Sunday, 19 July 2015
Astoria, Oregon
After being lured across the river by a garden tour of the Bohnke garden, we took Debbie to see the gardens at the Millpond Village, especially Helen’s garden, which I had visited several times before…
I led the way our parking spot to the garden only to find a fence around it and Helen’s neighbour, Sami, on the other side sitting on her porch. I called out that Helen had said we could come see the garden anytime. Sami said that we could but that it was her garden now! Helen had sold it to her, in order to have more time for other pursuits, although they still both enjoyed it. Thanks, Sami, for letting us in!
Sami’s Garden
The garden is a lot between two townhouse buildings that Helen purchased for the making of a garden.
This year Helen and Sami have experimented for the first time with having a kitchen garden.
We appreciated Sami letting three semi-strangers with cameras swarm through her garden. Helen arrived at her townhouse toward the end of our visit and I was pleased to see her again.
Mill Pond Village
After exploring Sami’s garden, we strolled around the Mill Pond Village, one of the most garden-y neighbourhoods I’ve ever seen. I fantasize about living there but know that we couldn’t afford it. Or if we could, we would be amongst moneyed people who would speak of their expensive travels and lifestyles that would be so different from what we can indulge in. A working class neighbourhood with a street full of gardeners would be a more realistic fantasy for us.
I read up on the history of the village, a former mill pond that was saved from contamination, on this website. This particularly interested me: “The homes at Mill Pond Village all have garages that are accessed from rear alleys. Alley access reduces curb cuts in front of homes and maximizes available on-street parking. This traditional parking design allows for ample vehicle space while maintaining pedestrian friendliness.” I thought back to my neighbourhood in Seattle, where most houses were backed with alleyways, and realized how much that did contribute to pedestrian friendliness. I miss alleys. They seem to be almost nonexistent in Peninsula towns.
Here is another site with history and photos of the village. It says “The diversity of housing allows for a range of incomes, ages and family structures. Housing types create the seaside village-like, pedestrian-oriented neighborhood.” Hmmm….maybe I can imagine, after all. It’s not the townhouses that draw me, just the fact that almost everyone seems to like gardening.
In Astoria, bar pilots are employed to navigate the ships over the hazardous Columbia River Bar (long known as the Graveyard of the Pacific).
I was ever so pleased at the ship putting on a good show for Debbie, and even more pleased when the trolley came by right on cue.
From Astoria’s History Along the (trolley) Tracks: “The big red building out in the river was a net drying and mending shed or net loft. Natural fiber nets, which often were made in the fishermen’s homes during the winters, needed to be dried between uses. Fishermen could navigate their boats right up under the building where a hoist would lift the nets to dry. The building was used in the movie “Free Willy II.” A local artist and art professor has purchased the building and is renovating it to be artist studios and small shops.” (It was badly damaged in the big storm of November, 2007, and since then efforts have been made to save it.) “It was as if the top floor and roof kind of twisted and lifted up, and went over the river and fell into the river,” said Sarah, recounting the 160-mile-per-hour winds that tore through Astoria that day, ripping away the second story of the building. …. Eddie Park, a friend of the Nebekers who had been helping board up the windows was thrown 40 feet and broke his arm against a wall. Royal and Park were trapped in the loft as winds raged around them. After 20 hours, they escaped by strapping themselves to a ladder for weight and then crawling on their bellies down the long gangplank to shore.”
Read more: http://djcoregon.com/news/2012/06/04/preservationists-try-to-save-uppertown-net-loft-in-astoria/#ixzz3hcm6jFv7
We drove the couple of blocks west to the actual Mill Pond so that Debbie could get a close look at both it and the public garden next to it.
I espied a darling little garden right on the banks of the pond. We took a good look at it from every angle (except for looking up from the steep bank of the pond).
Right across the street to the west was the cutest red house. I had assumed you could not paint your house a colour like that in the village.
It has a vacant lot next door that could perhaps be purchased for a garden. My new dream house, if it included the lot next door.
Debbie parted ways with us as she was headed back to her home up north. Allan and I had not intended to go the market because we’d assumed we would not find parking. When a parking spot opened up for us on Marine Drive, we took the opportunity after all.
Astoria Sunday Market
I saw our Long Beach friend Debbie at the Master Gardeners booth but did not have much time to visit as the market was due to close in a few minutes. (It only goes till 3 PM.) I needed to browse the plant displays.

another flower booth: The wind was blowing hard so I think that fellow was holding the booth in place.

I bought some goat cheese from Skamokawa Farmstead Creamery.
I do wish Ms. Jessica would send me her email address so we could get in touch.
Even thought the market was packing up, the food court was mostly still open so we were able to get a meal from my favourite vendor, O Falafel!
Ilwaco
Allan actually went out watering in Ilwaco Sunday evening after all that….
It feels like we have been garden touring for days. It’s time to get back to work, with the next garden tour due next Sunday at Pam’s public gardens in Seaside.
I would like a garden with views of a trolly route and a sea route.
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