Apparently this is now birthing season for the northwest mole, Scapanus townsendii, and new superficial sidetunnels (and mounds) are expected in the spring for the expanding family. They have their favored spots in the yard, and I’ve already transplanted out a small patch of garden that i bordered with stones, called “mole hill”. I think I’ll get an official garden marker for it. Continue reading “Mole season”
Author: ellineer
January ‘happenings’
Last year’s bulb sprouts are coming up now. It was recommended that they be left over a second winter in the pots, and they are just starting to come up : White, Harvest and Cusackii Camas. The Leopard lily and Chocolate lily won’t be up for a few weeks yet.
No new seedlings from this past winter, still only Wild Blue Flax, Small flowered Blue Eyed Mary, and possibly one Fairy bell seedling.
In bloom -October 2010
In bloom in October:
Continue reading “In bloom -October 2010”
Seed propagation
Above, Tiger Lily
Planted seeds in potting soil, seed soil and sand, then covered in sand and gravel. Seeds from northwest native plant sale and from our yard:
Squirrel saga
The Douglas squirrel has a new trick – he chews off the ends of a bunch of the vine maple branches so that the small branch ends with the maple seeds fall to the ground. Then he goes to ground and sets off stashing the seeds in his cache . This makes for a carpet of green maple leaves on the ground, over plants that aren’t ready for being covered by fallen leaves yet.
Continue reading “Squirrel saga”
Propagation fall 2010
Above: Penstemon Confertus, yellow Penstemon
Transplanted dozens of penstemon, iris (setosa?), heuchera and sedum seedlings and divisions around the yard. These are from seedlings I planted late last fall, both in pots and in the ground.
Hazelnut harvest
Cracked open some of the beaked hazelnuts we harvested last summer and they are excellent in flavor and consistency, if not a little small. But!…
Continue reading “Hazelnut harvest”
Early spring this year
“Everything” is sprouting and leafing early due to the early warm conditions. Some of the plants are 2-3 weeks earlier than usual. The bulb seeds planted last year came up very early, with Brodiaea sprouting in November. Continue reading “Early spring this year”
Almost December and the garden’s still alive
Brodiaea coronaria patches already started sending up leaves in early November (mature patches). The earliest I’d seen them come up before was the first week of December. Continue reading “Almost December and the garden’s still alive”
Native Plant sale
Unless otherwise indicated, all plants mentioned in this diary are northwest natives.
Went to the Washington Native Plant Society fall plant sale and came away with seeds for over a dozen species. The seeds were sown into small planters with sand and potting soil, watered, seeds placed, sand shaken over to cover, covered with pumice
Tiger Lily with Brodiaea :
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ellensgarden.us 