Monday, 18 June 2018
By the time this publishes a week after it happened, we will, if all goes well, have returned from a five day trip to the Big City for the Hardy Plant Society Study Weekend. Oh, how I have fretted and been filled with dread about the trip (and city traffic) because in some ways I am almost agoraphobic, and because it worries me to leave my garden and our jobs during summer. We registered in January and I have been anxious for months! I have been so tempted to cancel, time after time, till I missed the deadline for being able to get one’s money back.
We planned on a short week of mostly watering (which certainly won’t last while we are gone).
Long Beach
Allan watered the trees and a few planters while I watered the rest of the planters.
This tree, with Panicum ‘Heavy Metal’ and an unfortunate amount of weed grass mixed in, probably looks like nothing but weeds to all but the most avid fan of ornamental grass.
Allan saw Bernardo from Abbracci Coffee bringing coffee grounds to our trailer…
The nice green bucket was a parting gift to us. We are sad because Bernardo and Tony have sold Abbracci and are moving back to the city. (A new owner will reopen on June 26th, the day this publishes, in fact!)
This pink oenothera always reminds me of Ann Lovejoy and of the first time I heard her give a garden lecture (that changed my life).
This tree, I believe, had run under the sidewalk to the nearby planter…
and popped up!
This formerly yellow climbing rose was planted years ago by a volunteer, and has now reverted to the red flowering rootstock:
It’s roots go so deep we can’t get it out, even though it is in a ridiculous place and wants to wave into traffic. It takes constant cutting back. I remembered how many volunteers tried to grow something up the lamp post and how that never worked out well.
I am thrilled that after being stark white for a couple of weeks, Wind World Kites and The Candy Man got brightly painted again.
We weeded in Fifth Street Park, which is probably so wild with Sanguisorba ‘Pink Elephant’ in bud that it reads like a mess to most viewers right now.
Better soon, I hope.
Allan found and pulled a mess of bindweed in the back corner of the SE quadrant.
We regained some energy with crab rolls at Captain Bob’s Chowder.
Shelburne Hotel
We watered and weeded. I was encouraged to see the garden had made it from Thursday watering to Monday without much stress. That bodes well for our being gone for five days.
The wisteria needs pruning as it is reaching for the gutters. Soon! I clipped at it just a bit.
A pretty rose at the back of the front garden:
I wish we had time to dine at the pub, but more watering called.
Ilwaco
I did a walkabout of the planters while Allan watered them.
I watered at the boatyard while Allan finished his planter rounds.
At home, after a mere eight hour day, I petted my elderly neighbor, Rudder.
Allan went on to water the Post Office and Fire Station volunteer gardens, making his day even longer.
I am drinking in the flowers from afar. Here I have one yellow flower in the middle of my lawn. A weed, but I can’t bear to pull out the one colorful flower!
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I am sure the flower appreciates life!
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The California poppies are just wonderful and have never seen
so many interesting colors.
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I do love them!
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Your plantings look beautiful, Skyler!
Life has been in the summer work fast lane here, and I am sorry to have been away and just be diving in again. I am off to harp guitar retreat soon here too, and my own June post may not be until early July.
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I hear you about the busy time!! Lovely to have a Music retreat!
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Did the rock have a website address on it?
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It did, but Allan forgot to look.
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You might find this to be amusing. https://tonytomeo.wordpress.com/2017/09/25/rocks/
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