2 February: more new plants

Thursday, 2 February 2023

at home

I continued planting, mostly perennials today instead of shrubs, from Secret Garden Growers. I hope the weather doesn’t change back to freezing nights. It very well might not. If it does, I might be out covering these with pots.

The gold saxifrage went into the new deep path end bed, bottom centre.

A golden brunnera went by the rhododendron path. It and some others will need an application of Sluggo.

I put a new primula by the new bridge.

And another new primula by the deep swale.

I wonder if I will regret this plant:

I put it here, where it won’t interfere with anything delicate.

A new to me grass went into the bed that borders the north side of the Deep Path.

That’s just around the corner from this view…

I finished out the daylight with some very focused weeding, including the center bed.

Before

After

Allan made me a new garbage can lid planter.

In the evening, I read the first of Derek Tangle’s Minak Chronicles, memoirs about leaving a sparkling high society city life for a flower farm, off the grid, in Cornwall. I have three paperbacks that I bought in a used book store in the early 80s, before it was easy to look up what order the books were published in. And I have now learned there are 19 or 20 in the series which appeared from 1961-1996! So I’m getting the first two through interlibrary loan but may buy the rest. I have the third one from my decades old purchase.

book one, 1961

It was simply wonderful. I want to read them one after another but must wait for the second to arrive. (The only regrettable thing is that this American edition is edited to replace pounds with dollars, as if Americans of 1961 had to be coddled that way.)

This passage reminds me a bit of Ilwaco, which, compared to Long Beach, is more of a community than a strident tourist town.

The Lizard Peninsula was home to many flower farms.

This passage happened to Robert and me when we vacationed here in 1991. We fell in love with the Long Beach Peninsula, and a bartender at the Heron and Beaver pub was one of the locals we talked to about moving here.

He told us his story of moving to Seaview with $100 to his name, into a house with no hot running water and holes in the roof. (Housing was different here back then, and even places with solid roofs were affordable.) We made an offer on a house in Ocean Park but it fell through (the seller went out fishing and while at sea, he changed his mind). Due to various unfortunate health problems, it took another year before we arrived…and then we had to prove that we were serious and meant to stay. Even now, locals say that newcomers tend to leave after just one stormy winter.

Oh, how very much I relate to this story of ditch digging on the new property!

Even though we did not live off the grid, our 360 square foot cold and leaky little shack was a challenge.

When I reached this passage, and another in which Derek and his wife Jeannie go to a pub in the village of Mousehole, I realized I had been so very close to their house in 1975. I had been to Mousehole and to the Merry Maidens!

Their cottage was near Lamorna Wink on this map.

my photo from 1975

What a thrill to realise this. Cornwall is my ancestral home, and distant cousins on my father’s side had taken me on tour of the area that day.

In other entertainment news, we’ve been watching the mystery series Endeavour at night, and last week we followed it with a British comedy series called Miranda, which I loved so much that I moped around the garden sadly the day after we finished it. I will miss her! Nature loving friends might join us in viewing Winterwatch which, if you don’t have Britbiox, you can find here.

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20 July: evening at Markham Farm

Saturday, 20 July 2019

Markham Farm

We arrived back at our guest cottage at 6:45 and had a look at the little garden there, where I saw tadpoles in the pond.

Allan’s photo

After a brief rest, I walked on down to the farm ahead of Allan.  The evening sun highlighted the garden bed that I saw the first time we visited here two years ago; I remembered that moment when I knew we had arrived at a wonderful place.

While I am not well traveled, I have toured dozens of Pacific Northwest gardens and this is my favourite of all.

One of the reasons I love this garden best: It has horses.

Gus

Woody (Allan’s photo)

Verbena bonariensis

left side of the driveway

the pollinator garden

an embrace

Barry

I kept wandering, with Barry and Gus the only residents I had seen so far.

The property includes many wooded acres and a beach.  The garden itself is three? or five? acres.

The giant white froth of persicaria above is well behaved and is not Japanese knotweed.

looking back along the driveway

I entered the shrubbery.

hypericum in foreground

Another reason I love this garden best: It is multi-layered and intricate with little or no space between plants, and yet the plants are also well defined.

