Category: Garden Future

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Gardening for the Future: Education Garden at Portland Community College Rock Creek

A conversation with the Washington County Master Gardener Association Education Garden Team

From gravel to garden—that’s the story of our Education Garden at Portland Community College Rock Creek. This 17,000-square-foot space used to be a compacted parking lot covered in gravel and riprap. Nothing but weeds could grow here. It radiated heat and offered virtually no support for plants, wildlife, or the soil organisms that make up a healthy ecosystem. But we saw an opportunity to reclaim the space and transform it into a thriving outdoor classroom that teaches sustainable gardening practices. And that’s exactly what we did.

An empty gravel parking lot with overgrown weeds and scattered concrete parking stops, bordered by a wooden fence and rows of trees in the background. Several cars and trucks are parked near a small gray building on the right under a clear blue sky.Garden with a mix of colorful plants and flowers, including large clusters of yellow blooms in the foreground, surrounded by shrubs and trees with a gravel path and wooden benches in the background under a partly cloudy sky.
Then and Now. Photos courtesy of Sue Ryburn.

Designing with Resilience in Mind
From the beginning, our goal was to create a space where people could learn. We organized the garden into themed sections—what we call “Garden Classrooms”—each one focused on a specific concept. These include:

  • Waterwise Garden
  • PNW Meadowscape
  • Hellstrip beds (with native and non-native comparisons)
  • Moon Moth Garden
  • Pollinator Habitat Garden
  • Fragrance Garden
  • Community Circle with small conifers and companion plants
  • PNW Pollinator Hedgerow
Demonstration garden with a variety of plants, including tall ornamental grasses, purple flowering perennials, evergreen shrubs, and small trees, bordered by mulch pathways with parked cars and trees visible beyond a wooden fence.
The waterwise garden. Photo courtesy of Sue Ryburn.

We also feature habitat elements like mason bee stations, ground-nesting bee zones, and signage for the DarkSky Oregon Citizen Scientist Project. Everything we’ve done is meant to demonstrate how gardens can be beautiful, functional, and climate-resilient.

Facing Climate Challenges
Because the site had been a gravel parking lot, there was no usable soil. After removing the gravel, we brought in 40 truckloads of topsoil and 150 cubic yards of compost. We tested the soil, amended it, and covered it with arborist chips after planting. We haven’t needed additional soil amendments since—just mulch and good care.

Group of people using shovels and rakes to move and level soil in an outdoor area, with trees and parked cars visible behind a wooden fence under a sunny sky.
In 2018, the team hard at work installing grading and incorporating compost and amendments. Photo courtesy of Sue Ryburn.

Water was another major concern. With little initial shade and increasing summer heat, we installed drip and overhead irrigation and grouped plants by water needs. We monitor the health of our plants regularly and adjust irrigation based on what we observe, including probing soil for infiltration.

Drainage remains an issue. The compacted subgrade is still there, so we avoid planting large trees that require deep soil. When we planted trees early on, we used an auger to break through the hard layer and give roots a path through the compacted subgrade.

The site also had very little wind protection. Over time, we’ve used shrubs and trees to create a buffer and soften the wind, especially along the garden’s edge, during summer drying events but also in winter storm events by shielding plants from freezing high winds from the east.

wo people working in a garden, one holding a shovel and the other standing nearby smiling, surrounded by flowering plants, shrubs, and trees on a cloudy day.
Working in the Moon Moth Garden. Photo courtesy of Sue Ryburn.

Choosing the Right Plants
We’ve always prioritized plants that are low-water, low-maintenance, affordable, and available to home gardeners. The garden is a balance of perennials and evergreens to provide both structure and year-round habitat for insects and other wildlife.

Our goal is to build a resilient, adaptable ecosystem. When plants die, we try to determine why the plant failed before replacing it, with the goal of creating a garden that, over time, is increasingly composed of plants adapted to the specific conditions of the site.

Native plants were an integral theme of the original garden design, a theme we have continued to expand on with the installation of a PNW Pollinator Hedgerow in 2020 (and its extension in 2022) and a PNW Meadowscape in 2023. In 2024, we converted a section of our Hellstrip into a native-only test zone.

Garden area with shrubs, small trees, and mulched ground, featuring a wooden sign about pollinator habitat in the center, with buildings and a cart of orange bins visible in the background on a cloudy day.
Pollinator Hedgerow. Photo courtesy of Sue Ryburn.

We’ve learned from experience that some plants—like goldenrod, woodland strawberry, and Douglas aster—can be too aggressive in our managed garden. They’re great in the wild, but here we aim for diversity without constant intervention.

Two people kneeling in a freshly mulched garden bed, planting a shrub with potted plants nearby, a blue tarp spread on the ground, and a wooden fence with an educational sign in the background.
Planting in the fall of 2018. Photo courtesy of Sue Ryburn.

