central oregon garden Archives - The Source

Secret Garden

Where desert dwellers can get a green fix, right in the heart of Bend

by K.M. Collins March 31, 2021April 18, 2025

As spring rears its temperamental head via finicky post-equinox, high-desert indecision, green thumbs are beginning to feel an irresistible itch. At first glance, newcomers to Bend might think cultivating in nutrient-poor volcanic soils, amid the shortest summer a Californian has ever seen, is all in vain. But to the trained gardener’s discerning eye, there is […]

Outside

If You’re New Here: Gardening in the High Desert

For those coming from warmer climates, growing food or flowers can be daunting—but doable

by Nicole Vulcan March 31, 2021June 10, 2025

If you’re one of the transplants who’ve recently moved here from Seattle or Portland or the Bay Area (as we know a lot of you are), you might fancy yourself a fine gardener, imbued with the natural ability to coax flowers and food from the ground just by tossing out a few seeds or starts. […]

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