Toandos Peninsula, WA - Back to the Land

Snow scene, January 2012

2012-01-24T12:24:00.000-08:00

Fall foliage flashback

2011-12-11T15:25:00.000-08:00

Above: Snowball Viburnum transplanted from the nursery beds to the now-fenced backyard!
Below: Amazing color this season on my Witch Hazel!

Below: The dry conditions this fall meant for extra days with clear, crisp, cool, perfect, sunny weather. This was such a day.

Some favorite shots from late summer/early fall

2011-12-06T15:25:00.000-08:00

The sunflowers this year were amazing. Will definitely grow them again next year! We dried the seed heads (the center of the flower) of the large variety and the birds enjoyed them later.

Below: Himalayan Breadseed "Blue" Poppy. What a majestic flower! Easy to grow.

Below: Perennial flowers grown in the co-cop veggie garden, now ready to add to my landscaping at home! My garden partners are really great about planting a few rows of flowers, both to attract bees and to beef up landscaping around the house via transplanting. Shown below: Candytuft (pink) and lovely Delphinium (blue). Also there were Gazanias left (orange) but they are annual here. They bloomed so late in the season that they were still at it when we cleared out the garden, so I took them for replanting in order to enjoy their last ruddy tiger-eye blossoms.

Fall Walkway Favorites

2011-11-08T19:20:00.000-08:00

Ash-leaf Spirea, "Fireglow" Euphorbia, variegated Azalea, Blood Grass, Smoke Bush, elderberry, evergreen fruitless strawberry, burgundy Heuchera, and Shasta Daisy.

Another view showing golden dwarf evergreen, Vine Maple and Washingtom Hawthorn. Smoke bush and Euphorbia are catching the sun, and the fancy elderberry is in front of the rock.

More serious fall-like weather moving through, looking west-northwest. Fog bank is racing in over Dabob Bay. Buckhorn Peaks are beyond with their first dusting of significant snow for 2011.

Guess This Plant!

2011-09-27T13:51:00.000-07:00

Hey gardening friends - guess what plant this is, shown below with the yellow flower? Hints below.

Hint #1: Note the thin-fat-thin leaf shape.

Hint #2: It's a root vegetable.

This is one of my favorite bee "photos shoots" of the season!

Please comment with your guesses.

Winner gets some organic Calendula seeds (aka Pot marigold)

Spectacles, Panicles, Wallet and Watch

2011-09-23T13:49:00.000-07:00

The Sourwood tree (Oxydendrum arboreum) is mature enough now to be adorned with white flower panicles.

I love Sourwood trees. Highly recommended!!

Wikipedia defines a panicle as:
A compound raceme, a loose, much-branched indeterminate inflorescence with pedicellate flowers (and fruit) attached along the secondary branches; in other words, a branched cluster of flowers in which the branches are racemes.

The cute Panicles will persist long after the foliage drops.

Summer sunflowers and bees!

2011-09-16T10:47:00.000-07:00

Here is a Dwarf sunflower named "Double Dandy". It grows about 2 feet tall and has clusters of variegated flowers, gorgeous!! The bees are very attracted to it.

BELOW: Here is the mighty stand of "American Giant" Sunflowers! This pic was taken at first direct sunlight, about 7:30 am.

The bees really love these too. They stand about 6 feet tall. Their faces are blazing bright yellow, following the sun like beacons.

Impossibly blue midsummer skies set off the electric butter-yellow color.

Anything the bees like, we like!

"Infrared" Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus)

2011-09-12T10:40:00.000-07:00

These sunflowers were gorgeous this year. The cool weather helped them stay fresh and looking great longer. I would like to grow these every year!

The "Infrared" colors are amazing. They are "pollen free" which makes them perfect for cutting and enjoying indoors. No mess on your table top.

Gorgeous burgundy, plum, oxblood and terracotta colors.

Here is a link to the seeds I started with, online at Territorial Seed. Try these next year, they are amazing!!

Cosmic cosmos and the white spider

2011-09-08T10:38:00.000-07:00

The "Sonata" Cosmos have really brightened up their spot in the garden with hot pink and purple-fuchsia colors.

This big purple flower is home to a pure white spider. We have been spying on him for a few days. You can see him at the base of the horizontal petal at right. Closeup shot of him down at the bottom of this post. Achtung, arachnophobes!

BELOW: A bumblebee spent the night "out" on this pink cosmo blossom. His saddlebags are still stuffed with pollen, but he's frozen in sleep. He did eventually wake up and get back to work when the sun reached him later.

BELOW: Spider candid shot! I actually caught the white spider enjoying a meal al fresco! Looks to be an aphid. I did not see this until I looked at the high-resolution photo later. Wow!

Visit to the Olympic Music Festival

2011-08-24T13:28:00.000-07:00

We went hear Beethoven and Dvorak at the Olympic Music Festival in Quilcene, WA. It's a wonderful setting for a top-quality classical concert, and gourmet picnic...

The musicians play inside the beautiful barn. There is also seating inside.

The picnic area is so pleasant. People really pull out all the stops and make a day of it. What a nice crowd. Many were knitting or sketching while we listened. King-FM radio of Seattle records the live performances, and broadcasts them later in the week.

BELOW: The festival grounds include a working farm with gorgeous berry rows, fruit trees and veggies. Guests are welcome to stroll and nibble on the fresh berries and enjoy the flower beds.

Horses muching grass nearby echoes the picnic action! We will definitely go again next year.

Mallow and Crocosmia at peak of bloom!

2011-08-18T13:17:00.000-07:00

I thought that the deep frost last winter killed this Mallow, but it has had a great year!

BELOW: The electric red "Lucifer" Crocosmia flowers have also had a great bloom this year in the historically cool conditions.

Garden scupltures at Eaglemount Winery

2011-08-14T13:14:00.000-07:00

Fun Boat Names at Port Ludlow Marina

2011-08-11T13:14:00.000-07:00

Beautiful summer day to go check out the boats at Port Ludlow Marina.

BELOW: This one cracked me up! One for the nerds...

BELOW: This one is sweet:

BELOW: This beautiful carved lady adorns the front of a yacht.

Golden Hops and My Garden Pal

2011-07-25T20:11:00.000-07:00

BELOW: A friend last year gave me a clump of her golden hops plant. It climbs all the way up the side of her house every year. The hops go dormant over winter and the huge plant then dies back to the ground. I was not sure if this little clump would make it through what was a very cold winter, but sure enough it has started twining around our front fence.

Growing hops around here is traditional - hops were a very important crop in the old days on the local farmland. I love the heart-shaped leaves and the golden fall leaf color is stunning.

BELOW: Speaking of fall color, this lovely young vine maple is bright red - wow! I love fall, but we are just now getting to enjoy spring-like temperatures with occasional seasonal summer weather, so I'm in no hurry for fall.

BELOW: A favorite plant of mine is in full bloom right now! The Laurel-Leaf Rock Rose...

BELOW: I was taking pictures of the Sweet William, and my pal Weederman came over to see what I was doing. As I watched, he started sniffing the flowers with this dreamy look... what a cutie pie!!! I'm so lucky that he needed a home when I was looking for him.

Summer Flowers and Foliage

2011-07-21T13:08:00.000-07:00

Oriental lilies, with a pearly color quality.

Baby Dogwood foliage with striking tiger pattern!

Cosmos "Sonata", and Dabob Bay Driftwood.

Scenes from a cool-weather Summer

2011-07-17T13:02:00.000-07:00

Thunderheads marching, to the northeast.

Milky overcast skies have been common, with showers and mild temps.

Nice weather for the pets, although they do love hot sunbaths.

Lovely Foxglove blooms have lasted a long time this year.

Comfrey and Iris Time!

2011-06-24T09:34:00.000-07:00

Pic NOT taken today - it's from a few days ago, when it was actually seasonal temps...

Comfrey Blossoms (edible) - Bee magnets!

Amazing color and detail!

Bright colors out in the garden

2011-06-08T09:18:00.000-07:00

Allium

My first Red-Hot Poker to bloom! I love it!

Helianthumum

Last Daffodil of 2011.

Yellow Loostrife!

Raindrops, part two

2011-05-22T15:32:00.000-07:00

These yellow tulips endured the rain well and are so cheerful.

Note to self: Plant more tulips!!

Herb garden starts, not too upset about the cool wet weather.

Peony foliage looking lush after the rain.

Sedum

Raindrops

2011-05-17T07:14:00.000-07:00

This solo pink tulip has stood up to pounding showers and wind gusts here in May, which many of us are calling "May Not". Brrrr!

I love catching fresh raindrops on delicate petals after the rain.

BELOW: This is not a perfect picture, but I was stunned by the faceted texture of the water drops in this picture, a breeze blew as I took the shot. Click to see a larger version.

New Garden Bed!

2011-05-14T06:41:00.000-07:00

The backyard will eventually have deer fencing around it but for now it has just been a neglected part of our construction site... Here it is in January with fresh snow.

The only thing in this spot was a log, some scrubby bushes and some blackberries. BELOW: Getting cleared out!

All good garden beds begin with lots of planning. BELOW: We sprayed lines exactly where the beds are to go. And fired up the tractor!

