1 May: last day of parade prep

Friday, 1 May 2015

We were down to the wire for getting Long Beach ready for parade day on Sunday.   Usually, we have Saturday afternoon after the Ilwaco parade to make one more go-round of Long Beach.  This year, I knew the Rhodie Tour would consume all of Saturday.

Before Long Beach, I wanted to get one more old trailing rosemary out of the Ilwaco planters.  To my horror, I realized they were already so dry that either we needed to water them today or on Sunday.  So as not to be worried about them all during Saturday, I decided on watering today.  We did not have time to get the water trailer organized so it had to be bucket watering; that takes at least 45 minutes less than using the water pump trailer but is much harder on aging backs.

dry

Allan using up the water from a jug we carry with us in the van.

Filling buckets at the boatyard: We no longer have enough water buckets for this big project; this time, we would skip the street trees.

meanwhile….

more bucket filling

the Southern Cross looming overhead

Having to bucket water was stressful, so we were squabbling from the get go today.  Some days are like that, as any couple who lives and works together would probably tell you.

After we got at least 2 gallons of water onto each of the 26 planters, we were able to head north.  The only thing standing between us and Long Beach was a quick check up on the garden at The Depot Restaurant.  There, we found the painters about to start.  To our surprise, one of them was the neighbour of our client Marilyn up in Surfside.  This makes sense when I think about it, because Marilyn is the mother of Nancy who co-owns the Depot.  (Nancy’s spouse, Michael, is the chef.)

The other painter, here about to pressure wash, was being very careful about the garden.

We did not linger after deadheading a few narcissi.  Next up was a substantial clean up of the Long Beach welcome sign bed.  It was a mess.  Most of the May flowering tulips that I can usually count on to be in full bloom for parade weekend had already gone over due to our early spring (climate change or a one-off fluke?) and it was too early to plant annuals.

before

after. We treat the tulips as annuals and yank them right out.

The back of the sign still has some tulips in bloom.

In downtown Long Beach, I got my new wheelie cart, provided by blog reader MaryBeth, ready for its first use.  She told me that in the UK, such a cart is called a garden trolley.  As an anglophile I am adopting this usage so garden trolley it is from now on.

My trolley.

I was able to carry a jug of water, a heavy container of Sluggo, a weed bucket, my hand tools, a few plants, and eventually a full bucket of weeds.  The trolley was so perfectly balanced that even when weighed down with weeds, I could move it with two fingers and my thumb.  It made the job almost heavenly.  I want to find a pockety-thing to tie onto the top to hold small tools and maybe seed packets.

I would have been in a world of pain if I had had to carry a heavy bucket of weeds all around town.  Allan and I had split off into separate tasks; he was weeding all the parks, including the gardens at Veterans Field, while I did all the planters and street trees.

Herb N Legend Smoke Shop and a new tattoo parlor

In front of the smoke shop: Cerinthe major purpurascens

The workers at the Herb N Legend smoke shop are among the  friendliest and nicest of any of the shopkeepers on our planter route. Other especially nice folks are at Captain Bob’s Chowder, the Hungry Harbor Grille, Wind World Kites, and of course NIVA green.

California poppy by the smoke shop.  Yes, the damnable COLD north wind was blowing something fierce.

Sparaxis by the smoke shop

and Narcissus ‘Baby Moon’

Last night, driving through town to go to dinner at the Cove, I sang a little song to Baby Moon thanking it for still being in bloom for parade weekend.  It started so early this year that I was sure it would all be done by now.  About one third of the Baby Moons are still blooming.

The little dog who is the mascot of the smoke shop likes to delicately pick snails and bugs out of the planter.  He treats the plants carefully and is an excellent helper.

my little camera shy friend

The planters all took much longer than I thought to remove every little weed.  By the time I got to the southernmost one, I was grateful to be able to nip in to use the loo at Northwest Financial, the business owned by our friend Shelly Pollock (who spearheads the Grass Roots Garbage Gang beach clean ups).  If you live locally, and need any help sorting out your ACA medical insurance, her assistance is invaluable and free.

Northwest Financial and Insurance, and a rhododendron

tiny cupped narcissi…my favourite…still in bloom in front of Kompton’s Mini Mart.

Tulip ‘Florette’ still blooming.

Florette is a star this year.

Asphodel going strong in Fifth Street Park

Allan was still toiling at Fifth Street Park.  I helped a bit, and he moved on to the parks on Third Street.  I planted some fill in sweet pea seeds at the back of the northwest quadrant.

Fifth Street Park

Captain Bob’s Chowder

across from the carousel: windblown Tulip ‘Akebono’ barely holding on.  You can see the flag blowing straight out in 20 mph the north wind.  Brrrr.

