16 March: mulching day

Friday, 16 March 2018

On the way out of Ilwaco, we dropped off and picked up books at the library.  Now I have an even bigger pile of books to read, which is problematical at this time of year.

Ilwaco Community Building

Community building garden with Ocean Beach Hospital and a salal I want to get rid of this year.

Supposing we do manage to dig out that tatty salal, what should we put in that triangular corner instead?  I am thinking.  The sidewalk is narrow and peculiarly designed there.

We began with a quick visit to the Basket Case Greenhouse, to give Roxanne some seeds to try growing for me.  If she succeeds, she will have some Eryngium giganteum ‘Miss Wilmott’s Ghost’ for sale eventually!

Two seedy characters (Roxanne and me)

Right now, the Basket Case has the excellent Eryngium ‘Jade Frost’.

The leaves of Eryngium ‘Jade Frost’ eventually revert to green. So it’s worth refreshing with a new plant every couple of years.

Peninsula Landscape Supply

Our first work destination was the acquisition of some Soil Energy mulch.

When we drove in, I had a brief wave of anxiety because the bins looked empty and I had not called to confirm that Soil Energy was in stock.

When we pulled up closer, I was relieved to see enough for us.

The fish of Peninsula Landscape Supply

The Depot Restaurant…

…was our mulching destination.

Before: I wanted to improve this tight and rooty bed and to plant a start of Tetrapanax.  Chef Michael wants tall things in here.  I tried to transplant a start of Tetrapanax last year to no avail.

Allan’s photo, south side of dining deck

after

We used the remainder of the mulch on the north side of the dining deck.

filling in along the edge

Allan’s photo

We were making good time, so we went to the city works yard in…

Long Beach

….and filled all our buckets from the city pile of Soil Energy, enough to mulch the arc garden at the Veterans Field flag pavilion.

Driving to city works, I had seen two sets of narcissi that needed deadheading, the first by the Coastal Inn and Suites.  We took care of that and noticed that the inn now has a tulip bed.

Very nice; we hope the deer don’t eat them.

Allan’s photo

Next, we deadheaded the tree garden in front of Abbracci Coffee Bar.

Allan’s photo

Feeling weary after the usual night of semi-insomnia (and dreams when asleep about the film Ethel and Ernest, now one of my favourite films of all time), I had a craving for coffee and a Pink Poppy Bakery treat.  Just as we finished deadheading, the closed sign went up in the door of the coffee bar.  Dang it! It was already three thirty.

I guess it was just as well, because it gave us time to get more done; we went through the Great Escape Coffee Drive Through instead.

The Shelburne Hotel

Our visit to the Shelburne garden was a quick one, just long enough to plant some Eryngium and Dierama seedlings and a bit of variegated saxifrage.

The epimedium whose leaves (some of them) I cut back in the rain a couple of weeks ago is blooming.  The flowers would not show if the leaves were all still there.

Remember the hellebore whose flower got broken off to many cries of woe (and blame)?  It made a new flower.

Allan’s vindicating photo

I made a fun photo of the Shelburne with the Popsicolor app last night:

Popsicolor: Double Mint, Natural Focus, Top to Bottom Gradient, Inked: India Ink, Enhanced

Ilwaco boatyard garden

We tackled the last of the targeted (by us) clumps of the Pennisetum macrourum, where we had run out of time yesterday.

Allan’s photo, before…the horror

I went over the last area he had dug and picked over yesterday, and had not had time to finish.  There were so many deep roots, I despaired of winning.  But humans WILL WIN this battle.

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo: But what lurks beneath?

Yesterday:

looking north (the steam is from a boat engine that just got put in the water)

Today:

We had a look in the boatyard:

Right above the High Hope, to the left of the Starwest, is the spruce tree in the lower part of our old garden.

At home, Allan decided he had time to mow our lawn, and I unloaded and piled roots of the pennisetum for future wheelie bin disposal (it’s full now) until I ran out of steam, and then erased “mulch Depot” from the work board.

Skooter was sleeping on my go bag again.

Tomorrow, Saturday the 17th, is my birthday—not a big important one, just age 63, but worth a day off and (I hope) some garden accomplishments at home.

 

 

 

 

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9-10 Feb: “spring” clean up continues

Friday, 9 February 2018

At home: My green hellebore, a gift last year from Our Kathleen.

and Clematis ‘Freckles’

The Depot Restaurant

We started with the spring clean up at the Depot in Seaview, mainly the cutting of the ornamental grasses on the south and east side of the dining deck.

south side, before (Allan’s photos)

and after

 

before

after; Allan is putting back the sprinkler line, which he pulled out to protect it from getting snipped.