Below: We chose and moved in some select big rocks. A Lilac and a Mock Orange shrub that I planted three years ago are moved in. Water and mulch.

BELOW: The Witch Hazel tree is the start of the new bed. So it came in first.

BELOW: Then the nice Sourwood tree gets positioned.(Straw mulch around the bottom.)

BELOW: Sheets of cardboard will help to cut down on weeds for a few years, and will insulate the soil. The Star Magnolia and a few Snowball Viburnums has been moved in too.

BELOW: The best part: DEER FENCING! This is a temporary t-post and "mist-netting" setup, to be replaced by more attractive and permanent fencing this summer. But for now, I do not have to worry about any more decimation by the hungry deer. What a relief.

BELOW: A shining star in the new bed is the "Royal Raindrops" Crabapple tree! It was attracting bees from the moment it came out of my truck. What a splendid tree!

Vintage Photos

2011-04-22T09:12:00.000-07:00

Here are some fabulous vintage photos of Vegetable displays at State Fairs.

I found these via Google Images. Click to view a larger version.

I am a proud member of the Quilcene-Brinnon Garden Club. I had the delight of scanning some archive photos of Garden Club members. Here they are:

Spring snowshower

2011-04-15T10:56:00.000-07:00

Over the course of an afternoon, we got almost 2" of sticking snow, wow!

Went from this:

To This:

To a veritable winter wonderland in about an hour! BIG beautiful flakes of driving snow.

BELOW: The den upstairs was very cozy with falling snow outside. Our building site here is recovering from the effects of logging, clearing and construction. This view west down to our septic drainfield will hopefully be all grassed in and planted this spring. (whenever that gets here...)

ABOVE: Just past the toy airplane, where a cedar log lays, is where we will be installing a garden bed in honor and memory of my Granny, who passed away recently at 97.

BELOW: The little red sofa is a gift from my Granny, It fits right into the room and is very cozy. Really reminds me of her!

Granny made it out to our place for visits, right after it was built, to check it out. It meant so much to her that our dream of building and living here came be reality. She came carefully up the stairs (at age 95) to look out this special window, and she looked out for a long time.

Here it is yesterday with the snow coming down outside.

BELOW: Granny in the early 1970s. We were on a camping trip to Shaver Lake, CA in the Mammoth area. XXXOOO

More stirrings of Spring out there!

2011-03-26T17:01:00.000-07:00

I can see strong growth in the garden now. It has been officially Spring for 6 days. We have had a few 60-plus degree days lately, and you can almost *hear* these sprouting buds growing!

BELOW: Delphinium coming up... I am so excited about these. I got two fading plants on sale at Central Market last fall and now, here they come! Also have seeds for more of these to start soon.

BELOW: Butter-yellow Forsythia with tulip and daffodil bulbs growing up between the dormant roses in the background!

BELOW: Forsythia "Gold Tide". This shot of bright yellow is so cheerful outside.

BELOW: Tangy French Sorrell for making soup. When this had a foot of snow on it, I was worried, but obviously this sorrell isn't worried about anything!

BELOW: Peony roots sending up shoots that look like soft pink paws.

BELOW: Sedum emerging amid last year's clipped stalks.

Things are starting to grow out there!

2011-03-07T13:28:00.000-08:00

Daylilies are starting to come up!

(BELOW) Indian Plum (Oemleria Cerasiformis) Is starting to unfurl pretty new leaves. These shrubs always green up first, and are very cheering now in early March. The flowers are gorgeous. (View April 2009 flower pics)

BELOW: Bearded Iris is getting ready to start growing too.

BELOW: Stinging Nettles! I am encouraging a patch of them this year. Last fall I had a taste of some cooked local nettles. Delicious.

BELOW: Flowering Quince. From Friendly Natives Nursery, over on Bainbridge Island.

BELOW: Moody sunset and taffy-pull clouds from Saturday March 4th. Click for larger version.

Sheep Sorrel (Rumex acestosella) weed infestation, ground zero

2011-02-15T14:26:00.000-08:00

Here is the bane of my garden: Sheep's Sorrel. It is going to be a very tough opponent in the weeding war. It got access to my area here is a batch of composted horse manure - that I paid dearly for. Ouch!

BELOW: Here it is, going strong in January.

BELOW: My main strategy, besides pulling the stuff out by hand like a maniac, is to just cover the infested area over with tarpaper for a few seasons.

*Sigh* it's so ugly.

Interesting bit from Wikipedia about Sheep Sorrel: Sheep's sorrel is widely considered to be a noxious weed, and one that is hard to control due to its spreading rhizome. Blueberry farmers are familiar with the weed, due to its ability to thrive in the same conditions under which blueberries are cultivated.

That's bad news, because the area under the tarpaper will eventually be my berry patch!!! Maybe I need to rethink that.

Horrors! I found Sheep's Sorrel seeds FOR SALE in my favorite seed catalog, Baker Creek Seeds!! What are they thinking???

BELOW: An infested area that I have not covered,as I ran out of tarpaper. It's full of nice daylillies and will be hard to weed. It also has many Kinnickinick plants and I don't want to kill them with tarpaper... I need lots of mulch. I'll try to diligently hand-weed this area, mulch it and hope for the best.

BELOW: Popweed! Also doing very well in the midst of winter. This is the weed that has tiny white flowers later, and will shoot seeds right up into your eyes when it's disturbed. Terrible stuff. I have been pulling it whenever I see it.

A bit more action in the Winter garden

2011-02-07T06:59:00.000-08:00

BELOW: One of the few brave plants still doing fine out in the winter cold is this Italian Arum. It's just inches tall but has proven to be very cold-tolerant! I have been told that this stuff is invasive. I have it in an area that needs some groundcover... and there us always the backhoe if it gets really out of hand... really cute leaves and the mature plants have a neat scarlet seed-pod and jack-in-the-pulpit white flower. Looking forward to that!

BELOW: Cuttings from humongous three-year-old Scarlet-flowered Currant shrubs. I have the trimmings sitting in water. I'm hoping that they will bloom so I can bring them inside. Either that or maybe they will root, and I can plant them here and there. Great shrubs. Check out the blossoms from these plants in April 2009.

Below: Daffodils are coming! Daffodils are coming!!

I am so excited about these tiny 2" tall shoots.

BELOW: Euphorbia "Rudolph" is doing really well in the frigid temps, wow!

BELOW: The Star Magnolia is putting out tens of these fuzzy buds in preparation for it's marvelous bloom in creamy white.

Check out these Star Magnolia blossoms at Bloedel Preserve, and from this same shrub of mine in 2009.

Witch Hazel is blooming!

2011-02-03T06:59:00.000-08:00

Yippee!!! The Witch Hazel shrubs are flowering. Gives me great hope that Spring will be here soon.

BELOW: This is the first year these young shrubs have flowered. I purchased four of them as tiny "whips" two years ago. They have a pale yellow flower. Click any image to view larger.

BELOW: The scarlet-blooming Hamamelis x intermedia "Diane" is doing really well, and putting on a nice show of it's tiny fragrant blossoms.

Witch Hazel may not be the most opulent, lush bloomer, but to have sweet new little flowers happening this time of year is priceless!! Go go go!!

Shots from Januaries past

2011-01-23T08:41:00.000-08:00

Foxglove rosettes in the frost

Big bonus for enduring nearby logging noise for weeks

Our living room two years ago -- lots of work yet to be done back then!

My neighbor's "cowcat", keeping warm with a friend. Click to see larger.

My dear mascot, enjoying a warm truck seat on a cold day in 2007.

Snow day!

2011-01-13T17:00:00.000-08:00

Serene mounded pillows of snow.

Good exercise trudging thru the snow.

Birdbath, suitable now only for a "Polar Bear Club" dip

Shrubs groaning under the weight of it!

Snow on the roof, fire in da chimney.

Miniature hail?

2010-12-30T13:37:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure what created these teeny snowballs - looks like the super-cold air overnight drew up moisture and zapped it into icy micro-balls.

They are everywhere, and very pretty!

BELOW: The frozen birdbath is offering comfort only to birdie Polar Bear Club members!

BELOW: In moss the tiny snowballs look really big.

Happy New Year!!!!

Wordless Wednesday: Molbak's Orchid Edition. Click an orchid to view a larger version.

2010-12-22T16:49:00.000-08:00

Amazing Anthurium at Molbak's - Spandix Ballet

2010-12-18T15:17:00.000-08:00

In addition to their holiday poinsettia display, Molbak's had the most gorgeous Anthuriums ever. Glossy, plastic-y, shiny crazy exotic flowers!

"Anthuriums are herbaceous epiphytes, native to tropical America. Also known as Painted Tongue, Flamingo Flower (Flamingo Lily) or Tail Flower." - The Flower Expert

"The anthurium flower is in fact the spathe of the plant. In the middle of the spathe is an upright organ called the spandix. The flowers actually grow on the spandix, the fleshy column crowded with many unisexual flowers. ." - The Flower Expert

ABOVE: My camera was struggling with the bright, super-saturated lipstick red of this plant.

Glossy green heart-shaped Anthurium foliage was everywhere, set off by oversized Vietnamese glazed pots.