The only thing I do not like about living at the beach is the accursed cold wind.  My friends who are sailors are able to appreciate it.

Because I’m working on a “Rhodie Driving Tour” album for the Music in the Gardens Tour Facebook page, I got some photos of the rhododendrons in the parks at 3rd Street.

SW corner of park

This big bright red one has bloomed and dropped its petals.

The parks department wants me to prune that rhodo, above, down to the height of the fence and I do. not. want. to do it.

 

Northwest corner behind the gazebo

with the new river rock landscaping

from across the street, looking west at those two rhododendron lined parks

behind me as I took the previous photo: Lewis and Clark square

The wall encircling the back of Lewis and Clark Square has  plaques for the places the explorers visited.

Allan was far enough ahead of me to now to have already weeded the little park behind the wall.

He had found a bird nest in one of the shrubs (Allan’s photo)

behind the wall, viewed from across the street by Veterans Field

flower detail (Allan’s photo)

street planter by Lewis and Clark Square, lots of little violas have reseeded

In about a week, we will begin the annuals planting of all these street planters.  I thought of planting some diascias this week and then thought why? when plants along the edge would likely be sat upon during the parade.

As I worked my way north, I saw something mighty cute in the window of the Cottage Bakery.

I checked out the new location of Home at the Beach, now inside the Sandpiper Mall just south of the pharmacy.

Home at the Beach’s new shop

inside the tiny mall, a bench with a touching memorial plaque

Across the street, I noticed and ignored, for now, a big weedy sedge that has snuck in under the street trees.

I did not have a tool strong enough to remove the weedy sedge. Next week, its time will come.  It has comouflaged itself among narciss and schizostylis.

Geranium ‘A.T. Johnson’ redeeming itself under a street tree. It’s one of the plants I have gone off over the years due to its weedy habits.

in the window of the Long Beach Pharmacy  (Chemist, in the UK)

a pink Helianthemum  about to bloom with a red leaved Armeria in a street planter by the stoplight

Across from Dennis Company in the northernmost block with Tulip ‘Formosa’

By the time I got to the final block, Allan had finished the City Hall gardens and Coulter Park’s street side gardens and was helping to finish the planters.  The tulip ‘Formosa’ is in some places just starting to bloom.  I planted lots of it this year, but clearly not enough.

As we prepare to drive off, I notice a bright deciduous azalea behind the Coulter Park historic train depot.

Our very last task, as the sun was about to set, was to check on the planters on the Bolstadt beach approach.

one of the beach planters with two heights of armeria (sea thrift)

On the way home we had a look at the sunset from the Seaview beach approach road near the Depot Restaurant.

sunset over a monkey tree

One last rhododendron photo in Seaview, just south of the Sou’wester Lodge.

Back when the house above belonged to an elderly artist named Marge Horner, I used to mow her lawn and clean for her occasionally.  I miss her.

All our parade and tour preparations were as done as they could be, and we could collapse and look forward to the rhodie tour tomorrow.  We would miss the Saturday Ilwaco parade because of the rhodie tour.  Because of needing time at home, we would skip the Sunday parade.  You can enjoy last year’s parade here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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23 April: reading to working

Thursday, 23 April 2015

Last weekend, while gardening at home, I realized that I have suddenly shifted into gardening mode and no longer even think with longing of a reading day off (because I’d rather get my garden weeded).  Today, suddenly it seemed a reading day had arrived.

wind graph on WindAlert, with driving sideways rain

The local airport forecast showed the wind dropping in the afternoon, and the several other weather apps that we check said that the sun would appear at 4 PM.

Ilwaco airport wind forecast

So I settled down to read, but restlessly, with an eye on the weather.

Tony Hillerman’s daughter is doing a good job at carrying on his mystery series.

The rain did stop, as predicted, at just before 4 PM, and we were off.  Allan took the opportunity to get another photo of the dogwood outside our kitchen window, with the flower of the wild cucumber vine.

Allan’s photo: Marah, wild cucumber vine, in dogwood.

I suppose we should get the cucumber vine out of there, as it has a massive root, leading to its also being known as “manroot” and “man underground”.

Ilwaco

Our very first project was to re-do the Ilwaco street planter that finally got moved back to the fire station.  It had been tucked up against a café where it did not show.  The fire station planter had been moved instead of the café one, after I’d promised the fire chief it would NOT be moved, so some musical planters was played by the city crew.

Allan’s photo: before: too many bulbs, and has catmint, which we are removing from the planters because it looks bad for awhile after its first flowering.

Allan’s photo: after, with Erysimum ‘Bowles Mauve’ and diascia and violas and one little piece of Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’

 

I broke up the rest of the Autumn Joy and ran it down the west side of the fire station in a narrow bed that had lots of empty (weedy) spaces.

after. (We did not forget that extra bag of potting soil.)

