning here and there. It is called a short lived perennial but can behave like an annual or a biennial in Portland gardens some years. It will wear itself out flowering profusely in a year or two, so be sure to let some seedlings remain.
Popular varieties of Rudbeckia h. like ‘Denver Daisy’ and ‘Irish Eyes’ offer attractive bright green seed heads. Their progeny (seedlings) will not necessarily look the same as what you bought but there is a lot of fun seeing what they look like over the years. Bees and other pollinators will like them too but unless it is the species some of our native pollinators won’t be able to feed or host on the cultivated varieties. This is a very easy plant to grow.
Long Lasting Perennial Rudbeckia
My favorite is Rudbeckia subtomentosa ‘Little Henry’, with an unusual spoon shape at the end of each petal and it is about 24 to 30” tall so a dwarf version of ‘Henry Eilers’ which is closer to 4’ tall. It starts flowering in late summer to frost.
Obviously, (because I write about this one so often), Rudbeckia lacinata ‘Herbstonne’ or ‘Autumn Sun’, reaching up to 7 feet tall, offers a vibrant clean yellow flower with a large and bright green cone in the center.
Low maintenance long flowering Rudbeckia f. (probably Goldstrum) in SE Portland garden.
Rudbeckia fulgida, the species at 4′ plus can be too tall for some of my gardens. Varieties like ‘Goldstrum‘ are tall enough for longer stems but much shorter than the species. Little Gold Star is a great plant but at 18” tall, don’t expect long stems. It’s compact and with a neat sort of uniform shape it looks good enough for use in a front yard planting plan.
Rudbeckia triloba variety has shorter slightly rounded petals versus other black-eyed Susan with spiky petals.
Rudbeckia triloba: Also called brown-eyed Susan, this species has an airy, billowing shape to the plant and requires more summer water than hirta or most perennial forms of Rudbeckia. I love this flower in the vase because it is a smaller more delicate flower than other black-eyed Susans. Cultivated varieties of Rudbeckia triloba can include shades of oranges and dark reds, as well as the more typical goldenrod color. It seeds about intensely, is tall and will lean into other plants which can be charming. If you like order in your garden pass this one by. Here is one from our local Portland nursery Xera called ‘Prairie Glow’.
Vase Preparation Tips-Making your flower arrangement last
On line you will find all kinds of advice for treating the stems to help them uptake water and therefore make the flower last longer. I’m a big fan of super simple Simon and I swear some people want to make things more difficult. So I never treat the stems of rudbeckia with flame or hot water or pounding them, before putting them in the vase. I place all the flowers in cool water as soon as possible, remove any leaves below water level, and then recut the stems at an angle. Once that is done they go in the vase.
I don’t use preservative packets and I won’t judge if you do but my flowers last a long time because I change the water every few days. If I have time… and only if I love love love the arrangement… I make fresh cuts on the bottom of the stems every few days and change the water. Wow does that ever make my cut flowers last a lot longer!
Stripping petals from some black-eyed Susan flowers to use just the naked seed head on the stem adds texture and drama to my arrangement. Many seed heads of Rudbeckia are a zippy lime or olive green, offering a wonderful color contrast too. They dry to a dark brown and remain useful in the vase for at least a month or two.
Considerations for Wildlife and Pollinators
How to manage the taller species plants that are so great for wildlife (and your vase)? 4’ or taller can be difficult for small gardens. The true natives, species versus cultivated varieties, are much better for native bees and pollinators because the varieties don’t look right to the bee or pollinator and they don’t visit them. We have hundreds of native bees and pollinators and they struggle to find food or a host plant.
You can employ what my gramma called “pinching back’. Cut your plant to ½ its height in mid to late May. I use my by pass hand pruner for the job not my fingers. The stems are too tough for fingers. Your plant will still flower lots but the stem will be shorter and sturdier for the rest of the growing season and still long enough for flower arranging.
Feed Winter Finches with Rudbeckia Seed Heads
I stop deadheading in early fall to allow the plant to focus its energy for seed production. The seeds become food for finches and black cap chickadees and the dried cones look good in my winter garden. Solitary native bees will use the hollow stems for nests so I leave the old stems as long as I can.
My Favorite Fall Flower Arrangement
My favorite fall flower arrangement uses Rudbeckia ‘Herbstonne’ with variegated Miscanthus grass blades and large, lacy white cones of Hydrangea paniculata for an elegant late-summer arrangement. The rudbeckia flowers dry losing their petals and leaving behind the seed head along with the dry hydrangea flower head. This bouquet can be maintained as a dried flower arrangement for months.
Are you looking for a thoughtful planting plan focused on color, visual satisfaction, or feeding pollinators and birds? Do you want a designer who knows more than just trees and shrubs? Perhaps you want a low-maintenance backyard that still supports cutting flowers and feeds bees? You can have beauty, low maintenance, and pollinator-friendly plantings. Just ask us to create it for you. I return phone calls and respond quickly to contact forms.
My fall bouquet finally falling apart after over 2 months. Rudbeckia seed heads, panicle hydrangea cones are still going strong.
Rudbeckia f. ‘Little Henry’ in Portland garden design. Standing at just 24”, this petite version of black-eyed susan has uniquely rolled petals. I use it in my low maintenance landscape designs as well as pollinator gardens.
Meet Little Henry Rudbeckia, for late-flowering food for bees
Let me introduce you to a variety of black-eyed Susan I adore – ‘Little Henry’. Standing at just 24” to 30”, it’s a petite version of the classic tall black-eyed susan, he has the most interesting rolled petals. These flowers are exquisite in flower arrangements and a favorite among bees. As summer starts to fade, that is when ‘Little Henry’ starts blooming, ensuring your garden has late-season color and food for bees too. I use this in low maintenance planting plans as well as those for gardeners. My photo was taken in October. Some native bees won’t visit this hybridized fancy flower because it doesn’t look like our native. Other bees are delighted.
