Adequate Expectations Garden

Welcome to the Adequate Expectations garden where we talk about the wild world of gardening in Corvallis, Oregon. It’s a place where one can be bold, daring, and a little bit quirky with their plant choices. Because, let’s face it, if your garden isn’t making at least one neighbor scratch their head in wonder, are you even doing it right? Here, I chronicle my adventures (and misadventures) in creating and enjoying  a garden.  From the proven “work horses” of every respectable local garden to the exotic and the eccentric, my garden is a testament to the plants that have whispered sweet promises to me from seed selling websites , convincing me that, yes, we can make it work in Oregon’s capricious climate with just a bit of good luck and friendly advice of my gardening friends. So, if you’re the type of person who believes that gardening should be an adventure, filled with plants that make your heart sing and your neighbors politely puzzled, then you’re in the right place. To...

If I had to chose the feature tree for my garden, this quince tree will be the unquestionable leader.  I planted it in 2013 and, as many fruit trees in my garden, it is grown as a espalier. Strangers stop by when it is loaded with fruit and ask what sort of weird apple it is.   It is beautiful and its presence is felt strongly in the Sunny Garden.  It is stately in winter, delicate in spring, assertive in summer and absolutely glorious in fall.   It is a good grower in my garden, not bothered by as many pests as apple trees. I irrigate my Sunny Garden, so it gets enough water not to be stressed, and I cannot comment on its possible drought tolerance.  Whenever deer break into my garden, quince (together with persimmon) is the least favorite of the fruit trees for them, usually they leave it alone (it's the fuzzy leaves, I suspect). In my garden, the fruit ripens in October and can be picked as needed because the fruit can last long on the tree, looking...