Growing Dahlia’s in Urban Portland
by Ann McMahon, resident of Meriwether Condos

Who would have thought I could look out the window of my downtown condo and see a tractor plowing through a muddy field? Amazingly, I have the most incredible view of the Ross Island Bridge, the Willamette River, Zidel’s barge builders, the OHSU buildings and the Tram. Now I will get to see dahlia’s in bloom, thanks to Mark Harvey of Old House Dahlias.

Mark was living in Southeast Portland with his sister. She got married and  moved out, so he needed a source of income to be able to keep the home they bought together. He decided to grow dahlias. For two years he planted the flowers at his home until he decided to expand. He began planting the flowers in Corbett on a leased farm. He kept the dahlias as a display at home and sold the potted ones while raising tubers. From February of 2009 until the end of April, dahlia disasters keep happening: cuttings got too hot in his greenhouse, next he moved them outside and they got root rot. So he tried putting 75 flats in his garage, but there was not enough light for growth. Finally he began to look for a piece of urban land to plant his dahlia cuttings. He had a friend living in the South Waterfront who told him about the land right on the river. So he approached the developers to get their permission to lease the land until the housing market improves. Once he got permission to use the land, he began to grow the cuttings in his garage.

So one morning in May I look out my window and see a green tractor and two men, one wearing a cowboy hat. Being from Montana, I was curious and went down the elevator to introduce myself to this cowboy. It was Mark and his recruit… Dad, of course. His father, Dwight, told me that Mark just has it in his blood to be a farmer. His grandpa farmed in Nebraska. Mark is an environmentalist and worked for the Department of Fish and Wildlife for five years. Now he works during the week for his brother-in-law at Pacific Foods in Canby. But on the weekends, he becomes an urban farmer. His goal is to sell cut flowers in the fall.

The most recent Dahlia disaster came in June with temperatures in the 90’s. For the first time since I can remember, we were able to attend the Starlight parade with no umbrella or raincoat. Mark thought he had until July to solve the problem of not having an outlet to water his flowers. Dahlias are a kind of desert flower, however, Mark planted mostly cuttings and only a few tubers. It’s July now and half the field is finally green, the half with the tubers. The cuttings are still struggling a bit from the heat, but July 4th weekend Mark showed up with a water truck that he borrowed from his brother-in-law. For two days he patiently watered, talking to the condo residents and napping intermittently on the lawn. In September, the South Waterfront residents will all benefit from a field of dahlias in the midst of high-rise buildings, thanks to the persistence of an urban farmer! Check out Mark’s website: www.oldhousedahlias.com

Portland RiverFest returns to South Waterfront this year on Saturday, August 22. This free, family-friendly festival celebrates life on the river with live music, food and drink, attractions and fun activities. Last year’s RiverFest was a huge success, and this year is shaping up to be even better. Festivities take place throughout the day beginning at 11 a.m. on the expansive South Waterfront greenway. Mayor Sam Adams and other city officials will be present to kick off the celebration. Look for a complete schedule of events coming soon. Festival highlights include:

*   PDX Jazz at RiverFest Mary Kadderly, Darrell Grant & On TheTerritory, Stephanie Schneiderman, and Tom Grant with Shelly Rudolph
*   Food & drink vendors
*   Open marketplace with over 50 booths, including Handmade NW
*   River education center
*   PURE river blessing ceremony
*   Urban Willamette photo essay
*   Art exhibition by Portland sculptor Mike Suri presented by Heidi McBride Gallery.
*   Columbia River InterTribal Fish Commission lodges
*   Kid Fun Zone
*   Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde big canoes & drummers
*   Dog activities, including games & prizes

Join your fellow river lovers in restoring, appreciating, and recreating on the Willamette. The festival at South Waterfront is part of a four-day celebration along the Willamette that runs from Thursday, August 20 through Sunday, August 23. Other RiverFest events include the Freshwater Trust Portland Triathlon, bridge tours, Portland Spirit/KINK Cruise, kayak tours, walking tours, SOLV riverbank cleanups, Portland Audubon events, and more. For a complete four-day schedule of RiverFest activities, visit www.portlandriverfest.org.

