JULY 13, 2017 // 7
PHOTOS BY MARILYN GILBAUGH
Continued from Page 4
The gardens
To protect the privacy
of hosts, owners’ names
and garden locations are re-
vealed on a site map avail-
able the day of the tour.
• In Chinook, an owner’s
home was literally picked
up and moved forward.
The result: a closer view of
the Columbia River and an
expanded front and back
garden. It’s complete with
a bevy of bountiful blooms,
raised vegetable beds,
a large garden shed and
chickens, too.
“I love talking about
my garden, anytime, any-
where,” the host said.
• In Seaview, a resi-
dence belonging to a busy
working couple has a fully
remodeled home and yard.
She is a container gar-
dener, changing pots out
with plants that suit the sea-
sons (and her whims); he, a
professional landscaper, is
in charge of the home’s ex-
terior stone walls and sod.
“I hope we will be ready
for the tour,” he said. She
responded: “We will be.”
• Heading north to Long
Beach, there’s a one-acre
site that looks much larger.
A small farm with several
hoop houses, also known
as domed polytunnels,
encourages flowers and
vegetables.
The owners constantly
test new things. “This year,
it’s immature ginger, wasabi
and turmeric,” the man of
the house said. Don’t miss
the unique exterior sprin-
kling system — innovation
at work.
• At Tide’s West in Long
Beach, a DIY-enthusiast is
an avid gardener, landscap-
er and builder.
She goes way beyond
working with your basic
screwdrivers. She built her
out-buildings as well as her
wide, welcoming porch. An
extensive garden, colorful
shed and porch all comple-
ment each other.
“I’m constantly adding
things. I don’t know when
ville, on Sandridge Road
there’s an edible oasis, a
forest of gardening that
includes fruit trees.
“If you get it right, your
food forest will feel like it
belongs … needing little
human input while pro-
ducing things like fruits,
mushrooms or whatever,”
the host said.
• In historic Oysterville,
a compound with several
out-buildings also includes
a large grass croquet field,
which is like a putting
green and as smooth,
requires mowing twice.
Vegetable and fruit gardens
dominate the backyard.
Flowers bloom throughout
the property.
Artists, music,
craftspeople
to quit. All of this is my
passion, and that’s good,”
she said.
• Also in the Long Beach
area, a cozy cottage scarce-
ly hints at the extensive
backyard landscaping that
borders a towering forest.
“Gardens are a lot of
work. You’ve got to stay
with them. And we’re trying
to get it back in shape after
our miserable winter,” the
host said.
• Heading north on the
Peninsula toward Oyster-
In the seven gardens,
there is more activity than
just what grows.
Plein air artists — Noel
Thomas, a prominent
Astoria watercolorist, is
returning — will be busy
with easels and brushes.
Craftspeople will display
their wares. And musicians
will offer everything from
indie-rock, blues and blue-
grass, to classical. Light
refreshments and a raffle
are also on tap.
New this year is the col-
orful touring trolley. Seats
will be sold on a first-come
basis; tickets are available
online. The trolley offers
30 people an opportunity to
sit back and be chauffeured
from garden to garden.
Stop and smell the
roses — or the myriad of
other flora and fauna that,
with love a great deal of
tending, grow into things of
beauty. Look, listen, taste
and learn.
Music in the Gardens
is one of several fundrais-
ers for the Water Music
Society, whose mission is
to bring classical, jazz and
rock-classics to the Penin-
sula. Each year, the Society
continues to make generous
donations to the Peninsula
area schools’ music pro-
grams. CW