Since we were working just across the street from Nellie’s house, I wondered if I would catch her attention.  Sure enough, her husband came over and I went in to speak with her and she does indeed want us to do a spring clean up on her garden.  We will be happy to, although I had to tell her it might not be for over a week as we have a lot of prep to do before the May 2 and 3 city parades AND the Rhodie tour.  (Klipsan Beach Cottages is one of the tour gardens.)

Nelie’s historic house

In case you’ve forgotten that the Rhodie tour tour is coming up soon:

Long Beach

Next, we had to deadhead all the planters and street tree gardens along the main highway in Long Beach.  I was mighty glad for the good evening weather, as I had noticed lots of dead narcissi flowers when driving home the previous evening.  I took some photos while we worked.  I did not need the green wheelie cart this time as we parked several times and worked fairly close to the van instead of walking the whole route.

lavender already in full bloom  (This is one of the few planters where we’ve allowed Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ to stay)

The first Geranium ‘Rozanne’ flower this year…very early

Cerinthe major purpurascens

Tulip ‘Florette’ is a real do-er this year.

Asphodeline by Fifth Street Park

Gunnera in Fifth Street Park, already with huge flowers

Darmera peltata and Gunnera. Note to self: remember that Gunnera likes fertilizer. Dan Hinkley said “Feed the brute!”

Dutch iris in Fifth Street Park (north side)

another note to self: Get this Carex OUT of the planter by the carousel!!!

across from NIVA green: Tulip ‘Green Wave’

on the NIVA green side: more Tulip ‘Green Wave’

by the Elks lodge: a columbine left over from volunteer days

It was on this block, across the street, that a man walking his dog said, “Now that’s a good looking planter” about the boring one with two escallonias and creeping sedums (also leftover from volunteer days).  Then he said, “The planters on the beach approach are FULL of grass.”  I said, “That’s impossible; we weeded them last Friday.”  He said “Nope, they are FULL of grass and it looks terrible” and walked on.  He’d gotten about ten feet when my last nerve snapped and I said, “REALLY?”  He turned and I repeated that they were weeded last week, then said, “Do you mean the raised planters or do you mean the garden at ground level?”  “The ground,” said he. “The roses looked so good last year but now it is all grassy and the roses look beat up and need to be trimmed.”  I looked at him all goggle-eyed and said (in a calm enough tone that Allan, just up the block, though we were having a jolly chat), “I have no idea what to do about that.  We do the whole town of Long beach, and Ilwaco, and about ten resorts [that’s easier to say quickly than enumerating private gardens, resorts, and businesses] and we do not have TIME to weed the beach approach till later in the year so I really have no idea what can be done about it unless the city finds more weeders.”  “I wasn’t complaining,” said the man, walking on a faster clip.  I refrained from another “REALLY????”  As he departed, I remembered that I had seen his dog tied up for awhile in front of the Long Beach Tavern and wondered if beer had anything to do with his desire to inform me that the beach approach is not up to his standards.  (I could also have pointed out that those roses do not bloom till at least May AND that last year we did not get the darn garden, which takes about SIX DAYS to weed, done until sometime in July!!!

Fortunately, by this time we were almost done and I was able to go soothe my shattered nerves at…

The Cove Restaurant

in the foyer of The Cove

We sat at the bar at about 7:30 PM and I was so lucky to get one of the last two servings of ahi tuna.  With no hard cider on tap, I had a Vortex beer from Astoria’s Fort George Brewery and Allan had a Guinness.

Strawberry salad…and Carmen at work

delicious food at the pass

ahi tuna

The tiny peppers to the left, above, were sweet and smoky and Chef Jason Lancaster told us they are Peruvian peppers.

Allan tried a new sandwich.  I had a bite (two!) of the pineapple slaw.  Delicious.

Allan’s photo

Finally, at home, I had to take a dusk photo of the cutest little tiny cup narcissi on the garage wall.

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17 April: kind of a miserable day

Friday, 17 April 2015

The day was miserable in spots for just three reasons:  25 mph mighty cold wind, too much to do, and like a doofus I was too frazzled in the morning to take my new green wheelie cart to Long Beach (an omission I would regret later).  The vehicle had lots of Ilex ‘Sky Pencil’ and other plants and we had not yet figured out a system for taking the wheelie to Long Beach.  We will have it figured out by next time!

Ilwaco

at the Post Office, a creamy California poppy in bloom

Our first task was to see if the two planters city planters had been moved from semi-hidden locations to more visible spots on Spruce street.  Well, they were, BUT the one at the fire station was one of the ones moved, after I had told fire chief Tommy yesterday that it wouldn’t be moved, and the one hidden by other planters next to a café had been left unmoved.  A stop at city hall got it sorted; the one by the café will be moved to the fire station in a complicated dance of musical planters.

