7 April: beginning the fertilizing rounds

Tuesday, 7 April 2015

Leaving home…the front garden looked ever so enticing.

over the front gate

I would love to spend the day weeding here, but work calls instead.

Last year, we did not fertilize any of the gardens, except for the fertilizer that we add to each and every new plant while planting.  I had fallen for the idea that if one mulches, one does not need to fertilize.  (This month, well after making the decision to fertilize more, I read a theory that gardens need more fertilizer if one mulches!) By the end of last summer, I felt that most of the gardens were not quite as good as they could have been had we applied Dr. Earth in spring.  So today we began the fertilizing round of almost all the clients.  Casa Pacifica won’t get fertilized because I believe it would inspire the dogs to dig in the garden, and I’ll have to have a serious talk with my good friend Coco the spaniel at Jo’s garden.

.Speaking of dogs, our first errand today was a stop at our accountant’s office where we had the pleasure of visiting Helen.

Helen, Jennifer’s dog

In Jennifer’s accounting office

I have become quite irritated with my new (fortunately inexpensive) Olympus pocketcam, and have asked Allan to find me a camera like Spot, the Canon Powershot whose lens got scratched.  By the end of the day, every photo taken by the Olympus had to be fixed, and all the indoor photos are a lot or a little out of focus.  It is often tempting to acquire a really nice SLR camera, a digital version of the sort of camera I used to use in the days of film.  However, for work I really need a plain old reliable pocket cam.  My favourite of all the ones I have used was the Lumix and yet it was so delicate that three of them in a row had mechanical failures (System Error Zoom) so I need one that is tough enough to handle the gardening life.

Before we could begin the fertilizing, we needed to stop at

The Basket Case Greenhouse

to refresh our supply of Agastache (hyssops), one of my favourite perennials, and to pick up quantities of my beloved Nicotiana langsdorfii.

Nicotiana langsdorfii blooms all summer and the chartreuse goes with everything.

Fred had a new gnome for sale.

a new hen and chicks, too

There are still some Jade Frost Eryngiums.

The annuals house. It is still too early to plant most annuals. (Allan’s photo)

 

 Marilyn’s garden in Surfside

We decided to start at our northernmost garden and work our way south.  My first thought was just to fertilize, plant some hyssops, and hightail it on to the next job.  Then I recalled that we had an almost empty wheelie bin which goes out Thursday morning.  I would not have time to fill it with my own weeds, so why not Marilyn’s?  So we spent an hour or more weeding, as well.

Marilyn’s, looking south

Narcissi by the front porch

midway along the garden path

looking north from the end of the path

more narcissi

an experiment: would the deer who live in this garden eat Dutch Iris? Apparently not!

Applied a whole bag of this

Meanwhile, Allan weeded and hacked out salal around the rhododendrons on the east side of the driveway.

During: Allan’s photo (showing neighbour’s house)

and after, Allan’s photo

That area got this kind of fertlilizer

We are big fans of Dr Earth and consider it the very best fertilizer to use.

Oman Builders Supply Garden

Next we fertilized and added two Agastaches (‘Cotton Candy’ and ‘Summer Glow’ hyssops) to the little entry garden at Oman Builders Supply in Ocean Park.

OBS garden

This is just one amazingly huge Erysimum ‘Bowles Mauve’

The Erysimum is getting old and woody inside but I should get one more season before it needs replacing.

That is also one enormous hebe!

at the south end of the garden

Next in the order of gardens going north to south would have been Klipsan Beach Cottages.  We skipped  ahead to Golden Sands because it was almost 3 PM by now and we did not want to be rushed at either job.  I am trying to be calm about how much we get done in a day instead of working in anxiety.

Golden Sands Assisted Living

The four courtyard quadrants, after mulching, and after today adding Dr Earth, should be taking off pretty soon.  So far, they still look a tad bit dull.  They each got a Nicotiana and an Agastache.  We fertilized and also applied magnesium sulfate to the roses.  The experts at Heirloom Roses say:

• Magnesium (Mg): Crucial nutrient that promotes dark green leaves, intensified flower color, increased flower production, and can also help flush harmful salts through the soil. That’s why Epsom Salts (a form of Magnesium Sulfate) is a time-honored secret for rose gardeners. Apply at the rate of 1/3 to 1/2 cup per plant at the beginning of the growing season. 

SW quadrant

NW quadrant

NE (“mom’s”) quadrant

SE quadrant

Allan’s photo of a tulip in that quadrant

We were thrilled today that a volunteer had done an elegant pruning job of the two trees at the north end of the courtyard.

Now you can see through from the dining room to the gardens.

Before: looking south from the dining room doors, the view had been heavily blocked.

before: looking north from the south end of the courtyard at the trees over a year ago

today after pruning: so much better!

Whoever did the pruning, thank you so much, because it is exactly what I wanted done.  The other solution would have been to remove the trees altogether.  I have felt for years that the residents need to catch a glimpse of colour in the garden to convince them to spend more time walking the courtyard path.

The garden is still so dull compared to mine, mainly because I try to keep the budget low and so I don’t buy quantities of tulips.  I have some Hellebore starts to plant soon, donated by Kathleen Shaw, and those should help by early next spring.

Since there is still not much going on outside, I photographed some of the darling sit spots on the inside of the building.  You may recall how the building completely enclosed the garden.

Golden Sands Assisted Living. The courtyard shows so well on Google earth.

The south end of the building has a seating area with a view of the garden.

south end sit spot

The aunt of Phil, Garden Tour Nancy’s spouse, used to host a cocktail hour here once a week. Her name was Betty Robert, née Beal.  Her nickname was Betty Boop.  I wonder if that tradition goes on now that she has passed.

Betty standing next to her older sister, Eva, Phil’s mom

the cocktail bar

The two long corridors have residential rooms on both sides, with an indentation halfway along for a nice cozy nook.

the west hallway’s seating nook

another sit spot, by the northwest corner of the building

the large common telly watching area

I was pleased that Fox (Faux) News was NOT the news on the telly screen, and that as I took this photo a newscaster was saying in a positive tone that an anti discrimination act would “protect the rights of LGBT people”.  Yes!  My heart was warmed, as I never thought in my youth that I would live to see such glorious times.

On the north corridor is a library room which very faintly reminds me of the jigsaw puzzle room at the Sylvia Beach Hotel.

the library

I’ve often thought I’d be happy here if I ever needed to go into assisted living.

Long Beach

We did not have time for any more big jobs, so I proposed that we plant a few plants in three different areas in Long Beach.  When we unloaded six plants at Veterans Field, I revised the plan to wait till tomorrow for the other spots.  A chilly wind made the work a touch unpleasant.

Allan planting in Veterans Field, which got three Dianthus ‘Raspberry Swirls’ and two more Salvia ‘May Night’.

Ilwaco

The final, small, bearable task was to add a few more plants to the planters at Ilwaco city hall.

at Ilwaco city hall: added variegated lemon thyme, Diascia ‘Blackthorn Apricot’ and lavender

Decided to put a ‘Blueberry Ruffles’ lavender as the centerpiece instead of last year’s choice of Agyranthemum ‘Butterfly’.  The lavenders will be more drought tolerant and will not need deadheading.  I will probably start to miss the ‘Butterfly’ by midsummer.

at home

I was able to erase 3 fertilizing jobs from the work board!

Just as I settled in to work on this post, Allan said “There is a really bright rainbow!”  He went out to take photos.  I went to the porch and was thoroughly gobsmacked by the beauty and thought of how neither of my cameras is satisfactory.  Then I remembered the iPhone!  So here are our photos, Allan’s with his Sony pocketcam and me with the iPhone 6.

my photos:

You can see Allan, through the arch, taking his photos.

light on the bogsy woods

I had hurried over to Nora’s back yard to get this view. By now it was pouring torrential rain.

note the rain in the water box, lower left

Torrents poured into all the rain barrels.

