Castle Rock Bloomin’ Tour: The Gardens at Stillmeadows

Saturday, 7 September 2019

When we had discovered the Castle Rock public gardens two years ago on a drive to Evan Bean’s garden, we had just missed the annual tour by a month.  Last year, the tour didn’t happen, so I’d been looking forward to it for two years!

We left Ilwaco at 8 AM and arrived at the first garden, east of Castle Rock, just before 11 AM.

The Gardens at Stillmeadows

The garden name had made me eager to ask if the garden owners were fans of Gladys Taber, a favourite author of mine who wrote memoirs about her home called Stillmeadow. No, Still Meadows Lane is the name of the road along which you will find this large garden and overnight retreat.  You can read here about how the owners transformed “a mess of brush and blackberries” into a rambling garden acreage.

As planned in advance, we met Debbie, Dana, and Dawn from up north as we arrived and as they were leaving for the next garden.

me, Bailey, Debbie, Dawn, Dana

This was the only time we saw them all day because they were running an hour ahead of us on the tour.  We had a good but short visit (and they gave me flower pots and some garden decor, thank you!).  Allan and I then walked up the hill toward the garden, guided by our new friend, Bailey.

The gift shop, to the right on the way up the road, was closed for the season.

Now I so wish I had my grandma’s old treadle sewing machine.  (I sold it before leaving Seattle 26 years ago; it was so heavy) Something like this idea is genius for making a window box without attaching hardware to the window frame area….or just the idea of using something other than a standard window box.

To our left, we followed the sound to a waterfall.

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

a bit further uphill

The first of two houses is a manufactured home similar to ours. (Of course, I loved that.)

It has an intricate front porch arbour.

Between the first and second house is the entrance to a secret garden.

Allan’s photo

We continued to explore the entrance garden on the way to the retreat office, located in the second house.

one of four elusive kitties

Take a drippy paint can and turn it into a vase with same colour flowers.

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

A large seating area near the office would be perfect for dining al fresco while staying in one of the retreat rooms.

We met the friendly garden owners and then wended our separate ways down the hill into the lower gardens.

path to the sauna

A path gravel worked its way gently downhill.

looking back

Allan’s photo

The tour was perhaps not as well attended as it should have been.  I saw only two other people in the garden, a couple who delightedly commented about the imagination required to create such a space.

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

lower right, above, seed heads of a favourite of mine, eryngiums

Coreopsis ‘Flower Tower’, one of my favourite late summer bloomers

At the bottom of the hill awaited an impressive stand of sunflowers, cosmos, and zinnias.  I love zinnias but don’t seem to have enough heat to grow them at the beach.

 

A dahlia garden came next as one turns to another path back into the lower garden.

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Looking back at the dahlias…

Past the dahlias, a bridge over a river of blue fescue leads to a reflective pond.

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Chickens!

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

That must be the back of the sauna.

Past the picket fence, a path wound sinuously through the woods….

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

The woodsy path emerged at the base of steps leading up next to a waterfall.

Allan’s photo of a clever break in the railing as it crosses a stream.

Even though the stairs were easy enough, with a sturdy railing, let’s go back around the long way, retracing some of our steps to see more, including a closer look at a grove of Acer griseum (paperbark maple).

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

returning to the upper level (Allan’s photo)

As we were leaving, we met Rosemary from St Helens (a lower Columbia River town in Oregon), who had sent me a beautiful greeting card after happening upon my plant sale last May.  What a lucky encounter today.

Rosemary and me

I do hope we meet again.

And I hope to visit The Gardens at Stillmeadows again in late spring or early summer.

 

 

 

 

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Gardens, Sea and Art Tour: At the Fore Front

Saturday, 20 July 2019

Gardens, Sea and Art tour

presented by the WSU Master Gardeners of Grays Harbor and Pacific Counties

Ocean Shores

garden three: At the Fore Front

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Every garden has this notice.

tight, well laid cobblestone style paving (Allan’s photo)

This garden was the first of three on the Ocean Shores canals.

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

a clear deck railing for unimpeded views

the view across the neighboring yard

The dog sculpture by the canal moved in the breeze; we all thought it might be an effective raccoon deterrent. (Allan heard it is a geese deterrent.)

