Before we look at any wildflowers and trees we must note that two great classes are coming up in June which are not full.
Most importantly I need to list the Shibori Explored / Indigo Weekend that’s coming up June 29 & 30, taught by the amazing Elin Noble. Sadly I neglected to list it in the April newsletter although it was on the books for months since Elin is in such demand to teach worldwide.
You can read more about it by clicking on the link above as well as register. Folks love this class for all they learn and make with Elins deep knowledge and experience with textiles and indigo dying.
Bring you lunch both days – homemade pie and beverages provided.
June 8 is a fun new class with biologist and fiber artist, Alison Webb.
Choose any mushroom you’d like to create in felt and Alison will help you make a color accurate reproduction.
Chantrelle
Amanita
Felted Mushrooms – Your Choice
If you love mushrooms and felting this is the perfect class taught by biologist Alison Webb.
Bring your lunch and homemade pie is provided with beverages. It’s bound to be a fun class!
A gorgeous road trip in April delighted my senses with wild flowers, mountain vistas, lodgepole pines and snow around Crater Lake, which remained obscured by weather conditions.
Our first stop was at Mt Pisgah Arboretum near Eugene Oregon. I’d recommend a visit to this lovely Oregon White Oak ( Quercus garryana ) acreage that’s studded with camas, fritillaria, nemophila, erythroniums and many other wildflowers. It was just gorgeous with paths crossing little creeks and the oaks freshly unfurling their yellow green leaves
Fritillaria meleagris was not as common as the camas so always a treat to spot.
Nemophila – a white form of baby blue eyes – I spotted in just one spot and had no idea this sweet annual is native to Oregon.
Camas was abundant and varied in color from pale blue to a bit deeper blue purple. You may know this plant was cared for by native americans who used it as a food source and also regularly burned the fields to keep the meadows open for it to grow and provide browsing habitat for elk and deer. Fire was helpful to the west as European settlers were slow in understanding – hence our many problems with fires now on growth that would have been curtailed if we’d followed the examples of those that knew the environment better.
A native iris from Mt Pisgah – not sure which one but also varied in color intensity.
Lodgepole pines or Yellow pine was thick on each side of the road to Crater Lake at the lower elevations. The scent of the bark is like flan!
Crater Lake was still surrounded by snow and it was snowing at the top so we never saw the lake. Guess that’s a midsummer delight.
Mt Shasta never fails to take my breath away – welcoming us into California.
Rivers and waterfalls intersected our travels along the way.
We camped along a quiet road in Nevada with lovely sky and mountains in the distance. Unfortunately I got tangled in our dogs leash the next morning and took a fall breaking my left wrist, which lead to a long detour to Klamath Falls hospital.
Back on the road we crossed the Columbia at Hood River. We had been seeing tons of arnica in bloom all along the way with it’s delightful healing blooms – wishing I had two hands to collect some for tincturing.
Penstemon was also at that little river side park.
A lovely sculpture was along the path and folks had answered the pine cone call with offerings of their own.
One of the loveliest wildflowers we saw was Triteleia grandiflora in a spot we camped at along the Killicitat river in Washington. That road is a wonder no matter the season.
It’s not to early mark your calendars for our annual Summer Arts & Crafts Market held the weekend of July 27 & 28. Some of our artists work is already posted on our web page.
We welcome exciting new vendors as well as well loved former vendors!
Rachel Clark from Bellingham ( formerly Whidbey) will finally join this year with cards, totes, tea towels and stickers. Her Instagram contact is @rachel_paul_clark
Such artistic happiness from Rachel’s pen and block carving!
Callie Sirak was at our winter market and sold out of many of her wonderful tallow made products.
You can learn from Callie why tallow works so well with your skin. Callie is on IG @trutallowco
Tammi Sloan of My Brown Wren @mybrownwren will be returning for the summer market. She only sells at our summer markets so she can engage with customers and talk about her work. She’s always popular and her work is very well made
Jane Fung of Golden Ginko Studio @goldenginkostudio will return with a different body of work this summer.
I know I’ll have to get some of her vases as gifts for my son.
Leslie Kelley of @lkcolor_designs will return after 2 very successful markets here. Folks respond to her happy paper products and stickers of sea life from the Salish Sea.
Chelsea Crooks of @covelands is a new jeweler for our market this summer and I’m excited to welcome her.
There are many more artists sharing their well made and lovingly produced work in July.
i hope you can come enjoy the festivities and find great gifts for yourself or friends.
There will also be drinks & treats for sale.
Thanks for your interest in our classes and markets! It’s great to support locals!!
Mary Fisher
360-622-6275
www.cultusbaygardens.com
Whidbey Island
7568 Cultus Bay Rd.
Clinton WA