I should have thought of taking a panorama with the iPhone but I forgot about that possiblity.  The rainbows were huge.

Allan’s photos:

pink tree two lots to the east

the former danger tree

heavy rain

sunset

looking west down Lake Street

After all that excitement, and getting thoroughly drenched, and finishing this blog post, we will now return to our binge watching of the latest season of Doctor Who (which I am liking very much).  It is looking promising to get it back to the library before it becomes overdue.

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Oman Builders Supply garden in 2014

While I’m posting slide shows of north end gardens, I might as well add a short one for the little entry garden that we do at Oman and Sons Builders Supply in Ocean Park.  This is our one and only truly low-maintenance garden and shows what a great “doer” Erysimum ‘Bowles Mauve’ is almost year round.

That’s all for today!  It must be a nice break from long-winded posts.

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14 February: KBC and Wiegardt

Saturday, 14 February 2015

Our route for the day, courtesy Map My Walk, a 31 mile round trip

Our first stop was the library to pick up books and DVDs.

the garden outside the community building where the library is houses: Hamamelis, red twig dogwood, heather

We next drove up Sandridge Road to the Basket Case Greenhouse, just to look over a plant availabilty list from a new vendor.  Fred says to make sure to tell you they are NOT OPEN YET (but will be when the pansies and violas have sized up).

Basket Case Greenhouse

Allan’s photo, a hug for Fred

Allan’s photo: Fred and I pore over the plant list and choose some good stuff.

You can see how the darling little violas are just starting to come on.

precious little baby violas

the annual “plugs” are all planted and growing

along with hanging baskets full of youngsters

Basket Case Nancy was off visiting her son; we admired the flowers in her little pond. (Allan’s photo)

Klipsan Beach Cottages

Allan got some beautiful photos of the entry drive to Klipsan Beach Cottages.

the main entrance to KBC

flowering cherry trees

Japanese flowering quince in the outer gardens

Chaenomeles (quince) flowers

My grandma had such a lovely one of these….

red camellia flowers

wind vane over the office

office window boxes

entering the grounds

Allan then got busy pruning some hardy fuchsias and pulling ivy out of the dog memorial garden (where black lab Raven (my special favourite), and Great Pyrenees Misty and Debbie are buried).

noxious English ivy. The area looked much more defined when he was done…but I forgot to take an after photo.

In the garden, Tetrapanax papyrifer ‘Steroidal Giant’ already leafing out.

So is Melianthus major (and too many columbines).

The ferns looked almost too good to cut back.

If we wait much longer, they will be hard to cut because the new fronds will be unfurling.

Here’s one that is already unfurling…so early.

I did cut the ferns in the fenced garden, and found these hiding behind one, despite Mary’s diligent pursuit of snails.

I couldn’t bear to trim the ones by the pond just yet, especially when the resort is full of guests.

By the pond….We will have to come prune these very soon….

Euphorbia wulfenii outside the deer fence

inside the fenced garden

species tulips

the lawn bed, where we added hellebores last fall

narcissi along the driveway to the cottages

narcissi

One of the owners had asked for a Waterlogue of his cottage.

Cottage One, “Beachy Keen”

altered with one click in the Waterlogue app

The A Frame

narcissi in the A Frame gardens

Map My Walk of my work at KBC (including the walk to and from cottage one!)

Bay Avenue Gallery

We took a short work break to vist our friend Joe Chasse, who was giving a demonstration at the Bay Avenue Gallery in Ocean Park.

Bay Avenue Gallery

(My Lumix pocketcam died two days ago with a resounding “System Error Zoom”, leaving me with my iPhone cam, and the Canon pocketcam unaffectionately nicknamed “Spot” because of its lens scratch.)

Joe Chasse

Joe Chasse

Joe and “Ginger”

Joe’s insects

Allan’s photo: I sat with Lisa and watched for awhile

at the gallery: one of the houses of artist Jan Bartlett Richardson, who used to live on the Peninsula

an appealing tea pot

Weigardt Gallery

After our artful interlude, we did the cutting back of ornamental grasses at the Wiegardt Gallery.  I am 99% sure we will be passing this job into good hands this spring, and I look forward to having one less job even though I’m fond of the garden.  It will get much better, with cooler plants.  We’re also looking forward to having a certain likeable plants-person on the peninsula.

before

before

before, looking out

I’ve noticed a lot of plants leafing out or blooming early.  I did not get freaked out about it till today when I saw one of the Stipa giganteas already throwing out its plumes.

What the what?

disconcertingly early

It’s appropriate for this particular rhodo to bloom early (but…this early?)

Kudos to Allan for realizing that the middle growth of the Stipa was new, and not cutting it with the old stems.

after

rosemary blooming by the gallery’s front door

There was no question that the ferns at Weigardt’s were ready to trim.

before, SE corner of house

after. (I did not plant that orange montbretia!)

north wall of house

after trimming fern and epimidium

south side of house, the old kitchen door

front walkway…still too many cranesbill gernaniums despite last fall’s removal efforts

little Eucomis appearing: rather early, yes?

This allium bud also seems extra early.

west side garden bed. We ran out of time before picking up every last grass blade from blown-around ornamentals.  They bug me…but we had to go.

north driveway beds with Miscanthus variegatus cut down…and sadly, this area has much couch grass in it.

Here is what Map My Walk has to show about walking around the Wiegardt job site today:

Oman Builders Supply, Ocean Park

I had noticed, on the way between KBC and Wiegardts, two ornamental grasses to cut at the OBS garden.  We stopped there on the way home.

Allan trimming grasses.

There were three grasses to cut, actually, and I found my legs hurt so much I could not step into the garden bed over the stone wall, so I found something else to do.

This old woody lavender looks like it might, rather unusually, put out good new growth from the center.

So I chopped it, which I could do with the big loppers from outside the wall.

after

 

At home, the work board for February is getting whittled down, although today I did remember to add Carter/Red Barn.

Tomorrow: back to Long Beach to finish pruning the rhodos.  (City Hall is done, forgot to erase it!)

 

 

 

 

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19 Nov: bulb finale

Wednesday, 19 November 2014

We started work an hour and a half earlier than usual, a must (and an unusual decision for us) because of my feeling of urgency to get lots of work done before rain comes.  The previous night, I was in bed before 1 AM, which is practically unheard of as both Allan and I are night owls and are usually awake till two.

The cats were still snoozing. There’s nothing unusual about that at any hour.

I had a huge list of tasks to accomplish.  The first were two jobs that had not even been on the list that I cooked up last night.  We’d gotten such an early start that I thought we could add them.

The Red Barn

The four whiskey barrel planters were finally done and ready for the annuals to be pulled.

I always say hello to this fine, one-eyed fellow.

the sign on his stall

Disney said hello.

I thought this bit of green in one of the barrels was a leaf. Allan showed me it was a sleeping frog.

Frog had lost his plant cover, so I tucked him in under these sedums and he snuggled down all comfy.

No time to weed any more at ground level. It can wait till next February.

Crabbing preparation was going on at the barn.

Diane’s garden

Next door to the Red Barn property, we did frost clean up on Diane’s pots of annuals.

The pots are stuffed with bulbs for next spring.

Next door, Amy’s horse.

Allan clipped back perennials along the road.

We said goodbye to the Diane and Larry garden and the Red Barn garden for this year and went on to my list of Long Beach tasks.

Long Beach

First, we checked the planters on the Sid Snyder beach approach road and found two that needed a bit of attention.

In one of the  westernmost planters, I couldn’t bear to totally cut down the blue globe thistle as it still looks fine, so Allan just clipped a few dead stalks.

the view from our parking spot

This one needed just a bit of tidying.

That’s better.