Allan’s photo

Looking back from the waterside:

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

manicured to the water’s edge (Allan’s photo)

Allan’s photo

The waterfall cascaded into the canal.

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

This was the first of three gardens on the Ocean Shores canals.  I think it would be grand to live on one of them, 23 miles of interconnected waterways that were dug out over half a decade in the 1960s. Read more here and here. The second article has a map with the charming names of the inland passages.  You can read about Allan’s 2018 canal adventure here.

I was so enticed by the idea of living on one of the canals that I looked up real estate prices and found them to be surprisingly affordable.  This lot is pretty amazing, and only lacks one thing—a house.  And this is my little dream house.

I was enamored with the house right next door to the tour garden.

next door, but not for sale

Next: gardening neighbours on the canal

 

 

 

 

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23 June: Galicic garden

Monday, 23 June 2014

Hardy Plant Study Weekend sponsored by the Northwest Perennial Alliance

Allan, Sheila and I had all gotten confused Sunday night trying to plan out Monday’s tour; the study weekend booklet only had three of the six gardens and the driving directions handout seemed to be missing the description of the Zazzi garden, the second one on the tour.  Sheila decided (not for that reason) that she was too tired to deal with city traffic, tour gardens, and then have a five hour drive back to her Oregon home, so we parted ways.  For various reasons of disorganization (not hers or mine is all I will say!), Allan and I got a late start touring.

leaving the Bellevue Hilton

As we drove toward the first tour gardens, we saw an official city sign by the main road:  “Welcome. We are building an inclusive community”.   I love that so much more than a community describing itself as “family friendly.”  I am not sure which of the communities we drove through has the sign.

It was a relief to finally get to the first garden, an hour or more after the tour opened for the day.

Two gardens right next door each other is always a treat as it means less driving and parking.

Galicic Garden

Walking up the driveway of this Normandy Park garden, we passed two long tables filled with cool plants for sale.

that schlumpy gal again

Solanum laciniatum, would have bought but already had bought three at the event’s plant sale.

Tetrapanax papyrifer ‘Steroidal Giant’; I have one in the ground at home but should have taken the opportunity to buy another.

We walked past this to our right on our way up the driveway.

Allan’s photo

entering from the driveway into the back garden

I find myself in an elegant kitchen garden area.

kitchen garden

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo: how to guide a vine up a tree

Another arbour leads to a lawn.

a quiet area

a look back to the kitchen garden

and a greeter to the busier garden near the back of the house

Galicic: winner hands down in the snack department!

Allan was also impressed.  Plantain is on the lower tier.

I was so taken with the garden views that I forgot to snack on any of the proffered treats.

an entertaining patio, viewed from the snacks table

cool plants in every nook

Allan’s photo

and a waterfall pond!

This is one of the most interesting ponds I have seen, and we will examine it carefully!

the main waterfall

Allan’s photo

Allan gazes upon the pond, to the great interest of the white cat.

Allan’s photo

looking across to a bridge and a tiny gazebo

a momentary distraction

looking back toward the patio

some shy koi

Allan’s photo

My attention returns to the waterfall.  It made a nice loud splashy noise.

to the other side of the pond

On the back side of the bridge is another waterfall…

and a very small pool.

a tropical feeling

There is a little sideway rlll that spilled water down into a narrow curved channel that went around the back of the tiny gazebo.

like this

and curving around

and curving around some more.

very damp and mysterious

I remember poking at the channel’s water to try to figure out which direction in flowed in, so I think the water came from both sides (a side rivulet from each waterfall).  I was completely flummoxed and gobsmacked would would most certainly like to have a water feature like this at home.

I couldn’t get a good photo of the little gazebo without being IN the pond, and I did not think to take a telephoto from the other side of the pond.

by the house

looking back along the house

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Another white arbour beckons.

along the side of the house

Eryngium (agavafolium, pretty sure)

Eucalyptus against the house

detailed plantings

along the side of the house

into the front garden

Looking to my right along the front of the house

Instead of turning, I walk straight ahead into a shade garden.