Techniques That Make a Difference

  • Adjusting irrigation for maturing plants
  • Leaving leaves and small branch piles to support overwintering insects
  • Creating intentional habitat spaces, like our Moon Moth Garden
  • Avoiding all chemical inputs
  • Using arborist chips for weed suppression, moisture retention, and soil health
    We started with organic compost to support soil life and have since let the garden build healthy soil naturally.

What’s Next?

We’re continuing to adapt. We plan to convert more overhead irrigation to drip, fine-tune watering in key areas, and explore new plant choices—especially native species—when replacements are needed. We’re also evaluating plants that have outgrown their space to decide whether to relocate or remove them.

  • Aerial view of a garden under development with mulched planting beds arranged in curved shapes, gravel pathways between them, and small plants scattered throughout, bordered by a wooden fence with parked cars and grassy areas nearby.
    Drone image of the garden taken in 2018. Photo courtesy of PCC.
  • Aerial view of a demonstration garden with newly mulched planting beds in curved patterns, small plants spaced throughout, and gravel pathways dividing the sections, bordered by a wooden fence and parking area.
    Drone image of the garden taken in 2019. Photo courtesy of PCC.
  • Aerial view of a mature demonstration garden with dense plantings, winding gravel paths, and seating areas, surrounded by sheds, small structures, and a gravel lot with parked vehicles.
    Drone image of the garden taken in 2024. Photo courtesy of Jorie Helwig.

Sharing What We Learn

Our garden is a living classroom. We host public classes as part of our In the Garden Series, offer hands-on Master Gardener workshops, and partner with PCC’s Landscape Technology program for curriculum-based learning. Educational signage helps visitors learn even when we’re not there.

We’re excited to integrate Garden Future activities into our outreach this year. We plan to display laminated Garden Future posters in the garden and hand out quarter-sheet cards with links to the website and resources. It’s a natural fit—we’re already focused on sustainability, and Garden Future gives us another way to talk about climate resilience.

Garden pathway lined with gravel and bordered by a variety of shrubs, conifers, and colorful groundcover, with wooden benches placed among the plantings and bright flowering bushes visible in the background.
Community Circle with small conifers and companion plants. Photo courtesy of Sue Ryburn.

Our Advice to Other Gardeners

Take time to plan. Know your goals. Observe your garden’s microclimates and be realistic about your time and energy. When in doubt, rely on trusted sources—your local Master Gardener Program, the Garden Future website, the Backyard Habitat Certification Program, and the Xerces Society are all great places to start.

And always remember right plant, right place, right care.

Take a video tour of the garden at our YouTube channel.

Explore one of Oregon’s 50+ Master Gardener Demonstration Gardens—realistic, regionally adapted spaces that showcase what thrives in your local conditions. Find a demonstration garden near you.

This story is part of Garden Future, an OSU Extension Master Gardener outreach project dedicated to conversations and action for gardening in a changing climate.

What are you seeing in your garden? What changes are you making? We invite you to join the Garden Future conversation by answering three quick questions. At the end, you’ll have the option to sign up for our Garden Future newsletter and stay connected with stories, resources, and tools to support climate-resilient gardening in your community.

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Gardening for the future: waterwise beauty in Central Point

In Southern Oregon’s scorching summers, it can be hard to imagine a vibrant garden that doesn’t rely on constant irrigation. But at the Jackson County Master Gardener Waterwise Garden, colorful blooms, pollinator habitat, and year-round interest prove that climate-resilient gardening can also be beautiful. Designed to showcase low-water native and ornamental plants, this demonstration garden at the OSU Southern Oregon Research and Extension Center is inspiring visitors to rethink what’s possible in a drought-prone climate. OSU Extension Master Gardener volunteer Pete Livers and Master Gardener Coordinator Grace Florjancic share what they’re learning—and teaching—about gardening in a hotter, drier world.

landscape of mixed plants of various textures, with rocks and gravel path

Waterwise Garden in Central Point

A conversation with OSU Extension Master Gardener volunteer Pete Livers and Master Gardener Coordinator Grace Florjancic

What was your garden like prior to any changes you’ve made for climate resiliency?
The Jackson County Master Gardener waterwise garden set out to show how you can still have plenty of colorful blossoms and year-round interest while saving on water usage. This garden was designed with a mix of low water usage native and ornamental plants. There are many pollinators that visit this garden throughout the year like bumblebees, honeybees, and butterflies.

What issues did you find you were facing regarding climate change impacts in your garden?
Frequent irrigation in our intense summer heat has become an issue for many gardeners. Using drip irrigation has helped us be more efficient with water usage but low water use plants is another step towards reducing the need for constant summer irrigation.

