Saturday, 7 September 2019
Castle Rock, Washington
We continued our exploration of Castle Rock public gardens with the
Castle Rock Visitor Center.
According to an article in The Daily News, the majority of the $247,000 project was completed by community volunteers and public works employees…including the landscaping around the building. The center opened in May of 2016, so the garden is still young.
I walked this path away from the building…
…and back again.
By the wheelie bin enclosure at the end of that path, we had found a picnic shelter and pretty bed of annuals.
The hanging baskets were padlocked.
Allan’s photoThe enclosure had some useful posters.
More posters described assorted trees.
Allan’s photo
Allan’s photo
the tree our bogsy wood is made ofAcross the big parking lot….
…is a pollinator meadow.
Allan’s photo
Allan’s photo
Allan’s photoI could not find on my phone the location of the old jail, so we drove back downtown and got out and looked for a pedestrian to ask. We found one just as I saw, across a parking lot, a garden that looked promising. Indeed, the pedestrian said it was the place we sought. I noticed his t shirt for the Crosscut Taproom, which was one of two restaurants recommended at Nancy’s garden. He was the owner, so that settled which one we would dine at (the other was Wine Down Dog).
Old Jail Park
Allan’s photo
The walls are reinforced with scrap iron and old horseshoes.
Allan’s photo of a horseshoeA diseased tree had been recently cut…
…resulting in some scorched hostas.
Allan’s photo; beds are sponsored by local businesses.
downtown Castle Rock
We took a two block walk up and down one street a block from the park.
Allan’s photo of a poster behind the window display.
Allan’s photo
Allan’s photo
a curbside garden and an apartment buildingOne of the apartments had its own little garden display, freshly watered and next door to the library.
The double baskets are gorgeous, as they were two years ago. Then there were more trailing potato vines; this year, the theme is pink.
In the containers, the theme was green.
I liked it very much. The big containers had plants which I feel sure like lots of water.
Allan’s photo
Allan’s photo
another street heading off south (Allan’s photo)
It took me till now to realize that Wine Down Dog is a pun (wind down).
Allan’s photoWe ate at the Crosscut Taproom, having gotten directions from its friendly owner.
We got there just before it got busy with the dinner crowd, including a large party who recognized us from today’s garden touring.
We enjoyed teriyaki rice bowls, cider and ginger beer…
Allan’s photo
…and petting a nice dog named Loki on the way out.
He was maybe a little tired from having had attention from many people.
As we drove away, we saw the other side of the apartment building with another sidewalk garden, one which I think I noticed two years ago.
Allan’s photoWe got home by dark. I am already looking forward to next year’s tour.
Tangly Cottage Gardening 
The gardens created and maintained by the volunteers and city throughout this small town are so impressive. Both the Crosscut Taproom and the Wine Down Dog look like fun places to stop at in the future. Thank you, Skyler and Allan, for all the photos and descriptions you posted of the Castle Rock Bloomin’ Tour!
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Thank you. Hope to see you there again next year!
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Another worthwhile visit.
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Thanks, Mr T!
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In the picture (of the picture) the red alder looks like birch. When I saw them in Washington, they looked like white alder. One of the lodging buildings at work was restored last year, and got outfitted with doors and framing made of alder.
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