The perennial and annuals border to be, on the north side of the deck

Allan chopped the one big grass at the house next door (Depot office space):

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

next door to the Depot (Allan’s photos)

We took our load of debris, including some branch-y clippings from coppicing shrubs at home, to the dump.  Because the usual clean green debris area was so muddy, we were instructed to put the compostables into a big dumpster.  It was a scary drop in my mind so I stayed well back from the edge.

way down far

Allan is brave.

In the evening, I finished a book.

Guess which orange one I love, and which one I loathe.

Long Beach

We returned to Fifth Street Park to do the two east side quadrants.

This narrow bed to the northeast desperately needs mulch.

One of these days, I will find Parks Manager Mike working in town and ask for a load to be placed for us at City Works.  I am glad he did not get any late last fall because I was all tired out and glad to go on staycation without mulching.

Rudbeckia blooming in February

While Allan pruned the big hydrangea in the SE corner, I checked on a few of the nearby trees and planters, cutting back old Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ and pulling little weeds.

tree in front of Abbracci Coffee Bar

We did not have time for a coffee break.  We did get some banana bread slices to go for our post-work tea time.

primroses under a street tree by Malai Thai restaurant

Geum unseasonably blooming in February

Geranium ‘Rozanne’ blooming three months early (or four months late)

hydrangea before

and after (Allan’s photos)

I hope we did not sacrifice flowers by pruning so low.  But if the flowers are up higher, they are hidden by tree branches and interfere with the light on the pole.

Allan found a painted rock representing a fried egg, quite appropriate for the park next to Benson’s Restaurant, a breakfast establishment.

I was able to erase Fifth Street Park and Depot from the work board clean up list…and remembered to add Third Street park.

Saturday, 10 February 2018

Long Beach

We started with the spring clean up of Long Beach City Hall; Saturday, when it is closed, is a good day for that because parking is easy.

Peggy’s Park, east side of city hall, before

Peggy’s Park was planted by Gene and Peggy Miles and is kept up by us in her memory.

after

Allan did the clean up on the west side.

City Hall, west side, before

narcissi and rosemary and rue

after (Allan’s photos)

With the city hall garden done, we dumped a load of debris at City Works and then went to Third Street.  Allan battled the roses on the south side of the police station:

before: Rosa rugosa ‘Blanc Double de Coubert’

before

welding gloves

passersby

after

after

And he cut back the Gaura ‘Whirling Butterflies’ in the Veterans Field flag pavilion garden.

before

memorial wreaths

making a mess

cleaned up

Meanwhile, I weeded and pruned hydrangeas in the little park by Lewis and Clark Square.

I am excited to tell you that the sign in the window says “Coming Soon: Taqueria el Jalepenos”!

before

after

I also pruned the hydrangeas in the southwest quadrant of Third Street park….

before

after

…and tidied up another block’s worth of planters.

more blooming Geranium ‘Rozanne’

and knautia blooming with the crocuses

That knautia was the variegated ‘Thunder and Lightning’ which unfortunately reverts to green leaves by the second year.

historic photos in the window of a business for sale (the building on the southwest corner of Bolstad and Pacific)

I hope passersby are appreciating the snowdrops in the planters.

We had another load of debris to dump.

evening sun in the city works yard

We drove out to the end of the Bolstad approach to view the sunset.

I was able to erase Vet Field, Third Street, and police station roses.

But then I remembered to add the parking lot berms.

For the bookish:  I’ve added 1985 in books, here.  I’m not sure if email subscribers will get a notice of these posts that I am publish retroactively, because I want to keep them all tidily together.

 

 

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28 Feb: three and a bit in LB

Tuesday, 28 February 2017

As usual lately, workable weather gave me the big idea that I could cross four things off of the work list.

Iris reticulata at the Ilwaco post office (Allan’s photo)

After a brief post office weeding, we headed to Long Beach and began with the planters on the Sid Snyder beach approach.

Sid Snyder Drive

looking west on Sid Snyder

santolina and narcissi

clipping santolina (Allan’s photo)

 

I find it regrettable that this resort replaced drought tolerant lavenders and ornamental grasses with lawn.

planter, before (Allan’s photos)

and after

more narcissi.  I should have paused to break off those echinops stubs.

west end of Sid Snyder, south end of boardwalk, last planter

a short scenic break, from the boardwalk, because life is short.

interpretive signs on the boardwalk

whale sculptures

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Discovery Trail (Allan’s photo)

Allan noticed two socks abandoned by a tourist excited to see the ocean.