Another reason I love this garden best: lots of hydrangeas.

an enviable Hydrangea aspera

dinosaur footprints, which I soon learned were a recent acquisition, destined for the grandchildren’s woodsy camp

Allan’s photo

repurposed satellite dish

Right about here, I heard rustling and met Terri and Ilsa wandering the paths from the other direction. We then wandered together, soon joined by Allan, and Terri showed us some favourite plants.  She said she had recently realized she “gardens in vignettes.”

(Terri, Ilsa, Bill, and Barry are four more reasons that this is my favourite garden.)

Ilsa

Waldo Pond has a little leak this year.

Stewartia

when Allan found us

the light at 7:50 PM

Ilsa leads the way.

daylily, maybe Ice Carnival

Allan’s photo

We walked to the other side of the driveway to admire some new daylilies.

looking toward the blueberry field/bird feasting area

Terri had limbed up the Fuchsia magellanica by the pavilion (an old remodeled garage, site of an old forge).

I remembered how I’d limbed up fuchsias in my old garden and now felt inspired to do so again when we returned home.  Another reason this garden is a favourite: it gives me ideas.

I doubt I have the story entirely right about the sculpture, below; something like…it used to be in Terri and Bill’s old Seattle neighbourhood, and then it was sitting out for free and they were able to snag it and bring it to Markham Farm.

Another reason this garden is my favourite: It abounds in garden art, much of which  is found, upcycled, or gifted, nothing ostentatious, nothing that tries to be more important than the garden.

After our garden walk, we entered the house…

..for some cheesecake garnished with three kinds of berries.  The dessert was deliciously photogenic but good conversation distracted me from saving its image for posterity.

kitchen window

We were able to return to the guest cottage without feeling the sadness of departure, because tomorrow we’d be in the Markham Farm again with friends.

 

 

 

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16 July: two gardens of friends

First, an exciting announcement. The Astoria garden tour is back!  Read more about it here.

Sunday, 16 July 2017

We continued our peninsula garden tour day, with Ann and Evan, at Dave and Melissa’s Sea Star Garden on the outskirts of Oysterville.  On several acres, much of which is ungardenable wetland, our friends have spent the past two years using their rare days off from their gardening business to create their own paradise. Because they used to own a nursery called Glauca Moon, they arrived here with a large palette of plants in pots.

Dave and Mel’s past life

Sea Star Garden

On the left as you enter the driveway is a large raised garden where once a decrepit old house stood (a house that was unsafe to even enter).  This garden came about when a new septic system had to be installed last year.

Melissa and Evan

On top, a carpet of sedums will solve the problem of not being able to plant anything deep rooted on the septic system.

Allan’s photo

Dave, me, Melissa, Ann, Sean (Allan thinks this looks like a landing party from Star Trek.)

By the back deck of the house is a water feature with waterfall, made by a friend of the previous owner.

Evan and Ann looking at the pond.

the deck pond

in the water (Allan’s photo)

water lilies (Allan’s photo)

pond frog (Allan’s photo)

north of the house

north of the house

The property had been owned by a gardener before and abounds in interesting trees and shrubs.

The Eucalyptus that Melissa named Elvis.

Ann and one of at least two Acer griseum (paperbark maple)

Acer griseum (Allan’s photo)

one of the maples that Dave and Mel brought with them

Acer pseudoplatanus ‘Eskimo Sunset’; This tree had a surprise.

bird nest (Allan’s photo)

old bridge on the north side (Allan’s photo)

Evan, Ann, Melissa in the woods to the north of the house (Allan’s photo)

As Dave and Mel clear the underbrush, they are finding all sorts of hardscapes like two small ponds and a big stone circle with a stone bench.

Evan and the mysterious stone circle (Allan’s photo)

Hostas are one of their favourites in the shade garden.

on the deck (You can find sand dollars on the north end of the beach here.)

Next, we went to the garden of a North Beach Garden Gang friend, just south of Oysterville.

