3 October: work and a visit

Wednesday, 3 October 2018

One of my Eryngium giganteum (Miss Willmott’s Ghost) is going to bloom.  I wish it would have waited till next year.

Miss Willmott jumping the gun

The very big spider had a meal.

I had organized the day around being home to meet some out of town blog readers who were passing through in the afternoon.

Long Beach

We worked some more on straggly Geranium ‘Rozanne’ and other tired plants in the planters.

police station planter

Police Station last week

today

I hope I will be able to get my mitts on the six planters that remain hanging about town, two of them here on the police station, for my compost.

cosmos by the stoplight

santolina ready to be clipped…not today

The planter with wire vine (below) needs to be completely dug out.  I might not have enough mulch left in my Soil Energy pile to fill it back up again.  This time, ALL the soil must go.  Two years ago, we thought we could sift the roots out.  Nope.

Muehlenbeckia axillaris up in everthing

When I planted it, I thought it was a cute little house plant that would last one summer.

This is what it wants to do:

before, three years ago: a great splodge of Muehlenbeckia axillaris (wire vine)

Cosmos ‘Cupcake’ in Lewis and Clark Square

Pacific Tree Frog in Lewis and Clark Square planter

Some planters in sheltered spots still have excellent looking Geranium ‘Rozanne’

my favourite planter by Dennis Company

windier planter by Dennis Co parking lot, before

On the way through town to our next job, The Red Barn, we saw one of the Red Barn horses and rider and good dog heading for the beach.

Allan’s photo

Soon Amy and a friend from The Red Barn rode by.

Allan’s photo

We pretty much skipped the Red Barn garden today; rain had taken care of everything.

At the Red Barn

Still no Cosmo the barn cat to be seen on our short garden check up….

Diane’s garden

In Diane’s garden, we managed to get the deadheading done in 45 minutes.

roadside garden, a nerve-wracking deadheading job

a peaceful moment

Allan deadheaded the raised box garden.

The nasturtium is pale yellow ‘Moonlight’, because Diane likes soft colours.

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

at home

We got home in time to offload the compost debris and then to spend some time with Debbie and Alan, who stopped by on their way to Cannon Beach.  Debbie and her sister Dawn read this blog daily, and are good commenters, which all bloggers much appreciate.

me and Debbie and a bouquet for their room in Cannon Beach

garden touring

We learned that before his career as a scientist, Alan had been a guitarist in a series of Northwest rock bands.

I found online an old photo of a band that predated one called Shiloh.

Debbie and Alan brought us a little birdbath for which Debbie had sought a good home.

(right) at home for now in the cat garden, destined for the fire circle area

Allan’s photo

Dawn sent this beautiful plate, based on the book The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady, a book that I have and love.

The stanza around the edge is part of a long poem by Jean Ingelow.

An empty sky, a world of heather,
Purple of foxglove, yellow of broom;
We two among them wading together,
Shaking out honey, treading perfume.

Crowds of bees are giddy with clover,
Crowds of grasshoppers skip at our feet,
Crowds of larks at their matins hang over,
Thanking the Lord for a life so sweet.

Thank you!

I learned that Dawn was probably the mystery woman who had met our friend, gardener Prissy at The Waves in Cannon Beach after reading about her on this blog!

Alan and Debbie went on their way to a three day vacation.  Allan and I got back to work.

We had considered returning to the boatyard.  A chilly little wind had suddenly come up, and the shelter of the Shelburne Hotel seemed much more appealing.

The Depot Restaurant

I remembered that we needed to deadhead at the Depot (and water the window boxes).

north side of the dining deck

Coreopsis ‘Flower Tower’

in one of the window boxes

The Shelburne Hotel

Allan checked the pots on the second story decks.

the middle deck

We continued with some fall clean up cutting back and cosmos removal.  I made the big decision to remove all but one of the sweet pea tangles.

sweet pea on its way out

Three clumps of peonies in the garden had been planted too deeply sometime in the past.  Allan lifted them all and grouped them together.

Allan’s photo

just one left now

looking north

Have I ever mentioned that the front garden is on the east side? So it does not get all day sunshine.

looking south

I dote on this garden.

one more sweet pea clump that can stay for now (lower right)

A huge job awaits Allan this winter: pruning the wisteria.  It is so overgrown you could hardly see the flowers.  He will have to do the pruning because I get dizzy looking up; I will do the hauling to the trailer.  Probably this will happen at the very beginning of next February, except for some clipping back this fall before we go on staycation.

The pub called to us, and so we had an early (for us) dinner at 7:15.

fish and chips

the view from our table

How about that, we had another very good day.

 

 

Read Full Post »

21-22 July: Long Beach and Ilwaco

I’m still playing catchup with some two day posts while I try to get to only five days behind instead of fifteen.

Thursday, 21 July 2016

lilies in our volunteer garden at the post office

I planted the three little gazanias.

Rudbeckia that Our Kathleen donated last year.

I asked Allan to photograph the Basket Case hanging baskets across the street in front of the museum (because they were on his side of the van).

Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum

Mike’s Garden

I had big plans to prune (or rather…have Allan prune) some of the climbing rose out of Mayor Mike’s beach pine today.  We ran out of time, though, because a couple of other jobs had suddenly joined the schedule.

NEXT week…I hope…we will thin out the rambling rose.

I had big plans to get Long Beach AND Ilwaco and the Port of Ilwaco gardens done today and have Friday through Monday off.  My first thought upon waking had been “Tomorrow off!”.  Two things happened to change that when I checked my email and Facebook.  1.  I found out about an art show that would take place in Coulter Park…which was a mess.  2. I found out for sure that the sale of Jo’s house had fallen through, and because we like Jo and Bob so much, I offered to keep working there after all, deadheading and grooming once a week while it is for sale…including going there today to check on the watering.

