19 July: Music in the Gardens—McCormick-Stephens Garden

Saturday, 19 July 2014

Music in the Gardens Tour, Long Beach Peninsula

a benefit for the Water Music Festival

McCormick-Stephens Garden

I did not take as many photos as I would have liked to do this wonderful garden justice, as I was hobbling around and eventually I just sat on the east side patio and listened to the music and had delicious snacks.  Meanwhile, Allan was helping out with something over at the Barclay garden and only got a few photos himself.  Fortunately, we have visited the garden before….and Garden Tour Nancy collected some extra photos for me from herself and another photographer, and I got some from Kathleen Shaw and Pam Fleming, who were touring in a different order than Allan and I.  Kathleen now has a vacation cottage here and traveled from the Olympia area for the tour.  Pam is the gardener for Seaside, Oregon and runs the fabulous Back Alley Gardens nursery in Gearhart, Oregon, a source for many cool plants in this garden.

I did make it though the whole garden, though, just not with as much close attention as it deserves.  Because of my excuse of mobility issues, I have also filled in a bit with some photos from earlier visits.

True plant nerds can drop to the bottom of this post for the amazing list of plants in the garden.

It was possible to simply stroll across the bayside lawn from Barclay’s to Steve and John’s garden; both gardens were part of the vastness that was once Clarke Nursery:

The lawn below Barclay’s east side deck across the bayfront in a smooth transition to Steve and John’s garden.

Steve and John’s garden map

As best as I can, I’ll number the photos for those who wish to refer to the excellent map.  Any mix up in numbering is mine alone.

The trees and shrubs collected by these two CPNs (certified plant nuts) come from all over the Northwest; I do know that some of them come from our local collectors’ nursery, Back Alley Gardens in Gearhart.  (Owner Pam Fleming provided some photos for this blog entry.)

I first entered through a path from Barclay’s south side garden to Steve and John’s kitchen garden.

a peek from the Barclay garden to Steve and John’s garden just next door to the south.

(4) the kitchen garden

Garden Tour Nancy’s kitchen garden photo

photo by Nancy Allen, who loves kitchen gardens

photo by Pam Fleming

(12) to my right as I walked toward the house

photo by Kathleen Shaw

garden area 12

(6) young trees and shrubs intermingle with established shrubs from the old nursery that was here.

Chamaecyparis pisifera compressa, photo by Pam Fleming

photo by Pam Fleming

(6) lots of gold foliage and well thought out shapes glowing in the mixed borders northwest of the house

garden area  6 (upper rhody grove)

photo by Pam Fleming

photo by Kathleen Shaw

photo by Kathleen Shaw

photo by Pam Fleming

photo by Dwight Caswell

sculpture by the front door

(2) elegance in design to the east of the house; between two wings is a rainwater swale

Allan’s photo, between the two wings of the house

looking north from just west of the house, photo by Kathleen Shaw

photo by Kathleen Shaw

(3) on the south side of the driveway

photo by Kathleen Shaw

photo by Dwight Caswell

Around the south side of the house, a path built by landscaper Steve Clarke makes an easy transition for wheelbarrowing mulch.

This area used to be a rougher descent; Steve Clarke solved the problem.

Willapa view covered patio, Sept 2013

a meticulously tended native landscape

photo by Kathleen Shaw

photo by Kathleen Shaw

photo by Pam Fleming: Steve and John with garden guests

John and Steve with…Lisa??  photo by Pam Fleming

My goodness, that certainly looks like our good friend Lisa of the hydrangea house!!

Music in the Gardens: Wilho Saari playing the kantele on the east side patio.

Steve and John had specifically suggested Wilho Saari, a fifth-generation Finnish-American player of the kantele, the Finnish psaltery.  John’s Finnish heritage made it extra special to have Wilho be the featured musician.

Allan’s photo

Allan bought Wilho’s CD

Allan’s photo of tour guests who arrived from across the bayside lawn; in red is Water Music Festival board member Rita Nicely (whose garden has been on the tour before, I think in 2008).

