16 July: touring Pink Poppy Farm

Sunday, 16 July 2017

I woke up very early (for me), filled with anticipation of a fun day of touring local gardens with Ann (The Amateur Bot-ann-ist), Evan (from Plant Delights, Cistus, and now Plant Lust), and more.  First I needed to water my greenhouse and patio plants.

Skooter is so happy to be allowed out during the day again (even though I have concerns that it is too soon).

Ann and Evan arrived at ten.  They toured our garden for awhile.

Sanguisorba ‘Lilac Squirrel’

These photos remind me of how for five years, to no avail, I kept asking the local tour to change the promotion wording, “You are invited to examine and inspect the gardens” to “appreciate and enjoy the gardens”, to sound less like a medical exam.  I would be listened to and humored, but the wording never changed.  Yet here we are examining and inspecting!

not an area of collectible plants but for some reason I noticed it.

Salvia patens petals on the lawn (Allan’s photo)

With the garden pretty thoroughly and kindly inspected, we were off to tour six (and a bit) Peninsula gardens.  The little bit was our stop at the Clarke garden on the way north.  I did not have a way to contact them, and I did want to show Ann and Evan the attractive containers especially.  (Karen, we did not trespass into the back garden although I have a feeling you would not have minded.)  We just “examined and inspected” the containers in the driveway.

Evan wanted to know which grass this is.

more glorious containers

Pink Poppy Farm

We began our tour with Pink Poppy Farm, a favourite of mine.  Dave and Melissa (Sea Star Gardening) arrived to join us. Pink Poppy Farmer Mike greeted us with the offer of drinks and walked with us through the garden, soon joined by his spouse Lynn, even though they must have been tired because their garden had been on the peninsula garden tour yesterday (while we were in Menlo).  The garden name may sound familiar to you because their daughter, Madeline, is the owner of Pink Poppy Bakery.

Ann, Evan, Skyler, Mike

For a more orderly beginning-to-end tour of this garden four years ago, check out this post.

Today, we wandered here and there in the garden.

Allan’s photo

Mike, Dave, and Allan by the Imperial Chicken Palace

The Imperial Chicken Palace

Look closely to see the bear on the coop.

chooks

Melissa communing with a hen (Allan’s photo)

Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ and clematis (Allan’s photo)

Maddy and her dad love old black and white films.

Allan’s photo

Evan taking photos

interior design: I love this kitchen tile.

up a slope into the garden

house and workshop

looking back at the chicken palace

Allan’s photo

The garden specializes in food and in cutting flowers.

Maddy’s old swing set repurposed into a bean trellis

one of several greenhouses and hoop houses

Ann and Lynn (Allan’s photo)

must be amaranth (Allan’s photo)

Evan, Allan, Ann, and Lynn

(left) Evan taking photos

We got our sprinklers-on-posts watering idea from this garden.

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

fire area with a “cemetery rose”

Looking back over the garden.  (Right) one of the tables left from the fabulous Wedding at Pink Poppy Farm

One of the hoophouses had a crop of young wasabi.

The leaves were hot and delicious.

another productive hoophouse

Some of the produce you will find for sale when Pink Poppy Bakery has a booth at the market (which is not every Saturday this year).

tiered beds at the end of the hoophouse

another cutting bed

Lynn pointed out this exceptionally pretty calendula.

sweet peas and bachelor buttons

pompom dahlias, my favourite kind

Allan’s photo

Tigridia (Allan’s photo)

Here we go heading off to four gardens in and near  Oysterville.

 

 

 

15 July: post tour touring

Saturday, 15 July 2017

On our way home from the Visions of Paradise tour, we drove by a garden where I knew a great gardener lived, someone I used to know but had not seen since 2003.  I blogged about a previous garden of hers here.

Kate’s garden

driving slowly past the front garden

We drove past the corner, where I learned later that Kate is trying to kill off horrible horsetail..

a scene of battle against horsetail

…and I could not see down into the secret garden below except for glimpsing one foxtail lily glowing in sunlight.  Trying to spy more successfully, we turned the corner but could not see in because of an effective privacy barrier of a steep slope of blackberries.  Up the road, we turned around at the courthouse and came back to head on home…and there was Kate just pulling into her driveway.  She had also been on the garden tour and had thought she glimpsed me in one of the gardens.