Allan had started tidying the Kite Museum garden; I walked across the lawn to join him

our little kite garden

put to bed for the winter

Next, we clipped and weeded the bed in the NE quadrant of Fifth Street Park.

before

after, with some Gladiolus papilio corms added

Next, we pulled Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ and some weeds and trash from the garden bed behind Lewis and Clark Square.  It’s behind the L&C wall of plaques and we had forgotten to deal with it earlier.

Lewis and Clark Square

The wall curves around two sides of the square, with plaques about L&C’s explorations.

the garden behind the wall a couple of springtimes ago

today, before clean up

no time to cut the lady’s mantle. Hydrangea was hit hard by frost, will look better when leaves fall off, as they will.

As we drove toward this project, I had noticed some wilt on an Erysimum ‘Bowles Mauve’ in a planter half a block back.  I walked back to check on it.

No wonder it was wilted; it was loosened out of the ground and I had to pull it.

Now the planter is lopsided, which bugs me.

It was actually fortuitous that I was inspired to walk back, as I found that whoever had been supposed to plant the bulbs in this planter (me or Allan!) had missed some and the little bulbs were still placed along the edge!

a startling sight for me to find.

If only I had planted some little crocuses in this particular planter yesterday, I would have seen those stray bulbs then.

On the way back to the Lewis and Clark garden, I saw an apropos sign….

because I was anxiously watching the clock.

The little park almost done, or at least as done as we had time for.

Next, we drove out the Bolstadt beach approach road and tidied up its planters.  The 25 mph wind gusts were not cold and therefore only mildly irksome; the remainder of our jobs would be more sheltered.

The city crew had added garlands and lights to the lamp posts.

Our next task was to finish cleaning up the garden on the west side of city hall.

before, Geranium ‘Rozanne’

after. We left the Solidago ‘Fireworks’ standing because I think it looks more interesting than nothingness.

I was so pleased with how much we had done by now that we took time to go through the Great Escape espresso drive through for some much needed coffee.

at the Great Escape window

Our last little thing in Long Beach was to finish the little memorial garden on the SE corner of Coulter Park.

before

after pulling the tattered schizostylis leaves

There was no time to pull this patch of Crocosmia. I will call it decorative and leave it till late winter (late February 2015).

In less than two hours, we had made a big load of debris to dump at the city works yard.

We now say goodbye to Long Beach parks and planters for 2014, except for some small thing I might see to do when driving through town (such as when the yellow chrysanthemums eventually turn black).  It happened to be the crew’s lunch break so I bid them adieu for the year. One of the things I appreciate most about the Long Beach job is how we are allowed to just decide what needs doing when, with very little instruction.

Now we headed up north to get back to some bulb planting.  On the way, we just had time to run an errand for a friend.

The Planter Box

Jenna (Queen La De Da) had asked me if we could pick up two bags of the new biochar soil mix, made by the local Biocharm Farm, the next time we were by the Planter Box garden center.  So we did.  I saw that they had lots of small packages of bulbs for sale.

I resisted…except for one!

Allan commented that recently, a passerby in Long Beach had asked him where to buy hummingbird feeders, and noted that Planter Box has the best selection.

Just some of the feeders on offer.

Along with one packet of bulbs, I also bought myself five paperwhites to grow indoors.

two bags for Jenna

Klipsan Beach Cottages

I had some bulbs to plant in the window boxes for the A Frame vacation house; this involved removing the annuals and going through a couple of old windowbox liners from behind the garage.  In them, I found a few more early spring bulbs to supplement my small collection for this last minute request.

Allan fetched me the plastic window box inserts from the A Frame while I started clipping some perennials down inside the fenced garden.  He began to spread three bales of Gardner and Bloome mulch.  We had been planning to bring a yard of washed dairy manure at some point and had been awfully glad when owner Mary bought this bagged stuff…saved us a lot of work (even though it did not cover the whole garden).

in the fenced garden, before

after

greenhouse corner, before

after clipping back Coreopsis ‘Flower Tower’, Melianthus major, etc etc

Bella in the basement; she got a quick bellyrub

from east gate of fenced garden

boxwood and blueberries, backed with bay tree

Knock out roses may be sneered at by some, but they are still blooming.

In a perfect world, we would have taken time to clip the uppies off the New Dawn rose.  We did not.

Hydrangea and hardy fuchsias hit hard by the frost. Both will be fine.

I turned my attention to the windowbox project, while Allan did some clipping and raking in the woodsy swale by the clam cleaning shed.

at work in the swale clipping crocosmia, daylily and iris foliage

One of two A Frame windowbox liners planted with bulbs and back in place.

I provided Tulip bakeri ‘Lilac Wonder’, species crocus mix, Tulip batalinii ‘Bright Gem’, and Narcissus ‘Baby Moon’.

Bright Gem and Lilac Wonder

A frame deck

We bid farewell to the Klipsan Beach Cottages gardens for 2014. We will revisit before the end of the year, but for social rather than work reasons.  I hope to read the guest books in the cottages sometime this winter.

Oman Builders Supply garden

A bit further north, in Ocean Park, I planted ten white mix narcissi in the entry garden at Oman and Son Builders Supply (the last of the bulbs!!!), and we did some clipping of lavender, Erysimum ‘Bowles Mauve’, and lily stalks.

OBS garden

grasses, lavender, erysimum, hebes

I debated cutting back the lavender at the south end of the garden, as it is woody and yet looks like it has a good new center growth.  I decided to wait.

It could use a renewal, even though I usually do not cut back lavender that hard…

However, I think the old growth will help keep people from continuing to drive their cars into the wall this winter!

The cottage stone wall keeps getting shoved back, apparently by people’s car bumpers, even though one parks parallel next to this garden…supposedly.

Wiegardt Gallery

Amazingly, we had time to go a few block northeast and put the Wiegardt Gallery garden to bed.  Most of it was done on earlier visits.  We did some clipping along the west wall and in the back garden bed.

before

after (in the darkening dusk)

The grasses will stay up all winter.

a last look at the Wiegardt garden for 2014.

Lately, we have been dining out an awful lot.   Well….we are tired, and we feel like rewarding ourselves for continuing to plug along with work at the exhausting end of the season.  (For many years, I did not take hardly any break and kept going year round with odd jobs…painting, cleaning, winter garden work; I am grateful to be financially secure enough now to take the midwinter off).  So, for another reward (this time for finishing Long Beach for the year):

The Depot Restaurant

Wednesday’s offseason Burger Night special sounded so warm and cozy, we could not resist.

Burger night: You choose your desired ingredients.

Yes, I am greedy.  We get the egg and the pineapple and then deconstruct the burger to have the egg as an appetizer (Allan calls it “breakfast”) and the pineapple as a dessert.

with sweet potato fries, a Mac and Jack for me and a Guinness for Allan.

We were offered the very last piece of chocolate Guinness cake to share….and did not say no.

Speaking of chocolate, while we were ordering our dinner, Depot server (and garden lover) Laura showed us a couple of photos she had recently taken at Ethel M Chocolate Factory in Las Vegas.  Here are her photos, for my cacti loving friends.

chocolate cacti, photos by Depot Laura

home

At home, I planted, in a big pot that has some tulips already in it, the ten bulbs that I had bought at the Planter Box:

I don’t think I have grown Muscari ‘Dark Eyes’ before.

I then had the delight of completely removing the fall clean up list from the work board, as we had finished its last item, the Long Beach parks.  Now, we just have a few last garden check ups to do.  VERY few.  Less than two days of work, all told.  The Depot task is only to pull the last few annuals out of the window boxes if they ever decide to die back.  The Nelly bulb project is on for tomorrow.

I would like enough good weather for the opportunity to polish off that list so that I can make the big satisfying announcement that Staycation has officially begun.  (The rest of the projects are either for here, thus not really work, or for 2015.)

