13-14 Oct: waiting for a storm

Thursday, 13 October 2016

Allan took some photos in the garden.

3.14 inches of rain fell today.  (rain gutter by the shed)

in the water boxes

our campfire ring

The bosgy wood swale is filling up earlier than usual.

water under the bogsy wood bridge

Calvin using the new shelf.

The Cove Restaurant

We did get to have our weekly meeting with Dave and Melissa!  The North Beach Garden Gang had a delicious meal at the Cove.  With daylight being shorter (and a rainy day off for all of us), we started dinner earlier than usual.

standing water on the golf course (Allan’s photo)

Allan’s photo

apple and bacon salad

ahi tuna

fish and chips and Dave’s gardening hands

Mayan pork conchinita

after dinner

Sondra’s allium bouquet in the foyer (Allan’s photo)

The wind kicked up to around 40 mph as we drove home.  Our power stayed on and we watched a DVD of Housewife, 49, a British tv show based on Nella Last’s War. Loosely based, as it turned out. Nella’s life story, her relationship with her son, Cliff, and even her personality were so altered that I was sorely disappointed.  

Friday, 14 October 2016

We had 10 tornado warnings today.  That is simply unheard of.  (I do remember one such warning, several years ago.) A tornado hit Manzanita, a ways down the coast.  Not far enough from us!  Our flimsy manufactured home would be toast.

I slept through a severe thunder and lightning storm that did wake Allan, and read later that our area had 160 lightning strikes.  This is also unusual and disconcerting.

I remained obsessed with the presidential election news.

Allan had an uneventful trip to the post office and took some photos:

the bogsy woods with seasonal water much earlier than usual.

We won’t be having another camp fire soon.

Our rain gauges are broken now. (Too full to register how much more rain!)

high tide at the port

storm flag is up

full gale warning

with the Time Enough Books lions

windblown gardens

Cats snoozed all over the house.

Skooter

Calvin making himself completely round.

Just before dusk, I decided I had better go outside and do another patrol for loose pots and other blow-able lightweight items.

The storm warning still stands at 90 mph despite one alarmist disreputable faux forecaster calling for a 150 mph apocalypse!

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1997 (age 73):

Oct 13: I started digging up the Hostas in the patio bed and divided.  I potted them and will give as many to Robert as he will take and then plant them in the PRFB-E.  [Patio Right Flower Bed East??   Robert was my spouse at the time.]  Don came out to get the Dutch Gardens bulbs.  I started cutting out the ivy on the fence so I can plant my tall Hollyhocks along the fence.  I was almost sick from exhaustion.

Oct 14: Store and Errand day.  I finished pulling ivy and it took 5 wheelbarrow loads to the pile.

1998 (age 74):

Oct 13:  Ditto. [from yesterday, dried tomatoes and made applesauce] I was very surprised at how few dried tomatoes I got from three trays.  The smallest ziploc bag is only 1/2 full!  I peeled 2 pails of apples—all in slices and got 6 Sealameal bags.  I crammed them into the refrig freezers and I think the freezers are full unless I can throw some out of the chest freezer. [She had two refrigerators, one in kitchen and one in shop.]

Oct 14:  FLU SHOT 143# BLOOD PRESSURE HIGH   Dr E switched medicine for blood pressure (right after I had filled 300 proprandalol).  I only need to take the Atenalol once a day so I’ll be sure to remember that.  I have to go back in 2 weeks to recheck my blood pressure.  I set most of the begonia baskets down on the porch.

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22 Sept: autumn begins in Long Beach

Thursday, 22 September 2016

On the way out of town, we checked a couple of the Ilwaco planters to make sure they were not too dry.  They were fine.

The Depot Restaurant

north side of dining deck

ultra floppy Boltonia ‘Snowbank’

I hope it has better posture next year.

pleased with how Cornus ‘Hedgerows Gold’ lights up this muddled area.

southeast corner of dining deck

I so hope my tetrapanax start grows tall here next year.

Long Beach

We decided to take a big chance on the rain storm predicted (35 mph wind and half an inch of rain) for Friday and not water the Long Beach planters.  We would be mighty sorry if the storm did not materialize.

welcome sign…cosmos still low on flowers

from the sidewalk, with Echibeckia

debated pulling cosmos blocking the lights…left them for one more week

The only way to not block the lights that are supposed to illuminate the sign at night would be to have extremely low plants.  It is a dilemma.

Long Beach city hall with Basket Case baskets

With Basket Case’s Nancy Aust retiring, she will be a hard act to follow.  She plans to return and help the new owners with the baskets next spring.  Every time we work in Long Beach, folks ask how the baskets are so great.  I answer that Nancy makes them in very large containers with a soilless mix and time release fertilizer and the city waters them every day and fertilizes them frequently with liquid fertilizer (Miracle gro).

In the little pop out up the street from city hall, a late planted wildflower mix from seed was successful.

We did some weeding and some sightline clipping of a sad mugo pine.

Before. Someone (not us) had pruned it.

after. I’d like to hoik it out and start over with something lower.

passersby

Allan’s photo

by the Dennis Co cranberry harvest mural (Allan’s photo); it was redone last year but is sadly flaking off.  I had just given this fellow some Schizostylis starts from city hall.

We groomed all the planters..  One I had not attended to for awhile had way too much reseeded columbines:

The foliage gets hideous with leaf miner.

I pull out as much by the roots as I can!

after

looking across to the planter from which I yanked much aquilegia

I popped into NIVA green (my favourite shop) to get a new set of photos for its Facebook page.

lamp by owner/artist Heather Ramsay

some new purses

Heather is just about to decorate for Halloween.

