Welcome to our garden.
Rod is a former Iowa Certified Nurseryman and Oregon Certified Nursery Professional , with a Bachelor of Science degree in Horticulture from Iowa State University and a total of 45 years of experience in orchards, nurseries and landscaping. Rod worked at Dennis' Seven Dees Nursery, Portland, Oregon for sixteen years, at Cascadian Nurseries for nine years and at Garron Grounds Management for four years. He currently works for Cascadian All In One Landscape Supply. Rod runs Rod's Garden Pruning and teaches Home Gardening classes for Portland Community College.
Shellie is an avid gardener with herbs as her special interest. She is also a Master Food Preserver.
Emmaline was adopted from China in 1999. Ellianna was adopted from Vietnam in 2001. Nathaniel. was adopted from China in 2005.
Spending time in a garden naturally turns our thoughts to God, who created the beauty of nature.
Come to our garden for information and advice. To ask a question, schedule a landscape consultation, or receive a free estimate on pruning in the West Portland, Washington County area, please send an email to rodandshellie (at) gmail.com, or call 503-484-4774. Please include your location.
Home Gardening Classes at PCC by Rod Smith
Diary of a Japanese army doctor killed on Attu Island, Alaska, during World War II.
Gardening Advice
Fall Planting
Remove Trees Roots and All
The Pacific Northwest is blessed with an abundance of plants that grow well in this mild climate. It is possible to have plants blooming in your yard every month of the year. Only plants that are usually available in Pacific Northwest nurseries and garden centers have been included. These lists will help find plants that will bloom each season of the year.
The plants are listed by size to make it easier to pick plants that fit into your landscape. The plants are separated into Low, Medium and Tall according to this chart.
Low Medium Tall
Trees below 15' 15' to 25' over 25'
Shrubs below 3' 3' to 6' over 6'
Vines below 5' 5' to 12' over 12'
Perennials below 15" 15" to 30" over 30"
This plant list was made for Portland, Oregon, which is in USDA Hardiness Zone 8 and Sunset Western Climate Zone 6. All plants in this list are hardy to at least 10-20 degrees. Some are hardy to 30 degrees below zero. For areas outside the Pacific Northwest, find your hardiness zone on the USDA Hardiness Zones Map In the plant lists, the number that follows the Scientific name is the coldest USDA Hardiness Zone in which the plant will survive.
Below the USDA Hardiness Zone number is a rating of the plant's water needs: Low, Medium or High. Watering can be reduced and simplified if plants with similar water needs are planted together. Some plants, such as Acer palmatum, Calluna vulgaris, Daphne odora, Erica sp. and Rhododendron sp. will easily develop root rot if the soil is kept constantly moist.
The height and width given are average landscape size that can be expected in the Portland area. Of course, this will be affected by soil, fertilizing, watering and pruning. Most trees and shrubs will reach mature size in ten to thirty years, but a few trees may take 100 years to reach mature size. Perennials usually reach their full size in five to ten years.
Plant descriptions are taken from the Sunset Western Garden Book, various Oregon nursery catalogs and personal observation of mature landscapes in Oregon. Plants grow about 20% larger in Western Oregon than in the rest of the USA.
Bible Meditations
Arsenokoitai and Gay Christians
Avoiding stupid mistakes
Baby Savages
Can you believe the New Testament?
Constitutional Right to Abortion
God Can Begin to Answer a Prayer Even Before We Pray It?
God Sends Rain on the Just and the Unjust
How To Pray For A False Teacher
In All Things, God Works for Good
Jesus, Humble Servant
Moses and God
No One Wins an Argument
Our Triune God: God the Three in One
Reasoning With a Bible Thumper
Reducing Crime
Romans Road to Salvation and Sanctification
Salvation: Walking Through Life Holding Onto the Father's Hand
Same Sex Marriage and the Bible
Satan, the Devil
The Condensed Bible Story. The main characters and events of the Bible condensed into six pages.
The Evolution Story. Scientific reasons why I stopped believing in Evolution and started believing in Creation.
The Old Man and the Flood
The Right Church
When Will the Rapture Be?
Where Do Babies Go When They Die?
Where Do We Go When We Die?
Why Doesn't God Destroy Satan?
Would God Allow Suffering?
You Can Take It With You!
You're Too Late
Rod accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior in 1973. He read the Bible straight through from Genesis to Revelation seven times before he attended Ozark Bible College. He has taught Sunday School since 1985 and was an elder and Director of Children's Ministries at his church.
The entire Bible can be read in less than one year by reading three chapters a day plus one chapter from Psalms or Proverbs. For an accurate translation that is easy to read, he recommends the New International Version or the English Standard Version..