John and Ann Goldeen, garden show host from KMUN community radio; the drink (soon replenished) was a delicious blueberry lemonade.

I was suddenly called back over to the Barclay garden for a tour-related question, and when I returned to Steve and John’s garden, I entered by a different way, down by the pond far to the west of the house.

northwest side of pond (garden area 11-ish)

garden area 11, north side of pond

garden area 11 (which was being planted in Sept of ’13, as I recall)

garden area 11

garden area 11

Looking up into a mountain ash (Sorbus) as I walk around the pond (area 13)

You can just glimpse the shed, which is in area 8, I believe.

hydrangeas, north of the driveway turn, including the dark leaved ‘Plum Passion’ (9 or 10)

8, the holly/fern grove

looking west to the Cryptomeria grove (10?)

Styrax japonicus ‘Momo Shidare’ (Weeping Pink Japanese Snowbell), photo by Dwight Caswell

the holly/fern grove

photo by Kathleen Shaw

Acer palmatum ‘Peaches and Cream’ (Peaches and Cream Japanese Maple), photo by Pam Fleming

looking east to the house through the lower rhody grove (to the left)

The large rhododendrons date back to Clarke Nursery.

looking east through the rhody groves

We were fortunate to have visited this garden in springtime when many of the rhododenrons were in bloom.

lower rhody grove with huckleberries, as well

approaching the house via the long driveway

Who should I see but my friend Carol Clearman, with her daughter and grand daughter!

garden area 2 (west of house) again

the path to the north around the kitchen garden (area 4)

Allan’s photo, looking northwest over the kitchen garden

Ulmus x hollanida ‘Wredei’ (golden elm) in the corner of the kitchen garden, photo by Dwight Caswell

and back to the east side patio where a friend of Steve and John’s was replenishing the blueberry lemonade.

Blueberry Lemonade

Blend:

1 cup lemon juice (bottled is fine)

6 oz. blueberries (fresh or frozen)

1/2 cup sugar

Add 3 cups water and ice

Voila!

delicious refreshments

and more (carmelized onions on crostini were simply delicious), which were continually replenished by our gracious hosts.

The garden tour menu was:

Skewered pepper jack cheese, cherry tomato and fresh basil.

Crostini with caramelized onion and crumbled Gorgonzola.

Hard salami, cream cheese, and arugula wraps.  Warm beef meatballs.  Salmon spread with crackers.  Grapes.  Hot coffee with ginger snaps.

photo by Nancy Allen of John and Wilho Saari’s wife, Kaisa

Nancy Allen’s photo

A member of the Mozart Chicks had finished playing at the Goelz garden, just down the road, and was listening to Wilho Saari with rapt attention.

More plant photos by Pam Fleming and Nancy Allen:

Asclepias Curassavica ‘Apollo Orange’ (Scarlet Milkweed)

Penisetum setaceum var rubrum (Red Feather Grass)

Chamaecypris obtusa ‘Lemon Twist’ (Lemon Twist Hinoki Cypress)

Chamaecypris pisifera compressa (Blue Moss Cypress), photo by Pam Fleming

Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Snowflake’, photo by Nancy Allen

Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Snowflake’, photo by Nancy Allen

At a little before three, I realized that we simply must move on as there were two more gardens to see and I knew that the next one would take awhile to tour as it would be all new to Allan, so we took our leave.

I hope to get back to this garden later this year for some fall colour (a hint to Steve and John!) and get some better plant photos of their wide selection of collectors’ trees and shrubs.

The Plant List

…is  a work in progress, which has not been edited for publication, so there are still likely changes/corrections/additions to be made.  Any wobble in the formatting is mine from making  screenshots of the document.

 

 

 

 

Wow.  This has certainly inspired me to think about going out and cataloging my own garden so that I stop losing track of plant names!

