Thursday, 22 March 2018
We did not do much work today. We’d have done none, had we not had an appointment with our excellent new accountant who lives at the north end of the Peninsula about forty minutes away. Since we were driving north, we also resolved to do a bit of work up that way.
First, we stopped in at the Port of Ilwaco office to try to find out more about the boatyard garden (will it be dug up for an important water project, and if so, how much?). I could not connect with the port manager today to find out. We did deadhead the narcissi on the south side of the office in the full-on cold wind. A shopper from the Don Nisbett Art Gallery next door got caught in my photo because I was too eager to escape the wind to let him walk out of the way before snapping the shot.
On the way north, we bought some potting soil and two more packets of sweet pea seeds at
The Planter Box.
(I have resolved to plant sweet peas along the boatyard fence as I always do. Surely the diggers, if diggers they be, would not dig by the fence all the way along.)
After our accounting appointment, we briefly worked at
Klipsan Beach Cottages
where Allan trimmed a big sword fern and I planted a few sweet pea and poppy seeds.
I recently came across a photo that compares the yews when Robert and Denny laid the pavers and the yews were first planted in 2003:
and now:
The garden, while still somewhat bare, has plenty to show of interest:
And inside, out of the bitter cold and wind that was blustering even in that sheltered garden:
Ed’s garden
On the way south, we visited our friends Ed and Jackson Strange to drop off some plant starts (libertia and Lonicera fragrantissima and some rugosa roses; he can pot up and sell the latter at his big plant sale on Memorial Day weekend).
Jackson was most excited to see us.
We humans toured Ed’s exquisite small garden.
In the back garden, I scored a presale on the sort of garden bench I have wanted for a long time.
Ed helped Allan load it into our trailer, where it still sits, because I can’t help unload it. We need help to get it into the back yard; the top piece is SOOOO heavy.
Long Beach
The sun had come out again as we drove further south. Even though the wind was cold and fierce, we decided we could just about stand getting some buckets of mulch for Fifth Street Park.
While Allan applied the mulch, I deadheaded narcissi in front of the Hungry Harbor, and then we rewarded ourselves for our work in truly miserable wind, with crab rolls at Captain Bob’s Chowder.
Refreshed and warm again, we soon got cold by deadheading a few narcissi at city hall and then a rough deadheading of the narcissi at the welcome sign.
I took my after photo from inside the van….
….while Allan finished up the back of the sign, somewhat out of the wind and in a rain squall.
The rain stopped again. We had had enough. The local weather shows why we could not take anymore today, with 34.5 mph wind that felt like 35 degrees:
I had some cyclamens from MaryBeth to plant at the Shelburne. Next time!
At the library, we picked up a book and Allan took these photos:
At home, I delivered some narcissi clippings to the compost bins and ever so briefly enjoyed my garden.
None of us stayed outside for long.
All I could erase today was one sweet pea task; Fifth Street still needs more mulch.
I am determined to take tomorrow off in order to avoid more cold wind.
I’m happily soaking in the flowering plants you show! We had snow again last night. Got a chuckle from the well-mulched gunnera. Is the Fritillaria meleagris really checkered? I love it!
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Yes, it is, and its common names are checkered lily and guinea hen flower.
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These are some wonderful photos of all the cheery flowers and gardens. Frosty is so cute but Jackson just stole the show. Great score on the garden bench! I hope someone came to help Allan unload it. I am curious where you will decide to place it.
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Thanks! The bench is still in the trailer. We haven’t had anyone around who is mighty enough to help.
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I like the Ark quilt very much.
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My Daphne odora variegata is a large pot under the eaves and is blooming great this year, about ten years old.
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Hey, I just planted some of those ‘Winter Orchid’ wallflowers! That is another one that I would not expect to do so well there. The old ones liked dry and warm summers, or at least I though so.
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They only last a couple of years and get woody and unattractive.
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That is still better than I would expect. They do not last much more than five years even here.
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Brrrr!! But so many pretty flowers in spite of our cold weather. I especially love the double hellebore. Belle, Jackson (I want him!) and Frosty are all so cute. The bench is going to look great in your garden.
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