World Kite Museum

Also on Sid Snyder is the Kite Museum. While we began a little touch up clipping on the small entry garden, museum store manager Patty emerged and I was able to ask what the plans were for a newly cleared entry area.

Kite Museum entry; our little garden is out of frame to the right.

The answer is that the museum will have a new bike rack and picnic table spot and some big flower pots.  Patty and I agreed that the row of tatty old hebes to the right should be pulled out, as the ones on the left side had been removed.  I like that idea even more if someone other than us does the digging.  Then our little garden will show better.

before, with shabby hebes to the left that will be gone

after

Allan did all the work while Patty and I discussed big ideas.  She knew we were coming soon because she watches the work board on this blog.

Bolstad beach approach

west end of Bolstad

I had brought some Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ starts from home to fill in these planters; last year we had a startling amount of theft of good plants along this approach.

an interesting display showing local volcanos (Washington and Oregon)

I myself have found pumice stone on this beach, probably from the 1980 eruption of Mt. St Helens.

In the second planter to the east, I found the first finger blight of the year.

two recently stolen armeria (sea thrift) plants

Our thief is at it again.  I wish I could catch her.  I could tell her that sea thrift does not transplant well.  I put Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ in its place.  She may like that, too.

Allan had gone to the beach approach garden to clip ornamental grasses.  He brought the van back to me so that we could sit out a heavy rain squall.

looking east

Fortunately, it was but a squall and we were able to get back to work without misery.

lots of standing water in the dunes

beach approach garden, looking east

Today we were only clipping.  The big weeding of the beach approach garden still awaits us.  I do not think it will be as tough a job as usual; the weeds are not a thick carpet this year.

not too bad!

some poppy seedlings; I scattered lots of seedpods last fall.

looking west, rugosa roses

One of the things we will be doing along with the weeding is pulling out as many rugosa roses from right along the edge as we can.  So if any of you locals want some, let me know and I’ll tell you when that is about to happen.

What have we here? Deer or thieving human? I think someone was trying to steal bulbs that are planted deep.

Not very weedy.  I wish there were more poppy seedlings.  Maybe later.

Looking east.  A volunteer wax myrtle is fighting it out with an escallonia.

definitely deer eaten tulips

Parks Manager Mike drove by and agreed to get us a pile of Soil Energy mulch.  I am thrilled we do not have to drive up peninsula to get it ourselves.  We will bucket it from a pile in the works yard.

rugosa rose stems sticking out too far into the sidewalk area

a temporary fix by clipping

While I weeded and clipped in the planters, Allan had clipped tall grasses all along this garden.  It’s a tedious task.

before and after

before and after

before and after

before and after

It’s especially unpleasant to pull old crocosmia leaves from inside prickly roses.

This leads to thorns in the fingers.

planter work

Parking Lot “Berms”

We tidied up several Stipa gigantea and a few perennials on the north and south parking lot gardens, east of downtown.

Allan’s photos: Stipa gigantea before

and after

the north berm

last Stipa, south berm, before trimming

end of south berm

While pulling crocosmia, I found an old bird next.

I had had a dream today of getting the rambling roses pruned in Fifth Street Park. Since the temperature was dropping, a wind kicking up, and not enough time left, we did one more small project that had never even made it to the work board.

Minnie Culbertson Park

before

after, with a vigorous trimming of the lithodora

The first clean up column is almost done!

While we might be able to polish off the Port of Ilwaco spring clean up in one day or two, the weather forecast is dire so I cannot count on it happening tomorrow.

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17 Feb: ornamental grass cleanup

Friday, 17 February 2017

Skooter likes to turn on Allan’s computer, so Allan found something for him to watch.

Ilwaco

Because Karla at Time Enough Books had a book to lend me, we started the workday at the port.  Allan did a bit of clipping:

before clipping one tatty old Gaura ‘Whirling Butterflies’

I picked up the book and had a chat with Karla.  She’s noticed that I read a lot of non fiction on social justice topics.

the book in question, an advance reading copy

I will get to it as soon as I finish reading Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay.

Bookstore staff member Scout looks more worried that she is.