Allan’s hydrangea photo

Allan’s photo

every detail impeccable

I emerge onto a front yard lawn.  Way in the back, you can see the white arbour entry to the kitchen garden where our tour began.

the formal entry

side view of entry fountain

the front porch

at the front corner of the house

And you can see how close the next garden is!

 

 

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prequel: ’95-2000, Donna’s Seaview garden

We had met Lynn and Donna Ryan of Seaview through their neighbour, Bev, and Donna’s garden design skills were a great inspiration to me. Lynn, a retired dentist, had added all sorts of clever touches to the home interior, and as we got to know them, he hired Robert to help out with projects.

Below:   Donna in her back garden, which was 25 feet wide and expanded ever westward on property that ran to the mean high tide line.

1995

Donna’s back garden

looking down at the west side garden from the second story deck on the house

Through the arch was a garden shed. Later we would help create a pond where the curved bench is and we helped build garden beds further west.

second story deck view

outside Donna’s garden shed

in Donna’s garden

Donna’s example taught me how to fill every space with interest.

planting under a bench

side porch of the house

1998

new hedge of Cistus ‘Elma’

I loved that hedge of evergreen white bloomed Cistus, and then the winter after this photo was taken the whole thing died.  We never knew quite why…too cold?  Or did the run off from the parking lot make their feet too wet?

Robert helped Lynn install this huge new window on the north side of their house.

window being installed

Below, Robert and one of Donna’s cats by the new window. I wish I had photographed the interior of the house, because it was gorgeously decorated with art, antiques, old quilts and a paint theme of blue and yellow.

the new window

Robert and Lynn built a pond in the back garden with a waterfall made of driftwood.

new pond

When Robert began his ironworks business, Donna commissioned this dragonfly gate.

in the west side garden

Beyond the gate, before the fence, you can perhaps see two trees with their trunks woven together.  Both of Donna’s parents (still active farmers in their 90s) had been murdered the year before by a small band of teenagers on their eastern Washington town.  Donna had had to spend many days in the courtroom during the trial.  Those two trees were the centerpiece of a memorial garden that she created in the memory of her parents.

2000

Donna’s garden was always interesting in every detail.

on the back door

She and Lynn went garage saling every Saturday and she cleverly repurposed her finds.

old wagon planter

container garden heaven

at the garden entrance

another yard sale find

The south side fence at Donna’s was falling down so Robert welded an ironwork top and Lynn attached it all to these posts to make a long covered pergola.

the pergola, looking east

Robert and Lynn enclosed a sunporch with old windows at Donna and Lynn’s Seaview house in spring of 2000.   I have no photos of it but what a wonderful, lightfilled place it was to sit.

below: Donna’s porch, outside the south facing French doors. I learned from her the idea that some indoors objects can be used on shelves outside.

on Donna’s porch

She commissioned a tuteur from Robert and had it in her front garden.

tuteur

And then, much to my amazement, Lynn and Donna divorced and off she went to Ridgefield to establish a new home and garden near her daughter and grandchildren.  I regret that I have never been to see it as I am sure it is wonderful.    Lyn relocated to Vancouver, Washington and remarried; he and his new wife came to visit my Spring Street house once looking for Robert, but by then Robert and I had also parted ways.

I learned from this that no matter how perfect another couple’s life looks from the outside….you just never know.  My only hint was when she would go upstairs to read in order to avoid Lynn watching boxing on tv….and that occasionally he would call Robert and dramatically say he needed Robert’s help on a project in order to avoid a divorce.  We thought he was joking.

The last thing Robert made for Donna was a double gate for her new cottage in Ridgefield:

gates destined for Gypsy Cottage

I still miss Donna’s gentle company, and her garden; it would have been perfect for the Peninsula garden tour.

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flashback: 21 June 2010 — Froggy Bottom garden

the front garden

The tour brochure described Marc McCalmon and Sara Brallier’s Froggy Bottom garden in DuPont thus:  Froggy Bottom garden, DuPont, “a 600 foot long stroll path and tumbling stream lead downhill to a stone and gravel patio at the foot of the garden, furnished with…owner-made benches inspired by a visit to Beth Chatto’s garden”.  Our speaker from the UK was the famous Adrian Bloom of Blooms of Bressingham, whose garden is “Foggy Bottom”, so this was perfect to have on the tour.

entry sign

in the gate

just inside

the garden's upper level

Walk with me down Froggy Bottom's stroll path.

