Castle Rock Bloomin’ Tour: Castle Rock Nursery

Saturday, 7 September 2019

Castle Rock Nursery

331 Buland Dr

Castle Rock, Washington

(360) 274-8388

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

I did not want to be greedy when offered free annuals.  I would take them all for compost!  So I only took a few geraniums and begonias that I might be able to winter over.

Allan bought a fern.

Allan’s photo

The Book of Lists is an excellent book of plants that thrive in various conditions, and other such things.  It, and another book called Plants for Problem Places, were invaluable to me before the World Wide Web. I was pleased to see a book like that still in use.

Allan’s photo

Again I wished I still had my grandma’s old sewing machine (at least the stand).  I actually did used to sew on the old treadle machine, back when I sort of knew how to sew simple things, and it was the only one I had.

I saw a gorgeous tall Panicum and asked what it was.  Our garden host did not know.  When I saw three pots of Panicum ‘Heavy Metal’ and its base, I was astonished.  Could the little knee high Heavy Metal Panicums under a tree in Long Beach get that tall if they had good water?

the three pots of Heavy Metal and the big specimen

But then the daughter and plant expert returned from lunch and said the tall one was Panicum ‘Dallas Blues’.  There were two gallon pots of it left and I snagged them both.

Panicum ‘Dallas Blues’

Any other admirers would be out of luck because of my buying the last ones.

I did later google ‘Heavy Metal’ and learned that it could get to four to five feet in better conditions.

I also bought some small gauras because I want them at the Ilwaco Fire Station. Someone at the nursery told me, and I later confirmed, that gaura is the official flower of Castle Rock.  Could be true of Long Beach and Ilwaco, also, as I sure do use a lot of them.

Here is where you pay.

Allan’s photo

That was such a pleasant shopping experience.  I hope to visit again next year, when perhaps the Bloomin’ Tour will be in early August rather than early September.  May would be even better…if it were less than a two hour drive from home.  I imagine that it is the shopping hub for gardeners of the Castle Rock area.

Next: a deliriously delightful display of dahlias.

 

 

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3 Sept: Castle Rock gardens

Sunday, 3 Sept 2017

As we passed through the town of Castle Rock on our way to Evan Bean’s garden, I remembered childhood camping trips for two weeks each summer at the Toutle River, a beautiful campground that got washed away when Mt St Helens erupted in 1980.

 After our garden visit, we returned to Castle Rock and stopped to admire the public gardens.  I was pleased to find a Facebook page for the volunteer (!!!) group that does these gardens.  And, oh, LOOK! They have an annual garden tour (which we have, tragically, missed).

 Next year!

The first garden runs along the parking lot and street of the Riverfront Trail.  Allan went up onto the trail and got photos of the river.

I think this might presage a boating trip.

One of them waved.

The bank below the trail is newly planted.

Allan’s photo

how it gets watered (Allan’s photo)

This looks like the work truck.

Gateway Park

It was 96 degrees as we walked through the garden.

We had driven up that curved road heading to Evan’s garden.

I noted that somebody does hose watering.

roses and hydrangeas

This park runs for several blocks along a one way street going into town from the north.

Feast your eyes on the hanging baskets!  The park shows to the left in this photo.

I realized that each pole has a round banner which appear to be made by locals.  Let’s look at the baskets along this street and then get back to the park.

The baskets have gold sweet potato vine and at the top, some pink gaura making a spray of flowers.

Many hands make light work.

Now for our walk through this most amazing park.  I think that despite what the map below says it is called Gateway Park.

It’s long and narrow, between Huntington Avenue and Front Street.

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

around the base of a tree (Allan’s photo)

Allan’s photo

One plant source is Tsugawa. (Allan’s photo)

Allan’s photo, looking down from the road

Is this really all hose watered by volunteers?! (Allan’s photo)

white gaura (Allan’s photo)

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

We’ve walked south, and now we are walking back north.

On the way through town earlier in the day, my first hint of the great garden spirit here was a glimpse of the city hall garden, so we went looking for it.  On the way, we came upon what seems to be the same commercial street and stopped to admire its planters and baskets.

Castle Rock Blooms banner

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

dangling sweet potato vine (I think that is what it is)

painted rock (Allan’s photo)

 

It was 4:30 PM and we were the only pedestrians.

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

sidewalk garden beds

We found City Hall a couple of blocks away.  It had been a great benefit of my freeway avoidance that we had glimpsed its garden on our route earlier in the day.

Allan’s photo

pink gaura, also used in the baskets

Digital cameras are weird. And WOW, what a garden.

The only other person we saw was a man across the street waiting at a table and holding a bouquet. There is a story there.

waterfall rock

Water rill goes under the entry walk.

seems like they get a lot of donations…

Allan’s photo

I was well and truly astonished by Castle Rock.

Here are a few bonus photos from our drive while looking for city hall:

On the way home:

The part of highway 4 (Ocean Beach Highway) between Longview and Cathlamet scares me, but what’s new….I’m no fun on the driving part of a road trip.

The 99 degree temperature as we passed through Longview dropped to 79 as we got closer to the beach.

In Naselle, we paused for a look at the big garden by the library.

They were having a party.

and the garden across the street….

with its big rooster.

I’m kind of in love with Castle Rock now, and I fantasized about moving in retirement to join that group of volunteers….if only it were not so hot there!  Here’s an upcoming event that you might want to attend.

 

 

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