ABOVE and BELOW: This was an amazing display. The glowing terra-cotta blood red of the flowers and a huge gorgeous glazed pot, with white Caladium foliage in the back. It was a jaw-dropping experience to see this stuff!

Poinsetti-a-palooza at Molbak's in Woodinville, WA

2010-12-14T15:04:00.000-08:00

My neighbors and I trooped over to Molbak's to take in the spectacle of their over-the-top poinsettia display. It was really amazing.

Their immense covered patio area was filled with poinsettias in every shade" Red, peach, pink, white and splashy variegations. Wow!

In the back of the huge patio there is an amazing holiday store crammed with ornaments and gifts.

BELOW: This paint-splashed color is just amazing.

It all culminated in a spectacular Christmas tree made of poinsettias!

Canning Carrots, "The Potato Peeler" and Salisfy

2010-12-06T10:09:00.000-08:00

This post begins as many good things do, out in the garden! Despite the recent snow the carrots are just fine out in the soil. We dug up around eight feet worth of the row for this project. The onion-y looking vegetable to the left of the carrots in the picture below is salsify (pronounced "SAL-si-fee",) a very unusual old-fashioned veggie. More about salsify later...

BELOW: The carrots, just trimmed and squirted off with the hose.

BELOW: The Potato Peeler. What a great help this is! My neighbor got this years ago, never used it much, but we have really been busy with it lately. Big time-saver... Here's a link to one on Amazon.

BELOW: You just add a little water, put in your unpeeled veggies, cut into short lengths in this case, and hit start.

BELOW: Carrots from the peeler. Maybe a little touch-up with a paring knife at times is all the further handling they need after the Potato Peeler is used.

BELOW: Next step - cutting all the carrots into slices using the food processor.

Lots of sliced carrots!

BELOW: Preparing to can the sliced carrots in canning jars, with pressure canning. Since it is a low-acid food, water-bath canning will not suffice.

BELOW: Done and cooling! Ready for easy adding to soup or stew, or just quick eating heated with a little butter and some dill maybe.

BELOW: On to the strange subject of salsify. It's a very strange crop, and were it not so very tasty, would barely be worth the hassle of cleaning it. The roots are convoluted, twisted and hairy. The entire top is inedible and is discarded to the compost heap. Photos below are from a Google search.

When cleaned up, cooked and mashed, salsify transforms this ugly root into a delicious silky, nutty, rich potato-like dish. The potato peeler once again was our hero in the process! When raw, an unpleasant white juice comes from cuts in it - I would only suggest eating it cooked. We are definitely growing salsify again next year!!

We may try "black salsify" which grows straighter and looks easier to clean.

More info on this great, easy-to-grow veggie:

http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/salsify-oyster-plant/

A Peachy Rose in the Snow

2010-11-23T06:49:00.000-08:00

A wonderful golden-peachy rose has been grabbing my attention for the last few weeks. November is very very late for roses, I would think, and this one is a really nice big sweet-smelling one to boot. I can see it growing from my office window, below.

BELOW: Here it is after a gentle rain shower. Of course the talk lately has been the coming snow...

BELOW: Slowly and gloriously opening up, despite the weather dropping into the low 40's...

BELOW: Yes, it had to happen - here comes the big snow that has been predicted for a week now. Don't hurt the rose, please!

BELOW: It's been snowing in earnest for hours now... The lovely rose has a snowy hat. I wish it somehow could last all winter out there, a beacon of delicate lush beauty from the high season of gardening.

Chicken Soup Day, Parts 1 and 2

2010-11-22T10:30:00.000-08:00

Making chicken soup is a long process that my neighbor and I accomplish together a few times a year. The soup that results is absolutely wonderful, and it's so worth all the long hours to make it.

BELOW: "Part two" of the soup process begins with jars that have been packed with fresh cut-up veggies from our garden and carefully sorted chicken meat, topped with a teaspoon of salt per quart.

What about Part One? There are no photos of that part. We start with clucking chickens and we butcher them ourselves. Of course the process is very quick and humane, not to worry. We receive surplus roosters and older hens that are no longer laying from our neighbors... Contrary to myth, chickens are not inexpensive to feed. We return 1/2 the number of birds to their owners, cleaned and wrapped for the freezer. That way we have plenty of birds for soup day without having to buy them. It's a good deal all around. Note: I really do adore chickens, and I am not conflicted with doing this. They just don't have old-age homes for chickens... To me it actually is much more respectful to use the birds in this old-fashioned way than having them just be thrown away, no?

Back to the SOUP...

BELOW: Broth from the pressure-cooked chicken, strained from the meat. We then pick over all the cooked meat to remove it from the bones. Then we mix it in a big tub with the fresh veggies: Onions, carrots, celery, bell peppers, garlic and herbs.

When the jars are packed, we ladle hot broth over the ingredients, seal the jars and pressure-can them for preserving. Each batch takes 90 minutes in the pressure canner to eliminate any harmful bacteria from the soup. You cannot preserve meat like this with the easier "water-bath" canning, please don't try doing that. What a joy to pull a jar of this soup down from the shelf on a cold winter day. It's really fantastic soup, so flavorful with no additives, MSG and junk like store-bought soup seems to be full of.

BELOW: The bones, picked of their meat, are put through a second batch of pressure cooking along with some leeks and onions to create amazing homemade chicken stock that is a joy to cook with.

BELOW: Conclusion of another successful Chicken Soup day, broth in front, soup in back. We do this a few times a year. Yay for soup!!

Last Call for Fall, part 2

2010-11-10T08:51:00.000-08:00

Here's Part One. Here are more pretty leaf colors from around tmy gardens, while it lasts.

Jerusalem artichokes doing a "dip-dyed" ombre color effect. These are one-year-old baby plants. can't wait for next year with these!

Last lovely rose of Fall, lasting a long time.

My unique sprig of albino salal is back again and much bigger!

Ghostly glow of snow-white... Here's my post from May 2009 when I first spotted this.

Here's the typical green growth of salal.

ABOVE: Serviceberry turning gold. I love it!

Snowball Viburnum. I bought this just for big white Spring flowers,
but I am loving the bonus Fall colors!

ABOVE: Wonderful Witch Hazel colors. Here is my post showing the gorgeous flowers blooming earlier this year in March.

SURPRISE! I planted a bulb of Italian Arum (Arum Italicum) over here in the side yard a year ago... I forgot about it after nothing came up in Spring. Well, here it is now!!! I really like Arum. Read more about Arum on Wikipedia. If you love Hosta, do check it out as they have a good gardening idea about combining Arum and Hosta.

By the way, I ordered this Arum as well as my Jerusalem Artichokes as an experiment at freetreesandplants.com and I have been very happy with my order. They help disabled adults get jobs when you order plants from them - it's a good organization and you should check them out!

Last Call for Fall, Part 1

2010-11-07T08:51:00.000-08:00

Pretty soon the colorful leaves will have blown off the trees and shrubs, signaling the end of my favorite season, Fall.

Rich red of "Bloodgood" Japanese Maple.

ABOVE and BELOW: Spectacular Sourwood tree (Oxydendrum arboreum) now 3 years old. A top favorite for amazing scarlet color! About 3 feet tall now.

Good old Blueberry foliage, bright cherry red.

Stained-glass backlit Geranium "Rozanne" leaf.

Red Osier Dogwood saplings... I picked these up at the excellent February 2010 Kitsap County Resource Conservation District plant sale. I love the multicolored effect.

Who's idea was it to transplant such a big tree???

2010-10-29T06:45:00.000-07:00

OK - it was my idea. This pretty Vine Maple has been in the ground here for just over two years, and it was perfectly happy staying put. But, due to it's nice vertical shape, I thought it would be great out in the new front garden. Soooo...

Isolating the root ball so as not to damage the nice side roots.

With LOTS of help from Larry and the tractor!!

OK, ready to start the move....

After much dragging, here it is in the new position. It's height will help keep folks from backing into our fence as they leave the parking place in front of the garage, looking back over their shoulder in reverse -- that's the idea anyway.

I love it out front! Worth the hassle! It won't be shading anything growing in the garden beds since it's on the north side of them. Love that Fall foliage color.

And now for something completely different!

Garden oddity: This huge zucchini was tangled up inside the growing stems all season at the heart of our biggest zucchini - tormented unseen until we pulled out the plants!

When good zucchini goes wrong...

Fall scenes

2010-10-22T16:54:00.000-07:00

The kiwi vine in full golden Fall glory.

Soon to be roasted!

The spiders are really cranking up the web-making now.
Last chance for warm-weather flies and 'skeetos?

Green strawberries in the garden, in October????? Hmmm.

Last rosebud of the year here.

I'm the happiest gardener in the whole USA

2010-10-17T10:25:00.000-07:00

The front yard here is finally becoming the herb and flower garden I have been dreaming about creating for 2.5 years. It moved up the priority list to the point where I can attack the project just in time for fall planting!

BELOW: It started with a simple spray-paint line to delineate a curving main pathway.

BELOW: Scrap tar paper from the "Waste not Want not" surplus store goes down to inhibit future weeds in the pathway.I had to hold it down with firewood, due to high winds!

BELOW: A big step. Larry used his tractor to loosen the packed soil where the beds go, brought in fill dirt to raise the beds, and brought gravel for the main pathway.