We finished by weeding Fifth Street Park.

northwest park quadrant with Melianthus major

Rudbeckia ‘Cherry Brandy’ and Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’

a Boltonia actually standing up. Captain Bob and Cathy are on a well deserved vacation.

southeast park quadrant with Darmera peltata and gunnera

a little pruning in a dark corner, before

and after

at home

As we arrived at home, with a couple of hours to go before dinnertime, our new neighbours  Thandi and Mike of the beloved Sou’wester Lodge came walking by, with an even newer neighbour, their new baby, Celestine.  (The three of them just moved into one of my favourite old Ilwaco houses two block west.)  Allan got some photos:

Thandi and Celestine

We had a tour all around the garden, although Celestine, at two weeks, is too young to truly appreciate the fairy doors in the bogsy woods.

teeny tiny

a nice sit down on the patio for awhile

The Cove Restaurant

Time again for the highlight of our week, our North Beach Garden Gang dinner with Dave and Melissa (Sea Star Gardening), joined this week by Todd (Willapa Gardening).

Cooley has to wait in the Sea Star van.

Lynn treated us to some warm brie and roasted garlic left over from a catered event!

refreshing caesar salad

Korean noodle bowl with kimchi and turkey egg

Allan opted for a less exotic burger.

As always, we were the last diners to leave the restaurant.  Now for four days off, a luxury that we may have to give up next year but for now…we like it.

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1997 (age 73):

Sept 22: Drs appt at 10:00.  My glucose test was 115—which is normal!  He said to quit taking Tolazimide and get another glucose test in 10 days.  Bill Jr started garage roof.  He took off old shingles.  I weeded in the “ditch”.  I thought it was kind of hot.  Later I found out it was 80 degrees.  No wonder I was soaked.

1998 (age 74):

Sept 22:  I planted the new Spring Hill Poppies mostly in the UDFB [Upper Driveway Flower Bed] and the special red one in tam area [former juniper tam bed, now flowers, by the roadside].  Also planted the armerias I grew from seeds.  I picked some apples and peeled and made apple sauce until 7:00.

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15 Sept: the usual in Long Beach

Thursday, 15 September 2016

The Ilwaco post office is the place for conversation because everyone in town has to come pick up their mail.

a stop at the library to pick up books

Former client Gene pulled up in his car to ask gardening advice about lavatera, montbretia, and buddleias.

Long Beach

deadheading the welcome sign

welcome sign with cosmos and echibeckia

in town, watering the planters….I have my eye on that lavender for removal because it is dead looking on the other side

Watering the Funland planter was a bit of an obstacle course.

This planter will be redone as soon as the crew has time to get me a pile of soil.

Fish Alley entrance

Gaura ‘Whirling Butterflies’ in Veterans Field

This fellow was knitting as he and his cute little “blue” dachshund strolled by. (Allan’s photo)

Fifth Street Park

a late trigridia bloom

Fifth Street Park

Fifth Street Park, a Basket Case basket

All the watering and deadheading made us hungry.  For the second time this week, we had lunch out to try to get some energy to finish our workday.

Captain Bob’s Chowder

Ilwaco

This time, I walked around and checked on the Ilwaco planters while Allan watered.

blue for Azure salon

Allan had to move to another faucet while filling the water trailer tank because a boat was being hoisted in.

Allan’s photo

She’s been working on this boat, the Ocean Accord, most days. (Allan’s photo)

I finished up with some more weeding at the boatyard.

a tall pink aster, maybe Harrington’s Pink

a dog patiently awaits for a human to come down the ladder

‘Hopley’s Purple’ oregano

sweet pea ‘Black Knight’

And then, at last, a good five hours after lunch at Captain Bob’s, we went for our weekly dinner at

The Cove Restaurant

Cove owner Sondra’s dog Lacey

belly rub!

This week, our garden gang had the pleasure of being joined by Our Kathleen, who was down for a week at her beach cottage.

a big harvest moon rising over the treeline

an autumnal pear and beet salad

Melissa’s cod and risotto with lemon sauce

Mayan pork conchinita

noodle bowl (Allan’s photo)

poached pears with huckleberries

after a wonderful repast

We lingered till the vacuum cleaner came out.

closing time

We now have four days off. I have no particular plans other than my hope for a good rainy reading day on Saturday (as predicted) and some smallish gardening projects.

---

1997 (age 73):

Sept 15:  Wet, rainy and cool.  Would like to build a fire in stove but will wait till Bill Jr cleans chimney.  He said there is a lot of creosote in it.

1998 (age 74):

Sept 15:  I received a box of Hydrangea plants and a box of Poppy plants from Spring Hill.  Both orders had been cancelled by them.  They are really mixed up. My froggie is in the garden sink so I put the frog/toad house in the sink with a latticed tray over him.

 

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19 August: too hot for freedom or gardening

Friday, 19 August 2016

Today was Skooter’s freedom day.

Skooter is so ready to get out of the bedroom.

As soon as I got up, I opened the door to the rest of the house and moved Skooter’s cat tower to the living room.

Skooter’s first free foray into the house. (All but one of the other episodes were breaks for freedom.)

living room freedom

exploration

Calvin had gone outside.  There was no hissing between Frosty, Smokey, and Skooter.

Smokey was curious.

After some exploring, Skooter went right back to the bedroom.

his familiar south window

Meanwhile, Frosty had a good play session with his new Kitty Karrot from Snooter-doots.

the illusive caticorn

“Thanks, Snooter-doots Gina!”

Smokey abounding in dignity and reserve.

hind feet action

Skooter returned to the living room and wished I would open the door.

