Children’s Rock Scramble Proposal is Withdrawn

MSPC has withdrawn its proposal to install a small rock scramble in the Ravine area of Bush’s Pasture Park, immediately downhill from the Crooked House playground. In our meeting with the City to discuss the project, we learned that the City does not have a ‘nature play” policy that would permit the installation of non-standard…

Group of smiling people holding scissors cut ribbon at the Ravine public opening

Ravine Public Opening

We celebrated the Ravine public opening today when MSPC volunteers, members, and guests gathered to cut the ribbon and take down the orange fencing that surrounded the project. MSPC’s events committee provided cake and lemonade to participants and passers-by under a canopy strategically placed across from the children’s playground. The Ravine public opening marks the…

The Ravine Public Opening

After 18 months, the Ravine landscape project at Bush’s Pasture Park opened on May 11, 2019, with a community ribbon-cutting event, cake and lemonade, and the opportunity for children to pot up garden thyme for mom. Park-goers begin to gather for the Ravine public opening.            

Brian Smith separates the leaves of a deciduous azalea to show the small green larvae of an aaa;ea sawfly

Azalea Sawfly Makes Its Appearance

There are a lot of tasks that go into managing a public gardening, including monitoring for pests. Here, City Horticulturist Brian Smith finds azalea sawfly larvae on one of the park’s Exbury deciduous azaleas. These hungry critters have defoliated entire groups of deciduous azaleas in past years. Here’s what OSU says about the critter: “It…

Camas in bloom at Bush's Pasture Park

Camas in Bloom

The camas fields at Bush’s Pasture Park are now in bloom in the lower oak grove. These fields were managed before 1850 by the Kalapuya people who harvested the bulbs. The Camas have remerged after the park changed its maintenance procedures. You can learn more about the park’s camas and wildflowers here. Come and enjoy…