We put some violas and golden variegated thyme in the two newly placed planters, along with a Diascia ‘Blackthorn Apricot’, and will add more plants next week.

Allan by one of the newly positioned planters. Sadly, the owner of the English Pub passed away some years ago and the historic  building is for sale.

We then swung around to town to do the rest of the planters, starting with the boatyard intersection.

See the little bit of yellow at the edge of the garden?  That is Limnanthes douglasii, also known as fried egg plant.

also known as meadow foam

Narcissus bulbocodium ‘Golden Bells’ (Yellow Hoop Petticoats) in a planter.

same planter as above at First and Eagle, with Narcissus ‘Baby Moon’, golden oregano, and Erysimum ‘Bowles Mauve’

After over an hour working on the Ilwaco planters, adding some violas and thyme, and in one case digging out some too-large narcissi, we went on to Long Beach.

Long Beach

Allan weeding and deadheading the welcome sign

front of welcome sign

I’m most pleased with the back side of the sign.

Thank you for visiting Long Beach, with tulips complementary to the colour blue.

Next stop: Veterans Field, which will be the main gathering place for the Clam Festival tomorrow (April 18th; this blog is running about six days behind).  We won’t be going this year as I have home gardening to do and Allan has some motorcycling to do.  You can read about our enjoyment of last year’s festival here.

The city crew was getting the tent with the giant frying pan set up (not the same pan that is mounted in Fifth Street Park).

LB Parks Manager Mike Kitzman

Allan planted five Ilex ‘Sky Pencil’ at the back of the corner garden.  

 Sky Pencil stays elegantly columnar.

After a thorough grooming of both of the Veterans Field gardens and the adjacent park behind Lewis and Clark Square, we headed for the Sid Snyder beach approach.  On the way, we paused to drop off a gardening bill to the Oman Builders Supply Long Beach store (for our work at their branch in Ocean Park.  Outside, I almost got caught by a little scam.  One of four high school age kids asked me if I would buy a book of coupons for $1.  The local high school has offered such books before.  I first said no, because the coupon books rarely have anything that we would use, then decided to be a good citizen and said yes and handed him a dollar.  As they walked away, I looked at what the kid had handed me and pursued them right into Oman and Son and said, “Hey, you’re just pan-handling; give me my dollar back.”  Which he did, looking only faintly embarrassed.  I realized they were spring breakers from somewhere else!

It was just an old newspaper insert that had probably been blowing down the street! (We found another one blowing down the beach approach road later on.)

That was interesting.

Onward we went, weeding and deadheading the planters and the kite museum garden (fertilized it!) on Sid Snyder Drive and then the Bolstadt beach approach planters.

Sid Snyder and Bolstadt Beach Approach roads

satellite view of beach approach roads

Allan’s photo: one of the Sid Snyder planters with lots of California poppies coming on

Allan’s photo: Two trail ride outfits are located along Sid Snyder. Here, a group is heading to the beach.

me waiting for Allan by our last planter on Sid Snyder

weeding the westernmost planter on Bolstadt beach approach (Allan’s photo)

Sedums are good here as these get very little water. (Allan’s photo)

Allan weeding one of the western Bolstadt planters

past the west end of the beach approach garden (looking east toward town)

rosemary in one of the planters

That rosemary and the heather harken back to my friend Lily Gibson, who died in 2004 in her early fifties of ALS.  Before that, she had taken on two of the volunteer planters on the beach approach and won the prize for best planter.  She would drive out with her three little dogs every day and water it, and took such good constant care that she even had blue lobelia thriving around the edges.  (We only water these planters on occasion; last year the city crew watered them once a week in summer.)  I planted the lilies in Fifth Street Park and at City Hall with Lily in mind.

To check on the planters, I walked east along the weedy beach approach.  We don’t have time in our schedule to do anything about it yet.

weeds!

City Hall, looking west, with the Chinook flag flying

The wind was getting worse, and colder.  I checked 642 weather (26 mile an hour gusts) and my Wind Alert app.

Wind Alert

I put an another flannel shirt and my jacket (difficult in the flapping wind) and gave myself the Deadliest Catch pep talk: “It could be worse.  I could be crab fishing on the Bering Sea.”  (Of course, we don’t make $50,000 in a few weeks, either.)

Deep purple on emerging hostas on the east side of city hall.

north side of city hall

The memorial marker is worn.

This hellebore has been looking good for months.

City Hall west side

After dumping our debris at City Works, we took an intermission from Long Beach to check up on the garden at…

The Anchorage Cottages

Narcissus ‘Baby Moon’ still blooming in the windowboxes..