BELOW: Now it starts getting good - several nice big lavender plants given to me by a kind Garden Club member give an air of establishment and permanence out there!

BELOW: Daylillies, dwarf evergreens, sedum, roses, peonies and balsam plants. All the plants I brought in are from the fenced deer-proof growing area down the hill. Have been waiting to plug this stuff in for a long time! Did not need to do any shopping to get going - I like that part.

BELOW: Larry also brought in the huge rocks from around the property. At first he was not sure about how that would look but we both are really happy with them in there now. Sculptural element that will look great with snow when all the plants are dormant in winter.

BELOW: Larry also added a section of rail fence. Where would I be without him??!! The idea was to keep people from backing into the garden as they exit the parking area in front of the garage, but we also like it now for the cozy "hitching rail" look. The fence and garden help so much to connect the house to the property as you drive up. Used to look like the house landed from outer space. Landscaping is really softening that up!

BELOW: I have added some young Vine maple trees and a few Oregon Ash trees to the north side, where as they grow they will not be shading things out but can still add beauty and fall colors. Also planted in my baby Smoke Bush trees and Washington Hawthorns.

I'm using straw for mulch because it's so affordable and easy to use. I am hoping that it will help stifle weeds and will also protect the new transplants from temperature extremes. Eventually I want to switch to a bit more attractive wood-chip mulch, but getting it here is such a pain and expense. The straw is working fine for now.

More updates soon - more transplanting and mulching to do before fall planting season ends.

Visit to Far Reaches Farm Nursery in Port Townsend, WA

2010-10-14T07:02:00.000-07:00

This is a spectacular place to visit for the plant-obsessed gardener and beginners alike. The staff is always very friendly and helpful. Be prepared to see some jaw-dropping plant specimens at reasonable prices!! Scroll down for pictures! One last chance to catch them this year:

This Thurs-Sat from 10:00-4:00 are our last open days until probably April. We’re still finding new plants to bring out as well as the annual winnowing of larger stock plants as we realize that we have more plants than greenhouse space. We also have some very nice freshly dug Eremurus himalaicus and Eremurus Ruiter Hybrid Salmon. These Foxtail Lilies love the sun and good drainage and go summer dormant after flowering and so can take drier conditions. Impressive tall wands of white (E. himalaicus) or salmon colored flowers.

If you can't make it this weekend, visit them online and make plants to come out in the Spring. they are doing great work and have a plant specimen gathering expedition to China planned. Get on their mailing list, it's a good one.

http://www.farreachesfarm.com

Here's a Google map.

They have lovely shade houses you can walk around in.

Also lots of tables outside full of plant treasures that will jump in your car!

Huge Turk's Cap lily.

Vivid honeysuckle

These lovely snowy white Fall Crocus are near the parking lot.

Large flowers, rare variety.

Echinacea in bloom!

Biggest fattest Ech I have ever seen!

Cobra lily, carnivorous beauty!

Lovely giant hen-and-chicks

This cute frog is right at home in the shade garden. Of course he testifies to the total absence of chemicals used here.

Who knows what this is?

Amazing scarlet pods. So exotic!!

Beautiful vignettes abound as you browse.

Harvest pictures - end of the garden 2010

2010-10-09T17:02:00.000-07:00

The corn harvest this year was pretty good considering the challengingly cool 2010 spring and summer growing conditions we had here in the NW.

BELOW: Corn shucks and cobs in the wagon, just picked.

BELOW: More corn shucking progress. Next comes blanching in boiling water and removing the kernels from the cobs for freezing or leaving them whole and freezing, that which is not gobbled immediately! Fresh corn is so good.

BELOW: Ground cherries (Physalis) still on the plants. Ground cherries are a relative of the tomato, gooseberry and tomatillo. More on Wikipedia about these delicious treats. They vigorously re-seed and are virtually pest-free. They need very little water. Sweet little fruits come in their own handy dry wrapper! Highly recommended!

BELOW: Here they are, this is half of just the first picking, with many more to come. I spread them on baking sheets to dry completely. Then they keep well in a basket on the table for snacking. They never last long!

BELOW: Squash and pumpkins have taken over the greenhouse!

BELOW: Pumpkins and a few of the smaller Hubbard squash in front. With heavy weather coming, we picked up all the pumpkins - green or not - to ripen inside the greenhouse. Usually works just fine.

BELOW: Hubbard Squash (Cucurbita maxima.) These are pretty big, about 20 pounds each. They get much bigger than that with better weather conditions. The flesh is wonderful and sweet when roasted. A mix of sweet potato and pumpkin flavors, with a fine soft texture.

BELOW: Wagon is loaded up again, this time with fresh-dug rutabaga and kohlrabi. YUM. The chickens get the tops.

BELOW: The cold-storage cooler, holding a nice harvest of acorn and butternut squash. Can't wait to try these!!

BELOW: Delicata squash chilling out in the cooler.

BELOW: Hubbard squash spilleth over into the cooler, from the greenhouse

BELOW: Homegrown onions drying in the green house. This was a few weeks ago before we put the pumpkins in there. It was a fine year for the onions. They are hanging now in mesh bags down in the shop.

BELOW: Dehydrating is a fine solution for what to do with a big crop of onions. They are peeled and run through the food processor for slicing, then spread out onto the dehydrator trays. Once dried, these are easy to store and are excellent in soup, stew or broth.

BELOW: Here are two items that help with all the weeding and harvesting - we call them "The Creepers". Great help for keeping that bent-over weeding position for hours at a time. They scoot along easily. For big gardens, these are a good investment!!

Flowers in the rain at Chetzemoka Park

2010-09-30T18:55:00.000-07:00

Chetzemoka Park is located in Port Townsend, WA. It has many botanical features tended by passionate gardeners - always worth a visit, rain or shine!

Chetzemoka was a Native American Klallam Chief. He was receptive to the white settlers, and was extremely important to the Anglos for his efforts at diplomacy. His legacy is a bit mixed in retrospect, but he was a very important man in his time and he is remembered in this lovely park.

Here is a painting of one of his Potlatch ceremonies on Wikipedia.

BELOW: This glowing cosmos flower was so perfect...

BELOW: I adore the dark foliage behind this sweet butter-yellow dahlia.

BELOW: Stunning scarlet Yarrow.

If you click on these pictures, you can get more detail.

Refrigerator Pickles!!!!

2010-09-27T06:43:00.000-07:00

These pickles are sweet and tangy. They are supposed to live inside the fridge and are not "canned" to last for many months on the shelf. It's not a problem as they usually do not last nearly long enough for it to be an issue!!

The star of the show is a mess of nice fresh cucumbers from the garden of course. They are sliced and salted down for 90 minutes, and then rinsed well and drained. This gets any bitterness out of them, and gets them ready to play with the many other ingredients.

The "brine" for these pickles is vinegar and sugar. We heat it up to melt the sugar.

We had a bumper crop of yellow onions this year and we used many of them here. They are so tender and sweet.

Red and yellow peppers - from Costco actually. This summer was way too cool for any red peppers to ripen for us.

Also yellow squash! Why not. It's sweet and crunchy.

So here is everything mixed together - all the ingredients plus spices. At left below is everything before I mixed it up, and to the right is the whole batch after mixing.

The hot brine liquid is then poured over everything, and mixed through. Then big jars are filled and off to the reefers they go! Wonderful crunchy pickles. Hope you enjoyed seeing how we do it!! I love these on green salad, or chopped and added to egg or potato salad, or in a sandwich. Or, just straight with a bowl and a fork!

Garden Weed, Worst!! What is it????

2010-09-23T18:37:00.000-07:00

This is the very worst weed I have encountered, worse even than Canadian Thistle!! Does anyone know what it is??? Click on the pic to see it's sinister self up close.

UPDATE: Just ID'd by a Facebook friend!!! It is Rumex acetosella.

Common name is sheep sorrel aka sour weed.

Characteristics:

Roots are pink, stretchy and run very, very deep. Nightmare to pull.
After the first year, they send up a plume of seed-heads that can get very tall to reach light.
The leaves are curvy and look a bit like baby Arugula...
It will absolutely infest a garden patch, spreading by roots. I got started with it in a batch of composted horse manure that turned out to be loaded with this stuff.

Horrible stuff. Would love to know what it is, so I can call it something other than the shocking language I use for it.

Sleepin' Bees

2010-09-06T16:06:00.000-07:00

When a bee lies sleepin'...
Where you'll see a sun up sky
With the morning dew
And where the days go laughin' by...

An early overcast morning out in the garden let me check out some sleeping bumblebees that had not quite warmed up enough to get going yet. Here are two bees sharing a cozy raspberry leaf.

The sunflowers were loaded with the cutely inert bees...

And the Calendula too.
BELOW: This dark Sunflower takes the cake!! It's so pretty.

"A Sleepin' Bee"
Composed by Harold Arlen
with lyrics by Arlen and Truman Capote.