The Depot Restaurant

While we were doing our weekly watering and deadheading, a group of garden admirers came by to chat.  The daughter was studying zoo horticulture (including what not to feed to the animals), which made for an interesting and informative conversation on all sides.  The dierama (angel’s fishing rod) was a big hit.

north side of dining deck

lilies and helenium

more lilies

lots of deadheads on the cosmos now (Allan’s photos)

after deadheading

looking south

the front with barrels and window boxes by Nancy Aust of The Basket Case

Long Beach

the weekly grooming of the welcome sign

Cosmos ‘Happy Ring’ reseeded from last year

one weird flower on the echibeckia

both sides

and the back

I decided we had better check on the kite museum garden.

It is doing well this year!

Gift shop manager Patty has been keeping it watered and deadheading the cosmos, thus the prolific blooms.

Jo’s Garden

Here we were again at Jo’s garden, making it look fresh and nice for the realtor who would meet with Jo and Bob tomorrow.

after deadheading some spent gladiolas

I hope a gardener buys this place.

the center courtyard

Here is the real estate listing for this dream house and garden.

back to Long Beach

We started in Long Beach town again by working together to groom the City Hall and Veterans Field gardens.

poor li’l Crimson Pygmy barberry had gotten smashed.

It used to look nice like this one.

Someone had left a rock in the flag pavilion, we think in memory of a loved one. (Allan’s photo)

Then Allan and I parted ways.  While I watered all the planters, Allan tackled Coulter Park.  It had not been done for awhile, and Friday and Saturday (July 22-23), the Peninsula Art Association would be having an art sale in the old train depot building there.  It took Allan three or four hours to undo the tangles of bindweed and salmonberry which is creeping under the fence from the north.  I’ve gotten so fed up with the situation, and especially with clipping salmonberry out from the canes of a row of thorny roses, that I’ve somewhat given up.  Fortunately, Allan is made of sterner stuff.

before and after

the horror of bindweed

before

after

the painful rose nightmare…rose and salmonberry roots intermingled, with plenty of thorns on both, topped with bindweed and birdsfoot trefoil

after (the salmonberry roots are still all entwined with the roses; you can see salmonberry taller than the fence, behind)

looks nice for the art show patrons.  A monster salmonberry looms on the other side.

Meanwhile, I watered planters and did a bit of deadheading in Fifth Street Park.

Sanguisorba in Fifth Street Park

white tigridia

I collect snails from the planters and, because I don’t like to kill them, I deposit them in a couple of empty lots along my route.  There was an odd moment, when I saw this one trying to leave the bucket, that I felt for one second like it was my pet, like a dog or a cat.

a strange moment indeed

sweet pea success in one of the planters (with a tower that holds a business name sign)

edging carpet of golden thyme

pizazz in miniature

parsley

agastache and parsley

Fun Rides

Not only do I like the new paint job on Fun Rides, but the new owners are playing much better carousel music.  Instead of the same carny tune over and over, I’ve heard carnivalized versions of YMCA, Heart of Glass, and several more pop/disco songs that make me happy.

Allan got done with Coulter Park in time to water four of the planters.

a stunning cosmos…like ‘Seashells’ but fluffier.   (Allan’s photo)

We quite simply could not get to Ilwaco, sadly, so our Friday off slipped through our fingers.  I did not feel we could have gotten done even had we worked a ten hour day.  For awhile, I felt rather glum, then reminded myself that an all Ilwaco day is not such a hard thing.

Friday, 22 July 2016

I wanted to stay home with my Smokey.

post office garden

Port of Ilwaco

Because some rain had fallen overnight, I deluded myself into thinking we wouldn’t have to water.  I was wrong.  We realized immediately upon arrival at the boatyard that the garden had not been moistened enough by the light rain.  I weeded while Allan watered.

a boat going out

I overheard the boat owners saying it was going to be windy this weekend.  I hoped that just meant out on the water.  One said to a friend that the boat was “so smooth you could do brain surgery while crossing the bar.”

looks like bad invasive purple loosestrife has blown in from somewhere, down where I can’t get at it.

about 1/5 of the boatyard garden, looking south

sweet pea success

I then hoped we would not have to water the Howerton Ave. curbside gardens.  So wrong.  We ended up watering almost all of them.

a little bird in the garden at Time Enough Books

watering the most parched west end garden bed

Gaura ‘Whirling Butterfly’ (Allan’s photo)

Eryngium (sea holly) (Allan’s photo)

grateful plants (Allan’s photo)

snaking hoses a long way from the dock (Allan’s photo)

Eryngium ‘Sapphire Blue’ is fading to tan (Allan’s photo)

Pokemon Go players (Allan’s photo)

still clear water today

a different and prettier bindweed on the bank of the marina

Memorial plaques are set into the lawn at the marina. (Allan’s photo)

Allan found the obituary of the father of the family, whose plaque is on the right.  Let’s take a moment to remember these local fishing folk.  We are always aware here that the commercial fisherfolk are a brave and hardy clan.

A light mist for about ten minutes was not enough to let us stop watering.  The water is still not on at the former Wade Gallery garden bed (which we had planted up all nice for the previous owners) so we are still bucket watering it (or rather, Allan is).

before the bucket watering, which is never enough: Even the Eryngium is suffering from lack of water.

Penstemon longing for a good dose of hose water.  So frustrating.

I walked the whole length of Howerton weeding the beds.

the “drive over garden” shows the difference when we can reach a garden with hose water.

blue catananche at the east end

Both Allan and I had noticed that ‘Sapphire Blue’ is going tan.

Allan finished the workday by watering the Ilwaco street trees and planters with the water trailer while I went home and watered our own garden.  Then, our weekly meeting of the North Beach Garden Gang.  (It had been delayed one day because of a Melissa excursion to Portland on Thursday.)  We had time on the way to visit the last half an hour of the PAA art show and chat with our friend Bayside Debbie.