I planted the paperwhites in marbles and water on the kitchen windowsill.

As I finished writing this, I heard the rain begin outside.  It is sorely needed; the ground has felt awfully dry while I’ve been bulb planting.  A few rainy reading days would be most welcome.  Now, time to put me feet up and watch Survivor, and to finish the show we started watching last night at ten and then got to sleepy to finish:  Page Eight starring the delightfully droll Bill Nighy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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2 October: work wrapped in fun

Thursday, 2 October 2014

Garden Tour Nancy had suggested earlier in the week that we join her for an event at the Ocean Park Library. Our work day was scheduled to allow that, starting with a quick shopping stop at Dennis Company; while Allan bought whatever it was he wanted, I attended to two city planters.

northernmost planter on east side with Geranium ‘Rozanne’ going strong.

northernmost planter on west side with Oregano ‘Herrenhausen’, Geranium ‘Rozanne’, golden sage, white alyssum

then….Golden Sands Assisted Living

An hour of weeding and deadheading at Golden Sands fit perfectly into the slot before the library event. I assessed what has to be done next:

In the SE quadrant, I intend to remove all that rampant geranium. (It’s one that is pinker than AT Johnson but just as pesky).

In the NE quadrant, I’m making good progress on removing too many reseeded scabiosas. Rudbeckia ‘Goldsturm’ is going into each quadrant for late summer colour.

In the NW quadrant, I’m thinning scabiosa and white running achillea.

In the SW quadrant, I have to keep the lysimachia from spreading too rampantly and must thin many scabiosas and columbines.

Meanwhile, Allan strimmed the center lawn and removed a couple more tatty old carexes from outside the quadrants. We are both keeping the wild beach strawberry from jumping back into the flower gardens. You can see, above, how much it would like to do so.

Bushwick Book Club at the Timberland Regional Library, Ocean Park

We parked near a garden bed full of dahlias.

Time was tight so I telephotoed the photo; that’s the elementary school in the background.

front entrance of Ocean Park library

inside

the computer room

I had a little time to browse the library and on a shelf display, I found that one of my favourite authors, Margaret Drabble, has a new book. I checked it and another book out. This branch of the library is larger than the Ilwaco branch and filled with natural light.

Nancy was waiting for us in the meeting room, where we settled in to hear a performance by Read and Destroy, a quartet of musicians from the Bushwick Book Club, Seattle. I’d not heard of the club before, and it made me wish for just a moment that I still lived in Seattle.

from the Bushwick Book Club website

I thought perhaps the performance would be about an assortment of books. It turned out to be all songs inspired by one particular book, with an illustrative slideshow:

 

“Closer to the Ground is the deeply personal story of a father learning to share his love of nature with his children, not through the indoor lens of words or pictures, but directly, palpably, by exploring the natural world together as they forage, cook and eat from the woods and sea.”

Allan’s photo

Read and Destroy.

Note the Farenheit 451 t shirt

One of the songs was based on the attempted suicide of a 16 year old friend of the author, who asked his friend, “Why did you do it? The birds are singing!” and his friend replied, “I can’t hear them anymore.”

The book includes brief sections about different birds. Below, the drummer is reading a passage about reincarnation: “Grandma is a crow now.”

We enjoyed excerpts of the book being read before the songs.

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Below, the songwriter to the left described how he had spent time along Willapa Bay in a retreat for artists in Oysterville, at the north end of our Long Beach Peninsula.

illustrated by a slide of the musician on Willapa Bay

The slide below is of potatoes harvested from a Seattle apartment deck garden.

accompanied by a song about potatoes

Some of the songs were upbeat; others were interesting instrumental interpretations of the nature of birds. The bird artwork, from the book illustrations, was cut from black paper with an exacto knife.

a singalong at the very end

T shirts and CDs were for sale.

I was grateful that I was not the audience member called up in front to be quizzed with some oyster and clam related questions in order to win a book. That would have filled me with horror, and as I anxiously waited to see if they were going to call one more person, I was hoping that if it were me, I could get Nancy to take my place. Didn’t happen, whew!

Other than that moment of terror, I found that the performance brought up all sorts of positive emotions about bookishness and the kindredship of reading. Afterwards, I was surprised to learn that the band had not heard of the Sylvia Beach Hotel. One of them wrote down the name, so I do hope they look into it.

part of the library garden

Outside, Nancy and Allan and I chatted by a small garden bed stuffed with dahlias and petunias. I suggested we have coffee at Adelaide’s Coffee and bookshop nearby; unfortunately, it was closed so Allan and I just went on to work (and a good thing, too, as otherwise we would have had trouble finishing our day before the sun got to a low and glaring angle).

Weigardt Gallery

At the Wiegardt Gallery in Ocean Park, Allan clipped the lavenders in the entry garden while I began to remove some of the Geranium ‘A T Johnson’ that so plagues this garden. I still like the Geranium macrorrhizum because of its fragrant leaves and good behavior. And the deer don’t eat it, whereas they chomp the flowers off of A.T. Johnson, making it even more useless.

entry garden

the handsome stand of variegated Miscanthus in the back garden

Marilyn’s Garden

Although we were pressed for time, we drove up north to Marilyn’s garden in Surfside just to do some quick weeding and clipping along the path.

a border of giant plants

path, before

after trimming the fig tree and some Phygelius

You can see that my Canon Powershot is annoying me with a problem, possibly caused by a small scratch in the built in lens, causing lots of sun spots. I suppose a new camera is in order…again…and it has to be a pocketcam size for taking photos at work.

Next time, i hope to do Marilyn’s BEFORE Golden Sands, so we can take some Phygelius down there that is trying to run out into Marilyn’s path.

At the south end of the garden, Lonicera ‘Baggeson’s Gold’ is proving to be deer resistant and a good privacy screen. I need one more to stop the eye at the end, and I can divide a bit of this shrub easily to extend it along the open space.

Lonicera, left alone by deer. The Ceanothus to the left is not growing well, probably in too much shade.

‘Wilma Goldcrest’ Cypress is also not bothered by the deer.

looking northwest-ish from the deck; the giant Miscanthus is totally blocking the view of the neighbours’ garage

This garden is a bird haven (and deer haven) so is allowed to go to seed and won’t get cut back til time to plant bulbs, and then only partially. The big cut back will happen in late winter.

Speaking of deer, they’ve decided to munch Geranium ‘Rozanne’ by Marilyn’s front porch

I won”t be planting a river of Rozanne in Erin’s garden, after all. Phooey; the deer left Rozanne alone till now.

Oman Builders Supply

Back in Ocean Park, we paused to trim the Erysimum ‘Bowles Mauve’ spent flowers at the Oman Builders Supply hardware store.

Klipsan Beach Cottages

looking in the east gate of the fenced garden, where I don’t have to battle the deer.

Allan’s project for today was to cut down the Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’ from behind the bench.

before

after

Allan’s before and after

south side of the fenced garden

KBC owner Mary worked with us for awhile. She had bought some round hebes to make a little formal entry to the small pond inside the fenced garden, the area where Allan had cleared much Lysimachia last week.. I forgot to take a photo of them after she planted them. Next time!

dinner at The Cove

In the parking lot of the Cove Restaurant (our Thursday tradition as of this past summer) was parked a cute old truck with a winch. It must be local because of the Jake the Alligatorman sticker on the back.

cute ride

Parking Lot Cat played hard to get tonight.

golfers

sunflowers by the restaurant entrance

It is a great comfort to have a weekly ritual of a good meal out in friendly surroundings, especially because, if we are feeling frugal, we can just have $2 fish tacos…what a deal! I have, however, become addicted to having a nice salad and ahi tuna.

the Thursday Chef’s Mercy menu

While I’m not big on French fries (chips), I wanted to try the spicy creme fraiche dip.

spicy and delicious

Allan decided to diverge from the usual and try the burger. As we have heard from others, it was exceptionally tasty. We did end up with fries in our lunch box the next day.

chanterelle mushroom swiss burger

Roasted Beet and Apple Salad with Rogue River Blue Cheese, slivered almonds and molasses maple vinaigrette

my ahi tuna; I managed to take the photo before diving in this week.

our golf course view

As if our evening was not already so very pleasant, Chef Jason sent out a treat for us:

He wrote us a note to explain it…

absolutely delectable…mushrooms from local forager Veronica, and carrots from local Farmer Fred

The dessert menu included an irresistible new addition: pie! With all the food shown above, that’s why we had to have apple and strawberry rhubarb pie (and fries) to go.