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19 July: Music in the Gardens—Barclay garden

Saturday, 19 July 2014

Music in the Gardens Tour, Long Beach Peninsula

a benefit for the Water Music Festival

Barclay Garden

The Barclay garden and its neighbour (also on the tour) were the site of Clarke Nursery during my first decade on the Peninsula and many the shopping trip I made here.

I don’t think I did the two gardens justice on tour day because I was having problems hobbling around, problems that distracted me from photo taking.

looking west: Allan got this photo of the meadow where once upon a time potted plants for sale were displayed.

the north side of the house (Allan’s photo)

the front garden looking north

in the front garden (Allan’s photo)

seating to catch the afternoon and evening sun, west side of house (Allan’s photo)

looking southwest-ish

(Allan’s photo)

The garden was established years ago so its shrubs and trees are mature.

path in front (west side) garden (Allan’s photo)

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

I know that Allan took all these path photos out of interest sparked by the memory of how years ago, probably 2005, when Mr. Barclay had recently bought the property, we brought the garden back from much weediness and uncovered all of these little paths in the west side garden beds.

(Allan’s photo)

To the north of the house is Mr. Barclay’s kitchen garden.  He has laid chicken wire on the grass and says it keeps the deer from entering the garden.

 

the kitchen garden

coming around the north side of the house

garden tour guests on the deck

Mr. Barclay in yellow shirt talked with Garden Tour Nancy in a white top.

 

deck on east side of house (Allan’s photo)

Refreshments were served on the deck (Allan’s photo)

The lawn below the deck sweeps across the bayfront in a smooth transition to the garden to the south, which was also on the tour.

Tom Trudell was the musician at this garden.

He hammed it up when I jokingly asked him to strike a performance pose.

Tom Trudell, who teaches and plays jazz.

The deck stretches halfway along the east side of the house.

a photo from a pre-tour visit in early June

at the southeast corner of the house

the garden on the south side of the house

I startled a snake sunning itself, or else it startled me. Or both.  You can decide by the camera being a little blurry.  (I like garter snakes.)

garden beds south of house

looking east on our pre-tour visit in early June

The hydrangeas caused a sensation among the tour guests.

coming round to the west side of the house

more floriferous hydrangeas

Next, we will go next door to my favourite bayside garden, that of Steve and John.  From the Barclay garden, we can walk through to their kitchen garden.

a peek from the Barclay garden to Steve and John’s garden just next door to the south.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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19 July: Music in the Gardens—Strange Garden

Saturday, 19 July 2014

Music in the Gardens Tour, Long Beach Peninsula

a benefit for the Water Music Festival

Ed Strange Garden

Ed was not sure how “giant hebe” got put in the garden description and asked me to change it on the Facebook page to “coral bark maple”, as he did not feel a giant hebe was that much to celebrate.  Hebes are a fine plant, though.

happy tour guests

west side of driveway

Allan’s photo

 

The small home sits on a small lot in the Tides West neighbourhood.

As we approached the garden, who should we meet but our good friend Kathleen!

Kathleen and I in plant discussion  (Allan’s photo)

Ed sees us!  (Allan’s photo)

Kathleen was touring in a different direction than us, so we would not see her again till later at dinner.

to the east of the driveway

a woodsy garden

photo by Kathleen Shaw

east side of the front porch and deck

Our dear friend Ed and guests.

I was thrilled to see Randy Brown, who had been the musician for our garden tour in 2012.

Randy Brown

He comes all the way from his new home in McMinnville, Oregon, to play for Music in the Gardens.

At our garden, he made up a delightful song about the colourfulness of our garden and a funny song about Allan’s skilled helpfulness.  (You can listen to the latter song on Youtube, here.)  At Ed’s garden, he made up a song right on the spot about how we make the Peninsula a more beautiful place.  It was extraordinarily cheering!

That’s Ed’s petrified wood collection on display in front of Randy’s sit spot.