Depot Restaurant

Our first big work mission was the clipping of ornamental grasses around the dining deck of the Depot.

before, south and east sides of deck

giant miscanthus (Allan’s photo)

before (Allan’s photos)

after

after

We also got the one miscanthus at the house next door (which is the office for the restaurant).

Allan’s photos: before

after

Just as we were about to leave, Todd showed up to work on the garden of the Hobbit Haven.

I love the Depot’s next door neighbours’ sign.

Long Beach

Allan and I devoted the rest of the day to Long Beach.

First, City Hall, before and after (all Allan’s photos):

west side, before

after

passersby

I decided this hebe needed clipping because the office staff likes to see out.

just starting…took it 2/3 of the way down.

after

Next came the southwest quadrant of Fifth Street Park.  Allan did all of that project for today.

before

before

after

I asked Allan to leave the hesperantha (used to be schizostylis; Todd reminded me of the name change when we saw him earlier in the day) for me to clean up, because I know there are some delicate sprouts of Camassia in there.  Last year they almost got clipped; Melissa was helping that day and is the one who saved them.  I’ll get to this area tomorrow.

after. We’ll prune the roses soon.

Meanwhile, I took the green wheelie bin around two blocks worth of planters.

Iris reticulata…’Eye Catcher’, I think

crocuses and a couple of iris

more crocuses

and more crocuses

an annoying amount of HESPERANTHA in a planter.  No time for pulling today.

same planter.  Poky nasty yucca?? thing? keeps coming up by the sitting bench.  Its roots go deep.  Will clip back later, need big loppers to get the trunk way down low.  Why??  Planted by original volunteer, as is all of this particular planter.

skipped this tree till tomorrow.  I have much regret for not yanking out the very first bit of rugosa rose that volunteered in here.

I was cutting back santolinas to the new growth at the base.  Had skipped the ones across the street so as not to overwhelm wheelie bin with debris.

For the same reason, I had skipped a tree near Fifth Street.  When I rejoined Allan, his park project was done.  He tidied under this tree while I addressed some dead gaura stems in the northeast quadrant of Fifth Street Park.

tree garden before.

after, with hesperantha still to tidy up

Hesperantha spreads like fury.  It’s best to just yank out a lot of it, and you’ll still have enough.

me, gaura debris, and the wheelie bin

Together, after moving the van and trailer, Allan and I tackled one more tree garden and the planter I had skipped because of debris hauling limitations.

Allan’s tree project, with Panicum ‘Heavy Metal’, before

after

In the planter, I was going to do patient santolina clipping to the new growth.

Then I saw a tuft way down at soil level.

That particular santolina might be 15 years old.  I decided to cut off all the big stems and see what happens!

did the same thing to one of three on the other side….

I might be sorry later.

On the way home, we drove past the Port of Ilwaco curbside gardens.  I reflected on the many grasses and sedums needing to be cut back.  Our last task, at sunset, was to pick up a piece of litter.

Allan’s photo, looking west down Howerton

At home: Still can’t cross off Fifth Street till the hesperantha and one big hydrangea are dealt with. Can’t cross off street trees and planters because we have more to do.  However, I had the pleasure of erasing City Hall and the Depot.

Goal for tomorrow, if weather allows: Finish Fifth Street and the street trees and planters and the pop outs and the pond.  Much glorious erasing could end a day like that.

 

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14 Sept: The Oysterville Garden heralds autumn

Wednesday, 14 September 2016

THE Oysterville garden

Having heard that the  Oysterville garden had reached another peak of glory,  we made our workday one or two jobs shorter than usual and headed north in the late afternoon, arriving at 4:30 PM.  I had been thinking about the aster collection so was glad to be invited to visit while they were all blooming.  They are the gardener’s mother’s favourite flower and a herald of autumn.

looking in from the street

autumn crocus along the roadside lawn

It is the season of glory for ornamental grasses.

late blooming clematis and asters

looking in (Allan’s photo)

approaching the front gate

potted plants on either side of the brick entry path

asters and ornament

clipped boxwood in pots

As expected, we found Melissa at work in the garden.

Our Melissa (Allan’s photo)

golden cotinus

tall pink asters to tone with the house of palest lovely pink

All this, and we still have not set foot inside the garden.

We are happy to have an invitation to enter.