We were sort of greedy. I always tell them it’s because we had such a hard, hard day.

The sun was setting when we left, leaving a pink glow in the eastern sky….

the golf course owners’ residence with sunset and moon

sunset over the Cove Restaurant

and to the west; the ocean is past those houses and trees. (Allan’s photo)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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17 September: workday two of two

Wednesday, 17 September 2014

A two day work week?  My goodness, we have gotten lazy.  We have more time off as we have quit jobs that were too hard on my knees (the up and down steep slopes jobs).  When I was very mildly fretting today about whether we should be trying to make more money, Allan pointed out that time off now, when we can enjoy it, might be more valuable than time later when we might be in wheelchairs, perhaps with money made now but with less mobility to get around the garden or the lake.  Our late and missed neighbour Nora often reminded us to do things and SEE things now while we still could walk and had good vision.  Perhaps she herself wished that she had worked less.  The day may come when we have to give up restaurant dining and garden tour trips; we will live on memories, online touring, and Allan’s good cooking.

We made the north end rounds today; next week, we will check on all the rest of the private gardens.

We went all the way to Marilyn’s in Surfside today.

The Depot Restaurant in Seaview (between Ilwaco and Long Beach)

the weekly photo looking west from the east end of the flower garden

Coreopsis ‘Flower Tower’

It looks like the Fort George Brewery Co-HOPerative folks may have come to pick the hop flowers for brewing a beer from several different local hops sources.

Basket Case Nancy, if you are reading this:  The windowboxes still look good for this time of year; I just forgot to take a photo!

Long Beach Welcome Sign

There are a lot of Cosmos ‘Happy Ring’ to deadhead, an enjoyable enough task, and the twelve unenjoyable Agyranthemum ‘Butterfly’, which it crossed my mind could be pulled out soonish.

The bidens along the front provides plenty of yellow to “stop the eye”.

The back of the sign is edged with white bacopa.

Golden Sands Assisted Living

The four quadrants of the courtyard garden aren’t looking too bad right now, thanks to Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’, Solidago ‘Fireworks’, some sadly yellow-foliaged Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’, and not enough cosmos.

Google Earth of the building surrounding the courtyard.

SW quadrant

NW quadrant (the front a little bare where a bench used to sit).

NE quadrant

SE quadrant

Every week Allan removes with the pick a couple more of the tatty old carexes that are behind the quadrants.  I think when they are gone, the snail problem will improve as I am sure they hide in those grasses.  That could make it easier to grow more dahlias next year.

I had three ideas later in the day of plants I can get for free to add to the very late summer show at Golden Sands.

Sometime this winter I want to get around to a blog post about how the residents decorate the entryways to their rooms. How would you decorate if this area was your statement to the world?  I thought I’d write it last winter and did not.  Perhaps a sneak peek will motivate me.

One of the residents clearly likes the Rod Run.

Klipsan Beach Cottages

the weekly look in the east gate

Mary made a new container planting.

‘Streamer’ sweet peas

and more ‘Streamer’ sweet peas

boxwood and Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ backed with Persicaria ‘Golden Arrow’.  A piece or two of that Persicaria will go to Golden Sands.

Coreopsis ‘Flower Tower’; a piece of this could go to Golden Sands (and to Marilyn’).

the garden bench backed with Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’ and Tetrapanax papyrifer ‘Steroidal Giant’

The Corokia cotoneaster has happily lived in the big blue pot for years.

Sarah (0r Timmy?)

Oman Builders Supply, Ocean Park

Some deadheading of the Erysimum ‘Bowles Mauve’ was all this low maintenance success needed.

It could use a new plant here later, maybe another Gaura ‘Whirling Butterfly’; something got swiped here, probably another Eryngium.

Marilyn’s Garden, Surfside

We had a talkative audience from the next door roof.

Marilyn’s daughter, Nancy who is co owner of the Depot Restaurant, has been doing a marvelous job of keeping the garden well watered.

Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’, taller than me (as it gets with enough water)

looking south

Phygelius can go to the Golden Sands garden! I can get many pieces of it from here as it wants to go out into the gravel path.

Some of the cosmos are seedy and hard to reach. That’s ok because this is a bird garden and birds love cosmos seeds…especially goldfinches.

We’re keeping the cosmos along the path deadheaded.  The Buddleia to the right is a sterile cultivar, ‘Blueberry Cobbler’.

the deck with pots planted by Basket Case Greenhouse Nancy.

The chaise lounge keeps the deer who live in this garden from browsing the annuals on the deck.

Looking northwest; A gust of wind made the giant Miscanthus rustle enchantingly.

Wiegardt Gallery, Ocean Park

Eric’s gallery was hopping with a painting class which had been brought by their instructor “to get inspiration”.  They had painted at Oysterville Sea Farms the day before, and today at the Oysterville church and school, and tomorrow they will paint at the Ilwaco boatyard.

front garden, cosmos underlaid with the very determined Bad Aster.

fall crocus

the old kitchen door

picotee cosmos

a Miscanthus beginning to take its autumn bow.

The dratted deer ate the tops off of the Sedumn ‘Autumn Joy’…

leaving the front garden looking rather empty.

the north side of the gallery

The predicted showers for today had not happened yet.  Rain is so much needed, I would have welcomed working in it.

Sword ferns are looking unusually distressed from hot dry weather.

Port of Ilwaco

When we got back to Ilwaco, we took a drive around the town to check on the Howerton Way gardens.

We saw three dandelions at the east end; Allan hopped out to get them.

Then we decided to deadhead at the Port office and Time Enough Books.  In the garden north of the office, a Sedumn ‘Autumn Joy’ was pulled almost out of the ground.

Did someone get interrupted mid theft?

South side of the Port Office and Don Nisbett Art Gallery with baskets from The Basket Case

Don’s baskets are bigger from more watering and fertilizing.  He’s been asked to give his special attention to the port office baskets as well next year.

Cosmos ‘Seashells’

and the marina

at home

I did just a bit of weeding and clipping in the front garden.  Tomorrow (September 18th), I’m leaving for the Sylvia Beach Hotel with Carol, a Seattle friend for 36 years.  Rain would be the perfect weather for staying indoors at the bookish hotel.  I was pleased when a drizzle finally began just before I came indoors to blog.  At dusk, the drizzle continued; may it continue for three days so that Allan does not have to do any watering work while I am gone.  (With just a break for the painting class to do their pleine air painting at the boatyard.)

delightfully drizzly window views:

north

north

looking east

I hope that when I return and share whatever I wish to share from the trip that I can then somehow catch up to publishing this blog closer to real time.

 

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27 August: the weekly circuit

Wednesday, 27 August 2014

picking up the mail on the way to work

Today we did our weekly north end round, minus Marilyn because this week we have to do a couple of different private gardens, like Mike’s and Larry and Robert’s (yesterday) and Diane’s (today).

area covered today, up Sandridge Road to Ocean Park and back down Pacific Highway

The Red Barn

All we had to do here was deadhead some Agryranthemum ‘Butterfly’ in four barrels, weed a bit in the narrow garden strip, and water it as the garden seemed quite thirsty.