What plants have you changed to help with climate resilience?
Some of the native plants like poppies and yarrow wander out of their desired areas. From a structured garden perspective, some of these plants have been removed to keep the desired appearance. Low water usage irises recently replaced some yarrow to fill out the irises currently in the garden bed for a fuller appearance. The native California fuchsia, buckwheat, and Kinnikinnik play nicer with their neighbors in a formal garden setting.

What techniques have you changed to help with climate resilience?
Master Gardener Pete Livers is the new team lead for the waterwise garden. As a newcomer to the garden, Pete has found the main challenge to be learning which plants are very drought tolerant and which ones are just low water plants. Pete has been keeping a careful eye out for plants that show signs of stress like curling and wilting leaves. To not overwater the extreme drought tolerant plants, he has resorted to hand watering the individuals that show signs of drought stress.

Are you anticipating future changes you plan to make?
No major changes for our garden at the moment. Plants may get occasionally swapped out for color, size, or other desired attributes to keep the garden fresh and exciting.

Have you received feedback from others regarding the changes you’ve made?
Many people are surprised at how many flowers and pops of color are in this waterwise garden. Often people have an image of rocks green cacti and succulents in mind for a waterwise garden. We wanted to show another way to create a waterwise garden with blooms each season.

Do you have any specific resources you’ve used in making the decisions for the changes you’ve made?
Some helpful resources for gardeners designing a waterwise garden include native plant lists such as Gardening with Oregon Native Plants East/West of the Cascades and the Firewise Plants for Home Gardens publication. Check with your local nurseries to see if they have a list of their available native plants and low water use plants for sale.

What would you tell other gardeners who want to make changes in their gardening to create more climate resilience?
Our summers in Jackson County turn brutal for a full sun garden quickly and some irrigation is still needed once or twice a month in an established waterwise garden like ours. New plants need to be gently acclimated to low water conditions and individually watered until established. A common mistake is expecting a young plant fresh from the nursery to be able to survive a drought before becoming established. Grouping your low water use plants together makes watering much easier than having them mixed between water-loving plants.

How are you using your climate resilient garden for teaching or outreach events?
We have hosted garden tours for local gardening clubs across the county where we discuss each garden and share ideas. Last summer, the local news station did a feature on waterwise gardens and included footage from our garden!

Anything else you’d like to share?
Some of the plants Pete wanted to highlight are the arrow leaf buckwheat for interesting foliage and dramatic white blooms and the purple cooking sage for the unique purple to green fade the plant has. A well designed waterwise garden still has plenty of interesting leaves, blossoms, colors, textures, and habitat for the local critters.

Established in 1994, the Jackson County Master Gardener Demonstration Gardens feature fifteen different gardens that are used to teach the art and science of gardening through the OSU Extension Master Gardener Program and to the community at large. The Demonstration Gardens are located on the grounds surrounding the OSU Extension office in Central Point, 569 Hanley Rd, Central Point, OR 97502. The public is welcome to take self-guided tours Monday through Friday between the hours of 9-5 p.m.

Arrowleaf Buckwheat
Sulphur Buckwheat
Silverheels Horehound
Purple Sage
Kinnikinnik
Honey Bee
Desert Willow
Desert Willow
California Fuschia
Bumblebee!

Explore one of Oregon’s 50+ Master Gardener Demonstration Gardens—realistic, regionally adapted spaces that showcase what thrives in your local conditions. Find a demonstration garden near you.

This story is part of Garden Future, an OSU Extension Master Gardener outreach project dedicated to conversations and action for gardening in a changing climate.

What are you seeing in your garden? What changes are you making? We invite you to join the Garden Future conversation by answering three quick questions. At the end, you’ll have the option to sign up for our Garden Future newsletter and stay connected with stories, resources, and tools to support climate-resilient gardening in your community.

Photos by Grace Florjancic

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Gardening for the Future: Visiting the Discovery Garden in Roseburg, Oregon

Across Oregon, OSU Extension Master Gardener Demonstration Gardens are blooming with inspiration—and resilience. As our climate shifts, gardeners are adapting with creativity and care. As part of the Garden Future initiative, we’re spotlighting real stories from Master Gardener volunteers who are reimagining their spaces to be more climate resilient. These aren’t show gardens with endless budgets—they’re real, regionally relevant spaces that demonstrate what’s possible with thoughtful choices in plants and practices.

Today, we’re excited to share one of those stories.

Discovery Garden – Xeriscape Garden in Roseburg

A conversation with Geoff Puryear, OSU Extension Master Gardener volunteer and Program Education Assistant.

What was your garden like prior to any changes you’ve made for climate resiliency?
The Discovery Garden itself was established in 2000 and is divided into 21 different themed sections. The Xeriscape Garden was initially installed around 2005. Originally, the space was smaller and regularly irrigated. I was assigned, as a new Master Gardener volunteer, to take over the design and maintenance of the space in 2013. At that time, the Xeriscape Garden had limited plant variety, large gaps between plants, and very little mulch. That year, while the rest of the Discovery Garden resumed irrigation, the Xeriscape Garden did not and has not received any supplemental irrigation since, relying solely on rainwater.