…along with Tulip batalinii ‘Bright Gem’

center courtyard

the bearded iris that got half broken off last week

Camassia

Tulip ‘Angelique’ by the office

sweet peas!! and a new application of Sluggo by the chimney

After the most basic of deadheading and weeding and the planting of two dahlias, we returned 20 blocks south to groom all the street planters in Long Beach.  By now it was 4:30 PM.

Long Beach Planters walkabout

For two and half hours, with me feeling increasing soreness from carrying a heavy bucket, we did the Long Beach planters.  We did the two north blocks together, then split up and each took half of the rest of them.  I swear I will not do the bucket carrying again; next time I WILL get organized and take the green wheelie cart that Mary Beth gave me!  (We need to organize a way to lash it into the trailer; that will be easy for Allan.)

just north of Dennis Co….The mermaids will be at the Depot building for clam festival photo opportunities.

Here they were last year, photo courtesy Queen La De Da’s

Tulip ‘Rococo’ at 3rd N and Pacific

me capturing the picture above with Coulter Park in the background (Allan’s photo, zoomed)

more ‘Bright Gem’ tulips

2nd N and Pacific…I SO hope to get this vinca-heavy planter redone this spring!

variegated euonymous and tulip (Allan’s photo)

Narcissus Baby Moon and Tulip ‘Bright Gem’ (Allan’s photo)

Tulip ‘Green Wave’ next to Scoopers ice cream shop, blown by the wind

Tulip ‘Green Star’ (Allan’s photo)

The wind was tormenting me, so when I got across the street (I was criss crossing back and forth) I went into NIVA green for a moment of respite.

Tulip ‘Green Wave’ in bud

window display

Heather Ramsay’s newest lamp, from a Peek Frean tin

one of several gardening books on display

The pond at Bolstadt and Pacific

When I went into the Long Beach Pharmacy for a quick purchase, I saw some cute garden decor items:

faucet with crystal raindrops

“Sometimes the tiniest flowers smell the sweetest.”

another faucet with crystal water drop and a fairy door

Back to work!  In front of Stormin’ Norman’s kite shop, this planter is due for a clean out of aster that goes back to volunteer days.

For a few years, the aster (by the lamp post) was polite; now it is on the run all over the planter.

I did not expect the wire plant to be so vigourous; may have to do something about that, too.

in front of the Cottage Bakery: reseeded Cerinthe major purpurascens

sparaxis! wish I had lots more of this darling bulb, which is blooming early this year.

Sparaxis

Narcissus ‘Baby Moon’

more cerinthe

looking south, still two block to go to meet up with Allan, who is doing the southern two blocks

Delightfully, the wind had died down just a bit, as you can see from the less intense angle of the flags as I passed by Veterans Field again.

not quite straight out. Still a north wind, the coldest one.

As I worked on this planter, passersby swooned over Tulip ‘Akebono’.

Lewis and Clark Square and Veterans Field

by Fifth Street Park (Allan’s photo)

Tulip ‘Rococo’ (Allan’s photo)

Tulip ‘Rococo’, lavender, and a Tulip ‘Black Hero’ that returned from a few years ago (Allan’s photo)

Tulip ‘Florette’ (Allan’s photo)

The multiflowering tulip ‘Florette’ has been fantastic this year.  I’m going to plant more of this type next fall.

Tulip ‘Florette’ (Allan’s photo)

Allan’s photo…I must ask him where this was! The original name of Long Beach was Tinkerville. The old Tinker house is just west of our friend and client Jo’s house.

(The photo was taken at First Place Mall and the shop is a new art consignment store.)

I can tell by this photo that Allan had turned at the southernmost planter and was working his way north again. Tulip ‘Apricot Parrot’, almost over.

Allan also did the final grooming of the Fifth Street Park gardens, where we had weeded extensively three days before.

Finally he caught up to me, where I was plucking maddening little grasses from the planter in front of the Hungry Harbor Grille….with the cold wind on my last nerve.

By 7 PM, Allan and I had met up.  I was so deeply glad to be done.  We dug deep and managed to groom the Ilwaco Post Office and plant two dahlias there on the way home.

My cat family had been watching me from the window as I carried plants to the holding area.

I am taking three days off, I HOPE.  The little chair and table that I arranged for a sit spot are not going to be sittable until I get these plants organized and planted, and a lot of them go here,

weeding and planting at home await me.

As we did the evening sorting out of the van, the sun was a huge red ball on the horizon at the end of the street.

At midnight, after some blogging, some dinner, and The Amazing Race on telly, Mary snoozes while I finish this blog entry. (Allan’s photo)

Allan said that the sight of a cat on the back of each chair reminded him of photos of three mountains lined up.

