Tuesday, 23 June 2015
Ilwaco
The picture is not what I had in mind before an unfortunate soul fell into the garden last week; there were as many dark maroon lilies planted as yellow ones….Ah, well.Today, we had a plan to deliver some plants to Steve and John before work. On the way, we stopped at
The Basket Case Greenhouse
….where I had to rescue, by buying, one more ‘Chocolate Tip’ Sanguisorba, and one more variegated ‘Dali Marble’ sanguisorba.
Sanguisorbas are so Piet Oudolfy! Their only drawbacks are that deer nibble the flowers, and that they seem to need frequent watering to look their best. I wonder how that works out in the meadow gardens that Mr. Oudolf creates.Steve and John’s Bayside Garden
A couple of weeks ago, I had purchased a bright gold chameacyparis. As soon as I got it home, I realized that I had no place for it (as I don’t want evergreens or evergolds to block my port view in winter, and am pretty much filled up along the sides). I knew I had bought it to make my garden more Steve-and-John-y, so I decided that the tree should be part of their garden. I don’t really have the room to plant the specimen trees that they do.
Thus, we visited them before work, we took time for a good tour of their great garden.
When we arrived, they were in the garden, of course.
This garden was once part of Clarke rhododendron nursery and even Steve Clarke can’t identify all the rhodos on it, some of which are, I believe, unnamed crosses propagated by his father. At this point, most people would have had a look at the bay, just past a large camellia. I was so engrossed in plants that I did not even notice if the tide was high or low. Right about at this point, maybe from having looked up into the sky, I managed to trip over virtually nothing and fall flat on my face with a screech. On the way down, I got my iPhone and my camera out of the way, and the grass cushioned my fall like a fluffy mattress. It was kind of embarrassing, which I am sure is how the guy who fell into the post office garden felt. Perhaps it was a sign I should feel more sympathy and quit fretting over my lilies! It would have been extra ironic if I had fallen on some plants. My next few photos were blurry, so I must have been more shaken than I wanted to let on. You’ll miss out on a few choice plants…Let’s have a closer look at that island bed.
We think it might be Salvia guaranitica. Later in the season, we will all know for sure. I wish mine had been that vigorous. I was assured that my Eremerus might size up eventually, as this one did not do much till now, its second year. The plants are all thriving on water from the new sprinkler system, installed by Steve Clarke and our new friends Dave and Melissa. The sprinklers are saving Steve and John hours of watering time. They are winning new areas from the clutches of salal. I know how much effort that takes The new area has already moved out of range of the new sprinklers, as always seems to happen when one expands. I tried to make an iPhone note of all the rhododendron specimens that we admired, and yet I have come up short on some. They are worth admiring, with or without names. Any errors in naming are mine. The one below is my favourite, and apparently I was so gaga over it that I did not note the name. I must immediately email Steve because it is one I now especially want to find. (Later: I remember now that he said he could not come up with the name immediately, and here’s why. He emailed it to me: Rhododendron degronianum ssp. yakushimanum x pachysanthum.) At first, I feared to touch the leaves in case the indumentum would rub off. Although it does come off the lower leaves, it was firmly affixed to the new leaves, which were soft like lambs ears. It is the most beautiful rhodo I have ever seen.On the way back to the house, we admired a large old Kalmia (mountain laurel).
(I just learned last night while watching Walk the Line that June Carter, not Johnny Cash, wrote Ring of Fire.) I presented the gold chamaecyparis and three small Panicum ‘Northwind’, and Steven and John gave us a Rhododendron ‘Capistrano’ — “yellow blooms on an eventual three-footer”. I am most pleased as one of my mother’s favourite rhododendrons was a smallish yellow one (which is now at Golden Sands, where we went later on—next post—and which was, surprisingly, still in bloom there. (Sorry, I forgot to photograph it.) We did have to get on to work, so we made our departure. Next: one of the shortest work weeks ever, because we are leaving on the 24th for the Hardy Plant Society Study Weekend. By the time you read this, we should have returned with lots of garden tour photos.
The chickaree (Douglas squirrel) is adorable, and unlike our big Eastern grey squirrels, native.
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Fun having you and Alan over, as always! I finally looked up our little squirrel friend (there are several that hang out with us–maybe a family?). It’s the Douglas Squirrel. Very cute, and very bold, as described. It argues back when I try to shoot it off the bird feeder!
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The squirrel was a bonus. What a great garden.
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Don’t know what’s more “impressive” – the variety or the beauty of Bayside Garden…. And I agree with you on that beautiful (favorite) rhododendron.
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Thanks, it is a stunner and not one I can find easily, either.
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Glad you weren’t hurt by your tumble Skylar 😊. I love those rhododendrons. I especially am enchanted by the lovely squirrel as well.
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Thanks, Cathy. It was a surprisingly painless tumble.
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