Before the stern “keep out” signs, folks would just wander through at any time, thinking perhaps that it was a park.  The other day when Melissa was working there, a fellow slowed his vehicle down and called out “What is this place FOR?”  Her reply was that it is a private garden, but she wishes she had said “An amusement park for honeybees!”

phlox, Joe Pye Weed, asters

Allan’s photo

looking north down the front lawn

the south side of the house

brick path inside the boxwood hedge, which I just realize matches up with…

…brick path on south side of the driveway; the stakes mark new(ish) columnar beeches

south side of driveway

Allan’s photo

north side of driveway

None of us know the name of this tufted grass. I intend to find out by asking Scott Weber of Rhone Street Gardens.

Allan’s photo

the terrace that always makes me weepy

Let’s go up there.

Melissa and I in plant appreciation mode (Allan’s photo)

on the terrace

For the first time, I notice how the boxwoods come to a point.

Allan’s photo

a stray salvia

across the driveway

Japanese anemones and asters

south side of garage

button sized orange chrysanthemums

looking east along the driveway

south side of driveway, Japanese anemone and solidago

fennel and solidago

Japanese anemone

anemone and aster

behind the garage

Allan’s photo

pumpkins and sunflowers at the west end of the driveway (Allan’s photo)

We noticed the many different shapes of the sunflowers.

We turned the corner to the allée of ‘Incrediball’ hydrangeas.

Melissa and Dave and I entering the allée (Allan’s photo)

the allée, running east west (looking east)

lawn path, running north south (looking north)

white begonias

urns of tree ferns and begonias

Allan’s photo

hamamelis foliage

Primula vialii in the woodsy garden along the west side of the north-south lawn path

at the west end of the allée

progressing up the allée

looking west

We have emerged onto the north lawn.

the outside of the allée

asters and angelica

tall pink aster backed with hornbeam

the north border

more of the aster collection

Japanese anemones; there’s room here for their running habit.

more tall pink asters

the front border

This begonia ruffle around a big potted boxwood has looked perfect all summer long.

‘Queen Elizabeth’ roses

Rosa ‘Queen Elizabeth’

borrowed view of yews across the street

Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ and Joe Pye weed

Verbena bonariensis

front gate from inside

sarracenia

Tetrapanax, Allan, Dave

new tetrapanax leaves

proceeding south on the front path

some dark pink asters

More of that grass. Scott thinks it might be Pennisetum ‘Red Head’ going to seed.

looking north; we have come full circle.

outside again

outside, the pear sculpture, and way in the background is a tall old pear tree.

Sea Star Garden

Before going home, we went to see the garden of Dave and Melissa (Sea Star Gardening).  Contractors had just finished putting in a new septic system, involving a new dirt road and the knocking down of a derelict old house toward the front of the property.

the new road

Dave and his favourite hen

the chicken yard; left: big old paperbark maple

Deer chomped the hosta collection in the shade garden.

coleus with miraculous lack of snail damage

the tall old eucalyptus that they call “Elvis”

pond and waterfall just off the front deck

with very large frogs

beside the deck

on the exterior garage wall

This glorious hour and a half of garden touring had made a good end to a short workday.

Tomorrow: back to the gardening rounds in Long Beach and Ilwaco.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Hardy Plant Weekend: Wind Dancer garden

Saturday, 25 June 2016

Hardy Plant Society Study Weekend in Salem, Oregon

Garden 11: Wind Dancer Garden

This was my favourite private garden of the day.

entry garden

I love gold foliage and ornamental grasses.

a path to explore, past the towering Arundo donax

sunbathing frog in birdbath

Allan’s photo

Wind Dancer Garden featured trees planted in really big pots, leading to many thoughts on my part about how I want really big pots, but can I afford such pots, and if I could, how would I move them around (even empty)?

one of many seating areas

rain chains, dripping recirculated water…fabulous idea.

Allan’s photo

bench for viewing the rain chain feature

ceramic tubes slid over pipes

Allan’s photo

a water bubbler

Allan’s photo. (Yes, I see the apostrophe.)

back porch with greenhouse and a seating tent overlooking a koi pond

Cucumber water and cookies were on offer.

just off the back porch

behind the house, a large koi pond

Again, I wonder what protects the enormous koi from herons and raccoons.

behind the koi pond

living bamboo screen behind the back of the koi pond trees

a barbecue area behind the koi pond

This would be good at our house for Halloween.

a back garden bed

kitchen garden

kitchen garden

kitchen garden: You can see it was a rather hot, bright day.

a cactus island

Allan’s photo

a large greenhouse and patio, perhaps the former sales area

more refreshing treats

plants at edge of property

I have never before seen landscape fabric stretched tight, flat, and used as a floor before (except maybe in a greenhouse or between nursery rows).

exploring the other side of the house

front garden again

This border portrayed an ocean wave.

alliums spray painted silver

ocean wave and mermaid

looking back on the ocean wave garden

seagull and driftwood

front door

front porch

a front garden path

Allan’s photo

Around to the other side of the house again, I found the chickens, including one with a cute topknot.

outside the coop (Allan’s photo)

This was actually the neighbour’s chicken; neighbours’ coop was right by the property line. (Allan’s photo)

and another sit spot…

…in a lattice house…

…with more refreshing cucumber water.

kitchen garden in the distance

and the picnic patio

Hardy Planters in a shady refuge from the heat.