I want him to discover the cat door.  I think that will make a clearer memory of how to come back in.

meanwhile….Frosty has slipped his Birds Be Safe collar.  Too hot to go look for it outside.

Skooter was looking when Smokey went out the cat door.

Huh.

investigating

“How did he get out there???”

Maybe the heat was addling Skooter’s brain.  He did not figure out the cat door.

unusual heat for the beach

back to the bedroom

As the weather reached 100 degrees, every cat lay flat.

I debated between a book and blogging/Facebook.  The computer won.

As a breeze came up and the weather cooled a bit, Calvin returned from wherever he had been.

“Is that new guy around??”

Calvin is the skittish one.

I found Skooter sleeping in the bathroom sink.  Cool porcelain must feel good.

I did not set foot outside except to water hanging baskets from the porch.  Allan was more ambitious (as usual) and hung laundry out on the line.

Allan’s photo

I simply must check the plants in the greenhouse now that it is cooler.

a north wind that makes me happy for a change

We have dinner plans and so I think today’s outdoor freedom day won’t happen for Skooter.  Tomorrow, I will give him cat door lessons because I do want his first outdoor day to be one where I am at home.

At The Cove Restaurant

the view from our table

Dave, Melissa, and I, joined by Ann Amato-Zorich from Portland (and Naselle)

tuna poke (Allan’s photo)

Fish and chips for Ann (who was teasing me when I said “Look cute!”)

Our Amateur Bot-ann-ist (Allan’s photo)

Tomorrow, Ann would be going on a boating trip to Long Island in Willapa Bay, a trip that Dave, Melissa, J9, and Allan had all signed up for (and paid $20 to join the sponsoring group).  Allan and J9 did not get in because they read the email address wrong; it was a tremendously dyslexic-unfriendly address.  So even though 100 people (including Todd) got to go, my four friends would have to find other entertainment tomorrow.

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1995 (age 71):

August 19:  I moved the chrysanthemums from the pallet boards and trimmed them and arranged them in trays according to height.  I’ll start planting the healthy ones next week.

1998 (age 74):

August 19: Noon-5:00  WARM  75 degrees  I didn’t get out until noon.  I wanted to finish sieving the compost but it got too hot.  I started sorting the washed pots and trays.  I found 30-40 trays in the garage that were dirty so washed them.  I brought out the last 3 trays from the shop and dumped them.  If it’s hot again tomorrow I think I’ll plant some various seedlings into large pots to set out as they bloom.

 

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4-5 August: LB and Ilwaco days

Thursday, 4 August 2016

In the morning, like a grown up, I made an appointment for early Sept. to talk with the knee surgeon about surgery in November.

Alicia’s garden

To be kind to Nora’s grand daughter, who now has the house next door, we pruned a tree that was shading and touching the shake roof of the garage and house.  That means Allan did the pruning and I did a lot of pointing.

before

Alicia has been concerned that tree branches will damage the wooden roofs by shading them, and the gutters are hard to clean when filled with leaves.  Now, me…I would have let the tree win, but we wanted to make Alicia happy as she has a lot of responsibilities now and we know her dear grandma would like us to help her.

Allan on the ladder

after….happy roofs, happy neighbour

Port of Ilwaco

In the afternoon, buffeted by a COLD 25 mph wind, we watered the Howerton Avenue gardens.  We were done by four, making it an easy day (except for the annoying wind).

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Waterfront Way (Allan’s photo, while hooking up a hose at the dock)

I did some streetside pruning…

and some sidewalk side pruning at the old Shorebank building where shrubs that get much too big were planted…not by us!)

a little bitty bird by Time Enough Books (Allan’s photo)

nest in a tree in the garden (Allan’s photo)

Fog rolled in from the west at 3:30 PM.

wind and fog on the marina

The cold wind inspired us to quit for the day rather than doing some Long Beach gardening.  We had a couple of hours to relax at home; I finished the book I’ve been slowly reading.  What a luxury to spend two daylight hours with a book.

The Cove Restaurant

At 7 PM, we attended our weekly meeting of the North Beach Garden Gang, this time with Todd (Willapa Gardening) in attendance as well as us and Dave and Melissa (Sea Star Gardening).

The Cove entry garden (Allan’s photo)

calla lily in the garden (Allan’s photo)

Todd, Dave, Melissa, me

strawberry and caesar salads (Allan’s photo)

burger and fish taco (Allan’s photo)

We lingered till past closing, as always.  Darling Lynn brought us some strawberry and whipped cream tiny delectable desserts.

When the vacuum cleaner starts, it is time to go! (Allan’s photo)

Friday, 5 August 2016

Long Beach

First, deadheading at the welcome sign. Low yellow bidens is along the edge.

welcome sign: Geraniums ‘Rozanne’ and ‘Orion’, Echibeckia, cosmos, godetia, etc

back of sign with white bacopa along the edge

Last night at dinner, Dave and Melissa had given us a five gallon fig tree to plant for Behnoosh in the park next to Kabob Cottage.  Out would come some montbretia and a Leycesteria that we had cut back severely because it was always bothered by caterpillars in late spring.

Allan wades in.

new fig tree

‘Desert King’ fig in place

Look who I saw while we dumped our debris at City Works.

After our fig tree planting project, we split up and watered the planters.

I weeded the city hall garden.

carousel planter (Allan’s photo)

dahlias and painted sage (Allan’s photo)

Oh NO!!! At the south end, Allan found this disaster.

part of the car (Allan’s photo)

Fifth Street Park, east side (Allan’s photo)

As we watered planters at different areas in town, Todd drove by and informed each of us that we ROCK.

two kinds of Fish Alley art projects

Local people are in the painting.

