Samantha's Spring Garden Journal

I’m gardening in the Pacific Northwest, USDA growing zone 8b, specifically Oregon on the west side of the Cascade mountain range. We get a lot of rainfall from autumn through spring, but our summers are typically hot and dry. Living in the Willamette Valley means I’m fortunate to have so-called mild winters and very fertile soil. That also means I have a lot of weeds trying to move into my garden all year round.

For my 2025 garden, my primary focus has been on reclaiming the parts of it that have been overcome by grass.  My garden is very close to our hay field, and keeping grass/hay out of my garden beds is always a constant battle.  Admittedly, I didn’t do much weed control during the winter, and now I’m playing catch-up. This spring has been flying by already! 

What I’m Growing Now

I’ve planted a lot of onions. The birds like to pull them out and toss them about the garden beds. I also have some mice or voles that have made a home in my garden beds, so that has also been a challenge. I’ve been hoping my mouser cat or a falcon or owl would scoop it up, but no luck yet! 

I have one planter for my potatoes. I had to pull out a lot of newly sprouted thistles. That is also an ongoing thing for me.

My medicinal herb bed is made up of many perennials, so I don’t have to do much planting. I did add a horehound plant to it, though.  

Some seeds I have started are: ashwagandha, basil, bok choy, clary sage, garden sage, and splianthes.

Garden Maintenance

A couple years ago, I planted just two calendula plants.  Every year since I’ve had an abundance of self-seeded calendulas pop up every spring. At first, this was delightful! I use a lot of calendula when I make my salves. But last year, they started to become a “garden thug” where they got so out of control they would choke out other plants. How much calendula does a girl need?! So this year, I’m taking a proactive approach, and as much as it saddens me, I’ve been plucking out calendula seedlings all over the place. I will leave a few, of course. 

April means it’s time for me to give my lavender plants their springtime “haircut.”  This keeps their shape nice and rounded and spurs on new plant growth. 

Plans for Spring

I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me before summer arrives. I have one corner of my garden where there are tree roots very close to the surface. Every plant I’ve tried to grow in the ground there dies. This year I want to try a “no-dig garden bed,” where I will lay down layers of cardboard in a row and then cover up the cardboard with several inches of soil. You then plant directly into your piled soil, so there is no digging required. I’ve never grown anything this way, so I hope it goes well. 

Thanks for reading my springtime garden journal! My garden is sure to be buzzing with new excitement soon and I’ll be posting again.