When you're in love and you are wonderin'
If he really is the one,
There's an ancient sign sure to tell you
If your search is over and done

Catch a bee and if he don't sting you,
You're in a spell that's just begun
It's a guarantee 'til the end of time
Your true love you have won, have won

When a bee lies sleepin'
In the palm of your hand,
You're bewitched and deep in
Love's long looked after land

Where you'll see a sun-up sky
With a mornin' dew
And where the days go laughin' by
As love comes a-callin' on you

Sleep on, bee, don't waken
Can't believe what just passed
He's mine for the takin'
I'm so happy at last

Maybe I dreams, but he seems
Sweet golden as a crown

A sleepin' bee done told me
I'll walk with my feet off the ground
When my one true love
I has found, has found

Boat Cruise out of Sequim, WA - and a PUFFIN!

2010-08-31T14:44:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a chartered boat cruise on a beautiful warm day recently, out of the John Wayne Marina in Sequim, WA.
The water out in the Strait of Juan de Fuca was like GLASS on this day, truly extraordinary. You just don't see that out there, usually it's fairly rough at least.

Our host was Captain Charles Martin of "The Water Limousine" service. He's a wonderful guide, very knowledgeable about the area, and fun to be around.

Captain Charles's boat is named Living the Dream, and she's one luxurious smooth-riding boat.

Our destination on the cruise was Protection Island, just off the shore of the Sequim Bay/ Cape George area. It's a beautiful sight. It is uninhabited except for one life-estate person, a caretaker, and occasional scientists. It is LOADED with wildlife, I kid you not! The water tower shown below is very old.

The driftwood-laden shore of protection Island is STUDDED with Bald Eagles, harbor seals and many other kinds of birds as well. Captain Charles knows them all by sight, and is a great spotter. Below, two Bald Eagles joust for a turn at something tasty on the water line while another huge bird watches from beyond. The eagles were everywhere and so close!

BELOW: Rafts of harbor seals sunning themselves on the sand.

I cannot under-emphasize how calm, blue and luscious the water was on that day. It was like a blue velvet bedspread out there.

BELOW: Check this out: A TUFTED PUFFIN!!!

Captain Charles said he'd never ever been this close to a Tufted Puffin before, and that birwatchers come from far, far away just to try and see one... And here this handsome guy was, letting us take a good long look at him. I loved seeing his big orange bill, and white "mullet" feathers!! Gorgeous!!

What a huge treat that was!!! We also saw many harbor porpoise as well, but I was not able to catch any on film.

Everyone had a great time, here's my husband below.

Uncle Fred and Aunt Jeanne had a nice time too!

Two things topped off this lovely day just perfectly.

The first was a fantastic lunch at the Dockside Grill at John Wayne Marina. We enjoyed watching the commercial fishermen unloading their catch just steps from our window, and the food was wonderful. We really enjoyed their great Chardonnay from Fourteen Hands Winery of Washington State.

Then the second thing was this: A great sunset, resplendent with sunbeams.

What a day!

Calendula crop, for lotion

2010-08-22T12:28:00.000-07:00

This row of Calendula that we planted is just amazing...

We can't possibly keep it picked - day to day to pops up more and more blossoms!

My sister, our family herbalist, will use the dried blossoms in lotion that will be made over winter. I gather the cut blossoms into bunches, and hang them upside-down to dry.

The blossoms have a spicy, lemony smell. The stems are very sticky, which makes them easy to hang in bunches. So far the Calendula plants are totally pest-free, and demand very little water. I am 99% sure that the plants are annual, meaning that they will die over the winter. I will do some research though and see if they might come back again next year... they would be great scattered around in my garden here and there if they will live! The aroma and sticky texture of the plants will certainly be distasteful to the deer. And I love the fantastic orange color of the blossoms, wow!

A Few more Sunflowers

2010-08-19T12:26:00.000-07:00

Sunflowers: Bold beauty in the garden

2010-08-16T12:24:00.001-07:00

Mega-veggie-garden hitting it's stride!

2010-08-04T14:54:00.000-07:00

Here is a patch of lovely kale, soon to be cooking in my pot!

BELOW: Leaf lettuce... mmmm...
BELOW: Squash plants are really kicking in now!

BELOW: All over, things are really getting big. We will be picking green beans soon, and the broccoli plants are starting to put out their clusters. Way too soon still for rutabaga, corn and potatoes.

Fresh Italian Sausage

2010-08-01T14:47:00.000-07:00

"Laws are like sausages,
it is better not to see them being made. "
-- Otto von Bismarck

Ha! Well anyway, here you can see our sausage being mixed and spiced. We started with 40 pounds of home-raised, chemical-free pork sausage, ground by the butcher and frozen into blocks, awaiting this day.
The key to Italian sausage is in the spice, of course! The lineup below: Salt, fennel, black pepper, powdered sugar, flaked red pepper, whole caraway seeds, and ground coriander seed. Together this blend creates that unmistakable pizza-worthy flavor.

We opted not to extrude the sausage into casings, but instead to just keep it simple and package it up into one-pound "country-style" patties. Perfect serving for a luxurious breakfast, or pizza.

All wrapped and ready for the freezer!

Rhubarb Harvest and Canning!

2010-07-28T14:34:00.000-07:00

The rhubarb plants in the Mega neighborhood garden, which we have named "Quilbilly Acres" has given us a wonderful crop. When we finished, this big tub was full.

So, checking with the Ball Blue Book for canning advice, we learned that fresh rhubarb is best chopped and sugared, and then left to rest for an extended time in the fridge, to begin drawing out the juices and to help tenderize the rhubarb.

Next step: Waterbath canning in quart jars.

Now we have plenty of shelf-stable homegrown rhubarb to mix into pies and cobblers all year. There is something so refreshing about the zing of a tangy rhubarb cobbler in the heart of winter doldrums. Vitamin C, too!

Photo credits: Carol O. Thanks, Carol!

More pretty Daylily shots!

2010-07-26T16:04:00.000-07:00

Montmorency cherries!!!

2010-07-23T15:48:00.000-07:00

Look at these gorgeous cherries!! They are the Montmorency cherry, a variety of sour cherry, Prunus cerasus.
Our neighbor down the road called with the news we were eagerly anticipating: "The cherries are ready!" She is very observant, and watches her tree for the first few signs of interest from the birds. That's the sign for us to start picking, quick.

She is an elderly and disabled lady who used to harvest these cherries herself but cannot any more. She's really happy to have the cherries picked and enjoyed. And of course we share the "loot" with her!
Here's the grand old tree, down the hill from my truck. The truck is our "picking platform" and really helps reach the goodies when we stand on top of the canopy. As you can see, these cherries are super juicy and both we and the truck are laced with juice after picking! We also use hooked rock rakes to pull the branches down closer.

The home where this Montmorency tree grows has a gorgeous view of the Hood Canal. On this day the weather was fantastic: about 75 degrees with cool breezes!

To the pickers go the spoils! We harvested about 4 gallons.

BELOW: The pitting and cleaning process took about four hours. Well worth it. We canned up the cleaned and pitted cherries and each got four quarts!

The cherries will be wonderful in strudel and pies during the dark days of winter, when their tangy sweetness will recall the perfect sunny summer day of harvest.

Shasta Daisy, Crocosmia, Yarrow!

2010-07-19T15:54:00.000-07:00

Few flowers are as cheerful to me as a great big daisy. The Shastas are in bloom here, along all the roadsides and in my garden too.

We have Luther Burbank to thank for cultivating this most common variety of Shasta Daisy.

The Latin name for the Shasta daisy is Leucanthemum x superbum.

BELOW: The Crocosmia is blooming!!! I love how the colorful buds seem to take flight on their long stems.

BELOW: The unopened buds seem reptilian somehow... Very colorful! These buds stand about four feet tall.
BELOW: Crocosmia were developed from wild plants of the South African grasslands. The brilliant electric red of this variety, Crocosmia aurea "Lucifer", is so vibrant that my camera struggles to capture it.

BELOW: The peaceful garden workhorse, Yarrow (Achillea millefolium.) Never asks for any care or watering, it just produces tall plumes of many tiny buds grouped tightly together for a platter-shaped effect.

I have the white color, above, and the pink, below. Yarrow comes in many colors including yellow, pale pink, and gold. Another great deer-proof plant (in typical scenarios!) Yarrow is a noted medicinal plant used for stopping blood flow from fresh wounds!

Yarrow has many other names: Cordaldo, nosebleed plant, old man's pepper, devil's nettle, sanguinary, milfoil, soldier's woundwort, thousand-leaf, and thousand-seal. Wikipedia has lots of information on this interesting plant!

Daylillies on Parade!

2010-07-16T15:46:00.000-07:00

A little shot of hot weather is all it took to get the daylillies poppin'!

In Latin it's Hemerocallis... from the Greek words for "day" and "beauty".
Wikipedia has a great botanical illustration of all the plant parts - check it out.

I'm very pleased. They require absolutely no care!

I wish I had names for these different varieties. There are a few others yet to bloom too.

So pretty!
BELOW: Here are the burgundy striped ones, they are all opening up now. Wish they could last more than one day!

In praise of Fireweed! And Watsonia too...

2010-07-14T15:23:00.000-07:00

This post is about Fireweed, Epilobium angustifolium. It's a very hardy native plant around here that is just coming into it's peak of bloom for the year.

In Britain it goes by the name Rosebay Willowherb... that's lovely.

Fireweed is so called because it is a very aggressive colonizer of burnt-over areas. I most often see it setting up shop well before other plants right after a severe clear-cut of the evergreen tree farm lands that surround us here.

