Sunday, April 17, 2016

Garden Pictures

We're needing more fencepost toppers so I made this whimsical teapot sculpture to go with the two stacked teapots pieces. 



The garden is coming to life!  

Here are beautiful red tulips with roses in the background. Last spring the roses were little more than twigs but these own-root roses grow like crazy. Can't wait for the climber in the background to bloom. A clematis is filling out the bottom of the trellis. Going to be beautiful!


A neighbor went on a binge and cut all the tall trees surrounding his property, pretty much removing what little privacy we had on this open lot, so we are planting more trees and Pacific wax myrtle to screen some of the less desirable views. Here are two Twisty Baby Honey Locusts we just added.


The crabapples are blooming. In the background, in front of the house, you can see the alpine hemlocks we planted last fall. And there is Hattie waiting for something to happen. 


Here is the veggie garden. Raspberries and blueberries looking good. The last year artichoke is growing on the left with two new ones in the foreground. We had to put wire around them to keep the ducks from trampling them. The bed behind the blueberries is asparagus. Duck house in the rear.


Ducks in their pool, strawberry bed behind the bench, veggie beds on the right.


Inside the greenhouse, a few things are already planted in the back. Tomatoes will go in soon. I started much of it from seed this year.


These Pieris were moved last year from the front of the house where they were not doing well to a shadier spot in the back. Looks like they will recover.


President Roosevelt rhodie in bloom.


A fantastic peony tulip, Queen of the Congo. Stunning dark red...


...with a yellow center.


Huge red tulips. The yellow ones are also peony type. Dahlia tubers were just planted and zinnias to fill in the bare spots around the smoke bushes and dahlias.


So much fun this time of year.


Thursday, April 14, 2016

Plants and Cape Flattery

Time for putting in more plants. A neighbor went on a tree cutting spree and so we lost the little privacy we had on this open lot. I'm going with Pacific Wax Myrtle for hedging and put in two Twisty Baby Honey Locust trees to block some unwanted house views - in a few years, anyway. Later this week I'll plant dahlia bulbs in the back yard. The veggie starts in the greenhouse are taking off already. More about that later. It's time to walk the dogs and then take Hattie to Nosework class. I never seem to have enough time to do everything that needs to be done.

We drove to Cape Flattery this week. Had to stop for Dramamine in Neah Bay. I can't handle long twisty roads any more. The pills helped so that I was able to hike out the Cape Flattery trail by the time we got there. Beautiful scenery, but no reviews of the trail mentioned the driving conditions so I could be prepared. I don't think I'll be going back any time soon.




Thursday, March 31, 2016

Sunshine... makes me happy

Sunshine makes everything happy. (You know you can click on the pictures to enlarge them?)

Soaking the pin feathers emerging on her breast
Happy hens
Epimedium in bloom
Hattie with Hooper's old ball
Beautiful hellebores 
Tulips first to bloom in the Memorial Garden
I love these tulips! 

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Pictures

Bits and pieces

From the desert...

Hedgehog cactus and feathery cassia beans
Bob and Hattie walking
Nosy
The yearlings came to say goodbye
Watching the new dog
The cabin


Neat metal art marking the Pony Express route in Nevada, north of Ely...


Early Spring in the garden, Sequim. The Hellebores are blooming like crazy.

A green Hellebore flower
More Hellebores
Tag and Hooper memorial garden
The front flower beds with red tulips and yellow daffodils looking pretty.











Saturday, March 19, 2016

Home Again - Trip Pics

I'm tired so comments will be brief but I'll try to update with trip details and more pictures in a few days. Happy to be home and working around the yard again.

1st night camping at Rufus, OR. A noisy night!
Pahranagat NWR in NV, heron
Pahranagat Lake, our campsite on the way to AZ

From the cabin in Arizona...

Funny new growth on the saguaro
More chia growing than I've ever seen
Hattie learns to catch Frisbees 
My cutie
Hawk

Old friend, the Chuckwalla that lives behind the cabin
Desert Lupine 
Pack rat
The pool garden survivors

Heading north again...
Pahranagat camp on the return trip
Another view of camp

Tractor

 What is it about tractors that is so exciting? Bob is giddy with excitement and the neighbors are begging to take selfies on it. But the wi...