 

being serenaded with a complimentary song!

view from the porch

Garden touring is such a happy thing. (Being serenaded just adds to the joy.)  (Allan’s photo)

on the porch

Gunnera with Sedum ‘Cape Blanco’ “stepping stones”

photo by Kathleen Shaw

straight east of the porch

The guest looking around the side of the garage was viewing Ed’s “ladies in waiting” (unplanted plants) area and she said “Your work area looks better than my garden does!”

southwest corner of garage, where one enters the walkway between garage and house

the east wall of the house

looking back at the porch (east side of house)

As with our manufactured home, Ed would know that with a manufactured home one must NEVER NEVER “puncture the seal” or internal havoc will occur.  So one cannot hang any sort of decoration on the outside walls.

Ed’s garage had a perfect guest area in the back, and on tour day he had a feast laid out, catered by the famous Nanci and Jimella’s Market Café.

delicious!

complete with a friend filling in as bartender!

at the back of the garage/house passageway

the coral bark maple in the back yard

behind the garage, perfectly NOT slug-eaten hostas

the ferny southeast corner of the back garden

east end of back garden

On the east side of the garage, here is the work area that was being admired by a tour guest earlier.

behind the house

looking back at the passageway between garage and house

west wall of garage

Allan’s photo

Ed and tour guests

We would love to have hung around for much longer schmoozing with Ed and listening to Randy’s song stylings, but we had four more gardens to see.

Next, we return to the Willapa Bay side of the Peninsula.

 

 

 

 

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19 July: Music in the Gardens—Pells Garden

Saturday, 19 July 2014

Music in the Gardens tour, Long Beach Peninsula

a benefit for Water Music Festival

Pells Garden

correction: should be Solomon’s Seal

We parked behind the house, so we started our tour in the barn and worked our way forward.

boardwalk to the barn

Allan’s photo

Cheryl Pells had made a readerboard with a lot of her study notes and plans for the garden, including how she relates plants to Bible verses.

in the barn

photos of making the garden

plants and verses

garden map

notes and books

tea and lavender cookies (which were a huge hit, with people asking for the recipe)

Allan’s photo

The hosts were ready to entertain people in the barn if it rained; Cheryl said she could teach a workshop on making potpourri. I admire that kind of thinking ahead!

Allan’s photo: Cheryl’s dried flowers

in the barn, Allan’s photo

view from the garage

at the east end of the acreage

seating among the trees

We walk west among the garden beds.

photo by Kathleen Shaw

photo by Kathleen Shaw

photo by Kathleen Shaw

looking north from the driveway

I spy the musician’s area.

a sea of flowers

Brian O’Connor was the musician, playing soft rock and folk guitar with songs by others and of his own composition.

Brian O’Connor

 

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

 

An orchard on the north side of the garden

near the center of the garden

Allan’s photo

grassy paths among the trees and flowers

 

the garden dog, Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

calla lilies by the house

north side of house

south of the driveway and house

a sit spot and people viewing the pond

 

trees near the pond

This area is going to have a railroad layout.

the pond, looking west

The creation of the pond, built from a boggish area by the Pells with much placing of rocks, is an impressive feat.

the pond with waterfall on a pre-tour visit, June 4

north end of the pond

 

When the Pells moved in, they found hostas in pots from the former Lamb Nursery abandoned in the back field.

a lovely hosta collection at the north end of the pond

a pebble beach at the north end of the pond

view from the pebble beach

Allan’s photo

bridge over the back of the pond behind the waterfall

above the waterfall, Allan’s photo

from the bridge, Allan’s photo

across the pond to the house, Allan’s photo

photo by Kathleen Shaw

photo by Kathleen Shaw

photo by Kathleen Shaw

near the front of the driveway.

photo by Kathleen Shaw

photo by Kathleen Shaw

entry bed to north of driveway

bed running south to north inside the front fence

in the front garden bed

photo by Kathleen Shaw

the other side of the pond bridge

looking east over the pond

at the west side of the pond

at the front of the driveway.

Cheryl said that she and her husband had a wonderful time hosting the tour and that many people said that, having seen glimpses of the garden from Pacific Highway, they had very much wanted to come in for a closer look.

