Tuesday, 28 February 2017
As usual lately, workable weather gave me the big idea that I could cross four things off of the work list.
After a brief post office weeding, we headed to Long Beach and began with the planters on the Sid Snyder beach approach.
Sid Snyder Drive
Allan noticed two socks abandoned by a tourist excited to see the ocean.
World Kite Museum
Also on Sid Snyder is the Kite Museum. While we began a little touch up clipping on the small entry garden, museum store manager Patty emerged and I was able to ask what the plans were for a newly cleared entry area.
The answer is that the museum will have a new bike rack and picnic table spot and some big flower pots. Patty and I agreed that the row of tatty old hebes to the right should be pulled out, as the ones on the left side had been removed. I like that idea even more if someone other than us does the digging. Then our little garden will show better.
Allan did all the work while Patty and I discussed big ideas. She knew we were coming soon because she watches the work board on this blog.
Bolstad beach approach
I had brought some Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ starts from home to fill in these planters; last year we had a startling amount of theft of good plants along this approach.
I myself have found pumice stone on this beach, probably from the 1980 eruption of Mt. St Helens.
In the second planter to the east, I found the first finger blight of the year.
Our thief is at it again. I wish I could catch her. I could tell her that sea thrift does not transplant well. I put Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ in its place. She may like that, too.
Allan had gone to the beach approach garden to clip ornamental grasses. He brought the van back to me so that we could sit out a heavy rain squall.
Fortunately, it was but a squall and we were able to get back to work without misery.
Today we were only clipping. The big weeding of the beach approach garden still awaits us. I do not think it will be as tough a job as usual; the weeds are not a thick carpet this year.
One of the things we will be doing along with the weeding is pulling out as many rugosa roses from right along the edge as we can. So if any of you locals want some, let me know and I’ll tell you when that is about to happen.
Parks Manager Mike drove by and agreed to get us a pile of Soil Energy mulch. I am thrilled we do not have to drive up peninsula to get it ourselves. We will bucket it from a pile in the works yard.
While I weeded and clipped in the planters, Allan had clipped tall grasses all along this garden. It’s a tedious task.
Parking Lot “Berms”
We tidied up several Stipa gigantea and a few perennials on the north and south parking lot gardens, east of downtown.
I had had a dream today of getting the rambling roses pruned in Fifth Street Park. Since the temperature was dropping, a wind kicking up, and not enough time left, we did one more small project that had never even made it to the work board.
Minnie Culbertson Park
While we might be able to polish off the Port of Ilwaco spring clean up in one day or two, the weather forecast is dire so I cannot count on it happening tomorrow.
Sorry to see the loss of the sea thrift from one of the planters. Coincidently last year we had one lifted from the garden I (and a friend) have volunteer established and adopted. We too may have to resort to another sedum in that spot. .There is a reason why our public garden has ended up with so much sedum, big clumps of Japanese iris, and crocosmia. They are pretty much theft proof!
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Exactly. Where is your public garden? We could have so much more variety without the thievery.
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The garden we created 8 years ago is on the property of a former church in Steveston BC (a fishing village just south of Vancouver) The volunteer run Richmond Hospital Thriftshop operates out of this building.
My friend and I started this garden from scratch to beautify this corner – there was nothing but a mess of horsetail, bindweed and grass. All the plants came from our gardens, or donation. People sometimes give us things to plant – some of them “in memory” so we have a hard time saying no – that accounts for the uh, eclectic look!
We have no budget or funding, and remain a garden team of two to maintain it. I don’t have a facebook or webpage for it, but if you want to see what it looks like the Richmond Garden Club has pictures.
https://www.facebook.com/richmondbcgardenclub
Click on All Photos, and there we are nine rows down – you will see the old church, four pictures,in a row.
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Ah, thank you. I will look on fb. I know just what you mean re people donating plants in memory. That’s how at one time I had six pampas grass at the boatyard garden (til they got too big). You have the same two weeds I struggle with there: bindweed and horsetail.
O Canada! Lucky you to live there!
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