March 22, 2024

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Today’s Forecast

61º | 90% chance of precipitation
Sunrise 7:08 a.m. | Sunset 7:26 p.m.
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Lawn live the food forests

An urban front yard containing various species of biodiverse plants separated by wood chips. A blue house with a yellow door is in the background.

“Remember, it’s never too late to cultivate a green thumb and embrace the wonder of gardening. If you’re reading this, there’s still time and hope to embark on your own green journey,” said PDX Urban Gardens founder Kyle Leslie-Christy. | Photo by Kyle Leslie-Christy

Winter is taking a bow, relinquishing the limelight to a new season in which the natural world awakens seemingly overnight. It’s a busy time for flora and fauna — and for the humans who tend to them.

Portlander Kyle Leslie-Christy is deeply passionate about supporting and enriching the community and environment through gardening. He founded regenerative landscaping business PDX Urban Gardens, offering “a distinct perspective that challenges outdated landscaping practices and policies” by replacing lawns with “food forests” and biodiverse habitats like pollinator-friendly wildflower meadows.

Read on to learn more about PDX Urban Gardens and Leslie-Christy’s journey.

Kyle Leslie-Christy PDX Urban Gardens.png — Along with his work transforming green spaces, Leslie-Christy offers handmade, garden-inspired products like lip balms, salves, drinking vinegar, dried herbs, and photography.
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Photo by Kyle Leslie-Christy

Q: What is regenerative landscaping and why is it important?

A: Regenerative landscaping is a holistic approach to land management that focuses on restoring ecosystems, promoting biodiversity, and enhancing environmental resilience. It involves using ethical and design principles to work with nature rather than against it, similar to the concepts found in permaculture.

Q: How could regenerative landscaping shape the city in five years? Twenty years? And how could it help our region cope with a changing climate?

A: In five years, we could see a noticeable shift in urban landscapes as more individuals and communities adopt regenerative practices. Simple changes like reducing the use of harmful chemicals and replacing non-native lawns with biodiverse habitats, such as wildflower meadows and pollinator hedges, can have immediate positive impacts. These changes not only enhance the aesthetic appeal of our neighborhoods but also provide opportunities for community engagement and connection.

A yard full of flowering plants separated by wood chips and surrounded by a chain-link fence in an urban neighborhood. — Leslie-Christy also launched a seed catalog this year so locals can grow their own beneficial plants specifically adapted to the region.
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Photo by Kyle Leslie-Christy

Over the next 20 years... these regenerative landscapes would not only provide essential habitat for wildlife but also offer valuable ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration and improved air and water quality. Moreover, by creating interconnected green spaces and promoting urban forestry initiatives, cities can enhance resilience to climate change impacts such as heatwaves, flooding, and extreme weather events.

Interested in establishing a food forest or backyard habitat (or both)? Send an email to PDX Urban Gardens.

Cost + balcony garden DIY

Events

Friday, March 22

Spring Medicinal Plant Sale | Friday, March 22-Saturday, March 23 | Times vary | Medicine Garden, 240 SE 87th Ave., Portland | Price of purchase | Shop for Western and Chinese medicinal plants that thrive in Northwest gardens and browse plant-based products, from tinctures to teas.
Adopt a Texas Dog | Friday, March 22 | 10 a.m.-7 p.m. | PetSmart, 9450 SE 82nd Ave., Portland | Adoption fees apply | Animal Rescue Kingdom is helping dozens of dogs and puppies from the Lone Star State find forever homes in the PNW — could one of them be your new best friend?

Saturday, March 23

Thriftapalooza | Saturday, March 23-Sunday, March 24 | 8 a.m.-3 p.m. | Portland Expo Center, 2060 Marine Dr. W., Portland | $5-$22 | Reduce waste and support a circular economy by shopping for gently used clothing, home goods, and other secondhand treasures.
Smallpresspalooza | Saturday, March 23 | 4-8 p.m. | Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W. Burnside St., Portland | Free | Attend the 13th edition of this marathon reading featuring 15-minute sessions with authors published by local and national small presses.

Sunday, March 24

Worst Day of the Year Ride | Sunday, March 24 | 9 a.m. | Start + finish at Lucky Labrador Brew Pub, 915 SE Hawthorne Blvd., Portland | $39.95-$59.95 | Put on a costume (one you don’t mind getting rained on) and take a 19- or 36-mile spin through Portland’s west or east side, then celebrate pedaling across the finish line at an after party.
Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival | Sunday, March 24-Sunday, May 5 | Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm, 33814 S. Meridian Rd., Woodburn | $15-$65 | One of the region’s most anticipated spring events has burst into bloom with over 1 million tulips transforming 40 acres of farmland into a sea of color.