Allan opens the gate for some horses being led to pasture.

on the fence at the Red Barn

The horses that we see being ridden through Long Beach often come from here via a trail that starts just west of the barn and goes to Long Beach town.

Diane’s garden

Walking into the back yard at Diane’s, next door to the Red Barn, I suddenly and for the first time realized that the roof of the double wide home is metal.  Could it be that the pitch is as low as our roof and that we could maybe have a green metal roof?  I would love that.

From the front driveway, I dream of a green metal roof.

the driveway entry garden

The trees along the street are, we hear, going to be cut down this fall.  They stopped providing any privacy when the county cut the limbs a couple of years ago.  Then the long strip of the roadside garden will go away, but not, I hope, the entry corner.

This part will be gone, and the trees replaced with a fence.

(The plants along the edge were lost to a round-up mishap earlier this summer.)

The roadside garden was originally inspired by Diane’s love for these particular heathers from The Planter Box:

pink, pretty, in bloom now.

I think they would look just silly up against the house, so I wonder if a garden bed could be made for them along the driveway, perhaps a raised bed bordered with these chunky rocks:

potential narrow heather bed?

I’m not going to worry about it until I find out the project is really happening.

Wiegardt Gallery

We continued on up Sandridge Road to the Wiegardt Gallery.

My first thought was that the verbascums would no longer look appealing to anyone but a CPN (Certified Plant Nut), so I cut them down.

before

after

There was great excitement when I found that a Eucomis, planted there last winter by Eric’s brother Todd, had suddenly decided to sprout at last!

Eureka!!

I brought gallery manager Christl out to see it and then protected it with a bamboo stake tripod and some sluggo.  Fingers crossed it survives and thrives.

Here are my prize patches of cosmos…again.

In the north garden bed, the Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’ stems are short due to thirst and yet still look good, adding sunflower charm to the garden.

beautifully backed up with variegated Miscanthus

Oman Builders Supply Garden

Overall, the OBS garden continues to be a successful low maintenance bed (except for thoroughly deadheading the Erysimum every three weeks or so).

irksome evidence of last weeks standing-on-the-plants window washing crew

Last week’s window washing crew’s standing on the Gaura ‘Whirling Butterflies’ had pushed the plant way forward and there was nothing to be done about it now.  I can’t rant too much about the developmentally disabled window washing crew without being a real ogre.

Klipsan Beach Cottages

By now, I had high hopes that we would get through the long list of jobs I had scheduled for the day without having to roll any over to Friday.  Klipsan Beach required some deadheading and light weeding and some tall uppies pruned off of the honeysuckle and rose arbour (by Allan on a ladder).

before and after, just a few upright rose canes gone

the weekly view in the east gate, under the honeysuckle

a different view in, through the south gate

south gate with Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ and boxwood

looking in through the other east gate

All the rebar gates here were made by my former co-gardener, Robert.  I wish he had been able to continue his artistry in metal.

KBC sweet pea

Digiplexis

black currants and Tetrapanax ‘Steroidal Giant’

agapanthus

cosmos

and dahlias

Golden Sands Assisted Living

Instead of the usual photos of the four quadrants and my frustration that the gardens don’t look more vivacious, here are some good parts:

Cosmos and dahlias

peachy dahlias

mom’s velvety red rose

Mom’s Joseph’s Coat rose

and just one quadrant

I have the solution to all this gardens problems:  Adding Helenium and more white phlox, of which I can get divisions for free.  Another great addition would be Agapanthus, but they are pricey and I am on a budget.  Oh, and more dahlias, tall ones in bright colours that elderly eyes can see well; I should be able to get some economical bags of dahlias from Costco next spring.

Andersen’s RV Park

We each deadheaded dozens, nay hundreds, of Agyranthemum ‘Butterfly’ daisies, and Allan weeded on the west side whilst I deadheaded in the other areas.

west garden; This is not the first time I have momentarily thought the Stipa tenuissima is the wagging tail of a big blonde dog in the garden.

The poppy field is now the field of bad aster, which at this time of year redeems itself.

west garden: blue clouds of the large quantities of not so bad aster (now!) that I did not manage to pull out.

This may be the very last Tigridia (Mexican Shell Flower) in the Payson Hall planters.

picket fence garden with lots of white phlox; I can get some for Golden Sands from here.

the raised bed on east wall of house; nasturtiums and mint gone wild…

I have not let the nasturtiums totally swamp the begonia, coleus, and Euphorbia ‘Diamond Frost’

the garden shed garden

with a truly good aster (‘Harrington’s Pink’, I think) (later figured out it is too dark to be H Pink)

and cosmos

Anchorage Cottages

Hallelujah; we even got to the Anchorage today, which means that Friday can be almost all just gardening in Long Beach town.

The parking lot was full, so we parked down by the street by the grove of Chamaecyparis.

Lots of guests were around as we were working in the evening.  Fortunately for us, they were mostly parents and kids playing on the lawn instead of people sipping drinks in the courtyard chairs.

Center courtyard containers.

a late lily in the center courtyard garden (with Melianthus major)

north courtyard

I noticed both sets of window boxes have become mismatched.  Summer is almost over, and it is not fixable now so I won’t fret about it.

One side still has calibrachoa and on the other side, it has died back. It’s a mystery.

on the lawn after the children went into the cottages, a classic swingset with holes worn by many feet

Port of Ilwaco

Tomorrow is art night in Ilwaco.  We took a drive past the port gardens on the way home to see what would need weeding.  They look good except that two were full of trash blown in by the wind (which we decided to pick up as Ilwaco will not be our first job tomorrow).  We were home by seven thirty, and our long day will make the rest of the week that much easier.

We had another meal featuring the scumptious salmon caught by our neighbour Jeff.

by Chef Allan, salmon with a mustard honey glaze that he got from an old Betty Crocker cookbook, probably given him by his mother.  Cucumber, tomatoes, and Yukon Gold mashers from the garden.

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flashback: 24 July—north end

Thursday, 24 July 2014

I had to get a grip and go back to work; it’s not as if I can afford to simply retire.   Besides, my own garden might not provide enough to blog fodder.  My three days off had done my knee some good, so we did all our north end gardens.

Golden Sands Assisted Living

When we arrived, we saw evidence of bears getting into and onto the big wheelie bins by where we park.

smashed lids

We were told that the bear tossed the bins around like toys.  The maintenance man was busy building a better enclosure.

In the enclosed courtyard, I weeded the four quadrant flower beds while Allan mowed the center lawn; we’ve started bringing my mom’s old rechargeable mower sometimes for this purpose.

I am still wanting the four quadrants to be more vibrant at this time of year.

southwest quadrant

southeast…rather blah now!

northeast…better!

northwest…just needs MORE.

Inside, one of the residents, Ann, told us how much she loves the garden, and talked about the garden she had to leave behind when she moved in. So even if I’m not satisfied, the gardens are still giving pleasure to the residents.

To the left, you can see the wheelbarrow that I am about to push down the long, long hallway.

Klipsan Beach Cottages

the usual look into the fenced garden through the east gate

Melianthus major, so small compared to last year because it died all the way back in the winter.

Allium albopilosum

lily; when my mom moved into Golden Sands, I moved some of her lilies up here.

probably ‘Conca D’Or’

daisies in the lawn border

pulmonaria under the big rhodo on the pond island

Chocolate flower (some children were touring the garden and loved smelling this)

Oman Builders Supply garden, Ocean Park

the usual deadheading…

Marilyn’s Garden, Surfside

We had not gotten as far north as Marilyn’s garden for what felt like an awfully long time (but was probably just three weeks at most).

When we arrived, we found a doe and a fawn in the front garden.  They ambled away.

giant miscanthus by the lawn hiding the neighbours’ driveway

looking south along the garden path

oregano by the path

along the path; the garden was abuzz with bees

view from the porch looking northwest

Oddly, the deer don’t eat the lilies here.  Do I dare to plant more?

