9 May: Diane’s garden and a visit

Thursday, 9 May 2024

Holly got her biscuit.

Allan added a few plants to the roadside garden.

Actually, that is a “hellstrip” garden of sorts, so the job we left yesterday was not our only example of that style, but since I got vertigo, it is too dangerous for me to work out there, and I worry about Allan working along there, too. I make suggestions from inside the fence.

The sweet peas are doing well.

My cosmos that I grew from seed are still tiny. I hope they grow fast because I want to add some along here (or, rather, watch Allan add them).

The big white plant is the wonderful Crambe maritima.

The Red Barn

Allan got to pet a horse.

Holly came from next door for another biscuit.

The little garden is scheduled to be at its peak during tourism and rodeo season, which is in July.

It was HOT as we drove home and had been uncomfortably hot while working.

At home

When we got home, because the day was so hot, I had to clip away some honeysuckle to get the back door of the greenhouse open, and I had to do that and water quickly because we were expecting company at 4 P.M.

Now it has a cross breeze.

Jane arrived from Astoria and we had a nice visit around the fire circle and a tour of the garden.

I love this photo that she took:

photo by Jane Finch-Howell

In the evening , I managed to get some plants out of the greenhouse as the nights are finally warm enough (around 50 F).

Somehow, room must be made for many plants outdoors now! The patio is already pretty darn full.

Before I went indoors as dusk approached, the light to the south was so beautiful.

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8 May: farewell to a little job

Wednesday, 8 May 2024

At breakfast, I opened our last container of the wonderful applesauce that Allan made last autumn. (I put it on my oatmeal breakfast every morning instead of sugar or honey.)

Ilwaco

We decided to do the Ilwaco jobs today, starting with planting a couple of plants at our two volunteer gardens. The fire station was too busy with some kind of hose training, so the new plants I was going to plant there must wait. We planted a couple of Helenium ‘Tijuana Brass’ at the post office. I had propogated them (by division) but realized they are patented so they cannot be in my plant sale.

When we got to the Freedom Market shop, I inquired within about the manager who hasn’t answered a couple of invoice emails and found out she no longer manages the shop so, after talking to “corporate” (on the phone, as corporate is in another city and another county!) and finding out that they wanted the job to be “paused”, I amicably retired from that job now instead of this autumn, not wanting to deal with the dry weedy mess that results from pausing a garden in May. While I had been in the shop, Allan had planted a plant to fill in an empty space; we took it out again and back home with us.The garden looked quite nice as we departed.

I was actually relieved to have one job less, although I may have some feelings about it later when I am not so busy. That was my very last “hellstrip” bed at the port, where I started with a volunteer garden hellstrip (droughty curbside garden) at the boatyard in the mid 1990s, which eventually turned into caring for the port gardens from one end to the other. So it is the end of an era of almost thirty years of gardening in that area. It is a style I very much enjoy and, because the peninsula doesn’t have “parking strips”, that was the only place I could experiment with that style. It’s fine though. I may only have fifteen years or less of gardening before I die and I would rather spend it out of the public eye (except for blogging). And, as shown in this photo from a couple of summers ago, Allan will no longer have to bring, hook up, and drag around two hoses once a week in watering season. Nor will I have to worry about parts of the entry garden getting trampled and walked through.

Fare thee well, garden of yore.

Diane’s garden

We went shopping for Diane’s garden. First, we had to go there because I didn’t think last week to count the spaces in containers that needed new plants.

Holly and a friend of hers each got a biscuit.

The Planter Box

The Basket Case Greenhouse

at home

Allan put up a sign he had got me for my birthday; he did all the paperwork for it.

I watered all the plants we’d bought and later Allan reloaded Diane’s plants into the van for tomorrow. I put the ones I bought for me (some ferns and a wintergreen) in the “to plant” area and spent two more hours labelling sale plants….almost done!