She warmly invited us in and began our tour by showing us her latest visions of art, intricate assemblages around masks cast from faces of herself and her friends.

Most of the pieces were accompanied by poem fragments, which Kate read to us.  One was by Mary Oliver.  I confess I had not heard of her but I intend to read her work.

After being enveloped in the magical world of Kate’s home, she took us out the back door to see her garden.

on the back porch, with garden books

This is so Kate.

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

The garden lay below the porch in a hidden space that felt like a bowl of light.  It gives the impression of an entirely sunken garden because of the house on one side and two steep banks.

a fountain was burbling in the shade against the wall.

Here my camera battery died and I switched to my iPhone.

ornamental and edible

a little fountain

Kate was amazed I had managed to glimpse that one foxtail lily from above.

rebar and hoops from an old whiskey barrel

an outhouse (with a bucket)

an enviable ‘Forest Pansy’ redbud

It loves this sheltered spot.

Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’

Forest Pansy redbud (Allan’s photo)

huge buddleia flower

Allan’s photo

in a little leanto greenhouse

double rain barrel (Allan’s photo)

the house from below

leaf tapestry

shed in a corner of the garden (with lean to greenhouse on one side)

Allan’s photo

back up on the porch:

lifting the veil

another veil lifted

more of Kate’s art in the kitchen

one of Kate’s “rug” paintings

detail

When I knew her years ago, she used to paint scenes like the one above on furniture.

from the front porch (Allan’s photo)

She walked us outside and we looked at the corner where her horsetail battle is waged.

I told Kate that she is an artistic genius. Then Allan and I had to depart because we were due back at home to meet friends.

A Naselle garden

On the way, we of course drove the Naselle and river route rather than the OUTSIDE lane of the Willapa Curves.  Besides, I wanted to check out a garden that we had seen when attending an Indivisible meeting in Naselle last winter.  We have only seen this garden by skirting around the outside, from the street and from the Naselle Timberland Library parking lot.

In the winter, this swalewas full of rain water.

view from the library parking lot

This was IN the library parking lot.

from the street

Running fairly late by now, I texted our friends that we would soon be joining them.  They were already in our garden waiting.

Apres-tour in our garden

Debbie (Rainyside Gardeners) and Jeanne had gone on the Peninsula garden tour that day.  (Perhaps three years ago, I had introduced Debbie to our local tour and since then she has been invited back to write about it.)  We arrived home and immediately set about making a campfire so that we could all relax and talk about garden touring.  I set Skooter free from the convalescent room so he could join us. He ran joyously from one end of the back garden to the other after his week indoors. 

Allan, Debbie, Jeanne, and Devery from next door

Debbie, author of Gardening for the Homebrewer, had found some perry (a pear cider made from a certain type of pear) at Sid’s market in Seaview.  It was delicious and I intend to acquire more.

campfire food

Visions of Paradise tour: North River Resort (and Raymond)

Saturday, 15 July 2017

The WSU Master Gardeners of Grays Harbor and Pacific County present:

Somehow, probably because of not reading the description thoroughly, we completely missed finding the greenhouses.

by the parking lot, one of several garden boats (Allan’s photo)

the plant sale in its last hour (Allan’s photo)

We were able to get a free spider plant, something that Devery had been looking for.

Allan’s photo

on the deck overlooking the river (Allan’s photo)

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

view of North River (Allan’s photo)

Allan’s photo with houseboats in distance (that belong to this property, or at least the moorage does)

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

another garden boat (Allan’s photo)

and another (peonies, as I recall)

inside a small fenced garden

I could use a sign like this for after my lilies bloom.

walking down to the river…

…to take this picture.

Allan has boated past the North River Resort and had blogged out about here, so it was especially interesting to him to see it from onshore.  The whole 83 acre place is for sale, with a video overview available here.