Todd’s Family Garden

As we drove up, Todd was weeding.

Allan’s photo

The house reminded us all of a Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece.

Around the family home, Todd has planted his collection from his years as the display garden curator at Plant Delights nursery in North Carolina.

in the sunshine

Morina longifolia

Ann and Evan examining and inspecting (Allan’s photo)

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Ann and Evan admire the view of Willapa Bay.

Todd surveys an area full of potential.

You can see Allan taking this photo of the shade garden.

Todd’s shade garden (Allan’s photo)

Spigelia marilandica ‘Little Redhead’

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

The kitchen garden, which one of Todd’s family describes as “a real garden, none of this foo foo stuff” lay far below.  Because my heel was hurting, I sat this part of the trip out. (Todd kindly offered to go get a truck but I did not want everyone to have to wait.) Allan’s photos of that part of the excursion:

descending on a woodland path

the kitchen and flower cutting garden

Evan in the berry patch

kitchen garden

Ann harvesting carrots

sweet peas

fenced garden

walking to the bay

Todd has a handful of lettuce and carrots that became our salad for the next two nights.

Ann in her element

back up the road (the woods path down was a shortcut)

Meanwhile….

While I waited up top, I looked at my present from Lorna.  She had given me a book as we parted ways at The Oysterville Garden.

Thank you, Lorna!

a dedication that speaks to my heart

I also pondered curmudgeonly thoughts about garden tour programs that I feel compelled to share.  If curmudgeonliness annoys rather than amuses you, please avoid.

One of the gardens on today’s informal tour, Martie and Steve’s, had been on the local tour the day before. The tour program suggested its symmetry was “reminiscent of centuries old British estates” and “will put you in mind of Downton Abbey”.  Perhaps because it had a cricket lawn? Perhaps because of the green lawns in general?  It reminded me of my thoughts about garden tour descriptions, something that is always on my mind during garden tour season.

The Captain Stream House

Martie and Steve’s garden completely stood on its own and did not need to be compared to any other place.  The garden’s lines seemed clean and modern to me and certainly did not remind me of Downton Abbey.  Other than my usual desire to be in the UK, I would rather visit their garden than the site of Downton Abbey, anyway.

 I was reminded of the previous year’s comparison of a small garden to an Italian courtyard, leading to confusion on the part of tour guests (much of which I heard about later…even unto it being mentioned this year, and at the time, a friend texted me from that garden asking for enlightenment about the description).  I think that serious garden tour guests take every word of a description into consideration.  Raising expectations is not wise.  That particular garden (the non-Italian-courtyard) also stood well on its own because its big pots and hand made pavers were all portable; I would have described it as being a small garden that showed perfect solutions for folks who are renters rather than property owners.  There’s no need to get fanciful and make tour guests expect something grander than what is there.  Instead of describing a garden as “extensive” when it isn’t, describe it honestly as small but plant-i-ful. (To be fair, this year the word “extensive” was used to describe a tiny local garden in a newspaper article, not in the program itself.)  I think it is especially important not to aggrandize a garden.

The Master Gardeners’ north county tour, which I have now attended for two years, is good at avoiding hyperbole (with only one exception out of 12 garden descriptions in two years…a solid record of accurate descriptions).

The Hardy Plant Society Study Weekend programs tend to be accurate and non-aggrandizing (although I do remember, just once, looking for a cactus garden that turned out to be a couple of specimens in a pot).

I also do not like being told to walk here, stroll there, sit there, admire this, ask the gardener that.  Just describe the garden in a factual sense.  Here is an imaginary example: If I am told that “a salvaged window defines the edge of the garden by the river”, I will find it and admire it on my own without being told “Be sure to admire the salvaged window,” or “Ask the gardener where she got that window.”  (Clearly, I do have issues with being told what to do—thus 41 years of self employment.)

I don’t expect all readers to agree.  Now, let’s go on to one of my favourite peninsula gardens, the bayside garden of Steve and John.

 

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1 March: Ilwaco projects

Wednesday, 1 March 2017

Because I believed the weather forecast (rain and wind) and the wind flag flying over the port office, I decided we had better do a project more sheltered than working at the port gardens.  They and the beach approach garden are the worst jobs in bad weather.

