The Beautification & Tree Committee presents Diane and John Huber with the May Beautification Award for their Outstanding Garden
From City of The Dalles:
By Amie Ell
The Dalles, Ore., May 6, 2025 — When asked to describe their garden, Diane and John wrote, “John and I moved to The Dalles 48 years ago now, in 1977. We arrived in the heat of the summer, the middle of August. It was a typical 100-plus degree day. I remember driving up to one particularly shady house, which was so cool compared to the scorching temperature around us.
The shade was deep and wonderful, we came to find out that a row of old English trees provided it, labeled Plane tree, or now known as Sycamore, some call it a button tree.
It is the largest deciduous tree in the US. Ours is 25 feet around! As our house was built in 1910, we believe our trees are now over 100 years old. We came to both love this tree and hate its MANY leaves!
My husband and I have adapted to the climate here over time. At first, I thought I could grow a broader English flower garden with plants from the Willamette Valley. Finding out that the heat was too much for many species.
Not wanting to give up on the plants I loved, l began planting trees that would provide shade. The first Japanese maple, or Acer palmatum, I planted in front of the house when my brother joined the navy in 1978.
It now stretches across the whole of the yard and provides many seedlings for us to pot up and spread to neighbors and friends. Spreading the shade! Doing our part in helping with climate control! We counted about 50 trees on our little lot, We started with 5!
In 2019, our 100-year-old Cedar tree began to suffer from the increasing summer heat. So John took a hose with a nozzle up to the top of the 40-foot tree and attached it so as to be able to provide a gentle mist, much like a rain forest for the tree. Thus, we saved it from death, as many Cedars have died in the area.
John has become interested in bamboo. We have three types: Plyllostachys-Nigar, Incense bamboo, and a yellow variety as well. The Incense is planted to provide shade for the west side of the house, it stretches the length of 50' and keeps the house much cooler.
This year, we converted our vegetable garden to a perennial flower garden. I take my inspiration from the famous English gardener Monty Don. This spring has brought an abundance of Hellebore in all colors, purples, pinks, and greens. Bracken ferns have made their home among the flowers.
The magnolias have already blossomed, and now the show of David Austin roses will arrive after the rhododendrons. All in all, 48 years of gardening here in The Dalles has been challenging, but like the last line in a famous poem says -"if you want to be happy for the rest of your life, become a gardener."
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