Allan’s photo

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16 April: a Sky Pencil day

Thursday, 16 April 2015

I overslept, on a day when we had much to do.

Allan’s photo of a wild cucumber vine climbing through our dogwood outside the kitchen window

my photo of an epimidium that Todd gave me yesterday

On the way out of town, I looked in passing at the community building garden, which I had recklessly agreed yesterday that we would take on.  Oh my gosh, it was weedy.  I felt a great sense of doom as I would rather spend the time on my own garden.  I brooded about it for some time, and after awhile Allan said that it was his idea that he might go weed it himself sometime soon when I am weeding my own garden.  That would be wonderfully noble.  (He can have ALL the wages!)  Unlike me, he does not have an aversion to heather planted on level ground…or the dry scritchy scratchiness of weeding horsetail and bindweed around heather planted on level ground…If heather was nicely transplantable, which it is NOT, I would move it to the part of the garden that slopes and then it would look like wonderful Scottish moors in miniature.

The Depot Restaurant

At our first job, which was supposed to be just deadheading, I suddenly could not resist a project.

Allan deadheaded the narcissi and tulips. All day long the sun was too bright for good photos.

I did not take a before photo of digging loads of schizostylis out of an area where I want to plant annuals.  I love schizostylis but sometimes it is a good plant gone bad.  Dan Hinkley said that it tends to be more of a runner when it is seeking water, because in its native South Africa, it grows on damp riverbanks.  (Three days later, we dined at the Depot and I learned that the restaurant is going to be painted soon.  I won’t be planting cosmos in this garden bed till AFTER that happens, and must remember to put stake tripods over the alliums and nicotiana.)

during the project with three buckets of plants removed (and my shadow)

after, with three Nicotiana langsdorfii added

ajuga and variegated saxifrage growing under the parking lot barrier

buds of Tulip ‘Green Wave’, one of my favourites, a parrot tulip which is the latest of all.

Last year:  parrot tulip ‘Green Wave’, a very late bloomer

The Basket Case Greenhouse

Allan’s photo

Fred had made a trip inland to bring back some shrubs, especially Ilex ‘Sky Pencil’, a great vertical green almost deer-proof accent plant that is hard to find for sale around here.

It was difficult to take photos for the Facebook page because of bright sunlight.  He’d brought back some very cool plants, including ‘Pink Lemonade’ blueberry, Lonicera fragrantissima, ‘Orange Rocket’ barberry, Sarcococca, and more.  And a ‘Shasta’ doublefile viburnum.  The one in the yard just north of the Basket Case looked like this today:

double file virburnum, so called because the flowers march down the branches in pairs.

me and Fred admiring the Orange Rocket barberries.

Trying to decide if I will take ALL the Sky Pencils!

Just as I was perusing the availability list for the next order, and Allan was loading the van with all but five of the Ilex ‘Sky Pencil’, who should show up but Todd.  While we were on our way north, he was on his way south.  Of course, the availability list was of interest to him, as it would be to any CPN (Certified Plant Nut).

Allan’s photo: the discussion of many plants.

Todd had a t shirt based on Farmville, although Allan only realized that later.

Pondering this as I write, I just realized this is a Plant Delights catalog cover, where up until recently Todd worked as display garden curator.   I am a bit slow on the uptake sometimes.

more plant discussion with Fred joining in

A great deal of time seemed to pass (the availability list is long) before we all went off to get back to work.

Golden Sands Assisted Living

Allan and I managed to make a very short stop at the Golden Sands garden where I planted four dahlias and pulled a very few weeds.

Allan’s photo: camassia and Tulip ‘Florette’ at Golden Sands

Camassia (Allan’s photo)

Allan’s photo of multi-flowering Tulip ‘Florette’

chives in flower (Allan’s photo)

Allan’s photo

Klipsan Beach Cottages

At KBC, I offered Mary a couple of Ilex ‘Sky Pencil’.  She liked the idea so much that Allan ended up clearing space and planting four of them.  I knew Mary would like them because she is fond of a formal look.  What got removed was mostly elephant garlic and Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’.  I told Mary and Denny that I felt silly because last year I made a fuss when Denny pulled a lot of the elephant garlic (when it was in bloom and adding interest!) and now there is just as much if not more than last year.

Allan making space for the first two Ilexes.

after

Meanwhile, I used the pick to get out a large area where the Bad Aster had taken hold.

before: two more Ilexes would go here.

before: Allan’s photo

after (behind to the right of frog)

before: Allan’s photo

after: Allan’s photo

Next week we will have time to thin plants out behind the Ilex so it shows better.  Meanwhile, Denny and his helper Lewis had been installing new lattice under the house deck.  I like it much better than the previous criss cross diagonal pattern.

elegant new lattice

This fringed tulip has returned for several years.