This fellow, whose panache I always enjoy, had been meticulously repainting the Long Beach chopsticks.

found online: They definitely needed touching up.

Fifth Street Park got weeded and deadheaded.

Fifth Street Park

I just learned that Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ has a new name.  My mind balks at this: Hylotelephium telephium ‘Autumn Joy’.

Eryngium ‘Jade Frost’ and Helenium ‘Sahin’s Early Flowerer’

Verbena bonariensis

A quick break garnered us treats from the Columbia Pacific Farmers Market.

Columbia Pacific Farmers Market, 3-6 PM Fridays in Veterans Field

Jacob of Pink Poppy Bakery (Allan’s photo)

Next, bucket watering of just some of the Bolstad beach approach planters…poor things are so dry.

also, deadheading of some of the santolinas

MORE thieving of lavender wands.

So glad Sid Snyder approach planters have faucets in each where we can hook up short hoses to water.

Sid Snyder approach

Allan’s photo

off to ride on the beach (Allan’s photo)

Ilwaco

Allan watered the trees and planters in Ilwaco.  I made his job easier by just going home instead of starting another port weeding or watering project.

his photo of sweet peas while filling the water trailer at the boatyard

 

kitty corner from the post office (Allan’s photo)

hydrangeas and picket fence

and finally…home, for a three day weekend of gardening (me) and some boating for Allan.

at home….three days off commences.

Sitting in the van looking at my garden from the outside, I was reminded again of Ryan Gainey, whose untimely death has been weighing on my mind.  I thought of his gentle voice at the end of this video, Creating the Romantic Garden:

At the end of the wonderful story of his garden in Atlanta, Georgia, Ryan Gainey spoke of how he looked at his own garden from across the street and thought “I wish that were mine” and then he says “I realized it was mine because I chose to make it mine.”

With limited resources, I also choose: not to travel afar, not to live in a finer house or have fancier things, but to have this, a dream garden.

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1997 (age 73):

August 4:  HOT  Picked enough berries for a nice serving with cereal tomorrow morning.  I should get more TriStar plants for next year.  There are lots of raspberries for fall picking but they aren’t ready yet.

August 5: HOT  Watered tomatoes and houseplants.  Planted some of the snapdragons UBW.  [Upper Bed West]  Brought the trays in from shop and there were only about 20 violet leaves still unrotted.  After dinner I started making labels for perennials to be planted.  I’ll try to spend most of my time tomorrow planting those seeds.

1998 (age 74):

August 4:  HOT  Water day.  I actually got up early enough to water from 8:00 to 10:00 AM.  Store day—electric and phone bill—bank and QFC.  Lettuce 39 cents each!

August 5: Did a lot of deadheading mostly in front.  Since the seat of my garden stool split, I tried using the good kitchen stool (17″ high).  I can use it but it is a little high as I have to bend over so far my innards are all scrunched up.  I think I’d look dumb if I used it in the front so I probably will use it in the back.

 

 

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30 June: Ilwaco and Long Beach

Thursday, 30 June 2016

Our mission continued to get Long Beach and Ilwaco gardens close to perfection before the Fourth of July weekend.  I hoped to finish today in order to avoid the crowds streaming into town on Friday for the most chaotic weekend of the year.

Ilwaco Post Office

I decided the “weeping love grass” by the little triangle of gravel that people cut across sometimes had to go.  It was too much of a foot grabber.

closest thing to a before pic is the grass in the trailer, along with some debris from yesterday

I added some new eryngiums from Dancing Oaks Nursery.

much too empty now!

I want time to dig up the dratted columbines along the front; they had reseeded too freely.

Long Beach

Allan’s photo. The law allows fireworks to be shot off for about seven days in a row. It is tiresome.

Someone had pushed over the anchor at Veterans Field, and the garden was smashed up in the middle, too.

I wonder what happened.

Although I love agastaches, I’m not impressed with the red one that I put in the planter by the tattoo shop.

The red agastache is small and weak.

I wanted a showy red one because the planter is near Red Dog Tattoo.

Geranium ‘Rozanne’ excels in these planters.

I weeded by Scrappucino.

carousel (Allan’s photo)

petunia array by the Long Beach Tavern (Allan’s photo)

Allan’s photo (while watering street trees)

Geranium ‘Rozanne’ and California poppy

Note to self: Put Geranium ‘Rozanne’ at each end of this planter by Funland that gets frequently sat upon.

Someone broke a big old lavender apart.

It looks even uglier now on the inside.

still good on the outside

I took the lavender from the broken part to Heather at NIVA green, my favourite shop.

NIVA green (Allan’s photo)

sand sculpture in Fish Alley

The sculptor will have to knock down last week’s sculpture to make room for the new one. He says he puts that off as long as possible.

by Wind World Kites: Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ will still be blooming for the Fourth of July.

A thought in Third Street Park:  Which shrub is better for a summer tourist town, rhododendrons or hydrangeas?

old rhododendrons

the new hydrangeas I planted a few years back to replace some tatty old rhodos. I rest my case.  (Steve and John, they were not special rhodos!)

Lately, I have been distressed about the string trimmer whacking my along the edges of city parks.  I finally called and left a message about this one.  (No swearing or yelling, I promise.)

Weed-eater damaged Eryngium ‘Jade Frost’

Nasturtiums swallowing the other plants on Seventh Street.

We checked the planters out on the beach approaches.

Allan’s photo

Some wedding flowers had been left last week in the Lisa Bonney planter. Our friends Bill and Susie (Boreas Inn) had been close friends of Lisa and had officiated at her daughter’s wedding.

