Image provided by: Upper Left Edge; Cannon Beach, OR
About The upper left edge. (Cannon Beach, Or.) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (May 1, 1998)
'JU N E S GARDEN' Village of Flowers (cont'd.) Flowers! W h o w ants to be responsible to take care of flowers or ho w the street looks? To o much trouble. It's e n o u g h to try to m a k e a living! W e wor k ar o u n d the c lock in the s u m m e r months at the height of the tourist season, then in the winter, log, fis h or starve. There's no extra money for plants, nor time for their care. This exp r e s s e s the f e e l ings of the sh o p k e e p e r s up to the early 1960's. The "turning point" and new begi n n i n g s are best described in Chapter 6 of Terence O'Donnell's book, A P l a c e B y the Sea. This book t e l l s the story of how, a fter a series of disastrous events like the 1964 tsunami wave and in 1967 h igh tides a c c o m p a n i e d by w est w inds of g r e a t v e l o c i t y t h a t flooded the town, a g r o u p of enthusiastic, dedicated c i t i z e n s were inspi r e d to r e b u i l d Cannon Beach into one of the most desirable b each communities on the Pacific Coast. The first physical change was the b u i l d i n g of the south wing of Sandpiper Sguare. M a r g a r e t M c C l u s k y w r o t e about W a t k i n s and Clark, "the d r e a m e r and the d r e a m m a k e r that became p a r t n e r s in a series of b u i l d ing p r o j e c t s that w o u l d change the image of Ca n n o n Beach." D u r i n g the 1 9 7 0 's whe n the old s k a t i n g rink was r e b u i l t into w h a t is now the C o a s t e r T h e a ter, o ther small buildings across the c o u r t y a r d then held the US Bank, the Pu f f i n and the n a u tical shop Fair Winds. L a n d s c a p i n g was added. D. K. Smith p l a n t e d the w e e p i n g c h e r r y tree t hat is still t here in front of the theater. S mith plan t e d o t h e r t rees t h r o u g h o u t town and e n c o u r a g e d others to plant m ore t rees and o b s e r v e A r b o r Day. Barbara Watkins, o w n e r of The Pu f f i n shop, loved the color pu r p l e and planted purple b l o o m i n g azaleas in front of h e r shop. T here is also still a c a m e l l i a shrub in front of Fair W i n d s that was p l a n t e d long ago. In the b u i l d i n g that holds the boo k s t o r e then o wned by M a r y Fraiser, and the small sho p next to it, o w n e d by David L e w i s and J e f f r e y Hull in the early 1970's fea t u r i n g wire s c u l p t u r e and paintings, the p o r c h had flower boxes along the railings. Lee and Mary Estabrook, who had r e c ently r e t i r e d and b u i l t and ope n e d a flower sho p called H a y stack Gardens, as friends of Lewis and Hull, for a time, at no cost, plan t e d and m a i n t a i n e d t h e i r flower boxes. For several y ears Esta- brooks' Garden Store and the large garden the co u p l e created adjoining the store, was a favor i t e place for m a n y of us to p u r c h a s e plants and stroll t h r o u g h the garden, learning mor e about w h i c h plants best th r i v e in our coas t a l weather. The E s tabrooks also had a s e r v i c e of c a r i n g for indoor plants in many Ca n n o n Beach businesses. Lee and Mary Estabrook bot h have g a r d e n e d all their lives. T heir sole p u r p o s e when the y ope n e d their shop and plan t e d t heir large ga r d e n was to serve the c o m m u n i t y through the g l o r y of God w h o in their eyes is the real d e s i g n e r of plants. This garden still thrives, now u nder the o w n e r s hip of Steve M a r t i n ' s M a n a g e men t Corporation. The Esta br o o k s now live in Portland, but spend much time helping their daughter l a n dscape a large piece of p r o p e r t y she is d e v e l o p i n g in Warrenton. Dav e Haggerty and J ohn Ward bo u g h t the Dri f t w o o d R e s t a u r a n t in 1975. Haggerty, wh o is also known for grow i n g bea u t i f u l roses, p l a n t e d and m a i n t a i n e d the w i n d o w boxes. He k ept the boxes filled with seasonal flowers, pansies being one of his favorites. In 1972 T i m Ke l l e r started his landscape m a i n t e n a n c e b u s i ness for full and p a rt-time homeowners needing care for t h e i r lawns and flower beds. One in particular is the W i l l iamsons' ga r d e n where K e l l e r cares for t heir roses and hydrangeas. K e l ler's la n d s c a p i n g business still thrives. Jude Lally star t e d her lan d s c a p e b u s i n e s s in 1977 and m a i n t a i n e d it for seven years. She p l a n t e d the first g a r d e n in front of the M a r i n e r M a r k e t and a n o t h e r in front of The K e e p i n g R o o m R e s t a u r a n t that is now the Bistro. Her b u s iness included p r i v a t e homes such as G o v e r n o r West's. One of her f a vorites is M i l d r e d