Tulip ‘Green Wave’ (Allan says he finds parrot tulips confusing as he cannot tell if they are starting or finishing their bloom.)

Tulip ‘Florette’

my good friend Bella (Allan’s photo)

Bella got smooches from me.  (Allan’s photo)

ready for smooching

How I love this dog!

The light and shade always makes it hard to get a photo that shows the vasty sweep of narcissi by the A Frame.

west end of the pond garden

the weekly view in the east gate

This is the new changing view that I am going to try to photograph each week.

I felt compelled, after KBC, to go back to the Basket Case and get the five Sky Pencils that I had left behind.  What if I run out when I start to decide where I want to add more of them to my garden?  Then we went on to the last job of the day, arriving at just before 5 PM.

Andersen’s RV Park

Allan did a weeding session on the garden shed garden while I walked all around and deadheaded narcissi and did some weeding in other areas.

weeding the garden shed garden

before (Allan’s photo)

after (Allan’s photo)

after (Allan’s photo)

Cistus against the garden shed (Allan’s photo)

Cistus (Allan’s photo)

The RV Park itself was full.  Those are the Payson Hall clubhouse planters to the right.

Allium schubertii coming on in the Payson Hall planters

The picket fence garden: The sweet peas have sprouted and are maybe 1/4 inch tall!

The Cove Restaurant

By seven, we were at The Cove for our Thursday tradition.

map of the adjoining golf course (Allan’s photo)

tulip in the entry garden (Allan’s photo)

Owner Sondra has been too busy to get these plants out of their pots and into the barrel.

 The tables were full so we sat at the bar and we were able to see Chef Jason Lancaster working hard in the kitchen.

strawberry salad (Allan’s photo)

Wendy serves up dinner.  Her sister, restaurater Sondra, is in the background.

delicious vegetable stir fry bowl with udon noodles

ahi tuna

home

We got home just after dusk and as I got out of the van I exclaimed that my Davidia involucrata ‘Sonoma’ is blooming!

a flash photo! I was very excited!

I should creep into my old garden to see if the one I planted there fifteen years ago (NOT ‘Sonoma’ so might take ten years to bloom) has flowered.  It never did while I lived there.

Tomorrow, we have to check on the Ilwaco planters for little weeds, get the Anchorage Cottages garden attended to and then make Long Beach as perfect as possible for Saturday’s Clam Festival.

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8 April: further fertilizing

Wednesday, 8 April 2015

Ilwaco

We had an ambitious agenda today, starting with deadheading some narcissi that I noticed during yesterday evening’s drive by of the Howerton Way gardens. (I simply had no energy then to get out of the vehicle and pick off the dead flower stems).

By the Loading Dock Village building, I found room in the garden for three Agastaches (hyssops), which I hope will do well with minimal watering.  In his excellent book High and Dry, Robert Nold warned that they need more water than most people think, so this is a test of their endurance. 

three hyssops added

I do wish we could just weed all along the port this week.  I saw little creeping sorrels coming back, and pulled some.  However, fertilizing elsewhere must take a priority as a good rainy (reading! I hope!) day is due on Friday and would nicely wash it all in.

same bed: Blue Ceanothus, blue sky

same garden bed: narcissi

Further west by the Ilwaco Pavilion and restrooms:  Oh how mildly infuriating to see all the ‘Baby Moon’ narcissi blooming now, when in other years I have always been able to count on them being in bloom for the parade on the first Saturday in May.

my favourite of all the Howerton Way garden beds

Narcissus ‘Baby Moon’ and santolinas, dianthus, etc

I will be curious to see what IS in bloom for parade weekend in Ilwaco and Long Beach!  One glimmer of hope is that this California poppy was already flowering in this same little garden:

California poppy (probably ‘White Linen’)

reseeded from last year

If the ones reseeded from last year start to bloom this early, and the ones I sowed this year come on later, we should have a long lasting poppy show.

I long for a day to weed the boatyard; I will fertilize lightly as we go, when that happy day arrives, to work it in well so loose dogs don’t dig in it (or not too much, one hopes).

We drove by with no time to weed. This cute boat caught my eye enough to get her photo taken out the van window.

At the post office, I got an exciting small box from Bluestone Perennials so we paused at home so I could free the plants.

photos from Bluestone Perennials….wowie zowie, eh?

And Sambucus ‘Lemony Lace’, makes my mouth water.

In the garden, I took one photo before we headed back to our work day.

a deep red primula given to me by Jayne of Bailey’s Café in Nahcotta.

The Depot Restaurant

The day’s fertilizing began at The Depot Restaurant in Seaview.

Depot garden with some narcissi and tulips

I wish we had time today to severely edit the ajuga.  Soon its day of doom will come. 