Allan made a cornbread and chilli casserole thingie for dinner that was scrumptious. I was so tired and hungry that I had two big helpings while we watched Lewis. Our dear friend Patty had shopped for us across the river so we even had sour cream to go on top (one of the things the little local market where we like to shop doesn’t usually carry). We really appreciate the time she spends doing that for us and we try to spend some time doing helpful things for her, as well. After the sale, I’ll plant some more plants in her garden.

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7 May: too busy to make blog fodder

Tuesday, 7 May 2024

I spent the day labelling plant sale plants.

Cheyenne visited from down the block.

I was so busy that I only took two photos. I got the main part of the labelling done though, concentrating on it all day long.

Allan worked on the big job of weeding the gravel patio.

He even buried a replacement hose that had been on the surface since another hose broke last year.

I haven’t read a page of my interlibrary loan gardening book in days!

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6 May: more compost

Monday, 6 May 2024

at home

The Chewy order arrived.

Margarita brought us a gift!

I picked her a bouquet.

Allan tidied his ferny shade garden.

columbine and hebe

I sifted compost and, from bin two, telephotoed my Fremontodendron which is suddenly in full bloom.

First load of compost, 2:30 P.M.:

My goal was to fluff up the two new round-y beds.

I am throwing unfinished compost up high onto the mountain in bin three.

I longed to reach the bottom of bin two.

Second load, 3:09 P.M.:

My mission was so pressing that I was sort of missing out on garden appreciation.

Third load, 4:15. It gets harder to sift as one nears the bottom.

I was thrilled to find that the bags of crab shells from our friend Teri had broken down into crumbly soft bits, even the claws.

Fourth load, 4:53 P.M.

Made it to the bottom!

Now I really must leave the compost alone till after our Memorial Day weekend plant sale! Achieving my goal today will allow another temporary top shelf to be installed above the bin to enable easier sorting and labelling of the plants.

I noticed my pink camassia.

And the evening light at 6:00 P.M.

.I collapsed into my comfy chair and noticed that Skooter looked cute.

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5 May: compost accomplishment

Sunday, 5 May 2024

at home

I planted a seed tray in the greenhouse, I suppose much too late for fruiting success, of some tomato seeds I had saved last autumn in all the wrong ways: not cleaned, not in the cool dark, just sitting around on the counter on these saucers for six months. I am just curious to see if they will germinate without being fussed over. If they do, I will try to save some tomato seeds next autumn. If they don’t, maybe I will try to be fussier over how I save tomato seeds.

I had expected to read The Garden Awakening all day long, rejoicing in rainy reading weather.

Instead, the rain was not predicted till 3 PM so I went out thinking I might sift a load of compost. But first, I divided a big clump of Helenium ‘Sahin’s Early Flowerer’ and made two flats of it for my plant sale (May 24-25 probably), which involves washing the roots to eliminate any weeds and also checking to see if it is patented, in which case I couldn’t sell it. (It appears not.)

I admired my darling ‘Old Mustard’ primula from Far Reaches Farm. I think the fern in the background is ‘Dre’s Dagger’.

Although I wanted to switch two weeping willows and was ready to do so, I was thwarted by rain and a strong wind. Allan came outside to see if I needed rescuing.

He saw ducks next door.

And he took his own brief tour of the wet garden.

sword fern

I had completed my list of sale plants (about 60 different kinds of perennials, about half of them one or two flats worth, some just a few for the discerning person). Indoors, my plan was to type up and alphabetise the list and then get back to my book….but first, tea and toast and the Sunday crossword. By then, the rain had stopped so I went out again and switched the golden weeping willows from Tony. I had planted the tallest one, even though I knew it wasn’t the wisest one to choose, and indeed, the wind was pushing it over and rocking it in the ground.

You can see, perhaps, that it was rocking at the base from the wind. It is now in a great big pot, staked, while a shorter one is planted in its stead and should grow quickly and more sturdily. I had succumbed at first to my craving for quick results, after last year’s disappointing planting of a purchased little start of weeping willow that did pretty much nothing.

Then I sifted compost and applied it to the center bed. First load:

My source, bin two, appeared to be getting down to an undecomposed layer…

…but I managed to sift out another load.

