Spring is here and along with that we have an embroidery class coming up this Saturday, June 10th, which still has room since a couple people had to cancel last minute.
Thread Painting – taught by the detailed and wonderful teacher Jamie Conners will only have a few folks so each gets plenty of instuction. The weather will be great to be sitting in the shade outside stitching and painting with a mix of colors.
Of course my famous pie is also there along with beverages.
Hope you can join.
The works above Jamie will have at our annual Summer Market
There is a class we will be changing the date on Secret Medicinal Plants of the Perennial Garden
It will now happen August 12 to better accommodate some people that took Erins Feral Foods class and really want to be at her next class. She is such a good teacher, and will cover not only plants we grow for beauty but the wild weeds that have uses beneficial to humans.
Our Summer Market is scheduled for July 29 & 30 and will include many new artists including Cat Bodnyk with her whimsical ceramics.
Siri Bardarson was at our very first Summer Market with great success so I’m glad she’s returning this year with her vibrant and joyful work.
Don Wodjenski will be back this summer after really making a splash at both the Summer and Winter Markets – his work is refined and he uses so many kinds of incredible woods.
Berit Bardarson ( another talent from that family ) will be with us for the first time this Summer with her silver work! She’s also a nurse but clearly has other talents as well.
Also happening during the Summer Market is a two hour class on Saturday, July 29th taught by the talented Brita Fisher.
Enjoy creating a splendid arrangement with the opulence of summer flowers, then relax with wine and feast on a delightfully delicious dinner made by well known ched, Matt Dillon.
I don’t have this posted yet as I await details, but already have a list going of folks that want to come – many are repeats from their popular Mothers Day Flowers & Food event.
Feel very lucky this amazing chef is part of our family!
Email me if you want to reserve a spot so I can start the wait list as no doubt it will sell out – limited to 20 people.
I recently had an educational and fantastic bird collecting trip to North Dakota with my two bird and duck scientists brothers Sievert and Frank. ( And that is chocolate on my chin! )
I went to see how Frank has conducted his research on duck populations and hatching success ( he’s the head scientist at Delta Waterfowl ) but it turned into a collecting trip for Cornell with us getting birds that Vanya Rohwer badly needs for their scientific collection to allow students to work on research projects.
I got to see so many new birds and learn so much from these two guys.
Pintail duck nest on the edge of a shallow pond built with old cattails.
Can’t recall what kind of duck but there was lots of down in this great nest.
This is the chain dragging technique Frank uses to find duck nests in the field. Using 2 ATV’s with a long chain hooked up between them the chain rides over the grass with nests snuggled down into the grass. The female will flush off the nest and then you can see where the location is – even with seeing her flush it’s tricky to actually find the nest as they are nestled way down into the grass.
Frank lives near the mighty Missouri river which is always a delight to see as I think of Lewis and Clark and the stories I’ve read about there adventures going to the coast and back. The sunsets are stunning and it was really nice to see North Dakota in the spring as there are many beautiful areas between the Badlands and the low grass prairies with softly undulating hills and many birds.
It’s peony time again thank goodness – just 3 blooms brought into the house add so much joy – this one is an Itoh – can’t recall which one but I think it’s Cora Louise.
Antelope fragrant azalea and the Nellia make a good combo. Nellia also gets great fall color and is a delight to use in floral arrangements.
A dwarf deutzia – nice for small spaces is Yuki Cherry Blossom – in full bloom now and right at the edge of a border due to it’s 18″ height – maybe to 2′.
We’ve taken this great wood boat out a few times this year – usually we sail but the wind had died down so this day we rowed way out to a buoy and had a great surprise!
Six female sea lions were sun bathing on the buoy which floats pretty high – wish I could see them haul out as they must need to have some speed on to jump up there.
They didn’t jump off but just greeted us with a bit of complaining about interrupting their naps.
The white blooms of the honey locust are still on the trees and if you can find one harvest some for the flowers to add to salad.
They are totally amazing – sweet with no funky aftertaste. Learned this from chef Matt Dillon and I have found a low branched tree along Langley Rd on an abandoned lot. Do try them if you can find a tree.
Many of the small towns in North Dakota have lost many of their residents but so many still looked in good shape despite the population.
Some very charming abandoned churches here and there which were beautiful.
Hope you are saving the date for the Summer Market as well as the music events that are coming up.
Whidbey Island Music Festival has two concerts – one on July 15 – Spanish music and a Bach Cello concert on August 13th.
August 19th will be American music with the Townies and there won’t be preticket sales – pay after you park for that one – and afternoon event on the lawn! You can hear some of the Townies at our Summer Market too on Saturday.
Enjoy the sun and wind of late spring.
See you soon I hope!
Mary Fisher
www.cultusbaygardens.com
7568 Cultus Bay Rd
Clinton
Whidbey Island WA
360-579-2329