Ajuga (bugleweed) creeping forward from the back…

and backward from the front…

On the way to run two nursery errands, we paused long enough to photograph the tulips at the welcome sign.

The Planter Box

We needed to buy several more bags of Dr. Earth fertilizer.

Limonium Suworowii, for sale as you walk in.

The Basket Case

After planting three Agastaches at the port, I had gotten anxious about running out of them, so back we went to The Basket Case to snag some and some more Gaura ‘Whirling Butterfly’ and ‘So White’.

more, more more! (Allan’s photo)

Fred totals up.  (Allan’s photo)

Now we could get back to fertilizing.  Because we had skipped Klipsan Beach Cottages yesterday, we headed there.  I am trying a new plan, just getting through as many gardens as possible without getting anxious about how far along we are.  It worked yesterday….sort of….

Klipsan Beach Cottages

At KBC, owner/manager Mary helped rake the fertilizer in, and that helped speed things along.  Allan and I did some weeding and deadheading and then took some photos for the KBC Facebook page (which I help run, along with many more).

boxwood and Euphorbia

Clematis (Allan’s photo)

Clematis over a deer fence gate (Allan’s photo)

In the fenced garden, two pots of Angelique tulips

Tulip ‘Angelique’

Tulip ‘Formosa’

multi flowering tulip ‘Florette’

(Allan’s photo)

a tulip which has come back in the ground for over five years now

(Allan’s photo)  (taken without each other’s knowledge)

one of two yellow tree peonies

tree peony flowers

I was thrilled that this year I was there during their bloom time!

Pieris by the lawn garden

more Clematis (Allan’s photo)

detail (Allan’s photo)

Joseph’s Coat rose (Allan’s photo)

shadows by the A Frame woods

Narcissi in the A Frame garden (Allan’s photo)

cool plant from Mary’s brother (Allan’s photo)

One of Mary’s brothers lives near Heronswood and is quite the plantsman.  He’s the one who gave her the yellow tree peonies and also the Cardiocrinum giganteum that bloomed last year, a choice plant with which his own garden abounds.

the garden below the house deck

As we left, I lazily asked Allan to photograph two things that I spotted from the vehicle’s passenger seat:

a container planting by Mary by the office door (Allan’s photo)

Easter decor

a narcissi with a darling tiny cup

The smaller the cup, the more I like them.

Anchorage Cottages

I had brought four window box inserts to see if they would fit.  They are too short to fill the length of the windowbox frames.

not gonna work

Manager Beth said she would order more of the kind that the bulbs are planted in.  Two of those in each frame fill up the whole length.  The bulb ones are sort of narrow which is why I was hoping the terracotta ones would work.  Oh well.  So…we fertilized and I planted Agastaches and Nicotiana langsdorfii.

My good friend Mitzu was there.

trying a new thing: Agastaches added to containers. I think they will bloom most of the summer.

Across the street: a classic scene of beach clothes drying in the sun on a white picket fence:

Boreas Inn

Allan was tormented when we drove up to the Boreas Inn’s west gardens to see Susie’s whirligig garden sculpture madly twirling.  He had bought himself one at a close out sale at Fred Meyer and his has never agreed to spin despite tinkering and oiling.

Susie’s taunted him by whirling rapidly in very little wind. (Allan’s photo)

We fertilized and planted some Agastaches and some Nicotiana langsdorfii.  On the future work list is the task of  edging the lawn beds.

looking west

some stray narcissi in the long grass

Long Beach

We had eight plants to plant in Long Beach:

two Champion hebes by the little monument in Coulter Park

three nicotianas at City Hall, where the red rhodo has popped into bloom overnight.

City Hall

City Hall…I love the foliage of the Aruncus (goatsbeard); I rescued this one from our old road when it was widened, years ago.

and three nicotiana in Fifth Street Park, where I am determined to have them even though it was hard to squeeze them in.

home again

I managed to cast fertilizer around the front garden, and get magnesium sulfate on the roses front and back.  (The deer are still coming in and nibbling the front garden roses, hopping the low fence.)

(Allan’s photo)

(Allan’s photo)

I was quite excited to find, inside the front fence, a runner from the Tetrapanax!

(Allan’s photo) It’s to the left, next to Melianthus major. I may be sorry later but for now I love that the Tetrapanax ‘Steroidal Giant’ is spreading.

I did not have time to work the fertilizer in and only looked at the weeds.  It will get worked in by rain and later by me when I can finally have some weeding days at home.

Tomorrow: If we can spend most of the day at Andersen’s and get its gardens fertilized and weeded, I will feel we have put in a very good six days of work.

three jobs erased, and a couple added

Further accomplishment:  We finished watching the latest season of Doctor Who tonight and will be able to return it to the library on time.

 

 

 

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