Portland has had a horrendous winter. Multiple ice storms, lower than average temperatures, and a single freak snowstorm that dumped nearly a foot of snow have taken a toll, and not just on our spirits. Plants have been heaved out of the ground, broken in two, killed outright by cold.

This is good news for nurseries, as people will be heading to the garden centers this spring in search of replacements. On Facebook, I’ve noticed that several people have mentioned that fact to my friend Paul Bonine, co-owner of Xera Plants, a wholesale/retail nursery that serves the Portland area.

However, Paul never accepts that news as consolation.

“I want people to succeed,” he says. He would rather see gardeners grow plants that are supremely adapted to local conditions and not lose any plants. As a nurseryman, he is always looking for new plants AND always testing them to determine if they are well suited to our climate. This winter will be another test.