Tuesday, 7 October 2014
As we got ready to leave for work, two plants in particular caught my eye in our east driveway garden.
Aster lateriflorus ‘Prince’
Prince: lovely, small, and well behaved
I hope to divide my one clump of this and put some at the Ilwaco Post Office and Klipsan Beach Cottages and, eventually, all our gardens. It’s not a spreader so it will take awhile to get enough of it. The deer seem to leave it alone even though they nibble other plants in its location.
Nearby, Clematis “Freckles ‘ blooms with similar colours but is so high on the garage wall that it doesn’t seem like much of a colour echo for the aster.
Clematis ‘Freckles’
‘Freckles’
Port of Ilwaco
We worked our way from the east end of Howerton Avenue at the port toward the west end, weeding and clipping back spent foliage to ready the garden for Creanberrian Fair weekend. It mainly takes place at the museum; this year, some port businesses were getting in on the show.
east end of Howerton, looking west (before)
and after
As we began the job, the weather was sunny and a bit too warm for my taste.
looking south from the east end garden (telephoto)
As we worked, a delicious fog began to creep in through the low spot of the west hills.
Allan’s photo
Here it comes. How I welcomed that sight!
Our mission included the removal of some woody, tatty old lavenders from the old Port Bistro garden (a building which we hope will re-open next year as Burrasca Restaurant).
Allan’s photos: before
and after; we will put in some fresh new lavenders and some spring bulbs.
Allan’s photos: before and after
By the time we worked our way down to a few more gardens and dumped a load of debris, the fog had reached the west side of the marina.
We also removed old, sad lavenders from the old Wade Gallery building. (There are a lot of empty buildings now at the port; I like to think of it as a blank slate waiting for a revival.)
old, woody lavender (Allan’s photo)
same corner as above (Allan’s photo)
more sad old lavender (Allan’s photo with his hat-wearing shadow)
later with some transplanted ornamental grass
the old Wade Gallery garden, after (Allan’s photo)
Before and After, Allan’s photo; we left one big still-blooming lavenders for now on the very right
a little further west, Gaura lindheimeri ‘Whirling Butterflies’ looking gorgeous by the Ilwaco Pavilion.
one of the smaller Howerton Way garden beds
We call this one the Drive-Over garden, as it often has vehicles accidentally driving over one corner or another. Makes it hard to achieve symmetry.
The old lavenders filled our trailer, so we went to dump debris at the east end of the marina, from where we could see a delightful increase in fog.
from our dump site, looking west
and the view northwest from Howerton as we weeded by the Port Office and Time Enough Books
home again
Because rain was not predicted till Friday and we needed the Ilwaco planters to continue to look lush for the Cranberrian Fair, Allan needed to water them for what we fervently hoped would be the last time. Or…I fervently hoped. I don’t think Allan minds watering them as much as I mind FOR him to have to water them; it just seems like a tedious job to me. We had to go home to get the battery for the water trailer pump.
At home, I briefly pondered my sanguisorba conundrum. You can see the little purple flowers, below, behind the Melianthus major (South African honeybush whose leaves smell like peanut butter).
Melianthus major and Sanguisorba
Sanguisorba flowers
I had been thinking of moving all the sanguisorba from the front garden (dry) to the back garden (moister) and yet now they look so fabulous that I think I will just move some of them. Sadly, the tall white one got crispy dry and probably will not bloom this year although it did survive (I hope!!).
Coreopsis ‘Flower Tower’ has been the long blooming champ of the late summer and fall front garden.
While we were reloading the van with the battery, a new dog came from next door barking and barking; Oh what a delight the dog turned out to be as he wiggled around while I petted him. He was a fast mover, and when they called him back, I only managed to get this photo:
I think his name is Sykes…
I hope he’s a permanent fixture as I enjoyed our brief encounter. I don’t think the neighbours (of Starvation Alley Cranberry Farms) realize how much I dote on their dogs.
Ilwaco boatyard and planters
While Allan went to get the water trailer, and then filled the water trailer in the boatyard, and then watered the planters and street trees (all of which takes an hour and forty five minutes), I weeded and clipped part of the boatyard garden.
in the boatyard: Allan’s photo
from the boatyard, looking north: fog rolling in down First Avenue
the northern stretch of boatyard garden
Allan’s photo
Allan’s photo
Cosmos and Aster ‘Harrington’s Pink’
marina view of our last debris dump of the day day; the tide is out
marina
We saw two locals on bikes enjoying the almost-sunset light.
looking southeast
Across the low tidal water, Stringtown Road was aglow.
The Astoria Megler Bridge was unusually visible from our debris dumping spot.
telephoto to a painterly looking bridge catching the sunlight
home again
At home, I settled in to blog and a cup of tea and a Cox’s Orange Pippin apple. I have found that most of the ones I picked are crisp and fine and the best tasting apple I’ve ever eaten.
Cox’s Orange Pippin
Tangly Cottage Gardening 