Cheryl gave Garden Tour Nancy this recipe for the cookies she served:

Easy Lavender Shortbread Cookies
Kevin Lee Jacobs, A Garden for the House
Ingredients for about 2 dozen, 2-inch diameter cookies
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room-temperature
4 teaspoons fresh lavender buds, or 2 teaspoons dried
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour, scooped and leveled
Optional Adornment
1 cup confectioners sugar, blended with just enough water to achieve a spreadable consistency.

Next, Ed Strange’s garden.

 

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19 July: Music in the Gardens Tour—Seal House Garden

Saturday, 19 July 2014

Music in the Gardens Tour, Long Beach Peninsula

a benefit for Water Music Festival

We had switched up the order of garden touring as we wanted to be sure to get to our friend Ed’s garden in good time, so we drove back to the ocean side and worked our way north.

Seal House Garden

Allan’s photo

This is too funny not to share.  In the photo below, that is me in the blue shirt walking purposely up to the garage to say that car cannot be in the middle of the garden (unless it belonged to a physically challenged guest, which it did not).

Allan’s photo: I’m on a mission. The car got moved to the side.

Giving the car the old fish eye. (Allan’s photo)

The garden is on the end of a cul-de-sac.

The garden gets its name from these sculptures.

a windswept landscape

looking north from the neighbours’

north side of driveway, looking northwest

looking northwest over the beach grass

Allan’s photo

oyster shells

Susie was hosting an exhibit by the Northwest Artists Guild.

Allan’s photo

and had a refreshment table set up outside.

Garden Tour Nancy and I partake. (Allan’s photo)

She offered guests a list of plants in the garden.

looking south from the driveway

looking south from the driveway

path to front porch

musician Jennifer Goodenberger

 

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo, looking northeast (you can see the car that got moved!)

Allan’s photo

by the front porch, nasturtiums and a pot with an artichoke

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

a porch on the southeast corner of the house out of the north and the west wind

Shelter from the north wind is summer is most comforting here at the beach, because it is a cold and frequent wind.

looking north

looking southeast

Changes in texture of paving make an interesting walk through the garden.

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

The owner offered guests a list of plants in the garden.

She also offered a list of plants that failed to thrive.  It is always useful to know what is successful or not in a beach side garden.

I love this sort of transparency!  I think the cold winter killed her Senecio greyii (did the same to mine in a more sheltered spot).  And I usually find that poppies of all sorts do well, but this year I did not have much luck with poppies in beach side gardens.

So of course, I must now regale you with one of my favourite poems; thanks so much to Seal House Susie for reminding me of it:

Why Did My Plant Die?

Geoffrey B. Charlesworth
You walked too close. You trod on it.
You dropped a piece of sod on it.
You hoed it down. You weeded it.
You planted it the wrong way up.
You grew it in a yogurt cup
But you forgot to make a hole;
The soggy compost took its toll.
September storm. November drought.
It heaved in March, the roots popped out.
You watered it with herbicide.
You scattered bonemeal far and wide.
Attracting local omnivores,
Who ate your plant and stayed for more.
You left it baking in the sun
While you departed at a run
To find a spade, perhaps a trowel,
Meanwhile the plant threw in the towel.
You planted it with crown too high;
The soil washed off, that explains why.
Too high pH. It hated lime.
Alas it needs a gentler clime.
You left the root ball wrapped in plastic.
You broke the roots. They’re not elastic.
You walked too close. You trod on it.
You dropped a piece of sod on it.
You splashed the plant with mower oil.
You should do something to your soil.
Too rich. Too poor. Such wretched tilth.
Your soil is clay. Your soil is filth.
Your plant was eaten by a slug.
The growing point contained a bug.
These aphids are controlled by ants,
Who milk the juice, it kills the plants.
In early spring your garden’s mud.
You walked around! That’s not much good.
With heat and light you hurried it.
You worried it. You buried it.
The poor plant missed the mountain air:
No heat, no summer muggs up there.
You overfed it 10-10-10.
Forgot to water it again.
You hit it sharply with the hose.
You used a can without a rose.
Perhaps you sprinkled from above.
You should have talked to it with love.
The nursery mailed it without roots.
You killed it with those gardening boots.
You walked too close. You trod on it.
You dropped a piece of sod on it.

