Wow, my own little corner! Cool Hmm, I guess that means I have to come up with something to say then...

Hi! My name is Brett, and I am a plantaholic! Oops, wrong group? lol.

Well, it is true, really. It is rare for me to get out of a plant sale empty handed, even the Native Plant sales where I have pretty much everything on offer, or have already failed with it, lol.

But then, I come by it honestly. When my dad built his new house out on Key Peninsula, one of his reasons for buying the property was the rich soil, and existing extensive collection of rhodies. My mom was no slouch either- the lower drive is dominated by a now 30 foot tall Vine Maple she salvaged while part of an Arboretum Garden Club unit a few years after they moved into this house.

My own garden path has been heavily shaped by watching wildlife move through the garden and the natural areas around us. While I love pretty flowers as much as anyone, the more I started to study what butterflies and hummingbirds need to do well, the more I gravitated toward native plants. I'm not a purist by any means, but I do take it seriously enough to have become a Native Plant Steward with the Washington Native Plant Society, and professionally have my own landscape business focusing on native plants and wildlife habitat.

So I guess that is what I will talk about in this journal, various topics from native plants and wildlife, to general discussions and philosophical musings on gardening in the northwest. I hope you enjoy it, and that some of what I say starts a wider discussion.

Happy (Wild) Gardening!

Thank you Silver +hug... and actually, you are likely much more knowledgeable than you think. Casual observation is the first and best step you can take :D Most people, sadly enough, don't even notice what goes on around them.

Cool, Greenman! I too look forward to hearing more about butterflies and hummingbirds. I have several native gardens planted around my property but some of the plants, while native to the PNW are not native to the Willamette Valley. Thanks also for the description of your place. I love hearing about others plant collections and set up of their house and gardens.

The thing I like about your notes, is that it is so very practical. I first got interested in hummingbirds from childhood, when they visited the vine that grew on our screened porch, and later found out that the Anna's stay in the NW all winter and when we moved to Portland, felt it was only fair to offer year round fresh nectar to insure that they stick around our yard.