Events calendar here

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News Notes

Trending

Clue: This social and personality psychologist who lives in Vancouver won the “Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions” this week, taking home $250,000. Answer: Who is Yogesh Raut? Bingo. Oh wait, that’s the wrong game… (The Columbian)

Sports

The University of Oregon will keep dancing after upsetting 6-seed South Carolina in the first round of the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament, winning 87-73 behind a postseason school-record 40 points from Gamecocks transfer Jermaine Couisnard. On Saturday, Dana Altman’s Ducks will face the head coach’s former school, 3-seed Creighton. (The Oregonian/Oregon Live)

Coming Soon

St. Honoré Bakery will open its fifth Portland-area cafe at 6565 S. Macadam Ave. The 5,000-sqft space will include administrative offices and a commissary kitchen to help improve the efficiency of its other locations as the company works to meet growing demand. A soft opening is set for April 1. (Portland Business Journal)

Try This

Meet animal ambassadors, chat with master gardeners and recyclers, and enjoy other fun activities at the Oregon Zoo’s Hop into Spring event on Saturday, March 30, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. While you’re there, look for 20 two-dimensional critters that recently took up residence, courtesy of artist Mike Bennett.

Eat

More than 150 food and drink makers will offer tastings and products for purchase at the Good Food Mercantile on April 28 at the Oregon Convention Center. The showcase is part of the Good Food Awards Weekend programming, which culminates in a ceremony at Portland Center Stage the next day.

Arts

June 30 will be Parallax Art Center’s last day. The Pearl District nonprofit arts organization said it was “unable to secure the necessary funding to sustain our operations” after a string of break-ins and thefts. Its current show featuring trans and gender-noncomforming artists, “Symbiosis,” is on view through March 29. (Willamette Week)

Festival

The Black & Loud Fest, a “celebration of Black-fronted bands that everyone is invited to,” will make a stop in Portland next month. Bands like Dr. MaddVibe and the Missin’ Links, King Youngblood, and Down North will headline the Seattle-born musical festival, taking place April 6 at the Bossanova Ballroom.

Environment

What if a type of metal in the Earth’s crust could be used to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere? Oregon State University scientists say it’s possible with vanadium, a metal often used to strengthen steel. One practical approach could entail industrial fans pulling air through filters of vanadium and peroxide. (OPB)

State

Deschutes County is the fastest-growing county in Oregon, adding approx. 10,262 new residents from 2020 to 2023. Homes are also getting more expensive as the population climbs. In February, the median sale price in Bend hit $677,500 — $197,500 higher than in Portland. (KGW)

Sports

Avoiding a recap of the Trail Blazers’ performance against the Clippers and focusing on a wishlist of skills for the team’s core players. That’s the agenda in this episode of the Locked On Blazers daily podcast.

Finance

If your last credit card bill sent a chill down your spine, it might be time for a balance transfer. For that, The Ascent recommends these four cards with 0% APR for up to 18 months. (You could have almost two years to avoid interest charges on qualifying balance transfers.)*

Home

It’s time for beautiful, energy-efficient windows in your home. Save on new windows in Renewal by Andersen^®’s spring savings event — happening for a limited time only.*

Outdoors

🌳 Rooting for the trees

This Portland Heritage Tree on Southeast Clinton Street is of the Southern catalpa species. | Photo courtesy of Portland Parks & Recreation

Portland lost tree cover equal to the size of Mt. Tabor Park every year from 2015 to 2020, according to data from Portland Parks & Recreation. Since trees provide a host of benefits from wildlife habitat and cleaner air to climate change mitigation and urban heat reduction, seeing their numbers dwindle presents concerning problems — and the city wants your help to brainstorm solutions.

Portland Parks & Recreation is updating the Portland Urban Forest Plan, a framework guiding the city’s management of trees. The document was last updated in 2004. Officials say it needs revisions that align with current community priorities and to help the city adapt to our changing climate.

The city is seeking input from local leaders, advisory committees, and members of the public, specifically those who have experience in urban forest or environmental advocacy, or people who live in underserved communities.

You can share your thoughts in an online survey open March 25-May 2, or by attending an open house on April 24 at Leodis V. McDaniel High School.

The Buy

Coffee and tea. Shop our beverage selection to help avoid your mid-day slump.

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Cambrie

From the editor

New headshot, who dis? City Editor Ben snapped a few photos for me when we paid the waterfront cherry blossoms a visit this week. Working with a fellow photographer certainly has its perks.

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