Cosmos

and more cosmos

Wiegardt Gallery

Heading back south again to Nahcotta…our weekly stop at Wiegardt Gallery.

the front garden

in the ornamental grass garden near the street…I am very pleased the deer are not eating the pink feathery sanguisorba

And they aren’t eating the sanguisorba near the front door either…

…even though they nibbled on it earlier in the year.

bees on the cosmos again

If I had to pick a favourite annual, I think cosmos would win over painted sage.

The Cove Restaurant

The reward for actually leaving the house and going to work: dinner at the Cove Restaurant.

a little wildflower garden by the parking lot

You can see that the Cove is right by the Peninsula Golf Course; golfing is not my thing, but it does make for a green and peaceful setting.

looking north to the clubhouse and restaurant

I envy the success with sunflowers in front of the restaurant.

dahlias in the entry garden

entry garden with Alllum schubertii

inside at the bar, that is not our friend Ed Strange, and that is golf on the telly

Even though it was fish taco Thursday, I had to have the ahi tuna

And Allan had the yakisoba bowl

I had bites of Allan’s dinner; the delicious ingredients went all down through the noodles, not just piled on top, and included wonderful sea beans from the shores of Willapa Bay.

 

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flashback: 16 & 17 July: trains, gardens, sand

Wednesday, 16 July 2014

We had the sort of day where we work our way from south to north…

starting with the compost bucket switch at Olde Towne Café

The Depot Restaurant garden

We had to drag the hose to water the very front of the bed, behind the log, where the sprinklers don’t reach, and deadheading, much deadheading of the cosmos that were finally putting on a good show.

In the Depot garden bed north of the deck, the cosmos had finally popped!

Allan’s photo

Cosmos ‘Happy Ring’, Allan’s photo

and the drip system for the window boxes (planted by Nancy Aust) were getting turned on, thank goodness.

lush annuals from The Basket Case Greenhouse

The rosemaries on the south side have responded very well to Dr Earth fertilizer.

Golden Sands Assisted Living, Klipsan Beach

I want this garden to look as luscious as Floramagoria.  To achieve that, I am going to have to buy more cool plants and not use just “passalong plants” (free ones).

southeast quadrant…I want more pizzazz.

Now that the vast number of Sweet Williams have gone to seed, the garden needs something more.

southwest quadrant

northwest quadrant

southeast quadrant; I think it needs some tall rudbeckias.

We want to find time to pull more of the crapulous low not-very-ornamental grasses and horrible salal from behind the garden bed above.

The white hydrangeas are quite pleasing along the west and east sides.

Wiegardt Gallery, Ocean Park/Nahcotta

Then we went all the way north to the Wiegardt Gallery and began to work our way south again.

Wiegardt Gallery: The west wall still looks annoyingly partly. I wish those Ilex would GROW. Not enough water, I think.  The hardy geranium, a good one (macrorrhizum) needs to go, as it does not like the dryness.  Lavenders instead?

I have tried other solutions for that narrow side bed.  Back when the building was pink, I had three Lavatera ‘Barnsley’, one in front and two on that side.

years ago: Barnsley in the front of the building, looking good with pink. Eventually, the three lavateras died of old age as they are wont to do.

Also years ago, I had Salvia uliginosa growing along the side. That lasted one year…too dry.  You can see Lavatera in the background.

I don’t think the Lavatera would look good with the new colour of the gallery.

I also tried Escallonia, two, along the west side and they gave a nice solid big green anchor to the height of the building, but Eric did not want them as they were up against the wood.  So now I am trying for something green and tallish but very vertical, thus the Ilex ‘Sky Pencil’ (which I believe is finding it too dry).

Fortunately, the front entrance looks inviting.

and grasses in the field to the south look most satisfactory….

and so does the north garden bed…

While weeding in the front, I saw someone skulk furtively across the east end of the lawn:

just a baby…

Baby and mother crossed to the south side of the street…

They watched us watching them…

And then decided we were no bother, so they came back.

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

That’s why the garden has to be deer proof.

Fortunately, deer don’t like Cosmos, one of Eric’s favourites…

and a favourite of bees.

Oman Builders Supply Garden, Ocean Park

just a bit of deadheading at our most low maintenance garden

Klipsan Beach Cottages, Klipsan

At KBC, a tall fence protects a large area from deer.

inside the fenced garden; Tetrapanax papyrifer ‘Steroidal Giant’ next to the bench

There are eight cottages on the ridge.

The drumstick alliums have gone all purple now; earlier, they are green, then half purple and half green.

Andersen’s RV Park, 138th Street, North of Long Beach

the middle of the garden shed garden (painted sage along the front, and a fig tree with a few figs)

The garden/storage shed is on the northeast corner of the park.

the west side garden

Eryngium ‘Jade Frost’ by the laundry room (Allan’s photo)

Eryngium ‘Jade Frost’ (Allan’s photo)

poppies, Eryngium, Verbascum (Allan’s photo)

the poppy field, Allan’s photo

Banana Cream daisies (Allan’s photo)

poppy field, Allan’s photo

By the back door of the office, one of the birdhouses had occupants.

waiting and peeping

baby just realized I was there!  or perhaps was not as focused on its upcoming meal.

Eryngium ‘Sapphire Blue’ and godetia (and the ubiquitous Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’) in the garden below the birdhouses.

Thursday, 18 July 2014

Allan starts the day by thoroughly soaking the Larry and Robert garden!  So dry now!

The cats were not making me feel like going to work.  (Smokey, Frosty, and their mother Mary)

Columbia Pacific Heritage Musuem

We had been procrastinating for weeks about seeing the “Rolling Stock of the Clamshell Railroad” exhibit at the museum just three blocks east of our house.  I love stories of the railway that used to run up the Peninsula and wanted to make sure not to miss it; it would end on the weekend so we started work late in order to go to Free Thursday at the museum.

Oregon Washington Railroad and Navigation

train car seat

train car door

a watercolour called “Last Run”; how I wish we still had this train.

maybe not entirely idyllic

Jackson and Sharp car as vacation cottage, Seaview  (It is still there.  I so wanted it last time it was for sale, but the yard is small.)

And then, work.

Anchorage Cottages, Long Beach

Look how perfectly the lily matches the Anchorage sign!

Allan’s photo

Was this planned?  Not at all; this old sign had not been put on display when the lilies were planted.

painted sage in the center courtyard planters

Another motel sign; I like that these older signs have been put up between the windows.

Long Beach town

The deadheading of the welcome sign is a painstaking job now. Wish the Geranium ‘Rozanne’ would get busy with providing more blue.  Back:  Agyranthemum ‘Butterfly’; front: Bidens

tigridia in a street planter, Allan’s photo: a vibrant Mexican shell flower, seems perfectly hardy here, bulbs planted in fall or spring.  (Allan’s photo)

Allan found a sneaky dandelion in the planter by Wind World Kites (where the shop owner likes the Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ which we have removed as a thug from most of the planters).

The sand had been brought in for City Sandsations.  While the main event of the annual sand castle contest takes place on the beach, expert sand sculptors also create some displays right downtown in the street south of Veterans Field.  I was watering the south blocks of planters, and my knee was bothering me so much I did not feel like walking up to see the sand sculpting action, so I asked Allan to take photos for me.  I thought you might like to see them, too.

Sandsations sign by the police station

looking east from the main street (Pacific Highway)

sculpting begins

one of the team tee shirts

I think they use a little bit of glue in the water to hold the creations together for the four days of the show.

 

dinner at The Cove

We had a cheerful plan for the evening:  dinner with our friend Michelle Z at the Cove Restaurant.