I called Peninsula Landscape Supply and learned they are back to their daily hours instead of limited winter hours.  So off we went to get a load of mulch.

steaming hot soil energy

Note: When the mulch is hot, wait for it to cool before planting new plants in it.

one cubic yard

Elijah Blue fescue at Peninsula Landscape Supply

J’s garden

Our first mulching project used a little over half a yard, at the J’s garden across the street.  There, when previous owner had planted a pretty little garden, she planted many of the shrubs humped up on mounds.  Strange.  Too hard to dig a hole? By now, years later, their roots were exposed.  I have been looking forward to fixing this.

Soil Energy (Allan’s photo)

bucket application

before

after

before (hydrangeas in the center, back, are so humped up they are falling sideways)

after

after

before

after

fluffed up rose beds by back patio

Norwood garden

We had enough mulch left to do the Norwood garden beds, two doors down from us.

Allan’s photos:

The soil in the narrow bed in the back had looked quite poor and grey when we weeded earlier this month.  Now the bed looks rich and happy.

then

now

happy Euonymous

Port of Ilwaco

As we had worked on the two mulching projects, I realized the weather forecast had been quite wrong.  We could have pleasantly done the spring clean up all along the port.  With a few hours left in the day, we decided to get as much done there as we could.

Allan clipping sword fern behind (north side) the port office building

before and after

south side port office, before

after some clipping and two buckets of mulch added

I especially love narcissi with strongly reflexed petals.

Just across a little lawn is the marina, and the tide was high.

We decided to get as many of the Howerton Avenue curbside gardens done as possible, concentrating on the most walked-by ones, especially ones with the larger ornamental grasses.

red twig dogwood at the old Shorebank building

Shorebank: crocuses and kinnikinnick

by Ilwaco pavilion, before

and after

“drive over garden” before

and after trimming the santolinas (four different cultivars)

Fort George Brewery (office), before

and after (Allan’s photos)

Art Port Gallery, before

after

by Art Port Gallery

We surprised ourselves by getting all of the garden beds done except for the west and east ends. While not enough to erase the job from the work board, we should be able to finish it in just a couple more hours.

Home after 5 PM: Skooter was waiting.

Allan’s photo

Skooter and Frosty

Skooter, Frosty…and Calvin!  (Allan’s photo)

Somehow Allan found the energy to nip across the street and mow the J’s little lawn.

before and after

Even though they are invasive, I cannot help loving the yellow ranunculus (lesser celandine) in the lawn.  It’s not the most evil creeping buttercup.  I asked Allan to mow around it.  It will go dormant in the summer.  Sometimes I am just weak about plants.  But it is a cutie.

I’d love another nice day tomorrow so we could finish the port and the boatyard gardens and have the first spring clean up done!

work board tonight

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Hardy Plant Weekend: Roses & Sebright Nursery

Sunday, 26 June 2016

Hardy Plant Study Weekend in Salem, Oregon

Grand Hotel, Salem

from the Grand Hotel: goodbye to our view of Salem

a plaza with hanging baskets

and sculptures

in the distance: train tracks and a mysterious globe

kudos to the hotel for a good room design with a divider between sleeping and sitting areas.

At breakfast, we overheard another Hardy Planter saying that the fourth garden of the list of eight on today’s tour was south, and all the others were north.  We saved considerable driving time by going to the Salem garden first (even though it meant a late arrival to the plant sales at the first official stop of the day).

garden 20: Laveryne’s Garden

The front garden was indeed a show-stopper.

I do love a boardwalk anywhere in a garden.

Allan’s photo

bountiful arrays of clematis

into the back garden

Allan’s photo

a hedge of clematis

Just over this privacy hedge was a vast ballfield.

Allan’s photo

clematis embracing lilies

dahlias and the ballfield

salvias and conifers

looking back at the garden

Allan’s photo. Allan says: According to http://www.tractordata.com the Bolens 800 garden tractor was only built from 1963 to 1965, over fifty years ago.

