Artful—a fence and a space

I've lived in Portland long enough to know how to get from where I'm at, to where I want to be. However, the route I come up with in my head isn't always the fastest, especially if there's a road closure, an accident, or any of the other many traffic snarling issues that can arise. Because of this, if I'm going far (or somewhere new), I usually ask Google Maps for a suggested route. Using mapping software has the added benefit of taking me through neighborhoods I've never seen, I love that! That's how I recently ended up driving a new-to-me stretch of Belmont Street, and how I discovered this cool metal fence with botanical cut-outs.

The gate, with a big tree echo...

Each panel of the fence was slightly different. A few shapes were repeated along the way, but no two panels were the same.

I figured it must be fairly new, since there's minimal rust. I looked all around to see if there was any information on the artist behind the design. I wasn't able to find anything.

Once I was at the end I peeked over the fence to see the space between the fence and the building.

Mahonia are blooming all over town, these have been pruned up—maybe an attempt to get the spiny leaves up and out of the way.

Once I was back at the other end I decided maybe a video was the better way to share the botanical artwork? You be the judge—it's probably best to click though and watch it on YouTube rather than here on the blog.

Once home (while editing and uploading my photos), I decided to go looking for information on the building, which I assumed was an apartment building. Nope. It's listed as single family residential, what? Dating to 1921 the building is just shy of 10,200 sq ft and last sold in 2024 for $1,400,000.

Naturally, since I was researching, I took a few screenshots of prior years from Google Maps. Here's May of 2009. The fence borders what was lawn on the left-hand side.

Here's June 2019.

And April 2025, it's all so very curious!

Later that same day (December 13th) I stopped by a space I'd wanted to see for awhile now, slow poet (art space + vintage shop). I took these photos in the fabulous outdoor space behind the gallery.

Pretty cool right?

It was all very inspiring.

Kim (owner of slow poet) inherited the mural, and has plans to update it. I thought it was kind of old Portland fabulous, like '70's t-shirts, vintage Nikes and Rainer beer.

So that's my sunny warm day (in December!) spent exploring...

The Bit at the End

I guess I was in an arty headspace that day because later the same evening I ended up watching several of the NYC loft visits/interviews on Joshua Charow's YouTube channel. They're kind of addicting. 

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Okay I've decided, my tree fern is going in the ground!

It appears that growing Dicksonia antarctica—a tree fern native to Australia and Tasmania, which is hardy to USDA Zones 9-10, 8 with winter protection—has reached a sort of critical mass here in Portland. If you've visited the BigJohn/Hicks garden either during last June's Study Weekend or online then you know there are some pretty substantial tree ferns growing there.

In fact back when I first visited in 2020 they were already way ahead of the pack, with sizeable trunks and several years growth already behind them.

Pretty fabulous, right? 

Summer of 2024 I visited Jeff Fairchild's garden in NW Portland, and was in awe of his tree fern (Dicksonia antarctica) collection, this being the tallest.

To stand under a tree fern is a most magical thing.

Back in 2022 I visited Harry Lander's garden in a suburb of Portland. There were tree ferns...

Also of the Dicksonia antarctica persuasion.

Last summer my friend Heather (who geographically is closer to me than any of these other examples) took the plunge. While you might think the subject of this photo is her dog Bee, it's actually the large Dicksonia antarctica on the left, and a smaller one on the right. They're now planted out in her garden but I haven't been invited over to see them IRL yet (hint).

Thanks to Heather for letting me use her photo

Heather is also where I learned of this method of protecting a tree fern, she picked it up from Jeff Fairchild (whom I mentioned above). You cut up the side of a plastic nursery pot and open it to fit around the trunk of your tree fern, obviously the size of the pot depends on the size of your plant. As your plant's trunk grows taller you'll need to stack the pots. You then fill it will grass clippings, straw, leaves, etc., to act as insulation. Make sure to work in plenty of material at the top of the trunk to keep it from freezing. Simple, right?

Thanks to Heather for letting me use her photo

I bought my first tree fern (also a Dicksonia antarctica) back in 2009, it was our Christmas tree that year. 

