A Very Personal Garden

 When plant people hear the name Maurice Horn an endearing comment inevitably follows. He was the beloved nursery owner of the now-closed Joy Creek Nursery, famous for clematis, hydrangeas, fuchsias, penstemons and many now hard-to-find perennials and shrubs. It was an institution that effectively ended when he retired in 2021. We still feel the loss daily, even across the U.S. as mail order was a big part of their business. But he and George are happy and super-busy in their retirement tending their 10-acre Sauvie Island garden. It is not often that our dear friends open their garden, not that they don't enjoy sharing, but opening one's garden to the public requires weeks if not months of preparation; I speak from experience. Well, multiply our teeny two-acre garden by five and my head spins at the amount of work that goes into opening theirs. But open it they did for the recent Inviting Vines tour that benefitted the Rogerson Clematis Gardens.

Maurice's work with clematis is legendary; his friendship with Japanese breeders Mikiyoshi and Tomoko Chikuma has been nearly life-long. So when the couple agreed to come to Portland for four days of clematis lectures, demonstrations and tours, Maurice and George were of course the main event for the conclusion of the event on the final day, a garden tour day on Sauvie Island.

I was lucky enough to be asked to volunteer to help answer questions on this rather hot 95-degree day, but truth be told, the many people who attended were seasoned gardeners who had no questions so I had the opportunity to spend the afternoon wandering the wonderful garden with my camera. As it was a scorching bright hot day, lighting was harsh and largely uncooperative but I carried on! It was a delight and joy in this sweeping garden full of nuance, thoughtfulness and a very personal touch.

This is a garden some 30 years in the making, having gone through many changes as gardens do. Maurice and George are in it daily, experiencing wildlife, damaging winds and glorious weather, sandy soil (it's on an island, after all), mature oaks, Douglas firs, sharing with neighbors, harvesting fruit, dinner on the terrace; living in it. It is their beloved home.

Speaking of damaging winds, a couple of years ago in a late-winter wind storm a few mature Calocedrus decurrens, incense cedars, came down. They were a divider from their neighbors and provided much shade in what was a beautifully planted fern stumpery, but they all had to come down. This created instant bright light in an area that knew shade for years. Also, plants nearby that had years earlier been in full sun had become shaded by the ever larger cedars. The silver lining is that with their new lighting situation they began to sparkle once more, soaking up all that sun.

An agave (George thought some form of Agave parryi) is in bloom in this once shaded area.

Glorious! So pretty against a bright blue sky.

An area that was formerly in full shade has had to adapt to full sun conditions. Maurice and George have cleverly used stumps from the Calocedrus decurrens as sculpture, edging, protection for plants and most importantly a playground for their cat. Of course, the stumps will decompose over time providing organic material and places for insects to live. They prefer to leave all plant material on site, using stumps and chipping logs to use as mulch.

Clematis 'Rooguchi', a special clematis with ties to Maurice and the Chikumas.

Branches made into supports for clematis in the now-sunny area that was once quite shady. I imagine these will age beautifully over time.

Moving around to the front of the home, one of many places to relax gives a pop of color. The seating areas throughout their garden are indeed used by Maurice and George, especially the shady terrace where dinners are often enjoyed.

Under the ol' Arctostaphylos 'Howard McMinn' in full sun, facing west to appreciate sunsets. They really make an effort to stop and enjoy tea or a meal or the rich wildlife of Sauvie Island. The chairs aren't just for show.

As you continue south and west, an open field spills downward toward a large pond and the Multnomah channel. Garden beds are sizeable and mature with shrubs, small trees, perennials and grasses. In between, George selectively mows to create paths, one of my favorite features of this garden.

Small treasures are everywhere - Philadelphus maculatus (Syn. Philadelphus madrensis), a rather sun-loving species from the Southwest and Mexico. The flowers smell like grape soda, no kidding. This is an example of one of the many cool plants we grew and sold at Joy Creek Nursery.

Looking westward, a bucolic landscape that Maurice and George embrace. A little bit cultivated and a lot wild.

A stand of rather old Douglas firs. As well as these, there are many old Quercus garryana, Oregon white oak, throughout. This land was once an oak savannah and so by leaving areas where these trees grow they are trying to preserve the spirit of the place. They also leave the field grass tall in places for as long as possible (it has to eventually be mowed to reduce fire danger) as deer on the island will use it as a nursery.

An example of untended wild areas and tended garden (Arctostaphylos on the right) side by side.

One of several rather large garden beds. A forest of Tetrapanax papyrifer in the center, Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola' lines the edges of the bed with many large shrubs in between, including a Salix e. ssp. angustifolia.

Many beautifully grown rhododendrons, this likely R. pachysanthum.

Maurice (in the hat) with a volunteer exploring the outer areas of the garden. This mown path eventually leads to a meditation area not far from Virginia lake, a vernal lake/pond behind their property. FM and I have been over in winter time when migrating swans make their stop on this lake. It is something to behold.

