Winter Reshaping /  by Michael Johns

Casey and I have decided that in addition to a selection of southern hemisphere plants, the Long Run needed a kitchen garden. So we’ve spent the past several weekends constructing terraced “wifi” beds at the lowest end of the garden from rot resistant and chemical-free western yellow cedar. Still some work needed to lay gravel paths and fill the beds with soil and compost, but we’re getting there. The beds face west, which is not ideal, but at least this part of the garden receives the earliest direct sun over the houses in mid January. Globe artichokes have been sowed indoors already, many more seeds to be sowed soon. Something to look forward to during these dark times (both literally and figuratively).

The Long Run /  by Michael Johns

Approaching 40 has put me in a bit of a funk. I wouldn’t call it a midlife crises, but turning the corner of middle life has forced me to reflect on my priorities for the next 40 years…assuming I make it that far. Apparently a new priority, potentially a product of my aging, is gardening. Casey and I were fortunate enough to acquire a small 5,000 square foot parcel of land on the north end of Tacoma in 2021, where we now call home. Since then, we have been spending most of our weekends reshaping the yard into a meandering narrow garden oasis full of eclectic plants, with a specific bend towards those found in the southern hemisphere or bordering on the edge of surviving in our Pacific Northwest climate.

The garden consists of 4 primary terraces, sloping down from South to North, each with distinctly different microclimates. The upper terrace is where the house sits. A small rectangle space at street level on a southern aspect, with reflected heat from the house and sidewalk creating baking hot conditions during the summer months and a milder climate during the rest of the year compared to the lower terraces. Shaded by the house and a mature cotoneaster is the second terrace, which naturally contains many shade loving plants like ferns and mosses, a large koi pond, and a modest lawn framed by linear beds and bisected by a curved foot path. The third terrace is dominated by gravel that encircles a central round “dessert bed”. Delineating the entrance to the fourth terrace is a crescent bed containing a mixture of old roses and new introductions, and what we call “The L Wall”, a shaded seating area shrouded by vines, blueberry, and raspberry bushes. The lowest terrace, which is currently under construction, will be our “kitchen garden”, with raised beds containing a mixture of vegetables and cut flowers. Past the woodshed and through the gate house leads to a mature big leaf maple forest that the property backs up against, providing some protection from cold northerly winds in the winter.

So that’s the garden in a nutshell. As time goes by I plan on highlighting specific plants I find interesting, document how the garden changes over time, and do a bit of research on the plants we’ve selected to cultivate and grow. Oh, and we’re calling the garden “Long Run”, due to its long skinny shape, the age of the house and property (100 years old this year), and the duration of time required for many of the new plantings to reach their full maturity and splendor.

Camper Van Part Two: Western Australia Edition /  by Michael Johns

Here is a photo dump from our recent trip to Western Australia. We spent 10 days in a hired camper van on a loop from Perth, to Bremer Bay, along the southwest coast, to Margaret River, and back to Perth. Too many highlights to mention, but there are two in particular worth calling out. First, our drive and hike around Fitzgerald River National Park for a Banksia overload, and some other amazing rarities endemic to only that small corner of the world. I think we counted over 20 different species of Banksia, and the Royal Hakea (Hakea victoria) was a real treat. The second was the Bald Head Walk Trail in Torndirrup National Park, which in our estimation was the most incredible hike we’ve ever been on. Exfoliating granite plutons plunging into the blue sea with colorful Australia wildflowers and massive brown Banksia seed pods dotting the foreground. Words cannot describe the beauty, so here are the photos.

Western Australian Botanic Garden /  by Michael Johns

Casey and I find ourselves back in Australia, and it feels so good to be back. A short 15 minute walk up the hill from where we’re staying in Perth is the Western Australian Botanic Garden. Situated on a bluff above the city, this amazing garden hosts thousands of some of the most spectacular and iconic Australian native species that thrive in the sun-baked parched conditions characteristic of this part of the world. I’ve become obsessed with a particular group of plants that abound in this garden, the Proteaceae, a group that contains the spider-like flowers of the grevillea, fireworks of the bottlebrush (Callistemon), and giant upright candles of the Banksia. There are a few limited hardy varieties of grevillea and callistemon (and at least 1 Banksia) tolerant of the cold wet Pacific Northwest winters that we are attempting to grow in our own garden at home, but here, the diversity of forms, shapes, and colors of the Proteaceae are staggering.

The garden also contains a vast selection of eucalyptus, tea trees (Melaleuca), Hakea, and some stunning fiery displays of kangaroo paw (Anigozanthos).

Kitchen Remodel /  by Michael Johns

My first attempt at a major remodel project, and it was our kitchen. Our house was built in 1925, and it had probably been at least 20 years since improvements were last made on the kitchen. Fortunately, the many owners before us kept most of the original features in tact, such as built ins and an arched entrance to a breakfast nook. The trendy thing to do these days is to rip out as many walls as possible, but we opted to retain these period features and keep the kitchen cozy.

It turned out hiring a design-build firm would put us nearly double over our budget, so we found it necessary to take matters into our own hands. It was a rewarding experience and I’m very proud of the result. It took 2 years of thinking about the design details and just over 2 months to complete the demo and build. Everything was done ourselves aside from the wiring, rough plumbing, counter install, and refinishing the original fur floors. My favorite details are a custom built plate rack made from quarter sawn oak, a ruffled glass pendant light, an antique prep table from the late 18th Century and hutch we’re using as our pantry from the early 20th Century. The soapstone counters and backsplash, with custom end pieces designed by Casey, are also favorites.

This was the process….

…this was the final result.