Thursday, 27 February, 2014
Over the last couple of days, the gear shed neighbours have got all their crab pots stacked behind the shed. I know the picturesque garden back drop will disappear under a tarp soon.
We needed to dump a large load of debris and decided to top it off with Mayor Mike’s pampas grass, just three blocks down Lake Street.
Some of the white and blue assortment of bulbs that I planted there are coming on. The snowdrops are done, but a very nice blue and white Iris reticulata is still good.
After dumping our debris at the city dump off Sandridge Road (because Peninsula Landscape Supply where we usually dump is closed for the season except by appointment, and we are too spontaneous for that), we headed north with our first destination being the Oysterville Store to take photos for the next cash mob event.
As we neared Nahcotta I suddenly remembered that we had promised a bit of gardening work to Jayne of Bailey’s Café. I’m glad we stopped. At first, I was just going to look and make more promises…and then decided to just get it done.
The Clamshell Railroad time table is on the side of the building. Would that the train still ran but it is long gone.
Jayne wanted a little square turned into a garden bed for more herbs; it took half an hour to accomplish (with the addition of compost inside the bin). The bin is just the top of a bin, sitting there, not buried.
Happily, we had a spot to dump the weeds and did not have to haul anything away from this wee job.
The café and herb beds are right by Willapa Bay. Here you can see old oyster shells and the pilings where the Clamshell Railroad used to turn around.
Unfortunately, we were on a mission and did not have time to have a delicious lunch at Bailey’s.
I had checked the Facebook page of the Oysterville Store for its hours and was sure we would be there at the right time. Our gardening session at Bailey’s had assured that we would miss the lunch hour when the shop is closed. A phone call would have been better as it turned out no one was there at the end of our long drive.
Our schedule, dependent on weather and the vagaries of how long each job takes, is just too darn spontaneous for phone calls.
Offseason, shops around the Peninsula do have curtailed hours. I’ll have to make due with cash mob promo photos from the last time we visited the store.
Fortunately we had a job planned that was at the north end and we drove over to Surfside and down a ways to return to Marilyn’s garden and do more cutting back.
I tackled the swale behind the house where the predominant plant is Siberian iris along with some daylilies, striped running grass, and crocosmia. From 3:30 to 4:15 I was reminded of why I don’t grow these iris in very many locations. I simply hate cleaning them. While I enjoy most spring clean up jobs, the cutting of sodden iris foliage depressed and irks me. Why can’t it just pull off? Or snip off nicely and cleanly?
We’ve been told a herd of five deer hangs out in the garden. They’ll be shocked to find everything cut down and all their hidey places gone. From the photos Marilyn’s daughter, Nancy (co owner of the Depot Restaurant) has sent me, the deer are brazen enough to not need to hide.
Our trailer got so full of debris that we could not fit in the last of the trimmings. I shoved them to the back of the garden. Even if we don’t get the mess picked up, it will become hidden, as this garden gets so tall by midsummer that the neighbours’ garage will be completely hidden.
Shoving the last of the clippings to the back will givethe many narcissi room to show off. This garden does not have many other early bulbs because of the deer. I did find one Iris ‘Katherine Hodgekin’.
It’s a good thing we didn’t give ourselves the luxury of lunch at Bailey’s Café as we worked till dusk. Tomorrow’s first task will be another dump run.
Loved the spring flowers and the deer.
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That is a substantial oyster pile!
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