Quite inviting, a real slice of summer country life. That table is where I was lucky enough to enjoy my lunch surrounded by soft sounds of overhead winds touching the trees. It has such spirit, this garden. They are quite intentionally not over-gardening their property which feels very special. The more you move outward from their home the wilder it becomes.

In the area near where Maurice was pictured are several beautiful small trees, some are new, some are several years old. They planted many acers including this Acer pseudoplatanus 'Esk Sunset', a gorgeous selection with pink, cream and green leaves. I have one myself, though it is only a couple of years old.

A pink blushed flower of Stewartia malacodendron 'Raspberry Splash'. These trees are interspersed with Douglas firs and other native flora.

Headed back up towards their home, a series of containers on the edge of the driveway add accents to the lush plantings of mature trees, shrubs and perennials.

An island bed in the center of the driveway is even carefully considered. Another pair of chairs, looking towards the meadows beyond, is sited in a shady spot under Trachycarpis fortunei and Tetrapanax papyrifer.

Clematis 'Prince Charles' grows near the home. There are so many beautiful clematis in this garden which is challenging because of the super sandy soil. That is actually a limiting factor in what they can grow well, I would say they have cracked the code.

As does Callistemon 'Woodlander's Hardy Red' whose color is accentuated by the red ceramic orb.

Continuing around the other side of the home is their well-tended vegetable garden enclosed with a double fence for deer-proofing. Very few beds in this 10-acre garden are fenced in as Maurice and George would like theirs to be an inclusive garden for all the wildlife. Just not for the veggies. They also have fruit trees and berries, all of which are harvested and made into jams, jellies, cakes and all manner of yumminess that I am happy to say FM and I receive every holiday season. They get so much of their food from this very productive vegetable garden this time of the year, another form of connectivity with their land.

Moving around towards the home is where the majority of the shade lovers reside. This garden bed is dedicated to Japanese plants with many hydrangea, ferns and clematis. As Maurice lived in Japan and speaks the language, it is very personal and reflective of his gardening interests and ties to that country.

Out the front door, this area fell into shade by late afternoon.

Details and moss.

Aruncus aethusifolius, dwarf goat's beard, is one of hundreds of shade plants near the terrace. There are so many ferns, shade perennials and shrubs that this area alone could be studied for months. This just happens to be a favorite.

From bright sunshine to steps leading up to the shady terrace. On the outside perimeter of the terrace garden they have beds full of sun-lovers planted throughout. Photographs are washed out, so you will have to take my word for it. The grass in the foreground on the right is Miscanthus 'Gold Bar', a Joy Creek Nursery introduction to the trade, one of many, actually.

You can just make out a table or two on the terrace and get a sense of the cool temperatures under this beautiful canopy of trees. The moss on stones is wonderful.

This view one more time, standing near the terrace looking out towards the clipped hedges and center urn planting. This area is of course the most formal of their garden and they do it right. It is from here, this centerpiece of it all, that the garden radiates out from in all directions.

The clipped hedges are grown from Lonicera nitida 'Lemon Beauty', Hebe 'Sutherlandii' and Choisya 'Aztec Pearl', a trio of unexpected but quite effective plants to grow in this manner, especially if you are wanting the look of clipped boxwood but can't grow it.

A stately old cherry tree, the centerpiece of the shady terrace, is adorned with many ferns at its base.

Before I got into my car to leave, I turned around to take in a late afternoon view across their property towards the hills beyond. It's a little slice of heaven.

Maurice and George are partners in this garden. George will give Maurice all the credit saying that Maurice is the plant person. But Maurice will equally give George credit, saying that he created these beds on his own years before the two knew one another and that George is a very accomplished gardener. Other posts I have written about their garden were titled "A Very Special Garden". This post could easily have been some version of that but I changed it to "Personal" because it rings true. This is not just a passing whim, this is a lifelong dedication to plants. In his former garden in Portland, Maurice had every square inch considered. It was definitely a city garden, much different from where he is today. Not only now does he continue on with his lifelong dedication to plants, it has extended to the local fauna and the expanse that rolls out from their front door. It is not about any individual plant, it is about the whole. He professes to gardening in much different way than all those years ago in town. This is about connectivity, about creating relationships and being good stewards of this magic home and garden.

This garden is close to my own heart, I count it as one of my favorites, ever. The spirit of the place lingers. It's not flashy but it is comfortable. It is sincere. It provides for Maurice and George, the many critters that call it home and gives a little to all who visit. That's why I feel so lucky to call them our dear friends and visit often. It's our friends sharing a little bit of themselves with us every time we visit and there's nothing better than that.

I have posted about their garden before, you can revisit those posts here and here.

That's a wrap for this week at Chickadee Gardens. As always thank you so much for reading and commenting, we do love hearing from you and what you think. Happy gardening!