The wedding flowers were dried up by now, so I placed them in the spot where she died, close to this planter.  Felt choked up about it, as I often do in this place.

There was a snake out in the road by the next planter.  Allan herded it into the safety of dune grass.

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo; I wish we had taken it home to eat slugs and snails.

We would have nabbed that snake for home, but a tourist passing by was terrified so we had to get it off the sidewalk quickly.

I decided that one section of roses needed to be pruned back, even though I knew this meant we would be pressed to find time to water Ilwaco tonight.

Allan’s photos: before

and after

On the Sid Snyder approach, the planter closest to Ocean Beach Boulevard had had both of its lovely lavenders stolen by next to the lamp post.

Damn the hide of whoever is doing this…and I think it is one person, and local.

It should have lavenders like this one, further along.  The plaque goes back to volunteer days of yore.

As the plants repeatedly get stolen from the planters on both beach approaches, I have stopped replacing them.  The bareness of the planters probably makes people think that we (or the volunteers that they may think still do the planters) are not doing our job.  I have given up, quite frankly.

Someone left a present, and that was a bit cheering.

The Long Beach welcome sign, both sides

front

and back

There was no way that we could get all of the Ilwaco gardens done as well today.  At least we had time to water the planters before our weekly garden club dinner, and we would not have to return to Long Beach on Friday.

Ilwaco

This time I walked around and checked on all the planters.

right: Diascia ‘Blackthorn Apricot’, my favourite

Allan’s photo

I crossed paths with Allan and his water trailer.

I spent the rest of my time weeding at the boatyard.

NOOOOOO. I pulled out a healthy sweet pea.

I blame the low angle of sun being in my eyes….

and the damnable horse tail that grows along the fence.

I was awfully glad when Allan arrived to pick me up.

We even had time to drop the trailer off at home before meeting Dave and Melissa for dinner at…

The Cove Restaurant

…where we were joined by Bill and Susie of the Boreas Inn.  The Boreas garden is one I have let go, last year, and passed into the capable hands of Dave and Mel (Sea Star Gardening).

Sondra’s gladiolas in the entry garden (Allan’s photo)

and lilies (Allan’s photo)

Allan’s photo

Melissa, Susie, me, and delicious warm bread

caesar salad

strawberry feta salad (Allan’s photo)

ahi tuna

spicy Thai prawns (Allan’s photo)

Moroccan chicken (Allan’s photo)

 

 

 

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2 June: Pam’s Seaside gardens

Thursday, 2 June 2016

I accompanied Allan on a grocery shopping trip to Warrenton, Oregon, solely to detour into Seaside and see Pam Fleming’s public gardens.  (Checking out the plant selection at Fred Meyer would be a bonus.)

Pam Fleming has been the public gardener for downtown Seaside for as long as I can remember, and every year her gardens get better.  The gardens run along both sides of Broadway from the main highway to the beach view turnaround.

Broadway in Seaside

We drove and looked at the first couple of blocks as I took photos from the passenger window.

 

Beach Books is where the walking tour begins which Pam gives every July.

Love that dusky Phygelius; I wonder if it is ‘Salmon Leap’.

Then a parking place opened up on the busy street and we decided to walk to the turnaround and back to get a close look at the gardens.  What a good decision!

One of Seaside’s well designed sit spots.

on the bridge

Allan paddled under this bridge last October.

I love gold and variegated foliage.

Nigella (love in a mist) (Allan’s photo)

Pam plants flowering tobacco and head-whirling type flowers in front of the Bridge Tender Tavern.

Nicotiana langsdorfii (a flowering tobacco)

a whirly spoon leafed osteospermum; she likes the kind with more of a color pattern but it has become hard to find.

Allan’s photo

I hope no tavern patron gets thrown into this pocket garden this year.

The Bridge Tender

As we strolled by a café with outdoor seating, a walker approaching said to two folks seated there, “Looks like the perfect life.”   “It’s our think tank,” said the sitters; “We’re solving the world’s problems.”  “How far have you gotten?”  “Not very far.”

Pam often plants culinary plants in front of restaurants, like this seafood place.

I spy parsley in the Dooger’s garden.  Maybe sage, rosemary, and thyme, too.

by Dooger’s

This is the “swinging tree” of a local girl who has swung from the branches for years.

I’d say put leatherleaf viburnum here except I don’t much like it!

When the business storefronts change hands, sometimes Pam’s planting scheme is thrown off; she might have plants from Mexico in front of a Mexican restaurant and then have it turn into a souvenir shop instead.

another culinary garden by the Pig ‘n’ Pancake, with golden lemon balm.  (I think.)

Lovage, I think, on the right.

The vigorous houttuynia was already in the gardens when she took them on.

Why don’t I ever remember to mass plant like she does? Looks so much better.

I just realized my own Primrose vialii may be petered out at home.

Unlike some people, when I see a plant that I want in a public garden (like the primrose above), I do NOT help myself.

As always, I envy the variety of street trees…not just boring old columnar pears like we have. Here: paperbark maple.

another sit spot

Forever is a long, long time.

a wintry window box

shop window (Allan’s photo)

There is alchemilla (lady’s mantle) looking frothy and glorious.

looks like Helenium ‘Sahin’s Early Flowerer’ blooming way early!

Sambucus ‘Black Lace’

Allan’s photo

I also envy the reliable sprinkler system in every pocket garden.

Last year, Pam told us her mulch of choice was bales of Gardner and Bloome soil building compost.

I was deeply smitten with this bed with its candelabra primroses.

I spy little statice. I’ve had helpful people pull them out as dandelions before they bloom.

Allan’s photo

almost to the turnaround

At first, I thought this kid might be one of Pam’s workers, till I realized he was playing hide and seek.