BELOW: Here is some Fireweed asserting itself in a thick thatch of salal, rhododendron and deciduous (red) Huckleberry, all atop a huge old-growth cedar stump along my driveway.

BELOW: Here is Fireweed merrily colonizing a spot that was clear-cut about 18 months ago. Only the toughest plants get an early foothold after a clear cut: Blackberry, blackcap raspberry, salal, foxglove and fireweed. Foggy Dabob Bay in the background!

Fireweed reminds me of the South African ornamental Watsonia, structurally.

BELOW: White Watsonia borbonica, 'Arderne's White'. I took these Watsonia photos on a walk in Sonoma, CA recently.

I enjoyed growing Watsonia down there, but I'm not sure it would do well where I live now.

BELOW: The coral-salmon pink color of Watsonia, my favorite.

There is a lot of information about Fireweed on Wikipedia!

Comfrey flowers and links

2010-07-12T15:25:00.000-07:00

Comfrey has pretty bell-shaped flowers that are edible and delicious. I have divided several plants and now I have it growing everywhere!

When the flowers drop off, the inner stamen spikes remain.

Here are some links to Comfrey info from blogs I enjoy, via my Google Reader:

Comfrey, Wonder Plant from Simple, Green, Frugal Co-op.
Drying Comfrey from Living the Frugal Life
Springtime for Ladybirds! from Down on the Allotment

Largest Rhubarb leaf, EVER!

2010-07-10T15:35:00.000-07:00

This huge leaf just amazes us out in the mega-garden. Here's a dollar on it for scale. WOW!

The giant leaf is supported by a stalk as thick as my wrist.

BELOW: Nice fresh chard, ready for blanching and freezing in recipe-sized portions.

BELOW: All that chard cooks down to very little! Great to have on-hand in the freezer to throw into pasta, soups, scrambled eggs etc. Now is the time to get this done while the chard is still nice and tender.

BELOW: Strawberry bonanza! Making wonderful ice cream with these.

BELOW: This year we planted a row of Lupine for me to transplant into my new deer-proof garden area out in front of the house, still in the planning stages. I'm very excited! That's spinach in the background.

Mega veggie garden 2010, getting going!

2010-07-07T17:35:00.001-07:00

Our community garden here, "Quilbilly Acres", feeds three families, neighbors, and friends. The local food bank gets the surplus. It's just over 3/4 acre in size. I just love working on it!!

Below: Left to right, Green bush beans, Broccoli, Rutabaga, potato hills, beets, onions. The garlic patch is along the back - the yellow flowers look like mustard in this shot, but they are dandelions growing beyond the fence.

Below: Left to right, Pumpkins and other squash (in the white collars), cucumbers, Indian corn (for decorating with), Bok choy, (bolting with yellow flowers), kale, arugula (cut short), Mizuno lettuce (bright green in front), red leaf lettuce, leaf lettuce mix, gourmet lettuce mix. YUMMY!!!

Below: Left to right, lettuce row from above picture, tomatoes in cages (with t-posts and wire with some pepper plants mid- row), green beans, rutabaga row, broccoli row.

Below: Foreground left to right, end of the rhubarb row and onions. Background left to right, raspberry bushes, strawberry plants, asparagus, potato hills, cabbage at the bottom of the cabbage row.

Below: Rhubarb in front, onions lookin' good, beets, green beans, broccoli, potatoes, lettuce etc in background.

I help out on this garden around three times a week for about four hours at a session. We got a very early jump on the weeds this year, waiting for spring to warm up before doing much planting, so we are in good shape and are pretty much ahead of the weeds!

The ground here is fertilized annually with local goat manure that winters in and mellows out in the rain and snow. The soaker hoses are much, much better than overhead watering. Keeps the foliage healthier, and prevents weeds from getting too bad. I'll post some pictures as things start really getting crazy!!

More shots from around the July garden

2010-07-03T11:24:00.000-07:00

This is Yellow Loostrife, AKA "Circle Flower". I really like it: Tough as nails, spreads slowly, long-lasting color, easy to divide and never asks for water. Note: Purple "Gooseneck" Loostrife is the invasive one and should probably be avoided in most cases, outside of a pot. The yellow variety here is no trouble.

BELOW: Another A+ winner here, Laurel-leaf Rock Rose. I love it! Super durable, deer resistant, drought tolerant, and look at the pretty long-lasting roses. Like little fried eggs! I am always on the lookout for more of these plants. They are surprisingly not too common at nurseries... They should be!

BELOW: No idea what this succulent is called, but it's a joy. This clump has some renegade St John's Wort growing inside of it, which I hope will not be a problem.

BELOW: Sweet William!! Another great performer. Long lasting bunches of candy-pink... I guess these do not taste very good, since after a couple of nibbles, my "galloping gourmet" deer are leaving it alone. I love the tie-dyed look of the blossoms.

Raindrops and flowers

2010-07-02T11:17:00.000-07:00

This week I'm participating in a fun blog community called Fertilizer Friday. It's a way for garden bloggers from all over to get together and flaunt some of their blooms! Please enjoy my pictures below, and then when you are done, head over to Tootsie Time to visit many other gardens from all around the country.

Despite the near total absence of warm weather here in the Puget Sound region this year, stuff is still blooming! The drippy weather is fun to take pictures in.

BELOW: This nice rose was given to me by my gardening friend, Donna.

BELOW: Splendid Sourwood (Oxydendron) once again thrilling me with gorgeous leaf colors this year!!
My cheap little camera is good with delivering the details in "macro" mode . What fun!

BELOW: Fuchsia Rose Campion flowers, looking like wet lipstick in the drizzle.

BELOW: This stunning mauve Daylilly is another gift from Donna :~)

Historic Stone Barn in Sonoma

2010-06-20T09:54:00.000-07:00

One of my very favorite places to walk my dogs when I'm in Sonoma is at Temelec. It's a subdivision built on an old country club, from an estate founded in 1858 by Captain Granville P. Swift, a Bear Flag Party member.

BELOW: Here is Temelec's gorgeous stone livery stable! It's used now as headquarters for the landscaping crew for the subdivision. My favorite bike path leads right up to this amazing place.

BELOW: This old door just fascinates me. It's so Moorish...

BELOW: Atop the old barn is a gorgeous dovecote. It's now popular with a zillion beautiful bats, which can be observed at twilight.
BELOW: A magnificent old Oak tree presides in the barn's courtyard.

BELOW: The mossy trunk is the picture of strength and endurance.

BELOW: The candelabra of branches overhead just intoxicates me. I do miss these big old magnificent Oaks now that I live in the Northwest. It's too wet for them up here.

BELOW: The bike path and barn are situated along a huge vineyard, with beautiful views to the Sonoma Mountain summit. While we were in Sonoma, they were experiencing the coolest, wettest spring there since 1971!! It was perfect to me, acclimated as I am to cooler Puget Sound weather now. I loved it but it drove the locals crazy... here's a very burly fog bank.

In Sonoma Valley: To find this bike path and barn, take Arnold Drive to Temelec at Almeria Drive, turn right (north), then park anywhere and head down any of the numbered side streets, heading north toward the vineyard, to find the bike path. It's wonderful. The barn is at the western end of the path. Enjoy!!

Marvelous Buckeye in bloom (Aesculus californica)

2010-06-17T09:33:00.000-07:00

The Buckeye trees native to California have always been a huge favorite of mine. Their flowering is so jubilant!!

Fortunately, our recent trip to Sonoma coincided with the big bloom! Each big bodacious banana-shaped blossom cluster is composed of many little flowers, each resembling a tiny festive hibiscus or orchid.

The tiny flowers open up near the tip of the "banana" first, then moving on down to the base. This leaves behind the spiky bare green stalk as the tiny flowers fade and drop off from tip down in order.

The sight of the otherwise plain Buckeye in bloom is so razzle-dazzle. The season of such splendor is very short-lived for the Buckeyes in CA though. As the weather heats up in early summer, the leaves brown and drop right off, leaving behind a very scruffy looking "dead" shrub or tree. So, there is no time like the present to appreciate the wonderful vanilla-scented bodacious blossoms and rich green fig-like foliage.

When the leaves drop off, what remains exposed on the bare branches are comical "nuts" sheathed in a fuzzy casing. The nuts frequently are in pairs, drawing some double-takes and giggles.

Looking at Wikipedia yields some interesting facts about these tough-as-nails CA natives, including these rather shocking tidbits:

The nectar of the flowers is toxic, and it can kill honeybees and other insects. WOW!
The bark, leaves, and fruits contain the neurotoxic glycoside aesculin, which causes hemolysis of red blood cells. EEK!
Local native Americans used the poisonous nuts to stupefy schools of fish in small streams to make them easier to catch.

More flower pics: Hydrangea and Poppy

2010-06-14T15:10:00.000-07:00

BELOW: This very tall, very brightly colored purple poppy was jaw-dropping!! And by "tall", I mean 4 feet tall! Never seen one like it before.

BELOW: Poppy blossoms are so amazing because of the color, and also because of the little universe inside of them. Amazing fanciful structures!!

BELOW: The succulent drooping seed pods are really cool too.

