Fantastic Door Prizes for you...

We are so excited about the door prizes that we've rounded up for the Portland Fling. This is a seriously *kick-ass* group of items that some lucky Flingers are going to get to take home with them! During the Friday night dinner we’ll be giving away…

2 Hover Dish planters (Dolga in Iceburg and Flango in Nemo) from Pot, Inc

A white City Planter from Potted

9 Atomic Mod Dish planters filled with tillandsia (centerpieces on each table) from Steel Life and Little Prince of Oregon Nursery

Teak Bench, drop shipped from TeakCloseouts

Planting Table to be drop-shipped from TableGarden

“Attracting Native Pollinators” book and a $50 gift card from Portland Nursery

“The Flower Recipe Book” and red metal ampersand from Garden Fever Nursery

3 Demeter scents (Mildew, Dirt, Wet Garden) and 2 gift boxes of soap from Digs Inside & Out

2 Dyckia ‘Burgundy Ice’ from Digs Inside & Out

Cobrahead weeder and BioMarker Plant Markers from Cobrahead

Cobrahead Long Handle Weeder & Cultivator (2 for Drop Ship) from Cobrahead

2 Assorted Tool Packages from Dramm 

Sunstripe garden tools (set of 2) from Schoolhouse Electric Company

Garden trug and everyday twine from Schoolhouse Electric Company

5 copies of “Weeds Find A Way” from Barbara Fisch and Sarah Shealy/Blue Slip Media

2 copies of “The 20-30 Something Garden Guide” from Dee Nash/St. Lynn’s Press

13" Cordless String Trimmer  from Toro

2 bags of Timbers gear (hat, shirt, scarf, etc) from the Portland Timbers

12 Seed Sprouter Kits from Botanical Interests

Several pieces of Metal Garden Art/Plant Stands/Hangers from Garden Gallery Iron Works

An assortment of plants from Xera Plants, Inc.

And yes we know, many of you are flying so we’ve rounded up a list of the nearest shipping facilities…

Fed Ex Office and Print Center

221 SW Alder St

Portland, OR 97204

Phone (503) 224-6550

5 blocks from hotel AND they’re open on Saturday and Sunday until 9 pm!

The UPS Store

818 SW 3Rd Ave

Portland, OR 97204

Phone (503) 222-4888

6 blocks from hotel

USPS

204 SW 5th Ave

Portland, OR 97204

Phone (503) 294-2399
5 blocks from hotel

Fling Preview: Westwind Farm Studio

Westwind has breathtaking overlooks and undulating movement of grasses which combine to bring you a feeling of serenity and connection to wind and earth.


The garden features a meadow with deer resistant plantings close to the house. The desire was to make an attractive setting for birds, bees, deer and coyote.


Enjoy an entire mile of paths cut through pasture and woods recently installed by John Greenlee.


A new flower bed near the front door replaces the children’s play structure.


We cultivate some plants in our tiny nursery for sale, especially cactus and succulents.

Fling Preview: Old Germantown Gardens

Tucked away on a wooded parcel near Forest Park, Old Germantown Gardens is a nearly 2-acre hillside garden that is a wealth of garden diversity, including ponds, bog gardens, perennial beds and borders, woodland plantings, rock garden, dry hillside garden, and a greenhouse full of unusual tropical plants.


Each garden habitat is stuffed full of plants - rare, unusual and common ones, too.


Beyond the various types of gardens on this hillside property, visitors will discover a French/Italian-style patio- terrace adjacent to the house.



The terrace includes small decorative pools, a fountain, rill, and waterfall, all contained within hand-chiseled stone walls.


The garden is always evolving and changing - both naturally and by the owners’ guiding hands. Indeed, the past two years have witnessed much editing and renovation of this 23-year- old garden.


After exploring the extensive hillside trails, visitors who may need the added sustenance are welcome to refreshments on the terrace or upstairs deck while taking in a bird’s-eye view of Old Germantown Gardens.

Oregon nurseries...heaven on earth for plant lovers!

Oregon is nursery country, ranking 3rd in annual wholesale sales behind only California and Florida. You could spend a week here doing nothing but visiting retail nurseries and still not see them all. During the Fling we’re visiting three wonderful nurseries (Pomarius, Cistus and Joy Creek), however we’re also thrilled to announce that during the banquet dinner on Friday night we have a very special event planned for you, a Mini-Plant Nerd Night!

Plant Nerd Night is an eagerly awaited annual event here in Portland where six specialty nurseries assemble with a select group of plants which they present to the audience (complete with plant lust inducing descriptions and images) and then make available for sale. Since we couldn’t take you to Sebright Gardens, Dancing Oaks Nursery, and Gossler Farms they are coming to you! We’ve asked them to bring a group of plants targeted to different areas around the country, so everyone should find something fabulous they MUST take home with them. Worried about packing your new plant treasures? Be sure to read this post from Pam Penick. Also, when shopping at Cistus and Joy Creek remember they ship plants!

Of course those of you with extra time in Oregon might want to check out a few more nurseries, so we made you a list. In no way is it comprehensive (locals feel free to chime in with your fav) and rather than split out nurseries who actually grow their own stock vs. ones that resell (“garden centers”) they’re all lumped together for ease. Click on their names to learn more….

Garden Fever, 2014

Northeast Portland

Garden Fever (door prize contributor)

Alberta Street: Digs Inside and Out (door prize contributor) and Thicket Outdoor Living

Thicket Outdoor Living, 2012

North Portland

Mississippi Ave: Pistils Nursery and Paxton Gate

Southeast Portland

Xera Plants and Contained Exuberance (only open Thur-Sun)

Portland Nursery, 2 locations (Fling sponsor and door prize contributor)

Xera Plants, 2014

Southwest Portland

Cornell Farms

Farmington Gardens

Cornell Farms, 2012

Greater Portland Area

Dennis’ 7 Dees, multiple locations

Sebright Gardens, 2013

Nurseries south of Portland

Al’s Garden Center

Sebright Gardens

Bauman Farms

Dancing Oaks

Gossler Farms

Northwest Garden Nursery (not open regular hours, must call ahead)

Dancing Oaks, 2012

North, Vancouver WA

Shorty’s Homeand Garden

Yard'n Garden Land

Gossler Farms, 2014

Fling Preview: Joy Creek Nursery

After years of being frustrated by their inability to find the plants they wanted, the owners of Joy Creek founded the current nursery in 1992.


What started out as a mail-order nursery soon grew to include both retail sales and garden design and installation.


The nursery is located 18 miles north of Portland, Oregon, on a ridge overlooking the Joy Creek canyon and the confluence of the Columbia and Willamette Rivers.


The nursery proper occupies about seven acres of a forty-acre farm. Nestled between wooded hills, the site can very fairly be described as 'idyllic'.


Four-and-a-half acres are devoted to gardens and stock fields, a half-acre to retail sales, and three acres to growing space.


Many of the plants for sale can be observed in mature states in the display garden...in fact, your visit is best started in the display garden to get ideas for plants, plant combos, and design ideas.


The staff at Joy Creek is very excited to meet you all...and, of course, so is the resident feline, Yowler!