It is a treat to start or end our day in our gardens, listening to birds, admiring a neatly mowed lawn or lush flowers in our own patch of paradise, however small. Our south-of-Portland suburbs are known for our beautiful yards and gardens, but did you know that this wasn’t always the case? As the Lake Grove Garden Club in LO celebrates its 100th anniversary this year as the first garden club in Oregon to be part of the Federated Garden Clubs, let’s take a look back with them at what “gardening” meant so many years ago and up to today. Spring is here at last!
For centuries a home garden was a small plot next to the door where herbs and edibles were grown, but few flowers. In the mid-1800s, however, it became popular to grow gardens as ornaments to the home, with flowers, shrubs and fruit trees. Imports of plants from around the world and refining of the art of plant breeding meant gradually the ideas of lawns, fancy flower beds and gardening as a home hobby became popular. The cottage gardens of England as well as their more formal shrubbery designs were noted here and, in small ways, copied by homeowners as our towns grew.
During World War I most families had victory gardens at home to grow their own food, then in 1926 came the exciting new idea of purchasing plants already growing in pots instead of buying them just as seeds or bulbs. This led to the idea of houseplants so we could grow inside those too tender to grow outside. (Many of us remember a lanky Philodendron twining up our mother’s kitchen window or the avocado grown with a pit and toothpicks). World War II brought Victory gardens again; in 1943 these home gardens produced 40% of all American produce grown that year.
The 1950s brought big backyard patios, brand new plants around brand new houses, then moved on to combining veggies and flowers in “edible landscaping” (front yard lettuce, anyone?). Community gardens like our Luscher Farm increased in the 1970s followed by the 1980s interest in Bonsai, organic food and Earth Day. The turn of the century brought more interest in healthy food as the edible home garden was still “growing strong” (pun intended); in 2013 one-third of all Americans said they were growing food for their own consumption.
Today we’re returning to growing more plants that are native to our area, which provide food for our native bee friends (honeybees are imports). We’re using fewer outdoor chemicals and making our decks and patios as comfortable as our inside homes so we can relax outdoors with a cup of coffee or glass of wine, depending on the time of day, as we enjoy our surroundings. As a field editor, now retired, for Better Homes and Gardens’ many publications, for years I cruised the streets of Lake Oswego, West Linn and far beyond scouting for homes with lovely gardens. This resulted in my producing over 100 articles featuring some of these homes that were published in books and magazines, to be admired by readers around the world. I loved helping show our beautiful Pacific Northwest gardens to thousands of others and we are famous for them still.
So now it is time once again to put on our gardening gloves and see what green things are popping up outside this spring. Then take a trip to the local nurseries or perhaps join the Lake Grove Garden club as it celebrates its centennial on Saturday, April 27 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with its annual sale of lush shrubs, natives, perennials and others at Our Lady of the Lake Church in LO, along with a door prize for every purchaser. Find some new pretty plants for your garden, whether big, small or a balcony, and let’s get gardening!
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