Tom and I have been traveling in the Pacific Northwest, gardening Canada’s Sunshine Coast, Whale watching on Whidbey Island, and lecturing in Seattle.

My friend Bruce, a horticulturist (whose killer cards we’ll soon sell on the web) loaded us with coolers and little sandwiches and we drove his mini-van till some bolts came of the wheels in Renton, Washington.

“Luckily, this Shell station has a really cute bathroom! It’s a 1950’s period piece,” he said as he photographed the tiles — Bruce, I’m busy here, point the camera away. And we all enjoyed a bit of downtime outside the mechanic shop.

This trip, like lot of my life and was about lots of “Seniors.” Bob manages an apartment building for Seattle Senior Housing and set us up to ‘consult’ in the garden. Kit wanted to mend fences, to nurse and help along the sick plants, but Clara, “a bold and intuitive gardener” and I made list of plant who’s time had come. “We’ll remember Ethel in some other way. It’s time for her rose to go.”

You have to be realistic in gardens. One reality I preach is this — Travel and enjoy things where they thrive, take pictures but leave the plants alone. So I didn’t get many new plants on this trip — the climate is too different, the soil is too different, the photographs are beautiful.

We also went on a tour of a Japanese garden with about 40 people from the gay seniors garden group. And were around tons of gardeners when I gave a presentation at the Northwest Horticulture Society.

Such a treat to be around so many people who garden! But, two men actually told me they were reluctant, a bit afraid to come to the South! Come on Southerners — we have to change our reputation and quick! Join in and grow stuff and let people know we have cool gardens too.

I’m doing two lectures in Columbia the next week — one is a deal — great burgers on the grill and beers in a restored old warehouse with some hands on gardening and talk about shrubs and vines that produce fruit.

Then we have Crinum Field Day coming in June. Travel – see what thrives in South Carolina — listen to the old people, they know stuff. But listen to the new gardeners cause they know stuff too. Here are a few of the new plants I’m trying from the Great Northwest (I’ve grown relatives of all, so think they’ll work)

Osmunda regalis purpurescens
Osmunda regalis cristata
Corokia ‘Frosted Chocholate’
Helwingia omeiensis
Ferullis communis