We couldn’t linger because of wanting to get to the plant sales while the pickings were still good, so on we drove to…

garden 17: Sebright Nursery

After we parked in a grassy field, I made a beeline to the vendors.  It was hot, by the way, in the upper 80s.

I don’t think there were ten vendors…maybe five…unless I missed some.

Allan’s photo

the famous and affable Roger Gossler.

Dan Hinkley and a hardy planter

This is when I succumbed to Hacquetia ‘Thor’, and a hardy begonia.  Dan said I had a good eye and had made two excellent choices.  I said he must say that to everyone, but he said not so.  😉

amusing Dan Hinkley tag, photographed at Dancing Oaks the previous evening.

Allan with my acquisitions from Windcliff and from Secret Garden Growers.

While I was browsing the Secret Garden Growers table, I overheard one of the owners quote a garden lecturer as having spoken of planting in “generous drifts of one”…what Ann Lovejoy calls the “onesies” of the plant collector.  Or ones-sie-ing, which is impossible to spell.

Allan’s photo

Hardy planters admiring a cool acquisiton. (Allan’s photo)

Having spent another small fortune, we walked down a long road to the Sebright display garden and nursery.

display gardens

Arisaema candidissima

Allan’s photo

welcome shade

It was so hot that I must admit I did not walk over to the gazebo.

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo: He liked the way this dierama had space to show off its form.

Allan’s photo

hostas, Sebright’s specialty

My three hostas at home are all pathetic, snail-chewed things.  At garden after garden on the hardy plant tour, I had seen gorgeous, perfect hostas, all probably from this renowned nursery.

Hardy Planters, including Lucy Hardiman (in purple top) and Nancy Goldman (right).

how so perfect? how?

cardiocrinum (center); the snails always get mine before they barely start.

the nursery

I did acquire a choice Sanguisorba ‘Lilac Squirrel’ and wish I could have acquired more plants.  I was daunted by having to carry them up the hill, and because Allan’s back was still “out”, I could not load him down like a pack pony.

a small purchase (Allan’s photo)

On the way out, Allan photographed this amazing flower; I had to ask on Facebook for an identification:

Caesalpinia gilliesii . Bob Nold said probably easy from seed and is hardy in Denver.

Next: an iris nursery and owner’s personal garden

 

 

 

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Hardy Plant Weekend: evening at Dancing Oaks

Saturday, 25 June 2016

Hardy Plant Study Weekend in Salem, Oregon

evening soirée at Dancing Oaks Nursery

Prepare for a looooong blog post.  I have not been to this nursery since I visited it with Sheila before the Eugene Hardy Plant weekend of eight years ago.  It is glorious and we are going to look at almost every bit of it.

I was overwhelmed by plant shopping excitement and I forgot the part about the Beardless Irises garden book.

The gravel road to Dancing Oaks is long and mysterious. It goes up and over a steep hill.

Eventually, one comes to the pillars marking the outskirts of Dancing Oaks.

so excited

We parked with many other vehicles in a big grassy field and I made a beeline for the plant sales, which were already in full swing with booths from Far Reaches Farm and Dan Hinkley’s Windcliff.  I seem to have missed one plant I was urgently questing for: Dierama ‘Merlin’, the new, extra dark “angel’s fishing rod”.  I saw someone carrying away what might have been the last one. Nevertheless, I did acquire a goodly assortment of cool new acquisitions.

Allan’s photo

plant sales!

cool plants

amusing Dan Hinkley tag.

Dan Hinkley and the hardy planters (Allan’s photo)

After Allan helped me schlep two boxes of plants up to our van (in hot sunshine, but the plants would be okay for a couple of hours), I headed over to the Dancing Oaks greenhouses for more plant shopping.  (I’ll be itemizing all my new plants later when I plant them at home.)

This building is central to the garden.

On the way….I am not officially garden touring yet, though.

inside one of the greenhouses

For some reason I resisted this one, and now I am so sorry.

Allan’s photo: He saw our friend Ann giving this plant a lot of attention. Not sure why that did not inspire him to immediately buy one!