Old Downtown, Raymond

a riverside drive back to Raymond

After the scenic drive back to the town of Raymond, we took a detour to the old downtown to see what sort of landscaping or containers it might feature.

a lavender trimmed grocery store

a long concrete planter with butterfly decorations, just watered

from the back

three attractive containers by a gallery

I liked the downtown banners (one of several bird themed ones)

I’d like to have seen that movie; it played the following evening on the Peninsula, way up in Surfside.  Unfortunately, it was the evening that the Ilwaco planters must, without a doubt, be watered.

another planter, also just watered

Dennis Company’s main store had floriferous planters outside.

with sunflowers

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Well done, Dennis Co!

As we drove toward home, we cruised by a garden in South Bend where an old friend and great gardener lives.  Next post!

 

 

 

 

Visions of Paradise tour: “Reaping What They Sow”

The WSU Master Gardeners of Grays Harbor and Pacific County present:

 

Next to the fourth garden, we parked by a field of farm equipment, some new and some old.

Allan’s photo

promise of a garden up ahead

entry to the front garden

Trapeoleum speciosum on the trellis (Allan’s photo)

the ornamental front garden

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

campanulas (Allan’s photo)

Coming around to the back garden, the focus changes to food production.

tomatoes against the south side of the house

a chicken coop in the background

traffic jam at the door

plump and pretty hens

a raised bed edged with growing bags (Allan’s photo)

in the greenhouse (Allan’s photo)

farmland and cattle beyond

If I had to feed myself out of my garden, I might be eating chickweed, sheep sorrel, and some potatoes and a few berries, with some tomatoes from the greenhouse in late summer.  The intensive growing method in this garden made me ponder what I could do with the future kitchen garden space that I envision between our fence and Devery’s driveway.

This could protect the plants from deer.

carrots

beans

I overheard that these were sweet Walla Walla onions.

lettuce (Allan’s photo)

grapevines on the left

berries and peaches

roses, honeysuckle, blueberries (Allan’s photo)

kitchen gardener extraordinaire, Tim

gunnera by the back deck

ready for alfresco meals from the garden

on the deck (Allan’s photo)

Because this was not an ornamental plant collector’s garden, I was surprised to see a Melianthus major as we departed.

A tour host was surprised that I recognized it; I said “There are six people touring behind me who will also know what it is.”  (Melissa, Dave, Ann, Evan, Pam, and Teresa!)

We had only one more tour garden to see, this one ten miles northwest of Raymond, and I was hoping to at least spy around the edges of two interesting private gardens on the way home.

Visions of Paradise tour: “Art and Nature”

All of the gardens we toured today were in bucolic country side, making for a pleasant drive between each.

We soon reached the third garden of the day.

The WSU Master Gardeners of Grays Harbor and Pacific County present:

The entry drive is a bridge over a river.

approaching the one acre man made pond

Allan’s photo

Only Ann got a good photo showing the pleasing design of a spit of land going out into the pond.

photo by Ann Amato-Zorich

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo (coming round the pond the other way)

a sign warning of roots above the grass

Just as I was navigating that maze of roots, I met up with blog readers Deborah and her sisters from up north!  They had driven down from the tour, a longer drive than ours, and were doing the tour in the opposite order; I hope they enjoyed it as much as we did.  They still had the glorious Willapa riverside garden in store.  They asked where Allan was.  He had parked the van in a provided parking area across the river and was coming round the pond in the other direction.

It always amazes me to hear that people read this blog over their morning coffee.  I tend to actually forget that!  As I told them, while they are reading, I am probably still sleeping.  Deborah is one of my favourite kinds of readers, because she makes comments, as well.

Allan coming around the other side of the pond

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Glen’s house

Note how there is not a glimpse of underlying liner in this dry river bed.

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Prunus serrula (Allan’s photo)

Allan’s photo

Right about here is where I finally met Terri, tour organizer.  We had been emailing back and forth for a month and have a lot in common in garden interests.  Allan and I will be visiting her garden near Westport sometime in August and are very much looking forward to that.

view from the porch

photo by Ann Amato-Zorich

view from the porch

view from the porch

Allan’s photo

on the porch

before photos

before photo

Notes about the garden:

hose watering! (Allan’s photo)

Neither Allan nor I got a photo that got across the vastness of this property that had been transformed into an arboretum.  Ann did:

photo by Ann Amato-Zorich

sighted as we stroll back to the exit

Another huge parklike expanse was to our left on the road side of the bridge.

