Thursday, 5 July 2018
Depot Restaurant
weeding and watering…
Long Beach
We watered the Long Beach planters downtown.
We will crisscross the street to do the other three planters in a group of four while waiting for a large crowd to move on. Still, we do end up having to ask people to move so we can water.
Only once years ago did someone get angry and ask me to come back later; I said gently that we were on our way to water all the Ilwaco planters after Long Beach so no, we could not come back later—and she did move.
Sometimes, even though Long Beach is fun, I get tired of the noise and traffic in summer and end up counting off how many planters I have to do before I am done watering.
We tidied up the gardens in Veterans Field for the Friday farmers market.
Port of Ilwaco
We watered some, but not all, of the curbside gardens.
We got the watering done from David Jensen’s architecture office all the way to Time Enough Books; then I did a walkabout of the Ilwaco planters while Allan watered them.
Ethel’s efforts to beautify the town were a perfect example of action instead of big talk and complaints.
While Allan continued watering the planters, which takes an hour and a half minimum, I watered the boatyard garden. It used to take us half an hour or forty five minutes to water the planters back when we bucket watered them, before the water trailer. But we are just no longer up to hauling what was literally 800 pounds of water twice a week.
I was daunted by huge slugs hiding down there. I had not brought to the far end of the fence my slug disposal tools or a pair of gloves. I was just pulling with bare hands. I do hate touching a slug.
Afterwards, I looked at my particularly arthritic finger and for a creepy few moments I felt like it was just going to break right off at the joint.
I walked down to the other far end of the boatyard and the hose was not there. (I use a series of hoses that lay around by the faucets…usually.) I simply could not hobble all the way back to the middle of the other stretch of fence and drag a hose back. Fortunately, Allan, who has no arthritis that we know of, showed up in the nick of time and watered the south end of the garden while I sat in the van in a state of collapse. So glad to be home at dusk.
It is hard work dragging a hose around and watering. It makes public gardening so much harder. Here, I have two days a week, four am to nine am to water, and if I miss that then any watering of garden beds must be done by holding the hose. No free running water.
Because of the very, well public location of the public beds I look after, I will get reported by “concerned citizens” if seen not following the rules.
Your planters look great! Good job on the matchy matchy!
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I’d have a very hard time with having to water in the early morning. I hope you are a morning person. !!
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Hope Don’ cute signs work and bless Ethel
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Thank you!
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I just left my single and rather small planter box downtown. It was quite discouraging. Someone cut out one of the six or so trailing rosemary plants that cascade over the concrete retaining wall. My only bronze houseleed keeps getting broken off. The trash and vomit (yes, vomit) is ridiculous! I find dishes, glasses, forks, knives, spoons and all sorts of utensils from neighboring restaurants . . . although I have not yet found a paper towel dispenser.
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Good for Allan. That finger looks most suspect.
I like the eryngium too.
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Thanks, Mr T!
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Slugs! Yuck. I occasional get a huge one. I’m too squeamish to pick them up. I scoop them up with a shovel and take them for a walk to the woods. I love the Do Not Pick The Flowers sign. Hope it helps!
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I used to stop gardening for the day if I touched a slug. In my 20s when gardening was a small hobby. Now I wear exam gloves most of the time while gardening to avoid that yuck.
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