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Although this could very well be a picture of me finding a new treasure at a favorite nursery, it's actually an illustration by David Catrow for a children's book called Plantzilla.

Friday, May 31, 2013

The Lassie and Outlaw Fling; All Good Things Must Come to an End

What, you may ask could be more fun than a scenic road trip through seaports and bucolic scenery to a fabulous plant sale and several tremendous nurseries with a delightful companion?  Enjoying a relaxing dinner at an excellent restaurant with a view of the bay,  car full of plants parked out of the sun!  The end of our adventure was  delightful.  Every time I go to Port Townsend  to visit Far Reaches Farm, I swear that I'll  explore the town more.  This place is known for it's wonderful Victorian homes, some of which are utilized as bed and breakfast inns.  Many of them have been featured in Victorian Homes Magazine, America's Painted Ladies, and other publications.    Somehow I'm usually so excited about the plants that I've never really ventured into town much.  Alison, having been here before, suggested that we eat at The Public House in town so we found our way and I'm so glad we did.   Not only was the repast excellent, the company was, as always, sublime!  In addition, I got to see some beautiful Victorian buildings in Port Townsend's downtown.  To learn more about Port Townsend, considered one of the finest examples of a Victorian seaport in the United States, go here.

 
 I know nothing about the history of these buildings but folks have done a great job in restoring or maintaining them!

Even the sign painted on the side of this building has a period design.  I'm imagining that there's some sort of city ordinance regarding historical buildings.

 
This building was once, maybe still is an Elks Lodge (a fraternal organization.)


After dinner, we decided to take a little walk to an antique store.  Time had flown and  many businesses were closed.  However, we'd seen a few interesting gardens on our drive into town that we wanted to visit so off we went but not before admiring this borage growing in a large pot on a sidewalk. 
 
 This house and garden were sweet!


It featured a lot of interesting, low growing plants in place of a large expanse of lawn. Pam Penick would approve!

Another area had these raised beds  but the same array of plants.  Interesting.
 
 
Round the side and a little glimpse of the gazebo in the back yard. 

Poppies in the front are about to pop!  I never tire of the way these flowers emerge looking like that rumpled tissue tucked in your elementary school teachers sweater sleeve and become such elegant flowers,  quite unlike the aforementioned tissue.  That just got wadded up and stuck back in it's knitted prison.



 
The way the buds start out  coyly looking at the ground like teenagers at their first dance.
 
 Before you know it they're gaining confidence, looking up,  and soon will bloom.

Also like teenagers, they're mostly  interested in sex and before the night is through, if there are no chaperones, there will be pollination.  Don't say I didn't warn you.  Like those trollops, the columbines,  poppies are quite promiscuous and often surprise you with their offspring.



 It was a perfect evening to be outside and this group was enjoying the evening in another garden.

 Up the road a few yards was this garden.




It looks as if this hawthorn has been expertly pruned for years to create the beautiful pillows of foliage and bloom which contrast so nicely with the bark of the tree.
 
Back into the car to visit a couple of houses  on our way out of town.  Love these gates and think that they are probably European.

The John Quincy Adams House is for sale!  For a picture of it with a different paint job, go here.

Also for sale is the sizable lot next to the house, part of the original garden.  This would be a great bed and breakfast!  With the additional lot, the garden could be as interesting as the house itself!

Yet another view of this house, along with a lot of other images of  Port Townsend buildings, lives here.


Across the street is this beauty. 



Much as we were enjoying ourselves, it was time to take our leave.  I'm so looking forward to visiting and exploring more of Port Townsend. 

So, here are the shots of a car full of green treasure gathered from the Kitsap Peninsula! 
 
 

 Notice that it was once again  dark outside by the time we got home.  

It was a long and exhausting day but I enjoyed every moment of it!  Now, where am I going to plant all of my new finds?

Have you planted yours yet Alison?    Does everyone have an out-of-the way area or areas of  his/her garden where there are stored far too many potted plants awaiting the gardener's  attention?

38 comments:

  1. Borage! Also, I definitely have one of those areas full of potted plants I have not got around to dealing with yet. It even has a plant shelf to be more space efficient! And yesterday I added about 20 news plants to it after a trip to yet another local nursery...

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    1. Glad to hear that I'm not alone in this crazy plant hoarding thing. My regular area is full and pots are kind of covering every surface in my garden right now. Adding another shelf to the area might just be my salvation! Of course, having my first weekend (two whole days) off in a couple of months with nothing but working in the garden planned will certainly cut down on the unplanted things as well!

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  2. A close to another Lassielaw. Adventure ...till next time

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  3. I enjoyed this day, and also your recounting of it over the last several days, so much! It was a blast! It feels like I've been planting non-stop since our spring plant shopping adventures began, but I'm not making a dent, and my out-of-the-way spot isn't so out-of-the-way, it's in the way.

    I'm glad you got such great pictures of those fabulous houses and gardens. If you remember, my camera was full by this time, and my iPhone pics weren't so hot.

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    1. It has been fun reliving this adventure over this whole week. Between the weather last week and being unable to use one of my feet (boring story) for a week or so, I got no gardening, visiting, or picture taking done so it was particularly fortuitious that we did so much on that day so that there was plenty of fodder for posts!

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  4. The houses and gardens of Port Townsend are fantastic! So glad Alison was along so we could see more of the town.

    I keep my new plants right out where I can see them because our heat will kill them otherwise and it's a reminder to plant them soon.

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    1. I can't wait to explore more of this beautiful town! Alison is good for me because she thinks of doing cool stuff that I would otherwise not experience!

      What is this heat thing of which you speak? I sometimes keep things in nursery pots for several years before they find a home.