Now I had reached the turnaround.  Allan had walked back to get the van and come pick me up.

looking east

looking west

I found these two plaques deeply touching:

looking south

in full wind and weather…and irrigated

On the way back to the highway, one block over:

a big fluffy peony under a beach pine

some flying birds by a Seaside café

On the way north, we had a look at the garden of an ironworks shop in Gearhart.

Gearhart Ironworks

the ironworks garden

We accomplished our grocery shopping at Costco.  I miss the old, smaller store behind the Fred Meyer.  The big new one has lighting that makes me feel dizzy and disoriented.  I find myself thinking that I must visit an optometrist immediately:

too much glare, I feel like I am seeing double.

I prefer mood lighting while shopping.

Further toward home, I succumbed to the siren call of the Fred Meyer plant department.

petunias of interesting hues; I bought a yellowy-pinky one.

another unusual petunia

a haul of plants for my garden (Allan’s photo)

eastern view from the highest part of the 4 mile long Astoria Megler bridge over the Columbia river.

The only flaw in this excellent day (other than the lighting at Costco) was that I had not organized a visit with Pam herself.  I felt we would not have time to do that, shop, and get to our weekly dinner in time.  Oh, how wrong I was because we got home with two hours to spare.  I did spend it puttering with my new plants; however, visiting with Pam would have been better, and rare.

The Cove Restaurant

We were slightly late to our North Beach Garden Gang meeting because I found it hard to tear myself away from my new plants.

a tad bit late to the party

artful dinner salad

strawberry feta salad (Allan’s photo)

prawn scampi

ahi tuna

Dave, Melissa and me

Todd and Dave (Allan’s photo)

We usually stay until the serving staff start sweeping up and vacuuming.  Carmen made an amusing show of sweeping right by our table.

a hug from our Carmen

After dinner, the usual lingering in the parking lot:

The plant that got away?

Tomorrow: back to the watering rounds.

---

Ginger’s Garden Diaries

from my mother’s garden diaries of two decades ago

1998 (age 74):

June 2: HOT in afternoon!!  Noon to six  I finally got those tulip bulbs (from the tubs and pots) planted in the garden area next to the onion and asparagus bed.  Boy I’m glad to have it done.  Then I planted seedlings into pots—the next move will be to plant them into the various bowls.  The next main job is to start planting the perennials that are on the picnic table.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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5 May: early watering

Thursday, 5 May 2016

a bird bath in the morning (Allan’s photo)

our garden at the post office

My plan for the week, to plant a whole lot of perennials in the Long Beach planters, was thwarted by wind and the prediction of more wind.  The lack of rain meant that we had to water the Long Beach planters and street trees, I swear the earliest watering ever since I started the job twenty years ago.  (I wonder if this blog could prove my memory wrong.)  Planting while watering would have been good but…the wind.  I did not want wilted plants on Saturday.

The Depot Restaurant

We deadheaded and pulled accursed bindweed.

north side of deck with spaces awaiting cosmos

looking south from by the interpretive sign; the restaurant used to be a train depot

I’ve added more lilies for this summer.

south side of deck: waiting for grasses to give sense of enclosure

Before Long Beach, we had some new plants to put into some pots at …

The Anchorage Cottages

…along with the weekly check up of the gardens.  Allan took most of the Anchorage photos today:

our good friend Mitzu

Mitzu

Mitzu

Dutch Iris and Solanum crispum ‘Glasnevin’

color coordination

an early rose

Armeria (sea thrift) and leatherleaf virburnum

north wall garden

north wall, climbing hydrangea

center courtyard

Long Beach 

We got the soaker hoses turned on in the welcome sign bed and pulled accursed horsetail and added one Geranium ‘Orion’. The building behind is Davita kidney dialysis center where our good friend Susie works (when she is not innkeeping at her Boreas Inn).

ready for more plants next week

back of sign: Allan divided and spread narcissi more evenly along the rear of the bed.

In Long Beach town, we worked our way from south to north.  The first block gave me a big scare with no water, till Allan turned on the main valve.  So glad Parks Manager Mike showed us how to do that.  Each street tree faucet had to be dug out from dirt that had fallen into the holes over the winter.

in a street tree garden (Allan’s photo)

Allan accomplished a re-do in one planter, digging out a big off balance clump of Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’.

Allan’s photos: before

after

last week

today

This one will get some red flowers.

The plants in all the planters were so thirsty.

wilting golden oregano…not a very tough ornamental herb for dry weather

another planter to consider re-doing…would be hard work.

I so regret having planted this “wire plant”.  I thought it was a houseplant and would not survive the winter.  Ha! It has swallowed two big lavenders.

on a bench…a wilted bouquet of flowers from the planters@!$%#

some planter edges were well sat upon during last Sunday’s parade.  (Allan’s photo)

half way through town.  What is missing, above?  Someone stole a full size Erysimum ‘Bowles Mauve’ to the left of the lamp post.  %#@%%***!!!

We did a re-do (dig out) of one side of the planter by the Long Beach Pharmacy to get rid of some mint and the BadAster (left over from volunteer days). We then bucketed some water to the new plants in planters along the Bolstad beach approach.

by the restroom.  “I hope that is not a bomb”, I said to Allan.

It was a radio, playing loudly, with no one around.  (Allan’s photos)

For the last two blocks along the main street, I had to bundle up with a winter scarf as it got so very cold.

Allan’s photo: pistachio seed mulch in a planter (the one plagued with red clover)

brrr…the flag shadow shows the strong wind!

We planted just a few plants in a few of the planters, including the one above where we had dug out the one remaining daphne last week after its mate had been stolen.