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On the way back to our van, we saw a mallard duck in the pond fronting a neighbouring house.  She wanted to be in the blog, so Allan obligingly took these photos.

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19 July: Music in the Gardens—Goelz Garden

Saturday, 19 July 2014

Music in the Gardens Tour, Long Beach Peninsula

a benefit for Water Music Festival

Goelz Garden

We had driven right by this garden many times without realizing what a beautiful landscape is  there.  The Goelzes do all the work themselves and have created a peaceful, spacious space for wandering and entertaining.

as one enters through the front gate

Allan’s photo

a sign on the porch

around the north side of the house

north side garden bed

looking due north to a long pergola

dahlias along the pergola

To the north of the pergola, a Eucalyptus grove leans gracefully over the music tent.

When Nancy and I pre-toured the garden, we were told that one or more of the eucalyptus trees had fallen in a winter windstorm years ago and then had regrown from the base.

The music at the Goelz garden was performed by the Mozart Chicks.

“The Mozart Chicks started as a duo and multiplied into a trio, then a quartet, and finally a quintet over the past 12 years.  They all live on Long Beach Peninsula and each has her foot in various other musical groups as well as other pursuits.

Their instrumentation is an unusual one, but Hannelore Morgan, the group archivist, has managed to find some wonderful arrangements of pieces that span many musical periods. “

 

Tootlers make me think of my favourite blog, the Tootlepedal blog.

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

view east from the musicians’ tent

seating area at the east end of the lawn

Allan’s photo, looking back toward house and music tent

Allan’s photo

a fort at the east end seating area (Allan’s photo)

I saw local writer Sydney Stevens and her husband strolling toward the musician’s tent across the lawn.

Allan’s photo from one of the island beds

Allan’s photo

looking east-ish

island beds in a vast lawn

looking south below the house

The natural pond lies to the east of the house.

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

That’s Allan taking a photo.

with a viewing dock on its west side.

The pond is a natural one and its water level falls over the course of the summer.

The little island is what makes this pond the best I’ve seen on the peninsula.

Allan’s photo

 

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

The pond is encircled by a walking path…

Allan’s photo

..and the pond has landscaping and seating all around.

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

looking toward the bridge from the back of the pond

 

 

Allan’s photo: We were pleased to encounter Prissy from Back Alley Gardens in Gearhart. (Prissy and me, in the distance, discussing plants.)

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo during his stroll all the way around the pond.

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo: garden detailing all the way around

Allan’s photo, coming around the south side of the pond

Allan’s photo of bird sculptures made of river rocks

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo. (He had walked the pond path while I was busy chatting with Prissy.)

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

On the south side of the garden between the house and the pond, the owners had created a garden area especially for their daughter’s wedding.

with a fire circle

 

and water features in the area where the wedding was held.

a waterfall

with recirculating stream

leading to a fountain

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Note that there absolutely no liner showing under the rocks; I admired that very much when Nancy and I pre-toured the garden.

Around the south side of the house, with some shade from tall trees, a bank of hostas.

the back steps

And here we go out the gate and on to the next garden.

 

 

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19 July: Music in the Gardens—Thornton Garden

Saturday, 19 July 2014

Music in the Gardens Tour, Long Beach Peninsula

a benefit for Water Music Festival

Thornton Garden

Knowing that the owners of this garden served in the Peace Corps gives it a special feeling in my mind.

This garden did have a musician whose performance time was after we had toured it.

a simple cottage in south Long Beach

The garden shares a border with the neighbours, whose garden was originally supposed to be on the tour as well (and it’s a shame it wasn’t, as next door gardens are just great to have on a tour).

the shared border

By the way, the neighbouring garden belongs to Erik and Pat Fagerland, and later in the tour we will visit a home designed by Erik, a well known local architect.

looking over the fence on the northwest corner

Allan’s photo

Mr. Thorton greeted us with a photo of how the beach used to be in the front yard.

