There are a plethora of exciting garden-related things to do in the coming weeks… scroll through and see what tickles your fancy!

Dancing Oaks Nursery Dog Days of Summer Plant Sale
WHEN: now through August 31
WHERE: Dancing Oaks Nursery, 17900 Priem Rd, Monmouth, OR 97361 / 503-838-6058

Green on Green Garden Tour – a benefit for the Portland Reading Foundation
WHEN: Saturday, August 20, 11 am – 4 pm
WHERE: Southeast Portland
This garden tour showcases six private gardens including the Wright garden (designed by a horticulturalist with Portland Parks and Recreation), the rarely-opened garden of Sandra Adams, who works at Portland Nursery and creates the wonderful display garden along Stark St., the garden of Liz Stepp which incorporates pebble mosaics, dry stacked walls and raised vegetable beds, and the renowned garden of designer Lucy Hardiman.
COST: Tickets; $20 are available at Portland Nursery (both locations, 5050 SE Stark and 9000 SE Division) and Garden Fever (3433 NE 24th).

Fabulous Fall Containers Workshop
WHEN: Saturday, August 20, 9:30 am
WHERE: In Lucy Hardiman’s SE Portland garden
As an addition to the above Green on Green Garden Tour, designer Lucy Hardiman is presenting a pre-event workshop in her garden. A light continental breakfast is included.
COST: Tickets $15, available at Garden Fever, 3433 NE 24th. Attendees must purchase a tour ticket to sign up for this pre-event. Advance registration required.

Pondless Urns & Bubbling Rocks Class
WHEN: Saturday, August 20, 10 am
WHERE: Hughes Water Gardens, 25289 SW Stafford Road, Tualatin
Create your own pondless urn and bubbling rocks.
COST: Free event, all welcome
Please call to register: 503-638-1709

2nd Annual Eastside Garden Tour; The Artful Garden
WHEN: Saturday, August 20, 9 am to 4 pm
WHERE: Bridal Veil, Corbett, Gresham and Troutdale area
Tour eight private gardens ranging from a large organic vegetable garden to gardens with garden art to a garden with a narrow gauge railroad. At the end of the tour, there will be a free reception at one of the gardens. This is a self guided garden tour.
COST: Tickets $20. Proceeds to benefit West Columbia Gorge Chamber Foundation.
Tickets available at Nancy’s Floral, 620 NE Burnside, Gresham; Burns Feed Store, 29215 SE Orient Drive, Gresham and day of tour at Harlow House Museum, 726 East Historic Columbia River Highway, Troutdale or online at www.eastsidegardentour.com

Crocosmias and Other Summer Bloomers
WHEN: Sunday, August 21, 1 pm
WHERE: Joy Creek Nursery, 20300 NW Watson Road, Scappoose
Kelly Dodson and Sue Milliken from Far Reaches Farm in Port Townsend will talk about plants blooming late in the season, with a focus on the uncommon. Kelly and Sue were Plant Nerd Night presenters this past March and their nursery is one of the Pacific Northwest’s great secret nurseries. Not to be missed!
COST: Free event, all welcome

And finally, sign up now for…
Writing Places: Creative Excursions in and around Portland

Borrowed Scenery: Portland Japanese Garden (course #352094), a course taught by poet and writer David Abel through Portland Parks and Recreation.
WHEN: Saturday, August 27, 12 to 5 pm
WHERE: Portland Japanese Garden
Considered by many to be the most authentic example outside Japan, Portland’s Japanese Garden is a perfect place for contemplation and observation. We’ll meet in the back room of a nearby cafe to briefly consider some of the basic principles behind the design of the garden and their possible relationships to writing, and then we’ll wander the garden paths and write. Several exercises will help jump-start the writing process. After our visit, we’ll return to the cafe and share our results, with time for feedback and ideas for furthering what we’ve begun. (Garden admission not included in workshop fee.)

For more information, or to register, call 503-823-2787, or go to http://tinyurl.com/pdxparksonline where you can access all Portland Parks programs.
COST: $35