Allan’s photo

a last look at the front garden, with neatly stacked empty pots in the lower left.

I could happily have walked all around this garden again, had we not had five more gardens to see that day.  The last was the renowned nursery, Dancing Oaks, and I wanted to get there as soon as the plant sales began to get the best choices. Because the gardens of today were spread far apart, we still had considerable distance to travel.

 

 

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Hardy Plant Weekend: Woodland & Lavender garden

We continue to publish twice daily so that we won’t fall a month behind.  Here is garden 5 of the 24 that we saw over three days.

Friday, 24 June 2016

Hardy Plant Society Study Weekend in Salem, Oregon

garden five: woodland, lavender, kitchen garden

from the road

entering through a planted meadow

The woodland garden comes first.

I turned to the left to explore the woodland garden, on the uphill side of the house.

Most shade gardens on this tour had perfect hostas.

Later on the tour, I commented to our friend Ann about the perfection of the hostas, compared to our sad snail-bitten ones.  She said that most locals would have bought them from Sebright Nursery (which we would visit later) and would be taking specially good care of them since they were purchased from friends.

in the woodland

If I could grow hostas like this, I would have one of every kind.

Allan’s photo

Here is the campanula that Our Kathleen recently told me is a runner. Looks like she is right.  I’d be happy if mine turns out to be as vigorous.

Allan’s photo: He liked the faucets appearing with frequency along the fence line.

These few railingless steps to the deck daunted me. Perhaps I could find another way up there.

Allan’s photo

river birch path leading out of the woodland

river birch path

on the way to the vegetable garden

looking back to the woodland garden

the enclosed kitchen garden

The house and lavender bank is to my right as I walk downhill to the veg garden.

from the entry gate

inside the veg garden with new beds laid out

spent poppies

red rocks in the berry patch

purple sage (Allan’s photo)

The yard sloped down steeply past the veg garden.  I overheard the owner say he had tipped the tractor twice while trying to develop the lot.

debris pile

the other gate to the kitchen garden

at the top of that gate

looking down on the veg terrace carved out of the sloping lawn

Allan’s photo

a flowery walk to the veg garden

This grass is used all down one side of the property.

perennial borders on the other side of the estate from the river birch walk

There’s Allan photographing the lavender bank.

tall wooden fence at the property line

 

Allan’s photo

perennial border going up the slope

The lavender bank curves from the front to the side of the house.

Allan’s photo

perennials to my left, going uphill

To my right, the house and the lavender.

I spy, through buzzing bees, a non stairway access to the deck.

crab art

an impressive patch of Rhomneya coulteri

Allan’s photo

the view from the deck

Allan had made it up onto the deck with ease earlier in his walk; here are his photos:

an observer from an upper balcony

As I walk uphill, the rock wall by the house segues from lavender to ferns.

further uphill

Allan’s photo

a boardwalk

Allan’s photo

I loved the boardwalk and gave it a lot of attention.

the house with clematis arbour

Allan’s photo

other side of the driveway from the boardwalk

vast planted woodland meadow.  I asked my “grass people” friends and had this one IDed as Pennisetum orientale ‘Karley Rose’.

having come full circle, returning to the woodland garden

Look who I missed on the way in.

A last look before departing.

This garden did not have the feel of a new garden.  I enjoyed every aspect and envied the space to do vast sweeps of one plant.  There is still more space to develop, although what is left is a challenging downhill slope below the veg garden. Much respect to the owners for doing most, if not all, of this garden creation themselves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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29 Feb: several small accomplishments

Monday, 29 February 2016

Rain or shine, I was determined to plant lilies today, and (because the library is closed on Mondays) take some plants to the community building.  Happily, we got started in mild, non-windy, dry weather.

our garden

some “Pam Fleming” grass

Pretty sure we got the above grass, to the left of the photo, from Back Alley Gardens when Pam was the brilliant plant buyer there.  Or, at least, she admired it in my garden.  Whatever it is, it was spectacular the first year, then disappeared for a year, and then all these seedlings came up.  While it may not be very perennial,  it will serve my purpose at the community building.

nearby: gold hypericum underlaid with crocus

one of the peonies I got from MaryBeth

Allan digging out a couple of Fuchsia magellanica (the pale pink one)

Hellebore ‘Golden Sunrise’ from Xera Plants

 

Impatiens omeiana, the silver leafed one that I think I got from Xera, is spreading…

as is this Impatiens omeiana which has finally gotten well established.