Parking Lot Cat was the greeter at the door.

at the Cove

Menu by Chef Jason Lancaster..yum… (We had the Thursday fish tacos, $2 each, and strawberry salads)

Of course, when I got home I worked some more on the Garden Bloggers Fling blog entries, as I had been doing every night .  I was enjoying touring the gardens through our photos without having to deal with any mobility problems.

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17 June: 3 day workweek pressure

Tuesday, 17 June 2014

I am pleased to report that after a worrisome half hour at 6:30 Am when my knee hurt like the dickens, I managed to fall back asleep till 9:30 and dream that Xena Warrior Princess was serenading me.  Seven hours of sleep was a treat and a blessing (although I would love a good solid nine.)

I don’t even know why I went into Olde Towne Café…not to change the compost bucket as it was their first day of the week to be open.  However, due to lots of lovely, lovely rain, mostly conveniently timed at night, I did not feel hugely pressured at the start of the day and sat and visited with Luanne for at least fifteen minutes while Allan schmoozed with a new acquaintance, Kyle, a local gardener.

Olde Towne Café

I meant to get a photo of the outside of the building with all the lovely plant containers..and forgot.

Then, off to work; I had not meant to get such a late start.

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Red Barn Arena

Driving home the other day we had noticed some daisies needed deadheading in the roadside garden next door to the Red Barn.  We rarely do one without the other, so we deadheaded and weeded at the barn first

Red Barn garden

One of our barrels at the Red Barn

In the field to the north, young equestrians practiced.

Amy watches her daughter.

Riding bareback in pajamas!

and jumping bareback

It’s all old hat for the dogs.

One of the two perennial barrels by the entrance to the barn property

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The Evils of Round Up

I wll not name and shame the garden next door!  However, when Allan was checking the garden along the road, where he had recently weeded just to prevent anyone from feeling the urge to use weedkiller, he found a small garden catastrophe.

roadside garden

This is what Round Up did to the painted sage that I had planted along the edge:

And there are no more for sale with which to replace these.

I called the garden owner who admitted it had been she who had sprayed, she thought so carefully.  She rushed right home from work and we took the walk of shame down the edge of the garden.  Her spouse joined us; he, too, had sprayed and said he will always spray as that is just what he does.  His was the outside edge with the dead painted sage.  Her inside edge of the garden was not as bad although some annual candytuft seedlings were blighted.  I jocularly told him he had now gotten the title of Nozzlehead and could put N.H. after his name.  And I told her that only because I do care enough to mope about the little dead plants am I good at my job; she agreed.

One thing I learned in Master Gardener class (even though I have to mention my dislike of the term Master Gardener) is that Round Up, when sprayed on a still day, can drift in a toxic cloud around your garden and kill plants even with no wind to blow it into the garden.  I personally will not buy or use the stuff because I do not wish to give money to Monsanto.

The effect of Round Up on me:  As we drove on, I started a new list of Questions for Potential New Clients, and here are the two questions to which the correct answer must be given:

The rules being: Clients MUST water and MUST NOT use Round Up, Crossbow, or any of those sorts of weedkillers.

We also learned that the roadside garden is going to go away.  The trees that you can see on the left of the photo of that garden are going to be cut this fall, and tree fellers’ trucks will be driving on the garden area.  The trees used to provide privacy with their lower limbs till the county right-of-way pruners whacked those limbs all off, so after the trees are cut, a fence will be built and the roadside garden will be no more…at least not as it is now.  The plants will be saved by heeling them into a pile of mulch for the winter.

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Basket Case Greenhouse

We had completely forgotten till she showed us that our client has asked us to plant something in a strawberry jar.  A stop at The Basket Case for some sedums could be accomplished on our way north.

In the Basket Case perennial house

The pickings are getting slim at the Basket Case; it is a seasonal nursery and will be sold out of plants and closed by the end of July, and will not reopen till next spring.  I would advise visiting soon while there are still cool perennials to be had…and there are!

These mixed dianthus are pretty and often come back although they are sold as annuals.

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Wiegardt Gallery

Due to our upcoming trip, we have a three day work week and wanted to hit all but two of the north end jobs today.  (We skipped Marilyn’s and Golden Sands this week.)

Wiegardt Gallery in Ocean Park

a lavender that I planted years ago, still going strong

Three Ilex ‘Sky Pencil’ on the south side; frustratingly, three different shades of green. Probably due to soaker hose location.

This Eryngium ‘Jade Frost’ (with chartreuse bells of Nicotiana langsdorfii) still has not coloured up.  The small thistle flowers will turn from white to cobalt blue.

and on comes the macro for Eryngium ‘Sapphire Blue’

with a Knautia macedonica entwined

and a tall white Allium nigrum (multibulbosum)

Oman Builders Supply, Ocean Park

More deadheading of the Erysimum ‘Bowles Mauve’

in our fine looking and quite low maintenance garden

One little task was to remove the dead bulb foliage from the Brodiaea ‘Queen Fabiola’.  Like allium foliage, it always looks worst just when the flower looks best, and removing it always results in pulling a flower, or a few of them, by mistake.

my my my my my my my mistake

Queen Fabiola is so lovely I have to grow her anyway.

another shade of blue with California poppies

Papaver rhoeas (corn poppy, Flanders Field poppy)

I was distributing garden tour posters for Garden Tour Nancy today; one had gone to Basket Case, and now one got posted in the OBS window.

the store manager posts the poster

in a prime place

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Klipsan Beach Cottages

three o clock in the garden

A robin bobbed along the fence when I entered the garden at KBC.

and gave me a suspicious look. (Kudos to the Tootlepedal blog for teaching me the many expressions of birds.)

Now if this rose were in my garden…out it would go.

Any amount of rain makes the petals brown off in an unsightly way.

Mary acquired the rose and defends it for its prolific flowers which do look good in a dry spell.

lily bloom and bud

Lily: ‘Landini’ 

iris ensata (Japanese iris)

Even though we worked at KBC six days before, we still got a wheelbarrow load of debris out of the garden.

Andersen’s RV Park

Andersen’s poppy field

Allan fertilized the west side container gardens and then set to weeding around the poppy field.  I weeded here and there, everywhere but the garden shed garden.

While I pulled some weeds in the west side garden, a gust of wind billowed the Stipa tenuissima like a cloud and I thought it was a big furry dog running up to me.

The Payson Hall planters are more wildflowery this year as California poppies and red poppies reseeded.

Last week a guest said “Your wildflowers are so charming!”

The picket fence garden

Lily…’Landini’ again or ‘Black Out’

the eye popping orange lily and blue Baptisia combo almost at its peak

Orange lilies and Agastache ‘Summer Glow’

The sweet peas are coming up along the picket fence, still too short to climb; I encouraged some with bits of twine.

the two roses on the cottage, west and south sides

And of course….

Eryngium ‘Sapphire Blue’

with bees and bees and bees

a pollen-laden bee on a Cosmos

Helianthemum ‘Ben Nevis’ (I think)

KBC had gotten a garden tour poster, and so did Andersen’s.

office door

We could have used more time weeding the west bed (and I would dearly love to have had a look at the Golden Sands garden) but at six o clock, we went on to our last job of the day.  I was mighty tired by then and when I suddenly remembered that it was Deadliest Catch night on telly, I felt revitalized with anticipation of seeing crabbers work much, much harder than we ever do.

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The Anchorage Cottages

Anchorage center courtyard

Calla lily (top), lily (middle), Melianthus major (bottom)

office courtyard in evening light

By the time of our arrival, the office was closed, so I just slipped the garden tour poster under the door and hope to see it in the window next time we come.

At home, greenhouse tomato watering was followed by chores such as laundry as we try to prepare to leave.  I walked through the garden and imagined that our houseguest will enjoy it while we are gone, and I put some alder wood in the fire circle in case she decides to have friends over for a campfire.

 

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