Today’s Forecast

49º | Showers | 84% chance of rain | Sunrise 7:50 a.m. | Sunset 4:40 p.m.

A honeybee on a cluster of star-shaped pale pink flowers.

Planting milkweed is the first step to creating an official “Monarch Waystation.” | Photo by Cambrie Juarez, PDXtoday

You love local food, music, business, and art — so while you’re planning your garden this year, why not choose local plants, too?

Native plants are naturally adapted to the local climate, provide sustenance to native wildlife, and save water by thriving on normal rainfall. Plus, they’re more visually diverse than, say, lawn grass.

Consider planting some Oregon flora this summer. We’ll get you started.

Oregon sunshine

Eriophyllum lanatum

Water needs: Low
Light needs: Full sun, part shade
Season of interest: Late spring to mid-summer
Attracts: Bees, butterflies
Growing tips: This hardy plant loves a lack of love and will happily flourish in a rock garden or neglected spot.

Lady fern

Athyrium filix-femina

Water needs: Average
Light needs: Part shade, shade
Season of interest: Spring through fall
Growing tips: Rarely are ferns the garden centerpiece, but they are excellent at filling in gaps and providing structure.

Cascade penstemon

Penstemon serrulatus

Water needs: Average-to-high
Light needs: Full sun
Season of interest: Summer
Attracts: Bees, birds, butterflies, hummingbirds
Growing tips: Snip spent flower stalks after flowering and propagate by taking cuttings in spring or early summer or by seed in late winter or spring.

Salal

Gaultheria shallon

Water needs: Low-to-average
Light needs: Part shade, shade
Season of interest: Year-round
Attracts: Birds, butterflies, hummingbirds
Growing tips: Keep this shrub in check to prevent it from taking over a space. Dark blue berries ripen in late summer and can be eaten fresh, dried, or cooked — try this jelly recipe.

Showy milkweed

Asclepias speciosa

Water needs: Average
Light needs: Full sun
Season of interest: Late spring to early summer
Attracts: Bees, butterflies, hummingbirds
Growing tips: This upright, clumping plant does well in poor, gravelly soil and supports all life stages of the monarch butterfly. Note: It’s toxic to dogs, cats, and horses.

Events

Thursday, May 25

AANHPI Heritage Month: Celebrate Our Stories | Thursday, May 25-Sunday, May 28 | 10 a.m.-6 p.m. | Lan Su Chinese Garden, 239 NW Everett St., Portland | $11-$14 | Multiple cultural organizations will use the garden as their stage to present special performances, educational talks, and interactive family activities and workshops for a “Cultural Immersion Day.”
Secret Roller Disco | Thursday, May 25 | 7-9 p.m. | Astor Elementary School, 5601 N. Yale St., Portland | Free | This week’s theme is “My Favorite Allergy” and skaters are encouraged to come dressed as “the best version of the thing that’s worst for you.”
“Where’s Bruno?” | Thursday, May 25-Saturday, May 27 | 7:30 p.m. | Imago Theatre, 17 SE Eighth Ave., Portland | $20 | Resident playwright Carol Triffle’s paranormal musical is a comical tale of two washed-up rockers who get some life advice from ghosts, including the King of Rock himself.

Friday, May 26

Portland Farmhouse and Wild Ale Festival | Friday, May 26-Saturday, May 27 | Times vary | Von Ebert Brewing Glendoveer + Kitchen, 14021 NE Glisan St., Portland | $35-$50 | This invitational-style beer festival highlights some of America’s best farmhouse brews and vintage beers.
Queer Prom | Friday, May 26 | 6-10 p.m. | Portland Art Museum, 1219 SW Park Ave., Portland | Free | Highschoolers are invited to dress in their best neon outfits for this year’s theme — Glow In the Dark Enchanted Forest — and come ready to enjoy drag performances, food, and dancing in a safe space.

