Saturday, 16 May 2015
Ilwaco
We began our Saturday with a brief trip to the Ilwaco Saturday Market, for photos and for a treat from Pink Poppy Bakery.
I bought Ken Druse’s new shade garden book, having ordered it at Time Enough Books.
Bookstore owner Karla and I talked about how excited we are that the Salt Hotel is about to open at the end of the block, and how much it will revitalize the port.
I’ve been so busy that as I write this a week later, my new Ken Druse book has not yet emerged from its bag.
On the way north, Allan had a book to pick up at the Ilwaco Timberland Library. He photographed the handsome unfurling of the ferns that I pruned there fairly recently:
As we headed north to work, I took the first of several photos for the Rhodie Driving Tour photo album.
The Depot Restaurant
I had a sudden revelation: Why does not the garden on the north side of the deck extend further east? What was I thinking, stopping it an an angle like that. No one does much mowing or strimming of that grass, so why not get rid of it?
Long Beach
We had forgotten to add two Geranium ‘Rozanne’ to the back of the welcome sign.
The Planter Box
We needed more cosmos, necessitating a stop at The Planter Box.
Back in the employees only greenhouse, I saw a gorgeous Dicentra called ‘Valentine’. I’ve never seen one so red. I want it badly…but it is sold already.
On the way out of the back greenhouse, I noticed some Cosmos ‘Candy Stripe’ on the sales floor. They had got past me thus far; I snagged one 6 pack for my own garden.
Traveling north to our next job, we sustained ourselves with our Pink Poppy Bakery treat.
Golden Sands Assisted Living
I truly entered Annuals Planting Hell while planting 60 cosmos in the Golden Sands garden. Maybe the sprinklers weren’t on yet; I found some of the ground was dry underneath so had to put water in each small hole. I had not brought a dipper, so tried a tiny plastic dish that Allan found. My head just about exploded with how long it took and after about ten cosmos, I walked out to the car (a long trip down the hallways) for a proper dipping container (a reasonable sized Costco plastic jar that had held nuts). Life immediately became easier.
On one side of the courtyard, the red rhodos are blooming at their unpruned height.
On the other side, they got pruned severely. I did not and do not approve, but everything outside the four quadrants of flowers is out of my hands.
I also noticed that the shrubs under the windows had been pruned to window sill height, but apparently at the same time someone had severely chopped two of the roses, planted by volunteers (outside the flower quadrants).
Oh well…I must just focus on our four quadrants…which are about to burst into bloom.
No time for salal control.,..and can’t find out about sprinklers because it is Saturday.
Klipsan Beach Cottages
I did some light weeding and planted 24 cosmos. While I did so, Allan weeding along the north fence.
I resisted the buddleia rescue because they are now maligned and considered weedy (except for the new sterile cultivars). We can just keep the old flowerheads trimmed and it will be fine. Poor thing.
Next door, by where we park, a couple of the rhododendrons at Joanie’s cottage have come into bloom too late for the Rhodie Tour.
Ocean Park
On the way north to our next job, we did a driveby check on the Oman Builders Supply garden….It did not appear to need our urgent attention.
Marilyn’s Garden
Next, we planted cosmos in Marilyn’s garden in Surfside, our northernmost job. The garden had gotten terribly weedy in our absence.
That Phygelius has to be pulled out from around that Eryngium, though; the Phygelius has crept sideways out of its alloted space and will get much taller than the Eryngium and will hide it again. Next time!
on the way home
There was some excitement at an intersection when three emergency vehicles drove by, and a large fire axe flew off the firetruck and landed in the ditch just north of us…and not, as it could have a few seconds earlier, in the nose of our van.
We took it back to the fire fighters, as we had seen where they were going (a few blocks north). They were surprised that it had come loose.
After that adventure, we took the Nahcotta route home and photographed just a few more rhododendrons before dusk.
At home, I was able to erase a few more planting tasks from the work board.
I so enjoy viewing the pictures and reading commentary about your gardening adventures on the Peninsula. My mother-in-law lives at Golden Sands and I so enjoy the beautiful flowers in the courtyard outside her room. Thanks for making the Long Beach Peninsula an attractive place to visit.
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Thank you so much. Makes me really happy to hear of GS garden being enjoyed. Glad they got the shrubs pruned by the window sills so residents can see out into the courtyard.
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