A few more hours and I might each the bottom of bin two. I would very much like to find out what state the crab shells that I buried are in. The question is, can I balance the too-rough debris on top of bin three? Because I only have two bins in play at the moment (and one more of branches to be shredded). The other two have become plant tables and storage areas for the summer.

By the time I came back indoors, due to more rain and wind, it was almost 6 PM. I churned out two blog posts, made the first draft of my typed and alphabetized plant list, and hardly had any time to read at all. I had even returned George Orwell’s thick book of letters to the library unread yesterday and will order it for midsummer hot days or for next autumn…I’ve run out of nice long stretches of reading weather for the nonce.

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Oops

I accidentally published again. Am tired! So some of you who subscribe by email will be reading the same post (May 11th) again in about six days. I can’t stand having the narrative flow out of order!

I think I will add some photos of the stuff I planted up to make the post more exciting when you see it again.

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4 May: cats and rain

Saturday, 4 May 2024

at home

As happens most days that we are home, we heard pitiful cries from Zinc and found her pinned down and bullied by Faerie. Half an hour after the rescue, we found them both in a Chewy box.

I hope that look is not a plea for rescue.

Skooter had gone out at 9 AM and did not come back which led to much worrying, because the day brought lots of rain and wind and usually he doesn’t stay out long in the rain. I took a walk in the drenching rain all the way to the willow grove looking for him. Never have I seen the water so deep in the garden in the month of May.

from Willows Loop Junction to the fire circle

north edge of the Bogsy Wood

west end of the Deep Path

looking north from the Bogsy Wood

the bridged swale

the deep swale

the bridge to the willow grove

the stepping stones from the willow grove, mostly underwater

the deep swale from the willow grove

the frog bog outside out south fence:

north into the garden again:

the vee of the metal path

the metal path

the Deep Path bridge

Deep Path east end

fire circle south side

Interesting watery garden views but no Skooter even though I called his name all the way. We even drove around town looking for him. Finally, at five, he returned, meowing, from the rental cabin next door, and we wondered if he had been sleeping on their couch or eating tuna fish! What a relief, because during the time we weren’t searching, I was reading The Garden Awakening by Mary Reynolds, as recommended by Sharon Blackie, and couldn’t relax into it as much as I’d like because of worry over Skooter. Despite perfect reading weather, I didn’t get quite a fourth of the way done. I will have much to say about it when I do finish it.

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3 May: soggy project

Friday, 3 May 2024

at home

I knew rain was due by noon but thought I might have time, when I went outdoors at about 11 AM, to sift a load of compost. Planting a few plants before the rain drew me into the garden. My coyote willow had finally leafed out so I planted it and a couple of other willow starts by the deep swale.

Skooter followed me while I looked for places to put the other two willow starts, unnamed cuttings from willows I have encountered here and there.

Camassia ‘Pink Stars’

Skooter followed me while I looked for somewhere to plant the cuttings.

I want to weed the bridged swale which will look much better with just the golden grass.

I made my weeding life difficult by digging the deep swale and the deep path, creating areas where I can’t weed till the water dries up.

That dark red quince is still flowering, has been flowering since late winter.

At the fire circle, I decided to pull just some of the maianthemum, a pesky native plant that is swamping my choice plants. I had been meaning to do this for quite awhile.

the always annoying maianthemum

And what were the bumblebees feeding on? Not the native maianthemum; they were favoring the invasive Spanish bluebell.

As I walked back to get the grey wheelbarrow, the rain began.

I noticed that all my cannas survived the icy late winter freeze!

Back at the fire circle, I weeded two garden areas like fury! Even though I can’t get all the roots of the maianthemum out, pulling it is good, before it goes to seed and then goes dormant and yellowy-brown and has to be pulled anyway. The windless not too cold rain was not bad to work in for awhile.

Maianthemum had done its best to take over this bed in just one year.

This bed needs and will get some sort of centrepiece where I used to have my precious bladdernut tree start from Markham Farm. I moved it to a slightly damper area where it’s doing better.