Here we turn to look back up the path.

Now we look down to the lower patio.

Sheila takes a detour, crossing the waterfall stream.

We pass a bank of artfully placed rocks.

Strolling on down...

A shady border is to our left.

We approach the lower patio.

And again we look back.

The stream from above ends in a pool by the lower patio.

We pause in admiration.

Just look at those inlaid stones.

Standing on those inlaid stones, we look up at the waterfall.

The water theme carries past the lower patio with this dry creek bed....

...that ends in the very bottom of the garden.

At the bottom, a borrowed view, and borrowed space to hang a birdhouse.

We'd like to sit around the fire but have many gardens still to see.

From the fire circle, we look back at a little shed...

...and at another view of the waterfall pool.

Again we admire the paving.

We gaze up the hill from the fire circle.

One last look at the lower pool.

Back we go up the stroll path, past the shady corner.

At the top again, we explore the gardens and pond.

braving the stepping stones

the upper pond...

bog plants

and another view

It's hard to leave this garden.

I was a little embarrassed by these, er, pot "feet" until I realized the pun: "Froggy Bottom".

Alliums

And so we depart, onward to more gardens.  The only way to get to spend enough time in a garden like this is to create it yourself, attach yourself to the creator, or become their jobbing gardener.

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flashback: 12 July 2008 — Astoria garden tour

The Astoria Garden Tour is put on by  a society whose focus is preservation historic homes rather than hortheads.  So forgive me if I say that in 2008 I ended up saving only these few photos from the tour…2008 was not the tour’s most impressive year.

two gardens

(left) the garden with dog and interesting container display is a gardening business down a hard to find road.  For years I kept their beautiful business card…..something Moon??  They had a fascinating collection of container plants and I remember a good water feature down by the street….

I liked the middle garden’s waterfall cascading through a couple of ponds down a shady ferny slope.  I remember talking with the homeowner, a woman older than me, about chronic dizziness (brought up by my choosing to go around the edge path rather than back down the steep steps).  She had suffered from it for years.  Happily mine passed by 2011, mostly.  The righthand photo is from the same garden on the very top of the slope.  When I saw the greenhouse I remembered I had been in the garden before the waterfall had been built.  It must have been on a previous tour and a far different garden without the lovely water feature.

The best garden for me was one I had lucked into seeing several years earlier, back when the Daily Astorian had an excellent weekly column called “In the Garden” (and why they dropped it is beyond me; I loved it and read it first thing every week in the Coast Weekend section).  The author’s name was…can I remember? Cathy Peterson maybe? and I had corresponded with her a bit in e-mail.  Oh!  She interviewed Robert and me for the paper once!  And my webmistress saved it on our website…Yes, Cathy Peterson….What a great weekly column she wrote.  When she retired from the column, the Astoria brought in a new writer who wrote at least two very good columns (one was about installing an old garden shed into her new Ilwaco garden lot)…and then the column was dropped.  I remain flummoxed and think of it every time we drive by the Ilwaco house with the old shed.

Cathy and an Astorian gardener named Jessica (whose business had a charming name like Wyndlesham gardens or something like that and whose clever slogan was “hand tool gardening”) spirited us away from the tour that year to see a non-tour garden up and over the hill in an area of more modern homes.  I have now slowly worked to my point:  In 2008 that garden was again on the tour and had it not been such a bright, hard to photograph day, I would have more photos of it.

by the sidewalk

Golden foliage brightens the gardens in front of the house and the Alliums are the sure sign of someone who appreciates good plants.

by the deck

The back yard has sunny beds around the inviting deck.

on the deck

The deck has a prow shape, good for standing as on a ship and overlooking the garden.

The garden falls away in the back to shady woods which are not particularly planted up but do have the occasional decorative touch.

in the woods

On the left is a good idea for camouflaging a black plastic pot and on the left, a statue makes a focal point in an old outdoor fireplace.

After visiting so many gardens in June and July I felt a little bereft at the end of the Astoria tour.  I had one more open day to look forward it in our own garden and in less than a month we would luck into a surprisingly excellent tour of gardens not far from Astoria.

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