Tuesday, 29 April 2014
Wanting to get all the perennials planted here and there before Annuals Planting Hell begins late next week, I gathered a couple of trays of them into the van. All the while, I could hear marching band music from the high school. It was getting louder as if the students were going to do what they sometimes do and march along the port to practice for the Loyalty Day Parade this weekend. I expected them to march on down Pearl or Advent so while I continued sorting plants, Allan went to have a look-see. I felt a great love for my little town while listening to the upbeat and well played music.
Ilwaco High School marching band
They had already turned and were marching back up the hill to the high school.
Allan said they were playing that new hit song “Happy” (which I have somehow avoided hearing).
Larry and Robert’s garden
We started at Larry and Robert’s garden, half a block away.
very hard to get a photo of the shade border, which provides context for the next photo
two brunneras in the shade border: ‘Jack Frost’ and ‘Looking Glass’
bright rhodo at the northwest corner of the house
southwest corner of yard where we cleaned out a big pile of debris a year or so ago…now with volunteer Honesty
the little bit of landscaping that we did in the back yard…
..inspired Larry to put out a table and chairs. I like to see that.
Along west side of back yard…here’s a big job, removing blackberries.
and we still have not had time to finish this!
Today all we did was plant five Nicotiana langsdorfii in the flower garden.
Howerton Way, Port of Ilwaco
Next, we planted (by which I mean Allan planted and I weeded elsewhere) three sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ clumps dug out of our own garden.
Allan has them planted but needs something from the van…much backing and forthing across the street as I set up plants.
Narcissus ‘Baby Moon’, one of the latest bloomers. I can count on it to be blooming on parade days (first weekend in May)
Tomorrow we will be weeding all the curbside gardens to prepare for Saturday’s children’s parade
It was hot, hot, hot; later I heard from Our Judy that it was 74 F in the shade in her garden.
From where we were working, we could see all along the meander line that backs the properties that front onto Lake Street.
a makeshift panorama of the meander line from Myrtle to Advent. Our bogsy woods are next to Jeff’s red boat shed.
To the far right, above, willows mark the pond in the back of the Lost Garden.
I telephotoed a new sign behind the bogsy woods (easier than walking over to it). It is going to be the new boat trailer parking area for the port. That used to be east of the marina, where now they are planning to set up Blues and Seafood in August. I think the grassy field out back of our place will be livelier this year.
We added Eryngiums, sea thrift, santolinas, and penstemons to the Marie Powell Gallery garden.
Long Beach
All I wanted to get done in Long Beach town was to plant some Gaura ‘So White’ and Salvia ‘Hot Lips’ at Veterans Field and the big planter in Lewis and Clark Square. In the big planter, we found some errant lady’s mantle and a dead Gaura ‘Whirling Butterfiles’ from last year, so some digging ensued. I’d love to get all the lady’s mantle out of the planter. Unfortunately, some of it is so close to the sprinkler heads that we can’t. It just reseeds too much and has become one of my disliked thugs.
Allan digging out plants
dead gaura and unwanted alchemilla (lady’s mantle)
Erysimum ‘Bowles Mauve’ in the Lewis and Clark Square planter
After that, I felt the strong need for a revitalizing snack. The wise thing would be, perhaps, a banana, but the lure of instant energy was too strong.
Cottage Bakery
Tiger Paws! I don’t get a sugar crash at all; one of these keeps me going for hours.
Several of my friends are embarking on much more healthful food regimens, especially because of the theory that cancer cells feed on sugar. I should be more mindful, and actually have been having far fewer tiger paws this year. Today, though, I was just in so darn much pain (sore from yesterday’s long day) that three ibuprofen barely made a dent.
When we dumped our debris, a small flock of these birds peeped and fluttered around the Long Beach city works yard.
My friends tell me it’s a killdeer and it will drag its wing and pretend to be injured if we came near its nest. Sheila tells me, “They nest and lay their eggs in the gravel in open areas. I’ve had to block,off areas of my driveway to protect their nests.”
Erin’s Garden
We only had two plants to add to Erin’s garden: Agastache ‘Summer Glow’ (she likes yellow flowers) and a Dianthus ‘Essex Witch’ (I like the small old fashioned pinks).
Felix emerged to say hello.
The boat narcissi required much deadheading.
I am sure this is Princess Irene tulip, supposed to be a single early tulip; how can she bloom for so amazingly long?