Debbie and her really cool jewelry

The Cove Restaurant

sedums in Sondra’s garden outside (Allan’s photo)

caesar salad (Allan’s photo)

ahi tuna

prime rib (a Friday night offering) for Dave and Mel (Allan’s photo)

and a very chocolatey dessert (Allan’s photo)

lemon mascarpone cheesecake, and our dear server Lynn treated us to our desserts.

At last we had come to our three day rather than four day weekend, with plans for boating, gardening, and some time touring one of our favourite local gardens with friends.

---

Ginger’s Garden Diaries

from my mother’s garden diaries of two decades ago

1997 (age 73):

July 21: 10:30-5:00! COOLER  Picked berries, barely enough for one breakfast.  I planned to mulch and cage the tomatoes but ended up weeding, deadheading, and watering the flower beds in upper driveway and tam area.  I pulled gobs of the perennial geranium plants that are everywhere.  Did some weeding in front “ditch” but didn’t get done so I quit working at 5:00.

July 22:  Store and errands day.  Paid electric bill, Tim’s, Payless and Stock Market.  Which is being redone by new owners (QFC) so it’s very difficult finding items.

1998 (age 74):

July 21:  I put out all my quart mayo jars to recycle.  I’ll keep all the pints.  I can use mayo pints for tomatoes.  I called Foremost Insurance Co.  They will send an agent to check damage in bathroom floor—in 3 or 4 days.  [She was getting her home ready to sell so she could move to Long Beach.]

July 22:  TOO HOT  90 degrees.  The agent called at 9:00 AM.  She will come tomorrow at 1:00.  I worked all day going over my house plants.  I repotted several, threw some out, and put the plants back in the Floralight.  I picked berries at 5:30 still hot—not many because of the heat.  I watered from 7:00 to 9:00—then showered and quit for the day.

 

Read Full Post »

Ilwaco Post Office garden through the year

Here’s our volunteer project at the Ilwaco Post Office through the year in 2015.  The only catastrophe was when a fellow fell into it and broke the yellow and the dark maroon Asiatic lilies.  So far, this little garden is not plagued by deer, and since we planted many tulips in it this fall, we hope that happy state of affairs continues in 2016.

Plants featured in this garden: tulips, narcissi, lilies, California poppies, Gaura ‘So White’, cosmos, Linaria purpurea (toadflax), ornamental grasses, annuals sunflowers, Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen, Salvia viridis (painted sage), Eryngium ‘Sapphire Blue’, Eryngium ‘Jade Frost’, penstemon, Papaver rhoeas, and more.

All photos are embiggenable.

1-29

3-4

3-28

4-24

4-29

5-6

5-20

5-27

6-5

6-10

6-16

6-23

7-1

7-6

7-8

7-13

7-15

7-16

7-21

8-2

8-29

9-12

9-12

9-17

9-25

10-13

10-23

11-3

11-8

11-23

12-9

Read Full Post »

The Depot Restaurant garden, 2015 overview

Here’s our garden bed on the north side of the Depot Restaurant dining deck through the year.  Some of the plants:  tulips and narcissi, Cosmos ‘Sensation’ mix, lilies, Solidago ‘Fireworks’, Coreopsis ‘Flower Tower’, Eryngiums, Verbascum, and hops on the lattice.  How quickly a year goes.  Just before we did this year’s fall clean up, we were dining at the Depot and Allan said we had “just cut the hops down”.  I suddenly had a strong tactile memory of the way the vines feel as I clip them and it did seem we must have already done it this fall and forgotten about it.  But when we went outside after dinner, the hops were still there, so that powerful memory came from a year before and seemed like it had just happened.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Read Full Post »

15 Oct: weather and reward

Thursday, 15 October 2015

Before following the example of the way we clean up other people’s gardens, read about how a wild winter garden is good for pollinators.

The following idea would be hard for me because I don’t like reaching into sharp stubble to weed, and I remember reading how Christopher Lloyd disliked seeing gardeners leaving short stems because it is painful to work in.  Stubble spreads the nesting out more leading to less disease among the bees:

Leave some stubble for the bees!

Mike’s Garden

We began a few blocks to the east at Mike’s garden.

At this time of year, we usually ruin the day of at least a few spiders by having to break their webs in order to garden.

Mike’s front garden…

…had several big spider webs.

I managed to save this one, and despite a close call when Allan almost forgot, we preserved one across the path by walking around another way.

south end of front path

Before we left, we pruned that jaggedy gold lonicera into more of a round shape, because that is what Mike likes.  A spider’s web got ruined in the process even though I tried not to.  I was going to give the lonicera a bit of a mohawk to save the web but clipped in just the wrong place by accident.

The echinops (blue globe thistle) has come back beautifully from having the floppy stems cut back hard.

Between jobs, we stopped off at home and I had a word with my neighbour, Rudder.

Allan’s photo

The Depot Restaurant

Because we were making a run to the dump with some debris from yesterday and Mike’s garden, Allan cut back some of the willow that hangs over the deck’s tent cover.  I did some cosmos deadheading.

still lots of cosmos

north side of dining deck

The irrigation is back on for the front windowboxes, at my request, and they have revived.

Long Beach

While Allan tidied the Veterans Field gardens, mostly clipping back storm damaged cosmos in the corner garden bed, I checked up on a couple of blocks worth of planters for last minute deadheading.

cosmos still going strong in city planter

lots of Gaura ‘Whirling Butterflies’ in Veterans Field flag pavilion bed

Anchorage Cottages

On the way to the Anchorage, we always look for this dog, and almost always find him or her in this playhouse.

When we got to the Anchorage, I found the explanation for why I felt so uncomfortable and as if I might be getting sick with a fever.  It had not occurred to me till Allan pointed it out that the temperature was so high in mid October!

This 80 degree photograph was the only one I took at the Anchorage!

Allan’s before photo of digging out some more running roses…

and after

Long Beach 

Back to Long Beach…I wanted to check up on the Lisa Bonney memorial planter out on the beach approach.  A member of her family had, we heard, planted some new plants there for a little memorial service.

Hmm, they had added some impatiens, which were not all that happy… but had probably looked fine on the important day.

Allan’s photo; impatiens are too tender for this tough location.

It is so hard to keep anything but the most basic plants in this planter because showy plants always get stolen…despite the memorial plaque.  Almost all locals know the story about how the beloved and kind Lisa was murdered, in full view of witnesses, during a festival out here on the beach approach.  Her estranged boyfriend was the killer.  Every year, there is a fundraiser race against domestic violence in her honour, and I think of her every time we garden here.

plaque on Lisa’s memorial planter

Some horses on their way to the beach provided some distraction.

a nearby gull

more planter weeding (Allan’s photo)

Some friends will know that that I had a headache all day since every photo of me shows a cold wet bandanna around my head.

next, a big debris dump at Peninsula Sanitation transfer station’s clean green pile

Ilwaco

We picked up some books at the Ilwaco Timberland Library and I admired the fall crocus in the community building garden.

lovely crocus at community building, planted by Kathleen Sayce

At the port, we did a couple of hours of weeding into the very low early evening sun.

ornamental grass with setting sun

backlit

We marked the shrubs at the old Shorebank garden that are coming out for sightline reasons.  The three arbutus at the end can never be allowed to get big enough to fully flower, so they must go.

It is sad but necessary that these will be backhoed out.

We had wanted to fill in the time before dinner, with a half an hour in between at home.  All of a sudden, we were racing the clock to get done with a satisfactory amount of weeding by 6:30!

6:30 was coming too soon.

We got most of the weeds, not quite all the way to the west end.

sunset clouds over the marina

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

On the way home, in the dimming light, I took a couple of photos of sweet peas at the boatyard, just to record how well these two clumps have clambered up the fence.

sweet pea ‘Black Knight’

and a mixed bunch

More sweet peas next year!

sunset sky over our own garden

and Jeff’s boat house two doors down

We got home and divested ourselves of the trailer and arrived at our weekly dinner engagement and meeting of the North Beach Garden Gang just three minutes late.  I had finally taken a migraine pill so I could enjoy dinner without the maddening headache.

The Cove Restaurant

in the foyer

delicious autumn pear and goat cheese salad with some beets

Melissa had the duck.

I had a great craving for the ahi tuna.

Dave had my other favourite dish, the cajun chicken alfredo.

Allan had the fish tacos, $3 each.  (his photo)

recording the moment (Allan’s photos)

Arnold Palmer (Allan’s photo)

cannoli for dessert!

Melissa and Dave dig in.

after dinner, compliments to Chef Jason Lancaster

Jason and Lynn

and our good friend Parking Lot Cat (Allan’s photo)

Next: four, but not five, days off

 

Read Full Post »

2-3 October: sleep, project, campfire, friends

Friday, 2 October 2015

I had the most wonderful long sleep with no artificial sleep aid, most unusual and most welcome….even though I did feel I had lost half the day.  When I finally went outside, thinking to putter and weed a bit, I suddenly remembered two projects that had come to mind this past week.

Yesterday morning, I had had a revelation that the bed running next to the garage could be made more of an ornamental grass Piet Oudolfy type of garden.

Here it was yesterday morning.

So first I transplanted two big Miscanthus into the middle bed of those three.  The far in the distance bed is a debris pile at present.

the west side garden where tall ornamental grasses will grow next year…

I am still trying to decide whether or not to turn the shabby grass paths to gravel.  I do love a gravel garden and yet the grass, even dormant, feels so soft underfoot.

And then I suddenly remembered that I had decided the four long low containers by the south wall must be moved.  I think they would be wonderful containers on the edge of a deck.  But I do not have a deck, or even the prospect of a deck.  I always thought I could successfully grown beans or peas up the side of the house on bamboo stakes.  After five years of failure at that plan, I was sick to death of the same-iness of those long planters.

before, 3:30 PM

Much digging of potting soil into buckets ensued, along with the digging out of two whiskey barrels that were outside the deer fence.  Allan helped me move the empty barrels into place.

Devery stopped by partway through the frenzy.

Allan’s photos; I want to expand the scree garden all around the boat by moving the strawberries that are on the other side.

I was telling Devery all about the strawberry plan (because we share them with her)

I gave her some lavender.

Then I got back to finishing the big exhausting project.

after, 6 PM

I’m happy with having a variety of heights against the house instead of the long low stretch of four identical planters.

If I can find a place for these, I can grow strawberries in them.  (Allan’s photo)

Another frenzy followed of moving a plant table from behind the garage onto the patio, by which time it was too dark to take a photo.

Saturday, 3 October 2015

After a day of pleasant garden puttering, and some small worries about wind, the wind did die down at dusk and we were able to have a campfire with Our Kathleen, Dave, and Melissa.

Allan’s photo

the shade garden looking fine at dusk

a simply perfect autumn campfire evening

I wish to relive the idyllic time from all angles.

We had three kinds of sausages, buttered corn foil-roasted in the fire, beer, cider, or root beer, Allan’s homemade pumpkin pie, Melissa’s brownies; what a feast.  Smokey joined us; the other cats are not campfire aficionados.

To make the evening even more perfect, I looked at my phone and saw that garden writer Ann Lovejoy, who I had just realized this day was on Facebook, had accepted my friend request.  This meant the world to me as her gardening talk over 25 years ago had changed my life.

my garden boat, the “Plant Vessel” Ann Lovejoy!

Afterward, as Kathleen was leaving, I saw that the J’s house across the street had all its Halloween lights up.  As I took my camera one house down to take a photo, I suddenly exclaimed:  “Damn, I left my property!”  Kathleen said something like, “All of Lake Street is yours,” and I said, “Some would beg to differ.”  So much for not setting foot off my property for five days.  (I realized than that, because there is still compostable debris in our trailer,  I would at some point have had to set foot out on the sidewalk to unload it.)

