Thursday, 13 June 2019
As often happens when it is hot inland, our weather turned cool. We were able to put in a long workday.
Before work, I had a look at some of my roses with Jodie, who came from the J’s cottage across the street to view them.
The Red Barn
Holly ran to greet us.
We weeded and Allan wielded the string trimmer.
I met a dog named Dog.
I had gotten to know him and met his human before I bent over him like this, not something I would do with a large unknown dog. Dog is a lovey dovey pooch.
Diane’s Garden
We weeded and fertilized the planters.
Long Beach
First, we weeded Veterans Field because the Columbia Pacific Farmers’ Market would begin its season there on Friday.
My back went SPROIIING most painfully when I got out of the van, boding ill for the rest of the day. Fortunately, we carry Doan’s Back Pills, which really do work for me. After an excruciating half an hour, it started to feel ok again.
Also because of the market, Allan did some shearing back of the rugosa roses by the police station.
I met a darling little dog.
On the way to dump the roses, we made an emergency weed pulling stop at the Minnie Culbertson Park pocket garden.
We watered the Long Beach planters again. This time, Allan watered the tree gardens, as well, so it was a long session. The weather was so cold and windy that I wore my heavy winter scarf.
Showy though it is, and with good herby flowers, the golden oregano will take over a planter.
The alliums in planters are not faring well this year. On the other side of that planter, all three are missing.
Across the street at the police station, only one of six remains.
Disappointing. I will not add to the allium display in these planters.
I am not doing a monthly planter reference post this year. In 2021, these planters will probably be someone else’s problem pride and joy. Whoever that person might be, they will have their own ideas and tastes, and I expect changes. New ideas will be refreshing.
Fifth Street Park’s west side is a nightmare of horsetail.
I will not miss that struggle when we semi retire. I wish that I had put some prilled (fast acting) lime on this garden in spring. That might set the horsetail back. The park is such a weird combination of wet and dry soil that it is not much of a pleasure to work in.
Allan’s photos:
The crew can’t leave the scaffold out on the sidewalk overnight so away it went.
The painted stone from the June 11 post got a rinse.
We were cold and exhausted after the downtown watering and horsetail control but still had to water the Sid Snyder beach approach planters.
If I had had total control over what got planted in the downtown planters, instead of having taken them over with volunteer plantings still in them, and if I had known then what I know now, I would have planted them all with the simple and tough herby plants that do well with weekly watering or even less on the Sid Snyder approach: thyme, lavender, catmint, santolina, dianthus. Even there, some less tough plants linger from volunteer days but most of those have died out by now.
At home, I watered all my container plants and admired my rose again.
The fragrance from Paul drifts through the entire garden.
Your Paul’s Himalayan Musk is phenomenal. I’m looking forward to your semi-retirement because you will have (I hope) more time to spend on your own gardening, reading, plant sales, and personal thoughts, which I think will enrich your blog even more.
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Thank you, I hope you are right!
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Love your Paul’s Himalayan Musk rose. I had one happily growing on an alder tree in the garden I left behind when I moved to Ocean Park! I wish I could attach a photo of it here!
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It’s such a great rose!
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I will add to the accolades of Paul’s Himalayan Musk — outstanding! I’m also happy to hear another farmers market is starting. This is a great season for food lovers!
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Yes! Wish you were here, we could go to markets. There are at least five or six within an hour of here.
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Yes, your Paul’s Himalayan Musk rose is stunning! I like the rosa moyesii, too. The Long Beach planters and beds are looking pretty. I like how you match the flower colors to the business (red flowers for the delicatessen).
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Thank you for noticing the colors.
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Your Paul’s rose is breathtaking. The pic with the boat and ponds in the foreground is perfect!
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The thyme and the musk are very good value.
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🙂
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Those roses are rad. Most of our fancier types are between phases right now. Carpet roses that bloomed so well earlier in town are just beginning to bloom now. I am none too keen on carpet roses, but they were there when I got here.
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Carpet roses are definitely not my favourite.
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So it is not just me!?!?!
The somehow seem cheap to me. I know they work and all, but they are just so . . . . cheap.
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Not just you. They lack form and fragrance and character. Same with Knock Out roses, IMO.
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Ha! Thank you for saying so. I was not at all impressed with the ‘Knock Out’ roses either. Proven Winners no longer sends me samples to trial, probably because they do not like what I have to say about them.
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I’m impressed that they used to send you plants!
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I still wrote for several local but prestigious newspapers back then. I never said anything bad about their products in my gardening column. I just said nothing at all. However, I did send reports back to those who sent me the samples. After a while of that, the samples stopped coming.
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