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  5. I can't believe how much you guys smashed into one day, amazing. And there (sadly) is no out of the way spot for storing plants here. Which is probably why they get planted sooner rather than later.

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    1. We can fit a LOT of plants into a small car and pack a lot of fun into a single Saturday! Your way is probably best but if the roof and siding of that garage somehow magically got changed to glass or plastic, you'd have a great greenhouse which could house quite a few ladies in waiting.

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    2. Don't think I haven't entertained that idea...

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  6. Wow, look at all that great loot! Wonderful new plants in your trunk. Can't wait to see what you do with them.

    Such great Victorian buildings! It amazes me to see them so impeccably maintained. I can't imagine painting one of those. Love all the gardens too, Thanks for sharing!

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    1. I seriously have way too many plants (like always.) I'll be interested to see where they'll find space in my garden too.

      Port Townsend is a wonderful place to visit. As for painting one of those buildings, I can't imagine painting one either but am sure glad that someone does!

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  7. I love the variety in this post. What a full day! And what a full trunk! (I think that's my favorite picture....)

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    1. It was a great end to a marvelous day! The full trunk is always a happy sight for gardeners just home from the hunt!

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  8. You've totally made it easier for me to convince Norm that we should do a weekend in Port Townsend...lots of plants for me...and a quaint, charming town to explore...win/win!

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    1. Oh yes! and just a 40 minute drive away (maybe to be visited on the way) are Celestial Dream Gardens, Dragonfly Farms, Savage Plants, Valley Nursery and others! Pt. Townsend has lots of fun shops and eateries to explore along with the beautiful buildings! Hope you post about your trip!

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  9. That looks like a fantastic garden tour. I love the yard made up of patches of ground cover.

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    1. We found the gardens by happenstance because of the way we drove into town. That ground cover yard is quite lovely!

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  10. Your day looks wonderful! I wish I could have tagged along with you. :o) I have some plants in need of planting, too, and I'm not sure where I'm going to put them. But that's half the fun! LOVE all those Victorian houses. :o)

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    1. It was a fun adventure! Next time you're in this neck of the woods, just let us know and we'll plan a plant excursion! Hooray for extra plants!

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  11. Well, right now I don't have any area like it in our garden. I potted everything a couple of days ago.

    I love those old beautiful buildings! It would be great to live in a house like those you show us...

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    1. You have been very busy, Satu! Your garden looks wonderful with all of the new areas you've created!
      I live in an old building and while mostly I love it, sometimes I dream of living in a small house with one floor, a metal roof and siding that never needed painting and where, when I turned on the hot water faucet, I wouldn't have to wait for several minutes for the water to run hot.

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  12. You guys managed to do loads in such a short period of time. Nice haul and we enjoyed following both of you on your adventure together :)

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    1. We did accomplish a lot of fun stuff in a short period of time. I'm glad you followed us on another adventure!

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  13. hi OG, thank you for sharing your trip, and showing us Port Townsend's Victorian buildings. I also loved the flower pics, especially the borage which is also in my garden and so-o-o photogenic. The promiscuous poppy photos are fabulous, the way the light captures their little hairs. Good luck with the planting!

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    1. Thanks Catmint! I'm so glad that you came along with us on our trip! We were really fortunate to see those poppies when the sun was low in the sky and illuminating them so nicely. Happy weekend!

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  14. I love that vintage signage on the buildings and all of the buildings/homes were so interesting .. let alone the many different styles of gardens !
    This was a great tour .. almost felt like I was THERE !
    And ?? ... I love the trunk full of plants .. now how could you top off a trip like that any better ?
    The poppy pictures were gorgeous .. and was that borage in the first shots?
    Amazing variety to photograph structures and plants !
    Joy : )

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    1. It was a grand adventure! You must join us in person sometime. Until then, I'm sure glad that you came along on the blog! That is borage in the first plant shot. Nothing feels better than coming home with a trunk full of plants!

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  15. Businesses clamoring for your copy-writing skills should be lined up at your door. How often do we see poppies compared to crumpled tissue up a teachers sleeve in one sentence and shy teenagers at their first dance in the next? This post was a visual treat, but your lingo upstaged even the photos. I'm still giggling.

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    1. Ah gosh, I'm blushing. Thanks for your kind words. Glad that you giggled, that was my intent.

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  16. Wow, looks like you had a great trip, and a sizeable shopping too! I loved what you said about the poppies, I can't wait for mine to 'pop', not long to go for the first two :-) I always try to capture the first ones on camera as it unfurls, it's amazing how all those tissue papery petals can fit inside the bud!

    I'd love to have one of those houses you showed, would probably not fit my wallet!

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    1. A very enjoyable trip indeed!

      The whole poppy family amazes me and they're quite photogenic!

      I just found the price of the larger of the two on a real estate website - $950,000. Not exactly pocket change. The lot for sale next to the house once had a rather grand conservatory on it.

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  17. The house / front garden in #7 has some low softness that works well here, that I don't see often. Maybe the plant massing in a few areas? Or the amount of green?

    The architecture is something, and the pruned hawthorn tree matches that level of detail. Nice!

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    1. That low softness does work well with the house and best of all, very little lawn!
      I look forward to going back to see more of the buildings there.

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  18. What a beautiful place! I love pictures of the car all full with plants, hehehe

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    1. I agree! The car full of plants is a familiar favorite of gardeners everywhere.

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  19. Really there is nothing better than a nice haul of new plants for the garden. I guess some people get the same thrill from a day at Nordstrom's but I bet it costs more and wilts sooner. You inspire me to plan a trip north!

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Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! I love to hear your thoughts.