My photo did not even turn out well, but Allan’s did:

The J’s house across the street. (Allan’s photo)

next: three more luxurious days off

 

 

Read Full Post »

24 Sept: the last watering?

Thursday, 24 September 2015

Mike’s Garden

At Mike’s garden, just a few blocks east, I was greeted by barking from Sally, who was happy to get a belly scratching through the back deck lattice.  We did a quick session of weeding and clipping in the garden, front and back.

my good friend Sally

Allan addressed the east property line, so overgrown from a vacant lot next door.

before, Allan’s photo

after, Allan’s photo

Mike’s front garden, looking north

front garden with Geranium ‘Rozanne’

On the way out of town, we parked so I could poke a finger into an Ilwaco planter, sure I would find it damp but wanting the certainty.  NOOOOOOOO!   It was SO dry that I realized those planters would need watering in order to be damp enough to take advantage of upcoming rain. Rain water does not soak in well to a dry, densely planted container.

The Depot Restaurant

The Depot garden did not require watering as we have had enough rain for plants in the ground, so all we did was deadhead the prolific cosmos and pull a few weeds.

north side of dining deck

At some point, we will just let the cosmos go to seed, but not yet. Probably not till mid October.

Allan found this license plate in the garden, and one of the logs had been knocked off-kilter, we think hard enough to knock the plate off! But thankfully not hard enough to push the log into the garden.

view looking south from the front of the building.

Plantings by Nancy Aust of the Basket Case Greenhouse are still going strong at the front (north side) of the restaurant.

the entry to the dining deck, with hops; Allan checked it for sneaky bindweed.  (Allan’s photo)

Allan’s photo. Makes me want a lattice walkway like this. Allan???

Long Beach

We deadheaded the welcome sign, me with a feeling of malaise because after the vandalism? of a couple of weeks ago, many of the flowers are gone.

I guess it’s still good if you don’t know what it COULD be looking like.

WAS cosmos all along the back. At least the lights illuminate the sign better now.

The only way to have the lights really work well to illuminate the sign is to have the plants all be about two inches tall.  Then the cement wall would show.  It is a dilemma.

looks pretty good from the sidewalk as those plants did not get stood upon…or whatever it was that happened during Rod Run.

In Veterans Field, we found a new flagpole had been installed in the corner garden.  I cannot remember what was planted in that spot…which is probably just as well.  It took me a few minutes to realize what had changed!

new flagpole

Then I looked up.  The new flag is for the merchant marines.  That will please our friend J9, whose dad served in that capacity in WW II.

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

weeding in the wind, Allan’s photo

We walked the downtown main street and groomed all the planters, and decided not to water because a good rain is due overnight and they are still slightly damp.  Unlike the Ilwaco planters, these are large enough to hold some moisture.

This planter by The Hungry Harbor (before) was the shabbiest looking.

Here it is, after. All the California poppies are volunteers and I can’t resist letting them overtake the planter.

Salvia viridis (painted sage) is still holding on to its colour.

As I passed NIVA green, I went in to get a sympathy card for our neighbour whose beloved spouse and best buddy had died.  I found one that spoke to me of their garden, where below an understory of a good collection of Japanese maples, annuals and small perennials grow in a tidy display.

vintage botanical specimens card by luccapaperworks.com

While writing it out that evening, I found one more quotation that I added (other than my favourite one about memory, by Angelo Patri…)    Well, here they both are.

and…”Mixed with missing him for the rest of my life was a feeling of amazement and delight that I had lived with him, embraced him, and listened to him sing.”  (MFK Fisher)

I was thinking a great deal on this topic, and I share these quotations for anyone who has experienced that sort of loss.

I went on with the rest of the north end planters.

chrysanthemums about to blossom….good ones that last year bloomed for several weeks.

Allan did the gardening on the south blocks of downtown and took these photos:

Schizostylis, eaten by deer? or picked…in a tree garden

Fifth Street Park (Allan’s photo)

small planter used as ash tray (Allan’s photo)

It’s in the back of this picnic area, to keep people from falling into a hole (Allan’s photo)

a cute duck at the debris dump (Allan’s photo)

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo: She seemed to have no fear.

Ilwaco

We only had 12 buckets and a large jug with us and figured they should be enough to water the 26 Ilwaco planters with a couple of gallons each.  We did not have time to break out the water pump trailer so bucket watering was our choice.

filling the buckets at the boatyard

our view from the faucet

two new boats

sweet pea ‘Black Knight’ almost to the top of the fence

another new boat

northeast corner of the boatyard

Across the street: I wonder how long this street tree will last.

We pruned off three lower limbs today on the left side.  There is a difference; look at the truck.

I feel these trees need the attention of an arborist (an expert one who does NOT top trees) to lighten them up for better resistance to wind.  I lack the expertise, the head for heights, the proper ladder, and the time.  Allan has the head for heights but lacks the expertise, the proper ladder, and the time.  Although I do know enough to stand below and guide him through some judicious cuts…but…we still lack the time in the budget, I think.

We bucket watered the 26 planters, by which I mean Allan bucket watered and I weeded and groomed.  To my horror, I found that the little pocket gardens under the trees felt powder dry, perhaps a little bit damp an inch down.  We did not have enough water for them so can only hope for a SERIOUS rain tonight or Allan will have to return to them with water soon.

I fervently hope this will be the last planter watering for the season….unlikely but possible.