The poor thing has been growing on in the same pot ever since. There it is as it currently exists, staged along the fence just behind a stock tank.

It has developed a decent trunk.

I bought a second (much much smaller) Dicksonia antarctica last summer, this one was kind of a rescue as the plant and its roots were falling out of the pot it was in at the nursery. I brought it home and replanted it deeper, then slipped it into a conical metal pot that would hold it upright and let it's roots grow strong. 

I also cut back several misshapen fronds, which was hard to do! It seems to be recovering though. 

So anyway... this has turned into a long and rambling post to simply say that next spring I've decided to put this Dicksonia antarctica, and my older one in the ground. Everyone else is doing it, so why can't I?

Roughly something like where those orange ovals are, photo taken at the end of November, not prime garden viewing time.

Here's the same area in the summertime, much better! I *almost* planted both Dicksonia antarctica in the ground last summer, but things were a little unsettled here at the homestead and there was talk of moving. That talk has been shelved for at least a couple years, so now (or well, spring) seems like the right time to act!

The Bit at the End

Protecting things in the garden is the subject here. Each year I relish the deadpan manner in which  Martha (yes, that Martha) shares how she directs her staff to wrap her boxwood alle in burlap. Now she's back with a post about wrapping her empty containers err, ornamental vessels. Enjoy... Covering Planters with Burlap.

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All material © 2009-2025 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

Making the moss Christmas tree

Once I decided to make a moss tree for Christmas I knew right away what the base would be. Thank god I'd saved this chicken-wire covered tomato cage I used back 2017 to make the opuntia Christmas tree, even before that the tomato cage was the base for my "Cousin Itt" tree in 2014.

In case you're curious how the opuntia tree came together there was a "how I did it" post for that one too. 

It was November 12th when I got to work on the moss tree. Having our extra-long outdoor dining table to work on made a huge difference; lots of space, great light, and no need to worry about making a mess. Yes those plastic bags are full of moss.

I sorted the moss into piles according to size and type of moss (going by looks only, I don't know moss at all). 

I used some older dried moss I had on hand, and the loose pieces from this haul, to stuff the inside of the tree form. I feared if I covered only the outside with moss it would dry out too quickly. I then laid the moss over the form and started wrapping with wire. If you've ever made a wreath wrapped with paddle wire this is the same idea. 

Peeking inside before I filled it up the rest of the way.

The finished "tree"...

I made the moss wreath that same day, using an old wreath form I had on hand.

After I finished the tree and the wreath I stored them in our garage until Nov 28th, aka decorating day. I didn't want them getting too wet in the rain, and I didn't want any animals picking at the moss. I did take them out of the garage a couple times and hose them down.

A few days after completing the big tree shape I went ahead and covered the two larger of the three mantel-sized trees. The smallest one was actually my first run at the idea and had been in the basement for weeks getting misted on the regular to see how it would hold up.

These I filled with ripped up paper bags.

And a layer of plastic at the bottom. They were going to be on the painted wood fireplace mantel and I was hoping to cut back on the drips.

Remember the bird that made it into the Christmas scheme? It was a fluke that I happened upon these (very) red birds for 50% off at Pomarius. How could I not take one home for only $3.88?

I used the metal drum the moss tree is sitting on to keep it off the floor in the garage. It was pure luck the form fit right inside the lip. It worked so well that I decided to use it in the house too. 

I think after Christmas I'll pull the moss off the small tree shapes (I don't want them to rust up too badly), but keep the big tomato cage tree intact and take it out to the garden. It will be a fun addition for as long as it lasts.

The Bit at the End

Andrew asked how I was going to bring a moss Christmas tree into the house, without also bringing in a bunch of unwanted critters. That was part of why it was nice to work outside. I thoroughly inspected the moss before I added it to the tree form. I picked off a few beetles, slugs, and worms. Since it was in the garage for a couple weeks I reasoned any remaining creatures a chance to flee. Then I watched this video "Moss, the brilliant green icon of the Pacific Northwest, and the microscopic world it supports" okay so I guess there's an entire wildlife safari in my living room now...

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All material © 2009-2025 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.