Our friends Helen and Debbie entering the garden (Allan’s photo)

In the last 100 years, the dunes have accreted so that the beach is now a half mile to the west!

in the front window: woof woof!

by the front door

at the beginning of the path round the north side of the house

a pre-tour photo

the north side path

Allan’s photo

the path

almost to the back yard

northeast corner: privacy screen of old floats, temple bells on the shed

southwest corner

Allan’s photo

patio created by local designer Steve Clarke

Allan’s photo

Helen has my favourite Astoria garden, which I must revisit soon.

patio seating nook

bubbling water at the south side of the patio

out the back gate: Bikes for Books set up in a big empty lot.

Bikes for Books is a Masonic program that rewards children for reading.  One of its local patrons has had her garden on the tour before, thus the garden tour connection.

looking in the back gate

by the back door

One could while away the hours in this very private and peaceful back garden, surrounded by charming details while having to do the mininum of garden maintenance.

Next: a landscape garden with one of the best natural ponds you’ll see on the Peninsula.

 

 

 

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19 July: Music in the Gardens—Patti’s Garden

Saturday, 19 July 2014

Music in the Gardens Tour, Long Beach Peninsula

a benefit for Water Music Festival

Patti Jacobsen’s Garden

I have had a long connection with Patti’s Seaview garden.  We’ve been friends since well before she started the Music in the Gardens Tour in 2007; after three or four years, she passed the organizational torch to Garden Tour Nancy.

It was high time that her garden was on the tour again, especially since this may be the last year it is under her care.  She has put her home, with its two darling rental cottages, up for sale as she is looking to downsize.

I was sorely tempted by this until I realized how much I enjoy being able to say that Allan and I have completely created our garden ourselves.  The design of Patti’s is so excellent that if I bought the place, I would not want to change much at all (except to add more of the weird plants I like).  There is also the slight matter of being in debt for the rest of our lives!  But for someone, perhaps a garden blogger!, this is a perfect paradise just waiting to be found.

We were among the first tour guests to arrive at Patti’s garden.

Who could resist this house?

Patti greets Allan.

When Patti needed some gardening help this year and we were unable to fit her garden in (due to our various extra long weekends of skiving off to garden tours), I recommended a couple of other good gardeners to her.  She said she did not want them “because they don’t come with Allan.”

Allan’s photo

Patti’s good friend Susan ready to greet guests; Allan’s photo

Patti, pre-tour, was squirting some organic mosquito repellent around the garden.

As I look longingly upon the house and try to remind myself of the good reasons to stay where we are, I also remind myself that Ilwaco does not seem to have a big mosquito problem.

the front borders

I had suggested to Patti over the years solutions for the corner of a yard where a big Cryptomeria had half dead limbs touching the ground.  The first thing she showed me was how she had had it cleaned up (because she did finally find a gardener who was as good as Allan!).

Allan’s photo showing the newly limbed up tree

clean path into the back corner; big tree is to the left

under the tree, with refreshed river rock

all fixed!

We had offered to haul the pile of debris away and then  I had forgotten all about it, so I was glad to see it all done and so very welcoming a space now.

to the south of the lawn; big tree is to the right

Allan’s photo, looking out to the lawn

The whole space around that tree is so opened up now and it is possible to walk all down that side of the garden.

As the tour began, Long Beach city administrator Gene Miles was among the first to arrive.  His exquisite small garden was on last year’s tour.

 

On the south side of the house, a patio with plenty of room for entertaining is bordered by a river rock bed and a small pond.

looking back to the front garden

from the patio: a path leads west to the limbed up tree

Allan’s photo

 

The driftwood bench is from one piece found buried in mud along Willapa Bay.

dry creek bed by the pond

French doors, south side of house.