Low-Maintenance Bee Feeding Perennial Plants with Showy Flowers
For those seeking easy plants, rudbeckia fulgida ‘Little Gold Star’ is your hero. These resilient mounding plants maintain a neat shape and, after a couple of years, accept less watering (not no watering!) . They pair well with the hardy spanish lavender, thriving in hot sun conditions while adding a continuous summer display that starts in July, like clockwork, ending in late October.
Rudbeckia ‘Little Gold Star’ still in full flower October 25th in my client Mikes front yard with mid spring flowering spanish lavander. Between these two plants there are 6 months of food for bees.
I drive by this rudbeckia l. ‘Herbstonne’ planting at NW 25th and Upshur in Portland. They were abandoned for several years with no apparent irrigation or care while the restaurant was closed and continued to thrive. The center cone is a stunning lime green.
At 4′ to 5′ one of my tallest favorite black-eyed susan is the rudbeckia laciniata ‘Herbstonne’. It’s a dramatic large flower with months-long blooming, perfect for sunlit spaces where it stands tall without staking. I can use it in part sun too but it will need staking or a big cut back in May to create shorter flowering stems that won’t flop. Who wants to stake plants? Not me. The flower is a knock out so check out this close up photo link.
These blooms transition beautifully from garden to vase, becoming part of my end-of-summer floral arrangement ritual.
Two Kinds of Black-Eyed Susan – Know the Difference for Best Results in Your Portland Garden
There are two main kinds: the short-lived biennials with their fuzzy leaves and long-lived perennials with smooth, shiny foliage. In the Pacific NW, the self-seeding biennials can be a gardener’s companion, popping up here and there and flowering more profusely than their perennial cousins. But if maintenance (pulling up seedings that planted themselves where you don’t want them), isn’t your thing, the perennial types of rudbeckia featured in this blog might be your best bet. The perennial forms also have consistent heights and appearance. Seed generated plants can be quite different from one another and are a good lesson in genetics. Remember Mendels peas?
Do you want a thoughtful planting plan focused design for color and visual satisfaction, or to feed pollinators and birds, or a low maintenance back yard to share with your dog that still feeds the bees? You can have beauty, low maintenance and pollinator friendly plantings, just ask us to create it for you. I return phone calls and respond quickly to contact forms.
Growing Joy: My Love for Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia) and Other Garden Favorites
Let’s get to know black-eyed susan (rudbeckia) for colorful pollinator friendly Portland landscapes and gardens.
Welcome to Portland Oregon, my little corner of the world where greenery thrives, colors burst, and landscapes transform into picturesque retreats. I’m Carol, and as a landscape designer, my passion is creating spaces that you can feel connected to, whether sipping your morning cup of Joe in your garden or inviting bees to dance among the blooms. Today, I want to chat up one of my perennial favorites that I use often in my landscape designs–the charming black-eyed susan (rudbeckia).
Wildflower Wonder at Meriwether Farms in NW Portland
I drive by this rudbeckia l. ‘Herbstonne’ planting at NW 25th and Upshur in Portland. They were abandoned for several years with no apparent irrigation or care while the restaurant was closed and continued to thrive. The center cone is a stunning lime green.
Imagine a sea of colorful summer flower with rudbeckia, echinacea, japanese silver grass ‘Morning Light’, lavander and the hot orange flower flutes of crocosmia all swaying in unison. At the heart, the bold black-eyed susan (rudbeckia) steals the show. It’s vibrant and resilient, and it partners beautifully in wildflower-style plantings and foundation plantings, creating a feast for both the eyes and the friendly pollinators.
Bee Heaven in NW Portland
Bee Heaven in NW Portland – Colorful summer flowers feed bees for months in NW Portland Landscape Design in a Day garden. (Biennial rudbeckia hirta pictured above.)
In this lovely Northwest garden designed by my colleague Alana and me, a palette of black-eyed susan, blanket flower, and echinops (yes, an ornamental thistle that bees can’t get enough of) create a carefree-looking dreamscape. While the winter weather definitely strips away the colorful beauty of this pollinator garden (leaving it looking admittedly a bit desolate), our client embraces that cycle—it leaves the seed heads intact for birds to feed on in the winter.
Create Pollinator Friendly and Satisfying Plant Pairings with Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia)
Wildflower wonder meadow or colorful foundation plantings for your Portland landscape? Rudbeckia, Echinacea, Lavander, and Crocosmia feed bees and flourish in this irrigated full sun garden in NW Portland. Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldstrum’
Please know there are so many plants that work well as companions for black-eyed susan. For the more drought-tolerant biennial types of black-eyed susan put them with very low water plants like Silver Daisy Bush (senecio grayi) a fabulous silver green evergreen foliaged plant, or blue/lavender colored flowers of Echinops an ornamental thistle. For a tough low maintenance front yard add more evergreen with a true dwarf mugo pine or even common as dirt, juniper ‘Blue Star’. My clients who live for plants love rudbeckia, but they are great for the low maintenance client crowd too.
Do you want a thoughtful planting plan focused design for color and visual satisfaction, or to feed pollinators and birds, or a low maintenance back yard to share with your dog that still feeds the bees? You can have beauty, low maintenance and pollinator friendly plantings, just ask us to create it for you. I return phone calls and respond quickly to our contact forms!
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