Pulmonaria by the bogsy wood

double hellebore

My Smokey

Tulips closed tightly in grey weather

 

Pittosporum ‘Marjorie Channon’ from Debbie Teashon

Lamprocapnos spectabilis ‘Alba’

hellebore

hellebores black and white

one of several dwarf conifers that I cannot name

plants for the community building garden

A thought to remember: I must take a couple of different pulmonarias to the shade garden there!

Ilwaco post office garden still looking dull.

I wonder why my garden looks so much more vibrant, even with bulbs, than this garden?

a bit of colour in our post office garden

Ilwaco Community Building

with grasses and sedums and libertia added

Geranium macrorrhizum (a POLITE spreader) instead of kinnikinnick

Allan’s photos, before, with blackened kinnikinnick

and after

Geranium macrorrhizum around the trees

Most areas still are full of the dreaded quack grass roots.

Those white tough roots that go miles down into the clay soil are one reason I want clumping plants like the sedums, that can be lifted once a year and cleaned up, instead of a groundcover that gets just full of that grass like the kinnikinnick didd.

Allan planted the Fuchsia in a sheltered nook.

We contributed to the community building garden two colours of Geranium macrorrhizum,  some Ranunculus ‘Brazen Hussy’, three kinds of large flowering sedums, Libertia, the grasses, poppy seeds, golden oregano, and the fuchsia.

Diane’s garden

We planted violas and another pot of Stargazer lilies.

Allan’s photo

Narcissi

We had an audience.

Basket Case Greenhouse

Basket Case is not open for the season yet.  Fred will sell bagged soil amendments and early violas by appointment.  We were after ten bags of Gardner and Bloome Soil Building Compost.

Basket Case, Fred and Nancy’s front garden

Golden Sands Assisted Living

on the way, going west on Cranberry Road

At Golden Sands, we planted lilies and a couple of Fuchsia magellanica starts.  The garden still looks so dull.  The Costco lily bulbs are much bigger than the pitifully small Fred Meyer lily bulbs.

NW quadrant

NE quadrant; wish the garden would hurry up.

Also planted a couple of heleniums from bags.  Two that I wanted, Moorheim Beauty and…another one.  Usually I never buy perennial plants in bags from a general store’s garden department, and yet I wanted these.  They looked pretty small and unpromising.

Anchorage Cottages

The Anchorage owners’ meeting is this coming weekend.  We added violas to the containers and detailed the garden.

window box

narcissi

The Anchorage garden has stuff going on!

Maybe the reason the post office and Golden Sands are lacking is because I don’t spend money on the post office garden like I do my own…and Golden Sands has a low plant budget so I don’t add as many cool plants??  And yet I am sure I planted plenty of early tulips and narcissi at the post office.  Are they being picked? Are deer browsing early tulips?  I must look closer next time.  Maybe the difference is that my garden and the Anchorage have sheltered microclimates that encourage early flowering.

Anchorage north wall garden

Allan’s photo: a hardy fuchsia went in by the arbor, cut way back so it won’t look wilty for owners’ meeting

Depot Restaurant

Next we applied two bales of Gardner and Bloome at the Depot Restaurant garden.

 Gardner and Bloome for fluffing. (Used to be called Soil Building Compost.)

forgot to take an after photo because THIS started.

Mike’s garden

We were determined to mulch Mike’s garden, because otherwise the heavy bales would have to be stored at home and then reloaded.

Mike’s garden, front path

before

after

The sky grew dark as dusk and we finished in a downpour.

cold and unpleasant

big drops of rain

at home

two mulching jobs erased from the work board!

