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…

Camellia japonica in bloom at Bush's Pasture Park

Camellia Japonica in Bloom

The park’s extensive collection of Camellia japonica cultivars are in full bloom. These shrubs were likely planted by the landscape architect team of Elizabeth Lord and Edith Schryver. Edith was quite fond of camellias while Elizabeth had a love of lilacs. The park’s camellia japonicas were likely planted in the 1950’s and 1960’s. You can…

Searching for signs of spring

Searching for Signs of Spring

A hardy group of eight souls braved a clear but cold day to tour Bush’s Pasture Parks searching for signs of Spring. Fortunately, there was plenty to see. The winter Helleborus orientalis (Lenten Rose) were in full bloom, along with early bulbs such as Galanthus nivalis (snowdrops), Chionodoxa luciliae, and Crocus thommasinianus (early Crocus). Daphne odora…

Tom Beatty smiles in front of his cake at his retirement party

Tom Beatty Retires as City Horticulturist

Tom Beatty retired as the City’s horticulturist on February 28th.  His departure closes an 18-year tenure during which, among other duties, he served as the head gardener of Bush’s Pasture Park. While Tom had a desk at the park’s historic “root house,” he was more often out in the park supervising ground crews, planting spring bulbs…

Informational poster explaining the plan to remove and replace the park's Shogetsu cherry tree

Shogetsu Cherry Tree Removal & Replacement

The City and MSPC are working together to remove a damaged and failing ‘Shogetsu’ flowering cherry tree near the Conservatory. We have already purchased a replacement ‘Shogetsu’ cherry tree that will be planted in nearly the same location. Gardenia.net calls the Shogetsu cherry tree “One of the finest Japanese cherries” and describes it as “a broad-spreading…

Conservancy Starts Rehabilitating Crabapple Collection

The Conservancy has started the much-needed rehabilitation of the park’s historic crabapple collection, which likely dates back to the 1940’s. The collection was first inventoried and mapped in 2003 by crabapple expert Arthur Jacobsen. He determined that the collection included at least 44 individual trees representing 42 different species or cultivars of Malus. Several trees have…

The small yellow flowers of Winter Jasmine add color to the late-season garden. Here it grows a metal window grille of the Bush House Museum

Winter Jasmine Adds Color to the Garden

Winter Jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum) is a cascading deciduous shrub with tiny non-fragrant bright yellow flowers that bloom on bare bright green stems in late winter before its leaves appear in spring. It can be grown as a mounding shrub or trained on a support, though it doesn’t have tendrils for climbing. If left as a…