The Cove Restaurant

At last, time came for our traditional Thursday dinner at the Cove with Dave and Melissa of Sea Star Gardening.  I can easily say that becoming friends with them and Todd are the best things that have happened to us in 2015.

in Sondra’s garden outside the restaurant (Allan’s photo)

in the foyer (Allan’s photo)

Chef Jason treated us to an appetizer that was like a delicious cross between a chalupa and the pork conchinita, featuring sprouts from Pink Poppy Farm.

special app from Jason

the amazing seasonal salad with pears and goat cheese

I was about to order a light and healthful ahi tuna plate when the words “Cajun Chicken Alfredo” came out of my mouth.

Melissa’s pork conchinita (Allan’s photo)

the end of the workweek for us (but not for the Sea Star duo) nor was it the end of the workweek for Chef Jason Lancaster (right, Allan’s photo)

At home, later in the evening, I heard a loud gurgling and went outside to see that all of the downspouts were pouring a downpour of rain into the water barrels.  I felt so glad, as it was likely to be enough to satisfy the street tree gardens in Ilwaco.

 

 

 

Read Full Post »

3-4 August: a work week, part one

I invite you to come with us through a whole work week in two posts, so I have some hope of getting closer to the present day.  Work is repetitive now, mostly watering and deadheading.

Monday, 3 August 2015

Ilwaco Post Office garden

Long Beach

We’ve stepped up the deadheading of the welcome sign to twice a week.

Echibeckia is a real do-er although I’m not sure if the colour is good here.

The godetia is almost over at the curb.

There is a geocache hidden in this wall. Hint: look above and to the right of the cigarette butt.

Sometimes people dig at the end of the garden looking for this.

Downtown: The shasta daisies in the Fifth Street Park planter, chosen and planted by a volunteer years ago, have got to go.  For now, they are trimmed.

before

after: They are a surprisingly thirsty plant. Water twice a week is not enough to keep them from looking crispy.

This sweetheart’s name is Fred, waiting for his person who was in the Long Beach Tavern.

A gaura reseeded on the curb of a planter.

reseeded from this one

Why is this cosmos wilting??

Because someone pulled it out and it was sitting on the top of the soil. Too dry and warm to transplant it…it was a loss.

POPPED into NIVA green, my favourite shop, for some photos.

Brass Ops, a military band from Portland, played cheerful tunes at Veterans Field.

Brass Ops

an appreciative audience member

I got awfully hungry, and pondered the nearby food establishments.  I did not feel I had time to stop for food when there was a sandwich in our lunch box in the van.

Hungry Harbor Grille….

Pizza and hot dogs…all tempting… I made it to the van for the sandwich.

Allan’s photo of the planter by the pizza slice and hot dog place.

Allan’s photo: Hungry Harbor planter (perhaps too many) reseeded California poppies

Allan’s photo: so crowded in town that there was a line outside Castaways

Allan’s photo: Zoltar waiting to tell your fortune

at Stormin’ Norman’s kite shop

Gaura ‘Whirling Butterflies’ in Fifth Street Park

On the deer trail, Seventh South, planter nasturtiums are getting nibbled. If I had been as hungry as before  I’d had my sandwich, I might have been tempted to eat them myself.

The deer in question (Allan’s photo)

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo, tourists following the baby deer while their mom is in the background

The mother parked her babies in some brambles and took a walk. (Allan’s photo) Maybe seeking some peace and quiet.

Allan’s photo

Blue on blue, Agastache ‘Estella Indigo’ and Geranium ‘Rozanne’

Allan’s photo

While I was still watering, Allan deadheaded the Super Dorothy rose in Fifth Street Park.

before

after: Did he go too far?

Allan suggested we take a break and have crab rolls at Captain Bob’s Chowder, so we did.

I was so hungry still that I scarfed the delicious food down with no photo.  It’s a good looking crab roll, too.

Penttila’s Chapel

We finally found time to weed the Penttila’s Chapel garden.

The sprinkler system is not working well. Physocarpus (the dark leaved shrub) is proving to be drought-resistant like a champ.

The weeds were not growing much in dry soil. We got this many, mostly horsetail.

Tuesday, 4 August 2015

Today was a somber day because we learned that former port manager Jim Neva had died of cancer.  He was a visionary about the Ilwaco gardens and initiated and supported our bringing back the boatyard garden to its former glory and remaking the Howerton Avenue gardens.  Outside of our small world of gardening, he’d been determined in his work to get funding for port dredging and other local needs, even after he had “retired”, and on top of that he was a lot of fun.  I felt saddened all week that he had just retired as full-time port manager in late 2013 and did not get to enjoy years of beachside life with his beloved wife, Jet, in Hawaii.

Mayor Mike’s garden

We got more cllmbing rose out of Mike’s pine tree. Looks more like a tree now. (right side)

two weeks ago: last time we were there

There is still one thick stem of old growth that I am inclined to leave.

Mike’s garden is clearly getting enough water to be happy.

Mike’s front garden with Geranium ‘Rozanne’

lilies and Geranium ‘Rozanne’

The Ilwaco Boatyard

We spent the rest of the day on the Ilwaco boatyard, with Allan and me both weeding and pulling out annual poppies.  Suddenly it looks like a garden of shapes instead of a wildflower garden.

My somber mood about Jim’s death led to not many photos.

The shapes of the santolina and lavenders and catmint show up now.

Toward the end of the day, Allan watered the Ilwaco planters and street trees while I watered the boatyard garden.

tonight’s watering obstacle course

 

 

Read Full Post »

17 June: jobs and a sneak peek

Wednesday, 17 June 2015

Before leaving Ilwaco, we planted two tiny lavender starts in the Time Enough Books garden, where we think they will enjoy the scree-like environment.  The weather was ideal: comfortable, not too hot, very little wind.

The Time Enough Books garden

Then we were off toward some north end jobs, beginning with a check up on the planters at

The Red Barn Arena

I finally managed to get two photos of the baby, born earlier this spring.

one of the barrels

We couldn’t cut across a pasture to the garden next door as a horse grazed in that pasture today, so we walked along the highway.

