WOW! If you missed this garden extravaganza, there is always next year. The addition of the new ‘Hot Border’, so named for its vivid color palette, came into its glory this past July. This garden project located immediately south of the Bush Conservatory was funded by a grant from the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon (HPSO). Two of our gardeners, a couple living near the park, had full responsibility for the preparation, installation, and maintenance of this garden. Needless to say, they spent extra hours in their endeavors.
Most of the final installation of the ‘Hot Border’ was accomplished last fall with a few plants added this spring due to loss over the winter. The result has been an explosion of color in a previously under-planted bed along the main path through the park. The location of this new border was anticipated to attract lots of attention. And so it did! Not only have we seen dramatic interest from the public witnessed by their stopping to take photos and asking questions, but also the pollinators have shown up in droves: hummingbirds in the Monarda, Agastache, and Kniphofia; bumblebees/bees/pollinating flies in the Monarda and Heleniums; butterflies in the Monarda; and even downy woodpeckers on the mullein searching for insects. The new signage with its QR Code leads to a webpage containing a list of the plants located in the bed. This post containing the label with the appropriate QR Code is part of the greater signage project MSPC has installed in all 50 of the Landscape Beds in the northwest corner of Bush’s Pasture Park – one of our major outreach programs to enhance park visitors’ experience.
We want to thank the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon for enabling us to progress with this new enhancement to our beloved park in such a timely manner. The pandemic has not slowed down our efforts to maintain, enhance, and preserve the legacy of this special, cultural landscape, but HPSO’s support has made it easier and even more worthwhile.