December 2014

We’re gonna be in Sunset!

Apparently next March, with the photos that were taken this past May at and just after the Native Plant Society garden tour. A freelance writer showed up at the tour and asked to take picture, which we of course said yes to, cuz why not? He introduced himself with his name but didn’t say that he was a writer and also didn’t say he was tentatively representing Sunset. Apparently he sent the photos to Sunset that day to see if they were interested in our garden, because he was, that’s the reason he took them. Then a local freelance photographer buddy of his (whose native plant ID book we now have) wanted to do the piece, which we were by that time aware of, so he asked if HE could come out and take pix, so we said sure, cuz why not? But then Sunset contacted us shortly after and asked if ANOTHER photographer could come out. He was here for two half days, because it got too sunny on the one day. We had so many great flowers, and sooooooo many bees, that’s what first impressed the writer. We had the first showing of Beargrass, the tall and gorgeous White Camas, and the Yellow Desert Parsley, to name a few). Anyway, this year Seattle Times, next year Sunset!!

Winter bulb fun!

I noticed a few years ago that Brodiaea leaves come right up through holes in leaves, instead of just pushing their way up. I figure that they probably produce a substance that dissolves the dead leaves, leaving a clean hole. I took a bunch of photos of them. This year I tried an experiment, and secured several squares of paper over patches of Brodiaea, including newspaper, lined notebook paper, copy paper and card stock paper. The newspaper actually dissolved a few days after getting wet, of course! But the brodiaea came up through the copy paper and the sturdier notebook paper. The card stock has only been outside a few days yet. There are small dark dots and then they poke through. I’ve noticed that the tips of the leaves sometimes have a tiny drop of clear fluid at the top, that’s probably where the enzyme is. I took a few drops with a stick and dotted them on two spots on the paper, also, next to one of the leaves coming through. But, these drops dry out and so I had to reapply it. Not sure if there has to be continuous wet for it to keep working, but if it is an enzyme it does. I laid a stick with the tip wetted with these drops on the paper, in case that would help, but I think it has to be done a little more properly than that..don’t have lots of time, the leaves will be done trying to emerge soon!

Autumn has finally arrived

Of course, I always a deny the fall until it’s almost over, since we have some plants that persist into November and December. With the first freeze this past week, it’s basically winter and soon spring will be here! First snow, too, which was unusually on a Saturday instead of me having to drive through it, but it wasn’t heavy or sticking to the roads much anyway. It did stay around the yard all week, though, since it was freezing.

Planted some new seeds (in pots), mostly from eastern Washington . Synthyris/kitten tails, large flowered clover/trifoliate macrocephalum, Penstemon Gainderi, Penstemon deustus (white flowered), paintbrushes/Castilleja Elmeri and Miniata, Phlox Viscida, Balsamroot Serrata and Trollius Albiflora. Also planted in pots some white and small purple camas, bear grass seeds, and Purple avens (we have a few but not enough and we have too many of the large leaved yellow variety).

Many other plant seeds sewn in little areas (Dave calls them “clumps”) all over the yard. I had almost 50 packets of seeds of various types and quantities to sow in total. I try to mark them with white pumice so I don’t end up digging them out accidentally (I’ve seen some plants grow up together due to that if I’m lucky, who knows how many were lost, though). I’m still reluctant to put valuable plants, bulbs or seeds in areas that have been ravaged by moles in the past, even though the moles were much less active the last few years, or to plant them around aggressive plants like salal. So, I still end up putting most of these in certain places, but I finally have so many seeds of some types that I can be liberal. Too many to name, but lots of bulbs and plants that are underrepresented .

Below is not the snow we got last week, that was nothing by comparison. This is a winter wonderland from a couple of years back: