What stressful times we are all experiencing now between covid and the wildfires and smokey air. It’s especially wonderful to have breaks in these hard times when creating beauty and being near familly or friends helps balance out the stresses our world seems to be filled with.
I apologize for not getting a newsletter out in August – my computer went south on me and the transition to a new one took way longer then I expected, missing my August deadline – so you get a blended August / September update.
I had a chance to help Brita on a large wedding she was doing, babysitting for Jura and suppling some of my wonderful hydrangeas and greens for her to use. The photo above is one of the arrangements.
Our son Andrew and his dear family paid a visit recently – getting away from smoke in N California only to be surrounded by smoke in Washington about a week latter. However before that happened darling Wren found lots of time to pick blackberries and she and her dad presented their pickings on this wonderful basket he made from ferns and dried grape hyacinth seed heads. A pie was made as well as jam!
Part of the wonder of having a garden is watching young children fullfill fantasys as they create with flowers. Wren has on her ‘fairy dress’ I helped my daughter make for our first grandchild. She was so excited to make a fairy house. Using pink ,blue and white hydrangeas for the floor, poke and amaranthe for walls, and mint leaves to attract the fairies with the scent I think we made a very welcoming house. When covid makes our classes and markets come to a halt we might as well take joy in the flowers and magic that children bring.
HOME IMPROVEMENTS – RADICAL CHANGE
This is a year for major renovations in both the garden and the house.
The boxwoods were just so tall – up to the top of the railing on the porch. Our house was finally going to get painted so it was time for a serious haircut on boxwood and yellow honeysuckle that surrounded the porch. That way the painters could actually access railing and lattice and we could bring the proportions down so the nice curved porch details show off better. It will take at least a year for the boxwood to fill back out, but well worth it.
Here you can see the drastic removal of the height of boxwood. The lower part of the house is painted while second story waits it’s turn. Inside the severely worn fir floors were refinished in the living room / kitchen area. Such a delightful & much needed change.
Another improvement project I took on this summer was removing bricks on front path so I could get all the weeds out – took literally months. My dear perfectionist son decided I put them back in way too wonky so he proceed to remove them ALL in one day, level the ground and relay. Much better for sure and far less dangerous to walk on. Love that energy and can-do spirit he has.
GARDEN MAKE-OVER
The indominable Shirley Collins was ready to do a remake on parts of her garden – areas that had ourgrown themselves after many years. Our first approach was do some drastic pruning on some dwarf artic willows but once they regrew we decided out with the willows and in with something new.
I chose a soothing blend of greys, blues and whites – something that is so Shirley & we both thought would hold together with her favorite old white scotch broom that is very large !
She loves texture so with Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’, Spanish Lavender ‘Madrid,’ Agapanthus ‘Twister’, thymes and a grey hebe we created a goreous blending of those calming colors with different textures. It’s still filling in but we are so very happy with it.
This wonderful clematis is in another part of Shirley’s garden happily scrambling up a yew.
ADVENTURES with BROTHERS
Two of my favorite guys to go camping with are Sievert ( left ) & Frank – respectivily my big and baby brothers! Both are a wealth of information – ornothologist and social biologist for Sievert and a duck and waterfowl man with Frank. I just get to listen and ask questions and hope I retain even a small amount.
This dynamic duo taught our VERY popular bird, ducks and science class last year! Oh for the days when classes can resume….
Sievert has a deep knowledge of the geologic formation of Washington state, so he showed us around the pothole region and these amazing formations created when the ice damns broke so very long ago.I need to have a tape recorder running when he starts explaining things.
As we toured around looking for ducks we came by Atkins Lake. Sievert said it was very shallow and a favorite place for Eared Grebes to nest – look closeky and you will see them in this zoomed in photo.
He excitedly said I’d love seeing the nests and could walk right out to them so off I went barefoot though the mucky but mostly knee deep water. It was a long and slow slog to the nests.
Eared Grebe Nest
These nests are made from the grasses that grow in the lake and is a mass which literally floats on top of the water – quite wide for the 3 eggs it holds. The eggs are also the size of a small chicken egg. There were two nests nearby.
The eggs start out white but get stained from the mucky water and I suppose the dirt coming off the females feathers. It was truely a magical moment to get that close to the nest and see them floating. I’m also very thankful I didn’t fall over and drop my phone in the water.
Fall is on it’s way and with it the beautiful changes in leaf and flower color. Hydrangea q. ‘Alice’ is taking on a luminous pink tone. I love how the stems of this oakleaf are very strongly upright.
Another huge garden change I did this year was to have the 36 year old hemlock hedge that enclosed the nursery completely removed, sawn all the way to the ground. It has made an opening between the borders about 8′ wide and I’m gradually moving shrubs into those areas. It’s more open feeling and I’m liking it.
Whenever things clear up and we can resume classes I look forward to seeing you again.
I’m sure we won’t be able to have our traditional Holiday Open House this winter. I’m hoping to be able to offer some of the things you’ve become accustomed to get each year, like wreaths, jams, that famous fruitcake, ornaments and hopefully some items from some of the other artists you all know and love.
More on that as I figure it out – I believe it will be an ordering situation we set up online.
Meanwhile stay safe, continue to be very careful so we can knock this pandemic out of here.
Mary Fisher
Cultus Bay Gardens
@cultusbaygardens
@maemaesew