Allan’s photo

We did not walk into that meadow because of my ill timed sore foot.  Now, looking at this photo, I wish I had made the effort.

 As we walked to our van to depart, we encountered Teresa from the Planter Box.  It seemed that our timing was off from that of all the other peninsulites.  She told us that she had heard that garden four had a great vegetable garden.  That was our next destination.

chatting with Teresa, then on to the next garden

 

 

 

Visions of Paradise Tour: a riverside garden

Saturday, 15 July 2017

The WSU Master Gardeners of Grays Harbor and Pacific County present:

Garden Two: “Colorful and Creative”

Every garden tour has one garden that becomes my favourite.  Gina and Jeff’s garden is one that could be my favourite of many tours.

I was thrilled just by looking at it across the street!

Before we crossed the road, we encountered Wendy and Bill, whose garden had been my favourite on last year’s tour.  Since then, I’d learned that for many years they owned the boat Aallotar which I often see at the Port of Ilwaco.  I longed for Aallotar stories but garden touring won out for everyone.

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

closer

 

closer

walk to the front porch

Allan’s photo

wooden window box looks like copper

We finally made it to the check in table!  We could already hear the sound of the river and realized that the garden, while huge, is long and narrow because the river is just past the house and down a steep drop off.

The river sounded wonderful.

a double sort of curb holding the edge of the garden; that lawn is far below

The drop off at the edge of the garden is steep and dramatic.

Allan’s photo

garden creator Gina’s friendly little dog (Allan’s photo)

This cat was also getting attention. (Allan’s photo)

Allan’s photo

I felt faint just looking at this path between the house and the edge. Folks with a good head for heights breezed along it.

Allan’s photo

Gina must have a great head for heights; she had picked every bad leaf off of the statuesque hollyhocks.

Allan’s photo

hollyhocks below the edge

I decided to explore the garden that stretched expansively from the other side of the garage.

back wall of garage

Allan’s photo

This was to cover up some sort of unattractive utilitarian thing. (Allan’s photo)

The long, narrow garden lay on both sides of the house between the road and the drop off to the river.  We began with the longest area, to the left of the house.

a sit spot (Allan’s photo)

on the side of the garage

detail

looking down the expansive lawn

Because this garden is a work in progress, I have a feeling that eventually all of these beds will be as full as the ones right around the house.

looking back

Squash and big healthy tomatoes grew in the roadside bed.  Someone commented about the fertile farmland valley silt in this area.

Allan’s photo

One of the folks strolling toward me said (because of my knee brace, cane, and sore heel related limp), “Nothing stops you from garden touring, does it?!”

The garden beds on the river side go right up to the cliff edge.

right on the edge….I wondered if eventually these trees would go.

I would have to crawl on my belly to weed up to that edge!

Allan’s photo

plants clinging to the very edge of the steep drop off!

Allan’s photo

looking down (Allan’s photo)

I tip my gardener’s cap to the bold gardener who weeds along that curving edge.

Most of the beds are more safely inland.

We turned back and walked toward the house.

garden tour guests enjoying a sit spot

peach tree near the garage

a perfect rose

I am now thinking about how this garden does not seem bothered by deer.

When Ann (Spiffy Seeds, The Amateur Bot-ann-ist) toured this garden just after we did, she especially noticed the burned tree (which went right over my head).

photo by Ann Amato-Zorich, who says “Burned tree. Nature’s own shou sugi ban.”

rustic woodsy planter

from another angle

and another….an idea I am going to emulate.

Allan’s photo

To reach the other side of the garden, I went along the front of the house.

Brick front porch wrapped front and right side of the house.

front garden

looking out from the porch

On the right side of the entry porch, the brick porch narrowed and became L shaped.  Its decor was so fascinating that I could have spent an hour there.

This area had a concrete floor and a high roof with a chandelier and a skylight.

story of my life!

I could almost weep with delight over all of these artful vignettes.

Just off the porch was a waterfall pond.

Going around the corner of the house, we found another tiny shady pool.

Allan’s photo

Around the corner at the back of the house, we passed through an arbour to a greenhouse.

We failed to step back and get a long shot.  Ann kindly provided us with this:

photo by Ann Amato-Zorich

sink fountain

Allan’s photo

in the greenhouse

We recently saw someone making a cool light fixture like this on a tiny house show.

in the greenhouse

in the greenhouse

Near the greenhouse, steps and a path go down to the river level.

looking down

plantings on the upper bank (Allan’s photo)

from the path going down; garden creator Gina in view (Allan’s photo)

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

We learned later that the rock retaining wall was new this past year, and Gina has begun planting it up.

Allan’s photo

I was still up on the top level by the greenhouse.

the back porch and sunroom

the other side of the path I couldn’t do!

Looking down again, I could see a great temptation for reaching the river level:

The kitty was there!

Someone told me that an easy access driveway was available at the other end of the garden.  I made my way in that direction.

by the greenhouse, a basket ready for berries

past the greenhouse

looking back at the house and L shaped porch

an easy road, with a greeter

kitty welcoming Allan to the river road

Allan’s photo

along the river bank

I learned later that the river causes much destruction along this bank during a stormy winter.  The lawn survives!

looking up the newly cleared area to the greenhouse

The river made a beautiful sound.

Allan’s photo

new rock wall with tour guest for scale

Look at the edge on that lawn.  Allan noticed that all the bare ground was weed free and carefully raked.

the river bank, which likely gets flooded in rainy winters

the sound of water always in the background

the path down from below

Allan’s photo

We made our way back up the easy road to the top and appreciated the garden for awhile longer.

a natural hose hanger

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Look who we met arriving just as we were leaving!

Dave, Melissa, Todd, Pam (downtown Seaside gardener)

They would be one garden behind us all the way.  Ann and Evan arrived just after this photo was taken. We should have just slowed down and toured with them, because they would notice things that we had missed.  I am always afraid of running out of time, so on we went to the next garden.

I’m thinking how much I loved this garden and that I did not want to leave.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Visions of Paradise tour: “Shades of Paris”

Saturday, 15 July 2017

The WSU Master Gardeners of Grays Harbor and Pacific County present:

A focus of the Master Gardener tour is very personal gardens that are designed and maintained by their owners.

Garden One: “Shades of Paris”

Like all of the gardens on this tour, this one was located by a quiet country road.

impeccably maintained

tour guests checking in (Allan’s photo)

I was well chuffed to be there.

flowers in patterns

There were lots of zinnias and dahlias that would be in bloom not long from now.  If I lived closer than an hour away, I would be trying to get a peek when the bed above is in full bloom.

Red white and blue in this place could evoke the French flag.

pasture just beyond the garden

People were walking back across the pasture from a nature path, possibly for nearby Fuss Creek.

I missed this opportunity and another, in the third garden, to explore further, because I was having an extra problem today of having a sore foot!

To my left was a fenced kitchen and flower garden.

berries and roses

I continued to be impressed by the complete lack of weeds.

 

This fence was possibly designed to keep out more critters than just deer.

Guests were invited to snack on the berries.  (Allan’s photo)

Allan’s photo

We turned our attention to the large patio at the side of the house.

I felt this might remind the owners of the tradition of dining outdoors in France.

waterfall pond

Allan pointed out that the black and white photo in the program got a better overview of the pond than either of us did.

Between garden and pasture, a wide maintenance path would make wheelbarrowing easy.

looking back at the house

fire circle between pond and pasture

Allan’s photo

Neither Allan nor I got as good a photo of the fire circle as did our friend Ann (Spiffy Seeds, The Amateur Bot-ann-ist) who was touring just behind us.

photo by Ann Amato-Zorich: “my dream s’mores making fire pit”

view over the pond from the fire circle

beyond the garden

hot tub

to the next level

The red tape was a warning where steps went down.

a sit spot outside a fenced garden and more zinnias that will be colourful soon

Allan’s photo

fenced kitchen gardens with berries

Allan’s photo

between the house and the fenced berry patch

Allan’s photo

looking back as I walk around the house

Salix integra ‘Hakuro-nishiki’ (Allan’s photo)

Allan’s photo

zinnias, a big porch, quilt display

I wish I had asked who was the quilter.

leaving the colourful and impeccably maintained garden