I am pretty sure we will have tomorrow off, as this came to me via email, Facebook, and my weather apps:

HIGH WIND WARNING:

SOUTH WASHINGTON COAST
Areas Affected:
South Washington Coast
Effective: Mon 1:05 pm Updated: Mon 5:52 pm Urgency: Expected
Expires: Tue 4:00 pm Severity: Severe Certainty: Likely

Details:

.A STRONG PACIFIC FRONT WILL PRODUCE STRONG WINDS ALONG THE SOUTH
WASHINGTON AND NORTH OREGON COASTS AND THE EXPOSED AREAS OF THE
ADJACENT COASTAL MOUNTAINS ON TUESDAY…WITH QUITE WINDY
CONDITIONS INLAND.
…HIGH WIND WATCH UPGRADED TO HIGH WIND WARNING…IN EFFECT FROM
6 AM TO 4 PM PST TUESDAY FOR THE SOUTH WASHINGTON AND NORTH AND
CENTRAL OREGON COASTS…
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PORTLAND HAS ISSUED A HIGH WIND
WARNING…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM TO 4 PM PST TUESDAY.
* WINDS: BEACHES AND HEADLANDS…SOUTH WIND 30 TO 40 MPH WITH
GUSTS 60 TO 70 MPH. COASTAL COMMUNITIES…SOUTH WIND 25 TO 35
MPH WITH GUSTS 50 TO 60 MPH.
* TIMING: WINDS WILL INCREASE FAIRLY EARLY TUESDAY MORNING AND
CONTINUE THROUGH A GOOD PART OF THE AFTERNOON.
* LOCATIONS INCLUDE: ASTORIA…TILLAMOOK…LINCOLN CITY…
NEWPORT…FLORENCE…RAYMOND…LONG BEACH…OCEAN PARK.
* IMPACTS: WINDS WILL LIKELY CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES ON ROADS
SUCH AS HIGHWAY 101 ALONG THE COAST…AS WELL AS FOR HIGH
PROFILE VEHICLES SUCH AS TRUCKS AND VEHICLES PULLING TRAILERS.
THE WINDS MAY ALSO CAUSE TREE DAMAGE AND LOCAL POWER
DISRUPTIONS.

Information:

A HIGH WIND WARNING MEANS A HAZARDOUS HIGH WIND EVENT IS EXPECTED
OR OCCURRING. SUSTAINED WIND SPEEDS OF AT LEAST 40 MPH OR GUSTS
OF 58 MPH OR MORE CAN LEAD TO PROPERTY DAMAGE.

That’s a long storm to go all the way from Ocean Park (north of Long Beach) to Florence.

Newport is the location of the beloved Sylvia Beach Hotel which will surely be creaking in the wind.

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20 Feb: all day cleanup

Saturday, 20 February 2016

morning

Marilyn’s garden

We called in assistance from Sea Star Gardening to make the clean up of Marilyn’s garden a one day job.

Allan and I arrived first and found the garden already inhabited.

Bye bye.

two left

last one out

I feel perfectly friendly toward the deer who dwell in this unfenced garden, as its purpose is to be a deer friendly garden and to show that it is possible to coexist with deer and still have flowers.

Melissa and Dave arrived within minutes and we all dove into a big clean-up.  By the time we were done, the garden looked tidier in every detail than it had since the days of its creation in 2006.

from 2006:

2006 with lawn just seeded

entry garden 2006

today:

before

Allan’s photo, with the big Sea Star Gardening truck

Allan’s photo after clipping the entry garden

It’s particularly great that Dave and Melissa know just what to do, immediately seeing that a viburnum needed some suckers cut, and that some escallonia needed to be clipped back from a path.  So I don’t have to hover and monitor what is going on.

before, looking south

after

back garden, before

after, almost all this part by Dave and Melissa

before, looking north

after

before, looking northwest

after

You’ll be surprised how soon the next door garage is hidden again.  I think it will be an unpleasant surprise for the deer when they return.  They must prefer the garden when it is overgrown with comfy grass bedding places.

I had a brilliant idea on the way home:  It was so hard to cut those big grasses without breaking the narcissi.  Next year, we could bring three folding card tables and set them up in the garden.  The narcissi would be protected underneath, the grass could be laid on top by the grass chopping person and hauled off of the tables by someone on the path side.  Genius!

Phygelius got severely edited back from the edge, and an Ilex moved out from a place where it had gotten overgrown. (Hope it survives.)

We loaded the monster truck with all the debris.

If Allan and I had had to haul this debris with our small trailer, it would have taken us three trips, at least.

all the debris at once! awesome!

final touch up

just a few more weeds

Melissa said she loves to weed driveways and gravel paths, making me even happier that we intend to share this job with them.