Holden Clough

 Iris ’Holden Clough’, is truly one of the gems of our gardens. It easily took ten years to acquire. Over those years I attempted to obtain a specimen from all local nurseries and when that didn’t work I contacted British nurseries to no avail. Then a few years ago Marjie and I were buying peonies at a nursery in Canby and as we were leaving with a car load of peonies Marjie suddenly shouted “stop, Holden Clough”!! I slammed on the brakes but when I looked at what she was pointing at I saw a large clump of blackberries. We got out of the car and walked down to the blackberry patch and sure enough stood Holden Clough. I immediately walked back to the farm house and asked them if they would sell me a specimen of their Holden Clough iris. The farmer looked at me as though I was speaking a foreign language, he attempted to repeat the name and shrugged his shoulders saying that they only raise peonies. I told him he had a clump growing by the roadside and I was willing to pay him for a specimen. He quickly dug out a small clump of the prized iris that contained more blackberry root then iris. Marjie needless to say was absolutely thrilled that she was successful in bringing Holden Clough to Menagerie Manor. So my love your beautiful little iris is having it’s best year

May Garden Upgrades

The planning for my late wife Marjie's Celebration of Life is involving some changes at Menagerie Manor. These changes involve some hard work and with myself being fairly crippled up with bad hips most of the hard work has been undertaken by my son Ian and his wife and her parents. 

Several weeks ago they poured cement pier blocks for the large Gazebo that I purchased. Which replaces the massive arbor that held our old Wisteria, now removed.

It will have a metal domed roof on it but that will have to happen later as my son is now suffering a painful back after lifting the heavy timbers and getting everything bolted into place.

The gardens have been made weed free and Marjies beautiful collection of peonies are starting to bloom.                                                                                                                                          

I probably planted to many seed trays of Zinnias but being over zealous has its benefits, the extra pots of zinnias will be laid out for guests to take and plant in their gardens in her honor.  

As of yesterday all of MeMa's / Marjies dahlias have pushed through the soil

Her Kitchen window box has been planted up

The Yuma Garden has returned along with a small collection of historical pelargoniums

Since it is just me here now I did away with the Kitchen Garden saving a small strip for a row of new dahlias and some giant zinnias

My pots of seed potatoes are growing well against the warm wall of the Garden Shed

'Holden Clough' was MeMa's favorite Iris, they truly are a gem in the garden

Had this metal sign made dedicating our labor of love to my one true love.