I had my head down in the eryngiums reading tags when Garden Tour Nancy, who was also at the weekend tried to have a conversation.  We had been passing in our vehicles like ships in the night because we were touring at a different pace. I said (hot, tired, and hungry for dinner but unable to stop till I secured my plants!) that this was not a good time for me to talk.  She said later, when we did chat, that it was the same way that she shops at a book sale, very focused on getting the books she wants before someone else does.

I acquired another two boxes of plants, including….at last…Eryngium ‘Miss Wilmott’s Ghost’, which I have wanted for years.

I do believe this is Miss Wilmott’s Ghost, reseeded by a path near the greenhouses to poke folks in the ankle.

Miss Wilmott’s Ghost, named because she supposedly scattered the seeds of it in all her friends’ gardens.

At last, I sat for the delicious catered dinner, one of the best I have ever had at such an event.  My mind was on finding time to tour through the whole garden before the evening ended.

Allan’s photo of a half consumed dinner. The heat had sapped my skills at narrative flow.

After a scrumptious piece of strawberry cobbler for dessert, I leapt…well, creaked and hobbled up and began touring the gardens.  (This led to a couple more plant purchases.)

Folks still dining on the tasty food.

Allan’s photo

bamboo, pruned for light and space

I remember this garden idea inspired me greatly eight years ago.

a dripping water feature

dripping water

‘Twas hot and bright for my little pocketcam.

Acer palmatum ‘Fairy Hair’ aroused plant lust. I did not find it for sale, which does not mean it wasn’t available.

Allan’s photo

Lobelia tupa…never does this for me at the coast, must need more heat to get big.

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Sit spots can be found tucked in throughout the garden.

I found a pond.

such a pleasant vista hidden away in a shady area

handsome horsetail

oooh….Arundo donax variegata…I used to have this.

I immediately returned to the greenhouses to successfully quest for one of these.

Allan’s photo

‘Mermaid’ rose…I do have this.

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Eryngium variifolium (Allan’s photo)

asclepias…on my third visit to the shed containing the check-out cash register.

I wandered into the shrubs and trees for sale area and was gobsmacked by a cloud of white.

Acer campestre ‘Carnival’ (variegated hedge maple)

I had to have it, bought it, got help carrying it to a holding area where we could pick it up on the way out.  (The evening would have been easier if I had done that with all the plants I bought.)  I was fortunate to overhear that these do better in the sun than deep shade. (That may only be true here in the Pacific Northwest and in the UK, not in areas with brighter and hotter sunshine.) I would have planted it far into the shade because it looks so delicate.

outside the sales shed…the obligatory photo of the shop cat

By the sales shed…How many times, three? have I tried to grow Argyrocytisus battandieri (pineapple broom), and had it not bloom (my old garden), or just simply plotz (my new garden).

Dierama (not ‘Merlin’)

below the sales shed

an undiscovered sit spot

a sit spot guarded by stone cats

Steps made of cottage stone have become rusticated.

into the sun again: a prickly cloud of Eryngiums. (I bought several different kinds, including the exciting new ‘Neptune’s Gold’.

The vendors’ tables were still selling.

After seven PM, the shadows were getting softer.

kitty cat!

back to the dripping water

This looks like the tree that I bought; if it is, it gets bigger than the tag suggests (10′). Maybe that IS what 10 feet looks like.

into the lower shade garden again

giant bamboo

treasures!

A hardy planter ogling this sedum drew my attention to it.

I wanted it but was too shopped out to go looking for it.

looking again at the stacked garden idea

I took Allan to see the white tree….love the way it is like a cloud in the evening light.

heading back to the sales shed and holding area to pick up my own white tree.

Allan’s photo

Because we won’t be going to the Hardy Plant weekend next year (its year to be in Canada), I would like to return to Dancing Oaks and Sebright Nursery on an overnight springtime shopping tour of our own.

Next: one more day of garden touring before we return to everyday life and once a day posting.