Diane’s garden

This Stipa gigantea puts on a good show for those driving by.

Stipa gigantea

back garden planters

On the road again, I remembered that Garden Tour Nancy had asked me if we would check out a potential tour garden for her.  Located in Tides West, it was on our way to our next job.

a garden tour sneak peek

I do believe this one will be on the tour, so I can’t show too much.  I was so impressed; the owner has built all these features herself in just one year.

I was immediately impressed.

I wish I had such skills!

Just one year old

one of two cute dogs

I was inspired to turn two photos into Waterlogues:

The gardener told us that Ed Strange had recommended that she contact Garden Tour Nancy, and that he calls her garden “Neverland”.  She thought he meant it was like a magical fairyland until she learned he actually meant he thought she would never be finished with projects.  It is just around the corner from our friend J9’s and I am surprised I had not noticed it before, until I realized that  I first visited J9’s new abode and walked around that block over a year ago, and this garden had not even begun then.

Back to the world of work…

Golden Sands Assisted Living

Next, Golden Sands, where Allan strimmed the center lawn (because its easier to bring a string trimmer than a lawn mower down the hallways to the central courtyard).

outside the dining room (NW quadrant)

SE quadrant

I had had a plan for quite some time that I finally got around to.  I wanted to prune the rhododendrons behind the SW quadrant to be closer to the height of the ones in the upper right above, that were severely pruned two years ago (not by me).

SW quadrant: Behind the maple tree are the rhodies I have had my eye on.

The best time to prune them is shortly after they bloom, so last month would have been better.

before: the view out the back hallway window

Here they are pruned… and not looking all bare and stubby.

Well done, if I do say so…and now someone in the corner has a view of the garden.

And there is a garden view from the back hallways window.

It might seem like a bad plan to have large shrubs blocking the view.  However, before we got our hands on them, the four quadrants were just scrubby sections of lawn.

Allan hauled four wheelbarrowloads of branches down the halls and out to the debris pile.

With a great sense of accomplishment, we went about ten blocks up the road to

Klipsan Beach Cottages

looking in the east deer fence gate

a little frog in a nest of ivy (not planted by us, and a more delicate choice than the dreaded English ivy)

the birdbath view

sit spot in the fenced garden, with Tetrapanax papyrifer ‘Steroidal Giant’

Alliums and roses

bright orange lilies, bright sunshine

River of Geranium ‘Rozanne’ in the shade along the road to the cottages

Allan’s photo

in the A Frame garden: I’m pleased that some Fuchsia magellanica that I brought from my garden are sizing up.

A Frame garden: hydrangea and Allium albopilosum (Allan’s photo)

On the way further north, we stopped at Jack’s for some snacks and a hose fitting.

Jack’s Country Store, Ocean Park

I noticed someone working on a nice curbside garden at Anita’s Coastal Café.

Marilyn’s garden

At our northernmost garden, I had at long last remembered to bring 13 little painted sage plants, and when they were in the ground, Annuals Planting Time was finally truly done!

Eryngium ‘Jade Frost’ at Marilyn’s

one of the cosmos that reseeded from last year

Just as I thought we were done with our weeding session, I saw an Erysimum ‘Bowles Mauve’ that needed deadheading.

before

after

path, looking south; we did a fair amount of gravel weeding today

the buds of Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’

more Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ buds

Cosmos

the back porch

looking north from the back porch

I had pulled out a big clump of Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’, behind the montbretia to the right, because I felt it blocked Marilyn’s view of the garden.  Her assistant told me a mother deer and two baby fawns are frequenting the garden and Marilyn loves to observe them.  There is still plenty of ‘Lucifer’ on the other side of the path.

  I wish there were not so much orange montbretia.  It was the only plant in the landscape when we began, just a bit here and there.  That clump got huge before I realized it.

Tall Miscanthus now blocks the view of the garage to the west.

north view with catmint sprawling on the path

Allium albopilosum

Agastaches and poppies by the driveway

I had hoped we would be done in time to do Andersen’s RV Park today.  It was not to be, so that will have to wait for tomorrow.

We finished with a tiny pruning job at the south side of the port office, where once again we were in the cold north wind.  A volunteer elderberry needed some branches trimmed.  The wind discouraged photos of the process.

Allan’s photo: the port wind warning flag was up, as it has been often this month.

 

 

 

 

 

Read Full Post »

16 May: annuals planting from south to north

Saturday, 16 May 2015

Ilwaco

We began our Saturday with a brief trip to the Ilwaco Saturday Market, for photos and for a treat from Pink Poppy Bakery.

Allan’s photo from the port office deck

Allan’s photo

a damp day

We bought Swedish Traveling Cake for work, and Chai cupcakes for after dinner.

Allan could not resist some pickled garlic.

our neighbours’ booth (Allan’s photo); They have a staff of booth-runners at markets all over the Northwest.

inside Time Enough Books at the Port (Allan’s photo)

I bought Ken Druse’s new shade garden book, having ordered it at Time Enough Books.

Allan’s photo

Bookstore owner Karla and I talked about how excited we are that the Salt Hotel is about to open at the end of the block, and how much it will revitalize the port.

I’ve been so busy that as I write this a week later, my new Ken Druse book has not yet emerged from its bag.

On the way north, Allan had a book to pick up at the Ilwaco Timberland Library.  He photographed the handsome unfurling of the ferns that I pruned there fairly recently:

Dutch iris still blooming in the tiered garden (Allan’s photo)

As we headed north to work, I took the first of several photos for the Rhodie Driving Tour photo album.

in Seaview

The Depot Restaurant

a check up on the Depot garden

Allan planting some bright yellow sanvitalia in the barrel by the east window.

I had a sudden revelation: Why does not the garden on the north side of the deck extend further east?  What was I thinking, stopping it an an angle like that.  No one does much mowing or strimming of that grass, so why not get rid of it?

needs expansion!