Here's a seed pod below, ready to pick and dry. But I didn't pick it. That would have felt like stealing, in it's carefully manicured suburban streetside garden! I would love to know what variety this giant plant is. maybe I can find it online. It is really a stunner!

Beautiful roses in Sonoma, CA

2010-06-12T15:03:00.000-07:00

Being in Sonoma for the entire month of May meant a front-row seat for me to the local roses in bloom. Spectacular!!

BELOW: I love the contrast of this dewy rose with the old peeling picket fence.

BELOW: Yellow is a wonderful color for roses, and it's rather old-fashioned these days. Here's a beauty!
BELOW: The roses with a blend of colors on each petal are stunning.

BELOW: This coral-red/pink rose is so fat and succulent, it seems like a "double" variety. Do they have those? If so, this must be one! Had a great fragrance, too.

Great stonework raised planter beds, spotted in CA!

2010-06-10T14:17:00.000-07:00

These wonderful garden beds are out in front of a modest home in Sonoma, CA. The beautiful stonework caught my eye immediately...

The beds include cozy little benches in the middle, which are soooo inviting. The paths between are covered with decomposed granite, to help suppress the weeds.

I liked these raised beds so much that they inspired me to think, "Maybe I could have a setup like that back at home in WA!" We certainly have plenty of rocks around here of just the right size...

BELOW: Here are these planter beds, as seen on Google Maps -- cool!

Coming up, I'll be posting some more sights from my month-long trip to CA including great plants and roadside attractions. Plus some dramatic "before and after" shots of the tough home-renovation job we were there working on. Not a pleasure trip! But, having my dogs along caused me to make time daily for pleasant walks and photo-ops. Thank goodness for dogs! It's wonderful to be home again in WA.

More Bloedel Reserve pictures

2010-04-28T10:51:00.000-07:00

Bloedel Reserve features so many different microclimates. It has some lovely canyons with streams flowing and many ponds and marshes in addition to sunny meadows and formal gardens. (I have more shots of this amazing place, from last year, HERE. Don't miss the galloping otter!)

A favorite denizen of the marshy areas there: Skunk Cabbage!! (Lysichiton americanus.) It does have a faint and fairly pleasant skunky aroma. I love it nestled here among the cheerful clover.

BELOW: This beauty is a clumpy ground cover. The periwinkle blue is totally hypnotizing.

BELOW: Primrose are well-represented at Bloedel and are in full bloom now.

BELOW: I am infatuated with Pieris Japonica right now, and look what I found - WOW. The new growth on this grand old 10' tall plant is the prettiest soft peach-rose color.

A few more shots from my visit to Bloedel, to come shortly.

Side Yard project

2010-04-25T10:13:00.000-07:00

Like any good garden project, this one started with a bucket o' plants and a good breakfast! In the bucket are lots of bare-root native plants from the Kitsap Conservation District plant sale and some nice Euphorbia from nursery vendors at the sale. The natives are Red Osier Dogwood, Snowberry, and Nootka Rose. I added some Elderberry cuttings (the native poisonous kind) from elsewhere in the yard here.

Here's the spot, in a picture from summer of 2008. Here's the lead carpenter set up to cut siding not far from the target side-yard site. As you can see it's totally cleared off and resembles a moonscape. Dry, dusty and rocky.

Hubby very graciously provided a focal point for the area, with his tractor. This fantastic boulder came from about 33 feet away. It's really a nice one, I love it!

BELOW: Another key ingredient are two fab native Hazelnut trees given to me by my very dear friend Cathy. They were delivered separately in the back of her pickup truck, having been excavated by a tractor. HUGE root balls. Each plant weighed way too much to be messed with by hand, so another job for the tractor was digging the holes with the backhoe, and then lifting and positioning the trees with chains using the tractor's front-end loader. WOW. One of the trees is at the edge of the picture at far left (with rocks at the base).

BELOW: The other Hazelnut tree has not had the cut branch stumps "groomed" with the chainsaw yet - many started sprouting, so we thought we would leave them for now and see what happens. I like the wispy look of the groomed one, but we'll see if the other one wants to leaf out.

BELOW: Back to the boulder and the native plants - I got the euphorbia and some cute low-growing Spirea planted around the boulder with a baby Witch hazel, some of the Red Osier Dogwood and Snowberry around the back of it. All mulched with straw.

BELOW: The mulched area in the back is where most of the Elderberry was planted. It will get very very tall and will hopefully provide some backdrop. Great fall colors and red berries! I am imagining a grassy pathway between these areas for Hubby to zoom around on with his mower (please!)

BELOW: Here is the boulder with a frosting of snow a few weeks ago! I love it! Also added a clump of Candytuft at the front.

BELOW: Thankfully little Pepper and Weederman are here to help with mouse patrol and boulder-testing.

BELOW: Seems like a mouse could be in the straw somewhere! Have to check that out. Good girl!

So, please stay tuned for another big lurch of improvements on the side yard project, probably in Fall planting season. Will have lots of grass around there, and we'll be expanding the beds so they connect eventually!

Star Magnolia overload!! (Magnolia stellata)

2010-04-20T10:04:00.000-07:00

While visiting The Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island recently (which is about an hour from my place) I stopped in my tracks at the sight of these two gorgeous pampered Star mag trees!!

The light that afternoon was of the gentle, milky, partly-cloudy morning variety, which really helps when taking pictures of white subjects.

These blossoms are like pearls to me, so soft and luminous.

Many of the flowers on these little trees were browning off, but I spotted these at their zenith for the pictures.
Some new buds still coming too!

I love, love, love Star Magnolia. One of my favorites! Wonderful soft sweet fragrance too.

See you next year, Star Mag!!

Front-fence Pieris japonica update

2010-04-08T17:39:00.000-07:00

Look what's happening now with the new Pieris plants along the front fence!

Stunning pink blossoms opening, tons of them!

This plant is such a winner for this remote and deer-infested location at the very front of the place. AKA andromeda or fetterbush.

Cool new business on wheels, in town!

2010-04-06T17:30:00.000-07:00

This is John Shelley, he owns "Dented Buoy Pizza and Catering" and made this fantastic portable pizza oven!!

John sold out of his wood-fired pizza at the Complementary and Alternative Medicine Faire in Quilcene at the Community Center this past Saturday. He showed us his awesome pizza oven. He designed and built it himself from a variety of materials and - you guessed it - a dented buoy! The oven is just so cool in person. He had sold his last pizza before we got there but I asked around and the lucky people there that had tried it, loved it.

So, if you need pizzas or any wood-fired food catered in this area, call John. They have a new wordpress blog set up online, stop by and give him a comment! There are some pics of this unique oven in use in their gallery section. Very cool.

That's life in the Puget Sound Covergence Zone!!

2010-04-03T10:09:00.000-07:00

So, we went jolting from carefree spring conditions like this:

To a short snowstorm of rather epic proportions!

The snowflakes were big fat "swan feathers"!
The total snow event only lasted for about 6 hours but once it started "sticking", it added up fast!

Inside it was super-cozy though...

Pepper and Weederman enjoyed curling up by a blazing fire in the wood stove!

Visit to Whitney Gardens in Brinnon, Part 3

2010-04-02T14:35:00.000-07:00

Ahhh... Whitney Gardens in Spring!! This local gem, along the Hood Canal shoreline in Brinnon, is a spectacular place to visit. It consists of a retail nursery, public gardens for strolling with dollar admission, and extensive picturesque nursery growing grounds that you can explore. Well worth a long drive for the interior sections of the Puget Sound area. Make sure you have space in your car for plants!!!

BELOW: Tempting pots and supplies.

BELOW: The cashier area of the nursery store. They have an adorable gift shop and all the planting supplies you could ever need to buy.

BELOW: Whitney Gardens is a real authority on Japanese Maples, as well as Rhododendrons and Azaleas. There are countless varieties of carefully labeled and documented species of Japanese Maple in a dazzling array of colors and forms.

BELOW: The growing ground and tree sales area is exciting to browse, and everything is well marked and tagged. He is the Star Magnolia aisle in full bloom that made my heart go pitty-pat.

BELOW: Maples!!! If you love Japanese Maples, make the trip to Whitney Gardens. You will learn a lot!

BELOW: The nursery is situated under HUGE old trees with charming paths meandering through. I love how everything is so clearly marked.

BELOW: The greenhouses!!! All neatly divided by color, size and species, the Rhody selection is incredible. Even more Maples in front, carefully labeled!

BELOW: Like the ornamental grasses? They have you covered.

BELOW: Amazing conifer selection.

BELOW: This variegated conifer is amazing! Looks like tie-dye!!

Visit to Whitney Gardens in Brinnon, Part 2

2010-03-30T08:17:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in Part One, Whitney Gardens is famous for it's magnificent ancient Rhododendrons and Azaleas. They have seven acres of phenomenal gardens to stroll. Simply breathtaking stuff!!!!

BELOW: This luminescent pale Rhody blossom is the size of half a basketball, no kidding.

BELOW: Pow! Hot pink, fuchsia, and red blossoms everywhere to knock your socks off! My poor little camera was struggling to grapple with so much jaw-dropping color saturation.

BELOW: Aaaahhh... Purple azalea blossoms to whisk you away to another world....