Saturday, May 27

Ye Olde Whimsical Wonderwood Fair | Saturday, May 27 | 10 a.m.-6 p.m. | 7410 N. Chicago Ave., Portland | Free | Hasten to St. Johns where an immersive art experience and bustling bazaar await thee and thou family, complete with snacks, refreshments, music, a costume contest, and unicorns.
Multnomah County Fair | Saturday, May 27-Monday, May 29 | 12-7 p.m. | Oaks Amusement Park, 7805 SE Oaks Park Way, Portland | Free | All ages will enjoy seeing competitive exhibits, live performances, animals, a car show, fair food, and access to amusement rides.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Opening

Tito’s Taquitos will open its first brick-and-mortar restaurant Friday, May 26. The Oregonian/Oregon Live’s 2022 Food Cart of the Year said its new Swan Island digs will cater to people who have few options in the area and support the original food truck along Southwest Beaverton Hillsdale Highway. (The Oregonian/Oregon Live)

Drink

Tea Chai Te has a new name. Portland’s first boba tea maker — originally named in honor of “tea” in three languages — is now Portal Tea. Founders Angela and Dominic Valdes said the rebrand supports their focus on offering more products for customers to enjoy outside of their three Portland cafes. (Portland Inno)

Sports

A former Trail Blazers star who helped lead the team to its only NBA championship in 1977 will be the subject of a new ESPN documentary. “The Luckiest Guy in the World” will highlight Bill Walton’s life and career. The first two episodes of the four-part series air Tuesday, June 6. (KOIN)

Eat

Leave it to Salt & Straw to upcycle 38,000 pounds of food that would’ve otherwise gone to waste and turn it into dessert. The Portland-based company partnered with brands focused on reducing food waste to create five new flavors for June, like chocolate ganache with day-old bread from Portland’s Urban Gleaners.

Environment

Hundreds of northern leopard frogs brought to the Oregon Zoo as eggs to get a headstart will soon be released in Washington. Zoo staff said the state is down to just one known population of the frogs “and we want to do everything we can to help bring them back.”

Portlander

Meet the new president of the Rose Festival Foundation: Contesa Diaz-Nicolaidis. The Camas resident — who is also a longtime Alaska Airlines flight attendant and Rose Festival volunteer — was elected to the position last year. As foundation president, Diaz-Nicolaidis helps with everything from fundraising to “bringing joy to our community.” (Portland Tribune)

Travel

A hotel located about 40 miles southwest of Portland is one of Tripadvisor’s 2023 Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best Hotels. McMinnville’s Atticus Hotel is in the top 1% of the travel research platform’s 8 million listings. We included the luxurious boutique lodging in our wine country road trip. (Tripadvisor)

Wellness

Pop quiz: What’s the body’s most abundant protein? The answer: Collagen. NativePath’s Certified Grass-Fed Collagen Powder is made from grass-fed, pasture-raised cows and contains 18 grams of protein per serving. Start incorporating it daily to support skin elasticity, joint health, bone strength, and muscle growth and maintenance.*

Culture

We’ll all float on

A rendering of a colorful parade float featuring Oregon symbols.

“The Cultural Trust float will be the cornerstone of a whole section of the parade that will celebrate Oregon,” said Rose Festival CEO Marilyn Clint. | Rendering via Oregon Cultural Trust

If you attend the 2023 Portland Rose Festival Grand Floral Parade on Saturday, June 10, you may notice a float with a familiar design.

The Oregon Cultural Trust float will showcase the same artwork created by artist Liza Mana Burns for the Celebrate Oregon! license plate unveiled in 2021. You may also recognize the design from matching murals temporarily displayed in Oregon’s four largest airports.

Celebrate Oregon! is a colorful tapestry with 127 symbols that “reflect and respect the diversity of Oregon’s people and cultural traditions.” The float will feature some of the symbols, along with QR codes spectators can scan with their phones to see and learn more.

The float will be accompanied by entries that also represent the artwork, including folklórico dancing group Ballet Papalotl and the White Lotus dance team’s 100-ft-long Chinese dragon.

Cultural Trust donors have through Monday, June 5, to enter a drawing for a chance to ride on the float with Liza.

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Cambrie

From the editor

One creature I’ve learned to live with in this region is the boxelder bug. They love to swarm the sunny side of my house a couple times of year and find ways to get inside. At least they’re harmless and, if I had to choose, I’d take them over cockroaches every time.

If you’re seeing an uptick in their numbers right now, experts say the sudden shift in temperature is to blame — and spraying insecticide isn’t the answer.

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