The French doors and porch were built by my former partner, Robert, while he lived at Patti’s for a year some time after he and I parted ways.  Now there’s a tale!  He installed the patio was well with his excellent sense for negative space and for not filling everything up with plants.  (I still strive to learn from this.)

As we go around the corner of the house, the patio gravel makes a wide entry to the back deck.

Around the corner

Robert also made the water feature by the back door. (photo from earlier in June)

Behind the low hedge (photo above the water feature) in the southeast corner of the yard is Patti’s kitchen garden.

raspberries and veg; I neglected to photograph the gorgeous stained glass over the entry arbour!

tour guests in the kitchen garden

The garage is on the north side of the back garden, with a little lean to greenhouse at the end.

Patti’s rose garden to the east of her deck.

the east end of the garden

the lean to greenhouse

work area with compost bins and chicken coop; Patti used to keep chickens years ago.

The other gate leads to the little garden belong to Rose Cottage, one of Patti’s rental cottages (studio sized).

the back of the house

Patti (Allan’s photo)

One of the birdhouses was occupied by baby birds.

around the northeast corner to the north garden

Allan’s photo, looking into the garden from the arbour that leads from the side gate to the back deck

looking through the lattice to the north side lawn

shade garden

West of the shade garden lawn is the two bedroom rental, a sweet situation if you get the right tenants.

It has its own little fenced yard.  (The two yews in the background mark the front gate of Patti’s garden.)

looking back to the garage and back deck

and then around to the front garden again

and another look back

The south side of the rental cottage makes one side of Patti’s front garden.

The front porch beckons.

While we made our walk around the house, the tour had jumped into full swing.  (Over the course of the day, over 371 people would come through the garden.)

tour guests arriving

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Patti’s daughter’s dog; her own wiggly dog was boarded for the day.

Allan’s photo

classic porch swing

on the porch: raffle items for those who purchase a Water Music Festival membership

at one end of the porch, treats

and fine local coffee

Allan’s photo

Patti’s daughter enjoying the visitors.  Oat cakes and jam!

Allan’s photo

Susan on the porch swing

tour guests Helen and Debbie arrive.

Helen is the owner of the fabulous Westbrook garden in Astoria which we must visit again soon; Debbie is a staunch reader of this blog.

more friends arrive! Debbie and me (Allan’s photo)

Allan’s photo

Debbie (left) of Rainyside.com had come all the way from Kingston, and Allison (center) had come from Bonney Lake (the Bonney Lassie blog).  We were so pleased to see them both.

guests browsing the garden

In the living room, Cheri Walker of the 42nd Street Café warmed up on her harp.  One of the unusual features of this garden tour is that because it is a benefit for the Water Music Festival (which in turn benefits music programs in local schools), each garden features an accomplished musician.

Cheri in Patti’s living room

which is so beautiful I can’t even imagine living there!

the view from the living room onto the patio

Cheri set up so her music would waft out of the French doors onto the patio.

at the corner of the patio porch

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

We sat on the porch for awhile, even though I knew we should be getting on as we had ten gardens to see!

view from the porch, Allan’s photo

visiting with Helen and Debbie (Allan’s photo)

I told Patti we would be back later (although as it turned out, we saw the last garden in the closing minutes of the tour and never did get back that day to take more photos of Patti’s garden).  Although there’s probably no surprise in the news that Patti’s garden was my favourite, there are many fine gardens to come.

For another view of Patti’s garden, see Alison’s post on the Bonney Lassie blog.

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12 July: Astoria Garden Tour, Garner Garden

Saturday, 12 July 2014

Astoria Garden Tour

presented by the Lower Columbia Preservation Society

photos and captions by guest blogger Nancy Allen (“Garden Tour Nancy”),

organizer of the Music in the Gardens Long Beach Peninsula Garden Tour

Garner Garden

“before” photos of Garner garden:

before photos of front garden

before

after

after

owner’s favorite plant, by mail order (teucrium?)

vegetable beds with color on left side of house

plant diversity

river view

back of house