This tulip has been nonstop for weeks.
Oh, good going, someone got new lavenders to replace dead ones that we removed by the porch.
Soon we will be planting cosmos in the boat.
the garden of the cottage east of the big house
cottage garden: groundcovers good and bad
I am flummoxed by any way to get rid of the march of the oxalis through this garden. (I did not plant the stuff.)
But I love the epimidium (bishop’s hat), which I did plant.
Tulip ‘Virichic’
tulips and a peachy heuchera
still more tulips coming on, an another groundcover that annoys me in its lust for space: sweet woodruff
Tulip ‘White Parrot’
poeticus narcissi, my favourite kind
fountain, and solomon’s seal. I wish I had some of that plant!
It’s a shady beauty.
I was so busy deadheading that Allan had to point out to me the houses at the base of the fountain.
three of them
Erin had added a lovely Dicentra to her back garden.
Anchorage Cottages
Just a bit north of Erin’s garden, we planted three dwarf escallonias where the pampas grass used to be at Anchorage Cottages.
laburnum beginning to flower by where we parked
“No pruning necessary; it just grows like this.”
I planted some dahlias in the same area, as it seems to be the only space not full of plants and Manager Beth craved some dahlias. I hope they work out, get enough sun, and are not eaten by slugs and snails. That took all my energy so photos fell by the wayside.
Boreas Inn
We had about ten plants (Agastaches, Eryngium, Miscanthus ‘Morning Light’, violas and night scented phlox) for the Boreas garden, and while Allan planted them, I began to edge the gardens with the half moon edger. He was skeptical about whether or not they needed edging, but I felt strongly that they did need it and that weeding along the round rock edge would not be enough.
After I got the three main lawn beds cut out, I went to get the Boreas wheelbarrow from the other side of the inn.
Oh, no, the handle is broken!
Being that close to the entry garden, I had to have a peek.
white scilla redeeming its invasive nature with beauty
Drat! The Leycesteria needs its ends trimmed.
And a hardy fuchsia needs its old stems cut…blast!
Those things would have to be added to the end of the day. Meanwhile, I joined Allan at pulling up the cut strips of sod around the beds, and we shared our wheelbarrow with only minor squabbling. I think he may be as tired as I am and that might be why he was not thrilled about the edging job.
After awhile, I desperately needed bengay for the pectoral muscle involved in lifting and flinging sod. There was a panic as I could not find any. Finally, I fished out from under the passenger seat a tube that I had cut in half to get some dregs last time I needed it, and I was able to find a usable amount to soothe my pectoral muscle and finish the job.
a beautiful find. And a removed sock because my toe hurt. And it is six o clock and still much edging to finish.
one of three big beds, before and after, well worth it, I think.
And then we did the pruning in the entry garden.
with the dead fuchsia sticks pruned away
the sword ferns looking lovely
especially this one against the blue porch wall
I keep hoping to find this little area (by stairs the guests don’t use) miraculously transformed with some pavers. One of these days, we will do it.
Susie’s kitchen windowbox at the Boreas
west side deck
Deck planter with dahlia and the very fragrant Viola ‘Rebecca’
One of three plants we planted on the deck is Zaluzianskya, a new name to memorize…
It’s a night scented phlox that is supposed to smell like chocolate in the late evening hours.
home
Home at last. I thought this was going to be an easy day. We had one plant, a Verbascum ‘Eleanor’s Blush’, to plant at Jo’s. Even though she lives just south of the Boreas, at the end of the day I just could not do it because I was too tired to make words.
at home, bright light at 8 PM on Nora’s garden to our west.
a dazzling vignette in our front garden with wallflower and golden oregano
I just about had enough oomph to take some plants out of the greenhouse; it’s getting awfully warm during the day.
Onyx (from next door east) and Mary on Nora’s driveway
Smokey, Onyx, Frosty and Mary hanging out on Nora’s parking pad
The few moments in our own garden were glorious and brief, after which I sat down and have not moved for two hours. During our usual late dinner, we will be watching…any minute now…The Deadliest Catch. I am sure it will inspire me with strength for tomorrow, as it always does.
my inspiration
I hope tomorrow, an all Ilwaco day to make perfect the gardens on Saturday’s parade route, turns out to be the pleasant and easy-ish day that I had in mind for today.
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