Today’s plans did not allow time to implement the idea.

Long Beach

We had forgotten to add two Geranium ‘Rozanne’ to the back of the welcome sign.

sweeping up after some horsetail control

The Planter Box

We needed more cosmos, necessitating a stop at The Planter Box.

snapdragons

calendula

Back in the employees only greenhouse, I saw a gorgeous Dicentra called ‘Valentine’.  I’ve never seen one so red.  I want it badly…but it is sold already.

Dicentra ‘Valentine’, now on my must have list.

want it, can’t have it!

a cart full of six flats of Cosmos ‘Sensation’ and ‘Psyche’ (Allan’s photo)

On the way out of the back greenhouse, I noticed some Cosmos ‘Candy Stripe’ on the sales floor.  They had got past me thus far; I snagged one 6 pack for my own garden.

Wish I had more of this picotee cosmos.

Allan’s photo of me carrying the Candy Stripe cosmos; he thought the flowers looked like bagpipes.

Traveling north to our next job, we sustained ourselves with our Pink Poppy Bakery treat.

leaving the Planter Box carpark with Swedish Traveling Cake

Golden Sands Assisted Living

wheelbarrowing cosmos down the hallway (Allan’s photo)

I truly entered Annuals Planting Hell while planting 60 cosmos in the Golden Sands garden.  Maybe the sprinklers weren’t on yet; I found some of the ground was dry underneath so had to put water in each small hole.  I had not brought a dipper, so tried a tiny plastic dish that Allan found.  My head just about exploded with how long it took and after about ten cosmos, I walked out to the car (a long trip down the hallways) for a proper dipping container (a reasonable sized Costco plastic jar that had held nuts).  Life immediately became easier.

On one side of the courtyard, the red rhodos are blooming at their unpruned height.

southwest corner

On the other side, they got pruned severely.  I did not and do not approve, but everything outside the four quadrants of flowers is out of my hands.

the tall and the short of it (short ones are in southeast corner)

I also noticed that the shrubs under the windows had been pruned to window sill height, but apparently at the same time someone had severely chopped two of the roses, planted by volunteers (outside the flower quadrants).

roses chopped severely…at the wrong time of year. Why? I do not get it.  You can hardly even tell there is a rose in each of these photos.

detail: WHY????

Oh well…I must just focus on our four quadrants…which are about to burst into bloom.

Northwest quadrant

mom’s red rose in NW quadrant

NE quadrant

aquilegia

Rudbeckia starts from our Kathleen are sizing up!

SW quadrant; Allan handwatering in case the sprinklers are not yet on.

SE quadrant with the first of the sweet williams.

I’m horrified to see salal appearing at the edge of the SE quadrant!

No time for salal control.,..and can’t find out about sprinklers because it is Saturday.

Allan strimmed the center lawn and spared a scabiosa that had reseeded there.  (I’d like it to be all moss and flowers…)  (Allan’s photo)

We have a mini-river of Geranium ‘Rozanne’ in that mossy lawn.  Allan weeded around them. (Allan’s photo)

Klipsan Beach Cottages

I did some light weeding and planted 24 cosmos.  While I did so, Allan weeding along the north fence.

before: Allan’s photo. That buddliea, belonging to a neighbor who never retrieved it, has languished in that pot for years and has now rooted into the ground.

After: I didn’t agree with cutting the pot away, but now I regret that so he can do so next time! (Allan’s photo)

I resisted the buddleia rescue because they are now maligned and considered weedy (except for the new sterile cultivars).  We can just keep the old flowerheads trimmed and it will be fine.  Poor thing.

Dutch iris

rose clambering into the bay tree

to the right: Thalictrum ‘Elin’

Allium multibulbosum (white) and albopilosum (purple)

Allium multibulbosum

rose with Anthricus ‘Ravenswing’ and Dutch Iris

I wish I knew this rose’s name.

another of Mary’s roses

…whose name I wish I knew.

the weekly view

looking in the east gate

the lower level of the fenced garden, with Knockout roses

Next door, by where we park, a couple of the rhododendrons at Joanie’s cottage have come into bloom too late for the Rhodie Tour.

red one…

and pink one

The prettiest compost in the dump pile.  Allan found this pile of spent flowers from Rhododendron ‘Cynthia’, raked out of the pond

Ocean Park

On the way north to our next job, we did a driveby check on the Oman Builders Supply garden….It did not appear to need our urgent attention.

Oman Builders Supply Ocean Park

This house and rhododendron caught my eye.

This lineup at the Ocean Park Post Office caught Allan’s eye.

Marilyn’s Garden

Next, we planted cosmos in Marilyn’s garden in Surfside, our northernmost job.  The garden had gotten terribly weedy in our absence.

Allan’s photos, along the house, before

and after

He rescued a buried Eryngium ‘Sapphire Blue’ at the corner of the house.

That Phygelius has to be pulled out from around that Eryngium, though; the Phygelius has crept sideways out of its alloted space and will get much taller than the Eryngium and will hide it again.  Next time!

during…it was worse when I started!

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

horsetail among the phygelius

after

Virburnum

Cosmos in

looking north down the path

and south

At the very end, I had to wade in to clip the blackberries that i saw while taking photos.

on the way home

There was some excitement at an intersection when three emergency vehicles drove by, and a large fire axe flew off the firetruck and landed in the ditch just north of us…and not, as it could have a few seconds earlier, in the nose of our van.

Allan retrieved it.

We took it back to the fire fighters, as we had seen where they were going (a few blocks north).  They were surprised that it had come loose.

Allan’s photo

The axe was riding in that slanted holder; very odd that it flew out so forecefully.

After that adventure, we took the Nahcotta route home and photographed just a few more rhododendrons before dusk.

Rhododendrons by Willapa Bay (just south of Nahcotta Post Office)

At home, I was able to erase a few more planting tasks from the work board.

Read Full Post »