What issues did you find you were facing regarding climate change impacts in your garden?
This project of an irrigation-free landscape was started to demonstrate how many commonly available landscaping plants can survive our Mediterranean climate of hot-dry summers without supplemental irrigation. The second year into this project, we experienced a significant drought which set back the establishment process of most plants. The lack of rain in the first three years made establishing most of the perennials a challenge, but it also showed that following the 7 Principles of Xeriscape is a viable method for both the conservation of water and drought resiliency, as hundreds of plant varieties, planted in the right place and at the right time of year, successfully populated the burgeoning garden beds.

What plants have you changed to help with climate resilience?
To create a more resilient landscape, I removed plants that couldn’t handle the dry season; mostly plants with larger leaves and higher water needs. This included a 15-foot Red maple and the Siberian red-twig dogwoods, both of which suffered without irrigation, or in the case of the tree, outcompeted every other plant near it for water. I replaced them with a wide variety of plants that use various adaptations to survive our climate. Many of the plants chose had smaller, silvery, and/or needle-like leaves, traits that help reduce water loss. Succulents like Sedum, cold-hardy Agave, and yuccas that all survive drought by going summer-dormant or perform photosynthesis at night during the dry season. I’ve also added many native species, where appropriately suited to the microclimates around the space. I made a point to fill in all available space in the garden beds to help shade the soil and each other. All of the turf grass areas around the space have been removed and replaced with pathways and perennial garden beds.

What techniques have you changed to help with climate resilience?
I’ve implemented a design grounded in the 7 Principles of Xeriscape. To reduce plant stress, I avoid pruning or deadheading during the dry season. This allows the plants to grow naturally without the stress of water-dependent regrowth. Every garden bed is fully mulched, I’ve used a variety of mulch throughout the space including wood chips, bark, gravel, and boulders to help keep the soil cool and moist. I also allow for most fallen leaves, needles, pinecones, or any other bits of organic material to stay on the beds, continually creating a fresh layer of mulch.

Are you anticipating future changes you plan to make?
As the dry season has become longer and hotter, and varying levels of drought has become the normal state of the climate in Southern Oregon, many plants have not been able to cope. If the trend continues, I will probably have to replace many of the plants that, at one time, thrived in the dry garden.

Have you received feedback from others regarding the changes you’ve made?
People tend to appreciate the beauty and diversity of the garden and they are usually surprised to see all the plants that can be grown happily in a dry landscape.

Do you have any specific resources you’ve used in making the decisions for the changes you’ve made?
I’ve done a lot of research into the native range of plants, if they come from a similar climate to ours, I will usually choose those plants to trial. When considering native plants, I look to OregonFlora.org for species distribution maps and natural habitat descriptions. Missouri Botanical Garden’s “Plant Finder” is a regularly used resource for most of my horticultural resource, along with OSU’s Landscape Plant Database, as well as the North Carolina Extension Plant Toolbox. The Seven Principles of Xeriscape by the Denver Water Board

What would you tell other gardeners who want to make changes in their gardening to create more climate resilience?
I always try to encourage people to accept plants in their natural state; to choose ones that will look good without irrigation or excessive pruning. If you pick the right mix of plants and let them grow the way they’re meant to, the need for constant maintenance and watering disappears. It makes for a much more rewarding and sustainable garden. Gardeners should focus on matching plants to the site’s light, soil, and water conditions, rather than choosing plants purely for looks. With nearly 300 varieties of drought-tolerant perennials in the Xeriscape Garden, it’s clear you can achieve a beautiful and climate-resilient landscape with the right plant choices.

How are you using your climate resilient garden for teaching or outreach events?
As part of the annual Douglas County Master Gardener training course, new trainees are given a tour of the garden as well as a 2-hour presentation from me on the 7 Principles of Xeriscape and designing a naturalized garden. I also give regular presentations to the public covering the topic of drought resilient landscaping using the Xeriscape Garden as the main example and sometimes as the classroom.

More information about the garden, including plants lists and photos. You can visit the garden, open from dawn to dusk, at 236 River Forks Park Rd in Roseburg.

Get Plant Lists

Explore one of Oregon’s 50+ Master Gardener Demonstration Gardens—realistic, regionally adapted spaces that showcase what thrives in your local conditions. Find a demonstration garden near you.

This story is part of Garden Future, an OSU Extension Master Gardener outreach project dedicated to conversations and action for gardening in a changing climate.

What are you seeing in your garden? What changes are you making? We invite you to join the Garden Future conversation by answering three quick questions. At the end, you’ll have the option to sign up for our Garden Future newsletter and stay connected with stories, resources, and tools to support climate-resilient gardening in your community.