Russell Link – Retired wildlife biologist, author & never to retire gardener.
So many changes happening since last months newsletter.
With the covid cases increasing I sadly must cancel this Summer Art & Craft Market. We were so busy last year, and part of the fun is to have the tables humming with customers. It would feel odd ,as well as difficult, to limit admittance so we willl plan on a market next summer and HOPE for a winter market after Thanksgiving.
The focus of this newsletter will be the incredicle garden that wildlife biologist and good gardening friend Russell Link has created at his lovely Whidbey home. He wrote some very helpful books on gardening Living With Wildlife as well as Landscaping For Wildlife . Well worth checking out and owning.
I want to open with a photo of his favorite part of the garden – what he calls the golden garden. What may be hard to pick out is the sculpture inside the garden with deep red is reflected by a lovely purple leaf smoke bush further back, drawing your eye along.
He and I went to the same art school and his design clearly shows a person with a keen eye! Plus he knows how to make a garden that critters, bees and butterflies love.
My favorite part is how he has used these upright cylinder shapes throughout the garden for both sculptural elements as well as holding the many pieces of metal rebar that get placed around the plants in late summer, when the prolific deer come through to rub the velvet off their antlers.
This stunning speciman of Clematis ‘Madame Julia Correvon’ greets you as you enter the path to the house. She’s held up in this large structure which I’m guessing is metal and scrambles her way into the shrubs and tree nearby. Up above where the deer can’t browse, she is always at her best. He has many problems with deer eating other clematis if they are at ground level.
A wave of peach daylilies fills out the base of the very tall, Macleaya cordata or Plume Poppy – a fantastic plant if you have the room, but it does run so beware.
I so appreciate that even the very functional things around the house are done with care so that they too become an element in the design.
Russell has made many of these simple benches which are scattered about the property and I love the tidy woodpiles behind this one.
Even the tools are conveniently and tidely hung on the wall so they become an element of interest as well as function. Very clever!
Ahh …. the always lovely and elegant Angels Fishing Rod, Dierama pulcherrimum, which I’d grown since first seeing at Penelope Hobhouse’s garden Tittenhull. She had it at the edge of a small pond so the flower wands reflected in the pool.
And yes Russell is working on a pool – one he can sink into for a good soak with a series of small waterfalls cascading from one pool the the next. I thought of suggesting he place a fishing rod plant by the pool but it’s in a more wild and natural area of the garden and this plant native to South Africa is anything but wild and native looking for the PNW.
Amid an abundance of plant types and species it is peaceful to come upon a large group of Japanese forest grass giving a soft skirt to the sculpture.
The fence sections and gates also provide a stong elements with the large posts and two sizes of galvanized metal grid work.
Russell has made all these fences and gates from materials he so cleverly sourced on his way home from his fish and wildlife job. Clearly he had a vision years ago and now that he’s retired he can dive in completely.
In addition to having a great eye he’s a very kind, and helpful man, lending a hand to friends with all kinds of projects and cooking most meals at home. What a great addition to the rich community of Whidbey Island. Plus he’s funny.
Yep I’m very happy he’s a good friend to Tom and I and I love sharing my plants with him.
Since we can’t hold a Summer Market I want to provide a few links in case anyone cares to support these artists who have websites or Etsy shops. I know it would be much appreciated.
Sarah Slovensky is an embroidery artist who will one day be able to teach here at the gardens. In the meantime she creats custom pieces as well as sells kits of her designs.
One her new items this year are makeup bags with embroidery – very sweet, you can see them on the website.
Renee Boyce of Freeland Art Shack has a very steady hand as she paints the small to large rocks she collects, creating jewelry with many as well as mandala rocks with others. Her Etsy shop has many options.
Laura Hudson is primarily a painter of both large and small format animals. She also creates fun, useful handtowels, napkins, totes and tee shirts in a simplified version of her signature animal paintings.
Karra Wise is a multi-talented woman from baking for two very fantastic Seattle bakeries to doing her own ceramics and selling from her home shop In The Shed , located in Seattle
You will find her work on Instagram @intheshed.
I love her bowls and mugs and some of the whimsical chimes and bells she makes.
Looking forward to having her at our next market for the first time!
Erica Hanson of EH-Works makes perfect linen and denim aprons – both short and long and kid size too, along with chef knife rolls and bike tool rolls. Her work is so gorgeous I highly recommend checking out her website.
Mary Fisher of Maemae Sew ( yes that’s me! ) has been busy making new tops and dresses in hopes of a Summer Market! Ah alas they hang ready to brighten your day and I’ll happily email you photos of options. I have an instagram site @maemaesew where you can see updates of some of the new items. I also love to do custom sewing using some of my favorite patterns. The dresses above have all sold but there are others available now or I’ll make one specifically for you.
Luanne Seymour Design uses garment industry scraps to make eco-friendly zipper bags in a vast array of designs, from animals & birds, to stripes, patchwork, block prints and more. Check out her well organized website to see the newest items.
Leah Nguyen of PlanetPaintPeople does a multitude of things from Soul Pattern Portraits ( above photo and example ) to block printed towels, flower essences and delicously fragrant hand-made soaps. She has also taught a popular salad making class as well as a Concious Collaboration with Spirit class in the gardens.
She’d be happy to talk to you about portraits or procuring flower essences.
We had many more artists planning to attend but this gives you a sampling to peruse.
Also remember I provide garden consultation / design work as well as pruning of smaller trees and all shrubs.
I hope you stay safe during these continuous trying times.
Best to you all,
Mary Fisher
Cultus Bay Gardens
Whidbey Island
360-579-2329