BELOW: A cool creamy Camellia giving me a Lauren Bacall look... You know how to whistle, don't you?

BELOW: It had rained on and off that morning before my neighbors and I arrived for our stroll, but never while we were there. We felt very lucky. Soggy rain, as gardeners know, is the enemy of big fat blossoms like these. So we felt very fortunate to be viewing the blossoms in raindrop-kissed glory before they start browning off later in the Spring sogginess.

There are still many weeks of great blooming yet to come at Whitney Gardens, this is just the opening salvo. We'll be back!!!

Visit to Whitney Gardens in Brinnon, Part 1

2010-03-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

Whitney Gardens is an amazing place... On this day the sky was mostly overcast and showery. The place was not too busy when we got there at ten AM, but people really started coming in droves when we were ready to go get some lunch at 11:30. Only $1.00 to get in!

The big stars at Whitney Gardens are the Rhodys and Azaleas (pics in the next post) but I was knocked out by the flowering Spring bulbs everywhere!! Above, luscious pink tulips! Below, fragrant, luminous and statuesque narcissus.

BELOW: Succulent glowing yellow tulips and friends, potted at the nursery entrance. Yes, they have a fantastic retail nursery there complete with everything you could possibly need to buy!! Photos in a following post.

BELOW: Some tall purple muscari blooming amid the tiny foliage and buds of a miniature azalea. So sweet.

BELOW: White muscari and a lovely blue friend who's name I don't know.

BELOW: A fantastic frizzle daffodil! Didn't know these existed! They are early bloomers, this was the last one I found in good shape. The rest were fading fast. Love the frizzy petals!

Flowers of Salmonberry, Rubus spectabilis

2010-03-26T16:49:00.000-07:00

I really like Salmonberry flowers. They are such a hot fiesta pink, and are often the first flowers you can see in dark forest understories. They start out as fat circular little buds.

Then they open into little festive pink parasols with a crepe texture.

The Salmonberry bushes go dormant well before most other shrubs around here, turning brown and dropping the leaves in late Summer. So, they do have an ugly phase then. But for now, it's party central!!

More Daffodil Cheer!

2010-03-24T10:15:00.000-07:00

These sweet daffys match my spirit, on the heels of a TON of great news so far this week from friends and family!!

This year, thanks to a wonderful gift of bulbs from my dear pal Lisa G., I have both single and double daffodils!
The double daffs are like roses to me - big, fat luxurious blossoms! I love them!

BELOW: Our patch of "wild" daffodils that has been steadily colonizing. The first Spring we were here, 2008, we spotted just one bloom there and it gave us so much cheer. Look at 'em now!! We suspect that a neighborhood squirrel stashed the original bulb after snitching it from a neighbor's house.

BELOW: I love the daffs as they emerge and unfurl from their buds, shedding the papery wrapper in the process. The double daffodils are especially succulent as buds.

Spring exuberance

2010-03-20T12:36:00.000-07:00

I adore these miniature daffodils. There really teeny but pack a huge punch of color. Each blossom is literally about as high as a quarter! Too cute.

Mmmm... Pumpkin Leather!!!!

2010-03-18T12:21:00.000-07:00

We started out with bags of frozen chunks of pumpkin and yellow squash that had been roasted in batches as it came in from the garden last year. We thawed it out in a big pot over low heat.

Next step was to run it through the Victorio, which is an old-fashioned crank operated food mill. This separated the tougher stringy parts from the creamy flesh. We ran the stringy parts through twice to make sure we got all the yumminess out. As you can see, a gorgeous soft paste of pumpkin and squash is the result.

Next, the puree was put back into a pot, heated slightly and seasoned to taste with a bit of brown sugar (not much) and pumpkin pie spice blend. The smell was INCREDIBLE! We were all drooling!

Finally, the puree was poured onto special slick liner sheets onto the Excelsior food dehydrator. The standard shelves in the Excelsior are mesh for best circulation when drying foods, but the silicone-lined sheets are perfect for drying puree for fruit leathers.

The amount of pumpkin puree was so big that we needed to do the dehydrating in several batches. As each batch came off, we wrapped the rolled-up pumpkin leather in plastic wrap. That's it!

The next part is the best: Enjoying it. It was a perfect quick snack for any time: in the car, on a hike, watching a movie, whenever. And it is all gone now... Can't wait till next year when we will do much more of this. Great way to use up all the mountains of yellow squash that we had too!

Star Magnolia: Here's Looking at You, Kid!

2010-03-16T12:15:00.000-07:00

It must be Springtime! My little buddy Magnolia stellata is blooming!

The fleshy blossoms have a sugar-cookie fragrance.

I'd love to have more of these. I'd better do it soon, they grow so slowly! This shrub has been in the ground here for about 2.5 years and has increased in size by just over a third. I dream of it being a six foot tall bush blanketed with white blossoms!

Wonderful Houseplant: Begonia "Angel Wing"

2010-03-09T15:02:00.000-08:00

This plant was given to me as a small rooted cutting. It is huge now!

I adore the dramatic spots of white on the leaves. Reminds me of the spots on Whale Sharks that you see on TV!
"Angel" here is our very first houseplant since we left California in 2007. I sold all my plants, indoor and out, on Craigslist when we moved and have really missed having them.

BELOW: The reverse side of the leaves are a rosy color that looks great backlit in the window. Everything about this plant is pretty!

When she gets too leggy (soon!), I'll cut it off and re-root again. The mother plant that this cutting was taken from was about 6' tall!!! I need to get a bigger stake for her as it is...

From Wikipedia: Begonia "Angel Wing" is a hybrid which resulted from a cross between Begonia aconitifolia and B. coccinea. The hybridization was made by California plant breeder Eva Kenworthy Gray in 1926.

Blue Sky, Bare Alders

2010-03-04T14:47:00.000-08:00

It occurred to me while I was walking our trails that I should look up and enjoy the skies, before the Alders grow their leaves back again! What wonderful dark-blue winter skies that day.

The new growth tips and hanging catkins of the young Alders are a faint reddish color at this time of year.

In Praise of Hamamelis x intermedia "Diane" Witch Hazel!

2010-03-01T14:34:00.000-08:00

One again this sweet little tree delights me with it's confetti flowers in winter! I found the original tag for this plant so I know for certain that it's the "Diane" variety. Wonderful raspberry/rusty flower color!!

BELOW: Here's a closeup of how this nifty festive blossom is put together. Wikipedia says,"The horticultural name means 'together with fruit;' its fruit, flowers, and next year's leaf buds all appear on the branch simultaneously, a rarity among trees..." So I guess this is what we are looking at here:

This plant is from the fabulous Bainbridge Gardens nursery and was a Christmas present from my very thoughtful Mom and sister. These sweet colorful blossoms have never failed to totally cheer me when skies are gray in winter. Also noteworthy is that our hoardes of hungry local deer have never nipped at this plant once - Wow!

It's a family affair! More from Wikipedia: "The late Jelena & Robert de Belder of arboretum Kalmthout (in Belgium) were searching for red cultivars. The first, with bronze flowers, was named 'Jelena'; the next, with red flowers, was named 'Diane' (the name of their daughter); the last, with deeply red flowers, was called 'Livia' (the name of their granddaughter)."

Amazing Taxidermy at Cabela's in Lacey, WA - Part 5

2010-02-15T08:43:00.000-08:00

If you have not seen my caveat about these animals in previous parts of this multiple-part post, please see it at the bottom of this post.

Polar Bear - An amazing sight to behold!

This guy is IMMENSE. He stands about 10 feet tall.

Pictures can't convey what it is like to stand near this amazing piece.

BELOW: Something smaller!

BELOW: Gennet Cat, from Africa.

The excellent quality and variety of taxidermy in this Cabela's store is just amazing to me. I hope you enjoy these pictures and I hope that the beauty and majesty of these animals shows through.

Please note that I am damn sad that all these animals are dead - but it's a done deal now, and I am grateful for the chance to appreciate them at close range, plus I'm not the one that shot them.

Amazing Taxidermy at Cabela's in Lacey, WA - Part 4

2010-02-13T08:30:00.000-08:00

Please see below my Caveat from Part one, about my feelings about these animals and appreciating them despite their being dead.

BELOW: Here is an amazing White Rhino.

BELOW: To me this lion is the most stunning piece in the whole place!!!

BELOW: This African elephant is the star of the African section. He's HUGE and gorgeous. And I want to choke the jerk who killed him...

BELOW: This Eland really stuck me with the sheer mass - it's a very big animal - and also the Zen expression and calm power that reminded me of Buddha. I really enjoy this piece and find it very touching. You have to look hard to find it - it's upstairs facing away from the center of the store on a back wall. Well worth finding.

BELOW: Surprise - Not everything in this store is dead! They have enormous aquariums full of beautiful huge fish swimming around!! There were many other varieties but my camera was not cooperating in the odd backlit environment.

Caveat: The excellent quality and variety of taxidermy in this Cabela's store is just amazing to me. I hope you enjoy these pictures and I hope that the beauty and majesty of these preserved animals shows through.

Please note that I am damn sad that the animals are dead - but it's a done deal now, and I am grateful for the chance to appreciate them at close range, plus I'm not the one that shot them.