I had hoped to also get the Ilwaco planters and boatyard watered today.  A futile dream!  We barely got done with the watering of Long Beach in time to meet Dave and Melissa (Sea Star Gardening) for a 7:30 dinner.  In fact, we were not done and would have to water some Sid Snyder Drive beach approach planters tomorrow.

The Cove Restaurant

Our dinner reservation was later than usual because The Grub Club, a social group that meets at different restaurants, was at the Cove tonight.  7:30 is actually an ideal time for us to dine in summer, as long as the restaurant does not kick us out before we are done with our garden talk.

outside: one of Grub Club members Keleigh and Keith’s dogs

the three Beachdog dogs, all rescued Danes

Caesar salad with anchovies

Melissa’s scampi with prawns

my spicy Korean beef bowl

Allan’s crab and asparagus risotto

new art exhibit: stained glass mosaic by our friend Annie Fletcher

end of a long day

As Allan and I had watered in Long Beach today, I had made notes of how many “uppies”and “trailies” (plants) each planter needed.  The note had become soft, damp, and almost illegible, I rewrote it before we relaxed and watched telly and then finally the workday was over.

The weather forecast is disturbingly dry:

1995 (age 71):

May 5:  Started veggie seeds in house.  Used plastic domes on two of the trays.  Planted cukes, celeriac, asparagus (seeds) and lettuce, pepper.

1997 (age 73):

May 5-11:  I was busy most every day in yard.  8 hours over 3 days to weed tam area [flower bed that once held juniper tams] and driveway.  Cleaned up patio and spread two bags of bark.  (I need more.)

1998 (age 74):

May 5:  I worked planting the low dahlias in the tam area till 4:00.  Too early to go in so I started weeding next to the raspberry row.  Tall dandelions loaded with seed so I’ll see them all again.  I left a huge pile of weeds to pick up tomorrow.  I got another Spring Hill order so I’ll do more potting tomorrow.  Then the glads are next to be planted.

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14 April: north end rounds

Thursday, 14 April 2016

We’ve been so focused on Long Beach that we had not done our north end jobs lately.

Red Barn Arena

I remembered that we had some edging blocks to install at the Red Barn.  When we got there, the edge had not been cleared yet (by Amy and her trusty tractor) so we will do the edging later.  We also found that the backside of the garden had been hit with roundup, always a risk when spraying grass next to a garden.

zone of death: Round Up drift had killed the California poppies at the back…

and caused yellowing foliage on the Helianthus

I got a promise that from now on, we will run our own string trimmer back there and that Round Up will not be applied again.

Allan string trimming along the front

an attractive new bench

Diane’s garden

Next door, we weeded at deadheaded at Diane and Larry’s.

the roadside garden

one narcissus

the back patio planters

A heavy rain began while we were weeding along the road and got us both uncomfortably drenched and chilled.  Fortunately, I had a dry sweatshirt and jacket to change into. Allan’s jacket had kept him drier.

brrrrr

Basket Case Greenhouse

Basket Case was a good place to warm up a bit.  We have begun planting some perennials, and needed more ingredients.  We are holding off on planting annuals till around Mother’s Day.

the annuals greenhouse

I got myself an Orange Rocket barberry and a Cardinal red twig dogwood.

and the orange picotee Lewisia for my scree garden.

Golden Sands Assisted Living

I was ever so pleased to see the bright show of tulips in the Golden Sands courtyard garden.

with blue camassia

view from one of the red chairs

I asked Allan to apply the Sluggo to each quadrant while I sat because my knee was acting up.

The bird bath and plaque are from my mom’s old garden.

Tulip viridiflora (green tulips), always my favourites.  ‘Green Wave’ is on the right.

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

dog daises already (Allan’s photo)

Pacific tree frog on moss and beach strawberries (Allan’s photo)

Allan’s photo

While weeding, Allan commented that this little wild euphorbia reminds him of Shrek.

a spurge, one of the cuter weeds (Allan’s photo)

It reminds Allan of Shrek’s ears.

Klipsan Beach Cottages

After considerable weeding and narcissi deadheading, I took some photos for the KBC Facebook page of the garden looking very fine.

from south gate

tulips and overwintered Helichrysum ‘Limelight’

multiflowering Tulip ‘Antoinette’

Tulip ‘Orange Princess’

Tulip ‘Green Star’

This tulip has come back year after year.

a real do-er

fringed tulip, rose, elephant garlic

from northeast gate

Euphorbia characias wulfenii

Pieris and clematis

narcissi and pieris

the pond island bed

unfurling ferns

pond island bed

sword ferns

The podophyllum was blooming.  (Allan’s photo)

Allan’s photo

beautiful Bella (Allan’s photo)

inside the fenced garden, ocean view cottages on the ridge

Allan climbed over the pond to trim the last of the sword ferns:

before

after

 

Marilyn’s Garden

We had just an hour and a half to go north to Marilyn’s garden before our dinner.

view from back porch; garage next door will disappear soonish behind foliage

looking north

from the road

looking south

The Cove Restaurant

flowers in the foyer (Allan’s photo)

and on the table (Allan’s photo)

We had, as always, been looking forward to the weekly meeting of the North Beach Garden Gang.

Todd brought flowers….

Allan’s photo

and a podophyllum for Melissa and Dave.

Allan’s photo.  I was honestly not complaining about a thing as it had been a very good day.

delicious ahi tuna

strawberry salad (Allan’s photo)

lava cake with fresh pears

lemon bar (Allan’s photo)

Except for one little rain squall and a bit of the old knee playing up, it had been a perfect day.

