3 June: bouquet day

Sunday, 3 June 2018

Allan saw a potential new resident outside his window.

assessing a new home

I woke up an hour and a half early fretting about the bouquets; would they still be good or would some things have wilted?

still good!

I picked one more spray of flowers from Halimiocistus x wintonensis ‘Merrist Wood Cream’.  I realize now I have been leaving out the first “i” on the spelling of this plant for years.

Halimiocistus x wintonensis ‘Merrist Wood Cream’

At 11, we went to the Shelburne in to set up the flowers for the Summer Salsa fundraiser.

Allan’s photo

yellow, gold and white, with Aquilegia ‘Clementine’

pink, blue, dark red, and gold

Allan’s photo: mom’s red velvet rose, Persicaria bistorta superba, columbines

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

carrying flowers in the side door

Allan watered the garden so that it would look fresh and lively for the event.

auction items and bouquet

dog daisy bouquet and dog art

thalictrum, columbines, alliums, miscanthus

All the Mexican coke bottles had some flowers already.  I had brought a bucket of more flowers to add to them as I set them up.  Allan tied them together in groups of three in order to keep them from tipping.

For those who do not know, Mexican coca cola is made with real sugar instead of corn syrup.  I am not a coke drinker, but people do like that taste better.

These velvety roses were from The J’s garden across the street (with permission).

astrantias and old roses

My red velvet bouquet got wrapped with a delicate string of lights.

We did not stay for the event. We later learned it was a big success and raised over $8000 dollars.

Stephanie’s photo

Stephanie’s photo

At home, Allan drove off in the mist to go shopping and exploring in NW Oregon.

A launch on the upper Youngs Bay river; Allan did not go boating in the rain.

I had the idea that I would go home and weed some more in the afternoon, and then…finally, we had some rain.  I stood at the window and watched the glorious sight of rain going into a rain barrel.

Unfortunately, it only rained a tiny fraction of an inch.  Even when the sun peeked out in the early evening, I could not make myself garden.  I had finished this library book:

It had a good explanation of hoarding behavior:

I enjoyed the book so much that I immediately read my other library book by the same author:

It is a suspense novel set in one of those big private London gardens surrounded by residences.  I enjoyed it so much that I intend to read more by her next winter.

I had two cats on my lap while reading.  No wonder I couldn’t go outside to the garden.

I forgot to mention that not long ago I finished a third memoir by Alan Titchmarsh.  (Gardeners’ World videos continue to interfere with my reading time.)

I was finally enlightened about John Innes compost, often mentioned in British gardening sources:

I learned something new about “ae” and “ii”.

Why we use such names:

I remember a day while working at a local resort, when I was able to communicate about plants with a non English speaking tourist with botanical Latin.

Watering rounds, in his early work days:

The love of books:

I wish I could acquire this rose, and ‘Alan Titchmarsh’ sweet peas:

A charming description of Beth Chatto, who recently died:

I especially enjoyed the chapter which talked about the early days of Gardeners’ World, when Percy Thrower was the host.