Saturday, August 22, 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Old House Dahlias, a Portland-based farm located in SE Portland, has planted over 5,000 dahlias in lot 27 just north of Meriwether East. Blooming should start with Foxy Lady in late August and be in full force by the middle of September. All dahlias are grown green with organic products. Most of the varieties make good cut flowers, which you will have the opportunity to purchase. For more info about our little South Waterfront Dahlia farm and Old House Dahlias’ yearly Dahlia Fest in September, call Mark Harvey at 503-771-1199 , or go to oldhousedahlias.com.

Through a generous donation from Williams & Dame Development and Block 37 Investors, LLC, a temporary site for the South Waterfront Community Garden is born! The residents of South Waterfront worked with Community Relations to plan and construct the garden this spring, resulting in 13 garden beds on the lot south of Atwater Place. The beds are completely full this year, but don’t despair. If you are a South Waterfront resident you can become a Friend of the Community Garden and help out. Contact the Community Relations office at communityrelations@southwaterfront.com for more information.

We will be providing garden updates in both the E-Current and here on the Green Living Blog: stay tuned for more Garden related news and events

PCC and South Waterfront Community Relations have teamed up to bring continuing education classes to the South Waterfront! Sign up today for one of these three courses being offered during the spring term:

Container Gardening: Hands-on instruction to create lush floral arrangements for your garden or patio. Go home with one planted pot completed in class! For more information: Click Here.

Tai Chi, Beginning: A gentle approach to exercise emphasizing mind/body harmony, relaxation, centering and coordination. For more information: Click Here.

About Your Dog: Gain insight into your dog’s behavior and leave with tried-and-true tools to communicate effectively for a long, happy life with your dog. For more information: Click Here.

Dates and times vary by class.
All classes will be held in the John Ross Plaza Studio.  PCC code: JROSSP
3623 SW River Pkwy., Portland, OR 97239 map it

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC – enrollment through PCC is required

The Daily Journal of Commerce gave us an update last week about the next block to be developed in the South Waterfront.

“A new, mixed-use development has been designed by Ankrom Moisan Associated Architects for the South Waterfront District.  The Tamarack, which will have affordable apartment units as well as ground-floor retail and office space, will occupy what is known as Block 49 at the south end of Portland‘s South Waterfront District.”  For the rest of the article, click here.

At the end of January the South Waterfront Community Relations office invited all of the movers and shakers of South Waterfront to participate in a District Update.  They host these meetings twice a year and it gives everyone a chance to hear from the folks in charge how the district is progressing.  For those of you who did not or could not attend they have released a summary from that event – click Here for a PDF.

The January edition of the Portland Monthly had a nice long expose about our new Mayor – what I find most interesting is the long introduction that takes Amanda Burden on a tour through South Waterfornt.  Definately worth a read – which you can now do online (finally!) – read it here: Becoming Sam Adams.

Every year the City of Portland takes time to recognize those people and organizations that help to make Portland such a great city to live in, these awards are called the Spirit of Portland Awards.  We would like to congratulate the South Portland Neighborhood Association for receiving the “Neighborhood of the Year” award.

http://www.portlandonline.com/ONI/index.cfm?c=43746&a=218694

Thanks for helping to make this city such a great place to live!

You are invited by the Ross Island Vision Team and Portland Parks and Recreation to discuss plans regarding the future management and restoration of Ross Island.  The City of Portland will present the strategies that they are currently in the process of developing for the 45-acre parcel that is now in public ownership and the Ross Island Vision Team will present “Envisioning Ross Island” which takes a broader look at the entire four island complex and nearby Oaks Bottom. This will be an opportunity to learn about, discuss and become actively involved efforts to protect and restore Ross Island and to create a “No Wake” zone in the Holgate Channel. Finally we will be discussing next steps to create a more formal structure for the Friends of Ross Island.

Location:  Lucky Labrador Brew Pub, 915 SE Hawthorne Boulevard | 2 -4 PM | Public Welcome