Blog

September 16, 2021 by Leanette

Last Day of the Season, Sept. 25, 2021

Join us for coffee and treats, AND see a display of watercolor paintings.

As part of our last day open for the season, Saturday, September 25th, (until wreathmaking in November) Bassetti’s Gardens is having a display of watercolor paintings in and around the Garden Gallery .

The plein air painters will be here to have an informal exhibit of their plein air creations. We have been painting in Bassetti’s Gardens and other gardens nearby .

You’re most welcome to join us on Saturday, September 25, 2021, from 11am – 4:00pm. We are open as usual on Friday Sept. 17, and Sept. 24, 11am – 4:00pm.

Speaking of wreathmaking, Judy Thomas has once again agreed to teach our wreathmaking classes starting in the middle of November and ending around December 15, 2021. We will have some wreaths for sale for those who would rather have one already made. As in the past, we also will offer for sale garden art work by local artists for holiday gifts or for your garden. Stay tuned for dates and times.

All the best,
Leanette

September 22, 2020 by Leanette

Summer 2020 Update

Susan Dessing, water color, Bassetti's Garden, plain-air — The Barn by Susan Dessing

Hello Everyone!
The Gardens at Bassetti’s have been very nice this summer. I have included some photos for you. In this pandemic we have had friends and relatives visit us in the gardens. We are thankful for their visits. We have had a small group of plein air watercolor painters in the gardens. Myself included! It is a first time for me to tryout watercolors.

Vegetable garden improvements

I did plant a vegetable garden, bigger than I had made in years. I had help (Vicki, Benny, Meeka) getting the plots ready and making nice paths through and around the banana tree (bigger than ever this year). I ordered five kinds of beans, four kinds of squash, peas, carrots, corn, radishes, lettuce, cabbage, onions, beets, and parsnips. We built a wattle fence around the Veggie garden to protect it from the deer and rabbits. I also planted five raspberry bushes, gooseberries and sunflowers.

Bassetti's gardens, wattle fence — Wattle fence to protect scarlet beans and patty pan squash from deer

Well, the deer have enjoyed the gooseberry and raspberry bushes. My next plan is to build a hedgerow around the berries. I have barely started, but it will include wild rosehips, loganberries, blackberries, gooseberries, hazelnut, possibly a dwarf apple… it’s fun to plan. (There’s a great article in the magazine “Gardens Illustrated,” December 2019, ‘Edible Hedgerow’, pp.44-51.)

Bassetti's Gardens, vegetable garden, willow arbor — Entrance to veggie garden with scarlet runner beans in flower over living willow arbor

Upcoming classes

We did have a lot of great classes listed this summer, but we did not get the opportunity to present them due to the COVID-19. We will look at the possibility of the same classes including some new classes next year limiting attendance and presenting the classes all outside. This winter we still plan on providing wreath classes in November/December as we have done in the past. We will list the dates the end of October.

Bassetti's Gardens, perennials — Fall look in perennial border

Even though we are just into Fall, I do want to let you know through the end of October we are open by appointment only. Masks are required. Please call at 206-465-6868 if you would like to come out.

Till then, stay well.
Leanette

Bassetti's Gardens, begonias — Beautiful begonias

May 19, 2020 by Leanette

Spring Planting & Wildlife Report

Hello Everyone,

It’s been awhile! Bill and I are still sheltering in place following King County’s guidelines for COVID-19. I have not set any dates for opening the gardens or rescheduled the classes. We have complete descriptions of our classes and the instructors bios and you will be the first to know when we have set the dates for the classes!

Lots of new seeds and plants

I’ve received three different deliveries from Territorial Seeds and the Zinnia State Fair plants arrived from Cascade Cuts. Yeah! I also ordered some other annuals.

Most of the plants are being used in the Annual Zinnia bed or in large pots around the property. I will be ordering a few more plants from T and L Nursery. Hopefully they will have some plants left to buy! I hear that most of the nurseries around here are very busy. I am pleased that in this time of the Covid 19 pandemic people are working in their gardens.

Zinnia State Fair order and other annuals from Cascade Cuts

Planting has started! First peas (last month), then raspberries, some seeds and the onions. Soon it will be time to plant the Zinnias. Lots of work in the garden coming up.

Lettuce and other greens seedlings in the greenhouse

An Exciting Day!

