Gene Rozenboom and Randy Patton's garden; De Tuin Bij Montmore

I've been out to visit a few HPSO member Open Gardens this summer and this garden, De Tuin Bij Montmore, was one of my first stops. To be honest the description of the garden wasn't one that would normally draw my attention, including as it did phrases like: "The “Dutch Wave” Garden inspired by garden designer Piet Oudolf’s Singer Museum is now complete" and "In addition to the abundant conifer and Japanese maples, a large number of grass species growing in the garden make comparison easy." Not that there's anything wrong with those items, they're just not my thing. So, the reason I chose this garden is that Gene is bringing a group to visit my garden in August and I wanted to meet him and ask him a couple questions. The tour is organized through Horticulture/Garden Gate Magazine and it's being billed as Explore Portland's Most Inspiring Gardens. Ha, no pressure there!

So here's the first photo I took in Gene's garden. While I'm not a fan of red bark mulch in general I appreciated the new vs. old delineating the pathways, otherwise I wouldn't have been sure I was supposed to walk up here. The next thing I noticed... the lollipop conifers!

Aren't they freakishly adorable? 

There are more (different) across the pathway...

I loved the large steel planters and could go crazy out here cutting lilies...

Looking back down at the pathway...

And inspecting the lilies a little closer...

There's part of the dwarf conifer collection...

Walking further along the upper pathway and the well-appointed deck comes into view. Notice the curving cement pathway as it passes by the base of the stairs.

There is a narrow planting of Equisetum hyemale (horsetail) backed by Muehlenbeckia axillaris (wire vine) all along the rock wall there. Wow. I love the combination but I'm afraid to let those plants loose in my garden. Gene said he's not worried since the horsetail is constrained by the wall and cement.

Looking further down the pathway...

At the end, where it turns to join another path to the front door of the home.

Now I've retraced my steps and I'm on the ground level beside the elevated deck. Gene has joined me and is giving a quick overview of the garden. Here he's planted a trio of Taxodium distichum 'Peve Minaret'  (bald cypress). He prunes the one in the middle drastically to get this tall column of bright green foliage. I love the look!

Walking around to the front of the home.

Gene pointed out this Japanese maple, I did appreciate the colorful foliage against the green background. In fact Gene's enthusiasm as he toured me around, pointing out plants I wouldn't have given a second glance (as well as ones he knew I loved), was inspiring. I need to do better with visitors to my garden.

This little conifer had a great mix of blue and green needles.

The "Dutch Wave" garden referenced in the garden's description was planted on newly acquired property next door. It seems these days everyone's expanding their garden on to neighboring property! (I'm looking at you Tracy)

Everyone's planting a Wollemi Pine too! (okay, not really—just the ones in the right place, at the right time, with the right bank balance).

Gene was sure to point out this "danger garden" plant, Rosa sericea ssp. omeiensis f. pteracantha (the wingthorn rose. Oh how I love it! Sadly I had to give it up as it wanted to be too large for my small garden and it was getting tired of my constantly cutting it back.

These were a surprise, Pycnosorus globosus/Craspedia globosa, aka billy balls. Not reliably hardy in Portland, Gene said they managed just fine through our recent mild winter.

Another favorite, Berkheya purpurea. 

I planted two in my garden a few years ago, both of which the damn bunnies ate almost immediately. One of them eventually grew back, but it's in so much shade now that I only get one flower stalk a season.

I think the tall green stems are rattlesnake master, Eryngium yuccifolium. There were several nice swathes of different eryngium in the garden.

Leonotis ocymifolia or Leonotis leonurus? I'm not sure.

Who cares when you've got those orange blooms?

The house and garden as seen from the former "property next door".

A nice sit-spot...

I covet that chair!

The big planter as well.

A better look up at the deck...

And it's time to go...

The Bit at the End

The garden's name, De Tuin Bij Montmore, translates to The Garden at Montmore. According to the website lastnames.myheritage.com; "Montmore" is a French surname and toponym. It broadly translates to an elevated geographical area or a "mountain." Thanks to a website called Portland's Creative Realtors I learned that "in the Portland, OR area, Montmore is often used to refer to The Sanctuary of Montmore, a famous 1989 mid-century/modern architectural property located in Southwest Portland's tree-lined hills near the Bridlemile neighborhood" if you're curious, here's a listing for that property. Gene and Randy's garden is definitely in SW Portland's tree-lined hills.

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This roadway improved by sedum and conifers...

Driving around Portland you may encounter a few sections of unimproved roadway. No pavement, no sidewalks, no rhyme or reason as to why the pavement stops, just gravel. There is usually a sign that reads "this roadway unimproved." This garden is on one of those blocks.

I visited the garden at Jeffrey Bale's suggestion. He described it as having an assortment of conifers and at least one of every sedum, that it did! As I walked up I thought the light-colored gravel was a pathway...

But the fact it ended with tall rocks, and appeared to have lights sunk into the gravel at regular intervals, I decided it was a visual break, or maybe a maintenance pathway, rather than a sidewalk substitute. 

Let's look at the modified hellstrip along the paved road first...

Interesting how the plants are inside a wooden frame, giving them a sunken look. It should keep people from trampling over them, plus maybe it will decrease pets using the area as a toilet (both issues I've delt with in my hellstrip).

Cool cones.

I wonder if the rocks are purely decorative, or helping to keep the boards from flopping?

Cornus kousa fruit.

Curious. Multifamily? Why is there a key there?

Okay let's look at the garden proper.

While there are a few other plants this garden really is primarily conifers and sedum. I don't know if I've ever visited a garden with such an on point planting.

Inside the fence...

More cool cones...

So fluffy!

This is one of the nicest unimproved roadways I've encountered. Frequently they include car-swallowing potholes.   

So many sedum!

I really am curious about the tight planting palette, it's almost like a display garden for a nursery that specializes in sedum and conifers.

Oh! This was unexpected, an Agave geminiflora I believe (only hardy to 25-30F... an odd agave choice for our climate).

So densely planted too...

It sort of has the feel of being newly planted, yet patches of things like the delosperma (ice plant) have obviously been bulking up for awhile.

The elephant in the room that I haven't mentioned, the rocks! There's a small fortune here in rocks.

I was tempted to pull on the chain to see what happened. I did not.

What an interesting drive by!

The Bit at the End

A must watch garden video, it's only a little over 6 minutes, and it's so good! The Story of a Garden.

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All material © 2009-2026 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.