Euphorbia polychroma ‘Bonfire’

Bob Hyland announces the launch of his newly re-named garden design and consulting business… Hyland Garden Design, based in Portland, Oregon. While many of you still associate me with Loomis Creek Nursery in the Hudson Valley, I’m branding new identity here in the Pacific Northwest. I still travel East occasionally to work with a handful of clients and public gardens (see my Garden Galleries on this site). I like being “bi-coastal Bob”, but I’m putting down roots and building the core of my business here in Portlandia.

Check out my new website. If you’re not already a subscriber to my newsletter, I invite you to join. I publish it monthly to keep you up-to-date on “hot” plants, special promotions with my business, and news of garden events, here and there, to put on your calendars.

Contact me if you are in need of a garden design, master plan, or just some coaching. I love to develop long-term relationships with gardeners – particularly those who are driven by a love of plants and good design. The tag line of my former Loomis Creek Nursery still personifies me. Hyland Garden Design – “great plants for adventurous gardeners”.

PS – It’s Euphorbia (spurge) time in the garden. I love using Euphorbias in my designs and my list of hardy types has expanded here in Portland. The cushion spurge, Euphorbia polychroma ‘Bonfire’ (picture at top), with its chartreuse-yellow flower bracts and burgundy foliage continues to be a favorite (it was with Loomis Creek Nursery customers, too!). Hardy USDA zones 5-9.

I’m wild about these Euphorbias, too – all for full sun positions in the garden. Note: Broken stems of all exude a white milky sap that can be a skin irritant… best to wear gloves when handling in the garden.

Euphorbia myrsinites (myrtle or donkey-tail spurge) – creeping and crawling on the ground with serpent-like stems. USDA zones 5-9. Note: the species has escaped from garden cultivation and spread to open lands in drier parts of Oregon.

Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii – a taller (3′ to 5′) architectural spurge. USDA zones 7-8. Performs best in Mediterranean climates with dry summers and moderate winters.

Euphorbia Blackbird – a bushy, compact euphorbia (18″ to 2′) with dark purple-black foliage. USDA zones 6-9.