We have a robin sitting on her nest above a head sculpture on wall of the house. A raven, who Bill had been watching, was sitting on the blue sculpture near by and closely watching the Momma Robin. All of a sudden the raven swooped up to the nest and scared the robin away. Did the raven get anything? Bill saw the raven fly away from the nest with something in his mouth! Mr. and Ms. Robin called to each other, sitting below the nest on the grass, and then flew back and forth between the trees nearby and the nest several times. But, alas, after about an hour they both left.

Later that same day I looked out the bedroom window towards the day lily bed and Milk Barn and sighted a Bobcat (Lynx rufus)! She was playing with and then catching a small bird. She was beautiful with her fur glissening in the sun, black stripes and spots and a short tail with a black tip. She sauntered off towards the old farm house and 165thStreet. I was too excited to capture the sighting on camera. This is the third sighting of the Lynx rufus since June 3, 2012.

63 year old cedar stump

I mentioned last time about cutting down several big trees on the farm property. In the deep snowstorm last year in February 2019, one of these Cedar trees fell and just missed the Western edge of the milk barn and landed across the front of the milk barn, blocked passage between Barns and the top of tree ended up on westside of Large Barn with green roof. We did have some sections cut so Bob and Tim (friends) could make some furniture. I counted 63 rings on one of them! Sixty three years ago was about the time my Dad planted the trees when he first purchased the Farm property.

Next time I’ll be sharing photos of refining walks and planting the veggie garden!

Warmest regards,
Leanette

Salix yezoalpina in Romanesque Container

March 26, 2020 by Leanette

Spring 2020 – Sheltering in Place at Bassetti’s

Hello Friends, Neighbors and Family,

This is the first time in many months I am writing. Bill and I have been in self-containment for over two weeks. So far, we are both doing well.

We hope that all of you are doing well too.

Postponed opening and classes

As you may notice on our website, we have postponed our Bassetti’s Gardens classes and the opening of our gardens. Even if all is postponed, I asked our instructors if it was OK to post the description and bios on each class listing on our website, and they said ‘yes’. So in the next week or so Leslie, our friend and artist/website designer will add this information. You will be able to see why we, Deborah and I, have been excited to have a full complement of wonderful, creative artists on our roster. Hopefully in the near future we can offer their helpful courses to inspire, fulfill creative juices, and possibly add another dimension to your gardens.

Looking forward to zinnias and veggies

I recently ordered for our zinnia bed twelve flats of Zinnias, State Fair from wholesale nursery, Cascade Cuts in Bellingham.

Our beautiful zinnias last year…

From Territorial Seeds in Cottage Grove, Oregon, I ordered a whole lot of veggie seeds, 6 everbearing raspberry plants, and some annual flower seeds. I am waiting patiently to receive them so I can plant soon and later show you a new veggie garden this year. (It seems many people are planting gardens this year. Territorial Seeds is busy, busy taking orders.)

The veggie garden freshly spaded — The veggie garden ready for planting

Above is the veggie garden spaded mostly by Vickie. I have almost completed another small section… it’s slow going because we have not used these plots for several years. A lot of sorrel, that I still use in my salads, crab grass roots, and buttercup have intertwined and matted. Not easy, but rewarding to see the beautiful soil underneath….and good exercise.

I have started a worm bin finally, and hope to report some results later. Hope to use soil/compost from the worm bin in the veggie garden.

Spring details

Flowering cherry tree with Arnie Garborg's sculpture 'Contemplation' — The Flowering Cherry trees now blooming in the Japanese Garden, Arnie Garborg’s sculpture ‘Contemplation’ is shown in the foreground.

Bruce Holmes “Y Not” beautiful blue and black metal sculpture in the picnic area between the house and Milk Barn

sculpted head and ferns on the old milk stand

Geraniums in the green house are flowering beautifully in anticipation of being placed in the gardens at the end of April. Also above is a photo of south side of Milk Barn with sculpted head (origin unknown). Licorice ferns are growing on the old cement milk stand where, back in the day, cans of milk would be placed on the dairy farm truck to be distributed to folks in and around Woodinville/Redmond area.

You may notice we’ve painted the Milk Barn (not painted since around the 1950’s.) We also had repainted at the same time last summer all the painted sculpture in and around the gardens. Nice.

You also may notice in the photos that a lot of trees are missing near the Milk Barn and the Old Farm House. Well, that’s another story. Till next time, please keep safe.