Wednesday, 17 February 2016

the ornamental plum blooming

purple crocuses being subtle in the front garden

crocuses and double primrose

tulips and an Erysimum (probably ‘Winter Orchid’
I had hoped to work today and my hopes were realized, even though we started out in a brisk wind. I figured it would be far less windy in the Klipsan Beach Cottages garden.
The Planter Box
On the way north, we took shelter from an intense rain at the Planter Box, seeking some early colour for the containers at The Anchorage Cottages.

Gorgeous hellebores were not what we were seeking.

front sales area display
When we departed, the rain had increased and the Dark Sky app said it would continue for forty more minutes. A drive north to look at the Oysterville garden and our friends hard at work would fill the time nicely.
Oysterville
Dave and Melissa (Sea Star Gardening) and Todd (Willapa Gardening) were hard at work in the garden, and I didn’t take many photos because I felt that I shouldn’t be a distraction to their work.

Allan’s photo: Todd with wheelbarrow

Dave and Melissa address a lovely pile of Soil Energy.


the water feature, with hellebores

the back border, with many shrubs recently added

a guest named Mr Fox
We left without walking all around as I felt guilty about interrupting, although we were reassured by the garden owner that we could tour the garden any time, a privilege which we treasure.
Back we went to…
Klipsan Beach Cottages
…and by the time we got there, the rain was tapering off.
First, I had to go in the basement and greet Bella, whom I had not seen since around Christmas time.

my very good friend Bella

KBC fenced garden, east gate
I asked Allan to do the planting, starting with a fig tree from Dave and Melissa.

He also planted for me a winter blooming honeysuckle, Lonicera fragrantissima, which you can barely see by the clump of narcissi, and which I hope the deer will not eat.
I asked him to dig out a grass that was the wrong size for a bed, meant to get a before photo, turned around…and he had it done already!

after (Allan’s photo)
The grass had been outsized for the spot, as a photo from 2015 shows:

Nov 9, 2015; the grass is smothering two hebes and crowding a rose

Allan’s photo: It more than filled the wheelbarrow…

and is in a pot till someone decides on a better plan.


a handsome upright form

a long established clump of primroses

narcissi and shiny rain washed calla lily leaves

Euphorbia characias wulfenii, old and kind of rangy.
We both tackled a lot of sword fern clipping, in the continuing light drizzle.

in the fenced garden, before

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

After. Now the new growth will unfurl all bright green and fresh.

Mary taking Bella for a walk to the beach

in the “swale” (Allan’s photos, before…)

and after

before

after
Now, in Steve and John’s bayside garden, the trimming would be so perfect that you would not see any stubs. We don’t have time for that perfection at work; at home, it is well worth seeking.
The rain was pelting by the time we were done.

The ferns on the clam shed patio got a trim also.

In the rain: a pale pink flowering currant in bloom
We left a few ferns untrimmed, especially the ones where Allan has to climb over the pond edge; it was slippery. Manager/owners Mary and Denny will probably get around to pruning the roses, a task she enjoys doing. If not, we’ll do it next time.

By the greenhouse, after trimming back old floppy Melianthus major stems. Tree peony leafing out.
It felt like we had been there for six hours and the fact that it was just a bit after three o clock surprised me greatly.

bidding farewell to Bella (Allan’s photo, just pre-belly rub)
Long Beach
Although the rain and wind increased, we next went south to Long Beach and bought six violas from Dennis Co. I like the smaller flowered violas rather than pansies as they hold up to rain better.

in a planter near Dennis Co (Allan’s photo)

same planter (Allan’s photo)

Allan’s photo, same planter, a well established clump
The Anchorage Cottages
Back north about 20 blocks to the Anchorage, we were greeted by Mitzu and Beth.
I planted the violas in the center courtyard, while Allan planted the three wallflowers near the office.

He planted them in a soldierly row.

I changed it.
Allan said to Beth, “I went to engineering school and she keeps trying to undo what I learned there.”

window box with buds of one of my favourite tulips, Tulipa sylvestris

Last week, I pruned all the green leaved stems out the Fuchsia magellanica ‘Aurea’ above, so it would not revert to all green.
We were pretty well drenched, and the wind had gotten strong and cold. As I had expected, KBC had been out of the wind. In fact, the rain there had felt so mild that we had not put on our bulky and harder to work in rain coats at all. Now it was time to go home to some nice hot cups of tea. From our south window, I could see the gale warning flags at the port. We may have a day or two off.

Mary and Smokey. Had they even left the chair?
Smokey’s foot looks so well healed that I think that tomorrow, he can go outside again.

the work board tonight
Ginger’s Garden Diaries
My mother’s diaries from two decades ago had entries corresponding to today:

1997 (age 72):
Feb 17: A warm day with some misty rain. Finally I got the begonia bulbs in trays in damp plant mix and under lights in shop. Also put pineapple lily and amaryllis bulbs in pots in soil under the lights.
1998 (age 73):
Feb 17: 11:45-4:15!! YES I DID! I finished planting the bulbs from greenhouse. Then I planted the polemoniums that I dug last fall thinking they were hostas. I planted some daffodils that were “lost” into the old “window box”. Planted 4 plants that I set on picnic table and forgot. Also had 2 cords wood from Corey’s Firewood delivered. Now I must saw up the tree branches so I can pile the new wood.
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