Welcome to the North Coast Water Garden Club (NCWGC), a nonprofit community organization. Our goal is to provide quality information so people will be knowledgeable and enjoy their water gardens.
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At Doug and Patti Rose's suggestion, I made a visit to the Hughes Water Garden Nursery near Woodland on Oregon's I-5. I'm glad I did.
I was not prepared for the variety of plants, the number of garden water feature components and the exquisite display of water lilies, including the night-blooming Victorias with their five-foot diameter leaves and thorny (ouch) undersides.
Hughes is now a big business and the premier water garden nursery in Oregon. It began back in 1987 by Eamonn Hughes who started cultivating plants for Portland's ponds and gardens. Now it is a construction, wholesale nursery and retail business spread over more than ten very stroll able acres. Local garden- art artists represent their sculptures and wall decorations throughout. The retail store has everything. I counted eight goldfish and Koi tanks. A parts and service counter seemed to handle every request I overheard while browsing the book section. There was even a free literature rack with problem solving sheets and how-to-do-it pages on transplanting, building waterfalls and using salt to fix fish problems.
But the biggest attraction is the raised ponds full of plants ready to take home. Each section was fully labeled with zone indicators, plant characteristics and photos of what each will become.
The biggest attraction of all was the green house where the unusual and impressive Victoria lilies are grown from seed into skillet-edged platforms nearly five foot wide. I unwisely picked up a culled leaf only to be sharply informed of their protective thorns covering the bottom-side of each leaf. These are specialty plants. In late July, they actually have an evening open house during the Water Lily Festival just to sip wine and wait for the blossoms to open.
Finally, I enjoyed the flowing pots and planters, stones and bowls all bubbling and frothing amidst the well-placed ferns, maples and grasses. Each corner was filled with new ideas that any backyard gardener could haul home. In the middle of it all was a three-foot deep natural pond the size of two tennis courts and surrounded with everything from fruit trees and timber bamboo to wild strawberry groundcover.
Located in Tualatin, Oregon a 25289 SW Stafford Rd. just a few minutes off the main I-5 freeway and just 25 minutes from Portland, this is a water garden and supply house you won't want to miss. www.hugheswatergardens.com.
And don't miss our August Water Garden Club meeting, either. I'll bring photos of the Hughes experience a tote bag give-away, and we'll discuss summer pond chores. See you there August 13th, 7:30pm at the Adorni Center in Eureka.
Hope to see you there and until then,
Happy Ponding!
John Bradley
NCWGC President
North Coast Water Garden Club
Meetings
The North Coast Water Garden club 2008 meetings will be held the second Wednesday of each month through November from 7 to 9 PM, at the Adorni Recreation Center, Eureka CA. As meeting speakers and topics become available they will be posted here. Here are the dates and topics:
June 11 no meeting, instead June 7, water garden tour,
July 9 an in-depth critique of each pond on the June pond tour with photos and observations by participants. So, even if you missed the first one, here is a chance to benefit from the observations and expertise this club is designed to provide.
August 13 Virtual Pond Tour of Hughes Water Gardens