S c h n i t z e r ' s cou r t y a r d o r i e n t a l - s t y l e garden. In 1977 Stephen Tuckman and C indy M cKee m o v e d to Cannon Beach. Tu c k m a n ' s interest in g a r d e n i n g star t e d in the 6 0 's w h e n he lived in Santa Cruz, California. The U n i v e r s i t y of C a l i f o r n i a in Santa Cruz had an experimental, fully organic v e g e t a b l e garden. A l s o at that t i m e a c o m m u n e wa s d e v e l o p e d on five acres in the Santa Cruz M o u n t a i n s that was called Camp Joy. On t hese five acres the people of the comm u n e raised enough organically-grown v e g e t a b l e s to feed m a n y people. This is w h e r e T u c k m a n learned the v a l u e of m a k i n g and using c o m p o s t and g r o w i n g plants in rai s e d beds. Whe n e v e n t u a l l y Tuckman and McKee m oved to C a n n o n Beach, the y used the same m e t h o d s to garden, as they a c g u i r e d properties. The first b u s i n e s s p r o p e r ty t hat was bought to remodel and cr e a t e a gar d e n was a small motel on Brainier Street c a l l e d the Blue Top. The few o n e - s t o r y units w ere event u a l l y sold separately as private, individual cabins. The raised- bed l a n d s c a p i n g in front of the building was plan t e d w ith flo w e r i n g shrubs and p e rennials d e s i g n e d much like a cott a g e garden. This ga r d e n is no longer there; the p r o p e r t y has s ince bee n re-s o l d m a n y times. W h e n they b u i l t the one- story, cottage-like style H e a r t h s t o n e Inn on the corner of J a c k s o n and Hemlock, they planted shrubs of Pieris (andromeda) and V i b u r n u m and lo w - g r o w i n g perennial plants. T h e s e plants that wer e planted long ago still successfully a dorn this charming, small motel. Before L a l l y phased out her landscape b u s i n e s s in 1984, she had he l p e d Tuckman and M c K e e l a n dscape and m a i ntain their properties; however, L a l l y gives full cr e d i t to the c o u p l e ' s s e lection of plants. T u c k m a n ' s interest in g a r d e n i n g and working w ith landscape d e s i g n e r s s e lecting plants that are attra c t i v e and w i t h s t a n d coastal w e a t h e r has con t i n u e d to e n h a n c e m a n y more of his business prop e r t i e s he has a c g u i r e d since. M c K e e still gard e n s at her o c e a n f r o n t Sea Sprite Motel on Nebe s n a Street. The individual units are d e c o r a t e d with w i n d o w boxes, and a small ga r d e n in the p a r k i n g lot features an arbor. In the summer the w i n d o w boxes are filled w ith annuals and the arbor is comp l e t e l y c o v e r e d with P o l y g o n u m auber- tii, commo n l y called Silver Lace Vine, w hich is a climber. Flowers are creamy white, b l o o m i n g in a frothy mass from late spring to fall. * lb m e o í I h r W ild O y s te r* on W illa p a Bay N a h ro lla , W ashington MMC37 In the 1 9 7 0 's the combined interests of c r e a t i v e forces that chan g e d the style of the bu i l d i n g s in the commercial d i s t r i c t and the d e v e l o p m e n t and guide l i n e s of the City's newly-formed Design Review Board's suggested landscaping g ave way for more thought of improving the physical look of the d o w ntown area. R e a lizing these improvements brou g h t more c u s tomers to their doorstep, shop o w n e r s added landscaping. During the e arly 1 9 8 0 's more landscape businesses were established and further i mprovement to all d o w ntown areas continued. fo i R ospi vatien* oi Information p60) 665-4543 - Fa« (360| 66561187 Next month: A con t i n u a t i o n of the 1 980's — 1 9 9 0 ' s . ^Fl< lowers ^W edding Specialists ^ P o ts & Baskets ^P eren n ials ^C ard s & Gifts ^W reaths C o tta g e F lo w e r s © G arden Arcadia Landscaping 4 GIRDERS DESOÍD * TORHWŒOR ELMSWÏ PESTICIDE USE. ATTENTION BUSHtSSES WE CREAT t MAINTAIN FEOWcRSCXU PLANTERS t * SkepuR^'s Fine Seeds * Tools * Oxgamc Gardening Supplies * Porring Soil & ComposT * Advice ‘Books ANNOUNCING... our new: hangx ; saswets 43M738RES UCBiSED- S0M5ED WSÄED wœarfciR MOM! L2 WmeK PLatrrs, Founrains & O 1 tilO Iil 436-9215 lit senvice to ll fre e 1 888 491-8267 263 N o r th H e m lo c k , C a n n o n B each (next to the Bistro, behind Laurel's Wines) pacific picnics // From beach > Io boulevard, a n a tu ra l choice f o r v v o n in is clothing. Reopening ( rider Old Management Bruce & Patty are back with your old favorites. Hours: I lam-6pm. Wed to Saturday I lam-3pm. Sunday 312 Pacific Hwy. So. Z A 7 7 f Long Beach M S 'S S 3 C H Portland (503)239-4605 Cannon Beach (503)436-1572 B IS T R &lML¿?oorí TRÏLLWM NATURALWOt City 4&. reservations : 436-2661 263 N I IEMLOCK • CANNON BLACH $r rf 4$ Kt 5 BOX W M tor.a «X— ---- vJvA otX FT l a / n n C t — e « n — ----- _ M - ---- * 1 ItFTLR. LEFT L D U « A 3 W 8 I 5 3