Ginger’s Garden Diaries

from my mother’s garden diaries of two decades ago

1995 (age 70):

April 15: Went through Floralight [three tiered light table] to try to find room for tomatoes.  Moved 8 or 10 trailing violets into terracotta planter and put it on top.  Planted Gloxinia bulbs into pots as houseplants.

1998 (age 73):

April 15:  Sunny, warm . I decided I  had to get the strawberries planted if I hope to have some in June.  I worked from noon to 4:00 to plant 3 rows using 6 or 7 trays of plants—and I have 29 trays of plants!  The soil is loose from the tilling so it’s easy to plant them.  I’m planting the rows close together because I have so many plants.

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7 April: HOT at the beach

Thursday, 7 April 2016

I was so determined to finish the beach approach today that I scheduled nothing else beforehand. We went straight out to the Bolstad beach approach garden except for one brief stop to get photos of the welcome sign garden (in case something bad happened to the tulips before the next day, like a browsing deer or a human standing in there to get a photo taken.)

Tulip ‘Torch Song’ mix from Colorblends, with some Tulip ‘Formosa’ added

Tulip “Torch Song’ mix

front and back

Tulip ‘Much Niceness’ mix from Colorblends

“Much Niceness” mix

.  I knew from the start that the unusual heat…82.9!…would make it challenging out on the beach approach.  Just this once, I hoped for some wind (not too much).

where we left off yesterday

11:17 AM: From where we left off yesterday, my goal was to make it to the buoy.  That would be most of this section, to the planter…

…and this section from the planter to the end.

before (Allan’s photo)

before (Allan’s photo)

a couple of cute dogs that I got to pet.  They whined like crazy when their “mom” walked to the restroom.

It was SOO hot that I thought I was gonna plotz.  I put a cold bandanna around my neck, a cold bandanna peasant style over my head, and a cold bandanna on each wrist (soaked in cold water).

Then I poured cold water over my head from a jug every now and then.

me and my neighbour’s dog Yarrow

Our neighbour Jessika of Starvation Alley organic cranberry farm walked by with her dogs. (Allan’s photo)

Yarrow (Allan’s photo)

Jessika grew up in Tennessee and thinks we are very dramatic about “hot” weather here.  When she walked back, there I was dramatically pouring cold water over my head again.

debris clean up in progress on the first section (Allan’s photo)

The passersby were frequent today because of spring break, with the oft repeated comment “You can come to my garden next”.  One fellow offered us $20 an hour to drive all the way to Chehalis to weed his garden, not realizing that the going rate for private garden work here is $25 per person and up.

The “my garden next” comment is so common that I ran across it in a book about the Lost Garden of Heligan in Cornwall:  “[Garden visitors] stand and stare and comment on our dedication to the job, how our backs must be aching and how we can help in their garden when we’re finished with our own.” from Heligan: A Portrait of the Lost Garden.

Today, I got a good compliment; a fellow said that the gardens make his visits to Long Beach “intriguing and enjoyable”.  That is exactly what I wish to achieve.

starting the second section at two thirty (Allan’s photo)

At four thirty, I could not bear weeding in the section of plain roses anymore.  I was in despair over the quick passage of time so asked Allan to finish that area while I went on to the end, where some Juniper conferta, some wild lupins and some armeria (sea thrift) gave some variety to the weeding.

By then, I was in a panic about getting done; I just wanted so much to finish today.

weeding and chatting with a Long Beach resident who used to be a landscaper (Allan’s photo)

It was also pleasant to visit with blog reader MaryBeth although I barely looked up.

I deliberately left some shaped sections of clover for the bees.  When it is done blooming, we may remove it.

Allan got the boring area done all on his own, by 6:30.

From 6:30 to 7:00, I was wielding the pick in a frenzy and yelling at the last section of weeds, “You will not defeat me! I WILL FINISH YOU!”  I was willing to be late to dinner to get done.  I had been thinking for two hours about calling the Cove and texting Melissa to delay dinner from 7 PM till 7:30, yet the idea of stopping to deal with calling and texting was just too exhausting.  Allan was raking and sweeping the sidewalk and roadside while I did the very last weeding.

cleaned up (Allan’s photo)

after…7:10, late for dinner!

Allan doing the last of the sweeping.

Days ago, we started way way back at the arch.

the final section, done

THE END!

a huge accomplishment

all the way to the end!

As Melissa says, HUMANS WIN!  At least temporarily.  Next week, we’ll plant some poppy seeds in the occasional area where no roses grow.

The Cove Restaurant

tulips outside the Cove (Allan’s photo)

We arrived at our weekly dinner and meeting of the North Beach Garden Gang 20 minutes late.  Melissa and Dave (Sea Star Gardening) totally understood.

the joy of having the beach approach done (Allan’s photo)

strawberry salad

Dave’s fish and chips

fish tacos

Chef Jason sent us some prawns in butter sauce…out of this world.

the work board…beach approach erased…at long long long last.

Ginger’s Garden Diaries

from my mother’s garden diaries of two decades ago 

1997 (age 72):

April 7: Took Tabby to vets for booster shots.  I got the Advantage flea killer stuff—supposed to kill fleas in 24 hours and last for a month.  $8.00+.

I cleaned out a lot of branches and cones from patio bed so now I have another pile.  There’s still a lot to clean up in driveway and front flower beds.

1998 (age 73):

April 7:  1:00-3:00  It was cold enough to wear a jacket but warm enough to sweat.    I only worked two hours when I felt sick probably still tired from yesterday and only 4 hours sleep.  I managed to weed some in patio and moved most of the pots of perennials up to the picnic table  I gave up and came in and went to bed from 3:00 to 6:00.

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