 

 

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Hardy Plant Weekend: Vineyard Garden

Saturday, 25 June 2016

Hardy Plant Society Study Weekend

garden 10: Vineyard Garden

We tried, oh so hard, to get to the first garden by at least 9:30 but we did not make it till 10.

arriving at the vineyard

view over the vineyard

Allan’s photo

We walked down this vineyard road to get to the garden.

the garden

looking back at the vineyard

Allan’s photo

entering a sunny and beautiful garden

kitchen garden

bright sunny day and another camera that I am about to nickname “Spot”

trying the iPhone instead

Hardy Planters and their hats (Allan’s photo)

the gazebo

Later, there were people chatting all around the gazebo.  I didn’t read to the last sentence of the program description till writing this blog post so did not realize there was a wine tasting going on.

Because Mt. Hood was not visible from the house, they built the gazebo where they could see it, as captured in the stained glass. (Allan’s photo)

View of Mount Hood from the gazebo (Allan’s photo)  

Allan’s photo; it was so hot I had to wear my hat.

Paths led downhill from the sun garden into the shade.

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

I am envious of the large rocks in this garden.

sun to shade, hard to photograph and bright on the eyes in real life

hard to show it because of the light but I still want to share this garden with you

Allan’s photo

superb signage

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo; I want that brunnera!

found another sit spot

wending my way uphill again

on the little garden shed

back toward the sunny garden

another sit spot

turning back toward the shade

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

I wonder how an arch like this is built?

Allan’s photo; koi pond gazebo in the distance

I followed the sound to a stream

looking back up the slope

bananas

Allan’s photo, koi pond gazebo

koi pond

by the pond

Allan’s photo

Again, I wonder how the koi in these various gardens are protected from herons and raccoons (and bears?)

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

on a path down to the house

Allan’s photo

to one side, another path

in a breezeway, the door of the house carved by the homeowner; to the right, steps up to the deck overlooking woods

Allan’s photo.  Garden guests gathered in awe around this carved door.

on the deck (Allan’s photo)

in the window (Allan’s photo)

below the deck, a musical instrument fountain

returning to the sunny garden

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

The sweet old dog was brought out and I got to pet her.

I followed her to the gazebo because she reminded me of my good friend Ralph, much loved and much missed.

Allan’s photo

Allan finds the little garden shed at the top of the garden.

That was an excellent garden, even though we did not notice that a wine tasting was going on.  I had begun to feel that I simply must clear out my salmonberry grove to plant more of a variety of plants in the bogsy woods.

Next: my favourite Saturday garden.  The vineyard garden is a close second favourite, almost tied.  My weakness for ornamental grasses puts the next garden at the top.

 

 

 

 

 

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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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Oregon Garden, part two

Thursday, 23 June 2016

Oregon Garden, Silverton

Having toured the entire Oregon Garden by tram and then walked through the Amazing Water Garden, the Bosque, and the Conifer Garden (where I lost Allan), I continued on alone through the rest of the garden.  Allan took a different route, and for awhile he wondered where the Oregon Garden Resort was (where we were staying).  That’s how big the garden is.

annuals mixed with perennials as I continue my garden exploration

The Drought Tolerant Garden (on a sunny slope)

unclipped santolina; this is why I clip them hard in early spring.

the demonstration Fire Resistant House

fascinating stuff

rock instead of plants next to the house

Below the Fire Resistant House: The Pet Friendly Garden.

Pet Friendly Garden

Although I have a curmudgeonly aversion to statues of children, this one has a cool feature of water dripping out of the flat bowls.

watering and cooling off station

Both the Oregon Garden and the Oregon Garden Resort are dog friendly.

The Pet Friendly Garden

Good dog.

Love him!

The Pet Friendly Garden has a naturalistic stream.

It is a built water feature; you can see a glimpse of the underwear (liner). I like this very much and wish I had the energy and know-how to make a feature like this.

useful tips throughout the garden

 in the Pet Friendly Garden

I next came upon the rose garden.  Even when riding by earlier on the tram, I had seen that most of the roses were nibbled by deer, which led me to wonder how much other damage deer do in the 80 acre garden.

nibbled roses