Rinse/Repeat

The third of August is a memorable date; Robert’s and my anniversary and the birthdate of our beloved ten-year-old goldendoodle, Babu. It is the day that Christopher Columbus set sail on his iconic voyage, Germany declared war on France and, in 1527, John Rut sent the first letter (in English) from North America. Addressed to Tripadvisor, it simply read “Unfriendly receptionist, really bad saran-covered red delicious apples at the breakfast buffet”.

Our Soulful-Eyed Birthday Boy

After weeks of warm, extremely dry conditions, we welcomed this morning a long stretch of heavy marine clouds with temperatures barely piercing 70F. The air is dead still, the Salish Sea is dead calm, and most plants outside of our zone of perpetual irrigation have shuffled off this mortal coil. Our local and knowledgable meteorologist has predicted the drought will extend for many weeks ahead. He was then fired and sent to southern Sudan. And our native Big-Leaf Maples (Acer macrophyllum) have developed a severe case of powdery mildew. This, along with several millimeters of road dust covering virtually all living and sincerely deceased things along the lane leading to our home, provides a rather ethereal effect on moonlit nights.

Acer macrophyllum in early August sporedom

My decision to convert the majority of our front bluff to a grassy ‘meadow’ has sadly coincided with a fissionable density of rabbits. Unbeknownst to those less scientifically gifted as I, if only one more rabbit should somehow be added to the already highly enriched population, our entire Universe will explode. And then, that insufferable wait for things to reorganize, like renting a car at Hertz. These rodents are catholic in their tastes but seem particularly drawn to dense, orange-colored nobs. I employ live traps and send them by overnight FedX to 1600 Pennsylvania Blvd NW 20500.

Despite the challenges, it seems as if some plants have decided to grow none-the-less. What was covered by 10 ml plastic less than a year ago, the perennials I had hoped would comingle with grasses are settling in rather well, rising above mown-off shards of Poa cita, Festuca mairei, Andropogon gerardii and Schizachrium scoparium. But for a few whisps of Stipa gigantea still in flower, I will have to wait until 2026 for my envisioned sassy grassy effect to launch.

The front bluff sans any apparent grasses with Agapanthus ‘Quink Drops’ (from UK nurseryman Graham Gough), along with my favorite of the Goldenrods, Solidago rugosa ‘Loysder Crown’ and the indispensible Alstroemeria ‘Indian Summer’

This year I have continued my exploration of the genus Nolana, a congregation of mostly annuals in the potato family, Solanaceae, hailing from Chile and Argentina. Not particularly foolproof from seed, if established in a well draining and sunny position, there are few annuals that might easily compete with their floral effects that extend throughout summer through late autumn. The entire affair closes shop after lunch like a British pub, but by morning the flowers have regained consciousness. Seeds can be ordered through http://Chileflora.com which also sells an staggering number of other fascinating South American native species.

Nolana reichii

Nolana elegans

Nolana linearifolia

The waterlilies in our pools continue to throttle my occipital lobe in marvelous ways, believing I must indeed share both the vision and talents of Claude Monet. I don’t. But the reflective qualities of the water in which they grow in addition to the flowers and foliage rising from an aquatic mirage continues to leave me saddened that I do not. There is nothing quite like a plant that thrives in standing water that more grants a gardener the permission to smirk at the severest of droughts.

Nymphaea ‘Pink Beauty’ and ‘Virginalis’

Yes, the northern bits of this garden called Windcliff are heavy in Hydrangea, though many of the earlier species have diminished earlier than normal with the unabating heat. Just gaining steam, however, is one of the best of the ‘asperas’ that I grow. H. kawakamii, collected by seed in Taiwan with the Wynn-Jones in 1999. It possesses remarkable substance in foliage and flower. For those wishing to explore the genus in greater depth, please attend the Hydrangea Festival at Heronswood this coming weekend, August 9th, in Kingston, WA. The garden is top-loaded with good Hydrangeas as well as experts on the genus. https://www.heronswoodgarden.org/events

Hydrangea kawakamii DJHT 99059

We hope to see and welcome you to Windcliff in the near future. Stay cool, and, as always, pray for rain.

DJH 8/3/25

Windcliff Plants( updated inventory here) is open to visitors Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday (appointments can easily be made by emailing  windcliff2@centurytel.net ) If you are visiting for a specific plant, please ask regarding its current availability prior to your visit.   Our fare can also be purchased at Heronswood, Ravenna Gardens of University Village in Seattle, and Bay Hay and Feed on Bainbridge Island.