The happier bladdernut is in the middle of the other bed I was weeding today.

I managed to reveal plants at the front, and limbed up my favourite fuchsia, ‘Grayrigg’, to the right, for the sake of the plants underneath it. The back of the bed badly need weeding, too:

…But by then I was getting cold, wet, and slightly miserable. Allan came to see what had become of me and emptied the full wheelbarrow for me.

He even raked the debris off of the lawn after I had departed.

He noticed some flowers:

You might be able to see, on the path back to the house, that I cut the lower leaves from the Angelica that were starting to block the path (to the right):

I was stopped by the sight the large tatty sarracenia by the little pond (a very hardy plant that was outside all winter) so I did a bit of a tidy.

last week

today

And I did have to water in the main greenhouse.

I was ever so glad to get indoors and get warmed up and churn out five blog posts.

Meanwhile, not having gotten as sodden yet, Allan did a bit of tidying in his fern garden and took some photos of the unfurling croziers.

and a trillium

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2 May, part two: Tony tours the garden

Thursday, 2 May 2024

at home

Scott and Tony and their dog Rudy came over so that Tony could get his belated birthday present. Tony took himself on a garden tour, with many lovely photos, as follows. I appreciate his visits because he notices things and never fails to explore to the furthest corners. Allan had just mowed and edged our lawn.

Tony’s birthday gift was The Jewel Box Garden by Thomas Hobbs, one of my favourite garden writers.

Zinc loves company.

unweeded cat memorial garden and (weeded) garden boat

fire circle area:

bogsy wood:

the deep path

the metal path

willow grove:

Toward the front garden:

I love seeing our garden through Tony’s eyes.

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2 May part one: projects

Thursday, 2 May 2024

at home

The garden looked sparkly and vibrant when I went outdoors.

Epimedium sulphureum growing through a chaise longue that I still intend to spray paint green. I think it was garden writer Thomas Hobbs who had some stern words about people who buy white garden furniture, a quote I will have to find if I ever get round to spray painting it. (Like almost all my garden furniture, it’s a passalong, quite comfy with the cushion on it.)

We did a couple of projects, the biggest one being to hang the great wall of china, which Allan has to do from a ladder or standing on a sturdy section of the plants tables, something I didn’t think about when I asked him to build the big tables there. It scares me to watch!

I’d like to figure out a new way to add tables on the west side of the house and turn the wall of china area into a nice sheltered sit spot, which would even have wifi from the house, with a partial wind shelter wall made from the glass bricks that I bought for an indoor project that isn’t going to happen.

Allan had recently snagged a cast off concrete vault, probably the last one we will acquire now that we no longer have access to the Long Beach works yard debris area. Because getting it was his idea, I didn’t feel guilty about him hoisting the heavy thing into place. I do regret missing the action photo of him, age 71, lifting it into place.

I filled it with a mixture of potting soil and cherry stone poultry grit…

…and planted new plants, and these tulips whose flowers I sadly broke while digging the bulbs (won’t be good for the bulbs but they may eventually flower again).

Allan raked up the flowers from his rhododendron.

I sifted some compost…

…and while I was sifting it, I looked to one side and noticed some very tall bamboo poles stores behind the garage. I had forgotten about them.

What a thrill! They made a perfect addition to my new discovery of putting poles into the broken corners of the kitchen garden fish totes.

Excellent!

Allan was mowing Alicia’s enormous back lawn, which I could see because of the cut back escallonia hedge.

Scott and Tony and Rudy came over, as invited …

….and I gave Tony his belated birthday present, a copy of one of my top favourite gardening books, The Jewel Box Garden by Thomas Hobbs.

Tony took photos of the garden, which will be tomorrow’s post.

In the early evening, I sifted another barrow of rough compost and applied it to an area where I had dug out a lot of elephant garlic.

I wanted to do a third load but for some reason I was too tired.

In the driveway garden in the evening, Davidia involucrata ‘Sonoma, which I hope passersby are noticing:

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